Outer Banks (27 page)

Members of the media gasped and almost immediately started shouting out questions. I guess they hadn't realized the news would be this big. Emery waited until the questions died down before continuing.

“That's right. A human with red blood who likes cheeseburgers and milkshakes.”

People laughed, more to break the tension than anything.

Corey waved at me from behind a curtain where he was waiting for his big reveal. He was acting cool, but I could see he was nervous. I gave him a thumbs up, then looked back to Emery as she continued.

She looked almost like a different person. Energetic, full of life, and utterly unattainable.

“I would like to introduce you to another Haunt who's been healed—” She didn't get to finish her introduction before she was interrupted by the sound of gunfire.

There was panic outside, but it sounded muffled from inside the building. The press wasn't sure what to do, and looked around to see if they should be worried. My eyes were locked on Emery. She was frozen in panic by the podium.

Corey had moved back behind the curtain away from the small crowd.

In the midst of this uncertainty a man in the back pulled something from inside his coat.

“GUN!” I ran the ten feet to Emery and pulled her to the ground, with my back facing the assailant. She wrapped her arms around me like she had that night when we were attacked by the rednecks. Her eyes locked onto mine.

I would never get over her. She was too much a part of my life. The life I wanted.

Shots rang out. A bullet splintered the podium where Emery had been standing. I was sure the next one would be in my back.

Chaos erupted. I heard the sounds of security tackling the gunman to the ground without firing a shot. I got Emery to her feet and moved her into the nearby booth on the other side of the platform, in case there were others. Emery stumbled inside the room. I pulled her down behind the counter before kicking the heavy door closed.

As they restrained and ushered him out, the man screamed about Mitchell Pharmaceuticals being puppets for the aliens and that this drug was the catalyst that would turn all the infected into Bugs. Talk about delusional.

Now that we had a moment to breathe I asked Emery, “Are you okay?”

“I am. Thank you,” she gasped.

“You're really okay? No pain?” Sometimes people didn't notice they were hurt when they were flooded with adrenaline.

“You're lying on my arm,” she pointed out.

I rolled off her quickly, and checked her arm. No blood.

I gave my heart the chance to catch up with the rest of me.

“I thought you were avoiding me,” Emery said as I stared up at the ceiling as my breathing slowed to a normal pace.

I smiled slightly. “I was.”

“Well, you may want to watch an instructional video on YouTube or something. I don't think using yourself as a shield is how most guys do the whole avoiding thing,” she said with a grin.

Her smile made me face the fact that I did want to fight for her. Trevor might be more her type, but I was at least going to try. For the first time since I'd left California, I knew I wasn't going to just give up.

The door opened as a member of OBX security checked in on us. “The situation is under control, but we'd like you to wait in here until we're sure. The crowd's getting ugly.”

“Right.” I sat up and leaned my back against the door after he left. Even through the walls we could hear the Haunt crowd outside the station still yelling. Emery didn't seem to be in a hurry to get up, and I didn't know if I could. I was still a bit rattled. She'd almost been gunned down right in front of my eyes, right as she was announcing a cure to the world.

“Look, Em—” I started.

“I know,” she interrupted. “I lied to you. I told you I would wait 'til you got back, but I was sure it would work, and it didn't feel right to test it on someone else first—no matter how brave they are. Trevor double checked my work and he was positive it was viable. I wasn't being careless.”

I tried desperately to brush it off. That was old news by now. “Em, it's okay. It all worked out.”

“But it's not—”

“Em! Are you okay?” Trevor pushed the door open and almost knocked me over onto my side. I scrambled up, I guess the threat was over. And with it, any chance for the two of us to talk alone.

It took half an hour to get everything in place to begin the presentation again. The security chief gave the press a brief statement about the men taken into custody—it seemed a few Haunts had tried to incite a riot outside and the gunman was one of three Sons of the Sun extremists inside, posing as reporters.

Adam had come over to thank me for saving Emery once more. I brushed it off and watched as Emery walked out after getting touched up and a fresh wardrobe.

Emery thanked everyone for staying, and apologized for the inconvenience, then began to recap her previous statements.

Corey was poised by the curtain again in a new shirt. His old one had gotten torn in the chaos.

When she had caught up she said, “Now I'd like you to welcome Corey McAllister—the first HANTS infected human to wake up cured.” She smiled and clapped.

The small audience clapped while Corey walked out. Cameras flashed and questions were shouted out. Corey waited until everyone could hear him.

“Hi, everyone! I wish I could say it's nice to be back at the Outer Banks, but it really isn't.” He shook his head as a few people laughed. “When I left here, I hoped I would never have to come back. But now that I have the chance to come back as a normal person, it's not all that bad. The burgers are good.” More chuckles.

Corey went on to explain how he had volunteered as a test subject and some of the talking points I was supposed to remember for later, but mostly it was about his own experience. Yes, there had been a blood transfusion. No, the process hadn't hurt. Yes, he was able to dream again. As he wrapped up, Emery went back up on the stage.

“Thank you, Corey,” Em said, as she gave him a hug. Lucky kid. He came over to stand next to me. I messed up his hair. “Good job.”

“After Corey and I were healed we were able to start testing on larger panels in secret. We wished to avoid the heartache and disappointment of those early trials you all remember. We've had a one hundred percent success rate and now feel it's time to bring the cure to you in the form of Dillondryl.”

That caught my ear. Dillon-dryl? Seriously?

“It's a stabilizing agent that neutralizes the infection and promotes red blood cell growth. In the early stages a blood transfusion was required to completely flush the inert alien fluid from the system, but we've modified dialysis machinery to perform the same function.”

Lots of murmurs now. Excitement echoed around the small group. I could only imagine it was amplified outside.

“For those of you watching this from the OBX. We've already created lists to service the healthiest infected first, allowing us more time to fine tune the process as we reach those whose systems are for whatever reason weakened. Please have your ID cards ready so you can be given your appointment time. This will be a lengthy process before we can treat everyone at the facility, and other nations will no doubt have similar difficulties. But now, for once, we have hope.”

I turned to Adam who was standing next to me. “When will they start?”

“Small groups right away, but it will be a while before we can do it on a larger scale.” I frowned at the delay. At least everyone had hope.

Hope was a powerful thing this morning. Word was that the hate groups who had been camped outside the gates were backing off. Soon there would be no Haunts to fear and hate.

When the ten hour sirens went off, I saw Corey twitch uncomfortably and then relax. He smiled at me. It was a pleasant thing to see. Corey helped me tear down the lights along with Rick's men once the sun came up.

“So?” he hinted.

“So what?” I pretended not to know what he was getting at.

“You said you would talk to her and those couple of minutes after you saved her life don't count. You need to tell her how you feel.”

“You know what?” I pointed my finger at him about ready to tell him to butt out of my business, but I knew it wouldn't work. I tried a different strategy. “I don't see her anywhere,” I looked around in places where I already knew she wasn't.

He chuckled and looked over my shoulder. “Try behind you.”

“Dillon?” There it was, the voice I was running away from like a coward—again.

Corey put his hand to his ear theatrically. “What's that? I think I hear Mr. Mitchell calling me. Coming, sir!” He pounded his fist lightly to my shoulder with a big grin. “Tell her.”

I turned to see Emery a few yards from me. Corey was still mumbling to himself as he left me alone with her. I took a breath.

I swallowed, trying to find some strength. “Hi.”

“You seem to have mastered that avoiding thing after all,” she said jokingly. She held up two bottles of beer and handed one to me. “I didn't get to say thank you for saving my life.”

I took the beer, realizing I never really knew the real her. I didn't even know she liked beer. I took a swig and tried to suppress a frown.

“So thank you, Dillon.”

“No problem.”

She smiled. “I'm sure that's not true. I've been nothing but a problem since we met.” I sat my beer on the edge of the fence, feeling like I needed to be able to run if given the chance.

“You look…well… Like yourself, I mean,” I stammered. I couldn't pull my eyes from her face. Her bright green eyes, her radiant skin.

“Yes. I like food again and I can stay out in the sunshine.” She turned her face up to the bright morning sky. It was a wonderful sight. “But those were just physical conditions. Like you kept reminding me, I was always a person.”

“I'm really happy for you. I knew you could do this. You wanted it bad enough.”

“I don't always get everything I want.”

“Are you sure about that?” I sniffed a laugh and she laughed with me. It was an amazing sound.

“Were you angry at me for going ahead with the experiment?” she asked.

I answered honestly. “Yes.”

“Is that why you left?”

“No.” I shook my head. She waited but I didn't elaborate.

“I got your messages after you left,” she said. “The ones you left when you were going to pick up Corey and when you were coming back with him. I couldn't answer because I knew I was going to have to lie to you. I thought you'd hear it in my voice and try to stop me.”

“As if anyone could stop you from doing something.” I looked over at Trevor, who was still answering questions from the press pool. “No matter how stupid it is.”

She noticed my glance and took a deep breath.

“Do you love me, Dillon?” she asked. No more beating around the bush, I guess. “Corey said you did, but you never said it, and you haven't answered my calls…”

“Corey has a big mouth.” I glared at the boy, still talking with Adam.

“Okay, so Corey has a big mouth, but is he a
liar
?”

Why not tell her the truth? It couldn't possibly hurt worse to have her know, regardless of what came next.

“Yes! Yes, I do love you. Okay?”

“But you left without saying good-bye. Without making sure I'd wake up. I don't understand.”

“Trevor assured me you would be fine. He also showed me the ring and told me he was going to wait for you to open your eyes and then he would propose. I—I just… I couldn't watch that. I'm sorry, I should have left a note maybe or something, but I couldn't say good-bye, Em. I couldn't.” I took a deep breath before I continued.

“I didn't take your calls because I didn't want to lie to you with false congratulations about your engagement.” I took another deep, painful breath. “Does it really matter, Em? I love you, and you belong with someone else.”

She had come closer, too close. She set her drink on the fence next to mine, and put her warm hand on my cheek. I closed my eyes at her touch.

“You're so warm,” I said involuntarily. I opened my eyes to see her eyes right in front of me.

“If the Bugs came back today and wiped out every male on the planet except for Trevor, I still wouldn't marry him.”

I blinked a few times. “What?”

“Did you see a ring on my finger?” she asked. “How can I marry someone when I already know he wouldn't stand by me through better or worse?”

She tilted her head as I looked at her, bewildered.

“Trevor is a good man, and we work great together as partners. But when I was out here I realized that's all we were. We were co-workers with chemistry.” I didn't know what to say.

“When I needed him most, he wasn't there for me.” She shook her head. “I understood, and I forgave him, because we don't always know how we're going to handle stressful situations. Some people rise to the occasion and some don't. It doesn't mean they're bad, it means they're simply human.” She looked over in his direction and then smiled up at me.

“You, on the other hand, left me when things were
good
. I wasn't sure what to make of that. You stood by me when I was crazy and depressed and everything seemed impossible, and then when I was about to be cured, you ran off.”

I looked at the ground feeling the strong stab of shame and regret.

“But you never looked at me like you were repulsed. Not once. You always made me feel attractive and cared for and safe. I felt like you loved me, even if you couldn't say it. But then I woke up and you weren't there. The happiest day of my life, and the person I loved wasn't there to share it with me.”

“I'm sorry. We're just so different. I didn't think we had a chance.”

“I hear you're living in Texas now?”