“You said your mother did this. Did she cause this outbreak?” He questioned, interrogating her as she had expected.
“Yeah, my mother who’s not dead, created a drug in an attempt to enhance the human mind and possibly even repair brain damage. It’s supposed to unlock more parts of the brain, in the sense of super humans. But it has gone so wrong. In my bag there are files and tapes of trials and distribution maps. It's everywhere and despite what their trials said, the drug was clearly not successful. I don’t even think they intended for this to happen, but it has and now we have to find a way to stop it.” Raelynn said through gritted teeth. John simply nodded along, taking in the information as if she was talking to him about the weather. Her knee bounced lightly as she waited for an answer from him.
“So back home, round by where your old man and I live, did you see them? Zombies? You seemed to know exactly what the cashier was going to do when he pounced up.” John asked, Raelynn nodded.
“Remember the drug house at the very back corner of the street?” She asked rhetorically not giving him a second to answer. Who didn't know about the house? “Well we watched the guy who lives there, with foam pouring from his mouth, come running out in a rabid, crazy kind of way and chow down on a bystander. Nix and I saw it all, I'm surprised he didn't vomit. It wasn’t pretty at all, but that’s when we knew we had to get out of there.” Rae finished and John sighed as he thought about everything.
“How did you know to come back home? And how did you find all the information, Raelynn?” John asked in a way that said he knew she wasn’t giving him the whole story and no matter what questions he asked, she wasn’t going to. Her life in New Mexico was gone and she wasn’t going to bring it up, no matter how much John pried.
“Dad called me a few months back. I could sense something was off, but I thought he was just being paranoid, as usual. But then I didn’t hear from him. Not once since that call and thought something might be wrong. So, I decided to come check it out myself. When I got here, no one was home, but the house was a mess, files everywhere. I went through it and gathered the important parts of information that warned us of all this happening.” She said to him, twisting the truth a bit so she didn’t reveal her role in the story. She wasn't ready to answer the hard questions, like how could she have not told them about her son? How could she have not known what her husband was doing? Or that her mother was alive? How could she have let any of it happen? Raelynn bit back the tears that threatened, swallowing the lump in her throat, hating that John wasn’t responding with another question, so she could answer and focus back on anything but her self-pity and the thoughts of Jake. The cashier had taken seconds to turn after his seizure, just as Jake’s but the difference, was that Jake had been connected to a monitor that had permanently imprinted it’s sound into Rae’s mind. The flatline. The continuous, loud horn of the machine telling her that her son had stopped breathing, that he was dead. Clenching her jaw against the thoughts, Rae looked out the window, wiping away a tear from her cheek before John saw it. Had that been what her son had become? Once his heart had stopped, she had left, assuming he was dead, but what if he wasn’t? What if he was now the same as the rabid creatures taking over because her mother had been trying to enhance his brain, not actually kill him? She couldn’t stomach the thought and drew in a shuddering breath. If John wasn’t going to ask the questions to distract her then she was going to distract herself.
“One of the files says the drug, Exalt was successful. I’m guessing that’s why they released it, because they thought it was. The girl in the successful file is different though. She has a learning disability, or a handicap of some sort and my guess is that it’s the reason the drug behaved differently with her. She didn’t get any of the zombie-like side effects throughout all the years she had been given the drug and according to the tape in her file, it actually worked on her. Her brain function was increased, and it did repair whatever damage was done inside her brain.” Rae rambled breaking the silence and her thoughts.
“So where is this drug? How far has it spread?” John asked taking in all the information better than she had expected.
“Everywhere John, there's files in there of the distribution and it's not just in the U.S. but places like Europe and even as small as New Zealand.” Raelynn said, remembering the dots and plane routes on the map she had stashed with the other files.
“I’m gonna need a real strong drink after this.” John mumbled as he pressed harder on the gas. Rae snickered.
“Like you need an excuse, John.” She teased before looking back out the window, glad that everything still seemed mostly unaffected by the drug. For the moment, she could pretend she was just on a road trip to see her dad, rather than trying to outrun a very dangerous drug and her just as dangerous husband. The rest of the drive was silent as Rae drew into her own thoughts, wondering how they were going to get out of the mess they were in. Was there even a cure? Rae had no idea, but she had to get to her dad to find out. Finally, they arrived at the hotel, and Rae had to admit, she was starving and couldn’t wait to get some food in her.
They pulled into the hotel and thankfully, no one seemed to be under the influence of Exalt. Phoenix woke as they parked, rubbing over his face with his hands, Everlynn and James still asleep. They got out and Phoenix carried Everlynn, John grabbed the capsule while Raelynn carried as much as she could of the bags. They walked through the dark-blue lobby and up to the reception desk. The entire room was decorated in blacks and silvers that matched well with the dark blue walls. Polished marble floors, sleek leather couches and expensive-looking statues all made the hotel very intimidating and had Rae looking over their dishevelled looks with a scrutinizing gaze. They definitely stood out with their layered clothing, gun cases and wary eyes. She didn’t have the energy to care much passed that though and looked up at the receptionist confidently as if they weren’t, very obviously not used to luxury.
“Could we please get a room.” Raelynn asked the receptionist who sat with a professional, slicked back hairstyle, a plain black, conservative dress and a bright smile.
“Of course. Would you like our Queen room with two Queen beds or a two-bedrooms?” She asked tapping away on her computer then looking up expectantly. Raelynn preferred them being as close as possible in case anything happened.
“Just the one room, thanks.” She replied and the receptionist, whose name tag read Susan, nodded tapping the keyboard some more before taking down Raelynn’s name and taking José’s credit card to pay for the room.
“That’s all gone through. The staff will take your bags and I will just get your key cards” Susan said moving into the back room as one of the staff members grabbed their bags and walked quickly away to the elevators. Rae tapped her fingers against the reception desk, waiting for Susan when her attention was drawn to the other receptionist, similarly dressed and talking to one of the bag attendants. They were whispering so she had to strain to hear but the tense note in their voices and her paranoia, were too curious and wary to care that she was being rude by eavesdropping.
“What's going on?” The receptionist demanded of the bag attendant. Raelynn turned her head and tucked her loose strand of hair behind her ear so it wasn’t obvious she was listening but made sure that she didn't look over to the staff talking because she didn't want to show she was listening.
“The group in the penthouse are insane.” The bag attendant responded quickly, running a hand through his tousled hair. Raelynn’s stomach lurched. Insane as in a good time or insane as in zombie-like creatures trying to eat people? She had to know which.
“What do you mean insane?” The receptionist asked and Rae wondered whether she was actually the manager since she didn’t seem very happy with the situation, almost scolding the bag attendant.
“When Sarah cleaned it yesterday, she said she saw drugs everywhere, but they paid so much to have the room that she didn't say anything. Today, she can't even get in the room to clean it. They keep y
elling through the door, not to come in. She said she could hear screaming and growling but there was never a dog listed with their group on the accommodation, nor did anyone see them come in with one. Do we call the police?” The bag attendant explained in a hushed voice. Rae listened intently, she had to know whether they were safe to stay or not.
“Leave it a day, maybe they just don't want visitors today. We can always clean it tomorrow. If there were drugs involved then they’re most likely on some kind of bender or high that is none of our business as long as they pay for their room, which they have done so tell Sarah to clean it tomorrow and next time try to avoid calling our guests insane. It’s not polite.” The girl responded harshly, both of them falling silent as Susan came through from the back room with their key cards and another bright smile.
“Here you go. Enjoy your stay.” She said warmly. Rae nodded stiffly. She didn’t trust the place. Not with a bunch of druggies in the penthouse and growling. She had no idea whether they had the drug that she was worried about, but she didn’t want to take the risk. She was about to voice her doubts when James started to wake. It only took a few seconds for him to go from content and sleeping, to full-blown meltdown. He screamed and wriggled in his capsule as John tried to shush him, but it wasn’t working. Rae’s hand clenched on the key card, his screams piercing her mind and erasing all of her thoughts that had been building. There was nothing but his wails and her need to stop them. And she knew how. His cry was a distinct one, one she knew well from Jake, and one she knew meant the infant was hungry. Only concentrating on one thing, Rae forgot that she was meant to be advising them on leaving, instead she led them to the elevators and to their room without hesitancy.
They found their room, and everyone piled in with the baby still crying. Raelynn made a beeline for the kitchenette and began making James a bottle, wanting to quieten his cries as soon as possible. Phoenix still carried the sleeping Everlynn. He tucked her in one of the two queen beds then sat at the end of the bed, while John had already burrowed into his bags and opened a bottle of whisky while claiming the other bed, the baby in the capsule on the floor between them. Nix looked up at Raelynn with furrowed brows, his eyes watching her at the kitchenette across the room, she didn’t think anything of it until he spoke.
“Since when did you know how to make a bottle?” He asked Rae who tensed. In truth it had been instinctual, but he couldn’t know that, so she shrugged.
“It's not rocket science,” She brushed it off “There's instructions on the back of the formula tin, as easy as two-minute noodles, Nix.” She teased, covering up the fact that her heart was racing from trying to explain herself and hide the fact that she had made so many bottles, she could’ve made it blindfolded. If he noticed her panic, he didn’t show it. Instead his eyes widened at what she was doing; handing him the bottle to feed the baby. He shook his head quickly.
“I don’t know what to do with that.” He exclaimed and pushed the bottle she held, back into her. Rae sighed looking over at John who was already drinking, so she couldn't make him feed the baby. He would probably give it the wrong bottle. She was the only one left. Rae put walls up quickly around her heart and emotions, then reluctantly knelt on her knees and unwillingly fed the baby as it lay in the capsule, refusing to pick it up and hold it, just content to let the baby sate its hunger and stop crying. His chubby face, gobbled the milk down with satisfied slurps as Rae looked away, trying to avoid staring at him for too long. She needed a distraction. As if hearing her thoughts, John picked up the remote for the flat screen and turned it on. He flicked through the channels, stopping on the breaking news that was playing. All of them froze, listening to the report.
The news reported of attacks worldwide similar to the ones they had seen, meaning Exalt was definitely live and reacting to everyone. The report spoke of a company who had made a drug that was causing the attacks, information they already knew. The company, her mother’s company was asked to comment but were vague in their response, the spokesperson; who was probably some PR representative that was being paid to lie and say as little as possible, was doing a great job at it. The spokesperson said little of the drugs’ bad side effects, only pointing out the good features it was meant to have given. It was meant to enhance brain function, repair brain damage, become an elite product on the market and that they were sorry it was released earlier than intended, as trials were still being run. Liars. The trials had finished, and they had intentionally released it after a half-assed attempt at trials. They said nothing on any kind of cure, on whether they had a way to stop the bad side effects or even anything to do with more trials and testing. Phoenix got up and started making some food for them as she finished feeding James, but their focus was on the news. It showed video footage of rabid zombies attacking everyone in the street, while people screamed and ran everywhere. The footage made a shiver run through Raelynn’s spine and her stomach turn so much, that when Nix finally put the plate of baked beans on toast in front of her, she could barely eat it. Everlynn woke shortly after and they had to turn the news off, but they had heard enough anyway. They ate their dinner in silence, before filing through the bathroom in turns. John stole his shower first, taking his bottle with him of course, and singing way too loud. Everlynn blushed and asked for a shower please, which Rae helped her through, then let Nix go. He was the quickest, and said it was so that she would have enough hot water to shower and she was so grateful. She needed the alone time to regroup her emotions and thoughts.
She jumped through the shower, taking deep breaths, rebuilding her walls and using the complementary products from the hotel to maintenance herself. She climbed out and dried herself then looked over her bruises. They hadn't changed much, the one on her wrist was darkened purple, still fresh and painful but the others were lightening and were barely noticeable when she moved, the tenderness finally leaving. If only the pain on the inside would heal as quickly as the outside. Knowing it was going to take a lot longer for her heart to stop clenching, and her tears to stop forming over what she had lost, she shook her head to rid herself of her despairing thoughts. Rae brushed her teeth and changed into some new clothes, a plain singlet with black leggings and a grey jumper to take away the biting cold air of Nebraska. Finishing up, she took a brief look at her phone in case her father had messaged. Someone had messaged but it wasn’t her father. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, her skin prickling with goose bumps as she looked at the contacts name, the bruise on her wrist began throbbing at the memories that surged through her mind, ones she thought she had escaped from.
‘Hello Sweetie, thought you had escaped me? I know where you are darling, and I am coming for you. You've done bad things, taken some bad things, you know bad things and you know what that means; I must teach you a lesson by doing bad things to you. I’ll see you soon dear don't you worry; you’ll be in your rightful place with me and everything can go back to the way it was before you disobeyed me. You are mine, Rae. I own you.’
Rae dropped her phone and quivered uncontrollably, losing feeling in her legs she fell to her knees and held her chest, holding in the urge to sob. She couldn’t tell them why, but she had to convince the others that it was time to go. He knew where she was. She was going to have to lie again. Or bend the truth a little at least, but to her, it was worth it. How could she have been so stupid and let him track her? Of course, he was tracing his credit card. And she had been using it everywhere, leading him right to them. She dug through the pockets of her clothes left on the floor from changing after her shower and pulled out the card. She ignored the questioning glances from John and Nix as she came bursting out of the bathroom and ran to the kitchenette across the room. She pulled open the drawer and found scissors, cutting the card into pieces, taking a deep breath and letting it out as she pushed them into the trash can. She wanted to calm her nerves, reassure the others that things were fine but that would be too big of a lie. They weren't.
“WE HAVE TO GO NOW!” Rae bit,
rushing over to their bags and shoving their things back in.
“Why? What the heck is wrong?” John demanded, standing from the bed and screwing the lid of his bottle back on. Nix frowned but began helping pack things up, despite not knowing why. His trust in her was unwavering and had Rae cringing. She was lying to him and destroying the loyalty he showed her. She didn't deserve it. Pushing away her guilt, she swallowed and concentrated on putting their things away, as her mouth formed another explanation that was the truth but was also heavily omissive of the whole truth.
“It's just a feeling, and a strong one. In the lobby I heard about people in the penthouse with drugs and I can't take that risk.” She replied in a shaking urgent voice that had them all rushing to get things packed up at a faster pace. They asked no more questions, which was a relief because just as she zipped up her duffel bag, they heard the sound that made her statement just as truthful as she had implied it was. A shrill scream. One they had heard before. A scream full of fear and pain. One they had been hoping to outrun but it was too late.
Raelynn looked at Nix and they both knew the Exalt epidemic had found them. Everyone paused and looked at each other, listening as the screams grew louder. Everlynn curled into John and James began to stir in the arms of Nix. Rae was frozen, her brain fumbling, trying to think of a way out, a way to save everyone. It was almost dark, the sun slowly setting, and the zombies were right outside their door making it impossible to leave. She had no idea what to do and just as she thought that things couldn’t possibly get worse; they did. The power cut out and the room fell into darkness.
The screaming continued from outside of the room, getting louder and louder. Everlynn cowered into John, her whole body was shuddering. John put Everlynn down, threw one of the camping packs on his back then knelt down to Everlynn, where she was attached to his leg. He held a shirt in his hand and made it into a makeshift blindfold.
Survival Instincts (Book 1): Sacrifice Page 8