Escaping Madness: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Live Free Or Die Book 3)

by Hayley Lawson

  A man ran up to Afana. “Thank you, Afana! You saved me!”

  Fuck this! He grabbed the man and snapped his neck, then threw his body across the bunker. “No more fucking thank yous!”

  Others went for Afana, and he swung his oversized fists at them. Bodies flew across the bunker and crashed against the walls. He felt a sharp pain in his thigh; an infected had wrapped his arms around Afana’s thigh and dug his teeth in. The vampire pulled the man off him and crushed his skull, but the damage had already been done.

  Afana stopped when there was no one left to kill, feeling a little weak from the fighting. He wondered if it was from the bites. With all the carnage around him, he just wanted to drink blood to repair the damage.

  He had to get to Level Six and feed on the non-infected.

  Everyone on Level Six was in shock that they’d seen Evelyn taking chunks out of people and that she’d been able to knock Terrier to the floor. He was built like a brick wall, and Evelyn was a petite as they came. How could someone so small be so strong? What did the Madness do to her, and how had she been infected?

  Some of the men who had been bitten were crying out in pain, and they had their hands wrapped around their gaping wounds as they tried to stem the blood flow. Blood was oozing through their fingers, and their faces were as white as snow. Evelyn had bitten down on the main arteries in the neck. They needed to stop the blood. If they didn’t, they’d be dead soon.

  General Murray looked at all the blood. “Get some sheets, blankets, and anything else we can use to stop the bleeding.”

  The women looked at him for a moment. Most of them were done following orders from the generals, but some ran off since the men Evelyn had bitten were their boyfriends.

  “Ladies, you heard the man. Get help!” Mama Lou yelled, looking at them in disgust. The women quickly followed Mama Lou’s orders. She knew why the women were hesitant, but she’d brought them up better than that. They needed to help the injured. She would speak with them later about that. They couldn’t let the years of their captivity control them once they got out of here.

  Shelly returned with a white sheet and hastily bundled it into Murray’s hands.

  “Thank you.”

  Shelly nodded. “Please help him.” She knelt beside the man, who was her boyfriend.

  “I’ll do what I can.” Murray ripped the sheet up, and he pushed a strip against his open wound. “Place your hand here,” he told Shelly, and she quickly followed his order. “Lift your hand.” She did as he instructed, and Murray wrapped the makeshift bandage all the way around the man’s neck. “This will help stop the bleeding,” Murray told Shelly.

  “Thank you! Thank you,” Shelly repeated.

  General Murray rested his hand on Shelly’s shoulder to comfort her. He looked into her eyes and felt her pain. He only wished he’d been able to help her boyfriend earlier.

  General Murray moved to work on the next person, but Terrier and Peter were already working on him. He looked around, and everyone was helping someone. This was how the bunker should have been from Day One. Afana had destroyed all of their lives.

  Once the men had been bandaged, Terrier hurried over to Natalie. “Had Evelyn been bitten? Was one of the kids infected?”

  “No, she wasn’t bitten, and she didn’t bite any of the kids.” Natalie’s breath hitched as she tried to hold in her tears. One of her closest friends had caught the disease and was now dead.

  “Are you sure?” Terrier pressed.

  The people around them who were listening began to feel uncomfortable in their own skin, as if at any moment they could succumb to the infection.

  Natalie nodded. “I’m sure. She was behaving normally, then Chloe told me that Evelyn was acting …weird. She kept stopping the story, and the kids were getting annoyed.” Natalie paused as she looked down at Evelyn’s body. “She was just reading a story a few moments ago.” Terrier rubbed her back to comfort her, and Natalie looked up at Terrier. “I remembered you telling me to look out for people behaving differently…and she was. When I went to check on her…” Natalie raised her hand to her mouth, “her eyes were glowing red, and her mouth was bleeding.”

  General Murray took one of the sheets and gently draped it over Evelyn’s body.

  “Natalie, Jasmine, can you take the kids to their room?” Mama Lou asked.

  Natalie led the kids away.

  “How does this damn virus spread?” Mama Lou asked, and others nodded. People spoke among themselves, but no one had the answer.

  General Murray wiped the blood from the injured down his pants. “Martin was bitten by an infected, and Advisor George felt that he was going to change. It seems like there are two ways to get the disease.”

  Their eyes rested on the ones who had been bitten, and they had fear in their eyes. Originally, they were afraid of dying because of the loss of blood, and now they were terrified that they were infected.

  The level fell quiet.

  13

  The wolves had followed Leandro when he walked with the others in the direction of Graham’s cart. Leandro had tried to talk with them again but had once more gotten no response. He’d given up.

  Then he noticed they’d stopped, and he turned toward them. Massimo was by Leandro’s side, and he paused as well. The others hadn’t noticed and kept walking toward Graham’s cart.

  Massimo looked down at Leandro. “I understand if you want to go with them and be part of a pack.”

  I don’t understand. Why would I want to be with those pissing-in-public, butt-licking wolves? Leandro wondered.

  Leandro stared up at his dad and shook his head. This upgraded version of his Pops didn’t seem to be the brightest. Massimo and his Merry Men were Leandro’s pack.

  The Were headed back down the mountain, and Massimo followed with a smile on his face. He rubbed the top of Leandro’s head. “Glad you decided to stay.”

  Leandro looked back at the two white wolves, who were watching him as he left. He wondered if they were his parents, once werewolves who were now trapped as wolves just like him. The difference between them and him was that they had lost who they were on the inside. Their humanity.

  Leandro had no intentions of doing that. He’d always be Leandro, even if everyone called him Fluffy. He was Massimo’s son Leandro, and proud of it. So what if he was stuck on four feet? Now he was like Massimo, an upgraded version of himself.

  Leandro liked that idea.

  The original group and the people from the mountain settlement reached Graham and Black Beauty, and the kids occupied themselves by petting Black Beauty while the adults talked.

  Massimo had told the adults from the mountain settlement where his home was, and that they could treat it as their own. When he returned, he’d help them get settled into new homes.

  Massimo truly was a good guy. Ryder smiled at Massimo once he’d finished.

  Carter was close to tears. “Thank you, Massimo.”

  No smart-ass comments, just a nice thank you, Ryder thought.

  Massimo beamed. “You’re welcome, Carter and my new friends. The house is going to be lovely and full of life with all of you in it. We’d best be going. Soon Pinewood will be full of people.”

  Ryder could see that Massimo was happy with that idea, which pleased Ryder. She’d hoped that once she’d gotten everyone out of the bunker, they’d be able to live in Pinewood.

  Everyone said goodbye to the kids and prepared to get back on the road. The kids gave Carter and Ryder hugs. Ryder was looking forward to seeing the kids in the bunker, and soon she would.

  “Keep them safe,” Carter told Maxwell.

  Maxwell patted Carter’s back. “They will.”

  “They will?” Carter said, raising his eyebrow.

  “Yes. We’ve decided to help you,” Maxwell told him. Louis and Andrew nodded. “Those are our people that he’s holding, and they’ve been there too long,” Maxwell admitted.

  Carter was silent for once as his mind went to Natalie and
all the years she’d been living in the bunker. Horrible thoughts passed through his mind, and he could feel his blood boiling. He needed to stop thinking about it and block it out like he’d done all his life.

  Ewoks sprang into his mind, much to his relief, and he looked at the woody landscape. I’ll find you if you’re out there, and you can be my furry buddies.

  Maxwell’s voice snapped Carter out of his Ewok daydream. “We’ll need some weapons since we’ve given ours to them,” Maxwell said, pointing to the adults leading the kids in the direction of Massimo’s home.

  Graham was ready. “Did someone say they needed some weapons?” Graham produced a handful of long knives and grinned at them all.

  “We’ve got weapons. Thank you for joining us,” Ryder told them.

  Maxwell shook his head. “We should have done this a long time ago.”

  Ryder disagreed. “You would have died.”

  “Here she goes again with her uplifting pep talk.” Carter tugged on a braid. When he let go, Ryder noticed that there were new braids with pink bows. Jessica was quick at cleaning Carter up.

  Ryder rolled her eyes at Carter. “By that, I mean because you didn’t have the Merry Men with you.”

  “I think she’s quite good at pep talks,” Maxwell told Carter.

  “She learned from the best,” Carter bragged.

  “Carter’s taking credit again? Go deep-throat a cactus.” Ryder laughed, and Massimo was quick to laugh alongside her.

  “Deep-throat a cactus! I love it! That’s one of your best,” Massimo managed between gales of laughter.

  Ryder took a bow. “Why, thank you, kind sir. I’ve wanted to use that one for a while, but the right moment hadn’t come up.” The two laughed together and the others watched on in bemusement, missing their inside joke.

  “What is it with you and cactus? I have no clue what you’re talking about!” Carter was still confused, which pleased Ryder even more.

  “I’ll show you when we get back to Massimo’s house since you and it have a lot in common,” Ryder informed Carter.

  Carter stood proudly. “We do? Are we both handsome?”

  “You’re both little pricks.” That was it. The two couldn’t contain themselves. Massimo and Ryder were both crying with laughter.

  Graham looked down at them from the cart. He passed the weapons down, shaking his head.

  Ryder put her hand over her mouth to stop her laughter and asked, “Graham, have you got another one of those badass spears?”

  “Since you asked so nicely, I do.” Graham reached into the cart and pulled out a wooden spear like Koda’s.

  “Sweet!” Ryder banged the end of the spear on the ground, and knives extended from the bottom when she pressed a button. “Has anyone told you you’re one badass blacksmith?”

  Graham grinned. “They have now.”

  Carter was looking around at the forest. Everyone did the same every so often since they were worried a Mad might spring out in front of them.

  Carter seemed to be scanning the area more than the others, and Massimo had noticed. “I can’t smell any of them,” Massimo said.

  “They smell?”

  Carter looked at Massimo, a little confused. “They smell?”

  “Yes, like rotten eggs.”

  “Ewoks smell like rotten eggs?”

  “Ewoks?” Massimo laughed. “How many Star Wars movies did you watch last night?”

  “Not enough. I know they are shy, but in all my years living in the mountain settlement, I’ve never seen an Ewok. Have you?” Carter asked Massimo in wonder.

  Massimo pondered his answer. “I’ve seen a couple over the years.” It was too delicious not to play along.

  “You have?” Carter was excited and glanced around again. “I hope I see them.”

  Massimo grinned like a little kid.

  Tightwad was brushing his sweater, trying to get the blood off it. He was really upset. He took out his flask and knocked back a drink, then wiped his lips. Ryder felt bad for Tightwad. She should have told him not to wear his favorite clothing.

  “Shit rainbows!” Ryder blurted. Everyone looked at Ryder like she’d gone crazy.

  Ryder giggled. “Up at the mountain settlement, they have a house filled with all different cool stuff and colorful yarn,” she informed Tightwad.

  Tightwad’s face lit up. “Yarn?”

  Ryder nodded. “There was a lot there.” Shit, Jessica had said they could only borrow it. She’s going to be pissed at me now.

  Carter’s eyes bulged when she said that, then he grinned. “As long as he’s borrowing it, it’s fine.”

  “Dick!” she said, shaking her head and smiling.

  “I can?” Tightwad asked nervously.

  “You can,” Carter agreed.

  Tightwad bounced with excitement. “I’m going to make one for everyone! All the Merry Men can have a new sweater!”

  Oh, shit, I put my foot in it now! Ryder thought.

  Carter started laughing when he’d worked out what was going through Ryder’s mind.

  Ryder thought it was time to change the subject. “Right, we’re going to run to make up for lost time.”

  The others didn’t look impressed by the idea of a run.

  “Come on, you chickenshits, let’s race! Are you afraid to be beaten by a girl?” Ryder laughed as she ran ahead of them, Fluffy by her side.

  The men looked at one another.

  “Fuck that.” Carter quickly caught up with Ryder.

  Graham jumped on Black Beauty, “Laters, chickenshits.” He laughed and rode away from the others.

  Massimo turned to run. “You’re going to lose to a girl and a two-hundred-plus-years-old man? Peace out, chickenshits.”

  The remaining men and Vicky looked at one another. None of them wanted to be last, so they took off after the others.

  14

  Everyone had slowed from a run to a quick walk. They were still a fair distance from Afana’s bunker, and they didn’t want to get worn out before the fight had actually begun.

  The path they walked along was wet and muddy, but passable. Luckily the trees weren’t too thick, and the horses could continue with them. On the horizon, Ryder could see the thick woods in front of Afana’s bunker.

  Ryder walked between Massimo and Fluffy. “Massimo, will you tell me now what happened on the World’s Worst Day Ever?” Ryder had asked Massimo when they were at his home, and Massimo had promised to tell her.

  Massimo nodded somberly. “I suppose we have the time now.” He smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “The world was very different before the World’s Worst Day Ever. People lived in homes very much like mine in towns like Pinewood. Pinewood is very small compared to the cities, where thousands upon thousands of people lived together.”

  Ryder looked at Massimo. “What, like the bunker?” Ryder was thinking that the world before WWDE was better than today.

  Massimo quickly shook his head. “Oh. Oh, no. People were allowed to travel freely around the world, and could live where ever they wanted.”

  Ryder's eyes lit up. “Nice! Like life before the bunker.”

  Massimo let out a little laugh. “Yes. Some city dwellers felt like they were living in a bunker, though. They were living in very, very tiny apartments, with not enough room to swing a cat. In some city apartments, they could stretch out their arms and each hand could touch a wall. They were very small.” Massimo stretched his arms out to illustrate.

  Ryder was a little confused. “That doesn’t sound like much fun.”

  Massimo was enjoying this conversation. “In New York City, there were over eight million people all living on top of each other.” Massimo smiled fondly. “New York was a fun city. I’ve got a lot of good memories.”

  Ryder left him to his memories for a moment.

  Massimo shook himself. “Sorry, where was I? Oh, yes—WWDE. It is thought that the World’s Worst Day Ever was started in China by a grieving father with access to a deadly com
puter virus.”

  Ryder didn’t have a clue what Massimo was talking about, and by the look on her face, Massimo knew it. “How can a computer virus be deadly?” She knew next to nothing about computers, other than that Afana used them to run the bunker and watch the people on the levels.

  “Back in the day, computers ran the world,” Massimo explained. “The virus made everything the computers ran fail, and without them, civilization failed.”

  Ryder raised her eyebrow, “A bit like the Madness, then?”

  Massimo’s eyes widened at Ryder’s perception. “Actually, you may be right. At first, the virus spread using the social media networks. People all over the world spread the code unwittingly through their online communications.”

  Ryder remembered that Massimo had mentioned something similar earlier. “Like on Facebook?”

  “Yes, like Facebook. Since all the computers talked to one another, the virus spread quickly. But computers weren’t there just so people could talk to one another. They also powered everything: medical equipment, utilities, water, nuclear bombs. They all ran on computers. The virus spread fast and far, and before they knew it, it was too late.” He shook his head soberly.

  “How do you know all this stuff?” Ryder quizzed.

  Massimo sighed and kicked a stone into the foliage. “I worked with computers; it was my job. We worked out what was going on before everyone else, but it was too late. The virus had already spread.”

  Ryder came back to her insight about the Madness outbreak. “This virus sounds like the Madness, which is spreading fast. How do you think people are getting it without being bitten?”

  Massimo thought about Javier; how he hadn’t been bitten, yet had become Mad. “It’s like a new piece of code has been added? A switch was flicked, and it turned on the Madness.”

  Ryder frowned at Massimo. “Where did the switch come from? Do you think it was inside us all along?” It felt good to put her suspicions into words.

  Massimo stared at Ryder and placed his finger on his lips as he thought. “Ryder, you may be onto something. There are nanocytes inside me. They are what made me into a vampire. Maybe those who turn Mad have nanocytes in them.”