Falling Apart (Barely Alive #2) (13 page)

He leaned against the wall and pointed at a blonde girl, her figure full but lusty. “I’ll take her. Afterwards, you can have what I don’t finish.” A different boy darted into the showers amidst screaming and crying and retrieved the fighting, squirming young woman from the throng by cutting her ropes and dragging her forward.

Heather shook, cringing as she tried to hide her fear. I squeezed her in a silent promise. I may have abandoned James, but there was no way in hell Heather would join the group of prisoners on display. Even if it killed me.

Dominic turned to us and raised his eyebrow. “I’ll be right back. This never takes long.”

Two of the boys fell into step behind Dominic, pulling between them the handpicked girl. Her dimpled backside struggled to keep from falling.

Heather pulled on me, leaning up to my ear as we waited for the soundtrack of torture to begin. I allowed my head to be lowered, to have her sweet voice in my ear even amongst the terror and blood lust filling the air around us. “Can’t you help her?”

I closed my eyes. “No. I’m sorry.” Nothing I did for that girl would save Heather. Nothing would save James.

“Brian’s mom… She’s dead.” Tears flowed down her cheeks. I nodded. She whispered, “I think she was
my
real mom, too.”

I didn’t have a chance to respond.

A boy just in front of me turned and jeered, “He’s only taking her into the next stall. Normally, we get to watch, but you’re here and he doesn’t want to ruin the deal.” He turned back to watch the foursome disappear around the next wall. His words didn’t reassure me. There was a deal coming up, but what protection did it afford us afterward?

A thud, like fist on flesh, cries, screams, and muscle tearing followed. Masculine grunts and moans overflowed into the rest of the locker area. The guys around me jostled to get closer, their anxiety to get to the girl and her remains evident in the wiggling and jiggling dance as they bounced on their feet.

Minutes, no more, and the screaming stopped. Some kind of a gurgle and then loud smacking followed. I didn’t want to know, but I knew. The damn bastard had raped her and then fed off her, feeding the rest to the boys who’d gone with him. But there’d be one more at least who would go into that stall.

Sometimes I hated being right. Dominic stumbled out, wiping his mouth with his wrist. He pointed at the boy who’d turned and spoken to us. “Grab another one, a feeder, and you boys head back there and get your fill. No fighting.”

I tried to tone out the selection process, the screaming, the crying, the fighting, and the girl that disappeared under the hands of the gang anxious to get their teeth into her skin.

Brian hadn’t moved. He stood by the wall, his eyes unfocused and his mouth slack. Dominic patted him on the back. “Not hungry, Brian? That’s okay. I could use your help, anyway.” Either Dominic had developed a humane streak while he’d been tending to his hungers, or he had something worse in mind. He continued, pointing our way. “You’re going to get Heather and remove her clothes. I’d like her tied into the single stall over that way. We need samples of her flesh. If you accidentally taste her, Paul won’t hold it against you. He’s done the same.”

Hypocrite? Had he suggested I was a hypocrite?

Brian faced me, the focus still absent from his eyes. He nodded.

I shoved Heather behind me, hands up, voice low. “Brian, think about this. Think.” I didn’t speak her name. I wanted his attention on me.

But it didn’t matter what I wanted.
Hell, what’s new?
He lunged at me without even preparing in stance or anything. Like fighting with someone’s kid. Shit. And he wrapped his hands around my throat. I couldn’t be killed like that, but my body could. I wrapped my hands around his wrists and squeezed, but he didn’t loosen his hold. I swiveled my head and bent my neck, my teeth finding a spot inches above his cuff point. I bit and held on.

He didn’t scream, but a spasm of pain crossed his face. Brian held on another second and then released me. He shook his arm until I let go. Pressure applied to stop the bleeding. He met my gaze, his eyes focusing more with each passing second. Dominic stood behind him, grinning like the Mad Hatter.

Brian blinked his eyes a few times and glanced from me to Heather and back. He blinked some more like looking through a foggy set of glasses and blinking would clear the lense.

Dominic’s humor dwindled. “Why are you just standing there? I told you to get the girl. Now do it.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Now.”

But Brian didn’t move. He held his hand over his lacerated skin and pivoted to the side, placing me and Dominic in his field of view. Newbie probably didn’t know who to trust or what the hell was going on. Understandable.

Dominic curled his lip. “What? You need more of what you got outside?”

I cringed, expecting Brian to scream as Dominic focused his mental strength on him.
Hang in there, Brian.
And at my thought, he turned toward me and nodded.

Watching, Dominic unlocked his gaze and arched his eyebrow. “What the hell did you do, Paul?”

I held my hands up, palms out. “I didn’t do shit. You’re the one who had him attack
us
. Not me.” So far, I’d successfully ignored the sounds of the struggle coming from the stall, but the instant silence made me realize how unsuccessful I’d been. I gritted my teeth at the waste of that poor girl’s life.

One of the feeding boys stuck his upper body through the stall entryway, blood lined his lips and splattered his cheeks. “Dominic, the other one is starting to come around. This one can’t be far behind.”

Heather gasped behind me, pressing in close to my back. I didn’t mind.

Dominic nodded absently as he studied me. Over his shoulder, he called out. “Take the remains to the furnace room. If you wait ‘til they can walk, it’ll be easier. Stuff them in and make sure they don’t get out.” He sighed and walked toward me, steepling his hands and pressing his index fingers to his chin. “I can’t get help like you or Tom. Remember Tom? He was a hard worker. But… He tried escaping with one of the girls he’d been rewarded with.” He tsked. “The same thing you’ve done, Paul, the only difference is you succeeded.”

Tom. He’d been my leader. He’d been punished and I hadn’t been able to help him. The memory floated to the surface of my mind like it’d been years ago when in actuality it’d been days. My life relegated to the passing of hours and days and weeks – no more as months and years.

I straightened my shoulders and lifted my head. “You’re not taking Heather, Dominic. We can work something out, but she stays with me. I don’t care what I have to do. She’s not your prisoner or a piece of meat.” Brian tilted his head. I pointed his way. “I didn’t do anything to him but defend myself. Your parenting issues have nothing to do with me.”

But I wasn’t in a position of power. Really, he could have me killed in seconds. I’d fight, but I was severely outnumbered. But oh, the bravado made me feel massive and strong, like I could do anything.

Dominic’s face darkened as his lips tightened over his teeth. I’d been around him enough. I recognized the serious temper he cultivated. I didn’t know what had happened or why Brian was suddenly free of Dominic’s control, but I really wanted Brian to help me protect Heather.

Before Dominic or I could speak again, Brian shifted around beside me so that his back faced Heather. He still pressed his hand to his wound, but he’d achieved a protective stance and his eyes didn’t deviate from Dominic.

“Interesting.” Contemplation introduced finite wrinkles at the corners of Dominic’s eyes.

“What?” I wanted to scream, to yell. To break something – oh, I don’t know – Dominic maybe? I hated the games, the slow reveal.
Just get it the hell over with already.
How would he retaliate?

Behind Dominic, the group of boys laughed and catcalled as they led two stumbling corpses from the locker room, pushing and corralling the lumbering girls between them. The last girl chosen by the boys had been picked nearly clean. The ligaments and tendons barely held together with pieces of purplish-red flesh. One arm held her intestines inside her stomach as she lurched forward, her eyes covered with cataract-like glazing.

The other girl was fully coherent, her eyes bright with fear and hunger. She screamed and snapped at one of the boys, her attention on Heather and the other girls as soon as their smell crossed her face. She closed her eyes and sniffed, half-turning their way. But a boy grabbed at her half-chewed breast and pulled her to follow him. She reached for him, another scream filling the air.

Dominic rolled his eyes. He looked at me. “Just another piece of ass. Not much to worry about, Paul. Ignore them.” He took the three of us in and his attention fell on Brian. I tried to stay focused, but couldn’t with the jiggling, jostling meat moving further away from me. Once they were out of sight, Dominic came back as my priority.

“You bit Brian. Now he’s no longer mine. I wonder if I bit him again, if it would reverse.” A maniacal light glowed in the leader’s eyes. “We need to test this, Paul. You know we have a lot of potential with this virus. You’re a bright boy. We could use the juxtaposition of our saliva and the girl’s immunity to do some interesting experiments.” He pointed over his shoulder at the chained up women, whimpering with relief and prolonged exhausted fear. “You can have whatever you want to eat or… well, I’ll leave that up to your imagination, and I’ll share with you everything I’ve discovered so far.”

“Why would you do that?” Intrigued didn’t begin to describe me. Answers. I’d love answers. I wanted to be able to integrate them in my life, possibly release me from the end I faced in less than ten weeks.
But…
“No, thanks. I don’t eat human, Dominic. The only thing that has changed about me is I have ten weeks left to live.”

“You’re eating what then? Animals?” Dominic slid me a side smile which raised my suspicion.

I crossed my arms, more comfortable with Brian standing beside me and the group temporarily gone from the room. “Laugh if you want. I don’t care. I don’t have to hurt anyone.”

The bastard threw back his head and
did
laugh. I almost released a snarl, but come on, I wasn’t a damn werewolf. He laughed a good long minute, then pushed his hand on his stomach and wiped his eyes. “Oh, that’s funny. See, you do need me. You think you have ten weeks left? I bet you haven’t had any human flesh at all since that little morsel at the compound.” He beckoned me with his fingers. “Come on, tell me it’s true. That’s the only bit you’ve had.”

He stepped close and grabbed my hands before I could stop him. Another laugh escaped him. “Oh, hell, Paully boy. Do you know the gray means the black is just around the corner?” He leaned in close, throwing a glance over his shoulder. He whispered, “The only way to maintain your full twelve weeks is to eat human flesh. Animals will keep you alive but only for about four or five weeks, give or take. And if you’re not eating every two to three hours – maybe four – the time lessens.” He released my hand, shrugging. “If you’re only eating animals, and not eating much by the looks of it, I’d guess you’re down to about three weeks total, maybe?” Which meant less than a week left.

Disbelief wrapped itself around my guts. My tongue didn’t want to work, but seconds and minutes had just become more valuable. “How do you know? You never fed us at the compound and it hasn’t been enough time to figure out how long and all that.” I smirked. “Shit, Dominic, you can’t bluff either.”

He laughed, irritating me further. Oh, I’d love it if he’d choke on his laughter and then his body would die and he’d be trapped. But he didn’t choke. He spoke calmly and backed up a bit to pick at his nail. Annoying habit. “I hate to break it to you, but you weren’t my first changeling, kid. Tom wasn’t either. Dad was. In fact, you met my father the last time I gave you a tour of the basement. He was the final one across from Tom.”

Oh, ugh. I’d wanted to forget the smells, the sounds, the sights of my worst possible nightmare.

But he continued, rubbing the memory in my face. “I didn’t realize how long it takes for a body to decompose. But I didn’t know what to feed good ole Dad and he couldn’t tell me very much with his Lou Gherig’s what he craved. So I shoved him in the basement as I experimented on more and more boys. Do you know, in some of those rooms downstairs, I’d had to pack them in about five or six deep. They tried eating each other, but we don’t like the taste of people similar to us. Must be too much like cannibalism.”

“I could do without the details.”
Ass.
How disgusting, even knowing what I knew, I was grossed out.
What an idiot.

He shrugged. “Well, let’s pretend you care how I know the details, ‘kay?” Oh, I’d forgotten how he liked to hear his own voice. “At first, I experimented with two different groups. One I gave free reign on whatever I could provide – girls, food, entertainment, you name it. They loved the food at first, but eventually all their attention went to the girls – raping, eating, it was crazy.”

But his grin suggested it hadn’t bothered him. “I limited the other group’s intake and didn’t give them girls to play with or much of anything. One of them found rats and cats to eat and they survived on that, but not long.” He pointed at me, his smile over bright. “The group you were in was going to be my fifth trial with human flesh as the main food source, but well, you’re the only survivor because they all had to kill themselves.”
And I’d had to burn them.