“What are you doing!?” Nick yelled as he caught up with us.
I looked at Claire, and a tear rolled down her face. “I have to know,” I whispered. “Even if I’m dying, I have to know.”
She nodded. “Me too.” She then shot off the lock and swung the heavy door open.
“Dean! Claire!” the woman yelled.
Time stood still. My Jackie was alive, cured, and human. Charlie wasn’t lying. There is a cure! “Jackie?” I whispered.
Chapter 38
Claire wept as she embraced her cousin in a tight hug.
Next, it was my turn. I looked into her beautiful eyes and touched her sweet face, then pulled her into an embrace. I was sure I was on my way to death, thanks to Charlie, but I was relatively certain Jackie wasn’t there to take me to the other side. She certainly didn’t look like the Grim Reaper to me.
“I’m dying,” I said. “Charlie injected me with Anthrax. He’s dead and we don’t have an antidote.”
“What?” she asked, her voice wavering.
How cruel was fate? I’d been mourning Jackie’s death for so long, and then when I finally had her back, it was my turn to leave. Shakespeare himself couldn’t haven written a scene about star-crossed lovers any better. I’d probably get one last kiss from her lips before I slipped away. Then she’d mourn my death. Star-crossed meant unlucky, and I was sure that was me and Jackie’s fate. Maybe we were doomed from the start.
Suddenly, an explosion to the north boomed in the air.
“We’ve got to go,” Lucas said. “We stay in here much longer, we’re gonna be mincemeat!”
I couldn’t stop staring at Jackie’s beautiful face, and then I shut my eyes and let go.
***
When I opened my eyes, Sparkles was licking me. I petted her and tried to make out where I was. Clearly, we were back in the apartment, but I wasn’t lying on my tiny bunk bed. Instead, I was all cozy in a huge, king-sized bed, covered with several soft blankets. At that point, I realized they’d put me in Lucas’s room.
“He’s awake,” Val said, walking to the door.
“Val?” I whispered.
“I’m right here,” she said. “I haven’t left your side.”
So many questions flooded my mind. Fear and panic settled in my stomach as reality set in. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I could barely get the words out. “Did you find any of the scientists? How much time do I have left?”
Nick rushed to my side. “You sure gave us one heck of a scare.”
“Yeah, but...how am I still alive?” I asked. Droplets of sweat rolled down my face, and I knew I was still dying. I was sure my brother would want my last days to be the most comfortable he could make him, and that was probably why they’d put me in those luxury accommodations.
“You’re a survivor,” Asia said.
“I’m so hot,” I whispered. “I know I’m dying from a 106-degree fever. Sugarcoating my death isn’t gonna make me feel any better. If the prognosis isn’t good, I need to know.”
“Nobody’s dying today,” Val said triumphantly.
Nick peeled a couple layers of blankets off of me. “You’re sweating up a storm under all these.”
Kate chuckled. “Sorry. It was freezing in here. In case you didn’t notice, there’s a blizzard out there.”
I glanced out the window and saw tons of snow pouring down. I still couldn’t fathom that I was alive. “You must’ve found the antidote,” I said softly, still in a bit of a fog.
“Nope,” Val retorted.
I bit my lip hard. “Then I am dying?”
“Like I told you...nope!” She held up a small glass vial. “After Charlie injected you, I grabbed this so we’d know what he really gave you. He lied. It wasn’t anthrax.”
“What was it?” I asked.
“Valium. It was all a bluff.”
“So I’m not going to die?” I whispered.
She grinned from ear to ear. “Nope.”
I couldn’t believe I’d survived yet another close call. I’d been given so many second, third, and fourth chances, in spite of all the death and devastation around me. I couldn’t even explain how it felt to survive after thinking I was going to die. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world, and I wanted to scream and shout. A million emotions flooded my mind. One thing the zombie apocalypse taught me was how precious each moment was and how easily life could be snatched away. I’d thought my life was over the second Charlie’s needle pierced my skin, but I’d survived again, and I vowed, then and there, to make every day count.
I shot my sister a hard look. “Wait...why didn’t you tell me the second you found out?”
“Because there was gunfire and grenades—not to mention, a building was about to blow up. I tried to tell you, but you collapsed. Lucas carried you out to safety.”
“Yeah, man, and you need to go on a diet or something,” Lucas joked. “Only half a can of tuna for you from now on.”
“Did the building explode?” I asked.
“It’s pretty demolished. Max and his men stuck around to make sure no hybrids survived. What do you remember?”
“Well, the end is fuzzy, but I dreamt I found Jackie, that she was alive. She’d been cured, and she was the most beautiful sight.”
Val smiled and patted my hand.
I continued, “It was the best dream ever. I just wish I didn’t have to wake up.”
“Oh, I guarantee you’ll be glad naptime’s over,” Lucas chimed in.
I raised an eyebrow.
“It wasn’t a dream,” Claire said, letting tears slip down her face.
“What?” I asked.
She grinned widely. “We did it, Dean!” she said, squeezing my hand. “We found Jackie and saved her.”
Right on cue, the door creaked open, and Jackie’s brilliant smile lit up the room.
I was speechless. My feelings were overwhelming and intense, rushing over me like a tidal wave. It was like looking at a calm blue sky after being caught in a seemingly endless hurricane. In that very moment, I could have sworn I heard my dead heart beating again. The person I’d grieved over, the person I’d thought was dead, the person I’d missed so much was standing right there in front of me, alive and breathing, smiling at me. I blinked, and my stomach dropped. She was a vision in a tight black sweater and black jeans, with her dark hair hanging in loose ringlets around her shoulders. My heart beat so hard that it felt as if it would rip through my chest at any moment. I wanted to touch her to make sure she wasn’t an illusion, a mere hallucination like the hundreds of dreams I’d had of her. “Jackie?” I said, my voice wavering.
Sobbing, she ran over to me and hugged me tightly.
I still hoped my mind wasn’t conjuring her up, a side effect of the valium. “Is this...are you real?”
“It’s real, Dean. I’m here, and I won’t ever leave you again. Being back here with you guys is a dream come true. Thank you for not giving up on me.”
My heart pounded as I kissed her. A tear slipped down my face as emotion consumed me. I had so many questions, but they could all wait.
Beyond the fact that we had Jackie back, there was more good news: There really was a cure, and even though Charlie’s vials had been destroyed, there was still hope to fix the serum. We just had to find a scientist brilliant enough to come up with the missing part of the equation, but we now had the advantage of knowing it could be done. Charlie had the power to save those hybrids who so desperately wanted their humanity back, but he refused to afford them that chance. He preferred to selfishly manipulate them, to play God, to use them for his own power- and glory-hungry agenda. Charlie used them for his own personal gain and in the end they were expendable. He wanted Max and Z out of the picture so he could take control and use the people of Fairport as his own personal livestock, so he could perform those sick experiments. Charlie wanted to save the world, at all costs. I was sure Jonathon never would have led us to Fairport had he known Charlie’s true intentions, but I was sur
e no one knew just how screwed up that lab coat-wearing freak really was.
Still, even after all we’d been through, I didn’t regret coming to Fairport. Jackie was cured, and that was the most important thing.
She held up her hand to show me that the class ring I’d given her adorned her finger. Val had found in the lab and had brought it back to the house, but never in a million years would I have thought she’d wear it again.
“Jackie...” I said.
“Yeah, baby?”
“There’s something...well, I shoulda told you a long time ago. I regret that I didn’t.”
She gazed deeply into my eyes, melting me with her gaze. “And what’s that?”
“I-I love you,” I said with heartfelt intensity.
She smiled. “I know, Dean Walters, and I love you too. I have since the second we kissed in that freezing-cold lake.”
I held her tightly in my arms, never wanting to let go.
I didn’t know what our next step was. It was winter, much too treacherous to travel. The town would rebuild, and Fairport would once again be a safe haven for survivors. Thanks to its unique, invisible zombie shield, it was one of the best places to live until we got our world back. I loved the people there, and it would be difficult to say goodbye when we did have to leave, but I was anxious to get back to my family on the island.
Val saw things a bit differently and had mentioned more than once that Fairport was the safest, best place to wait out the zombie apocalypse. I assumed a lot of that had to do with Max, but she insisted that it was just because the journey would be too dangerous. I couldn’t blame her for that; after all, she’d been bitten on her first attempt to head to the island, and I was sure that had left a bitter taste in her mouth. Looking on the bright side, though, she was now immune to bites and wouldn’t ever have to worry about that again. I couldn’t say the same for most of us.
I wasn’t sure what the future held. All I did know was that Jackie was back in my arms, and I wouldn’t risk her life by taking her to the island where authorities had doomed Val. I’d have to take her to a different island, and I was sure my mom, dad, grandmother, and everyone else would join me wherever I went. I still held out hope that we could enjoy a normal, zombie-free life, and I would never take it for granted again.
Now, we just had to get back...and I knew that would be easier said than done.
To be continued in Book 8: Impact
***
Did you enjoy The Zombie Chronicles book 7? If so, I’d love for you to consider writing a review. Thank you so much for your support. Even a simple line is greatly appreciated! I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know.
Link to Trepidation: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IC7E5ZE
UK Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IC7E5ZE
NOTE:
When Val came to after being shot, she called for characters you’ve never met. (Kyle, Sammy, and Jenny) You can meet them now! Meet the characters that traveled with Val on her journey to the island in:
Val – Prequel to The Zombie Chronicles
What happened to Val’s friends? How was Val bitten? Why did she leave Philadelphia?
Here’s a sneak peek at the prequel to The Zombie Chronicles in Val. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mp43Ml4hvE
Val: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IXY5SI4
UK Val link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IXY5SI4
Books by Chrissy Peebles
***
The Enchanted Castle Series
The Enchanted Castle Series Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/Ysb6uzIdsEk
Enchanted Castle - book 1
My Haunted Fairytale - book 2
Enchanted Dreams - book 3
The Ruby Ring Saga
The Ruby Ring Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_w-eZwPJbA
New Updated Trailer: http://youtu.be/JJzoHW0xVMI
Eternal Vows - book 1
Eternal Destiny - book 2
Eternal Fire - book 3
Eternal Faith - book 4
Eternal Bloom - book 5
Eternal Flame – book 6
The Crush Saga
The Crush Saga Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/4eMF8KXEUc4
Crush - Book 1
Crash - Book 2
Chosen - book 3
Chaos – book 4
The Hope Saga
The Hope Saga Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF9UkY0qiSo
Apocalypse - Underwater City - book 1
Rebel Princess - book 2
Rebel Warrior - book 3
Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/viwT0M8Ms_g
Book 1 - Castaway
Book 2 - Dread
Book 3 - Peril
Book 4 - Outlive
Book 5 - Endure
Book 6 - Persevere
Book 7 - Turbulence
Book 8 - Hope
Book 9 - Termination - The Conclusion
Apocalypse Unleashed Series
Book Trailer for The Zombie Chronicles Series: http://youtu.be/ociUHiL1g70
Val (prequel to the zombie series) Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mp43Ml4hvE
Val - The prequel to The Zombie Chronicles
The Zombie Chronicles - book 1
The Zombie Chronicles - book 2 - Race for the Cure
The Zombie Chronicles - book 3 - Deadly City
The Zombie Chronicles - book 4 - Poisonous Serum
The Zombie Chronicles - book 5 - Undead Nightmare
The Zombie Chronicles - book 6 - Revelation
The Zombie Chronicles - book 7 – Trepidation
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Trepidation Page 27