The Infected: Ripped to Shreds (Book 1): Hush

by Power, P. S.

  Outside, down the steps that had been brought over, magical things on wheels, there were people waiting for them. Or, and it seemed clear to her as she closed with the bottom of the thing, the people were waiting for her. Personally. That was thanks to her being an insane killer, she was more than willing to bet.

  One of them was a woman that was about six or seven inches taller that she was, and dressed like she was in the army. All in tan fatigues that were pressed well, but kind of bland looking otherwise. The lady wasn't all that old, looking perhaps few years older than Cindy was, at most. This was Marcia Turner. The data flowed from her, about everything she was dealing with in life, and she was not at all happy with the current situation. It wasn't that Cin was a killer as much as that she was there at the wrong time. Marcia didn't have the ability to handle a coup attempt and some little scruff from Podunk at the same time.

  That meant she was planning to snap at her, and be a general bitch, trying to push Cindy hard enough to get her to snap back and go for the Director of the whole place. Then Marcia could kill her and no one would blame her for it.

  It wasn't a bad plan really. The big problem with it was the assumption that she'd fly off the handle and physically attack people at random. That wasn't her way at all. She planned her kills, for one thing. She also had a real type that she loved for that more than anyone else. Not that the idea of killing most people didn't hold some allure for her. She loved cake with gobs of frosting too, but could take or leave it, most days.

  Rather than let her speak, Cindy waved at her, and smiled.

  "I think that Hobbs is planning to train me? Him and Brie here. Trivia? Bridget is on me sitting duty, along with Becky, the ghost? You probably don't have to do anything, really. I get the whole busy thing, but me knowing the whole plan to make me mad and kill me will probably short that one out before you get anything going." She waited, still expecting the lady to snap at her, but just got a snort instead.

  "So you already planned things out on your own? Not bad. Smart even. Fine. You need to go and get with Doc Burrows first thing. Are you up on that idea?" The words over her head were... Actually pretty positive about the whole idea of the treatments. The new woman probably wouldn't die from them, and while there was a small chance that it could just not work, or a smaller one that it might make her first mode worse, that really wasn't going to happen. If it did, it wouldn't be hard to just kill her and dump the body. They had lots of empty space around for that, after all. It wouldn't be the first time either.

  Cin nodded, her face held in what was supposed to be a playful expression.

  "That's the one where I get to be the first female guinea pig for the mad scientist lady?" Cindy wasn't thrilled with the idea, for her own reasons, so shrugged. "Then I get to lose the only thing that makes life worth living?"

  The other woman gave her a look that was less skeptical, but still wasn't compassionate.

  "You mean killing people?"

  That got a nod, as everyone else looked on, having come down behind her. They were judging her for it, since it was too different than what they all were inside.

  Ms. Turner smiled then. It was a weird looking thing, but not unfriendly. Inside she calculated some things out, internally, knowing that having a few psychos running around didn't hurt anything, as long as they stayed under control. Most government agencies kept a few on call, for various duties.

  "No one said that, did they? We just want you to kill the right people. The ones we tell you to. That's all. We just want to help you get past this desire to take out the wrong ones. So it's not as hopeless as all that, if death is your thing."

  Then, as if she didn't care anymore, the woman turned and looked at the others, rapidly, but one by one.

  "You've all been briefed on the situation we face. I noticed the news on that. I doubt it will help, but I get the idea. Yi, Rachel, you're with me. We need to get on top of this. Scott, Charlotte, if you can rally the troops and make sure everyone else is up on this. How to handle the press and all that fun stuff?" She stopped, and then turned to look at Bridget. "You can handle the security here, for the base. Internal and from external threats. Get together a team for that. Who do you want?" She waited, clearly trying to give the kid something to do in order to get her out of the way. Not that it wasn't a real job too, or that she didn't think Bridget could do it.

  Impulse looked back, twitching constantly. It was what she did, so no one noticed her agitation in particular, except Trivia, most likely. Bridget got the whole thing, as well as it being her part. The world was coming after her now, so they had to keep her locked down and out of the way. For the time being anyway.

  Still, it was something to do, so she shrugged.

  "Tobin and Denis, in case we need to control a crowd. I can handle the individual threats. Cin can do the information gathering portions, checking out our own peeps and all that, and Hobbs can come to give us meditation tips."

  The quick response got the boss lady to go still, since it actually wasn't a bad team, other than the inclusion of Cindy. Marcia just didn't think she could be all that great, as far as info went. Then, last she'd heard, Cindy was a class one or two at best.

  Trivia waved at Turner, and shook her head a little.

  "She's a class five. Maybe higher than that, once she works out how to get at all the secrets. Her power is one of the more versatile I've ever seen. She barely has a handle on it, and I still had to debate killing her instead of bringing her in. I just really want the backup that way. So Team Three." Then Brie stood back and didn't say anything else as all the conditions that Marcia had to consider ran through the words over her head.

  It was impressive to hear about, but how she was supposed to be that tough, Cindy didn't know. There were categories for power class that mainly had to do with how many asses you could kick in a fight. How her ability translated to the needed butt beating ability a class five needed she didn't understand. Not in a stand up fight, which was what the term normally meant.

  Even if it could help her with one or two opponents at a time, there was a limit that way.

  For the moment it didn't matter, since Turner nodded suddenly.

  "I'll get with Christian on it. Now, Bridget, Hobbs... Cinnamon, you three get with Peterson and Tompkins. Set up a watch. Twenty-four-seven coverage, so use whoever you need. Clear the list with me first. Get the new kid to medical now, first thing. Then get her a room. I want a watch on her for the time being." Then she turned and looked directly at Cin, not even seeming like a witch in particular.

  "I just don't want to lose any of our people right now. It isn't personal. Except the part that is. That will be there until you show me that this isn't just a horrible mistake."

  Then she turned and started walking, waving for Brian to follow her.

  That left the others to handle their own needs for the moment, which, for everyone but her meant going off to put their things in their rooms. Bridget had a plan for that one however, and patted her back, thinking things through carefully first.

  "I'll walk you over to the new medical building. It's not horrible. Then, if Burrows is there, she can do her thing with you while I line up a place for you to stay. I think the room next to mine is empty, unless that changed in the last few days. We all live in the tall building, over there. The cool kids, I mean. There are other places to live, but the single people are all there. The rooms are small, but you don't have to have a roommate, so that's not too bad."

  What it meant was taking Cindy's bags to medical, as everyone else walked away, except Hobbs and Bridget who were with her it seemed.

  Bridget grinned at her after a bit though.

  "Marcia was being a pain. Calling you that. Pretending she didn't know your name. Still, Cinnamon... You don't have the right coloration for that, for one thing."

  Cin stuck her tongue out a bit, and shook her head, smiling.

  "That's what my parents named me. I know, it's the bestest name ever. What, did you thin
k I was named Cynthia? There's a reason I never tell anyone my full name."

  Bridget really had thought that, which wasn't that hard to understand. In fact, she was currently fighting not to ask if Cinnamon was actually her real name.

  Cin sighed.

  "Before you ask, no, I'm not kidding. Hence Cindy. Anyway, where are we going now?" Asking the question got the answer to come up in the girl's book, instantly. There was a picture to go with the words off to the side.

  They were headed down the path in front of them, to the central hub, which would let them take the path to the med center. There was an actual map hanging in the air, so if she had too, Cin could find it for herself. Really, she could find anyplace on the base now, with only a bit of research on the topic. Honestly, she could probably find anything, if she did it right.

  The trick there was knowing what it was she wanted to learn about. That and who might have the right info for her.

  At the moment all she had to do was march along with the two red heads with her, and not look like she was going off to summer camp. She'd done that as a kid a few times, and the feeling was similar, except with more uniforms here. Everyone was in camouflage it seemed, except the two with her. People passing noticed her too, not recognizing the face. They weren't too worried about it, seeing she had good people with her, but they were still all curious. When someone finally stopped them it was an ogre. Only not. The green skinned and tough looking person had pearly white tusks, and a heavy brow, like an orc. One from a movie. This one was a girl though.

  From the story above her head, Bridget was her best friend in the whole world, though there was an age gap. She was only seven, after all. That made it pretty hard to find anyone to play with on the base. Normally she just learned stuff from Lauren and fought with the others. Because she had to learn how to do that. Brian had said. She hadn't been truly left alone for the holidays, but it had been pretty close, since Mark, her friend, had to cook the whole time. That Bridget and Brian had left was sad for her, since they were kind of her people, but she understood. No one really wanted an ugly girl like her at dinner.

  Bridget lit up on seeing her.

  "Sara!" Her arms opened up for a hug, and they rushed each other. The move sent her own bag and what she was carrying of Cindy's flying, but there wasn't a lot of breakable stuff in her things, so she didn't worry too much. Hobbs smiled, but he almost always did.

  On the nice side he also explained. Out loud, using his words.

  "The girl, Sara, was abandoned by her people, and taken in by those of the IPB. She is yet a child, though with great size and power. It is the thoughts of medical here that she might change her form, if she feels safe enough in her position, but as of yet, this state has not been reached. There is no hurry, but I must fear for her well being. This could go most wrongly, if no one will be her parent or at least guardian." It wasn't that he was suggesting her for the job. For half a second she wondered, but then found the part of his book on the topic.

  To his mind it was Advocate Yi who needed to do that, or at least find a person to fill that role. He had been the one to rescue her and take her in, but as of that moment, the girl was just floating from person to person. Like a cork on the sea.

  Bridget kind of got that same thing, but didn't really know what to do about it. She was a kid herself, and too young to be a mother, even to a great and easy to handle super child. That part was in there too. This kid needed a parent that could handle her, if she ever threw a fit.

  Thinking about it for a bit, Cin nodded.

  "Hi! Sara? I'm new here. Call me Cindy. We're headed over to medical, so the doctor here can give me some shots, or at least poke me with stuff. Want to watch?" They were supposed to go do that, and while it wasn't what she wanted in particular, the green girl, who was about a foot and a half bigger than she was, nodded.

  "S'hellow. I'dsh like that. I go theres shom times. S'they givesh me candy." She looked at Bridget, but the girl needed to eat nearly as much as she did, it seemed, so no one bothered to keep her from the junk food between meals.

  Bridget was a bit concerned for her well being though, since hanging around with psychopaths wasn't a healthy thing for any kid. It was just the truth, but Cindy wasn't exactly going to pick a fight with the green kid. For one thing she didn't want to be slapped down that hard. Not that the girl was that kind of person. She was physically gifted, but she liked dolls, too. Playing house and all that. Her life in the foster system had simply made her feel like being big and strong was a thing she needed to be all the time.

  In a way however, it was good that Bridget was thinking about that kind of thing. It was that she'd had a proper upbringing that way herself. Most of it done by her grandmother, Rachel. It didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out what was most likely needed there, either. She flipped to Rachel Chamber's book in her head, and started on the relevant search inside the woman's head. She didn't crave children really, having raised two already, but she was good at it, and not unwilling. True, Sara wasn't exactly normal, but neither Scott nor Bridget had been either, and she still loved them both. Like they'd been her own.

  The big thing there was that no one had actually pointed out that the girl might need some help that way. When she wondered what the woman would say about that, thinking the words, an answer was found easily. She'd say yes. There wasn't even any hesitation to the idea.

  "Um, Bridget, can I borrow your phone?" That got her looked at, a bit suspiciously as they were walking. She kind of thought that Cin had figured out some way to escape that might work and wanted to arrange for help to come and rescue her.

  That didn't stop her from passing the all black thing over, straining to listen in case a secret code was about to be delivered. At the same time she didn't really want to seem like she was guarding a prisoner, since, the hope was that eventually Cin wouldn't be that. It would be easier then, at that later date, if Cindy didn't hate them all.

  It took a moment, and she handed Sara the bags she was carrying in order to do it, which were taken happily enough. The kid had a good nature to her, even if she was a little sad all the time. That was both from her mode and abuse in her past. Mainly beatings, because she was different, and ugly in her green form. Hobbs, and medical, had been right however. Sara was a shape changer, at least between the two forms. She could do it on purpose when she wanted however, it didn't take her being relaxed or happy. She just didn't want to at the moment.

  That kind of made sense really. At the base, being big, strong and tough kept her safe and kind of fitting in with everyone else. A little girl would be at a disadvantage that way.

  Rachel was in a meeting at the moment, and didn't want to be, so that gave Cin an in that way. She just had to play things right, so no one was scared off or offended. On the good side Rachel was in the phone, listed as G-MA, and only four down the list of names. One and two were Turner and Tibs, and three was her mother. Prime was there but a few below that, which was interesting, because Cin would have bet the girl was closer to her dad than mom.

  Hitting the right name got a voice to come back at her a few seconds later.

  "Hello? Bridget? I'm in a meeting right now..." She was hoping not to be, since it was with Marcia Turner, and while she liked her all right as a person, the woman was a detail maven of the highest order, which tended to slow everything down. It bugged her a bit.

  "Sorry, no joy there. This is Cindy? From Thanksgiving? I was hoping you could meet us in medical? I might have something for you. It could be important." Which was true, but no one knew what the heck she was talking about. It worked anyway.

  "Be right there. Is it an emergency?"

  "Important, but no need to run. Ten minutes?" The walk wouldn't be that far, since she could see the white and tan brick building they were moving toward. It was four stories tall, and big enough to be a real hospital. There was even a name on it, or at least some letters that said medical center. Not the something or other Medical Center either. Just a
simple label to inform people where to take the bodies.

  The phone was given back, and Bridget looked like she really wanted to know the secret, but she didn't ask, figuring that it might be something special that had been picked up by Cin's powers. It kind of was, but not in the way the girl was guessing, which all involved secrets and intrigue. Possibly a clever escape plan.

  Inside the door there was an official desk, which Bridget navigated easily, by simply slapping the top so that the woman in blue from behind it would look up. It got a smile and the lady stood, in order to see them all.

  "All right Nera, we come demanding candy... And Dr. Burrows. I have a present for her. Is she in?" The red headed teen turned and smiled at Cin. "She does shift work at times, so we might have to come back."

  That, it seemed wasn't needed this time, given how quickly a tidy looking Japanese woman in tennis shoes moved from the back. She was all in blue, except her white coat, and nifty red and black checked shoes. The lady looked at Hobbs like he was good to eat, her interest there not being strictly professional, or subtle. Then she looked at the rest of them, and smiled.

  "No blood? Nice to see. So, I heard my name, what can I do for you?"

  She was looking at Sara, which was all about how tall she was, and nothing else. Being short, it was the kind of thing that Cin was used to as well, but it was weird to see it happen that openly, given that the woman knew, for a fact, how young the girl was. Plus the woman wasn't huge herself, so that should have made a difference.

  Bridget didn't care about that, and just pointed at her.

  "New recruit. Her first mode, we think anyway, it makes her a serial killer. A kind of killing mania? Trivia thinks that's the case and no one can lie to her power, so that's probably right. So, you know, change her?"

  Burrows let her lips curl up, into a Cheshire grin.

  "Really now? Excellent. I'll need some DNA samples, blood, a few other things? Are you willing to do that? Also, are you going to kill me? I hate that, by the way." The woman didn't seem to really care and was just joking, though Sara didn't think it was a game. She looked at the nice seeming white woman and had to fight to not shrink away in terror, worried that she was going to be hurt. That wouldn't be happening, given everything, but the kid didn't know that really.