The Decaying World Saga (Book 1): Tribes of Decay (20 page)

Himu was busy working at something on one of the tables across the room. His question drifted over his shoulder, not bothering to turn around.

“What is this place?” Garret asked.

“I asked you first,” Himu said with a wave of his finger. “Come now, no need to hide anything.”

There was something frightening about the whimsical turn in his tone.

“Cheyenne,” Rowan said. He glanced at Jonah and found the boy sitting at the bottom of his cage. “Are you going to kill us?”

The question lingered in a long silence before Himu finally turned to face them.

“You have no idea how many people have asked me that very same thing,” he paused to admire the group, “all of them standing right where you are.” He didn’t elaborate nor did Rowan need him too. Himu held up a syringe and admired the needle. He strolled across the distance between the tables and the cages, heading for Erin. “I only have a few available solutions to try, but we’ll make do.”

His approach triggered the first real reaction from Erin. She pressed back against the small cage, trying to force herself between the bars. Himu pulled something out of the front pocket of his coat and held it up for her to see. The black device was no bigger than his hand. He pressed it with his finger and a spark of light flashed between two metal points at its tip.

“Are you going to make me use this?”

He didn’t wait for a response. Himu thrust the device between the bars and made contact with Erin’s leg. Her body went erect, every muscle tightening at once. He held it in place for a few seconds before pulling back and allowing her to slump forward. His next move was quick and precise. He pulled at her arm, found the spot he wanted, and plunged the syringe into her skin. Himu stepped back and placed a cap over the needle.

“It doesn’t have to be this way you know,” he said. “I only need a sample of your blood. The time for struggling will come,” he grinned, “and you’re going to need all of the strength you have left.”

20

Mia found his smile from across the room. Connor was dressed in black fatigues and his face showed signs of a long night. He offered a polite wave as he stepped through the door and then out of the way. Several figures followed him in, most of them dressed in the more relaxed fashion of the other workers who called Canaan their home. Mia was up and moving toward them as they began rolling in equipment on a number of carts.

“What happened to you?” she asked. The question felt strange the moment she got it out and she tried to recover. “Is there any word from your commission?”

Connor wasn’t carrying his rifle, but he wore a smaller handgun near his waist. He adjusted the weapon and cleared his face of an obvious concern.

“Nothing yet,” he said.

“What’s going on?” Mia’s eyes slid toward the workers, now positioned near the wall. Most of the Canaan personnel were flipping switches along the front panels of the carts. “What are those for?” Her eyes went from the equipment to the members of the tribe as they tried to get a look at what was going on.

“Standard requirements,” Connor said. “Checking for any signs of infection.”

“I thought that’s what they did the first time?”

The sound of Jacob’s voice produced a slight twitch in Connor’s expression. The aggravation was quickly caught, but not before Mia spotted it. She hadn’t seen Jacob follow her over until he stepped around the cot by her side.

“It was,” Connor explained. “This equipment is more thorough. All initial checks are followed up, once cleared.”

“So, there was no sign of infection?” Mia asked.

Connor held on to a well-placed grin as he shook his head. Mia cringed as Jacob pressed him for more information.

“When are we getting out of here?”

His response was overly rehearsed.

“I don’t control access to the main housing units,” he said. “The colony commission must approve all formal requests.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

Jacob’s response caused Connor to give him a double take.

“I…you must…,” he steadied himself, “the protocols are in place to keep everyone safe.”

An awkward silence followed. The colony personnel cautiously eyed the entire group. A young woman stepped away from the others and addressed Mia.

“We’re going to need everyone to line up,” she glanced at Connor before continuing, “We must ensure no one is missed.”

Mia was hesitant with her response. She had to force herself to gather the tribe and pass on the instructions. She finished and rejoined Jacob and Connor. Their uncomfortable silence was still in effect. Connor surprised both of them with an invitation.

“Would you like to see the colony proper?” He followed up before Mia could respond. “You’re both welcome to come, of course.”

Jacob snapped to attention and smiled.

“After you.”

Connor led them back to the entrapment area they’d used to enter the colony. The door closed and he pressed a button on the inside wall. Mia felt the rush in her stomach as the elevator responded. The door opened again and Connor slid out of the way.

“Please.”

The tunnel ahead of them was perfectly round and for the first time, the colony showed signs of life. A group of commonly dressed residents strolled toward them, none of them paying much attention to the new arrivals. An overwhelming sense of safety struck Mia; she’d never known such a thing in all her life. All four of the residents, two men and two women, smiled politely as they strolled by and entered the elevator.

Connor started forward and they soon reached a bend in the tunnel. The way opened up, widening as it continued farther ahead. They were several steps in when Mia realized the entire length of one side of the tunnel was clear. She came to a dead stop as she took in the view.

“I believe this is what you’re looking for.”

Connor’s announcement came with a hint of satisfaction. The city appeared to be cut directly out of a time long gone, each small house perfectly laid in symmetrical order. People walked along sidewalks lining the roads between the houses. In the distance, a group of children kicked a ball across a patch of grass surrounded by trees.

“It’s beautiful.”

Mia heard Jacob’s heartfelt words and it nearly brought her to tears.

“It certainly is,” she said. “How is this possible?”

Connor motioned them ahead, politely urging them to continue along their path.

“Canaan was built prior to the infection,” he explained. “I don’t know what its original purpose was, but it was turned into a safe haven.”

“That had to be long before most of you were born,” Jacob said.

“It was before my time,” Connor agreed. “Although there are a few of the original commission members who still remain.”

“How many have you saved?” Mia asked. Her question momentarily threw him off track. “Outsiders,” she clarified.

“We have a strict process for inclusion,” Connor said. “Accepted outsiders are brought in through containment, then once approved by the commission they’re slowly integrated over time.”

“So, they’re not given the keys to the kingdom,” Jacob said, bluntly.

“We have strict protocols,” Connor reiterated.

“Where would we go?” Mia asked. “If we were accepted.”

Connor chose his words carefully.

“Let’s take it one step at a time.”

Mia turned her attention back to the view, watching the paradise until they reached the turn at the other end of the tunnel. An elevator door slid open as they approached and the trio settled in. Connor selected their destination and they were off.

“Is your commission aware of the gathering infected and this new herding that we saw?” Jacob asked.

His question surprised Mia. She’d allowed herself to forget about the terrible world above them for a brief moment.

“They are,” he said, “and you managed to bring the sight to them first hand.”

“How so?”

“There’s a herd circling the walls of Canaan as we speak.”

Jacob and Mia turned toward him.

“What…what do you mean?” Mia asked.

“We’re dealing with it,” he said and appeared to be unwilling to go on.

“How big is it?” she asked.

“We’re not sure,” Connor admitted. “We’ve dealt with the initial onslaught, but they pulled back. It’s like they’re,” he tried to think of a way to explain what he saw, “waiting for something.” He shook his head. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Has anyone in the colony ever been infected?” Jacob asked.

The question was enough to pull Connor back from whatever vision he had stuck in his head.

“They’ve never been outside of the colony.”

The elevator door opened and Connor stepped out. Mia waited for Jacob to go, but he held still.

“None of those people have ever been topside?”

“No.”

“What about you and the other soldiers?”

Connor stopped long enough to answer.

“We’re never allowed to enter the housing facility.”

Jacob started again and Mia kept by his side. The weight of a sudden realization was enough to cause Mia to pause. “Then neither will we,” she said, making the deduction a heartbeat before Jacob. Connor continued on his way without bothering to face them.

“I think it’s time we returned you to your quarters.”

♦

Himu drew blood from each of them. Rowan encouraged the others to comply and no one else received the treatment Erin had for her defense. She remained balled up on the floor of her cell even after she regained consciousness. Jonah needed additional encouragement to stand, which came in the form of Himu holding up the shocking device to remind the boy what awaited him.

Each of the samples was loaded into a machine on one of the tables. Himu flipped a switch on the top of the contraption and it began to spin around at a brisk pace. Himu focused on one of the largest screens on the far wall, he pointed something at it, and the solid black suddenly sparked to life. Several smaller, moving pictures appeared within the confines of the screen. Rowan wasn’t sure what he was looking at. It took him a moment to realize they were all scenes of the same thing, only from different angles.

“You are quite the popular bunch,” Himu said, his accent strangely heavier than it had been moments before. “This is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” he admitted.

“Is that real?” Rowan asked. The dead were on each of the screens, mindlessly circling. “Where is that?”

“Oh, forgive me,” Himu said, “I forgot your ignorance. This is happening outside the walls above us. It’s one of the largest gatherings I’ve ever seen. Never mind that,” he said then turned and picked up a syringe from the table. “I’m supposed to wait for this, but I’m guessing the doctor won’t mind if I give it a try on her.”

Erin never moved, not even when Himu thrust the needle into her vein and pushed down on the plunger. The effect revealed itself soon after the needle was removed. Erin’s mouth opened wide and a terrifying roar followed a gasp for air. She thrashed about the confined space, pulling at her binds until her shoulder popped underneath the material. Her hands jerked violently, pulling free from her binds, then digging into the flesh below her breasts until blood streamed down her shirt.

She flung her head back, slamming into the bars behind her. The impact nearly split her skull, but nothing stopped her terrible shrill. Erin jerked forward and bashed her brow against the metal. Two more hits put her down for good, unmoving in a lifeless heap. Himu never moved throughout the show, waiting until she was finished to take official note.

“I believe we’ll call that a failure.”

He turned on his heels, laid the syringe on the table, and began tapping on something out of view. Rowan looked from Garret to Jonah, each of them in stunned silence. Erin convulsed, her head patting one of the bars. The annoyance drew a glance from Himu before turning back to his task.

Fear hung in the room thick enough to get Rowan to try to pull his hands free. The ties cut into his wrists as he twisted and turned his hands providing little relief to his predicament. He finally gave up when he felt warm blood running down his fingers. He sensed a sudden and immense weight bearing down on him as his will began to break.

A loud
beep
from the spinning device on the table became the focal point of the room. Himu looked up and watched the vials of blood slowly come to a stop. He removed each tube then drew samples, mixing them with another vial from a contained on a side table. The end result was a series of small sheets of glass, each smeared with a concoction made up from the blood and other samples.

Rowan watched Himu with intense interest. Whatever mad purpose was at stake, the blood was the key. Himu went through each sample, sliding them into another device, and placing his eyes on looking pieces. The slender man had little response until he slid the last one in place. It was impossible to tell what Himu’s reaction meant, but it was dramatic enough for Rowan to understand that he’d found something he hadn’t expected to see.

“Well, that can’t be,” Himu said, pulling back from the microscope as if it might bite him. He shook his head then leaned forward for another look. “Oh my.”

Himu pulled the sample from the device and spun around to look at his sad group of captives. He focused a chilling smile on Rowan.

“What are the odds,” he said.

Rowan shook his head.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Himu held his wide smile in place as he stepped toward the cell.

“And I’m sure that you don’t,” he said and then held the small, glass plate up for Rowan to see. “Tell me, have you ever been bitten?”

In one fell swoop everything connected in Rowan’s mind. He remembered the attack in the city. He remembered waking from the terrible dream to find Mia and Jacob watching over him. Most of all he remembered Jacob’s description of a pureblood and in particular the idea that Rowan could be one of them. Rowan panicked as he tried to think of what to say.

“You have, haven’t you?” His smile widened. “Haven’t you?” The smile slowly slid down the sides of his face until it produced a haunting scowl. “I asked you a question.”

Rowan swallowed hard.

“I don’t know what you mean,” he lied.

Himu studied Rowan as if waiting for his face to give away his lie. He put his hands behind his back then turned away from the cell. Himu scooped up all of the samples from the top of the central table and slid them in his coat pocket. He offered a parting short as he headed for the exit.

“We shall see.”

The door closed behind Himu, leaving the interior of the lab cloaked in silence. Rowan tried to gather his thoughts. Jonah asked a familiar question.

“They’re going to kill us, aren’t they?”

Rowan couldn’t think of an answer that would help the boy feel better about their predicament. Instead, he focused on what he could do at the moment. He turned toward Garret and pressed his hands up against the side of the cell facing Jonah.