by Bianca D'Arc
Increasingly loud noises from the other room told her he had gained entrance to the living room. Loud crashes made her cringe and shiver in fear as she heard things being thrown around and breaking. Then it got quiet. These creatures didn’t make a whole lot of sound unless they were pounding on something or making those pathetic moaning sounds that were almost sub-vocal. You had to be close to hear them.
“Come on, Simon,” she whispered, urging him to get here soon.
She needed help. She wasn’t afraid to admit it. She was a doctor, not a highly trained special ops warrior used to dealing with the worst of the worst although she had been getting plenty of real world experience the last few days. More than she had ever expected and certainly more than she’d ever wanted. She would gladly trade in all this excitement for a nice, normal, hectic day treating patients. She wouldn’t have wanted to give up her time with Simon, but she would happily trade in the zombies for a bunch of unruly patients any day.
The sounds from the other room died down, and she tiptoed toward the back door to see if she could find out what was going on. Where the heck was Simon?
Mariana approached the window in the back door from an oblique angle, just in case, but she couldn’t see much. Little by little, she edged more fully toward the small window. Everything looked clear, so she faced the small pane fully—and came face to face with the zombie.
She screamed and lunged away from the window, back toward the countertop where she had left the extra darts. She still had two in her pistol and she intended to make them count.
Her close-up look at the Marine’s face gave her details she wished she hadn’t seen. His flesh was gray. The area all around his mouth and between his yellowed teeth was stained brown with dried blood. Simon had told her they liked to bite and undoubtedly this one had done his share of chewing on his victims.
The man reared back and then his fist punched inward, breaking through the thick security glass of the little window as if it were nothing. When she saw him reaching inward, looking for the doorknob, she knew she was in serious trouble. This one was way smarter than the others.
His fingers found the knob for the dead bolt and turned it. Then he reached farther down toward the small dimpled lever on the doorknob itself. If he turned that, the door would be fully unlocked and all he would have to do then…
Mariana steadied her shaking arm as best she could and took careful aim. Firing, she hit the thing’s arm, up near the biceps. The dart stuck and held, but the creature didn’t slow. He turned the final lock and then the doorknob, dragging his arm out of the small window, dislodging the dart as he pulled it through the tight space.
She watched the dart clatter to the floor with a sinking heart. Had he gotten enough of the toxin? Had the dart been stuck in him long enough to deliver its full dose? How long before the toxin took full effect? Would she have enough time before he cornered her?
Her thoughts raced as she backed as far away as she could. She pulled the kitchen table and chairs off the pile barricading the inner door and threw them between herself and the zombie at the back door. She could never get everything moved out of the way in time, but she preferred to die fighting if she had to, not fleeing, her back to the danger. No, she would face it head on.
She only wished Simon knew what he truly meant to her. She wished she had told him how much she loved him. How much she always had…and always would.
Regrets. She had so many where he was concerned. Through the fear that rode her, she knew her regrets were best saved for another time. Now was the time for action. Her fate would be decided in the next few minutes.
The door opened, slamming back against its frame as the Marine pushed inside. He moved faster than the other zombies she’d seen, but she wouldn’t give up without a fight. Mariana squeezed off her remaining round, lodging it squarely in his chest.
She knew the toxin took time to work. Would she make it? Did she have enough time? She pulled out two darts from the spares—one for each hand. She would stab the son of a bitch with them if he got too close. She would go down fighting if it was the last thing she did.
He stalked closer, moving quickly now, picking up her kitchen chairs and throwing them aside. Only the table stood between her and the zombie.
And then he began to dissolve.
His legs fell out from under him, stopping his forward motion, then his torso disintegrated, falling to the floor in a shower of organic matter. Then she saw the large darts from Simon’s rifle.
He had to have shot the zombie in the back while it was still out in the yard. His rifle had a much longer range than her small pistol. He’d taken the shots from far out, maybe while running to her rescue. Her darts hadn’t had enough time to work. Simon’s darts had been there first, in the creature’s back, doing their job in the nick of time. Thank heaven.
A second later, Simon burst through her back door. She was never more grateful to see him. He’d saved her life.
“Mari? Did he touch you?”
“No, Simon. Oh, God, it’s so good to see you.”
She flew into his arms, climbing over the table and jumping the pile of debris that had been the zombie. She almost knocked Simon backward, but he steadied her, his powerful arms coming around her and holding her tight while he rained kisses down over her face.
“God, baby, I thought I’d lost you. I can’t, Mari. I can’t ever lose you.” His whispered words were music to her ears.
“I love you, Simon. I wanted you to know. My one regret when I thought I was going to die was that I’d never told you. I’ve loved you for a long time. Since we were first dating. And I never stopped loving you, even when you left.”
“Oh, Mari. I need you so much.” He kissed her then, a long, lingering kiss. Mariana was beside herself with relief and joy. She had finally admitted the love that had never waned in her heart for him.
She wrapped herself around him in both delight and relief. He’d saved her life, no doubt about that. There hadn’t been enough time for her darts to do the job. Simon’s longer-range rifle darts had saved her.
Now that the danger was past, she was free to let her emotions take over. Tears mixed with the joy in her heart, sliding down her face and into their kiss. Simon pulled back, concern in his gaze. His expression was completely open to her for the first time and she could see the love shining in his eyes, the care in every beloved line of his face.
“You’re all right, Mari. You’re safe.”
“I know. I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed. That’s the last one, right? You’re through with hunting them?”
“As far as I know, he was the last and the most difficult to catch. He’s been evading me for months.”
“He seemed smarter than the others.”
“He was. He set the mailman up as a distraction, near as I can tell. He waited for me to go after that poor soul before attacking you here. None of the others showed that much initiative or cognitive ability.”
“I’ll freely admit, he scared the shit out of me. I don’t ever want to go through anything even remotely like that again.”
He hugged her close, stroking her back. “It’s over, Mari. I think that’s the last of them, but I’ll probably be prowling around for the next few nights, just to make sure.”
“And where will you be spending your days?” She challenged him, daring to hope his declaration meant he would be willing to stay with her this time, to see where their relationship might lead.
“I’ll spend my days making love with you, if you’re available.” He winked at her, a devilish grin on his face.
“I’ll see what I can arrange,” she teased back. “I do have a bit of leave left that I really should use up.”
“I’d be honored to help you find something to do with all your free time, Doctor.” He lowered his head again and kissed her deeply, but all too briefly. He straightened. “Hold that thought. I need to report this to Sykes so he can get containment on Webster Road before any civilians go thro
ugh there. Then I’m taking you to the nearest hotel so they can scrub this place and put it back to rights. Go pack a few things while I make the call.”
She did as he asked, glad to have a task to occupy her hands and her mind. She was still dizzy from fright and from the amazing turn of events. Simon had saved her life and he’d admitted some pretty deep feelings for her. She didn’t know which event was more amazing.
She had gone from stark terror to utter despair to grim resolution and then to blessed relief, all in the space of an hour or two. Her emotions were definitely on overload and spending what was left of the night at a hotel sounded like an awesome idea.
CHAPTER NINE
“Let me get that for you.” Simon made short work of moving the refrigerator and other pieces of her make-shift barricade out of the way so she could get into the rest of the house.
He preceded her into the living room, to assess the damage and make certain everything was truly safe. He hated seeing the devastation on her pretty face when she looked at the ruin of her living room.
“Oh, boy.” She sighed sadly. “This place is a disaster.”
The monster had trashed the living room. Many of her ornaments and knickknacks were broken, as was a lot of her furniture. Otherwise, it was safe enough. The zombie hadn’t left any nasty surprises that he could find.
“Let’s check out the rest of the house before I make my call.”
“Thanks, Simon.” She tugged on his sleeve, her little hand stealing into his for a quick squeeze.
He leaned down to place a quick, reassuring kiss on her lips. He wanted to make love to her, but safety, duty, and security had to come first. There would be plenty of time to get her mind off the horrific events of the night. The rest of their lives, if he had his way.
“Come on, sweetheart. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can get out of here.”
She seemed to gather herself before turning to the small hallway that led to the rest of the house. She had locked her bedroom, bathroom, and the door to the spare room. All were still locked. The creature hadn’t even ventured down the hall from what Simon could see.
She unlocked all three doors one at a time at his signal and he checked each of the rooms out before he would let her enter. They were untouched, thankfully, and he watched as she grabbed a satchel and began tossing things in. He grabbed his bag, which he had left by the door to her bedroom, and went into the living room to make his call. Despite the late hour, Matt Sykes picked up on the first ring.
“It’s done. We just got the last one at Mari’s house. It was close. Bastard came right for her. That’s the third time she’s been in the line of fire with these things, Matt.”
“She okay?” Sykes asked. Simon heard the concern in his buddy’s voice. Matt Sykes was a good guy who truly cared about the people under his command, even if he seemed tough as nails on the outside.
“She’s shaken, but she’s a trooper. I want to get her out of here though. The guy trashed her living room and cornered her in the kitchen. What’s left of him is in there. I’ll tag it on the way out. There’s also another down on Webster Road. The mailman. The one that attacked Mari set the mailman up as a distraction.”
Matt Sykes whistled on the other end of the line. “I didn’t think they were capable of that kind of forethought and planning.”
“Neither did I. This last one’s been a thorn in my side for weeks. He was a lot cannier than the others.”
“You got him. That’s all that matters. Good work, Si. By the numbers, that should be the end of it, but I want you to stay in position for another week or two, just to be sure.”
“Roger that. But I’m done for tonight. I’m taking Mari to a hotel. She’s been through a lot.”
“Good idea. Put it on the tab. We’ll spring for the accommodations while we put her house to rights. The containment team will be there shortly. When they’re done I’ll send a carpenter out to fix her place up good as new.”
“Thanks, Matt. I’ll let her know. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”
They spoke a few more minutes about the mission and what came next. By the time they ended the call, Mari was ready. She stood in the hall, waiting for him, the packed satchel in her hands. He took the bag from her and slung it over his shoulder along with his own.
They had to go out through the kitchen because the front door was still mostly blocked. Simon dropped a small transmitter on the debris that had once been a Marine. He had been a hell of an adversary but all in all, it was better that he was now gone. Simon pitied the man who had come to such an untimely and unnatural fate.
The sky was turning gray in the east as they walked together around the house, a sure sign of the dawn to come.
“Give me your keys, sweetheart. I’ll drive.”
She didn’t argue, just handed the keys over. Her hands were trembling, and he knew she was still dealing with the residue of the adrenaline surges that had helped save her life.
He opened her door, checked the interior of the SUV, and ushered her in. Stowing his gear and the two packs in back, he then claimed the driver’s seat. They rode in silence for a while as Simon negotiated the gravel lane that led to the larger paved road. He hadn’t driven in this area much, but he knew the layout from both map study and reconnaissance. He knew just where to head to find the nicest hotel in town.
“I’m glad that’s over.” Mariana shut her eyes as she collapsed back against the headrest.
“Me, too.” He reached over and took her hand.
“You’re out of a job now.” Her attempt at humor warmed him.
“Can’t say I’m sorry about it.” He took the turn toward the highway. There were a series of hotels out toward the city at a variety of price points. The one he had in mind was top of the line and luxurious. Mari deserved a little pampering after what she had experienced over the past few days.
She dozed on the way and Simon understood the adrenaline that had been keeping her going had also caused her to bottom out. Her body was crashing after the hell she had been through that night. He pulled in to the circular drive of the upscale hotel and despite the hour, a bellman and a valet were ready for them.
Simon touched her cheek. “Wake up, love. We’re here. Just a few more minutes and you can go to sleep in a big, comfy, king-size bed. What do you say?”
“Is that a promise?” She didn’t even open her eyes and her voice was sleepy.
“Scout’s honor.”
She propped one eyelid open. “Were you ever a scout?”
“Not a boy scout. But I took scout training. I’m the real deal,” he teased.
“I have no doubt about that, Simon.” She straightened, stretching as she came more fully awake. Her expression was serious when she turned to him in the dim interior of the car. “If I never said it before, I’ve always admired your skills in the field, even if I never really experienced them until the past few days. You saved my life more than once and I’ll always be grateful.”
“I don’t want your gratitude, Mari.” The conversation turned serious real fast.
“It’s way more than gratitude, Simon.” Her eyes met his and the moment stretched.
She had said she loved him. He hugged those words close to his battered heart. He wanted to reach out and grab onto her with both hands and just hold her for the rest of their lives. But how could he take a chance with her future? How could he not? Simon moved closer, on the verge of declaring himself.
There was a noise by the driver’s side door.
He mentally cursed the valet who chose that moment to walk up to his window. Her gaze flickered to the intrusive presence at the window, and the mood was broken.
Simon wasn’t sure if he was more annoyed or grateful. In that moment he’d been tempted to throw all caution to the wind. Now, saner thoughts prevailed. Any more insanity on his part would have to wait until they were inside.
“Come on, let’s get checked in.”
He hopped out of the SUV and dealt w
ith the valet while she exited the car and stretched some more. She was about to get their bags when he stopped her, utilizing the bellman’s services. This sojourn was all about pampering her. Starting right now, he wouldn’t let her lift a finger.
He checked them in using the company credit account, and within minutes they were ensconced in a luxury suite with a lovely view of the city far below. She hadn’t said much on the way up in the elevator and was yawning a lot. The poor woman was beat. Simon’s first priority had to be her comfort—getting her settled in a warm bed with nothing to do but sleep until she woke naturally.
Simon was used to the letdown after an extreme adrenaline rush and was better able to deal with it. Poor Mari was trying hard to keep her eyes open, but was losing the battle when he ushered the bellman out with a hefty tip.
“Alone at last.” He leaned back against the closed door and couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. She was tousled and adorably sleepy, perched on the foot of the king-size bed.
“I’m sorry, Simon. I seem to be dead on my feet.” She made a face. “Sorry. Bad choice of words there.”
He laughed in spite of himself. It was a good sign that she was already able to joke about what they’d just been through.
“How about you just relax and I’ll take care of you for a change?” He pushed away from the door and walked toward her.
“That sounds interesting.” She perked up a little.
“Do you feel up to a hot bath? There’s a Jacuzzi in there.” He jerked his chin toward the door to the spacious bathroom. “There’s also a bottle of wine in the cooler. After a glass or two, you should be mellow enough to sleep straight through.”
“After a glass of wine and a hot bath I’ll be comatose, Simon.” She laughed and the sound warmed his heart.
“That’s okay. Your only job now is to sleep until you can sleep no more.”
“What about the clinic? I have to go back on duty tomorrow—or rather, today. What time is it?” She searched for the clock on the nightstand next to the big bed.