Ground Zero (Patient Zero Book 1)

by Adrianne Lemke

  We walked in silence for a while. Mike had a lot of information thrown at him, and he had a decision to make.

  “We’re close to where the others were heading,” I said, breaking the silence.

  There had been no sign of anyone since we’d avoided the guards earlier in the day. No more guards, no footsteps near us. Nothing. It was strange. Travelling with the other kids, we were accustomed to at least some noise. With only three of us, it was so quiet.

  “Your friends should be around somewhere,” Mike said. “Are there any… other things nearby?”

  “Not that I can tell. Although it’s hard to say whether any guards are nearby,” I answered.

  “The guard station is further that way,” Mike answered waving vaguely the opposite direction we were heading. “We should be okay. Maybe try calling for them?”

  I did see some tracks, so I figured we might not be too far from the group. “Let’s try tracking them for a bit first,” I suggested. “In case there are other people around.”

  Before long we heard some noises coming from one side of us. We all exchanged a look. “Rex?” I called softly. “Is that you guys?”

  “Zero!” Shanti exclaimed. After some crashing through the woods, she grabbed me in a hug. “Thank goodness!”

  “Not that I’m complaining.” Jake spoke warily. “But why are you so happy to see Zero?”

  “We ran into some trouble. We tried to make it somewhere safe, but we ran into some guards. They got Rex and Prati!”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  After I stood in silence for several minutes, Jake nudged me. “You okay, kiddo?”

  I gave him a sideways glance. “Not so much, no. My best friend and second-in-command is missing. A little girl is probably terrified. Both prisoners of the people who want me. Why would I be okay?”

  He crossed his arms and nodded. “Fair point. Alright, so what do we do now? We can’t leave them.”

  I let out a heavy sigh. “Honestly? I have no idea. The only chance we have of them being released is to offer a trade. They don’t want Rex or Prati. They want me.”

  Shanti stood shoulder to shoulder with me, showing more support than I’d previously thought her capable of. She had an unreadable expression on her face.

  Mike shifted uncomfortably, drawing Shanti’s attention for the first time. “Who’s this?” she asked.

  “Shanti, this is Mike,” I introduced. “He helped us escape the guards last night. After we were done scaring away a cougar.”

  Shanti stepped back a bit, an incredulous look crossing her face. “Sounds like your night was just as eventful as ours. Probably why we didn’t notice right away that you and Jake were gone. Sorry ‘bout that, boss.”

  I waved off her apology. They’d run into trouble. And I hadn’t been there. “So, where are the others? How did Rex and Prati end up as prisoners?”

  “Let’s walk and talk,” she said. “But keep it down. We were trying to trail the guards who took them, and I think we’re pretty close.”

  “Good. So, what happened?”

  “We walked into a guard stronghold, basically. What we thought was going to be a large safe area, turned into a fight we were unprepared for. Somehow, some guards got to Prati. I don’t know that they would have hurt her,” she said. Her voice was uncertain, and I wondered whether she was right.

  “She’s such a tiny thing. Helpless. I hope they would treat her well, but I guess we can’t really count on anything with power-hungry people,” I said.

  Jake had his hand on Shanti’s shoulder as we walked. His quiet strength allowed her to continue. “We couldn’t get to her, but Rex did. He fought through and put himself between her and three guards. They… they knocked him out, Z. They knocked him out, and took both of them.”

  “So, how did you end up away from the others?” Jake asked.

  “I offered to search for you. Kate described the area as best she could, and showed me the old map—you know, the one that doesn’t have the new quarantine zone on it?—so I could try to find you, but still be able to find them again.”

  I looked at Shanti with a newfound respect. She had been willing to pull her weight within the group, but I had no idea she was capable of tracking and scouting. “I’ll keep that in mind for future reference,” I muttered.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Never mind. So, you’re tracking the guards?”

  “Yeah. But they’re heading toward the town. Once they’re there, I’m not sure what we can do.”

  I shrugged, feigning calmness in the face of one of the worst things we’d had happen. “We’ll figure out a plan, and get them back. Mike might be able to help with that.”

  “M… me?” Mike stuttered uncertainly.

  I nodded confidently. “Yeah. You said some of the townspeople helped you. They might be willing to step up and help a couple kids being bullied by the guards. Even if it’s covertly.”

  He still looked uncertain, but nodded. “Sure. We can try.”

  Conversation ended for the moment, we walked the rest of the way in silence.

  “Z!” Aly was the first to see us. She’d been looking all around, keeping an eye out either for us or for other guards. “Thank goodness!” She threw her arms around me, unconsciously mirroring what Shanti had done when she found us.

  “What’s the status? Have you located Rex and Prati?”

  Kane joined us and nodded toward a thin area of brush. “Through there. They made it back to the town.”

  While I’d hoped we could catch them before they reached the guard-heavy town, I had not expected it. “Mike, come here,” I called softly.

  He joined me hesitantly. “First of all, are you willing to join us? I don’t want you to put yourself in danger for us, if you don’t want to be with us.”

  I held his gaze for a moment before he gave a slight nod. “Yeah. I’m with you, Z. What do you need?”

  “You, Jake, and I are going to sneak into town. Take us to the person most likely to help us. They might know exactly where they’d take Rex and Prati. The rest of you will wait here.”

  I held up a hand, forestalling any arguments. “Too many people will certainly be caught. I already know Mike can move silently, and he knows the town. We’ll find out where they are, and get them out if we can.”

  “And if you can’t?” Shanti asked. For once not sounding confrontational, only concerned.

  “Then we will come out and work out a plan with the rest of you. Scout?”

  “Yeah, kid?” The former guard stepped up warily. Probably concerned I was upset he hadn’t kept my family safe.

  I let him believe it for the moment. “You will keep the rest of them safe. I don’t want to have to worry about them while we’re rescuing the others.”

  Scout nodded. “We’ll be safe. I promise you, Zero.”

  I held his gaze for a moment before nodding. “Good.”

  “We should wait until dark, then go in. We’re going to get our friends back.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  We spent the rest of the day assuring the others things would be fine. We also packed a small bag with some extra weapons and picked out our best dark clothes to wear. Dark gray and black were prevalent. We all had dark hoodies to help hide the shape of our faces from obvious view.

  My sword remained outside the hoodie for easy use. I hoped it would help whoever Mike had in mind to see how serious we were.

  Darkness fell. It was time to go. I pulled up the hood and put on a pair of dark gloves I’d borrowed from Kate. They were a bit big, but were thin and gripped the hilt of my sword solidly. They also hid the white of my hands from view. My long dark hair was pulled into a tight ponytail.

  Mike and Jake also pulled on their hoods and gloves, borrowed from different members of Scout’s group, and we nodded toward each other.

  Just past the light brush barrier was a hill. Only some rocks and a few sparse bushes were present, but the moonlight cast enough shadows for us to
use as cover as we slowly made our way down. I gasped and grabbed at a branch when my foot slipped out from under me. A loose rock was the culprit, and I only barely managed to prevent an uncontrolled fall down the rest of the hill.

  “You good?” Jake whispered once I managed to gain my feet again.

  I gave him a thumbs up, and we continued. Nothing from the town indicated anyone had noticed my less-than-graceful trip down the hill. We moved slowly to the edge of town, now using the shadows of the houses as cover.

  There were voices from the houses, and lights we needed to avoid at all costs. Once again, I was struck by the oddity of having a seemingly normal town in the midst of the outbreak. Electric lights were a thing of the past in the outbreak zones. Somehow, this place still had them. It was kind of amazing. I hoped it meant that once we were able to stop the outbreak, things everywhere could get back to normal. Eventually, anyway.

  “Where are we going?” I whispered to Mike.

  He sighed and whispered back. “We need to make our way to the other end of town. Back closer to where I found you. That’s where we’ll find Bernice. She’s the one most likely to help.”

  “Great. Let’s move. And remember: stick to the shadows.”

  My heart was pounding in my chest, the sound of blood rushing filled my ears. Every time a voice raised, or a door opened and closed, I felt like I would have a heart attack. We could not afford to be captured. Rex and Prati were counting on us. The pressure threatened to distract me from our mission.

  This mission felt more important, more immediate, than the quest to find my kidnappers. My best friend and the most helpless member of our family were in danger. Definitely added an immediacy I no longer felt about finding the people who’d started everything.

  “We’re here,” Mike said finally. The moon was high in the sky by now, and shadows were harder to find.

  There was a window left open at the back of the house, and Mike didn’t hesitate to climb in. “Come on,” he urged softly. “She leaves it open for me. Hurry! The guards make rounds at night to make sure everyone is following the curfew.”

  I shrugged toward Jake and followed. I hefted myself up onto the windowsill, and pulled myself in. Jake followed, landing on the floor with a soft thud.

  “Mike? Is that you, dear?” An old lady opened the door, and peered in. She stepped back in surprise at seeing me and Jake on either side of Mike.

  “Are you okay, Mike?” she asked warily. “These people haven’t threatened you, have they?”

  “No, Bernice. They’re my friends. And they need some information,” Mike rushed to assure her.

  The older woman relaxed at his calm tone. “We should get to the center of the house, so you can’t be seen from outside.”

  We made our way to a sitting room that had no windows. “Strange design,” Jake commented, looking around.

  She shrugged. “It’s just how this house was put together. Not sure why. Do you need something to drink?”

  “Water would be wonderful,” I agreed. Sneaking around had given me a serious case of dry mouth. To some extent, I missed our old outbreak zone. There, we didn’t always have to sneak around. There were large empty buildings we could secure, and the guards were less likely to come searching for me. Seemed like an easier existence.

  The three of us pulled down our hoods and removed our gloves while Bernice went to get us some water.

  She set a pitcher on the table along with three cups. “Help yourself. I’ll bring more, if needed.” Hostess duties apparently fulfilled, Bernice got down to business. “This about those two kids the guards caught today?”

  “Yes,” I said. “We need to get them. They’re our family, so we can’t leave them behind. Do you know where they are?”

  She nodded. “My son is a guard. Shameful, I know. But he’s one of the good ones. Got into the job to help protect us from the creatures. Not to bully the town and pick on children. This may be your lucky night. At least for the little girl they brought. She’s with my son. He would give her right back to you. The boy, however, was a bit of a spitfire. They have him locked in the old jailhouse.”

  Jake’s face turned red, and he practically spit he was so mad. “He’s a kid! Why would they think they needed to lock a child up in a jail cell?”

  The old woman smirked. “It may have had something to do with him using a hidden weapon to threaten the guards as he was brought into town. They took the girl, and he pretty much flipped out. He’s quite protective, isn’t he?”

  “Yes. But not as much as me,” I hissed. “They are both under my protection. I already know they knocked Rex out once. If I find anything else wrong I will destroy the guards.”

  Jake set a hand on my back, and Mike shook his head. A small smile formed on his face, but I wasn’t sure why. Bernice seemed pleased by my response.

  “Good. Someone needs to take them down a peg. You two seem oddly well-suited for the job,” Bernice said with a teeth-baring smile. She softened a bit. “There are a couple guards, like my son, who will probably step aside and let you take the children.”

  Jake nodded. “All talking aside, we would prefer to simply get the kids and leave. We don’t need any extra trouble.”

  Bernice nodded. “Understood. You have other things to worry about, I’m sure.”

  “More kids, for one,” Jake said softly. “We can’t get bogged down here. Other people are counting on us.”

  “Mike knows where the jail and my son’s house are. I would suggest starting with getting the little girl. They’ll notice the boy missing first, and the whole town will be in lockdown,” Bernice recommended.

  It was a good suggestion. “Thank you, Bernice. You’ve been very helpful,” I said.

  “You’re welcome, young lady. Good luck. I hope you get the kids back.”

  We started to rise, but Mike hesitated. “Are you okay, Mike?” Bernice asked. “If you need more food, you only have to ask.”

  He shook his head quickly. “No. No. Nothing like that, Bernice. I just… I’m going with them,” he used his thumb to point toward me.

  “I know. You’re helping them. I’m very proud of you, kiddo.”

  “No,” he said with a huff. “I’m leaving with them. I can’t stay on my own anymore. It’s getting more dangerous. They’ll help keep me safe.”

  Bernice’s eyes filled with tears, and she put her hands on Mike’s shoulders. She nodded quickly several times. “I understand. I love you, Mike. Please stay safe, okay? And come back to see me whenever you can?”

  “Of course,” he agreed.

  If I wasn’t mistaken, the boy’s eyes were also getting a bit teary. It made me wonder just how the two knew each other. I figured Mike would share more about himself as time went on.

  I also thought it might be nice to assure him I wouldn’t keep him away from a person he clearly cared for.

  “We’ll make sure he comes to see you again once it’s safe to do so,” I promised.

  “Stay safe, and get your friends,” Bernice said. The tears were drying on her face, and she shooed us out of the lighted room.

  We spent a few moments in the dark room where we’d entered, so our eyes could adjust to the dim lighting once again. Jake peered out of the window and looked in all directions to make sure no one was watching. Once he gave the all clear, we slowly made our way out of the house.

  It was all going so smoothly so far. “Where is her son’s house?” I asked quietly.

  “In the middle of town, unfortunately. “But there should be enough shadow to get through, and there aren’t going to be many people out at this point. Just a few guards patrolling.”

  “Right,” I said with a nod. “The curfew. Okay, lead the way.”

  Creeping through the silent town was somewhat surreal. Before the outbreak there would have been businesses open and people out on the streets at all hours. With the guard-enforced curfew, it was like moving through a ghost town. I had to bite back a snort at the thought. After dealing
with one cheesy horror monster, I had no desire to deal with yet another. Ghosts better stay in fiction, where they belong.

  Jake must have noticed my mini-snort, because he paused and glanced back toward me.

  “Sorry,” I whispered.

  Silence was our friend. Any extra noise held too much risk. Mike froze in the shadow of an old house. Jake and I stopped, hoping we were also enough in the shadows to stay hidden. The slight scratching of shoes on concrete was headed our way. Even a slight motion on our part right now could give us away.

  My hand once again found the hilt of my sword. I tried to distract myself by thinking about how we would convince Bernice’s son to give us Prati. Unfortunately, all I could see was the three of us getting caught by the guards. Failing to rescue our friends. Failure wasn’t something I would accept, but for some reason it was all I could see happening.

  One guard wandered by. He was dragging his feet, and didn’t have a hand on his weapon. Apparently bored with the midnight shift, he would be an easy one to avoid. I would have thought they would be a bit more alert after stealing two of our kids.

  Several minutes passed. We stood still as statues while waiting to make sure the guard wouldn’t notice us. Once the guard was finally out of earshot, Mike waved us forward. “His house is there.” He pointed across the empty street.

  The house was silent and mostly dark. From our perspective we could only see one light on. A shadow moved across the partially pulled curtain.

  We were so close. But there was nothing to keep us hidden between our current location and our destination.

  “I’ll go in on my own,” I declared. “He likely won’t see me as a threat. If three of us break in, he’ll probably call for help.”

  Jake seemed uncertain, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was right. I worried Bernice’s son would call for backup if he saw men breaking into his house. A smallish young girl, on the other hand? Would be much less of a threat. At least in the mind of most people.