Love in the Time of Zombies (24 page)

Scotlyn’s
eyebrows tugged together. 
What kind of chopper is it?

I
have no idea.

Well
find out.  I told you, one of my foster dads was a pilot.

Zeke
paused for a beat.
  Hang on. 
Somehow, images were suddenly overlapped
in front of her eyes.  She blinked rapidly trying to clear her vision, but that
didn’t fix it.  In fact, it got worse.  The lab faded into the background and
she was staring at the console of a Bell 206.  She realized that she was looking
through Zeke’s eyes.

Recognize
it? 
He demanded.

It
was so damn sad that this wasn’t the weirdest part of her day.  It didn’t even
break the top five. 
Yeah, I recognize it.
  Her foster father had flown
one just like it when he took tourists on Grand Canyon sightseeing excursions. 
Scotlyn adjusted to this newest madness like a champ and got down to business. 
Zeke, I can fly that thing.

Jesus,
I’m sooo giving you that raise.

“It
was all
obvious
.”  Lars must have been at a particularly emotional part
of his story, because his voice rose in agitation.  “History will know that.  When
I tried to get Federal funding for my idea, though, the close-minded fools wouldn’t
listen.”  He shook his head in disgust.  “Finally, I decided to release Project
Pink on my own.  Others saw I was right.  They saw it was the only way and they
joined me.  What we did was pure.”  He scowled.  “All the hiccups we’ve
experienced so far are a direct result of governmental blindness.  With a
little bit more funding, I could’ve worked the kinks out of the gas and we
never
would have seen some of these side effects.  Now it’s up to me to save humanity
from the…”

Scotlyn’s
jaw dropped, processing his rambling speech.  “Hang on,
you
did this? 
You stupid son-of-a-
bitch!  You did this?!”

Trixie? 
Why’d you go quiet?  You’d better not be arguing with the kidnappers.

“Did
you hear what that maniac said?”  She was so angry she started speaking out
loud again and had to switch back to stealth mode so Zeke could hear. 
He’s saying
humans released that pink gas!

Humans
did this?  Fuck, I knew they were destructive, but I wasn’t giving those little
bastards enough credit.

“I’m
not a maniac!”  Lars screamed.  “That’s what everyone thought, but I was
right.  Project Pink
worked
.”

“Yeah,
it worked like a charm, you psycho.  You turned all the humans into
zombies.
”

“That’s
a glitch!”

“A
glitch?
  They’re eating each other’s brains in the streets!”

“A
scientist can’t always predict the results of his experiments!”  He bellowed. 
“I couldn’t anticipate the speed that it spread or all the side effects.”

“You
murdered millions of people!”

“It
was for the greater good.”  Lars insisted with the crazed expression of a true
zealot.  “My life has been dedicated to stopping the supernatural threat.  Once
the glitch resolves itself, Project Pink will be back on target.”

“How
can it
possibly
resolve itself?”

His
eyes glowed with madness.  “Monsters don’t turn when they’re bitten.”

“So?”

“Don’t
you see?  We just need to isolate
why
they’re protected and we can use
it to save the humans who are left.  It’s all up to me.”  He nodded to himself. 
“This is my
true
mission.  The AHA recruited me, because I’m a
visionary
and now I can prove it.  I’m a
hero
and a great…”

Scotlyn
cut him off because she didn’t care.  “What’s the AHA?”

“The
All Human Army, of course.”  His gaze took on a faraway look and he turned back
to the camera.  “They were the only ones who saw my potential.  They too knew
of the monsters hidden in our midst and wanted to help me defeat them.  All of
this was done to
save
humanity.  History will see that.  That’s why I’ve
been keeping this journal for so long.  It’s my legacy.”

“You’ve
killed
history along with everything else.”

Lars
disregarded that and launched into some philosophical rant about how he’d never
get a Nobel Prize now that the selection committee was probably dead and wasn’t
that punishment enough?

If
she could’ve gotten free of the restraints she would’ve killed him herself.

Scottie? 
Can we deal with the human later?  I kinda need that flying lesson, now.

She
tipped her head back and tried to calm down.  None of this could be undone. 
All she could do now was focus on saving what was left of the future.  And,
from the moment she first met him, Zeke Macready was at the dead center of all
her tomorrows. 
Okay, pay attention and I’ll walk you through starting the
chopper.  Do
exactly
what I say, understand?

God,
I love it when you’re bossy.

Scotlyn
looked back over at Lars.  He was examining her blood under the microscope, still
muttering to himself.  Apparently, he didn’t like what he saw, because he
lifted his head to flash her a strange look.

Shit. 
If he killed her, who was going to get Zeke off that roof?

Scotlyn
started rattling off instructions as fast as she could. 
Make sure the
throttle is off.  It should be a handle between the front two seats.  It twists
like a motorcycle grip.

Got
it.

Just
above that is a starter button.  Press and hold it.  There’s a dial on the top
left of the console that says engine oil.  Watch it.  It should start going up. 
Below that is the TOT gauge.  We need it to be under one-fifty.  And below
that
is another gauge that should say N1.  When it reaches sixty percent, release
the starter button.

Jesus. 
It can’t just have a key to turn?

Concentrate! 
Her
eyes stayed on Lars, who was busily preparing another needle.  Trevor, her
foster father would have a conniption over how fast she was racing through the
startup procedures, but she didn’t have much time. 
To get in the air,
you
need to lift that handle with the throttle like it’s the emergency brake on a
car.  See the peddles on the floor?  They control the back rotor.  They’re how
you steer in a circle.  Step down harder on the right during liftoff to balance
out the torque of the top.  The stick between your legs is how you steer up and
down and forward.

You’re
talking too fast.  What’s wrong?

She
kept going.
  When you’re in the air, make sure you’re not flying too close
to buildings or power lines.  And keep it slow.  You don’t want the blades to
hit anything.  Try to stay near the ground, because I’m not sure I’m going to
be here to tell you how to land.  You might have to jump.  Aim for a lake or
something.

What
do you mean you’re not going to be here?  What the fuck is happening?  I can’t
see you anymore.

That
was because she was figuring out how to block him.  She didn’t want him to
watch this.  Z
eke, don’t come here
.  She swallowed. 
I think it’s
going to be too late.
  She snapped off the connection, before he could
protest.

Lars
reached the side of the table and squinted down at her.  “Your blood isn’t
normal.”  He told her in the grave voice of a doctor reporting he’d found a
suspicious lump.  “We’re going to need to run some more tests.”

She’d
rather he just kill her outright.  “No need.  I’m a shape shifter, now.  See?”  She
tried to raise her wrist to show him that weird tattoo, but it was strapped to
the table.  “I was Changed to stop me from becoming a zombie.  There’s no
mystery, at all.”

“That
marking just means you
mated
with shifter.  It doesn’t mean you
are
a shifter.”

“Mated?”

“According
to my sources, it’s how monsters marry each other.”

Well,
that explained the mysterious “ritual” thing, then.  She’d apparently missed
her own wedding.  Zeke better pray she died before she got her hands on him.  “Okay,
well, he
also
bit me so…
Ow!”

Lars
stuck the needle into her arm.  “Don’t worry.”  He patted her shoulder.  “We’ll
figure out why your blood is special.  Science always knows the truth.”

Bright side
to the zombie apocalypse:

The threat
of more
Twilight
movies is finally gone forever

Darcy
was soaking wet and more pissed off than ever.  Since she’d already been pretty
frigging pissed off to begin with, that was really saying something.  In fact,
they were now reaching world record holding levels of
pissed off at the
universe
.

“A
water hazard.”  She twisted half the lake out of her ponytail as she crouched
down next to Zeke in the parking garage.  “I still can’t believe you crashed
our only ride out of town into
a water hazard
, Z.”

“At
least your hands weren’t chained.”  Caleb retorted, holding up his cuffed
wrists.  “I swear to Christ, I’m going to kick Joseff’s ass for this.  Oh, and
yours.
” 
He nodded towards Zeke.  “Darcy’s right.  That helicopter
might’ve
come
in handy, genius.  Now, it’s at the bottom of that lake.”

“It
was the best I could do on the landing.”  Zeke snapped.  The pet carrier was
looped over his shoulder and, inside, Pucci was furiously trying to clean her
soggy fur.  “I didn’t hear anyone else volunteering to pilot it.”

“
I
did.”  Darcy reminded him.  She didn’t know how to fly a helicopter, but she’d
been eager to try.  Any kind of machine delighted her.

Cale
snorted.  “You drive like a maniac on the roads, I’m sure not going to trust
you in the sky.  Besides, Zeke was the one with Amelia Earhart talking in his
ear.”

“Well,
she’s not talking in my ear, now.”  Zeke’s face was grim.  He’d been tense and
brooding ever since he’d lost contact with Scotlyn right before takeoff.

Darcy
knew exactly how he felt.

Both
of them wanted their mates back and were willing to do whatever it took to make
it happen.  Once she found Joseff, she planned to make sure he never left her
sight again.  She’d given him plenty of time to figure things out on his own
and seduce her like any reasonable mate would, but he was determined to be a
moron.

Obviously,
Darcy would have to take charge.  Left to his own devises, Joseff did brilliant
things like get himself kidnapped by humans.

“We
should be getting out of here.”  Brewer whined.  “Didn’t you say the girl told
you to forget about her, Z?  We leave behind anyone who can’t keep up.  That’s
pack rules.”  He’d been complaining about this trip nonstop.  If it were up to
Brew, they’d be halfway to Mexico, by now.

But,
still he stuck around.

The
four of them had made their way across the golf course, thorough a shitload of
zombies, to the reach the parking structure of the Coney Island.  The damn
thing was a seven story cement nightmare, but the cars helped conceal their
movements and the third level led directly into the casino.  It was the best
point of access.

Except
Darcy had no idea how to actually
access
it.

Two
armed men were guarding the glass door.  There was no way passed them without
getting shot.  Since Joseff was trapped on the other side, she was going to
have to think of something, though.  No one was keeping Darcy from her mate. 
Especially not these plastic wrapped zealots.  Various human nut jobs were
always waging war on the supernatural, but these jerkoffs were way more
organized than most.  They’d taken it to another whole level of crazy.

“If
you want to go
go
.”  Zeke snarled at Brewer.  He peered around the edge
of an SUV towards the casino entrance.  “But if you do, you’re going alone. 
I’m not leaving Scotlyn, Darcy’s not leaving Joseff, and Cale’s staying with
us.”

Darcy
was shocked Zeke was still on his feet, given he was coming off of two
back-to-back Changes.  Most other shifters would still be unconscious if they
tried that without a full moon.  Or they’d be dead.  The guy was pale and drawn
and about to keel over, but he just wouldn’t quit.  Pretty impressive for the
shiftless dreamer of the pack.

“Why
the hell should Cale stay with you two?”  Brewer complained.  “He’s got no dog
in this fight.  He should come with me.  If you live, we’ll meet up with you
idiots south of the boarder.”

Darcy
snorted.  “He’s staying with us, Brew.”  She agreed.  “You think we’re going to
hand him over to
your
care while he’s in those cuffs?  First sign of
trouble, you’d leave him for dead.”

Caleb
shot Darcy and Zeke a surprised look, as if he hadn’t expected them to care.