“While we were all distracted by the first explosions, she used her smart watch to begin a countdown for the rest of the computers, including the one by me in the microscope room. After it blew, I lost consciousness, but came to in time to see Fritz—still zip-tied—cutting Charish’s ties with a knife he must have had very well concealed. As soon as Charish was free, she took the knife. But instead of cutting Fritz’s zip-ties, she slit his throat and shoved him toward the alligators. The thrashing and blood distracted the gators, and she went right past them.”
Poor Fritz. He’d been willing to sacrifice his life for his employer, only to have it taken in a totally fucked-up way. I shoved away the mental image of Kristi murdering him in cold blood and instead reveled in the fact that I’d taken her off the playing field for good. “I’m honestly shocked she didn’t kill you,” I said.
“I played dead, since I was in no condition to fight.” Sorsha touched the bandage on her head. “There was plenty of blood from the scalp wound for the ruse to be convincing. Charish tried to get my gun, but I use a retention holster, and she gave up.”
“Glad she couldn’t get it,” I said fervently. “She’d have shot you for sure.” I pushed to my feet. “I’d best take care of the gators before they make too much of a mess.”
“Too late for that,” she said with a humorless chuckle.
We both looked up as the sound of a helicopter rattled the walls.
“Let’s hope that’s the good guys,” I muttered.
I pulled the door open and stepped inside. The gators snapped and growled over an unrecognizable lump of gore—Fritz. Blood splattered the walls and equipment, and pooled on the white tile floor beneath the gators. The stench of shit and blood and sweat hit me in a putrid wave.
Hairy Tech clung to the top of the electron microscope, while Beardzilla lay atop the built-in cabinets. Both were flushed and wild-eyed. Understandably so.
“Angel! Watch out!” Hairy Tech shouted. “The blood . . . th-they went wild with the blood.”
“It’s going to be okay. Just stay where you are.” I had to give him props for being worried about my own safety. It was possible none of the techs were aware of precisely how evil Kristi’s schemes were. But I’d let Sorsha’s special task force deal with that mess.
One by one the gators abandoned their meal and turned toward me. If gators could look guilty, they certainly did now.
“It’s all right,” I said to them as I approached. “I could hardly expect you to ignore a meal dropped at your feet, right? But now it’s time to go back to the pen. Y’all did great.” I crouched, and the gators swarmed me, pushing snouts forward for rubs and scritches.
“Jesus . . .” Beardzilla breathed.
“I’d stay up there if I were you,” I told the techs. “Trust me, there’s no place to run.” Not that I really needed to say so. I had a feeling those two would have to be pried off their perches.
I gathered the gators and headed down the corridor toward their pen room, but stopped at the entrance to the main lab. Within, Portia lay cushioned on a pile of lab coats. Dr. Nikas sat beside her, holding her hand, head turned toward the script-filled whiteboard.
“You’re alive,” I shrieked and rushed into the room, belatedly telling the gators to stay put.
Portia smiled sleepily. “I am, aren’t I. Amazing.”
“It is. It is!” I dropped to my knees and tenderly seized her in a hug.
“I’m so glad you chose my pond to free your frogs,” she said, words a little thick.
“You and me both!” I released her, only now realizing that Dr. Nikas was rattling off technical terms to Reg, who scribbled on a notepad. Not far away, Brian and Rachel sorted through salvaged computer drives.
Curses erupted in the corridor. Pierce.
“Why the fuck is the hallway filled with alligators?!” he shouted.
“Oops. I’d better put the kids away.” I scrambled to my feet and ran out to the hall.
Pierce glared at the gators from a dozen feet away. “What the fuck, Angel!”
“Hi, Pierce! Boy, do I have a lot to tell you after I take these guys home.” I rounded up the gators and started down the corridor. “Be right back!”
He muttered something, but even my zombie ears couldn’t pick it up over the snick and shwuush of alligator claws and tails. I doubted it was, “Nice to see you, Angel.”
I got them into their pen without incident and told them again how wonderful they were—and promised they wouldn’t have to live cooped up forever. They raised their voices in eerie warbly growls that penetrated to my bones. I joined their song for a brief moment then returned to the lab, pretending not to notice the smears of blood the gators had left behind.
“Where’s Kristi?” Pierce snapped the instant I stepped through the door.
“Dead,” I replied, which earned me the attention of everyone in the room. I went on to explain how I confronted Kristi on the roof and then made sure the extraction team couldn’t rescue her—by taking her over the edge with a flying leap.
I hesitated to tell the part about Kang since Rachel and Portia didn’t know about the mature zombie ability to take on a new form. But, fuck it. The FBI agents knew, and Rachel was utterly loyal to the Tribe. And Portia . . . well, I had a feeling Dr. Nikas wouldn’t be keeping secrets from her.
“But we still have a Kristi Charish.” I took a deep breath and related how Kang ate her brain and took on her form, and how Billy said he would manage the whole Kristi-Kristi situation.
“Billy Upton?” Pierce said, eyes narrowing. “He’s one of Kristi’s people.”
“Actually he’s one of Sorsha’s—”
“Jesus, Angel. You left that mess with the FBI?”
Though I wanted to yell at him, I calmly folded my arms over my chest. “Yes. Would you like to know why?”
“I would.”
I kept my expression and tone super chill. “Because it was the right choice. Because Agent Aberdeen works with a special task force and already knows all about us. Because we need help—their help—to pull off the whole Kang-Kristi con and keep a lid on our secrets.”
Pierce glowered for another few seconds then shook his head. “All right. I probably would’ve done the same in your shoes.”
I resisted the urge to feign a heart attack at his decision to agree with me, and instead simply offered a cool nod. “But what sucks hard is that Kristi didn’t have anything about the cure in her briefcase.”
Pierce sighed. “I’m so sorry, Angel.”
I blinked to keep back tears. Everything had been so chaotic I hadn’t had time to really let it hit me. We had no cure, and Nick and the others were going to die.
“There’s something else,” I said, chest tight and aching. “Kyle is dead.”
Pierce sobered. “What happened?”
I told him about Kristi and her new anti-zombie serum that turned zombies into mindless slaves, and how Kyle had pushed me out of the way and taken the hit.
Dr. Nikas disengaged from Portia, went to the whiteboard and wrote and erased, wrote and erased.
I told Pierce how I thought a combat mod might slow it down, and how Kyle had said no. That he was ready. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I didn’t try to stop them. I hadn’t cried yet for Kyle, and he deserved my grief.
Finally, I told Pierce about the promise I’d made last year in New York, and then told him how I shot Kyle.
Shock amplified my grief when Pierce stepped forward and put his arms around me.
“You did the right thing,” he murmured. “I was wrong to have Kyle turned against his will. Ari told me. Brian told me. I knew it in my heart. But despite what I did to him, Kyle was a faithful soldier, never giving less than his all. You were right to make the promise and to keep it.”
Over by the whiteboard, Dr. Nikas said, “Reg, pull up th
e analysis of protein gel sample two, again.” Then after a moment, “Angel, forgive me.”
I looked up and wiped my eyes. “What is it?”
“I’m sorry to disturb you.” He had a dry erase marker in his hand and a blue ink smudge on his nose and cheek. “But this is important. I am on the verge of a breakthrough.”
“You are?” I shoved away from Pierce. “What can I do?”
“Jacques sent the analysis of the protein packet gel that killed the patient at the gym. It had tranq components.”
“That’s right! She said she was testing it on patient nine, but he wasn’t supposed to die. So she tweaked the formula—which is what Kyle got.”
Dr. Nikas passed the marker to Reg and began preparing test tubes and solutions. “The non-tranq factors in the gel analysis are more mysterious, but your description of their purpose—to destroy higher brain function and create a mindless slave—brought the pieces together for me.” He sent Reg to fetch a cold pack. “She created the LZ-1 patients as her test subjects. The formulation of the gel was tailored for LZ-1, so your interception of that packet has not only delivered to me what I believe to be the key to a cure, but also strips the veil from the misinformation Kristi had fed me.”
Holy shit. The psycho woman created a killer epidemic not only to figure out how to be immortal, but to enslave zombies as well. “Whoa. Do you think the killer tranq in Connor’s ear was the first serum test?”
He went still, considering. “It fits. There were non-tranq factors in the earwax sample as well. I do believe the purpose was to experiment, with murder as the result.”
“And she was stringing you along on the cure?”
“Whenever I would get close to what I now believe is the right path, she would counter with a perfectly reasonable alternative. A detour rather than a roadblock.” He took a small cold pack from Reg and placed it in the bottom of a beaker. “But I’m close to the answer, now, Angel.” He handed me a test tube. “Will you give me a saliva sample?”
“Yes! Yes you can have all the spit you want!” I hocked up a loogie and spat it into the vial Dr. Nikas handed me.
He grimaced as he passed me another tube. “Saliva only, please.”
“Oh. Sorry.” I dutifully worked up a mouthful of only spit—mmm, fried dill pickles, seafood gumbo, braaaaains—and filled the tube.
He set the tube into the beaker as if my spit was the most precious liquid in the world, then turned back to the whiteboard and snapped out instructions. Reg leaped to follow them, his tall, angular form moving with surprising speed and agility.
A soft smile pulled at my mouth. Kyle’s death had served his own purpose, yet he’d not only saved my life by letting the tranq hit him instead of me, but his selfless act would end up saving the lives of Nick and so many others. Kristi couldn’t help but gloat to me, and in doing so, told me the effects of the serum.
Rachel had taken Dr. Nikas’s place beside Portia, and Pierce was on the phone. Brian was gone.
But I knew why he’d left and where he was now.
I slipped out of the lab and down the hall. As I approached the corner, I heard a deep male voice.
“No, there’s no one else you need to worry about. Agent Aberdeen is the only serious injury.”
I stepped around the corner to see a square-jawed man in a dark suit standing beside Sorsha, while two paramedics tended to her injuries. One of them cast a dubious glance at the blood in the corridor—Kyle’s and Fritz’s—but apparently didn’t feel there was any point arguing with the agent.
Agent Square Jaw pierced me with a measuring look as I approached. I ignored his appraisal and glanced into the microscope room as I passed. A fire blanket had been placed over what was left of Fritz, and all four techs sat zip-tied against one wall. At the far end was Reno, who sported a busted lip and a second black eye that I suspected were courtesy of Kyle.
“Agent Gallagher,” Sorsha said. “This is Angel Crawford. She has been most instrumental in dealing with the situation here.”
Gallagher gave me a curt nod. “Your assistance is greatly appreciated.” His words were clipped and precise, as if he’d said them thousands of times before. He looked back at Sorsha. “And Dr. Charish?”
“Billy will brief you,” she said. “The situation has taken an interesting turn.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I think Dr. Charish has had a change of heart.” Literally.
“Don’t worry, Angel,” Sorsha said. “This isn’t the first time we’ve dealt with and kept quiet . . . a weird outcome.”
“Good to hear.” I gestured toward the microscope room. “What about Reno and the techs and how much they know about, well, everything.” I couldn’t exactly come out and say zombies in front of the paramedics.
“My supervisor has a way of ensuring discretion.”
I gulped and lowered my voice. “This isn’t a deal where they just . . . disappear, is it?”
“Nothing of the sort. They’ll simply be disinclined to speak about the issue of concern.” She spoke as if it was a matter of fact.
Okaaaaaaay then. “Would you excuse me a moment?” I walked away without waiting for an answer then quietly entered the histology room, closing the door behind me.
Brian was on one knee beside Kyle’s supine body. A blood-soaked lab coat had been wrapped around Kyle’s head, to my relief. The exit wound for a shot like that would be gruesome. That wasn’t how I wanted to remember him, and I was glad Brian seemed to feel the same way. This was his zombie baby—despite the turning being without Kyle’s consent.
I put my hand on Brian’s shoulder. He covered it with his own and gave it a light squeeze.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Better now.” He looked up at me. “And you?”
“Better now.”
He got to his feet and embraced me. “Thank you.”
I didn’t need to ask what for. “Come on. Let’s get back to the others.”
We stepped out to see that Sorsha had been loaded onto the stretcher.
“Good luck with—” I stopped at the sound of running footsteps.
“Angel. Brian!” Dr. Nikas raced around the corner, Portia in his arms. “We have to get to the Tribe lab immediately!”
Panic shot through me. “Is something wrong with Portia?”
Dr. Nikas came to a stop. “What? No. She is yet unable to walk, and carrying her seemed most expedient. We must return to the Tribe lab to finish the cure.”
“You found it?! You figured it out?”
“I believe I have,” he said. “Come. There is no time to waste.”
“Hold on a second,” Gallagher said. “We need to take statements—ow!” He glared down at Sorsha who had pinched his arm—hard.
“Let them go,” she said. Firmly. “There are lives at stake. I’ll get the statements later.”
I breathed a thanks to Sorsha. Dr. Nikas took off at a run for the roof stairs with Brian on his heels and me bringing up the rear.
“What about Pierce?” I called as we bounded up the steps.
“He and Reg are staying here for the cleanup,” Dr. Nikas said.
The helicopter waited on the roof, ready to go. At its door, Dr. Nikas thrust Portia into Brian’s arms, then dug a syringe from his lab coat and jabbed it into my arm, straight through my shirt.
“Ow!” I said, even as he retrieved Portia from Brian and helped her into the chopper.
I climbed in after and got myself buckled in. I started to ask Dr. Nikas what he’d injected, but he was already deeply absorbed and furiously scribbling notes onto one of Kristi’s legal pads. He didn’t even look up when Brian buckled him and Portia in. As for Portia, she gave Brian a sleepy smile of thanks then leaned her head against Dr. Nikas’s shoulder and closed her eyes.
Without pausing his writing, Dr. Nikas took her hand in his and cradled
it close, a move so casually tender that I had to look away and hide my grin.
A yawn caught me by surprise, followed by a serious case of the sleepies. Maybe the stay-awake mod was wearing off? Or maybe it was whatever Dr. Nikas had jabbed me with. Either way, as the rotors wound up, my eyes closed.
• • •
“Angel. Angel!” I woke to Dr. Nikas shaking my shoulders. “Come. There is no time to waste.” His voice sounded distant. Muffled. My head pounded as if I’d been drinking all night, back in my pre-zombie days. “Brian, help her, please.”
Dr. Nikas carried Portia out. I fumbled with the seat harness only to have Brian unbuckle it for me. Somehow he managed to get me out of the helicopter without my weirdly numb legs giving way.
“Wha tha fuck iss wrong with me?” I slurred.
“It’s from the injection he gave you,” Brian said. “That’s all I know.” He wrapped an arm around my waist and fast-walked us toward the door. With the movement, an all-body tingle gradually replaced the numbness.
Jacques and Philip were waiting for us by the entrance. Dr. Nikas passed Portia to Philip then gestured for me to hurry after him.
It was a good thing the tingle was turning into an electric rush—like a super shot of combat mod—because Dr. Nikas sprinted into the building with Jacques. I disengaged from Brian and ran after them to the medical wing. Toward Nick’s room, I realized as we turned onto his corridor.
Dr. Nikas burst into his room, with me a second behind him.
Bear shot from the chair. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
On the bed Nick moaned, “Braaaaaains.”
I didn’t know the answers to Bear’s questions, so I gestured to Dr. Nikas.
Who gestured right back at me. “Go on, Angel. Bite Nick. By now your parasite has synthesized the compound I injected into you. But you need to bite him now.” He took my arm and not-so-gently pushed me in the direction of the bed. “Bite him, Angel.”
Good thing I trusted Dr. Nikas with my entire being. Plus, I was willing to do anything to save Nick. “Er, anywhere?”
“As long as you break the skin and salivate.”