Lost World (38 page)

We reach the car and Angus jumps into the passenger seat. Axl pulls open the back door, tossing the boxes into the back before pulling me forward. Shoving me inside ahead of him. Then he slides in after me and shuts the door, slamming it just as Parvarti throws the car into gear.

She doesn’t say anything as she turns the car around and speeds out of the woods, making a sharp turn onto County Line Road. Once we’re on our way though, she looks back. Her eyes sweep over me, then turn to Axl. When she moves on to study Angus, her eyebrows pull together.

“You out of bullets?” she asks, her voice as even as it would be if she were asking someone to pass the salt at dinner.

Angus nods and his hand automatically going to his injury. “Yup.”

She nods once, then turns to focus on the road. “We’ll take care of it when we get back. Maybe the ground is still soft enough for us to dig a hole.”

“No!” Axl shouts, his words vibrating off the walls of the kitchen. “You ain’t shootin’ him! It’s been hours and nothin’s changed. He ain’t turnin’.”

“But he will,” Winston says calmly.

Angus sits at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in front of him and Darla at his side while the rest of us stand near the island. It’s like we’re afraid to get too close. The generator is on, and the lights are bright enough that I can see how bad the bite on Angus’s shoulder really is. Even if he doesn’t turn, he may get an infection. It’s already red and swollen.

“We need to give it some more time,” I say.

Winston shakes his head, and Joshua swipes his hand through his hair. Lila looks like she’s ready to cry, which doesn’t make a lot of sense, because she and Angus hate each other. Al’s frowning, while Brady drums his fingers on the counter. Parvarti doesn’t even blink.

“What do you think we’ll gain by waiting?” Brady asks calmly.

Axl glares at him, but the other man doesn’t even acknowledge it.

“I don’t know,” I admit.

“I haven’t been around this yet, so I’m not sure what to expect,” Brady begins slowly, “but I’ll be honest. Based on what you’ve said, I tend to agree with Vivian. It sounds like this doesn’t fit the normal pattern, which could end up being a good thing.”

“So what, then?” Parvarti asks, her voice low. “You think he’s immune?”

Everyone’s eyes move toward me, then over to where Angus sits.

“I don’t know,” I reply. “I’m just saying this is different. You all know it is.”

“People aren’t immune to viruses. Not the way you’re implying,” Winston says calmly.

I turn to face Joshua, trying to ignore the way Axl won’t stop pacing or how Darla won’t stop sobbing. “What do you think? Is it possible?”

Joshua puts his hands on his head and squeezes his skull. I’m not sure if he’s trying to hurt himself or if he has a headache he’s trying to massage away. “It’s hard to say. I’m not a virologist and we don’t really know much about this virus. One thing we do know: this thing is manmade. There was never any doubt about that.”

“So it’s possible?” Axl says.

I turn to find him standing in the middle of the room, staring at Joshua like he holds the key to life and death.

“I just don’t know.”

“So what do you suggest?” Winston asks.

He finally trimmed his beard, but now that he has, I can see how thin his face has become. He looks older, too. The skin around his eyes droops and his shoulders are slumped like it’s too much effort to keep them up.

“We wait,” I say calmly.

“We have to,” Sophia says, speaking up for the first time. “We can’t kill him if there’s a chance.”

Winston looks around, and I follow his gaze to find everyone nodding. The only people who seem to be unconcerned are Parvarti and Angus.

“Alright,” Winston says. “We wait. But if he reaches the point where he starts to act catatonic, we have to end it. And I want someone watching him constantly while he’s sleeping.” His eyes move to Axl, and he frowns. “Someone who will be able to put a bullet in his head without hesitation.”

I’d laugh if things weren’t so screwed up. Most of the people standing here have probably thought about putting a bullet in Angus’s head on more than one occasion.

Axl heads over to join Angus and Darla at the table while almost everyone else files out of the kitchen. I think about following Axl but decide not to. He doesn’t really act like he’s pissed at me anymore, but he’s preoccupied with his brother and I don’t want to get in the way.

Brady starts washing mugs, and Parvarti hasn’t moved from where she’s leaning against the refrigerator. Everyone else disappears in a matter of seconds. It’s getting late and the sun has started to set, and I know people are anxious to shower while we have electricity, but I still hate that they all ran off. Without Axl next to me, I feel alone.

“I miss Hadley,” I say.

Parvarti turns to face me, her brown eyes holding mine for a few seconds before she says, “Hadley is gone and soon Angus will join her.”

Anger shoots through me until my face is hot and I feel like I’m going to burst. “Can’t you feel anything?”

“I don’t want to feel,” she says, pushing herself away from the fridge.

“Where did your compassion go? You weren’t like this when we met. I know you lost Trey and I’m sorry, but we have it so much better than we could.”

“This is all temporary. Enjoy it while you can.”

Parvarti turns and heads out of the kitchen, and I clamp my mouth shut so I don’t make it worse. With the way my blood is boiling, I’m liable to say something I’ll really regret. Like telling her to just go ahead and end it if she’s so sure there’s no future.

Brady stops in the middle of scrubbing a mug. “Not everyone can deal. Just give her some time.”

“I’ve given her time,” I say. “If anything, she’s gotten colder. More detached.”

He goes back to his mug, not looking up at me when he says, “Then maybe this isn’t the world for her.”

“Maybe,” I mutter, leaving the kitchen with my blood still on fire.

Joshua is just coming back into the house when I reach the front door, carrying a bag full of medical supplies. He puts it down so he can remove his shoes while I shove my feet into mine.

“You going to clean the bite?” I ask, nodding toward the bag.

“Figured I should. Not sure if he’s going to make it, but if he does, he may need antibiotics. That bite looks pretty nasty.”

When his shoes are off, Joshua scoops the bag up and heads toward the kitchen. I pause for just a second and say a silent prayer. Asking God to save Angus seems more off than any of the other requests I’ve thrown His way since this whole thing started, but that doesn’t mean God won’t hear me.

Once I’m done, I head out into the icy night, cutting through the thick snow to the house Axl and I have been sleeping in. I’m tired and I don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.

By tomorrow, we should know for sure what this bite means for Angus.

I’m shivering when I wake up. The house is quieter than the world outside and colder than the arctic. Rays of light shine in through the window, hitting the bed and magnifying the fact that I’m alone. Axl never came to bed last night.

I knew he wouldn’t leave Angus, but for some reason it still hurts. Maybe I should have stayed, but I felt like they needed privacy after everything that had been said in the cellar. Angus’s admission couldn’t have been easy, and I know he only said what he did because he thought he was dying. If he doesn’t die, he’s going to have to face the fact that he admitted he has feelings. It isn’t going to be an easy thing for him.

The question is: did Angus make it through the night?

There’s a part of me that dreads heading over to Brady’s house, but another part can’t stand the thought of going another second living in suspense.

I crawl out of bed and dress as quickly as I can before hurrying downstairs. Outside, the world is calm and white—and cold as fuck. It would be pretty if I wasn’t so scared that my legs threaten to collapse with every step I take.

Footprints cut through the snow, leading from the couple houses we’ve occupied to Brady’s place. It’s hard to tell if they’re from last night or this morning, though, and I don’t have a clue what time it is. Late morning, judging by the sun.

When I shove the front door open at Brady’s, I’m hit with voices and laughter, as well as the orgasmic scent of coffee and something baking. It’s hard to say what it is, but it makes my stomach growl. The atmosphere is way too cheery. There’s no way Angus had to be put down.

I kick my boots off as fast as I can and hurry to the kitchen, where everyone seems to be crowded around the small table. Extra chairs have been pulled up, and the thing is so loaded with down coffee mugs I’m surprised it doesn’t collapse under the weight. Sophia and the kids are here, and Winston and Joshua. Even Anne, who still looks heartbroken, but stronger. Al and Lila share a chair, her tiny butt perched on his leg and his handless arm wrapped around her waist. Parvarti is leaning up against the wall, standing away from the group, and Brady is next to her.

When my eyes land on Angus, I let out a deep sigh of relief. Darla is glued to his side, cooing over him like a mother does a baby. It’s gross, but I’m so happy to see him sitting in the kitchen smiling—and getting along with everyone else—that I don’t think I’d care even if I’d walked in and found them doing it in the middle of the floor.

Axl seems to be the only person missing from the group.

Angus looks up and motions for me to come over. “Don’t be shy, Blondie, it ain’t your style.”

“You’re okay?” I say, crossing the room to stand in front of him. Smiling so much my cheeks hurt.

“Sure am. My shoulder still hurts like hell, but I ain’t gonna take a bite outta nobody any time soon.” His eyes move to my mom and he grins. “Except maybe you.”

Darla giggles and I roll my eyes, even though my disgust is only half-hearted.

“I’m so glad!”

Angus throws his head back and laughs. “Thought you might be. In fact, I was just tellin’ everybody how you blubbered all over yourself when you thought I was dyin’. Cryin’ like crazy, huggin’ me. Showin’ your real feelin’s for a change.”

I snort and roll my eyes again, but I can’t stop smiling. “You really love to push people’s buttons, don’t you?”

Angus laughs again, and almost everyone joins in. The mood is lighter than it was our first day back in the shelter, and I can’t blame anyone. Angus was bitten by a zombie and he
lived
. We didn’t think it was possible, and it suddenly feels like the clouds have opened up and the sun is shining down on us after weeks of darkness. It doesn’t feel real.

“Guess you were right,” Winston says, smiling. “Have to be honest, I never thought I’d be happy to see Angus’s face sitting across from me, but I am.”

“I feel cheated,” Al says, his mouth turning down into a mock frown. “I thought for sure I was going to get to shoot him in the head. It’s like the Grinch showed up and stole Christmas.”

Lila shoves him and he pulls her closer, and everyone starts laughing and talking so loudly I can’t make out any words. I’m so relieved I feel like doing a dance.

Angus is immune!