Impact (22 page)

“It’s a huge risk,” Asia said.

“We can’t take on this big compound, and the people of Fairport didn’t want to get involved. We don’t have numbers on our side, but I had to get in somehow to tell you our plan. You need to be ready to roll. Nick’s sure that if we use the element of surprise, when everyone is already at the gate, we might be able to get you out of here alive.”

“At the gate is one thing,” Asia said, “but how do we get out the gate? They aren’t just going to open the door and give us a farewell party.” 

“We’ve got that covered. We’ve been staking the place out for days, and we know the schedule of their security detail. Just be by the main gates at two a.m. this Tuesday.”

Asia shook her head. “Tuesday is no good. They’ve got their best security on duty that day. Wednesday would be better, because this slacker named Lex just sits around playing poker. Not only that, but the guys get drunk after the fights. We can easily get to the gates on Wednesday.”

“Nick, Claire, Val, and Kate are coming tonight for more recon. We just have to leave them a note to tell them if there are any changes on our end.”

“Gee. Let me just get a Post-it, and I’ll stick it on the fence,” I said.

“Nice, Dean. Real freaking nice.”

That wasn’t me, but the stress was overwhelming. Maybe I was losing it. I just had to stay strong and focused. “Sorry. This place is just ticking me off.”

“Understood,” he said, looking around. “Look, all we’ve gotta do is just leave the message under the dirt, under the fence, by the boulders on the south side.”

“I’ll take care of that,” Asia said. “Kirk is on your butt since you’re a rookie, and Dean is watched pretty closely.”

“How did you get yourselves into this mess?” Lucas asked.

“We were fighting and they just grabbed us. We thought it was Z’s gang.”

“You’re lucky I’m crazy enough to come in.”

“We’ve been trying to figure out how to break out, but never in a million years would I have thought you’d break in. I didn’t even know if any of you were still alive after that raid.”

“Once the dust settled in Fairport, we questioned everyone we found. Fortunately, that guy was pissed at Kirk and ready to sing. We didn’t even have to bribe or threaten him.”

“I’m glad for that.” I sighed. “Is Val gonna be okay? I’ve been so worried about her.”

“She’s hurting, man. Losing Max was a huge blow for her. We gave him a proper burial and everything.”

“I wish we could’ve been there for her,” I whispered sincerely.

“It isn’t your fault. You didn’t know this psycho was gonna kidnap you.”

“How’s Val shoulder?” I asked. “Right before they took me, I saw her get stabbed in a fight.”

“It’s healing well. Luckily, it was shallow.”

“I’m glad she’s alright.” 

“I can’t believe you went out on a limb like this for us,” Asia said.

He smiled. “That’s what friends are for. The plan is to get out nice and quick.”

“Good, because I don’t wanna stick around here one minute longer than I have to,” I said.

“T
ime for a little field trip, Dean,” Kirk said. He then escorted me to the local jail. He led me inside, and I saw Marcus, Elliot, and Theo. A dozen of Kirk’s men were seated at tables, playing cards. 

“What’s going on?” I asked.

Kirk looked at me. “These men were caught trying to escape last night.”

I swallowed hard; I knew Kirk’s wrath would be hard and swift, and there was nothing I could do to help those guys, because there were far too many guards. They’d overpower me in a heartbeat, and then I’d be in the same shoes as Marcus and his companions. Sure, Marcus had fought me in the ring, but outside the squared circle, we were just two guys caught in the same nasty net.

“I want out of here,” Elliot said.

“You killed Lewis and Toby in cold blood, man!” Marcus yelled. “I grew up with Toby. He carried me five long miles in the woods when I was attacked by a bear. He risked his life to save a baby when nobody else would because zombies had broken into the house. And Lewis risked his life to save my grandmother when her house burned down and zombies surrounded her. Those were honorable guys, and now you’re holding me against my will, making me fight, you murdering pig!”

Kirk walked over to the table where the guys were playing guards, their rifles leaning up against the wall. “What do ya think, fellas? Should we give these boys a spot on the Blood Fest roster?”

“Oh yeah!” a guy said. “Make ‘em fight each other. It’ll be a good riddance either way.”

“I won’t fight my friends!” Marcus said.

“Can’t you just give them another chance?” I pleaded. “So they messed up. They deserve one more shot.”

“That’s not how it works,” Kirk replied. He walked back over to the cell. “Blood Fest rules are...a bit different. One of you will live, and I’d put my money on Marcus.”

Marcus glared at him. “Live? You call this living? Man, you killed us all a long time ago by keeping us here like prisoners, making us fight against our will. Why don’t you just get it over with?”

I blinked, stunned that Marcus would try to call a crazy man’s bluff. I knew he was playing it tough because that was what Kirk liked. Maybe he was trying to show how tough he was so Kirk wouldn’t kill him, so Kirk would find him too much of an asset to be wasted. 

Apparently, Kirk didn’t feel that way at all, because in the blink of an eye, he pulled out his gun, aimed at Marcus’s head, and pulled the trigger. I ran over to stop him from doing the same to Elliot and Theo, but I was quickly jumped by four men when they toppled their table and scrambled to get me, knocking playing cards all over the place.

Two more shots rang in my ears.

“Consider it over with then,” Kirk said, smirking down at the bloodied heads of the men.

“No!” I said as my face was pressed down against the floor, till I was staring right into the eyes of the queen of hearts. “How could you do that?”

Kirk held the gun up to my throat. “I had to kill them, Dean. Marcus challenged me, in front my men at that. Nobody does that and lives to tell about it. Blood Fest was his chance to live, but he blew it.”

“You were forcing him to kill his friends!” I said, fuming. 

“They should not have tried to escape. No matter though. That only proves they weren’t fit to be part of our community.” He shook his head and looked at his cronies. “Whew, it sure is a lot of work keeping people locked up, but I suppose they did add some variety in the fights for the short time they were here. I tried to convert them, to show them a good life here, but they clearly wanted nothing to do with my city.”

Ned shifted his weight. “It’s a darn shame you had to gun them down, Boss. I had a lotta bets out on that Marcus. That guy packed a punch.”

“I know. I guess my temper gets the best of me sometimes, but we can’t afford to have hotheads around here, men who won’t cooperate and be grateful for this opportunity.” He looked at me and sighed, then looked back at Ned. “Send a team out to find some replacements as soon as possible.”

Replacements
? I thought, dumbfounded by his lack of concern for human life. None of those guys deserved that fate, and Kirk just wrote them off like yesterday’s garbage.

Kirk touched my arm. “I’m sorry you had to witness that, but I have to keep people in check. For your sake, I promise we’ll give them a proper burial. Even though they don’t deserve it!”

“You did what you had to do,” I said, playing along.

He nodded, then looked over at his men. “Don’t just stand there. Bury these men outside the city!”

“I’ll help,” I said.

“Not this time, Dean. It’s time for your workout,” Kirk said.

“Mine too,” a big, tough guy said. “I’ll walk you over.”

About six more of the men joined us, laughing and joking as we walked, going on with their mindless, robotic, meathead lives as if a triple homicide was nothing.

* * *

A
s soon as we got to the gym, I found Asia. After a few sets, we were able to sneak away to the bench presses. I told Asia everything, and she couldn’t believe it.

“Kirk just shot them in cold blood,” I said. “I tried to stop him, but I couldn’t,” I said, my voice wavering.

Asia finished her rep and let out a long breath. “They’re crazy.”

“If we get caught trying to escape, he’ll put bullets in our heads too,” I said. “We need to have weapons and fight like we’re breaking out of Hell.”

“If you ask me, we are. I’m so sorry you had to witness that.”

“I’ve seen zombies die left and right, but seeing human beings killed like that? It’s just...awful.” I sighed. “I think Kirk was playing mind games with me. He knew he was going to shoot them and that’s why he brought me along. He’s trying to scare me into submission.”

“He’s a sick man.”

“It’s Wednesday,” I said. “We leave tonight. We can’t spend another day in this insane asylum.”

“I agree. Kirk has lost his mind.”

“As if he ever had one in the first place.”

After Asia took off when our workout was over, Kirk came over to give me a pep talk. I tried to pretend like I cared, but truly I didn’t want to hear anything he had to say.

“What would you say is the worst thing that has happened to you?” he asked.

“Lots.”

“But what has affected you the most?” he probed. “And don’t sugarcoat your answers, son. I majored in psychology. I’ll know if you’re lying. Just be honest and straightforward with me.”

I pondered. “Taking another life,” I whispered. “That’s one image I’ll never get out of my head.”

“So that traumatizes you? Taking lives?” he asked, as if it meant nothing at all.

“Does that make me weak in your eyes?” I asked.

He refused to answer my question and simply said, “You’re honest, transparent. You speak your mind. I like that. You remind me so much of my oldest son. You even look identical to him. I’d love to welcome you into my city.”

I looked off, unable to think of one respectable word to say to him. It sickened me that he had the audacity to compare me to his son, because I certainly did not want to be related to him in any way.

“You’ve killed many zombies,” Kirk said. “Doesn’t that trouble you?”

“No.”

“Why?”

I thought for a moment. “Because they’re better off when I slay them.”

“Isn’t it the same for humans in this cruel world?”

“That’s different,” I said.

His eyes grew cold. “This is war, and it is not murder to kill someone in the face of battle. This whole experience has a stranglehold on your mind, and you must allow yourself to be set free from guilt and regret. Death has become part of life, son.”

I couldn’t bear to listen to the ramblings of a madman for much longer, so I just smiled and nodded in agreement, hoping he would shut up.

“I suppose you should head back to your room,” he said, finally changing the subject. “It’s almost dinnertime.”

“Yeah, I’m starving,” I lied. For some reason, I’d lost my appetite. 

* * *

I
couldn’t get word to Jackie or Lucas. I hadn’t seen them all day, but Asia assured me that they were aware of the plan. After we ate, I did my best to fake food poisoning, then later did my best gagging, something I’d learned to fake in grade school whenever I wanted to take the day off, which usually had something to do with a math test. I figured if my mom bought it, so would they, and I was right.

“Man, you’re sick,” the blond next to me said.

I held my stomach and moaned as if I’d swallowed a dozen razor blades. “I think there was something in the food,” I said. “Can you go get help?”

He looked at me, wide-eyed, then wondered off.

The nurse who came over to the table was dressed casually, in a t-shirt, jeans, and a long, gaudy sweater that would have been too out-of-fashion for even my grandmother. “What seems to be the problem?” she asked.

“It’s my stomach,” I said. “I feel like I’m gonna be sick.”

“Let me have a look,” she said, gesturing for me to lift my shirt. After pressing around on my midsection and looking at my eyes, she said, “Hmm. A few others are reporting similar symptoms. Let’s get you to sick bay,” she said.

Right on cue, I doubled over in pain. “I-I think I’m too sick to walk.”

“Stay right here,” she said, then turned to motion to two big guys. “Help this boy to the infirmary,” she ordered.

I lay down on the cot in the infirmary, then shot Jackie, Lucas, and Asia a glance. Without saying a word to them, I closed my eyes and pretended to nod off.

“I’m going to have a talk with that cook,” the nurse said to one of her assistants.

“Fred’s been washing his hands better since the last time you talked to him.”

“Obviously not. Look at all these sick people! Come on. We’ll check back on these kids later.”

As soon as they walked out, I hopped out of bed.

“We did it!” Asia said.

Lucas gave me a high-five. “Worked like a charm.” He looked down at his watch. “We’ve gotta get to those main gates though. We’ve got till midnight, per the change in plans.”

We stayed in the room and waited for what seemed like an eternity, making sure to fake severe symptoms whenever the nurse or her orderlies checked in on us.

“I think you should rest here for the night,” she said around eleven p.m. “If you need anything or start feeling sicker, just ring that big cow bell on the wall, and someone will come check on you.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled, then rolled over and pretended to go to sleep.

Lucas, meanwhile, was pulling off the best fake snore I’d ever heard. A short while after the nurse and her staff left, he looked down at his watch. “It’s almost go time,” he said with grin.

My stomach fluttered in excitement, and I hoped for a smooth escape. Knowing the others were coming for us made me smile. I couldn’t wait to see them, and I couldn’t wait to put some distance between us and Kirk’s crazy compound.

“I don’t ever want to see this town again,” Asia said.

I agreed. “Tell me about it. Talk about flying over the cuckoo’s nest.”

Jackie hurried over to the window and peered out through the curtains. “There’s a lotta security out there, guys,” she said, nervously biting her lip.