Sundown Series | Book 5 | Vengeance

by Konstantin, Courtney

  “I did work close with Callahan. It was the worst thing I’ve ever been through,” Smith said.

  “How old are you, anyway? You look like a child,” Liam said.

  “I’m nineteen. I was just out of boot camp when I was swept up with Callahan’s men. When the infected started showing up, Callahan’s men were sent to every military installation that hadn’t fallen in the beginning and they rounded up all the men. They told us there were orders from the US Government. We weren’t even experienced in combat, but that didn’t matter.”

  “I was told the same thing, about the orders,” Liam said.

  “From what I heard around Callahan, most of the men think they are doing what the US Government wants. I learned since being with the Duncans, we were all lied to,” Smith said.

  “But you believe them?” Liam demanded.

  “Like I said, I was close to Callahan. I saw what they did to Max. It was inhumane and against every law we have in this country. But because Callahan tended to disappear people that disagreed with him, I didn’t say anything. I was a coward. One thing I do know from being close to Callahan, there’s no cure. He says the Duncans are keeping it for themselves. But I never saw proof of a cure. Callahan never had documents to support his claims. He was obsessed with finding the Duncans and getting his hands on Charlie.”

  “Because she had the cure,” Liam said.

  “No. Because I don’t think Callahan wants a cure. He wants to make sure no cure can ever be made,” Smith said.

  “There’s no indication of that. These people probably told you that,” Liam said.

  Max could see Rafe clenching his fists. She was also getting tired of how Liam spoke about them. Now they were under what could be called their own roof, and he continued to disrespect them. It was only by their grace and love for Easton and Candace that they even agreed to bring Liam to their camp.

  “I’m getting pretty tired of being called those people. You should remember you are only here because we allow it. A little more respect for what my sister has done for your children would do you good,” Rafe said.

  Liam said nothing, just stared at Rafe, challenging him. Rafe’s eyes widened before narrowing and his hands disappeared under the table. That may not have been a sign to Liam, he didn’t know Rafe. But to Max and Alex, they knew he was pulling one of the knives he always carried on his body. Rafe turned to look at Alex for one moment, and Alex shook her head slightly. Taking a deep calming breath, Rafe’s hands appeared on the table again.

  “Mr. Reynolds, these people as you like to say, are good people. They are not hiding anything. But when you see the evidence and hear the story from Charlie and Rafe, you will know, you were on the wrong side. I had a direct hand in what happened to Max while she was held captive. And though they had me on my knees and could have killed me, they took pity on me. I’ve had to work just like everyone else. And I was kept locked up at night for a while. But you can’t blame them for protecting their family,” Smith said.

  Liam opened his mouth and then shut it. Max thought it was the first time he didn’t have an angry retort to something someone said to him. Maybe progress was being made. Rafe was given a signal from Alex and he leaned forward on the table.

  “Let me tell you a story,” Rafe started.

  For the next twenty minutes Rafe outlined in detail what happened at the black site government facility he worked at. He explained how neither he nor Charlie had any idea who they were actually working for. He detailed the function of Charlie’s lab and what her specific role was. Max had heard the story more than once, but it still chilled her bones to hear the beginning again.

  Rafe went on to explain how it all started with the bite of a mouse. He talked about how Charlie was attacked before the main outbreak even started and how because they were on the compound they didn’t know what was happening right away. Rafe told the story of the first infected inside the facility and how not one government employee tried to help or stop anything.

  When Rafe got to the first kidnapping attempt on him and Charlie, Liam sat back. Surprise was on his face and Rafe hesitated, waiting to see what he wanted to say.

  “I knew those men. They just disappeared one day. Callahan told people you murdered them in cold blood. It was more of his fuel on the fire. He said the same about you and your group,” Liam said, nodding toward Smith.

  “We have never killed anyone in cold blood. We have always defended and protected our family,” Alex said.

  “No one under Callahan knows or would believe that,” Liam said.

  “What they believe and what has really happened, are two vastly different stories. If we ever get to go home, you’ll see the wall they burned on our house and the new construction that Marcus was able to build,” Alex said.

  “Marcus told you all that there was no cure, you still couldn’t believe a man that knew he was going to die?” Max demanded.

  “After that, there were murmurs. But like Smith said, anyone too loud disappeared. Those disappearances were always made to seem like someone left voluntarily,” Liam said.

  Max laughed at the ridiculousness. “Seriously? You just bought that story?”

  “I wasn’t close to any of those that went missing. Stories fly through and you just pick up bits and pieces. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I was just doing what everyone else was doing, surviving,” Liam said.

  “And finding out about the kids, changed that,” Alex said.

  “Yes. When I saw their names in a file I glanced in, I almost lost my mind. I may not have known what Callahan was doing, but it was well known he was ruthless. I wasn’t sure what would happen if he realized my children were with you all.”

  “Smartest thing you’ve probably ever done,” Max said, which earned her a dirty look from Liam.

  “We have more physical proof; Charlie can show you on her computer. She hasn’t been able to crack things and create a cure. And she’s worked on it every day since this started,” Rafe said. He was clearly proud of his girlfriend.

  Silence rang, ending the stream conversation. Max, Rafe, and Alex exchanged looks, none of them sure how things were really going. Alex cleared her throat and leaned forward to rest her folded arms on the table.

  “Liam, now that you’ve heard all of this, are you with us or should we show you the door?”

  “The door isn’t really an option is it?” Liam asked.

  Alex smiled coldly. “No. It isn’t.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  In her tent that night, Max couldn’t sleep. She listened to Jack’s even breathing, hoping it would lull her. Moving her daughter into her tent was for Max as well as Jack. But Griffin was still sleeping in the medical area with Easton, who hadn’t woken for most of the day. Griffin was armed with a handgun just in case Easton woke as an infected. The boy had also insisted his legs be connected to the table, so he couldn’t just get up and start attacking people. Alex had to ask Rafe to do it, because she couldn’t.

  The rest of the day, after the conversation with Liam, had been slow and useless. Alex had wanted to push harder on Liam, squeeze him for information they knew he had. Rafe and Max pulled her into a private conversation, explaining they should give him time to talk to Charlie and then digest all the information they were throwing at him. Alex was frustrated, using this mission to cover her emotional rollercoaster.

  Max shifted on her air mattress, irritated that she couldn’t sleep without Griffin next to her. She knew sad anticipation also was keeping her awake. Easton wouldn’t last much longer, and Max had a promise to keep. Charlie was on the first watch, keeping track of Easton’s vitals. Rafe would switch with her and then it would be Max’s turn. They had tried to time it for their best guess of when he would stop breathing.

  Tears stung and Max’s throat felt thick every time she tried to picture how she would do it. Part of her wondered if she could even do it. They had all seen younger infected, even small children. But they weren’t part of their family, the
y were nameless, and their bodies had already changed and degraded enough to not seem like someone’s baby. Max could still hear Easton’s laugh and how his voice would randomly crack, reminding them all how old he really was. His smile was quick and genuine. And he was so damn smart, picking up everything Alex tossed his way, his determination dedicated to making sure he was a valuable member of the family.

  She closed her eyes, trying to push everything from her mind. A rustle in the hall told her Charlie and Rafe were switching shifts. Max pressed the light on her wristwatch and frowned when she saw the switch was early. She closed her eyes again, figuring Charlie was just tired and wanted to switch sooner. It had been a long day for them all.

  Max tried random meditation techniques, hoping one of the lists she repeated in her head would put her to sleep. As she shifted again, she heard more feet passing her tent. That got her attention and she immediately sat up. A moment later, the zipper on her tent moved slowly. Suddenly, Max thought about how they hadn’t tied up Liam, so he could be with Easton. The thought of the man trying to kill her family in the middle of the night had Max pulling her 9mm and pointing it at the tent entrance.

  Rafe raised an eyebrow when he saw the gun pointed at his face. Max huffed and lowered the weapon.

  “What gives?” Max whispered.

  “You have to come,” Rafe whispered back.

  Max’s stomach dropped. She nodded and Rafe moved away from the doorway. Jack sat up in her cot, looking at Max with haunted eyes.

  “Is it time?” She asked.

  “Probably. I’m sorry, kiddo. Stay here ok?”

  Jack nodded and laid back down. She turned away from Max, her shoulder hunched and her face pushed into her pillow. Max pulled on clothes and kissed Jack’s head before slipping out of the tent door. When she turned around, she was surprised to see most of the adults up and moving around the hall. She looked at her watch again.

  “Did my watch break? What time is it?” She asked Margaret who was hovering outside the medical area.

  “I don’t think anyone could sleep. And then when Rafe woke you up, we all knew what was coming,” Margaret replied.

  “Yeah, I wasn’t sleeping either.”

  Max steeled herself before walking into the medical area. Liam, Charlie, Rafe, and Alex were all around Easton’s bed. Max had really hoped Alex would stay away from the last moments. The lanterns in the room were all on and Griffin watched all the activity from his bed. Max went to him first and hugged him.

  “I don’t think you’re going to need that,” Griffin whispered, tapping the knife on her hip.

  Max leaned back and looked at him, confused.

  “He’s not dying. He’s not dead,” Griffin said, nodding toward Easton.

  Max turned and noticed that Charlie was taking vial after vial of blood and was scribbling furiously. Rafe was hooking up a small refrigerator that had been for water bottles at the concession stand. He ran extensions to the exit door and the next thing Max heard was a generator. They had brought two with them for emergency purposes.

  “What’s going on?” Max finally asked, walking toward Easton’s bed.

  The boy’s eyes were open and they were a clear brown. Max thought her eyes were deceiving her when she thought he didn’t look quite as pale as he had the day before.

  “His fever broke a little while ago. I wasn’t sure if it was the next step, but when I cleaned his wound, it wasn’t turning black as we would expect,” Charlie said.

  “Then what does it look like?” Max asked.

  “Like a normal human wound. The scabbing is happening in a normal manner. We have a little seeping, which I’m treating to make sure nothing is infected. But I mean normal human infection, not zombie infection.”

  Max didn’t even know what to say to that. She just gaped at Easton, who’s eyes were wide and looking around at all the adults that were with him. Charlie took one last vial of blood. The first thing she did was hold it in front of a light. She shook her head, as if she didn’t understand what she was seeing.

  “There should be black liquid mixing in with the blood at this point. Would have started almost immediately,” Charlie mumbled to herself as she continued to scribble notes.

  “I don’t want him to be a lab rat,” Liam said.

  Charlie turned to look at him, her eyebrows raised. “He is by no means a lab rat, Mr. Reynolds. He’s a boy that we all care for. I’m studying this to figure out what is happening to him. I’m not going to experiment on him.”

  “Yeah, slow down with the ridiculousness, Liam,” Rafe said as he flipped on the refrigerator. It hummed to life and Charlie gave him a small smile.

  “What do you think this means, Charlie?” Alex asked. She squeezed Easton’s hand and smiled affectionately at him.

  “Honestly, I don’t have an answer for that yet. Maybe something in Easton delays the change. But his fever broke. Meaning his body isn’t fighting anything anymore. So the question is, why not?” Charlie looked down at Easton and then back to Alex. “Maybe we should step out and talk about this? Let him rest?”

  “No. I want to hear what’s happening with me. Don’t keep me in the dark. I’m just as scared as everyone else,” Easton said.

  Alex nodded to Charlie, giving her the go ahead to keep talking. Liam frowned, his face telegraphing that he didn’t agree with Alex’s choice, and probably didn’t agree with her making any of the calls.

  “Ok, we’ve all seen the change once or twice with people. We know it’s fairly fast. If medical help is provided and the person doesn’t bleed out, they live longer. Easton didn’t have any major blood loss. I was prepared to give him an infusion if we needed to, but I was able to stop the bleeding easily. That’s another strange part. None of the infected wounds I’ve seen have stopped oozing blood and black gore. Are you sure it was an infected that bit him?”

  “Pretty sure there aren’t healthy people running around trying to eat others. So yes, we are sure,” Max said.

  “Then I have no answers right now. This is against all the scientific evidence I’ve studied so far,” Charlie replied.

  “What do we do?” Easton asked.

  “We wait. I’ll continue to treat your wound, to ensure no other infections pop up. And we watch. I don’t have any good idea of what’s happening. I will study your blood with the equipment I was able to bring with me. Keep in mind it’s not much. But it’s enough to see if the infection is in your system.”

  Alex squeezed Easton’s hand again before releasing it. She looked at Max and Rafe and nodded toward the door. The three siblings quietly left the medical area and made their way to the dark lobby. Moonlight streamed in, giving them enough light to see each other’s faces.

  “We can’t leave,” Alex said.

  “Obviously,” Rafe replied.

  “I’m sorry, Max. I know we wanted to get this ended. Get on with our lives. But this, well, I don’t even know what this means. But we can’t leave,” Alex said.

  “I agree. We know where Callahan is going, sort of. And if he’s having surgery there, he’ll be there awhile. Maybe we can have this sorted and catch him on the way back?” Max said.

  “How are we going to find a bunker in San Francisco?” Rafe asked.

  “There has to be some sort of way to track it. Supplies. Living people coming and going,” Alex said, brainstorming out loud.

  “That’s a big city, Alex. How are we going to magically stumble upon the right area?” Max asked.

  “Because I’ll tell you where to look,” said a voice from the hallway.

  They turned to see Liam coming from the darkness.

  “Why would you do that?” Max asked.

  Max wouldn’t turn down help—if she could trust the source of that help. Liam hadn’t shown anything to make the Duncans trust him. They had agreed to bring him based solely on the fact that Easton had been bitten. Now, he had to earn their trust and the right to stay.

  “My kids want to help you. And I think Call
ahan knew there were kids here when they sent the team that attacked. That’s not ok,” Liam said quietly.

  “What have we been telling you?” Max said, rolling her eyes.

  “What about the rest? Do you believe us? Or are you still planning on leaving?” Alex asked.

  “I don’t know what I think about the stories you all have told me. What’s the difference between you telling me things and Callahan telling me things? I’m trying to trust that my kids wouldn’t lie to me, no matter how long I’ve been gone. They seem to completely trust you. And they do not want to leave.”

  “Can we trust him?” Rafe asked, speaking as if Liam wasn’t standing in front of them.

  “Not sure. But we’ll take the information he has. Then we can investigate,” Alex replied.

  “Spill it. What do you know?” Max asked.

  “I’ve been to the bunker you’re talking about. It’s not in San Francisco. It’s across the Golden Gate Bridge, in the hills. It’s near the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.”

  “Why were you there?” Alex asked.

  “Soldiers rotate in and out of there for security. I was assigned to transport for a team once. Only once, but I think if I had a map I could pin point where it is. You wouldn’t know it was a bunker. It’s under a place that was a rehabilitation center for marine life. I think the sign says The Marine Mammal Center,” Liam explained.

  “You remember all of this after one trip there? Seems questionable,” Max said.

  “I remember because it was a strange assignment for me. I worked housing at the camp. I think they were short staffed, and we didn’t have a lot of new people coming in. I just filled a spot. I also thought it was a weird location to be protecting. I heard rumors of what was actually there. But security wasn’t allowed downstairs. They protect the perimeter and are housed in the marine center on the surface,” Liam said.

  “What rumors did you hear? What’s underground?” Alex asked.