The Z Word

by Bella Street

  He grinned and held out his hand.

  “Dude, I am so not holding hands with you.”

  He shrugged and headed for the door. Seffy gulped and followed, peeking out into the hall before hurrying to catch up to him. He stopped for no apparent reason, making her bump into him. He turned and smiled. Seffy smacked him on the back of the head. Laughing softly, he crept up to the edge of a corner and peered around.

  “It's clear,” he said in a low voice.

  Seffy rolled her eyes. This whole wing was supposed to be empty. She figured he was trying to up the drama in an attempt to impress her. They made their way through endless chains of hallways, finally arriving at the cafeteria.

  “How come we didn't go the regular way?” she whispered.

  Trent turned to her. “Because this way is more fun. Plus, we're closer to the supply room.”

  “How did you find an alternate route?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Duh.”

  So that's what he'd been doing while the rest of them bided their time.

  Trent grabbed her hand and pulled her around yet another corner. She saw a large door labeled Pantry East.

  “Is there a Pantry West?” she asked, snatching her hand away.

  “Yes. One cafeteria for five hundred people would be tricky. It's probably at the other end of the compound.”

  The pantry door opened and two uniformed residents exited. Seffy and Trent watched as they strolled down the hallway and around the corner.

  “C'mon!”

  She dashed after him into the pantry and stopped when he closed the door behind her. Blinking, she looked around in wonder. The room was huge, lined with a mind-boggling variety of canned goods. From floor to ceiling—along with rows and rows of brightly colored candy.

  “Better make this quick,” Trent whispered. “We don't know when those guys will come back.” He grabbed a handful of M&M bags and tried to shove them in her front jeans pockets.

  “Hey, watch it!”

  His unrepentant smirk said it all. Seffy took a few types of her favorites and slid them into her sweatshirt pockets. “I can't believe I'm thieving candy. How immature am I?”

  Trent was too busy filling his own pockets to reply.

  The sound of nearby voices made them freeze. Trent put his finger to his lips. Seffy arched her brows. Was he expecting her to start shrieking or something? After a few minutes, the voices faded somewhat. He peeked out the door, then motioned for her to follow. They eeled through the opening and Seffy almost gasped out loud when she saw two figures with their backs to them at the end of the hall, talking. One of them tilted his head, revealing his profile. This time she did gasp. Fenn!

  Trent grabbed her sleeve and yanked her around the corner. Together they rushed back the way they came. Seffy had a hard time keeping up because of her bad ankle. Trent kept hissing at her to hurry. They heard approaching voices coming from somewhere behind them. Trent stopped and grabbed her, swinging her up into his arms. Biting back a scream of pain as her ribs protested, she held onto his neck for dear life as he rushed toward her room. She kept watch over his shoulder, terrified they'd be caught like common criminals. The humiliation!

  They finally reached her room without being seen. Trent twisted the knob and pushed the door open with his knee. He burst into the room and dumped her onto the bed. Seffy couldn't help but laugh and gasp in relief mixed with pain that they'd escaped detection. Candy spilled from her pockets onto the bedspread as Trent joined her.

  “So that's where you've been.”

  Seffy froze when she recognized Gareth's voice. She looked up to find him standing near the observation window, watching them with a curious expression—curiosity which changed to consternation.

  She looked at Trent and saw his mouth was in the shape of an o. Seffy blew out a breath and held out a candy bar. “Snickers?”

  Gareth held up his hand, refusing the chocolate. “Sorry to surprise you. I just came by to say hi. Your door was open.”

  He came by to see me.

  Trent leaned close to Seffy. “We've just been exploring.”

  Seffy shoved him away and slid off the bed. Blood flooded her face, making her feel incandescent. “Listen, I know this looks bad.”

  Gareth's tense expression softened. After a moment, he said, “I won't tell as long as you share with everyone.”

  She beamed at him, releasing a silent sigh. He seemed more concerned about thievery than her being caught on a bed with Trent. “Deal.” Seffy handed him some candy, holding back a package of Starburst and a bag of M&Ms for herself. “Just don't tell anyone where we got them.”

  Gareth took the candy and smiled. “Okay. Will you be coming to the common room soon?”

  “Almost immediately,” she assured.

  “Good.” He turned and headed out the door.

  When it was shut, Trent got off the bed, his face a mask of disgust. “You're like a trained poodle.”

  “What's that supposed to mean?”

  “They way you change when Gareth pays attention to you. It's like you get on your hind legs and paw the air, panting 'Pet me! Pet me!' You two deserve each other.”

  “I thought he was the puppy. Anyway, Gareth and I are very close friends, so of course I'm going to respond to him.”

  Trent returned to her bed, laying down on his side and propping his head up with one hand. “What's he ever done for you? How does he maintain such a hold over you?”

  Seffy crossed her arms, her emotions a knotted mess. “I repeat, it's called friendship. I understand you wouldn't recognize such a thing.”

  “He's holding you back.”

  She began to sputter and laugh at the same time. “From what? From you?”

  Trent lurched from the bed and came to stand over her. “Yeah.”

  “You're out of your mind. There's no way you and I—I mean, yuck!”

  “Think of me as a step up from a zombie.”

  His words had a razor's edge. She took a step back.

  “So don't write me off just yet, babe. You may not have a choice in the near future.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “Oh my God, are you threatening me?”

  “No. Just reading the signs.” He clipped her around the waist and pressed a kiss on her lips.

  Seffy slapped him as hard as she could and wiped her mouth with the back of her arm. “Stay away from me, Trent. Do you hear me?” She shook with cold fury. “Get out, get out, GET OUT!”

  And with a black look, he did.

  She stared at the door, breathing hard. She and Trent. As if.

  ***

  Seffy's dream faded. She couldn't breathe. She twisted up from sleep, air in her lungs bursting, something holding her head in a vise. Panic built a scream which couldn't be released. She opened her eyes and found Trent over her, his hand on her mouth. Panic turned into frenzy as she kicked her legs and clawed at his arm.

  “Calm down,” he said in a harsh whisper. “I'll let go if you promise not to scream.” His eyes bored into hers until he was satisfied she'd comply. He released his hand.

  Seffy sucked in a lungful of air and used some of her exhale to swear at him.

  His mouth quirked a humorless smile.

  “What are you doing here?” she seethed. “Or are you confused about what 'get out' means?” Fear gripped her. Was he back for some kind of revenge? How could she have been so stupid to think he would just walk away after she'd slapped him like that?

  Trent straightened. “There's something I thought you'd like to see.”

  Seffy pressed her head back onto the pillow, diverted from mortal fear. He wanted to show her something? “Are you crazy? It's the middle of the night!”

  “Yes, I'm aware it's the middle of the night. That's the whole point.”

  “So, what, you want to show me more candy?”

  “Not exactly,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

  As Seffy's eyes adjusted to the dark, she noticed the strained look behi
nd his eyes. She sat up, alarmed, and slid from under the covers. Gone was his usual grinning expression. Instead, worry seemed etched into his features. “Tell me.”

  “I think the visual version will have more impact.”

  What had he found? A way out? Why couldn't he wait until morning? She blew out a disgruntled breath, knowing it was useless to fight him. “Fine, but I'm gonna pee first.”

  His nodded, distracted. “Just make it quick.”

  Seffy went into the bathroom and shut the door. After making good on her declaration she then scrubbed her teeth and dragged a brush through her hair. As she grabbed her hoodie off the hook on the door, she paused, wondering why she was going somewhere in the the dark with Trent. Of all people.

  Hopefully this wasn't a trick. And waiting passively for others to make a decision was getting old.

  Seffy yanked the hoodie over her head and decided she would humor him just this once, not including the candy caper. She came out of the bathroom and found him sitting on the edge of her bed. With the blankets all twisted, it seemed somehow indecent. She frowned and pulled on her shoes. “Okay, let's get this done. I was in the middle of a good dream.”

  “You and me, right?”

  She stared at him. His flirting was on auto pilot, as he was clearly consumed by something else. She suppressed a shiver at where he might be taking her. Was she going to her own demise? As they left her room and headed down the hall, she grabbed his arm. “Now just to be sure we're on the same page, you're not going to hurt me, right?”

  Trent turned and stared at her as if coming out of a reverie. “What?”

  “I just mean it's not like we're friends who go on late excursions together, so I want a heads up if you plan to kill me and stuff my body somewhere.”

  He took her hand. “Shut up and do what you're told for once.”

  Seffy pulled her hand away after a few yards, but stayed close to him. The only light was from emergency exit signs and the long shadows in the hall freaked her out. So why am I here? Something was bugging him, so she needed to find out what it was because she apparently did not have enough drama in her life. Trent led her through a seeming labyrinth of twists and turns.

  Her apprehension deepened. “How do you know where you're going?”

  “Shhh!”

  She mashed her lips together, but huddled closer to him while at the same time wondering why she was putting up with him at all. This the kind of thing that happened when your best friends more or less forgot you.

  They came to a stairwell door. Seffy gasped. “Wait a minute, I've been here before. This goes to the basement!”

  Trent eased open the door and jerked his head toward the stairs. Seffy still had bruises left over from her last encounter down there and had no interest in making a return visit. “No way.”

  He reached over and grabbed her sleeve. “You're just gonna have to trust me.”

  “Trust you? After the way you've treated me?”

  Trent drew her down the stairs with him, telling her to be quiet. When they reached the basement door, Seffy saw the paint-chipped dents from the gun shots. “Just tell me what you saw and I'll believe you,” she whispered, her eyes wide.

  “We're almost there.”

  “No. I mean it.”

  He twisted around, frustration evident on his drawn features. “What now?”

  “Trent, I'm really scared, okay?”

  His expression altered. Before she knew what he was about, he slid his arm around her, pulling her close.

  Horrified, Seffy caught her breath. “What do you think you're doing?”

  He grimaced. “I'm attempting to comfort you.”

  She wriggled to get away. “Um, you do not get to touch me.”

  His arm became like a steel band, halting her efforts. “Seffy.”

  Trying to fight him was painful, physically and mentally. She let out a small cry.

  He took hold of her chin. “Look at me.”

  Seffy finally complied, but only because he was stronger. She trembled with the effort to not get hysterical.

  “You need to take comfort, because this is gonna get bad.”

  She stared at him, not knowing how to take Stressed Trent when she was used to Butthead Trent. “Do you know what the word 'comfort' means? Because you're only making me more afraid.”

  He loosened his hold of her. “Just stay close and keep quiet.” After releasing her, he pushed open the basement door and motioned for her to follow.

  Seffy's pulse raced. Have I mentioned how much I hate this janky place? As she passed the door, she saw that the bullets had destroyed the lock. Trent eased the door shut behind her. She looked around the space, reliving her flight and subsequent fall. Big goosebumps gave birth to baby goosebumps all along her body. The basement was shrouded in even deeper shadow than before, each hulking shape made malevolent in the low lights. The air seemed to clog in her lungs.

  Trent took a series of turns which seemed vaguely familiar. When he stopped and pointed at the trap door in the floor, she almost burst into tears. Seffy shook her head. He crouched and eased it open, then took a flashlight from his pocket. She watched as he cast the beam into the space. On the far side, almost hidden from view, she saw a metal ladder leading down to the bottom.

  She bit her lip hard. “Do you expect me to go down there?”

  Trent nodded. “I'll go first, then help you down.”

  Seffy stared at him in mute horror. “You're really going to kill me, aren't you?”

  “Are you coming?”

  “No.”

  “Sef.”

  “You do know this is where they found me unconscious when that guy was shooting at me?”

  “Yeah.”

  She swallowed hard. “Are...you gonna rape me first?”

  Trent tipped his head back and closed his eyes, his lips white and compressed. “Of all the stupid things—God, Seffy!” He blew out a disgusted breath and shook his head. “You know what? Forget it. Go back to your damn room.”

  Seffy tried to discern what was in his eyes, sure he was using reverse psychology on her. She watched him go down the ladder and disappear from sight. Glancing around, she began to shake. Crap, crap, crap. She approached the hole and looked down. Trent dropped from the ladder and began walking away from the entrance, his flashlight beam bobbing deeper into the blackness.

  Acknowledging her abject insanity, Seffy scrambled down the ladder backward, her heart acting like a caged ferret. She reached her foot out for the floor, but couldn't reach it. Tears stung her eyes as an involuntary whimper escaped her throat.

  Hands appeared at her waist. “Go ahead and drop down. I've got you.”

  Relieved beyond belief, she did as Trent said and inwardly rejoiced when her feet landed on solid ground. He didn't wait for her, however, and she had to hurry to catch up. Maybe he didn't appreciate the rape comment so much.

  The area beneath the floor disappeared into deep shadows. Seffy looked at the metal lined walls, damp with rust. Who would do anything down here? The muffled sound of Trent's footsteps slowed. She crept behind him, getting as close as she dared. When he stopped, she peered around his shoulder and after a moment, was able to make out an orange glow around the edges of a doorway. If she strained her ears, she could just catch the sound of voices beyond it.

  Trent edged up to the door and pushed on it, allowing more orange light to spill into the hall. Seffy tried to prepare herself for what she'd see. The devil and the flames of hell? Maybe she really was in purgatory and this was her next stop in the Great Beyond.

  Seffy closed her eyes for a moment. What am I doing here? With Trent? And not Gareth. In Montana. In 1980. God, she'd let one little blast blow her life to pieces. How had she gone so wrong in so short a time? Was she really so weak and empty-headed?

  Trent reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her in front of him and nudging her inside. He motioned for her to stay silent. Taking a deep breath, she slid through the opening of the d
oor and looked around her.

  Trent's hand reached her mouth just as she opened it to scream.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Trent hauled Seffy's body hard against his own, his hand clamped tight against her mouth, muffling her screams. Seffy wanted to control herself but she couldn't. Her eyes strained against their sockets as she took in the freakish tableau below. This just couldn't be happening. She couldn't possibly be witnessing a struggling woman being held by two burly men, while another man stabbed a needle into her neck—surrounded by cages full of other victims and men with rifles.

  All of the victims were dressed in vintage finery, just like the dancers she and the others had encountered on the outside. Except the majority of victims were just scared, bewildered people. It was pandemonium as the gunmen shoved others toward the man with the needle.

  Tears blurred Seffy's vision. She twisted away and buried her face against Trent's shoulder, trying but failing, to absorb the idea the sub-basement was being used to kill people. Trent pressed his face against her hair and hushed her.

  “We have to get out of here,” she said when she could control her respiration. “If they see us, they'll take us too.”

  “I've been exploring this place at night,” he said low in her ear. “When I checked out where you fell in that pit, I found it wasn't just an extra storage space. This is where the zombies are being made.”

  She pulled away and looked up at him, blinking back tears, her thoughts scrambled. “I...thought that was some kind of virus thing.”

  “It is. But they're injecting it on purpose. The guy who betrayed Malone is down there. He's the one behind it. When I was down here earlier, I heard them talking about it.”

  Her eyes widened. “I don't understand. Why would he want to do something like that?”