She signaled to her bodyguard. “Take her to the hospital.”
Reluctantly, Liet undid his side of the handcuff and slapped it onto the other man’s wrist. I glanced at Liet over my shoulder and pushed out my bottom lip.
“Should’ve shot me after taking care of Quinn.”
He pointed at me. “There’s still a chance I can take care of you.”
I smiled and nodded. “Sure there is.”
The bodyguard jerked on my wrist. I turned to head out the door and ran into Pearl.
“Krista?” she squeaked. “What’s going on?” Tears moistened her eyes.
The man pulled me into the elevator.
“Don’t worry, Pearl. Everything is going to be all right.”
The door slid shut as a tear dropped onto her cheek. I knew she didn’t believe me, but what else could I say? I knew it wasn’t going to be all right, but I was fine with my fate. I welcomed it.
CHAPTER 14
The best part about being a prisoner of The Families was I didn’t have to wait to be seen by a doctor. We walked into the hospital and went straight to x-ray.
“I’ll need you to remove the sling and your shirt,” the nurse said matter-of-factly.
I stared at the bodyguard and held up my wrist. “You gonna help me out here?”
He scowled and unlocked my side before folding his arms across his chest. I lifted the sling strap over my head.
“You gonna watch me undress too?”
He clicked his tongue and walked to the door.
Luckily, Private Lamb Chop came with us. She stepped into the room and took over babysitting duties.
It took less than ten minutes to have x-rays done, and then I was placed in an examination room to wait for the doctor. The bodyguard reattached our wrists and stood next to me, scowling. He glanced at his watch several times and sighed.
“Must be such a waste of your time,” I told him. “I’m sure you would rather be killing innocent people.”
“What?”
In my opinion, there should have been more shock in his voice, but he actually sounded more bored than anything.
“I know about the zombies,” I whispered. “The ones you planted in the supply truck after your visit to North Platte.”
He smiled and leaned forward, matching his volume with mine. “Good luck proving that.”
The door opened and the doctor stepped in. He placed my x-ray on the light board.
“Things look pretty good. Some of your screws shifted, which might cause slight deformation when the bone heals completely, but it won’t hinder your shoulder function.” He stepped to me and lifted my shirt. “No sign of infection. That’s good. But these stitches are way over due for removal.” He stepped in front of me. “I’ll get you some pain pills and send in the nurse. You’ll have to wear your sling for six weeks, and try to refrain from physical activity. Anything else you need me to look at? Maybe this nasty lump on the side of your head?”
“The lump’s fine. It’ll heal faster than my shoulder. But I seem to have a strange growth on my wrist.” I held up the handcuffs. “I think it might be cancerous.”
The doctor wasn’t amused. He nodded curtly before leaving the room. The nurse came in a few minutes later to remove my stitches.
The ride to the jail was uncomfortable. My skin was prickly and itchy from the threads being pulled out. Plus, I was tired. I may have slept a lot in the Hummer, but it was far from restful. I looked forward to a shower and a real bed. I also looked forward to leaving my present company. They bored me. I wanted to be alone.
Private Lamb Chop took me directly to the showers. She undid the handcuffs and cut off the twine around my ankles. The bodyguard rubbed his wrist and scowled at me.
“Let me know if she gives you any trouble,” he told the private before leaving the room.
With some difficulty, I stripped out of my clothes. She handed me a mini shampoo and tiny bar of soap.
“I’ll get you a towel and change of clothes.”
“This isn’t enough,” I told her. “I need at least two more.”
She scowled as she examined me. I could only imagine what ran through her mind. I knew I was dirty. I spent four days in a truck. Before that, we camped in the woods and traipsed through caves. Fresh water wasn’t a luxury to be used for bathing. Eventually, she slapped more toiletries into my hand.
I stepped into the concrete shower. The smell of mildew drifted in the air, and a shower dripped at the far end with a plink-plink sound. The floor was slick under my feet. The water turned on with a squeak of the handle. The warmth felt like heaven on my skin, and a layer of dirt washed down the drain.
My mind drifted to Quinn. I fought back the tears forming in my eyes. How could this have happened? How could we have been so stupid to walk into a trap?
No, stop it. We didn’t know Liet was in that cave. How could we? It was circumstance, that’s it. Still, there had to have been something I could’ve done. Maybe fought harder, pushed against Liet sooner. My vision became blurry with tears, and my chest tightened to the point it was difficult to breathe. My knees became weak and threatened to give out. It would have been so easy to give in to my grief. I could have lost it right there. But I knew I was being watched. I couldn’t let them know how much Quinn’s death affected me. I couldn’t let them win.
If only we’d taken care of Liet when we had the chance. I sucked in a deep breath. I couldn’t worry about it, I shouldn’t. I couldn’t change it. I did my best. Still, it didn’t make me feel better. I held my emotions until I was physically exhausted.
I could barely keep my eyes open when I stepped out and grabbed the towel from the private. I put on my bright orange shirt and pants, along with my sling, and followed her to my cell.
“You’re being kept in holding cells,” she explained, “away from the general population. They’re afraid you might incite a riot. But don’t worry, you won’t be alone.”
I found it odd she felt the need to explain to me about my accommodations. What was the big deal? They could put me anywhere they wanted. I wasn’t going to talk to anyone, I was going to sleep. I didn’t care about liberating Florida anymore. There wasn’t anything left to fight for.
Private Lamb Chop stopped in front of a cell, and the door slid open with a buzz and clang of metal.
“Krista?” The voice sounded behind me.
I turned. Bill stood from his bed and approached the bars, his eyes wide.
“Krista!” His brother was in the cell next to him. He had a little more enthusiasm in his voice. He also approached the door.
Great, just what I needed. No doubt they thought I was there to save them. How could I tell them all hope was lost? How could I tell them they sacrificed themselves for nothing? I felt ashamed and helpless, like a failure. It was one thing to deal with the pain internally. When it was just Liet and I, I could forget about the others, withdraw inside my own mind, pretend no one else existed. I couldn’t ignore or forget the boys when they were right in front of me. I couldn’t pretend I was the only one the events affected. I averted my gaze to the floor and stepped into my cell with head hanging low. I flopped onto the cot and placed my forehead against the wall. They whispered across the hall.
“What’s going on? Why didn’t she talk to us?” I couldn’t tell which brother it was.
“She’s tired. It’s been a long journey. Let her rest. I’m sure she’ll talk to us when she gets up.”
Oh, I was sure I’d have to talk to them. I didn’t have anywhere to go, and trying to avoid them would raise suspicion. But what exactly was I going to tell them? It became painfully apparent that I was going to have to tell the guys Quinn was dead. Could I say those words out loud? They’d want to know the story. Would they blame me? I pushed the thoughts out of my head. I’d deal with it when I had to. I needed rest. I settled into the pillow and closed my eyes.
***
Quinn and I stood on the roof of the jail in Casper. Black clouds cov
ered the sky, with hints of red on the horizon. The wind blew, drowning out all sound and making it difficult to stand upright. Quinn told me something, I watched his mouth move, but couldn’t hear him.
“What?” I barely heard my own voice.
A strong gust pushed against my chest, my feet slid across the gravel rooftop. Instinctively, I reached for Quinn. Another rush of air pushed me farther back. Quinn grabbed my hand, but we didn’t stop. The momentum took us to the edge of the roof.
The backs of my legs hit the short wall that surrounded the top of the building. My back arched, my arms flailed. I glanced over my shoulder. A sea of zombies reached for me. Millions of them, undulating like waves. The wind subsided, and I regained my balance. I turned to look at Quinn. He was no longer in front of me, no longer had a hold of my wrist. He teetered on the edge of the building, leaning precariously over the side. I reached for him. Too late. He fell. His body hit the creatures. He reached for me before slowly sinking beneath the rotted hands and snapping teeth. I screamed, but my voice was lost on the wind.
Another gust slammed into my back, pushing me over the edge. The creatures rushed toward me. I closed my eyes and brought up my hands to brace for impact.
I sucked in a sharp breath and jerked awake. Tentacles of pain snaked through my entire body. I groaned.
“Krista?” The voice drifted across the hall. Which brother was that? “You all right?”
Maybe if I didn’t answer, he’d think I was still asleep. I closed my eyes. The sea of zombies waited in my mind’s eye. Maybe I’d take my chances with Bill and Kyle. I moved to the edge of the bed.
“Yeah,” I croaked. “I’m okay.”
I moved to the sink in the corner of the room and turned on the faucet. A trickle of water came out. I frowned. I peed more than that. I shrugged and splashed my face several times before heading to the door, wiping the wetness on my sleeve.
Kyle’s elbows rested on the cross bars, his hands folded in the hallway. He acted totally nonchalant. Bill had his hands on his hips, his eyebrows pushed together. They wore the same orange outfit as I, and their faces were a little pale from not being in the sun. Otherwise, they looked fine. They might have even put on a little weight. It was amazing what non-canned food could do.
“What happened to your arm?” Bill wondered.
I glanced at the sling, like I noticed it for the first time. “Liet shot me. Broke my shoulder blade.”
“Are you all right?” Kyle sounded concerned.
It was one of those stupid questions to ask. Of course I wasn’t all right! I’d been shot, my shoulder was broken, I had limited mobility in my arm. Plus, after seeing the doctor in Florida, I apparently was going to be deformed. Stupid as the question was, it was socially polite to ask. I contemplated giving him a sarcastic response, I was still tired and grumpy, but thought better of it. No need to take my frustrations out on him, he was just being nice.
“I’ll survive this,” I responded.
Bill stepped forward and grabbed the bars. “So what’s the plan? Is the rest of the posse on their way?”
“Yeah,” Kyle chimed in. “How are we gonna get out of here?”
A lump developed in my throat. “We’re not.”
Bill’s brow furrowed deeper. “What do you mean? Why are you here then?”
I took a deep, shaky breath. “Liet captured me and brought me here to pay for my crimes.”
They stared at me, waiting for an explanation. I told them everything that happened after we split up in Wyoming. They listened intently, the worry and concern deepening the wrinkles on their foreheads.
“Liet surprised us in the cave. He grabbed me and uh…he, um…” The words stuck in my throat. “He shot Quinn.” That phrase was physically painful to say.
The brothers stared at me in disbelief. My breathing came in rasps. Every inch of my body ached from Quinn’s loss. I wanted to curl into the fetal position and ball up so tightly I would disappear.
“Was he dead?” Kyle’s voice was soft. Another one of those questions.
I nodded. “There was blood everywhere, and he wasn’t moving.”
Kyle bit his lip and lowered his head.
“What about the others?” Bill’s tone was serious, unemotional. “They still coming for us?”
I stared at him. Had he heard anything I just said? “Why would they come after us? It’s over. There’s nothing left to fight for.”
Bill huffed. “It’s not over. We still have a job. People to liberate.”
I took a shaky breath, the sadness once again hardened into anger. “These people don’t want to be saved. They’re happy living like sheep. We’ve already given so much, and what have they done in return?”
“They’re not happy, Krista. They’re brainwashed and scared. We’re the only ones who can do anything.”
“How?” My voice was on the edge of yelling. “Quinn’s dead and we’re in jail. More than likely, they’re going to execute us. And what do I care if these people are happy or not? Do I look like a fairy godmother?”
“C’mon, Krista. There’s always a way. Figure something out.”
I leaned my head against the bars. “What’s the point?”
“Because Quinn would have wanted it that way.”
I clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth in irritation. “Quinn doesn’t have to worry about it now. And neither should we.”
Kyle shook his head. “C’mon, Krista. Don’t talk like that. The world isn’t that bleak.”
I scoffed. “Isn’t that bleak? Have the weeks in here made you forget?” I pressed my face through the bars. “It’s not only the zombies who want to kill you out there.” I pointed at the door. “It’s the humans too.”
“We know,” Bill said flatly. “Tanya’s the one who put us in here.”
I dropped my hand to my side. “I know. She told me.”
Kyle’s eyes widened. “You talked to Tanya?”
I sighed. “She found us in North Platte. Then, after we abandoned the city and headed to the mountains, she confessed everything.”
“What did you do to her?” Bill’s voice was low.
“Nothing. There wasn’t time.”
He let out a sigh. I didn’t know if it was a sigh of relief or disappointment.
“It’s not worth it,” I continued. “All the betrayal and murdering, what’s the point in helping others? We need to forget them and focus on ourselves.”
“Not everyone is like that, Krista.” Bill stepped closer to the bars. “There is still good in the world. You can’t fight for what’s right without sacrifice.”
I pushed myself away from the door. “I’m tired of making sacrifices. I don’t want to fight for what’s right. Let them fend for themselves.”
“You don’t mean that, Krista.” Kyle’s voice was soothing. “You’re grieving. Think about what Quinn would want, what he’d do.”
I huffed and headed to my cot. What did they know? They didn’t know how I felt, what I was going through. They didn’t know what I’d given up, the things I’d lost. Or did they?
CHAPTER 15
Quinn, Bill, and Kyle knew about sacrifice. They’d done more for the country, for strangers in North Platte, and for me than anyone I’d ever known. They didn’t have to answer Liet’s initial call. They could’ve stayed on the ranch, living out their lives, ignoring the rest of the world. They weren’t bothered by zombies, so why should they care about a few ingrates who refused to take care of the problem?
Bill was right. Quinn wouldn’t have wanted me to give up. He would’ve wanted me to fight to the end. But he should’ve been standing right next to me, supporting and fighting with me. How was I supposed to do it on my own?
Why couldn’t Liet have shot Pam? Or Tanya for that matter. If anyone deserved to die, it was her. Ungrateful, back-stabbing traitor! But their deaths wouldn’t have upset me as much. Liet didn’t have a personal vendetta against them. He’d wanted to kill Quinn for a long time. I hated tha
t he got his chance. And, technically, if given the chance, he would have shot Pam and Tanya too. He didn’t have time.
Quinn’s death made me think of my parents, but his murder was totally different from theirs. All three of them were unexpected, but at least Quinn wasn’t doing something stupid. We were all in the cave, trying to figure out what it was for, how were we supposed to know Liet used it as a hiding place? I told my parents it was dangerous to go to the military base, but they didn’t listen. They walked into trouble and deserved what they got. Quinn was a victim of circumstance.
The pain from Quinn’s death was intense, but it wasn’t nearly as deep as when my parents were killed. Yes, they deserved it, and yes, it made me angry, but I knew them longer. They raised me, took care of me. They were my parents for crying out loud! Quinn was just a guy I met that I recently started dating. I wanted to get to know him better, I probably could have fallen in love with him, but that time had passed. I’d never get the chance. And I couldn’t change it.
Was I being callous? Uncaring? Maybe. It’s not that I didn’t miss him, I did. I was sad he was killed, but not devastated. It was the way of life in zombie-infested lands. People were killed or turned into the undead. I had to get used to that. The best way to honor his memory was to finish what he started. Save the people of Florida. No matter how much they didn’t deserve it and would probably resent us for it.
I got up from the cot and headed back to the door, placing my hand on the bars. “If you have any ideas of what we could possibly do to get out of here, I’m listening.”
Bill shook his head. “I have no clue.”
I clenched my jaw. “So, you’re just hoping something will happen?”
“Liet had every opportunity to kill you, and he didn’t. Maybe we can use that to our advantage.”
“There has to be a way, Krista,” Kyle interjected. “It can’t end like this.”
Life After The Undead (Book 2): Death to the Undead Page 13