Adaptive Instinct (Survival Instinct)

by Stittle, Kristal

  “Mathias? Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. Just had to make sure I was far enough away.”

  “Far enough from what?”

  “Your brother. We stole the phone from him this morning. He’s been kind of looking for it all day, and I happened to be the one who’s had it for the last hour. Took you long enough to call.”

  “Sorry, I’ve been busy. What happened?” Riley was nothing but confused. Cameron looked at her, her eyes asking the same question Riley just did.

  “Well, your brother has been trying to hide the phone from us. We’re pretty sure he doesn’t want us talking to you.”

  “That’s because he’s a lying asshole.”

  “Misha certainly thinks so. I’m beginning to agree. What makes you say that?”

  “He gave my sister up to the Keystone mercenaries, which I believe resulted in my mother’s death.”

  There was silence on the other end of the line while Mathias let that sink in. “I see. Well, that’s just one more thing to add to our list of problems.”

  “What problems?”

  “Well, for starters, the greenhouse is totalled.”

  “What!” Riley actually rose to her feet.

  “We had a big storm last night. A tree got knocked over and smashed right through it. There’s no way to replace all the glass and the light fixtures.”

  Riley took a deep, steadying breath and sat back down. When Cameron looked at her with worried eyes, Riley quickly told her what she had heard. Cameron joined her on the bench, pressing her ear near Riley’s so that they could both listen.

  “That’s the most recent major issue right now,” Mathias went on. “The other issue is that we found a zombie near here yesterday. It’s possible it wasn’t travelling alone either. There were a lot of arguments about leaving this place just from that, and now with the greenhouse gone, everyone’s pretty scared. Problem is, we don’t know where else to go, and Shawn isn’t being helpful.”

  “The boat!” Cameron cried out, then clapped her hands over her mouth.

  “What boat?” Mathias wondered. He probably didn’t even realize it wasn’t Riley who had said that.

  Riley went on to tell Mathias all about the plane in Toronto and the boat in Halifax.

  “That would be great, but how do we get there? Your brother is determined to stay despite what happened to the greenhouse, and he’s the only pilot.”

  Riley thought, her head spinning with all this new information. Cameron tugged her arm, and when Riley looked, she mouthed a name.

  “You could try Rufus,” she spoke into the phone.

  “Who the hell is Rufus?”

  “One of my parents’ friends. If he survived, and I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t have, he’d have gone to live in an old, shutdown airfield in that park. You might be able to convince him to fly you down here.”

  “Can we hike to him?”

  “Unlikely, especially with Alec, but Shawn should be willing to fly you that far. I’m sure you could convince him that he’d live longer without you guys under his feet.” This last line was said rather bitterly. If Shawn appeared in front of Riley right now, she’d ring his neck.

  “Okay. I’ll try.”

  Riley began to give Mathias instructions on how to deal with both Shawn and Rufus, as well as where to meet her if possible. Amid all the new plans, she totally forgot to tell him what had happened to her the night before, and what she had learned.

  ***

  The next time the truck stopped, it was sudden. Riley and Cameron pressed their ears to the sides and listened as the front doors were opened and closed. Shortly thereafter, the back door was flung open and they were let out by Thomas, who didn’t bother to explain before dashing toward the front again.

  The Bishop women hopped out of the back, and quickly followed. They were on a small, dirt road in the woods, and in front of their truck was its match, facing the other way. Out of the driver’s seat came a dark haired woman, closely followed by a young girl.

  “Isabelle? Are you Isabelle?” Brunt approached the two. “Isabelle and Jasmine?”

  “Yes,” the woman nodded.

  “We’ve been looking for you. Where are the others? Nicky, Orson, and Hank?”

  “Back there.” Isabelle gestured down the dirt road behind her. “They went inside a rock. Nicky traded the location of a safe place for our freedom.” She looked down at her child quickly, an arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders. “I think they’re going to kill her.”

  “We have to hurry.” Brunt stepped past the woman toward her truck. “Thomas, you stay with them and the other truck. The rest of you come with me!”

  Riley, Cameron, Brewster, and Shaidi quickly followed Brunt. While Brunt got behind the wheel, Brewster hauled his massive frame into the passenger seat. The three women all crammed together behind them. Brunt slammed the truck into reverse and began backing them down the road at a dangerous pace. Isabelle, Jasmine, and Thomas quickly receded, Thomas ushering the two girls to the safety of the other truck’s cab.

  Brunt was using the side mirrors, but Riley was still amazed they didn’t ram into any trees. He was a very skilled driver who knew these trucks well. Riley was very glad James had thought to send him along.

  “Hang on,” Brunt said as he tapped a sequence of buttons on the console. He wasn’t kidding. The big truck suddenly swung sideways, jack-knifing with its back end. Riley grabbed the handle over her head, as her hip and shoulder were swung into the door. She hadn’t thought there was enough room on the road for such a manoeuvre, but she hadn’t realized they were no longer on the dirt road. They had swung into a massive tunnel and were now straightening out, pointing straight down the sweeping grade.

  Feeling somewhat dizzy, Riley looked out behind them and saw a massive slab still opening. It must have been the door Brunt was opening when he had pushed all those buttons.

  Down the hill they flew, faster than Riley had ever seen these trucks go. Although the turn was gentle, Riley still feared they would tip over with the speed at which they were moving. She continued to hold tightly to the handle as lights whizzed past the windows. The back of her mind couldn’t help but wonder where the power to run all of them was coming from. She would likely never know.

  At last, they levelled out, roaring out into a massive parking garage. Brunt slammed on the brakes, the tires squealing and laying down rubber. He jumped out of the truck the moment he turned off the engine, with his rifle in hand. It took everyone else a moment longer to react, scrambling out and grabbing their own guns.

  It was silent in the garage.

  “Where would they have gone?” Riley whispered. She had no way of knowing if the zombies from the facility were in the parking garage or not.

  “Hard to say.” Brunt swept the area with his rifle, equally cautious. “Cameron, Shaidi, go check out those doors over there. They’re probably locked, but someone should check them out. Brewster, Riley, come with me to the elevators.”

  Riley didn’t like the idea of splitting up from Cameron, but she allowed Brunt to run the show. He knew this place, whereas they did not. Besides, the doors Cameron would be going to check were in visual range of the elevators.

  While Riley went over to the regular-sized elevator doors, Brunt and Brewster made their way toward the massive service elevator. Her ears strained to hear anything, but nothing stood out. There were rumbling and ticking sounds from pipes and ducts that moved air and water through the place. Occasionally a hollow sound would come through a duct, but it was impossible to tell if it was made by something mechanical, something alive, or something undead. Riley tried the button only to find the elevators in lockdown.

  Riley looked over to Brunt and Brewster, who were nearing the service elevator. She saw a pair of gnarly looking hands reach over the edge. Riley wanted to scream, wanted to warn them, but there was no time.

  Brunt dropped to his belly, most of his upper body hanging over the edge of the massive shaft. He was p
ast the tipping point and the rest of his body began to slide over the edge, but then Brewster threw his massive form onto Brunt’s legs, pinning him in place. Riley ran over at top speed, Cameron and Shaidi running as well.

  Riley reached them, coming to a stop and pointing the muzzle of her rifle over the edge. She was surprised by what she saw.

  Brunt was hanging onto the arms of an Asian woman in a uniform like his own. She was badly wounded, her face a mess, and hanging off her legs was what must have been a zombie. It was a man in a bloody uniform with half his face gone. He tried to pull himself up the woman’s legs, to bite her, but she kept kicking and flailing.

  “Shoot him!” Brunt gasped. “Shoot the zombie that’s got her legs! I can’t keep holding them both!”

  Riley took aim. She had always been a good shot, and with Alec’s pointers, she believed she had gotten better. Still, this shot was not easy. The angle was awkward, and there was no way the zombie was going to hold still, especially not with the woman kicking like she was. Riley took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Steadying her arms, she aimed for the zombie’s head. The rifle cracked out the report from her hands as the trigger was squeezed, and the zombie dropped. She had missed though. At the last moment, the woman had swung her legs in an odd way, catching the bullet with her calf. It passed through her into the zombie’s shoulder, which is what caused it to loosen its grip and fall the great distance.

  The woman screamed in pain.

  “Help me!” Brunt cried out.

  Shaidi and Cameron had caught up, dropping to their bellies on either side of Brunt. As he lifted the woman up, they grabbed hold and began dragging her up into the garage.

  “Nicky. Nicky, can you hear me?” Cameron spoke to the woman as they laid her on her back. Brewster heaved Brunt up onto his feet as if he weighed no more than a bag of groceries.

  As Riley knelt next to the woman, Nicky, a louder rumble filled the garage. She glanced up to see the second truck pulling up next to theirs. Apparently, Isabelle, Thomas, and Jasmine couldn’t stand waiting.

  “Let’s get her into the back of one of the trucks where I can treat her,” Riley ordered. Although she had let Brunt run the show earlier, now they were more in her element.

  Brewster scooped up the woman and began carrying her by himself. Blood dripped from the wound in her leg, leaving a trail of droplets on the pavement. Isabelle ran up to them, speaking to Nicky.

  “Nicky! Oh my God, are you all right? Why did you do something so stupid?” She was torn between worry, anger, and maybe even guilt. “I wanted to stay, but I didn’t know what to do.”

  “It’s okay,” Nicky mumbled, placing her hand on Isabelle’s shoulder. “Orson’s dead now. We’re safe.”

  Brewster whisked her away before anything else could be said. He laid her on the floor in the back of their original truck, where medical kits had been packed. Riley and Cameron quickly hopped in after him. Brewster then left the back, closing the doors behind him. He understood that he, and everyone else, would just get in the way.

  “I’ll start with the leg, you check out the rest of her injuries.” Riley grabbed a large, flat, metal box and dragged it over, placing it on the bench next to Nicky. Inside, it was full of medical supplies. “Keep an eye out for bites.”

  “I’m not bit,” Nicky mumbled. “Just broken. And shot.”

  “Sorry about that,” Riley told her as she cut her boot and pants off. The injury was more than just a graze, but at least the bullet had passed all the way through. “And sorry to say, we can’t take your word on the bites.”

  “I understand. Isabelle and Jasmine are okay?”

  “They’re perfect, thanks to you,” Cameron told her. “Now I’m going to pop your fingers back in. This is going to hurt.”

  “Do it.”

  Cameron didn’t hesitate, snapping the bent fingers back into place. Nicky howled, and then passed out from the pain. They would administer the pain medication now, so that it would be working when she woke up again.

  The truck rumbled to life, and they began moving, getting the hell out of there before more zombies could climb up into the garage.

  Cameron looked past Nicky to Riley. “Can you fix her?”

  “I don’t think she’ll die, at least not right away. It doesn’t look like an artery was hit, but without x-rays, it’ll be impossible to tell if I nicked a bone. There could be bone fragments floating around. And normally I’d give that head of hers an MRI.”

  “I know you’ll do your best. You always do.”

  21:

  Misha Jovovich – Day 17

  Misha sat on the bench on the deck, watching Shawn pace back and forth. Shawn was highly agitated about the theft of the satellite phone. After the greenhouse had smashed, Mathias had devised a plan that he shared with the others. They needed to tell Riley what had happened, and needed her advice, but Shawn refused to give any of them the phone. Josh, who was sharing a room with Shawn, had managed to find the phone, and when Misha snuck in before sunrise, Josh handed it off to him. All day long, everyone passed the phone around, making any calls they wanted, so long as Shawn didn’t see them. He questioned and bullied everyone about it, but he could never find the phone on them or in their personal effects, and therefore had no reason to accuse them. The man was as tight as a piano wire and everybody tread carefully, watching their words. By mutual agreement, they all decided that Mathias should have the phone between twelve and one, when Riley was expected to call.

  Everyone was now waiting for his return. Shawn knew he had the phone—by this point there was no denying it—and he was fuming. He didn’t have a weapon in his hand, which was a good sign, but he did have his revolver holstered on his waist, which wasn’t.

  Everybody sat silently around the deck, keeping one eye on Shawn and the other on the woods for Mathias. It must have been a long call.

  Just as Misha was beginning to worry that Mathias had fallen somewhere and broken a leg, he appeared from out of the trees. Shawn spotted him and stormed over to the railing, placing his hand on the butt of his gun but not drawing it. Nearby, Alec gripped the pistol in his lap tighter. He wouldn’t hesitate to shoot Shawn.

  “You fucking thief!” Shawn shouted down at him. “You are not allowed back up here!” He reminded Misha of a brat in a tree fort.

  “Fine with me, we’re going to be moving anyway.” Mathias’s reply took them all back a bit. “That is, if that’s okay with everyone.”

  “I told you, I’m not leaving here.” Shawn scowled down at him.

  “By everyone, I meant everyone but you.”

  Shawn’s frown was now also one of confusion. Misha had to admit that he was also very confused.

  “Can I come up on the deck to explain it? I’ll give you your phone back.” Mathias waggled the yellow device in his hand.

  “Fine.” Shawn backed away from the railing, taking his hand off his gun. Everyone relaxed slightly when he did.

  When Mathias was up on the deck, everybody gathered to hear what he had to say. First, he updated them on Riley, saying that she was fine and with her sister. He told them about some search party they had joined that was looking for some kidnapped women, which was the delay Shawn hadn’t told them about the day before. There was clearly also something about Shawn that Mathias didn’t want to say in his presence.

  Finally, he got to the part about the cruise ship. He told them everything he knew, including the Bishop’s friend Rufus.

  “Rufus? Yeah, I guess he’d be there,” Shawn commented, now calm. Guess the idea of getting everyone out from under his feet made him feel better. “He might be willing to fly you there; he always did like boats. I don’t know how you’re going to get to him though.”

  “You’re going to fly us to him.”

  Shawn shook his head like a kid refusing bad food. “No. I’m staying here. I don’t want to go to some boat.”

  “You won’t be going to the boat. You’ll just drop us off at Rufus’s. In fact, i
f Rufus decides to come with us, you can probably take the supplies he can’t bring.”

  “I don’t want to leave for anything.”

  “If you don’t, then we don’t leave here either. Do you really want us hanging around? Think of all the supplies we’d eat. Also, we out-number you, Shawn, and we don’t trust you. How long do you think you’ll last with us?”

  Shawn looked at Mathias, then around at the group. All eyes were on him, and they were not friendly.

  “Is everyone else in agreement that we should go to the boat if Shawn flies us to Rufus’s?” Mathias then looked around at the rest of them, and they nodded.

  Except for Misha. “Only if Milly also comes with us.”

  “I’d welcome her.” Mathias turned back to Shawn, who was looking at his feet.

  “You have no guarantee that Rufus will fly you south,” Shawn brought up.

  “Then we become Rufus’s problem, not yours.”

  Shawn kept looking at his feet. Thinking. Finally, “All right, I’ll fly you to Rufus’s.”

  “And Milly? She can come with us, right?” Misha pressed.

  “Of course, what do I care where she goes?”

  With that one line, Misha wanted to strangle Shawn with his bare hands. His fingers curled into tight fists, but he restrained himself. He had agreed to let Milly go with them after all.

  “So when are we leaving?” Abby wondered.

  “As soon as Shawn is willing to take us, preferably as soon as possible.”

  “Now,” Shawn said. “Pack up all your things, you’re leaving now. You’re not taking anything that belongs here either; you only get what you came with. Clothes included.”

  Everybody frowned at this, but didn’t argue. They could easily jump Shawn, throw him over the railing, and break his legs, but unfortunately, they would only trap themselves.

  Everybody hurried into the cabin to collect their things.

  ***

  Misha didn’t mind wearing his own shorts, but he wished he had a shirt. When he had fled Leighton, the only things he wore were his shorts and boxers. Before reaching the cabin, he had picked up a pair of firefighter’s boots and a firefighter’s jacket, but he didn’t even have socks on underneath. He was the first one ready because he didn’t have any gear other than his clothes.