Falling Apart (Barely Alive #2) (18 page)

A knock on the door and Dominic whispered, “Enter.”

A smallish boy, no older than twelve, maybe thirteen, darted inside. He stopped beside Dominic without sparing me a glance. Dominic held open his hand and the boy dropped a small phone in Dominic’s hand. A phone I recognized. A phone I needed.

And shit. A phone Dominic could not realize was meant for me.

I don’t know which was more horrifying, a young pre-teen marred by the virus or that my cover may have been blown. Shit, who was I kidding? Undercover agent, I was not.

Hands shaking, I watched the exchange like I had no idea what was going on. Dominic nodded at the boy and placed the phone on the table. It sat between us like a mine waiting to explode. Who acknowledged its presence first – lost.

My gaze stuck  to the small phone. I was hungry enough my focus would shift easily, but nothing came within range to pull me from my fixation.

Dominic spoke first, his tone giving nothing away. “So, Paul. It seems we have a situation.”

A situation? Seems?
Shit, Dominic, you really are an idiot. We’ve had a damn situation since you couldn’t be bothered with finishing your experiments before trying them on people. Hell, we face the end of humanity as we know it. More than a messed up situation, if you ask me.

I didn’t reply. Too many angry words would spill out and seal the furnace behind me. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for him to continue. It was Dominic after all. Whether I spoke or not, Dickhead would continue. He couldn’t help himself.

“I’m not going to force you to stay. I don’t really care one way or the other since you don’t have long. But I am going to ask that you make one small phone call for me, before you make up your mind.” He flipped open the phone and pushed some numbers. Holding up his finger at me, he stared into space as the phone rang and rang.

A prerecorded voice answered. “Bonner County Records is not open. Please leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.”

Dominic’s gaze swung to mine. He flipped the phone shut. “Call Heather’s Grandma Jean.” He handed me the phone. “I want to know the details behind Heather’s immunity and her genealogy.”

I accepted it slowly. I didn’t want to call her. Telling her I wouldn’t return with Heather would get to my mom. “I don’t have anything to say to her.”

“But I do.” He offered a half-smile, patronizing my belief that I had a choice.

I handed the phone back, replacing it on the table when he wouldn’t take it. “Then you call her. You know the number.” Maybe it was wrong, maybe I was putting myself in more danger than I needed to be in, but I couldn’t hold in my anger toward him any longer. I wouldn’t call or do something, if I didn’t want to.

The meat was wearing off. I could feel it in my hands. The same time my real feelings asserted themselves against Dominic. I’d eaten human and my emotions had been controlled to a degree. When I’d eaten animal, he hadn’t been able to get reactions out of me. Power wrapped up in human flesh would explain why Brian hadn’t shown disgust or anxiety during his control under Dominic.

He didn’t control me anymore. I didn’t have to stay with him or help him. I didn’t have to do a damn thing. And Heather wasn’t under his thumb. I needed to get out of there. Get to Sandpoint. All the reasons for staying slid away and they didn’t seem convincing any longer.

Dominic arched his eyebrow – the left one that had a sharp point in the center. Not for the first time, I wondered if he had tweezed it that way. “Paul, you’re not in the position to tell me no. I know it seems like you are, but really – you’re not.” He pushed the phone across the table. The rub of the plastic on the surface scratched and tore through the silence.

I stared at him and ignored the phone. Never would I bow down to him. Never again. I had days and I’d hold onto my pride for as long as could.  For a moment we stared down and didn’t move. The boy shifted beside Dominic, but made no other sounds. I’d be surprised if he breathed.

Dominic, the asshole, showed teeth, but not in a smile. I had no words for the look on his face. The door thrust open behind me. I didn’t look away from his eyes. Rough hands grabbed me from behind. But I didn’t look away. I wouldn’t.

Two boys pulled me to my feet and held me there. I wasn’t smart enough to struggle. Too damn proud to look away from Dominic.

He smirked, calm in his position as leader. “Let me tell you what’s going to happen.” He stood and walked around me and his goons, tapping his fingers in the air to his own beat. The heat of his breath slapped my cheek when he pushed in close to add, “I’ll call Jean myself and you’ll keep your mouth shut, or I’ll cut out your tongue.”

Tongue? I didn’t need a tongue, but truth shut me up. I didn’t want my tongue cut out. The pain, in my over-sensitive state, would do damage. Shock held me still. His boys were stronger than they appeared. I couldn’t budge from their grasps. The entire time I’d been cocky – and my over-confidence was going to cost me.

Dominic leaned across the table and grabbed the phone. Slow, taunting me, he flipped open to the face and pushed buttons, the digital beeps loud in the hollow quiet. He pressed the piece to his ear and watched me, gauging my every possible reaction. I hoped he didn’t seek out the history of calls. Dominic would freak even more, if he knew that phone was mine.

The rings carried to me. I waited with my breath suspended as I wished no one would answer. My luck didn’t hold.

“Paul, it’s about time you called and checked in.” My mom’s voice carried to me, tiny in the large room. I closed my eyes. The truth was out. I was screwed. I’d forgotten Grandma Jean had caller ID in parts of the house besides the kitchen.

Dominic’s grin widened. Pure evil sparkled on his teeth. My insides shrank and I just know if I breathed too hard my stomach would pop. “No, Mrs. Ledger, this is Dominic. I have Paul with me. I’d like to talk to Heather’s grandmother.” The promise of pain lit up his eyes.

I couldn’t look away. Even if they dragged me from the room, I might leave my eyes on the table and my ears on the chair.

My mom didn’t reply. A moment passed and Grandma Jean’s accented voice came on. “Dominic.”

“Hello, Jean. Nice to talk to you again.” So formal. So acidic.

“I don’t know that I feel the same way. What can I do for you? Are you going to tell me I have to go to a hospital again to find my granddaughter dead?” Her voice hardened. “I have to tell you, I won’t be so easily convinced this time.”

Dominic shook his head a tiny amount. “I wouldn’t stoop so low twice, Jean. But I would like to inform you that your
daughter
is dead.”

The thrust to my gut pummeled me more effectively than if someone had kicked me with steel-toed boots. So Grandma Jean was really Heather’s grandmother and not adoptive. Brian’s mom was Heather’s mother and Brian must be Heather’s brother. I couldn’t place the importance of Heather’s adoptive parents. If she had a mother that she was raised with, why would she have to live with and be claimed by the worst people I’d ever met – second only to Dominic?

Grandma Jean remained calm. “Is this a joke? I don’t have a daughter.”

Or maybe my suppositions had been wrong.

Dominic laughed. “Don’t try to play games with me. I found out all about your granddaughter as soon as I could after discovering her immunity. I wanted the blood lines. But your daughter and you don’t have the right combination. I fed her to her son.” Nausea threatened me with the strength of delight behind his smile. The bastard was really enjoying himself.

“You’re sick. I don’t know that I believe you. Where’s Heather?” Grandma Jean’s voice rose a couple octaves, making the words screechy and her accent thicker.

A sigh emitted from the cat as he played with the mouse. “Sadly, she didn’t choose to stay with me. I’m not sure where she is but she’s with James and he hasn’t eaten in a while. I doubt you’ll see
her
again either.” He snapped his fingers. “And I would offer you Brian, but he’s one of us now and I’m not sure about his self-control. Paul doesn’t seem to like him much.”

“Where’s Paul?” Grandma Jean fished for information, but she wouldn’t comprehend much when she was so overcome with shock.

Eyebrows raised with innocence, Dominic stepped forward until his face was inches from mine. “Why, Paul is here with me. That’s why I have
his
phone. Did you want to talk to him?” He turned on the speaker phone, not that I needed it. “Go ahead, Jean. Paul is right here. He can hear everything and answer you as well.” His eyes dared me to defy him and declare anything but what he’d said. Oh, I was going to pay for my deceit.

“Paul?” Her voice shrank with doubt. I could almost hear the questions running through her head.

I held Dominic’s gaze. “Yeah, Grandma Jean. I’m here.”

“Where’s Heather? Is she okay?” The lack of confidence made me sad. She didn’t know exactly what we were or what we could do, but she had a fair idea and she might actually believe James would eat her granddaughter. I didn’t doubt Heather was safe with him, but he was my brother and he didn’t have a ton of control. Even I knew that.

I cleared my throat. “As far as I know Heather is okay. She’s with James. How’s my mom?” Dominic thrust his finger at my face and pressed his nose closer to mine. He shook his head. Okay, no questions about my mom.
Whatever.

“She’s fine, dear. Is Heather at least headed home, Paul?”
Thatta girl, Grandma Jean, don’t let Dominic dominate your emotions. He can’t play with them, if he can’t get at them.

Without waiting for Dominic’s permission, I answered. “Yes. Hopefully, she’ll be home soon.” A fist connected with the soft spot between my kidney and spine. A moan escaped me – the little pricks hit hard. I crumpled to the ground, abandoning the conversation.

“Don’t worry about James. We’ll fix him right up, good as new, when he gets home. Connie and Travis have been very successful.” Jean’s words came at me as if through a tunnel. The promise in the words was overwhelming. A cure? She’d just told me James would be fixed, good as new.

Dominic didn’t move, his eyes bugged.

Grandma Jean continued. “And when you get home, we’ll fix you up, too.” I kept my eyes closed. I couldn’t betray the tears threatening to pour down my cheeks. Yes, in that very moment, I was the weakest creature on Earth. How the hell would I survive long enough to receive the cure? I had mere days. And if Dominic had his way, I’d never make it past that point.

The Holy Grail was in Sandpoint. I only had days left, miniscule days, and a cure hadn’t seemed possible. But, if Grandma Jean told the truth, the cure had been found. My salvation. And it was in Sandpoint!

But I was in Boise.

With Dominic.

Hell had never seemed so bleak.

Dominic hung up. “The bitch is lying. There’s no cure.”

His boys pulled me from the ground. Every ounce of my being went into lifting my head. As my body worked to heal the pounding in my back, the rest of me tingled with hunger. I’d never make it to Sandpoint. I’d never see Heather again. Or James. Or my mom.

More energy spent on a shrug and an eyebrow lift. Attitude might be my undoing. I had to escape. I had to get back to Sandpoint. But I’d never find animal meat in town. And I wasn’t going to get far before my body died. I’d fall somewhere, while the zombie apocalypse unfolded before my eyes – at least until my eyes dried up and I was just a pulsing brain. Uck.

Head shaking, Dominic filled my space. “That’s impossible. They can’t work that fast.
Science
doesn’t work that fast.”

Nothing could contain the adrenaline pumping through me. Or the fear. Or the damn certainty that Connie and Travis had done it. They’d found the cure. “They found a vaccine in hours. Travis and Connie are smart, but add the increased intelligence of the virus and ability to constantly feed and I’m not surprised. Plus, this virus is outside of scientific reality. Why the hell wouldn’t everything related to it be outside the bounds of plausibility?” My snarky words cost me more energy. But the pure red hatred spreading up his face and pushing behind his eyes was worth losing digits for.

He clapped. “Boys.” And suddenly the conversation was over. The two kids dragged me backward. I couldn’t get my feet under me and their hands clamped just below my shoulders in the crick of my arms and chest, effectively cutting off my attempts to struggle. Shit, they were strong.

Dominic didn’t move as I disappeared. The anger on his face was shadowed in doubt. Whether I’d scared him or just pissed him off didn’t matter at the moment. He still had the upper hand. Cure or not.

I gave up fighting. I just didn’t have it in me. The last words I heard from Dominic before leaving the room would have given me a heart attack, if my heart wasn’t already broken. “We head north tonight.”

North? As in Sandpoint. He may not believe the cure statement, but he couldn’t take the chance. Dominic needed the cure more than he needed anything else – or he’d soon be in the same boat as the rest of us.

In the hall, I tried turning my head to bite the boys, but no matter which way I turned, I couldn’t get the right angle. They pulled me inexplicably forward, like I wasn’t struggling or moving or the size of a football player – okay, depleted muscles had reduced my size but still my bony frame wasn’t small.