The Truth is Contagious (The Contagium Series Book 4) (40 page)

I slowly walked back to my room, looking in
the other rooms to see where my friends were. Jason’s door was
closed. He had yet to get a new roommate. I paused by the door,
listening. When I heard nothing, I assumed he was asleep and moved
on. Ivan and Brock weren’t in their room; they were probably in
training like I should be, but no one pushed the issue.

The new A1s had moved upstairs and were at
training as well. I dropped my stuff off in our room and put my
shoes on to go downstairs and look for my friends. I ran into
Hannah on my way down.

“Morning, Riss,” she said.

“Hey, Hannah.” I looked at the room she had
just walked out of. “What are you doing?”

“I stayed with Gabby,” she said, crossing the
hall into the bathroom. “Getting her through her grief.” She winked
at me.

“Gabby’s into girls?”

Hannah sighed. “No, she’s not. Or not yet,”
she added with a smile. “But she really needs someone right
now.”

I gave her a tight smile. “I’m glad she has
you as a friend then.”

“Thanks. How are you?”

“Fine,” I said quickly. Too quickly. Hannah
pressed her lips together and smiled, able to see past my lie. She
didn’t pester me though and I was grateful. I hurried
downstairs.

Hayden was in a meeting with Hector and the
overseers. I didn’t feel like being around anyone but my friends so
I kept walking down the hall, planning on swinging by the
cafeteria, grabbing food, and going back to my room.

Lauren stood at the end of the line in the
cafeteria. I rolled my eyes. Of course I’d get stuck behind her.
She annoyed me as much now as she had when we first met in
college.

“Orissa,” she said, pursing her lips.

“You know my name, good for you,” I said and
crossed my arms.

“What’s this I hear about you wearing a
diamond ring?”

I blinked. Oh, right. “Maybe I am wearing a
diamond ring.” My left hand was hidden under my arm. The line moved
and we stepped up. Lauren grabbed a tray.

“There are rumors about you, you know.”

“That’s nothing new,
you
know.”

She flipped her hair and laughed. “People
think you and Hayden are an item. Some even say you two are
engaged. Can you believe it?”

Her petty comments used to get under my skin.
But with everything else going on and the hell we had gone
through…it just didn’t matter. I suddenly felt free in a way I
never knew I could. I had always said that I didn’t care what
people thought about me, but deep down on some level, I did. Now I
saw it didn’t matter. What Lauren said or thought about me wasn’t
going to make my situation any worse or any better.

“We are engaged,” I said and reached for a
tray. The bright lights sparkled off the large center stone on the
ring. “We have been for a while but didn’t want to make a big deal
about it.”

“Why would he propose to you?” she
scoffed.

I just shrugged and picked up a fork.

“I mean you’re so…so…” she scrambled for an
insult, trying to get a reaction out of me. “So not his type.”

I looked at Lauren, curious instead of angry.
“You have no idea what life is about, do you?”

“I know I would never be caught dead in those
hideous cut offs and dirty boots.”

“Don’t talk to me about being dead,” I
snapped, not hungry anymore. I turned around and instantly
regretted it.

“Well hey there, lady,” Bentley’s smooth
voice came from down the hall. “Long time no see.” He walked over,
cowboy boots clicking on the tile. “Funny, isn’t it? This place
isn’t all that big and I haven’t seen you for days.”

“Hilarious,” I said, my voice monotone.

He ran his eyes over me. “You could have been
in one of my videos, ya know.”

I bet he expected me to swoon over that
line.

When I didn’t say anything he leaned toward
me, purposely making his hair fall into his face. “You’re kinda
famous in this joint.”

“Yes. And for a good reason.”

He laughed. “Sure you are. Listen, if the
fame gets to be too much for you to handle, you know where to find
me.”

I didn’t know where his room was and I had no
intention of finding out. My mind whirled with snarky remarks but I
stopped short, turning my head. “I have someone for you to meet.” I
smiled sweetly. “Hey, Lauren!”

She whipped around, scowling at the sound of
my voice. “You two will get along just fine,” I said and walked
away. I didn’t pay attention to where I was going. I needed to get
away from Bentley, who was so wrapped up in himself he couldn’t see
the world for what it really was.

I jogged down the stairs and headed for the
hospital ward. I pushed the doors open, hoping to see Olivia at the
desk. I sighed when I saw another B3 but went in. Now I wanted to
find Padraic.

But what I saw instead shocked me even more.
My grandpa and Dr. Cara sat in the lab, deep in conversation.

“They both think the government is spying on
them,” Padraic said from behind me.

I turned around to see his smiling face.
“I’ve been listening to this for days.”

I returned his smile. “I’m not jealous of
you. I can only imagine the crazy fest that’s going on between
those two.”

He nodded. “Cara swears the CIA hacked her
computer during her undergrad research and planted bugs in her dorm
room.”

“They’re going to get along just fine then,”
I laughed. “You working today?” I asked Padraic.

He looked at the clock. “Just passed off a
report to Karen so I can go to the meeting.”

“Meeting?”

Padraic narrowed his eyes. “Yes. The big
meeting we’re having about our fate in the winter.”

I rubbed my forehead. “Oh.”

“Are you all right, Riss?”

“Yeah, fine.” I blinked then forced a smile.
“Just tired.”

“Funny,” he said, taking off his lab coat. He
was wearing blue scrub pants and a gray t-shirt. Padraic was tall
and lean, but firm. His wavy dark hair was in need of cutting and
he hadn’t shaved for several days. “Because you’ve spent a lot of
time sleeping since you came back.”

I pulled my lips over my teeth and turned
away. It was true. If I wasn’t spending time with Hayden, my
grandpa, or Raeya, I was in my room, dealing with the guilt…or not
dealing, I suppose.

“Have you had breakfast yet?”

I shook my head. “I’m not hungry,” I said at
the same time my stomach growled. Padraic gave me a worried
frown.

“We have some time before the meeting. I’ll
get you something to eat and we’re gonna talk, ok?”

* * *

Padraic’s room was bigger than Raeya’s, but
still resembled a crammed dorm room. Everything was neat and
organized. When I went in, Argos wagged his tail. I looked at
Padraic’s clothes that were folded on a shelf across from the bed.
A laundry basket sat next to it, filled to the top with dirty
clothes. I almost didn’t notice it.

I leaned forward, smiling when I saw the
purple lace nightgown. I knew Padraic had been spending some time
with a woman named Maya—who I thought was fucking nuts. She
believed zombies were possessed by demons. But no matter, it made
me happy to know Padraic wasn’t lonely at night.

I sat on the edge of the bed, petting Argos
until Padraic came back and handed me a plate of scrambled eggs,
one tomato slice, and a cup of powdered milk. I choked it down.

“I’m really sorry, Riss,” Padraic began. “I
hate that you go out there. You don’t have to, you know.”

“I do,” I said, taking a drink of milk. “I
can’t really explain it…but I do. I have to try to make things
better.”

“I get it,” Padraic said. “I think, at least.
After all that’s happened you should give yourself a break.”

I nodded and finished my food, setting the
plate on the floor for Argos to lick clean. I put my head in my
hands. “I wish the nightmares would stop,” I blurted.

“What are they about?”

I closed my eyes. Everything was so clear,
like I was there. “It’s a replay of everything that happened. Over
and over again. But the end is different…worse than what really
happened.”

“Want to tell me about it?” He gave me a
lopsided smile. “I spent some time studying sleep and dreams. I
find it very fascinating.”

I looked up at Padraic. I did want to tell
him. I wanted his professional opinion to tell me that I wasn’t
losing it and that I’d get over it in time. And I wanted to open up
to a friend, one who could make me feel better.

“I was with Wade when it happened,” I
started. I closed my eyes again. The bodies hanging in the tree
swung before me. “We were running from a herd. He stepped in a
steel jaw trap. I…I couldn’t get it off before—” I sharply
inhaled.

Padraic put his hand on mine. I fiddled with
Argo’s chipped name tags.

“In the dream, I grab a zombie, one that’s
eating…eating him. I pull it back and stick a knife in its head.
Then I realize it’s Rider. I watched my friend die and killed
another…again.”

“Why do you say again?”

Padraic didn’t know. I looked down at Argos,
tears stinging my eyes. “Because I really did.”

Padraic’s eyebrows pushed together. “No you
didn’t. Those guys did.”

I couldn’t help the tears that went down my
cheeks. “No. That’s just what we told everyone. When we were
leaving I…I found him.”

Padraic leaned away. “Riss, what happened?
What aren’t you telling me?”

I ran my hands over Argos’s fur. “He had been
bitten.”

“Rider was a zombie.”

Padraic hugged me, pulling me into his chest.
I let him wrap me in a tight embrace. “I am so, so sorry,
Orissa.”

“Will the nightmares go away?” I didn’t want
to be plagued by them for the rest of my life. I saw how hard it
was for Hayden.

“I can’t promise you anything,” he said. “But
you’re the toughest person I’ve ever met. I know you can get
through this.” He loosened his hug. “You’ve got plenty of people
here that love you.”

I smiled at that. “Thanks for being one of
them.”

He put his hand on my cheek and pulled me to
him, kissing my forehead. “I’m always here for you, Riss. I’ll help
any way I can.”

“I know you will.”

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand,
hitting myself with the engagement ring. “Ow,” I said and we both
laughed. I stood, stretching my hands above my head. “Maybe we
should start looking for a therapist,” I joked.

Padraic raised an eyebrow. “That’s a good
idea.” He stood. “We should go, but only if you’re ready.”

“I am,” I said, rubbing at my eyes again. I
didn’t want anyone to know I’d had a moment of emotion. “Thanks
again.”

* * *

“Bottom line,” Hayden said, an hour into our
meeting. “We do not have enough food to make it through the
winter.”

Raeya squeezed my hand. We were sitting on
the floor in Hayden’s office, leaning against the wall as he spoke.
Ivan, Brock, Jason, Padraic, Hector, and my grandpa were crammed in
as well. All the bodies made the small room get hot fast despite
the constant blast of cold air from the air conditioner.

“Our gardens are doing well,” he went on.
“But we won’t have enough by the time the first frost comes.”

It was scary, hashing out the details like
this. We had spent the last half hour trying to come up with ways
to up our supply. Nothing could be guaranteed. Really, it came down
to having so many people here. If we had started the garden earlier
and planted more, we might have a better chance. But then we ran
into the issue of medical supplies.

“I’m telling you,” my grandpa said for the
fifth time. “We storm into New York, kill those bastards, and take
everything they got. And start an uprising in the process, if we’re
lucky.”

As crazy as his plan was, it was becoming the
only one that seemed feasible for getting this many people through
the winter. Whoever was in New York was prepared to keep a large
number of people alive. They had the resources to do so. Resources
we needed.

Hayden pushed that idea aside, saying it was
too dangerous and not worth the risk.

“Isn’t the risk what makes it worth it?” my
grandpa countered. “The riskier something is, the more it’s worth
taking.”

“Now I see where Riss gets her daredevil
side,” Padraic whispered to Raeya. She smiled and shook her
head.

“We get there and then what?” Ivan asked.

“You tell those motherfuckers the truth,” my
grandpa went on.

“And her potty mouth,” Ray added.

I glared at her.

My grandpa said, “Tell ‘em the truth and see
how obedient they are.”

“You want to cause a riot?” Brock asked.

“Hell yeah, I do.”

Hayden put his head in his hands. “I don’t
know.”

“I am curious to see what it’s like,” Ivan
added. “We could just check it out. No harm no foul.”

“That term doesn’t apply to this world
anymore,” I said dryly. “But I’m kinda with you. Maybe we should…”
I shook my head. “No. We can’t.”

“I’m telling you,” my grandpa said. “It’s the
only way. With this many people you should have been prepared.” He
leaned forward. “This is what you were supposed to do.”

“What do you mean?” I asked when silence took
over the room.

“Why else do you think Colonel Fuller didn’t
start preparations? He knew about this, all of this, from the
beginning. He wanted you to go to New York and end this.”

His words hung in the air, the quiet buzzing
in my ears. Raeya shivered. Why hadn’t Fuller better prepared us?
He knew how many people were capable of living here. He knew we
would face hardships in the winter…and yet he kept the secret to
himself.

“He wouldn’t do that,” Hayden finally
spoke.

“He wouldn’t?” my grandpa questioned. “He
knew everything and didn’t tell you until after he died. Think
about it.”