The Fall (Book 2): Dead Will Rise (24 page)

“Actually, Kate and I discussed that. The scouts told her about some prime real estate about fifty miles northeast of here. Mostly farmland, totally empty as of their last trip through. We think it would be the best place to relocate you.”

John blinked. “What? I thought I was going home with you?”

“Kate raised a good point,” Kell said. “It would be stupid to put all our eggs in one basket. You've done amazing work here, John. Maybe more than I could have, and for damn sure more than I have since all this started. With the information and samples you can provide, I'll be able to hit the ground running with my own research back in New Haven. But it's a community full of people, which makes it a target. And now we know for sure we're facing a huge group of potential enemies. It makes sense for the two of us to work independently. Keeping you hidden is the best way to keep you safe.”

Scratching his beard, John frowned. “I've been away from people for so long...”

“I know, man,” Kell said. “And we'll try to work something out with Will when we get back. Maybe we can move some volunteers out your way when things cool down with this new group. But for now, I'm asking you to let us move you.”

John studied his old friend for a long minute before nodding. “Fine. How are you going to manage it?”

“We'll go over the details later. You had other things you wanted to talk about, didn't you?”

John's frown deepened. “Yes. You asked me about a cure. I told you it was complicated. I've only had a chance to test it on a few subjects.” His eyes widened slightly, the same nervous energy they'd seen the day before reasserting itself. “I'm aware that my isolation has left me somewhat...off-kilter. I spend my days cutting into dead bodies that won't stay still. I'm worried it might be affecting my judgment. So I need you, all of you, to be my compass here.”

Chris and Scotty looked worried. Kate's face was carefully neutral. Kell leaned back in his chair, thoughtful. “Go on.”

John took a deep breath. “I have managed to work out a solution. For living people the success rate seems to be total. That is, it eliminates Chimera completely. I don't know how much you've told everyone about the organism, but that's not entirely a good thing.”

Chris perked up. “What do you mean?”

“Chimera is making us better,” John said. “The longer we stay alive with it growing in our bodies, the better we become. It helps us heal, for one. People who have suffered multiple injuries while infected seem to heal faster and more completely afterward. That's because Chimera adapts to the circumstance. Beyond that, it makes us more coordinated, stronger. Improves our reaction time. It's not so sharp you'd notice unless someone told you, but it's there. Incremental improvements over time. Some things you don't even realize.”

“Such as?” Kate asked.

John gestured at himself. “How long would you say it has been since I've eaten?”

“You're skinny, but you don't look starved,” Kate said, confused. “I'd say you're eating on the low end of the calorie spectrum.”

John shook his head. “I've eaten exactly two thousand calories in the last week.” He raised a hand to forestall the babble of responses. “It isn't healthy, of course. But I'm not experiencing the worst effects of starvation. I have less energy, but I'm not nearly immobile with hunger. I should be. I've spent the last month trying to determine how much Chimera has improved my digestion.”

“That's insane,” Chris said.

John smiled slyly. “I live in an underground lair,” he replied. “At any rate, I plan on eating well from here. If we're leaving, I'll need the energy. My point is, Chimera gives living people several advantages they may not realize they've grown dependent on.”

Suddenly Kell knew where this was going. With a rising sense of dread, he asked, “What does this cure do to the dead?”

John winced. “I wasn't able to work this out with the plague itself,” he said. “I tried so many times. Instead I used pristine samples of Chimera, totally unaltered. Which, as Kell has already figured out, the cure has the capacity to mutate at hugely increased rates, as well as jump from species to species.”

“That sounds like a really terrible idea,” Kate said.

John nodded. “Yes, I know. So far only one of seven zombie subjects have survived the cure, and that one was left a shaking husk incapable of voluntary motion. The cure is itself another form of Chimera, carefully designed to attach to the plague and break it down. Without the years and resources I would need to be completely certain, I can't say it won't mutate into something as bad.”

“Or worse,” Kell said. “It took us years to create specific versions of Chimera, and even then there were always failures.”

John rested his head in his hands on the table, profoundly tired. “That's what I thought, too. I don't know what to do with it. It works, but is it worth the risk?”

“The question I'm asking myself,” Scotty said, “is whether it should be up to the four of us to make this call. Can't we just let every person decide if they want to try their luck?”

“No,” John said. “Doesn't work that way. To be effective against the masses it has to be airborne. It's all or nothing
.”

“How sure are you they're going to find me?” John asked as he and Kell loaded the truck.

Two days of organizing and packing the military transport left Kell with aching muscles and a deficit of patience. It was down to the two of them to decide what was critical for their research, and the job of moving the information and equipment also fell to them. Chris and Scotty stayed busy moving the vehicles from the road, then draining their tanks of fuel. Aside from that they managed the logistics of survival; the facility had enormous stores of food and other goods John would need at his new home.

“Again, John, we're pretty certain. You said yourself they're looking for you.”

“Well, yeah, but they don't have directions like you did. They just know I'm here. Or that something is here.”

Kell sighed, setting down a box of notes. “It's a safe bet they know what this place is even if they don't know exactly where. They have a general idea. I've listened to the radio chatter too, don't forget. They'll end up here sooner or later. Then releasing the cure won't be up to you.”

“God, I don't even want to think about it,” John said quietly. “I mean, I know it
could
work, but the risks...”

“Yeah,” Kell said. They'd had this conversation many times over the previous two days, and it was starting to wear thin. “So, again; let's get this done so we can get you somewhere safe.”

Moving the research itself wasn't the worst part. As the group considered all the things John would need, the list of items they would need to take with them grew. Would John like to go to the bathroom? Check. Gather toilet paper. Would John need electricity to operate the various small devices he would need for even the rudimentary work he would do? Absolutely. Disassemble the smaller wind turbines and solar panels. Try to remember how it all goes together.

Which led to the question of how to store the energy, then a dozen other associated problems and concerns. The worst part for Kell were those details; his generally organized mind reeled at the constant need to reevaluate and amend their plans. It was impossible to simply create a static set of goals and meet them. The needs of a single man had, like Chimera, mutated into a major ordeal.

At least it felt that way to Kell. As he hauled box after box of equipment, he speculated on how much easier it would be to just go fight zombies.

Hours later, as Kell was hooking a small trailer they'd found up to their SUV, Kate returned.

“Hey! K!” she shouted. He looked up from his work sharply. Everyone had been using his name—whether he liked it or not—since arriving at the facility. His immediate reaction was to assume something was wrong, a theory not disproved by the three women walking motorcycles down the access road next to Kate.

“Nicole,” Kell said. “Juel, Emilia. You're back early. Really early.”

“Very observant,” Nicole said as she extended the kickstand and walked away from her bike. There was a hitch in her step. Kell offered her an arm but dropped it under Nicole's withering gaze.

“What happened?” Kell asked.

Kate led the other scouts through the gate, offering them food. A momentary pang of fear darted through his heart, but if they were here this early it meant trouble. Finding out about the research facility and his part in it was low on the priority list.

Nicole lowered herself onto the edge of the trailer with a sigh of relief. “We headed south to meet up with a contact and got caught by a patrol. Turns out these fuckers we've been looking for are keeping a close eye on this part of the country. They've got hunting camps, armed patrols, even supply depots set up south of here. We were lucky to get away.”

“How bad is the leg?”

Nicole stretched it out, though not straight. “Twisted my knee pretty hard. Can't extend it all the way. Our contact was with us when the patrol hit us. He jumped in front of a gun for me.”

“Is he...”

Nicole glanced up at him. “Dead? No. He was wearing a vest, and it was a hand gun. But he landed on my leg when he pushed me out of the way. He was cut off from his ride, so we brought him with us after the fight.”

The words were logical, ordered, but for a few seconds they didn't make sense to him. “What do you mean, you brought him with you? Brought him where?”

Nicole looked at him askance. “He's here. We left him down the road, sleeping in the back of a hummer one of your boys pushed to the side.”

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?” Kell said, cold fury in every word. “How do you know he's trustworthy? Do you even know what this place is?”

Nicole grimaced as she turned to face him. “First off, calm your ass down. I wouldn't have brought anyone dangerous here. Well, scratch that. He's a nightmare, but he's on our side. I've known him a long time. Second, I don't know exactly what this compound is for, but I'm not an idiot. Will sent us to find it the first time with orders not to tell a soul. Only to confirm its existence from long range and report home. It's important, I imagine. If you think for a second I'd put your lives in danger if I could avoid it, you're an idiot.”

Kell flinched. “Sorry. I'm running on fumes. And now you're telling me we're going to need to pick up the pace.”

Nicole cocked her head. “Kate told me some of what is going on here, but she was vague. I assume you're moving the material here back to New Haven?”

“No,” Kell said cautiously. “There's a man here who has been researching a cure. We want to put him in another location, somewhere away from everyone else.” He fervently hoped Kate would corner John and the rest to make sure no one mentioned Kell's identity to the scouts. “He says he's close, but that the cure itself is dangerous. Putting him in the middle of a population could be disastrous.”

Nicole chewed on her lip. “Makes sense. Well, if we're going to move him it has to be soon. Kate told me you've picked up radio chatter that they're looking for this place. As close as they are and with patrols moving at highway speeds, they could find us any time.”

“Wonderful,” Kell said, frustrated. “We're not ready. I wish we could buy a little time.”

Nicole slapped him on the shoulder. “Let's talk to our guest about that. He might have a few ideas. The guy used to be a SEAL.”

Eight hours later, Kell was fending off Kate as he threw his personal gear into one of the military vehicles. The cargo hold was packed with fuel cans, enough to get the thing all the way to New Haven and supply all three motorcycles for the trip as well.

“This is a stupid plan,” Kate said. “You should come with us and let the other four handle the distraction.”

Kell, wedging his spear into the back of the armored Jeep, shook his head. “All our eggs in one basket, remember? I'll be with all three scouts and this guy they brought with them. Safe as I can be. John is closer—
way
closer—to figuring out a way to fix this thing than I am. I trust you to get him to safety and figure out a way to keep himself hidden. If something happens to your group and we're both with you, we'd be risking losing any chance for the cure.”

Kate sniffed. “Then you should get in this thing and drive straight back to New Haven,” she said. “Risking your life is still stupid.”

“Agreed,” he said with a smile. “But unless we tell the rest of the group who I am, it would look suspicious if I backed out. They need another body, and I'm the best choice.”

“Bullshit. What are you going to do that Chris or Scotty couldn't?”

Kell studied her. “You know, you're right. I don't know why I even try arguing this stuff with you. I
want
to go, Kate. I need to be out there making sure the rest of you aren't followed. I can't trust it to anyone else.”

Down the access road, Nicole whistled. “Time to go!” she shouted.

Kell was looking her way and as a result wasn't prepared for the crushing hug Kate hit him with. It was an act so out of character for her that he couldn't even react at first. Then long-ignored social instincts kicked in and he hugged her back. It was awkward at first, then powerful. Tears welled in his eyes.

“I love you, you know,” she said, voice muffled against his chest. “You're family, Kell. Be safe. This isn't like anything else you've done. You're not tricking anyone or being clever here. You're going to pick a head-on fight on purpose. Please come back alive.”

His hand ran gently across her hair. “No stupid risks, I promise. I love you too. Keep John safe, okay? He's the only thing I have left from before.”

They separated, and Kell looked away as Kate swiped a forearm across her eyes. “Don't worry. I'll get him there safe.”

Kell gave her one last smile before squeezing himself behind the wheel. He waved as the Jeep rolled down the now-clear road. A hundred yards away, he stopped. Nicole, Juel, Emilia, and their mysterious friend waited.

“Ready?” Nicole said, throwing a leg over her bike.

“Yeah,” Kell replied. The stranger, who hadn't given Kell a name, climbed into the passenger seat. The guy was big, even by Kell's own standard. Though a few inches shorter than Kell—which still put him squarely in the upper percentile of human height—he was much heavier. Though not a slim man himself, the stranger was broad across the shoulders and packed with muscle. Not showy bodybuilder fluff, but the flat, hard muscle of an athlete.

He was scarred. The man wore a pair of fatigue pants and an olive-green shirt, thick arms straining the short sleeves, and just the exposed skin was enough to make Kell wonder how he'd survived. Long, deep twists of scar tissue ran down his arms, crisscrossing his wrists and fingers. In several places the unmistakable slashes of claw marks swept across the longer lines. His face and neck were no better; deep grooves snaked up an across his cheek, over his eyebrow. It looked like he got into a fight with a man-sized blender and won.

“So, what should I call you?” Kell said as they trundled down the road.

The man took longer to reply than the question merited. “You good at keeping secrets?”

Kell forced down the laughter. Oh, if he only knew. “Sure.”

“Let me put it this way, then. I've been working deep inside this new group for a while now. I know a lot about them. I'm helping here because I owe a lot to New Haven. I have friends there. And it's imperative I be able to sneak back south with no one the wiser. Which means I don't exist, you understand? Your friend Kate already knows, Nicole had a talk with her. When you get back home, I was never here.”

Kell nodded. “I can do that.”

“Then call me Tim. It's my middle name,” the other man said. “Safer for both of us in case you slip up and accidentally mention me.”

“I won't,” Kell said. “But I get your caution.”

Tim smiled. “Then we're going to get along just fine.”

“There you are,” Tim said.

On their bellies, the two of them watched the camp below. Holding his binoculars with one hand, Kell pointed to the northern edge of the clearing. “Right there?”

“Yeah,” Tim said. “The rest are hunters or transport drivers. That truck and two bikes are the scouts. The leadership didn't tell them what they're looking for, exactly, but they know the bare bones of it. If they roll up on your friend's compound, they'll recognize it.”

Kell lowered his binoculars, turning his head to look at Tim. “How do you know all this?”

Still watching the men below, Tim smiled. “Told you, I've been inside their camps a lot over the last few months. I was in Nevada when the first bunker opened and made my way to Texas to check it out.”

“So others have opened? How many are there?”

“Three that we know of. Two are situated right next to each other. The third sits not half a mile from a reserve of oil large enough to give them all the fuel they'll need for the next ten years. There's a small refinery, too. First bunker runs out of food way faster than it should have, and the leadership figures they'll send people out to hunt. Then they get the idea to use their resources to trade. They barter with fuel, medical care, you name it.”

Watching the men and women working, Kell thought it all looked familiar. Normal. The distant people could have been anyone from his own group back in New Haven. “Doesn't sound so bad to me. That's what New Haven and the places they trade with do, isn't it?”

“Yes and no,” Tim said. “The difference is these people started making promises. You know there are a lot of politicians in those bunkers, right? They're running the deal. So instead of just offering trade, they'd hold back on some services, claiming a shortage, until they got commitments from people pouring in. Communities five hundred miles away were emptying out to join up, only to find out they were basically being pressed into service when they got there. Bait and switch.”

Kell's jaw clenched. On the surface it didn't sound especially terrible. Just manipulative and, frankly, the kind of behavior one should expect from politicians. But he knew better; the old world might have tolerated promising one thing but changing the terms at the last minute. The people flocking to the bunkers couldn't have done so lightly. Surviving in the wild took grit and a lot of work. For groups, even whole communities, to uproot and head for new frontiers would mean their need would have been dire, especially to leave behind all the hard work they'd done. Kell struggled to think of a word to describe the cruelty in taking advantage of those migrants.