by Maira Dawn
A few times Skye startled awake, and once more determined to stay alert. Once the driver had wound his way through a snarl of abandoned vehicles. Another time as they bumped over what felt like the meridian and back again.
But then the familiar hum of the road would begin, and she would fall back into an exhausted sleep.
The rapid staccato of raindrops pounding the metal roof of the vehicle jerked her awake.
Beside her, Kelsey sat upright, eyes open wide. “I’d forgotten,” she said.
Skye squeezed her hand, then inched her way toward the front of the truck. If she could get close enough, she would be able to peer through the pass-thru window to the outside.
The trick was not being seen.
Skye gave a quick glance at the men in front to assure her their attention was on the road before peeking out.
Flat grasslands rippled from the stiff breeze into the horizon. The few tall, slim trees grew in clumps and swayed, bumping against their close neighbors.
Skye sniffed. No ocean yet, but it wasn’t far off. She could smell it.
She slid down to the floor and scooted back to her spot beside Kelsey.
“Where do you think we are?” the girl asked.
“East coast. Definitely, near the ocean. Do you agree?”
“Yes, I smell it too.”
“Not many houses out there. The ground must be too marshy to build on.”
Kelsey’s shoulders sagged.
Skye understood. Their best chance was a place where they were able to lose themselves. If they could find a nearly abandoned neighborhood where someone still lived and was willing to help them that would be perfect.
These grasslands wouldn’t cut it.
The driver and the big man began talking.
Skye scooted closer, trying to hear the conversation.
Tattered billboards came into view.
Welcome to Seaside.
Pet the dolphins at Seaside’s Marine Center.
The driver turned at the next left and Skye perked up.
Small colorful houses, many missing siding or shutters, lined the street. As they weaved through the heart of the town, a brick building with battered blue awnings came into view. It was clear that a terrible storm had blown through the once pretty town.
A few minutes later, the driver pulled into the parking lot of a large domed building. The sign over the structure had lost a few of its letters, but enough remained to read it.
Seaside Marine Center.
Skye frowned. Why were they bringing them here?
The property’s metal outbuilding lay in twisted ruins, but the primary structure seemed in good repair even if a few windows and doors were boarded up.
Beyond the major building lay the ocean—surging and churning as if the storm hadn’t done enough damage and it wanted to try again.
The driver slammed the truck to a stop.
Skye slapped her hands against the wall, trying to find something to grab. Her palms squeaked against the smooth panels, but she kept her footing.
The front doors squeaked open and slammed shut. The men’s shoes slapped against the pavement as they walked to the back of the truck.
Skye held her breath as the vehicle’s back door rolled up.
Skye and Kelsey squinted and shielded their faces with bent arms.
The driver growled his impatience, but the large man waved them toward the back of the truck with a gentle hand and seemed considerate as he helped Kelsey from the tall vehicle.
As Skye got closer to the edge, the driver yanked her to the ground. She stumbled, then pushed off the pavement, scanning the lot as she did so.
Other than a few deserted vehicles, it was empty.
Now was the time to run.
Seventeen
Make It Through
Before Skye could make her move, the tall man with the bad attitude and iron grip came around the vehicle.
He gave Skye a long scathing stare. “Just wanna make you aware that this place uses tasers—strong ones. So I wouldn’t go getting uppity for them. Got it?”
Skye deflated and nodded, unsure if he wanted a verbal answer or not.
Another truck rattled into the parking lot and came to a jarring halt.
Three men jumped out, dragging a blindfolded and tied man and woman. The woman’s shrill screams shattered the relative quietness of the place.
The men were rough with the couple. The woman’s bare legs bleeding after scraping the uneven concrete.
As captive man struggled, the men punched and kicked him. Even when the captive man stopped and curled into a ball, they continued to beat him.
The tall man pulled Skye close—a hand wound tight around her upper arm. “And you think I’m mean,” he said as he hauled her to the front door.
As they passed the other group, the tall man sneered, “None to gentle there, uh, Max?”
“Hey, they don’t pay me to be nice, just to get them here. I don’t remember hearing any other condition but alive. So if we have a little fun on the way . . . ”
His associates sniggered.
The tattooed man scoffed. “Pervert,” he muttered.
Skye gave the beaten couple a sympathetic glance. Wishing there was something she could do.
The tall man pushed her through the front doors of the Marine Center. A woman and boy swept the floor along the far wall in the dim, but spotless, lobby.
Old demonstration kiosks were shoved into a corner, replaced by a couple of long plastic tables.
Skye’s gaze darted from one side of the massive, echoing room to the other. How many captives had come through here on a regular basis?
Kelsey seemed calm as she examined the interior of the building—much better than Skye’s thumping heart allowed her to be. She was so on edge—her skin hurt.
The tall man pushed them toward a table. The woman behind it refused to look at Skye or Kelsey—instead, she focused on the tall man. “Name?”
“You know my name. Don’t act like I’m a stranger.”
“But then you kinda are, aren’t you, Zane?”
“I’m here when I’m here. I’m not when I’m not. Take it or leave it.”
Skye’s gaze darted between Zane and the woman behind the table. A lover’s quarrel? It would have been funny in any other circumstances.
“Whatever, Zane.” The woman’s gaze wavered toward Skye but never quite made it. She talked aloud as she wrote. “Two women.”
Skye pulled in a breath to protest that Kelsey was a child. Before the words formed on her lips, Zane slapped the back of her head so hard she stumbled against the table. He grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her upright. “Manners!”
The woman taking his information flinched and took a step backward.
Zane punched his finger at the paper she’d slid toward him. “Two women today. Sam brought in a bunch yesterday.”
“Yes. Well, you may want to talk to Kevin about that.”
Zane’s eyes narrowed. “You guys better not be trying to jack me up.”
The woman’s voice wavered. “Kevin knows more about it than I do.” She picked up the paper and handed it to him. The white sheet shook.
Wow, lots of trouble in this little paradise.
Zane’s gaze scraped over the woman as he grabbed the paper from her hand. “I’ll be around tonight.”
She nodded but said nothing.
Zane re-wrapped a hand around Skye’s upper arm and jerked her across the lobby toward a hallway.
On their left stood a massive water tank filled with dirty water with undulating ribbons of algae. For a moment, Skye looked for other sea life.
Scowling, Zane came to a halt and began a terse conversation with a large, round man in a white coat. “What’s going on, Kevin?”
“Well, I hate to tell you, but half of yesterday’s isn’t going to make it.”
“Run the tests again.”
“We already did.”
“Fine,” Zane growled. �
�Here’s two more, maybe they’ll make up for the others—and I want my bonus if they hit the jackpot.”
He shoved Skye at Kevin. She had no choice but to grab him or fall.
Kevin wrinkled his nose. Skye would’ve loved to be offended, but she could smell herself. Some was her—some was the goo from the floor of the truck.
Zane laughed. “They already spent the night with the Sick, and they’re just fine.”
“You know the rules. That doesn’t count. We do that here.”
“I know, I know. If they don’t make it through the night, I don’t get paid.”
“If you want a room for yourself—see the woman up front.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that,” Zane threw over his shoulder as he swaggered off.
Skye looked through the lobby windows to the parking lot outside. If they got any further into this building, they may not get a chance to get away. It was now or never.
She threw a glance at Kelsey and readied herself to bolt.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Kevin warned her.
Two large men with guns slung over their shoulders and tasers pointed at her seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Skye eyed them, then sagged.
She looked at Kelsey, who nodded toward Kevin.
The girl was right. What choice did they have?
Kevin took the lead with Skye and Kelsey following. The sharp-eyed men with guns trailed after them.
Skye glanced up at Kevin. “Please tell me what is going on!”
Kevin sighed. “I hate this part, but I’ve found it is easier to answer the questions as they’re asked. I’m not sure what you’ve been told so far, so I’ll start at the beginning.”
He gave her a sharp glance. “We are looking for a cure to the AgFlu. To do that, we need immune people. You have volunteered to help us with the research.”
“First off, I disagree,” Skye bristled. “We did not volunteer. They kidnapped us. And the AgFlu has swept through the world. It has done its damage. Why are you worried about it now?”
“I’m explaining the facility—not conversing with you. This is the only explanation you will get, so keep your mouth shut and listen.”
Skye frowned and looked away.
Kevin continued. “If you make it through the night with no signs of AgFlu, the testing will begin in earnest. If you do not, I will make other arrangements for you.”
It sounded morbid. Skye glanced at Kelsey. The teenager’s suspicious expression mirrored her own.
“Make it through the night? What does that mean?”
Kevin stopped in front of a large barred room similar to a jail cell—or an animal cage.
The room was divided again with steel bars. One side was small, no wider than a twin bed. The other side was much larger and filled with filthy, disgusting Sick.
Skye’s heart dropped. She tensed, fighting the guards as they shoved her and a struggling Kelsey toward the cell. When Skye and Kelsey seemed to gain ground, the guards picked them up and threw them in.
Skye landed hard against the concrete floor. Quickly, she and Kelsey stood and plastered themselves against the gray block wall.
The Sick leaned into the bars on their side, hands grasping as they extended their arms as far as they could go.
The metal barred door clanked shut, sealing their doom.
Kelsey jerked and moaned as a Sick woman grabbed a handful of her shirt and pulled her closer. She and Skye hammered the woman’s filthy hand until she yelped and let go.
Skye pulled Kelsey to her. They cowered together in the tiny corner between the door and block wall.
Skye threw a frightened, pleading look at Kevin.
Kevin repeated her former question. “What do you have to do to make it through the night?” He put a hand around one of the bars separating him from their prison. “You survive this.”
Skye put her hand on his. “Please, Kevin. Have some pity.”
He stared at her.
If he saw them as fellow humans perhaps, he would change his mind. “Some food or water?”
His gaze turned flinty. “Nope. We don’t waste that on the dying.”
Skye dropped her hand from his as she barely missed the grasping fingers of another Sick. She swallowed hard. “And when we make it through this?”
“We inject you with it.”
Horrified, Skye shuddered.
She tightened her hold on Kelsey as Kevin walked away. Icy dread filled her, but she fought it. She and Kelsey would make it through the night—she knew they would—they had both been this close to the Sick before.
But injected with the disease? Had anyone ever made it through that?
“Oh, Kelsey. I’m so sorry.”
Kelsey hung onto Skye. “Don’t give up yet, Skye. I never thought I’d get out of Fenton, and I did. We’ll get out of this.”
Skye laid her head over Kelsey’s as her eyes filled with tears.
She wouldn’t tell the girl, but she’d given up the moment she heard the barred door clang shut behind them.
Eighteen
The Long Night
Skye and Kelsey stood until exhaustion set in. The adrenaline surging through Skye from the beginning of this fight until now had sapped her energy.
Here, in the dim light, minutes seemed like hours and despite the threat, her body ached for rest.
Kelsey stumbled and grabbed Skye, saying, “I’m falling asleep on my feet. Literally. I didn’t know that was really possible.”
“I’m almost there too.”
Kelsey pointed out a thin strip of concrete against the block wall. “I think, if we lay lengthwise along this wall, we would be out of their reach. I can scoot to the top. You could have this area.”
Skye nodded. It looked like two women of average height could fit. “Let’s try it but be careful.”
“I will—believe me.”
Kelsey inched her way forward, staying as close to the wall as possible. She jerked to her side and sucked her stomach in when one Sick man’s long arm almost grabbed her.
On reaching the back wall, the girl settled in as best she could against hard concrete and bars.
Despite the harsh conditions, Kelsey gave Skye a thumbs up and closed her eyes.
Skye ran a hand through her grimy hair. She couldn’t imagine sleeping right now but needed to move to the floor too. Any kind of rest would be helpful.
Who knew what tomorrow would hold?
Skye stretched onto her side with her back against the wall. She kept one eye on Kelsey to make sure she was truly out of harm’s way and the other on the Sick.
The horde lumbered around their cell. Now that the women were still, they didn’t attract as much attention, but even a small move from them brought the Sick closer to them.
These people were deep into the disease and almost senseless. Because of that, they didn’t crouch to the floor, but stayed standing when they thrust their hands through the bars.
Skye uttered a deep sigh of relief. Other than breathing the same air as the horde, they were safe. And she wasn’t afraid of the germs, she’d already had the disease and been one of the fortunate few to live through it. No, what scared her the most was the Sick’s long, blue grasping fingers finding her.
Despite Skye’s fears, her eyes grew heavy, and she slept.
Skye jerked awake. Nothing seemed to have changed. Without moving, she scanned the room.
Something had nudged her from sleep.
A light tune carried down the hallway. Whistling.
She pushed herself to her feet, avoiding the newly stirred horde.
Kelsey sat up and pushed her long, dark hair back over her shoulder.
The tromp of boots announced several men and one brawny woman.
Kevin led the group. He rattled some keys and opened the prison door, waving them out.
Two men in white coats approached them. One spoke. “We are going to take your temperature and some blood.”
Skye shot a glan
ce at the big men. If she caused any trouble, there was no doubt how this would go.
So she agreed and glanced at Kelsey.
This was the moment of truth. Well, this and whatever came after.
Everything Skye knew about the Agflu she could count on one hand, and even that was a bunch of guesses. If they passed this test—and the next one—they were truly immune.
Once the white coats took what they needed, they nodded to the guards.
Security marched Skye and Kelsey several yards down the hallway and shoved them into a couple of stadium chairs lining the wall.
They sat there for a few minutes, staring at nothing, before one of the white coats popped his head around a door and gave a thumbs up.
Skye shot a worried glance at Kevin.
Thumbs up, they passed? Or thumbs up, take them out and shoot them?
Kevin smiled. “Well, good news. You just earned yourself a shower and a meal.”
Skye and Kelsey sagged with relief.
Kelsey grabbed Skye’s hand and squeezed it.
“A shower sounds good, doesn’t it?” Kelsey asked.
Skye agreed. The mere mention of the word made her realize how grimy she was. And a toilet was becoming an urgent need too.
Kevin waved them further down the hallway and through a bathroom door.
Skye began a sprint toward a stall until an enormous hand grabbed her arm. She glanced from the massive guard who held her in place to Kevin. “Look, I have to go, I really, really have to.”
Kevin waved the guard’s hand away, but said, “I’m sending Sydney in.” He pointed to a tall, muscular female dressed in a guard’s uniform, then back at the male guard. “This one will be inside the door, but he will give you your privacy.”
Skye quickly nodded, not sure she cared anymore as her need grew.
Kevin gave the go-ahead.
She ran to the first stall. Kelsey wasn’t far behind.
As Skye exited the stall, she eyed Sydney, who watched Skye washing her hands.
The male guard remained in the room but faced the hallway.
Once the women washed their hands, Sydney pointed at a blue sign that said, “Showers” at the end of the row of sinks. A matching arrow pointed through a door with a small square window.