by Bianca D'Arc
*
Walking away from Mariana again was one of the hardest things he had ever done. Of course, he didn’t see any other way to keep her truly safe. He faded into the trees, then doubled back, watching as she made her way out of the clinic and into her car. When she pulled out and headed for home, he went back into the deeper woods and began a jogging pace. He decided to go toward the area near her housing unit.
He would check that she made it home safely, then begin his nightly patrol. The search area had grown closer and closer to her backyard lately as the creatures started to go farther and farther afield. That wasn’t good. He’d vowed to contain them. Failure was not an option. Especially not with Mariana’s safety in question.
A little more than an hour later, Simon peered through the trees at Mariana’s home, watching her move around behind the windows. She was home. Safe for now.
It was time to go hunting.
*
Mariana tried her best to put the disturbing thoughts of her encounter with Simon out of her head as she ate dinner, but found it impossible. He was never far from her mind. She had learned so much today. Still, she knew so little. His healing was nothing short of miraculous. He had hinted at something horrific that had brought it about and she wanted to know more. She also knew he would never tell. Not unless there was no other choice.
She would either have to be read into the program—which was as likely as a snowball in hell right about now—or she would have to discover what had happened to him on her own somehow. Another fat chance. In all likelihood, she would never know what had brought about his amazing change. She might not ever see him again either. It was that last thought that brought a tear to her eye.
She had loved him so deeply. He had taken up residence in her soul and she realized only now, after seeing him again, that he’d never quite left. She still loved him and cared about what happened to him. Even if they could never be together, she wanted to be sure he was safe. And she wanted him to be happy.
He hadn’t looked all that happy today. Dark shadows filled his eyes—even darker than they had been before. His face had been leaner, harder than she remembered, though his physique hadn’t suffered. He was still built like a Greek god with a casual attitude about his amazing shape. He used his body as a tool in his work. He hadn’t perfected that physique by standing in front of a mirror in a gym somewhere. To her, that was a plus. Simon was unconsciously sexy. A warrior first, whose body was a honed weapon.
Just remembering what he could do with that killer bod made her quiver. They had been together far too short a time, in her opinion. She could have spent years making love to him and still not be satisfied. He had ruined her for anyone else.
With a sigh, Mariana finished her lonely dinner and began cleaning up. She spent some time by the sink, washing the dishes that had stacked up over the past few days. She lived alone, so she could afford to be a little lax on the household chores if her work schedule interfered.
Her cabin was rustic, but she loved it. She had taken her time choosing it, wanting something closer to nature than she had ever had before. Hers was the only house on the lane, with her nearest neighbors out of sight over a small hill. The neighbors were quiet, an elderly lady and her granddaughter who took care of her. Mariana had visited them a few times since moving in, but mostly they kept to themselves.
Mariana’s backyard was small compared to other places she had lived. It bordered the woods so it felt like the whole forest was her backyard at times. Deer often came out of the woods to nibble on her lawn and there were all kinds of birds and little furry creatures that visited from time to time.
There was a small window over the sink and as dusk turned to deep night, she watched the woods as she worked, noting the appearance of a few small woodland creatures. An owl hooted and she thought she caught the flash of its eyes in one tall pine, but couldn’t be certain.
Turning back to her task, she concentrated on the dishes for a while. When she looked up again, the woods were dark, mysterious, and silent. Not a single creature stirred. A predator of some kind must be nearby. The smaller animals always knew when something bigger and badder was around.
She shut off the water and wiped her hands, raising her gaze to take one last look out the window.
She froze, a scream stuck in her throat as a face—a gruesome face—reflected back at her from the other side of the window.
Was it a trick of the light? Was she looking at her own reflection, somehow distorted into a grotesque mask? Or was there someone—or something—out there, looking back at her?
She dropped to a crouch, using the kitchen counter for cover as her breathing spiked in panic. What to do? Her cell phone was plugged in to the charger in the other room. Her rifle was in the hall closet, unloaded. She had a few kitchen carving knives in the drawer behind her, but she wasn’t much of a hand-to-hand fighter. She’d had the training early in her career with the Navy, of course, but had only done enough to pass, never excelled.
She cursed her own inability and laziness. She had meant to better her skills. She’d just never gotten around to it. Something always had seemed to get in the way or be more important. Now she saw the folly in her delay. She would go tomorrow and sign up for a self-defense course. It was stupid to live way out here on her own with no real way to defend herself should someone try something.
If someone was really out there, she was a sitting duck. The more she thought about what she had seen in that flash of time, the more convinced she was that something really was out there. A person or maybe a few kids playing a trick of some kind, trying to scare the shit out of her. Well, they’d succeeded, if that was their aim. If not, what was up with the guy she’d seen?
And what was with that face? The quick glimpse she’d gotten looked like something had gnawed off parts of that horribly misshapen face. She was so frightened, yet felt silly. She didn’t know if she had really seen what she thought she’d seen. Second guessing her senses, she still wasn’t quite brave enough to stand up and take another look outside.
Instead, she listened carefully, every sense extended as she cowered behind the sink. Was that a creak? Did something just brush against the exterior of the house?
Oh, God.
This was ridiculous. Cowering there by the sink like a ninny was getting her no place. It was time to man up and go see what was really going on. For all she knew, it could really just be some local kids prowling around, hoping to scare the bejeezus out of someone. She’d be damned if she would be the one they snickered over in the woods.
Crawling forward, she plotted a path out of the kitchen that wouldn’t expose her to view from the window. It involved climbing under the kitchen table, but she was okay with that. She could stand to lose a little dignity in exchange for safety—just in case it wasn’t kids and there really was some sort of trespassing Peeping Tom outside her window.
Mariana headed for the hall closet first. Better to be armed and the phone was farther away. She felt marginally better with the rifle cradled in her arms, fully loaded and ready for action. Next, she grabbed her phone, dialing the emergency number as she moved toward the back door that faced the woods. She approached it at an oblique angle, trying to peer out the small window set into the door.
The phone seemed to work at first, then petered out and died. Not enough juice. Damn. She’d have to go back into the other room to get the charging cord and she didn’t want to take the time. The more time that passed, the more she became convinced that she had to have been seeing things. No suspicious sounds came from outside and she couldn’t see anything, or anyone, in her backyard. Maybe it had all been just a trick of the light. Or if it was kids, they were gone now that they’d succeeded in their prank.
Cautiously, she opened the back door and stepped onto the porch.
A second later she saw it, coming around the side of the house. It looked like a man in tattered camo fatigues, but its face…its face was…horrible.
Streaked with grime that
didn’t look like camo paint, bits of flesh hung off his jaw and gouges were taken out of his hollow cheeks. His eyes were vacant, staring. His jaw locked in position, seemingly unable to move.
Mariana stared. Her rifle lay in her arms, but she was unable to lift it—or even to think—as the thing came toward her.
“Get in the house!”
She knew that voice. Or rather, that shout. It was coming from the woods.
“Simon?” She peered into the darkness, looking for him. He broke through the cover of the trees a moment later. He ran toward her and the creature, weapons in hand.
“In the house, now!”
She didn’t need further urging. Her body responded to the order in his tone, the urgency of his command. She fled, locking the door behind her and racing through the house, rifle in hand, to make sure all the other entrances were shut tight.
The windows were vulnerable, of course, but they were small enough that a full-grown man would have to shimmy through them carefully, if he even fit at all. It was a trade-off she’d made for safety, living alone out here in the woods. Smaller windows meant less light and a reduced view. When she had first seen the house and the tiny windows, she’d thought the decrease in light was worth the increase in protection, and that compromise was paying off now.
House as secure as she could make it, Mariana returned to the kitchen. She peeked out the window. No sign of the monster that had taken the form of a man. She gasped as a camo green covered chest filled her vision.
Simon was on her porch, in front of her door. Thank God.
“Is it clear?” she asked through the door.
“For the moment. Open up, Mari.”
She did, flinging her arms around him as he stepped over the threshold. She heard him kick the door shut behind him and the dead bolt snick into place. Thankfully, he didn’t let her go, even as he saw to their safety. She was shaking from head to toe and he was a solid, comforting presence.
Rifle barrel gripped tight in one hand, she clung to him, reaction setting in. After a moment she felt his arms settle around her shoulders, stroking her back as she shook.
“It’s all right now, sweetheart. I took care of the problem. He won’t trouble you again.” His deep voice crooned to her, calming her further. At length, she stepped back.
Damn, he looked good. Whole and healthy once more. She never would have believed he’d be in such good shape after the way she had seen him, broken and bleeding only hours ago. His color was good, though his face was darkened in places with camo paint. He was all hunter, lean and alert, clearly on a mission.
“What was that? What did you do with him?”
“He’s gone. That’s all you need to know.”
“More secrecy, Simon?” She hated the way her voice broke, her blood still running high with emotion. “I can’t take much more, you know. Not now. Not after that guy scared the living shit out of me!”
“Whoa,” he reached for her, tugging her into his arms again. “Calm down, honey. You’re okay. He’s gone and I’m here. I’ll watch over you.”
That sounded awfully possessive to her. And a little patronizing. But she was willing to let that slide for the moment as adrenaline rushed through her system.
“How did you know where I live?” His expression shuttered as she looked up at him, pulling out of his arms. “You’ve been watching my house, haven’t you?”
She had her answer when he looked away. His face never betrayed his thoughts, but his eyes told stories. At least to her. She had always been able to uncover his feelings just by looking into his eyes.
“Damn it, Simon. Am I in danger out here?”
“Yes.” Well, he certainly didn’t pull his punches. She would give him that. “You should think hard about moving onto the base until this is all over. As you saw firsthand tonight, it isn’t safe to be out here in the woods all by yourself.”
“What the hell was that, Simon? I saw his face. He looked like…like some kind of monster. Like something had been eating his face!”
She’d seen more than he’d thought. More than he’d hoped. More than she should have.
“Come clean with me, Simon. You know I won’t share classified information or blow your mission. I need to know what that was…and if there are more.” The crack in her unsteady voice moved him.
He really shouldn’t tell her. She had seen too much already. On the other hand, she was an experienced Naval officer with a distinguished record. He knew her personally, and knew she could be trusted. Furthermore, he knew her personality and that she was likely to try digging for answers on her own. That path could only lead to trouble.
For her sake, he would give her a little more information. It was a judgment call on his part, and he trusted her to be circumspect.
“There are more, Mari. That’s why you need to get out of here. They come out at night. The sun makes them hide. Clouds and twilight are their friends. Whatever you do, don’t go out in the woods when it’s overcast, or at night. If they bite you, you’re dead.”
“What about if they bite you? God, Simon! Your mission is to take out these things, isn’t it? That’s why you’re here and why everything is so hush-hush.”
“You always were quick, Mari. And now you know way more than you should.”
“But not nearly everything, I’ll bet.”
“I’ve said too much already.”
“Who am I going to tell? You know I would never put you or your career in danger, Simon. I’ll keep your secrets, but I’m worried for you and scared to death of what I just saw.” She was still trembling. He hated seeing her in such a state. “You’ve been living in the woods, hunting these things, haven’t you?”
He couldn’t deny that. His bivouac was very close to her house, in fact. “I’ve been nearby,” he hedged.
She crumpled, sinking into one of the kitchen chairs. “Then you might as well stay here during the day. This house is practically in the woods and after that injury, even with your new superpowers, you should be sleeping in a bed, not on the ground in the elements.” He heard the sarcasm and the very real concern for his well-being in her voice.
He weighed his options. Her plan had merit, loath as he was to admit it. She worked during the day and wouldn’t be in the cabin except on her days off. He worked nights on this mission and the cabin was convenient to his hunting grounds. The only thing that stopped him from accepting her offer was the possibility that he might bring more of the zombies to her door.
Of course, at least one of them seemed to have found her on his own. That was a troubling development. If they were ranging closer to the few houses that dotted this area, they were getting more adventurous. Not a good sign at all. He had to work fast before the infection spread any further.
“All right. I’ll camp out on your porch during the day. At night, I’ll expect you to either hole up tight inside or stay on base for your own safety. As you saw tonight, I can’t be everywhere at once. This one slipped past me. I’m sorry, Mari.” He hated to think what had almost happened. “If I’d been any later—”
“You weren’t.” She cut off his words with a gentle touch of one hand on his forearm. His compassionate lover was back, comforting him when she was the one truly in need of comfort. His Mari had a heart as big as the world. “Thank you for coming to my rescue.”
“If one of them ever gets that close to you again, I want you to promise me you’ll run, Mari. Regular bullets don’t work on these guys. If they bite you, you’ll die. Then you’ll become one of them.” Unspoken went the thought that he would have to destroy her if the worst happened. It would kill him.
“They’re infectious?”
“Highly. The contagion is in their bite. And they really like to bite.”
“You got bitten.” Understanding dawned in her eyes. “That’s what happened to you, isn’t it?”
Grimly, he nodded. “I’m a one in a million case. I survived. And I’m not a carrier. I’m not contagious and can’t give it to
anyone.”
“That’s why they sent you after these things.”
“The virus doesn’t work on me. Something in my system gives me immunity, though it did make me very sick the first time. Since then, well, you saw the changes in my healing. That’s what the virus was designed to do, but…” He trailed off, realizing he was saying too much.
“But something went horribly wrong. Simon, this is terrible. Truly awful.”
“You won’t get an argument from me.” He leaned back against the kitchen counter. “Look, I have to get back out there. I was tracking two more of them when I heard the commotion over here. They can’t be far and I want to get them before they go to ground for the day.”
“You’ve been doing this every night for the past four months?” He read the disbelief and horror on her beautiful face.
“I spent the first month scouting. These guys were once Marines. They still retain some of their knowledge and training, as far as I can tell. They know how to evade capture and hide in the woods.”
“How many more are there?”
“Near as we can figure, just a few more. We’ve accounted for all but a handful of missing Marines. A few more weeks and I’ll be done laying them to rest.”
That made her pause. Those…things…had once been men. Marines, from what Simon had said.
“Did they volunteer for the initial experiment?” She was almost afraid of his answer—if he’d answer at all. He’d been surprisingly forthcoming so far, but she knew he hadn’t told her everything. She also knew there were limits on how far he would go in briefing her.
“The group was made up of Marines who had fallen in battle with no family other than the Corps. They left their bodies to science and one of your colleagues in the medical world used them for the initial round of tests.”
“They were reanimated after death?” The horror of that didn’t bear thinking about, yet it had been done.
“An unintended consequence of what was supposed to have been a much simpler test. Something to do with cellular response. I’m no expert on the science part. I guess they figured there wasn’t a need for any security on the lab. No need to protect a few dead bodies, right?” He paused and shivers coursed down her spine. “Then the corpses got up and walked out of the lab in the middle of the night. Being good soldiers, they headed for cover in the woods. Soon after, the first attacks began. A platoon of Marines was sent after them and only a few made it back. The rest became what you saw tonight. Me and my men were called in and we learned how to fight them. The science team came up with a toxin that disrupts the bioelectric connections that keep them going. They sort of disintegrate as their cells lose cohesion. It’s the only thing that stops them. Regular bullets don’t even slow them down. They feel no pain and can’t really die. Because they’re already dead.” He straightened and checked his weapons. “I’m going to leave this with you.” He handed her a pistol loaded with what looked like a dart. “Only use it if absolutely necessary. Aim for any exposed skin. The toxin works fast once delivered, but stay clear until the zombie disintegrates. That’s the only way to be certain it’s finished.”