“Are you sure?” I asked.
She nodded firmly. “Yes. I came along because I thought I could help. This is where I come in handy. We’ll get as much intel as we can, and bring it back to the rest of you.”
We continued our planning as we walked, growing silent as we approached our destination. My feet dragged as we got closer, and every cell was practically screaming at me to run away. Even from a couple miles out I could feel the enemy’s presence.
“Z, do you know a place we could go?” Jake asked.
“My house would be empty,” I suggested reluctantly. It wasn’t a place I wanted to go. Not really. My family was long gone. There would only be ghosts to keep me company. But I doubted the true enemy would ever suspect I would go home.
After what had happened, I wanted to be far from here. “What happened with your family, Shanti? Are they still wandering as specters of themselves, or are they at rest?” I asked wistfully.
She seemed to wilt. “I wasn’t there, but they were shot by some of the early guards. They are at rest.”
“I killed mine.” I spoke matter-of-factly, stroking the hilt of my sword absently. “They turned, and I had to defend myself. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t. Like maybe, if I hadn’t been so eager to live, maybe the outbreak would have ended before it could get so bad.”
“You know that’s not true,” Shanti scolded gently. “Now, anyway. They had backups. However many test subjects they had, we can all turn people.”
My head shot up. “What did you say?”
“All the test subjects carry the disease. My blood, your tears.”
“Mike…” I trailed off, before deciding to share my concerns. “I think Mike might be another test subject,” I informed them. “And, if he is, I have no idea how he would turn people. Whether we just left our friends in a more dangerous position…”
“They’ll be fine,” Jake grabbed me by the shoulders. “If Mike knows, he would know how to avoid turning the others. There’s nothing we can do about that now. We have our own troubles, and we’re too far away to help at this point.”
The city lay before us, down a slight incline. We were able to see a large area, and I shivered. This place was filled with ghosts and specters of those who had passed. Some of whom just didn’t quite realize it yet.
We’d made it to Ground Zero.
Chapter Fifty
Every part of my mind was focused on making us invisible. Utilizing whatever control I had over the horde to make them believe we weren’t here. Creatures were prevalent. Many of them appeared weak and starved. Probably those who had turned early. I had no idea how long the creatures could last when allowed to survive.
I froze for a moment when I glanced down one street. One slowly moving, apparently weakened creature was lurching toward us. Another cut her off, attacking with an almost scream of anger.
“This isn’t normal,” I muttered, turning away in disgust as the stronger creature tore into the other. “Even our messed up definition.”
“Shanti, you need to concentrate as hard as you can on being invisible. I’m doing the same. Hopefully between the two of us we can avoid these monsters.”
Either we were successful, or these odd creatures were simply uninterested in us. Whatever the case, we didn’t run into trouble until about a block from my old house. We heard engine noises from several directions. “We need to get inside, before someone sees us,” I said.
I led them to my house at a run, and moved to the back door. The fence blocked us from the view of anyone on the road. Our doors were always kept locked. But I’d kept my key. Even when I’d always said I never wanted to come back, my key was always with me. I turned the hilt of my sword, removing some black electrical tape I’d wrapped over the whole thing. The key was attached to it.
“You…” Rex trailed off, looking from the key to my face as I wordlessly unlocked the door. As I’d done every day after school, or when I’d returned home after spending afternoons at the dojo, or out with my friends.
The house felt empty. All our furniture was still there. No one had looted it. I entered the kitchen, and risked peeking out the door to see if the front windows were covered.
We had heavy curtains over most of the windows in the house, and most were drawn. “We should stay out of sight of the road,” I said. “But we need to keep watch. If Shanti and Kate are going out for information, then the rest of us need to take turns. One watching the back, one watching the front, at all times.”
“That’s going to be exhausting,” Rex commented.
Jake answered for me. “We’re in the most hostile territory we’ve ever been in. We don’t have a choice. We start now. Get upstairs and find a vantage point to the front. I’ll take the back. We’ll switch as needed.
“There are bedrooms at both ends,” I said. “We should stay as together as we can. Shanti and Kate should take an hour or two to rest before heading out. We’ll figure out the neighborhood situation and see if we dare adjust the curtains. I don’t want anyone to even suspect we’re here.”
The neighborhood had, at first sight, appeared deserted. It was the exact location of the outbreak’s start. It was possible—even likely—that all my old neighbors were dead. Or worse. I still wanted to make certain.
We made it upstairs, to my old bedroom at the front of the house. There was an old shade on the window pulled down to cover all but a couple inches of the window. A light breeze came in, and I realized it had been left open when I ran. Everything was exactly as I’d left it. My bed was unmade; now musty with disuse, but still mine. The closet door was open, showing all my clothes just waiting to be used. I’d grown, so most of them wouldn’t fit me anymore.
“Patrol,” Rex said. He was sitting cross-legged to the side of the window, able to peer over the edge to see the front of the house.
“Try to keep track of them. Here’s a notebook,” I grabbed one of my old school notebooks from my desk, and a pencil. “Shanti, you can rest either here or in the guest room. Kate, take the master bedroom. Down the hall to the right.”
Jake and Scout stood in the hall. “The guest room is at the other end of the house. It has a window that aims into the back yard, and is high enough to see over the fence into the alley. Take one of these books, and try to mark when you see a patrol, and about how long in between, if possible. We want to be able to avoid them.”
Everyone moved, and I trusted them to keep a low profile. My room suddenly felt a bit claustrophobic, so I left Rex watching out the window, and Shanti resting on the bed. I went downstairs to prepare something to eat before Shanti and Kate headed out.
It had been about a year since I’d left this place. It felt like I had never left. Everything was just as we’d left it. I half expected my mom to be waiting for me in the kitchen, and my dad to walk in any minute after a normal day at work. A thump alerted me to someone’s presence. I turned, and felt a slight disappointment when Jake entered the kitchen.
“You okay? I know it must be rough being here again,” he asked.
He knew me well enough to read through any lies. “I’m… it just feels like they should be here, ya know?”
I forced a smile, pushing back the sea of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. Because besides the good memories of baking with my mom, setting the table, playing games while doing dishes with my dad, laughing and joking about things long forgotten, there were also the memories of sudden illness. Mom and dad suddenly turning from healthy and happy, to being covered in sores and rotting flesh.
I caught a glimpse of the back yard. Jake caught me when I flinched back from the sudden flash of blood and tears.
“Zero?”
I sank onto one of the kitchen chairs wearily. “That’s where it happened.” I spoke flatly, and pointed toward the backyard. “That’s where I killed my parents.”
Chapter Fifty-One
After my declaration… confession… Jake seemed at a loss for words. Ignoring his attempts to speak, I stood and s
tarted gathering supplies to put a meal together. Jake silently rose and started helping. We were in a horrible place. It was imperative that we stay focused. I couldn’t dwell on the past.
I had thought I’d made peace with what I’d had to do. It was possible that I never truly would. But I had to live with it regardless. The emotions would have to be pushed away for now. Thinking too much about my parents would lead to tears. Tears risked my friends. Definitely not a risk I was willing to take.
Instead, I focused on my anger. The people who had taken me. Taken Shanti and probably Mike. They were to blame for everything. We had to find them. It was the only way to end this.
“Z-”
“Don’t, Jake. Not here. Not now. We have more important things to deal with. Okay?” I hated the way my voice dropped to a pleading tone at the end. I meant for it to be an order: not now. Instead it became a plea: please don’t push me. Not my normal style of communication.
Whatever the case, apparently it was enough for Jake. “Alright, kid. I’ll let it go. Just know I’m here if you need to talk, okay?”
I let out a relieved breath, and smiled. “Thanks, Jake. I’ll remember that.”
What we had for a meal today was mostly canned vegetables and fruit. Seemed we were on a temporary, forced vegetarian diet. One of the things I missed from before was the ease of finding a variety of food. We’d become adept at finding supplies, but in this city it would be risky to go out too much. We would need to count on anything Kate and Shanti were able to find, and whatever we had in our wheelbarrow.
We did have some things in the house now, but most would do us no good if we didn’t have a way to cook it.
“Camping stove!” I exclaimed.
“I’m sorry?” Jake responded, head cocked and eyes narrowed in confusion.
I shook my head. “Sorry, got lost in my thoughts a bit—”
Jake mumbled something about it not being the first time. And I continued. “I was trying to figure out a way we could cook our food without power. We used to camp. Not often, but when we did we had a camping stove. As long as we’re able to find fuel for it, we’d be able to heat up food.”
He nodded approval. “Any idea where it might be?”
“Possibly the basement? Or the garage? Not really sure. Like I said, it’s been a while. But we should at least try to find it.”
“And whatever other supplies could be useful also. As long as we’re here, the beds are nice. If you have camping stuff, it would be good to have a tent and maybe a few more sleeping bags. That way we’d be more prepared in case we can’t find a building to crash in. We can bring whatever we’re able to fit in the wheelbarrow.”
“I have a wagon in the garage,” I informed him. “It’s not very big, just a little red wagon. Even so, if we are able to leave here with any supplies it could be useful.”
We couldn’t count on that opportunity.
“Z, you need to see this,” Shanti appeared at the foot of the stairs. “Back to your bedroom.”
Without hesitation, I followed. Rex was tense in front of the window, and he pointed. Near the end of the block, there were three guard’s vehicles. I couldn’t tell how many people were in each, but they were the large SUVs we’d seen earlier.
“How long…?”
“We saw that patrol when we got here, and they met up with the others a couple minutes after you went downstairs. I thought initially that they would move on, but they’ve just been sitting there,” Rex reported.
“Do you think they know we’re here?” Shanti sounded anxious, and she was twisting her hair nervously.
It was the same question I was asking myself. If they knew we were here, it was game over. We couldn’t fight so many guards. This was their city. I honestly hadn’t anticipated so many guards in one of the most dangerous infected zones in the country, but that appeared to be the situation. “We need intel,” I stated again.
“Zero,” Jake’s voice held a warning tone. He knew what I was planning.
I waved off his concern. “No choice. They either know we’re here, or there’s something else going on. Either way, we need to know.”
“Let me…”
“You guys stay here,” I interrupted Jake’s attempt. “I’ve been sneaking around this neighborhood since I was little. I can get close without being seen. Just keep an eye out. If they start coming, or if they catch me, get out. I’ll find you. Okay?”
Another thought occurred. “Oh, and let Kate and Scout know. They should be ready for anything.”
My friends exchanged a slightly defeated look, but backed my play. “Okay, Z. It’s your call. But if you get caught, we are coming for you. We won’t just leave you behind,” Jake insisted.
Rex nodded firmly in agreement. “Stay safe, boss. Get whatever information you can, and get back to us quickly. Don’t take any unnecessary risks,” he ordered.
“That sounds more like you’re the boss, Rex,” I said with a slight laugh. “Don’t worry. This isn’t my first solo run-in with these people. I’ll be fine.”
Chapter Fifty-Two
My confidence waned a bit as I slipped out the back door. I moved silently, thankful the sun was low enough in the sky to give me shadows to work with. The only things I had with me were my sword strapped to my left hip, and one of our daggers in a thigh sheath. Going out unarmed wasn’t an option, no matter what the situation with the guards.
The neighborhood was more overgrown than it had been the last time I’d been here. The bushes planted as decoration were now tangled and overgrown, allowing me even more space to hide. Unfortunately, it also risked more noise from rustling or cracking branches.
Something about the way the guards gathered put me on edge. They hadn’t made a move toward the house. It was unclear if they were at a normal gathering place, or if they knew where we were. No one had seen us enter. We’d had no interaction with anyone yet. How could they know? They couldn’t possibly know we were coming here. Or have any idea as to the timetable of our arrival.
It seemed unlikely they would know anything about us, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Creeping through the yards, I started to hear voices carrying through the air. They weren’t even attempting to be stealthy. Another point in favor of them not knowing anything about us.
Slowly moving through the underbrush, I crouched until I was crawling on my belly to the edge of the overgrown bushes. From my new vantage point, I could see the gathering, and hear what was being said. And what was being said was interesting.
“…no way she’d come here. After everything?” one said.
“They tracked her to a zone near here. She seemed to be heading in this direction. Not sure if they’re going to be here or not, but at least we’re off the horde for a bit.”
One of the dark-clad guards shuddered. “Yeah. It’s so creepy how they react when they’re around. I can’t even imagine…”
“Shh. No one is supposed to even know about that.”
My eyebrows furrowed. What? Were they talking about other test subjects? They’d seen some of them?
The first one who’d spoken replied, “Yeah, I know. I’m just excited to not be on duty with those people anymore.” He shuddered. “What they do there? What they’ve done to those children? It’s… horrifying.”
“Careful, Zack,” another warned. “Don’t want to be heard sympathizing.”
Interesting. Not all of the guards were as sold on their agenda as I’d thought. We might have some new allies. If we could risk approaching them. It would take some careful planning to get this ‘Zach’ alone. He sounded like he might be willing to help.
“Why are we even still here? This is one of the quietest neighborhoods here. It doesn’t even have the monsters most of the time.”
“John, you know this is where she’s from. We have to check it sometimes.”
He snorted. “Like Zack said, there’s no way she’d come back to her old house after everything she went through. She’s a kid. A kid wh
o lost her parents here. This place would hold only bad memories for her.”
Another sympathizer? Or just a man stating what he saw as facts?
Zach was nodding agreement. “This girl is supposed to be smart. Even if she risked coming to the city, I would guess she’d pick somewhere else to stay. Maybe an old friend’s house, or common hangout that she used to use. Anywhere but the place her parents died.”
The third guard, unnamed at this point, snorted. “Where she killed them, you mean? Or are you two forgetting what she is? She’s the start of this outbreak. The cause of all of this suffering.”
Zack and John snorted. “You’ve been drinking the Kool-Aid, Jeffers,” Zack said. He gestured toward the downtown area. “They experimented on her. They’ve admitted it. They took a kid and made her into the carrier.”
Jeffers, which I assumed was a last name, frowned at his companions. “You guys could get in huge trouble for talking like this. The bosses wouldn’t like it.”
I kept listening, wishing they would say more about the bosses. And hoping Jeffers, creepy hateful Jeffers, wouldn’t betray the other two. If there were two sympathizers in the group, chances were there would be more. If we could figure out where the bosses and the other kids were based, we might have some silent helpers in the guard ranks.
They stood silently for a while, just leaning on their vehicles and watching the street. “Nothing’s happening,” Zack finally said. “How long do we need to wait?”
John and Jeffers sighed. “We can head back any time. Just wasn’t sure you’d want to go back,” John answered.
Zach stretched to his full height and clapped his hands together. “Then we should head back. I’m starving, and watching an empty street is completely boring. I’ll drive through again later, just to be sure. But I don’t think she’s coming back.”
The others went to their vehicles and started to drive away. Zach glanced toward my hiding place, and gave a slight nod before driving away.
Ground Zero (Patient Zero Book 1) Page 19