by Leyton, Bisi
“Yes and no. Yes, we’re going to create more babies from you, but the blood we got from you will be enough to not just nourish her but release her from The Deep.” He beamed. “Your children, your fully-human children, will be able to unlock the secrets for curing Nero.”
“How can a human child cure Nero? That doesn’t make sense. I know I’m not immune.”
“It is complicated, and you won’t understand the science, but Coia has shown us. We had the surrogates, and Coia was trying to explain that to you and Bach, when he attacked her. The notion of other men fathering your children upset him so much he tried to stop us from taking you, and that was when she stepped in and pulsed him. She was trying to calm him down.”
“I was only eleven. You expected me to—?”
“What happened next astounded us: A threshold opened and she was sucked in. We thought for years that Bach opened it subconsciously, but now that we know a bit more about who your biological father was, I've concluded it was you. The Ninth metal in this facility was one of the artifacts your father’s people designed and it seems you, like him, are able to control it and somehow channel the elements in the metal to create thresholds.”
“What do you mean my father’s people? Don’t tell me Coia has convinced you that he’s from The Family.”
“No.” Doc chuckled. “But do you know how you opened that threshold?”
“Do you?”
“We’ll discover it together.” Patronizingly, he patted her head. “I’ll even tell you what I know about Hemlock Zey. It’s not a lot, but it’s probably more than your mother ever told you.”
This wasn’t the first time she’d heard the name Hemlock Zey, but knowing the name wasn’t going to get her out of this situation.
Suddenly, a tremor rocked the building and an alarm went off.
Agitated, Christopher burst in and gestured to Doc.
He quickly headed to the door. “Sonya,” Doc snapped at the nurse as she came in. “Watch her.”
On the other side of the door, she heard Doc and Alan talking anxiously. While she didn’t understand most of their conversation one word stood out: escaped.
Several people ran across on the other side of the door. A guard stepped in. It was Jenny.
“You cannot be in here,” Sonya growled, pointing at her. “Get out.”
“If you don’t want me to break that finger off, you better keep it away from me.” Jenny shut the door. “And, if you don’t want to get infected, I suggest you find a secure location.”
There was more shouting from outside.
The mean-spirited nurse’s scowl was replaced by a vacant stare. “What’s going on?”
“Biters escaped; at least fifty.”
“Are we safe?” Sonya nervously glanced at Wisteria, and then the door.
“Probably not,” Jenny sneered. “So you’d better get to that secure location I was telling you about.” She marched over to Wisteria. “Alan needs me to make sure our girl is safe, but if you have it covered, I’ll leave.” She took out a handgun and attached a silencer.
“No, don’t.” Sonya shuddered. “We are safe, right?”
“You ever seen a biter rip someone apart?” Wisteria rasped.
“No,” Sonya responded.
“When they come for you, you’ll scream a lot longer than you’d expect,” Wisteria informed her truthfully. “And that won’t kill you because Nero will start turning you into a biter before they’re done with you.”
“Shut up,” Sonya whispered. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jenny laughed. “Maybe you should get to your designated secure location. I’ll watch the prisoner.”
“If anything happens to her, it’s on you.” Sonya hurried out.
As the door closed, Wisteria glimpsed armed men and women running past.
“You are an idiot, Wisteria.” Jenny stepped up to her and took out a bowie knife.
“Hey!” Wisteria cried out as the woman advanced. “Stay away from me.”
“Sweetie, we don’t have much time.” She cut the restrains from Wisteria’s hands and legs. “Get up and let’s go.”
“You could’ve unbuckled them.” She scrambled to her feet.
“I could’ve also left you here to die. Now get up--we’re leaving.” Jenny yanked Wisteria hard as she made for the door.
“What is going on, Jenny? First you pretend to be my friend, and then you and your husband kidnap me. Now you’re doing what? Helping me to escape, or leading me to a trap?” Wisteria edged back into the room.
“I was Red Phoenix like your mother. I wasn’t lucky enough to get to Smythe, so I was stuck here taking care of Alan.” Jenny opened the door, carefully peering out. Then she bent down and grabbed something from the hallway wall. “Bach has escaped and he’s set all the biters free, so we’ve got fifteen minutes to get out of here before Alan seals the facility.” To Wisteria’s surprise, the woman handed her back her samurai sword. “You ever killed someone?”
She’d hidden the sword in the hallway? Cautiously, she took it. “Yeah.”
“Not biters--a flesh and blood human?”
“Kind of.” Wisteria recalled a kid, one of the London Dungeon Dwellers. Two years back, she’d accidentally sliced off his hand and the boy ended up being eaten by a group of cannibals.
“Kind of is better than no.” Jenny grabbed Wisteria’s palm and gave her a tiny canister of what looked like pepper spray. “You might need this too. The spray is concentrated bean vine extract. You don’t need a lot, but don’t let them know you have it.” The woman returned to the door. “If we get separated, you leave though the East Exit. The card will get you through the doors. The key code is 389276. You’ve got to go through the East Exit.”
Wisteria noticed Christopher had left his messenger bag in the room. She stuffed the canister and card into the bag and threw it over her shoulder. Following the woman out, she discovered that the once quiet corridor was a sea of chaos.
Scientists, lab technicians, and any manner of people were teeming toward the stairwell.
She trailed Jenny out of that section and into an area filled with offices.
Several of the people were crowding in the glass offices. A few women and men were crying loudly. From the wails, it was obvious they hadn’t experienced the infected in a long time, since they didn’t seem to realize that sounds attracted them.
They reached an armed check point, away from the general direction of the crowds.
“What is this, Jenny?” The guard inspected Wisteria. “You’re supposed to secure the prisoner below.”
“Right, of course.” Jenny nodded and turned to leave.
“And you aren’t cleared to work in this facility. Does your husband know you’re here?” he remarked.
“Yeah . . . about that . . .” Jenny ran up to him and struck him across the head, knocking him out.
“I can head out from here,” Wisteria told the older woman.
“I don’t have time for games.” Jenny dragged the unconscious guard behind his desk. “You’ll do what I ask.”
“If you’re like everyone else in this town, you’re probably leading me into a trap, or you’re trying to kill me yourself.”
“You ask a lot of questions for a girl who wouldn’t tell me about the Isle of Smythe.”
“I—I don’t know what you’re saying.”
“You didn’t know Doc sent ex-Red Phoenix agents after you and to kill Edmond Hu?”
“They weren’t ex-Red Phoenix; they were actual Red Phoenix.”
“Wisteria, there’s no more Red Phoenix. The Family saw to that when they murdered Hemlock and released this plague in the Czech Republic. After that, the last of us went into hiding. All that’s left are a handful of pretenders and fakers. Some used to be Red Phoenix, others are just wannabes. Your father was the last of the First Pillar.”
“That’s what happened to them?”
“This isn’t the place for a history lesson.�
�� The older woman spun around to face an approaching guard. “I’ll keep them busy; take the east stairs and tell them section 501.”
“Colonel Raubacher, stop.” Another guard approached them. “There’s a—”
Taking out a gun, Jenny shot him in the arm. “Reggie, you need to get yourself out of here before the biters get the scent of your blood.”
While the Jenny and the guard were distracted, Wisteria sprinted past the checkpoint and up the eastern stairwell. Heading up, she emerged and was swamped with more panicked RZC workers. She sensed Bach was nearby.
“Wisteria!” Ollie sped up to her. “Are you okay?”
“You’re safe?” Wisteria hugged her. “Felip didn’t hurt you.”
“We need to get out of here.”
“I know. I’m heading to the East Exit.” She took Ollie’s hand. “There’s a way out.”
“No, we need to find Enric. He was brought here and I think he’s in trouble.”
“Enric’s strong enough to take care of himself.” Wisteria didn’t want to go searching for Enric. Felip had hurt him and he deserved what he got. She needed to find Bach and Radala.
“What?”
She sensed Bach was still inside the facility and moving somewhere below them. “You go and I’ll find him.” Wisteria pushed Ollie toward the exit. “Get to the East Exit and wait for Jenny.” There was no way she’d risk Ollie.
“Wisteria, I’m stronger than you are and the biters won’t hurt me. If anyone needs to leave it’s you, but if you’re going in, I’m coming with you.”
“The people down there are trained at tracking and killing fully grown Famila men.”
“They can’t hurt me.” Ollie rushed past her in the wrong direction. “They’re still only human.”
“This way,” Wisteria signaled as she barreled through a series of hallways. They made it to a flight to stairs and she ran down.
Ollie caught up with her. “You sure he’s down there?”
“Bach, or Enric?”
“Bach is my father, isn’t he?”
Wisteria nodded. By the time she reached Bach’s level, she was dizzy from the loss of blood they’d taken from her in the lab.
“Where is everyone?” Ollie wondered.
“The RZC employees ran.” Peering around at the deserted level, Wisteria smelled the pungent stench of the infected.
“What the hell?” Jason hurried out of a door, carrying his laptop. “What are you kids doing here?”
“I’m here for Bach.”
“And Enric,” Ollie added.
“Do you want to get infected, Wisteria? Ollie, get her someplace safe.”
“No, not until I find him.”
“He’s not here. And this isn’t a discussion, Ria.” Marching up to her, he grabbed her arm. “You’re coming with me.”
“First, don’t call me Ria, you know I hate that. And second, are you insane? I know Bach is here.” She yanked her hand free. “I can sense it.”
“Yeah, right. How can you sense him?” he insisted. “Next thing you’ll be saying is that you’re a member of The Family.”
“Fine,” Wisteria raised her hands as if she was going to surrender.
He loosened his grip.
“Run, Ollie!” Ducking under his arm, she ran in the direction Jason had emerged.
In less than a second, he had her off her feet and restrained on the ground.
Her sword slid out of reach.
“Seriously Ria, you know you can’t take me.”
“Who are you? Jason Webb never called me Ria and he already knew I could sense Bach. Jason knew that the Mosroc I had with Bach would enable me to always know where he is.”
“Jason, you hit her head so hard, she doesn’t remember you!” Ollie tried to push him away.
“Oleander, you really are seven years old, aren’t you?” He shoved the younger girl back.
“Let go of me.” Wisteria kicked him in the stomach but he didn’t flinch.
“You’re killing her!” Ollie screamed.
“I am not. I want to tire her out so she will stop trying to run away. I cannot carry my equipment, and keep chasing her.” He tightened his grip around her neck.
Clawing at his hand, Wisteria continued the fight to break free. “Who—who…” she rasped as he choked her.
“Are you going to behave? Are you—?” He was yanked away from her.
Sitting up, she saw that the world around her was twirling and she struggled to focus. As she did, she saw Felip standing over her.
“You are welcome.” He offered her his hand.
Jason was on his hands and knees, seemingly out of breath. “You did not have to pulse me so hard.”
“Get up and get Wisteria out of here,” Felip told him.
“Be very careful how you treat me now. After the Perfection, you will no longer have any say in our affairs.” Slowly, Jason scowled at Felip as he approached her again. “On that day I would love to see you try and tell me what to do.”
“Well, until that day . . . right?” Felip mocked. “In the meantime, you do what I tell you.”
“Who is he?” Wisteria asked Felip. “What is this? Is he a clone?”
“It’s just Jason. He escaped from Jarthan and has lived with us ever since,” Ollie stated emphatically. “I’ll explain it to you once we get Enric.”
“Jason’s brother, Malcolm,” Felip finally revealed.
Then she remembered Coia mentioning she’d had sons who were part human. At the time, Wisteria guessed the woman was confused. So, where was Jason?
“Like your mother, Coia slept around a lot,” Felip quipped.
Wisteria punched him in the face, and to her shock, Felip stumbled back, surprising everyone.
“Whoa.” Ollie gaped. “How did you do that?”
Wisteria didn’t understand why or how’d she’d been able to inflict any pain on a Famila guy, but it felt amazing.
Malcolm clutched Wisteria’s shoulder. “It does not matter. You are never going to do it again.”
“It’s the Ninth metal down here. Somehow, it’s making me stronger,” Wisteria guessed aloud.
“No.” Felip stormed up to her and grabbed her weapon. “And if you want me to keep my promise about not hurting you, you will never lay a hand on me again.” His eyes darkened as he towered over her.
“I don’t think Doc will let you. I’m too important,” Wisteria countered.
“You really think I’m working for your father? Your father and the other Terrans are completely clueless, but we will talk about it once we get out of here.” Taking her hand, he yanked her toward him.
She pulled back, but wasn’t as strong as before.
“Wait, we need to find Enric,” Ollie interjected. “You have to help us.”
“Sorry, Oleander, I am on a strict timetable, but if you want to get him, go for it.” Felip sounded like he was denying her candy.
“No, Felip, he was hurt because of you and you’re going to let them kill him?” Ollie cried.
“It seems that way,” he smirked.
“She was right--you are monster!” Ollie bellowed, leaping at him. Malcolm caught her.
“Go where I told you, Ollie. I promise, I’ll do my best to find him,” Wisteria assured her.
“Interesting, she is not at all interested in her father, Bach. But, the heart wants what the heart wants.” Felip clutched her right hand and offered her the sword. “I know how you like to feel as if you are in control.”
“When Doc finds out you’re crossing him, he’s going to send Red Phoenix after you.” Though in truth, Wisteria doubted Doc could do anything.
“Doc will be dead, eaten by biters before he even knows what time it is. I cannot believe anyone would think that a member of The Family would ever give Terrans the means to become like us.” Felip led her deeper into the facility. “And I am part Terran. I would rather kill all Terrans, then to allow them that knowledge, if it ever existed.”
“Well, Co
ia thinks differently,” Wisteria reminded them. “She was the one who gave RZC the ability to turn humans into—”
“Into what? Think about it. What exactly did Coia give to your people?” He smiled broadly.
He heard Malcolm laughing to himself.
“The Nero plague,” Wisteria realized aloud. “She was always trying to destroy us.”
“Of course, she was. She might hate The Family, but she still detests humans. Your people are no better than rodents. The only reason Bach keeps you around is because you have this Mosroc. He has no choice,” Felip informed her.
“And why do you have me around?” She’d always wondered this and knew it wasn’t some affection he had for her.
“Me? I have my reasons.”
They’d reached the steel door.
Opening it, someone sprang out and smashed Felip across the face with a metal pole.
Staggering back, he fell.
“Are you all right?” Bach asked her, as he struck Felip again.
*****
“D’cara!” Felip cursed, touching the blood running down from his forehead.
Bach hit him again.
Grabbing the other end of the pole, Jason tried to pry it from his hands.
“Jason, I knew there was something wrong with you.” Bach seized the rod from his supposed half-brother and swung it at him.
“Oh, no, that is Malcolm. Your other brother Jason could not make it. He is locked up, probably dying, a long way from here. But when I see him, I will tell him you said hi,” Felip derided as he struck Bach in the chest.
Still not fully regenerated, Bach stumbled back and crashed to the ground.
“That’s enough Felip. You don’t need him for anything!” Wisteria moved between him and his insane cousin. “You came here for me, right?”
“You are wrong. I still need to kill him.” Felip shoved her aside and kicked Bach in the chest before stomping on his face. “I have missed you so much, cousin.”
“I said stop.” She swung at him with her sword, but Malcolm seized her arm and yanked her back.
“This is not your fight, little girl,” Malcolm warned.
“Then you should not have picked a fight with the Third Pillar.” Enric appeared behind him. Gripping Malcolm’s neck, he easily hurled him across the corridor.