Falling Apart (Barely Alive #2) (5 page)

“Have… um, have you seen my wife?” His fingers tapped against his side.

“She went hunting. Can I help you with something?” If he told me the same crap she’d told me, I would scream. Definitely couldn’t help him with that problem. Not in this lifetime.

He looked behind him and then peered into the house over my shoulder. He leaned in to me without meeting my eyes. “I figured out the vaccine. It’s all lock and key. I just need Connie to verify the process and the host cells before I can test it on someone.” He reached up and tugged on his earlobe. The weirdest nervous tic I’d ever seen, but he pulled it off.

“Who do you want to test it on?” We were down to Grandma Jean and my mom as test subjects.

He shrugged. “I don’t care.”

More importantly… “How’d you do it? What was the problem?”

Travis’s eyes focused on my face. His voice evened out and he raised his hands to choreograph the telling. “I’ll keep it simple.”
Great.
“We had all of your saliva and cells to figure out the markers but we were ignoring the main component of immunity to the virus – Heather’s contribution. When I broke it down and compared genetic coding of the mitochondria inside the enzymatic acting cells, I realized we were trying to match the markers to each other, when what we should have been doing was excising them.”

And what?
But he didn’t notice my confusion as he grabbed my upper bicep, his excitement palpable in the early evening shadows. “Heather doesn’t have the specific marker that makes her even accessible to any virus activity in that part of her body.”

“What part of her body?” I couldn’t be more interested in Heather’s body. This was a topic I understood. Things were looking up.

“Her brain.” Travis beamed like I was a well behaved student who’d asked exactly the right question on cue.

“But brains don’t get sick, do they?” It’d always seemed like body sicknesses when I had a cold, or flu, or the measles. Oh, the measles had sucked. But never had my brain been sick.

He pulled back at the simple question. “Of course they do. Haven’t you ever heard of anorexia? Dementia? Alzheimer’s? Schizophrenia? The brain has numerous diseases and syndromes. We haven’t cured most of them or come up with a successful treatment plan yet.”

James hadn’t shown up and with a fresh mountain lion dead on the deck, the conversation didn’t hold as much appeal as I would like. Yet, Dr. Duncan wanted to talk about his discovery and I needed to have an inkling of how close we were to a solution.

“So this is like Alzheimer’s?” I tried to stay on track, but his mind had accelerated since he’d changed and his feeding had improved his thought processes with the immediate intake of blood. Keeping up couldn’t be more difficult – unless I was a human.

“In a way. See, what happens with Alzheimer’s is the brain deteriorates and the body continues to function. But according to your report, this works the opposite way. Exactly like Lou Gherig’s. Either way, the brain is affected.” He’d lost me. I wouldn’t lie.

I shot a quick glance over my shoulder. I was about to suggest something extremely unethical. Not even a hint of guilt plagued me. Actually, I was kind of excited to give it a shot. “Do you have the vaccine ready?”

He pursed his lips. “No. I need Connie. She has to complete the rest of the process. I’m not familiar with the final steps.”

“Connie should be coming from that direction. Grab her. We need this vaccine.” I turned him and gave a gentle push toward the woods. He didn’t hesitate in following my directions. I had no doubt he would. Now, I just had to get the stranger to do what I wanted. Without biting him.

His name was Brian and the ass wouldn’t stop staring at Heather. My heat rose, only increasing my need to eat sooner. He’d better hope he wasn’t around when I needed a meal.

I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned my head back. From under half-lowered lids I sized him up. I could totally take him – even without the virus onboard. “Brad. How do you know Grandma Jean?” Smooth, establish myself as someone who was close enough to call her Grandma Jean. And get his name wrong.

“It’s Brian. I grew up about a half mile from here. Heather and I hung out way back when we were in diapers. I haven’t seen her since last summer. I watch their place when Grandma Jean is in Vegas. My mom cans the huckleberries on the backside of the property.” He rocked his body into Heather’s from the side, his teeth flashing and his eyes roving her face.

The bastard had trumped me and I had no recourse.

He lifted his eyes to mine, innocent as a whorish lamb. “How do you know the girls?”

Ass.
“Heather and I met in Vegas. You could say we’ve traded life-changing moments.”

Heather’s gaze zapped to my face. Her eyes narrowed. “Yes, you could say that.” Why she was annoyed escaped me.

Brian cut in. “Good.” He claimed Heather’s hand in his. “Heath, I brought the Hummer. Come to the house with me. Mom wants to see you and has some things for Grandma Jean.”

I butted in. “Thanks, Brian, but we’re under some pressure here. You might want to spread the word that the attacks in the south are headed this way.” I tried catching Heather’s gaze. No way in hell was I letting her off the property without proper protection – Brian was the type of guy that made metrosexual males seem manly. I tried to talk with a smile, but wasn’t very successful. “Heather is needed here.”

Arm extended for Heather to hold, Brian smiled my way. “I’m sure she is. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Go away?
“No, that’s okay. You should run and —”

“Does your mom still have that stockpile of oil and gas?” Heather ignored the slack-jawed expression I couldn’t hide. “Brian’s mom has a huge storage of fuel and supplies because she believes the democrats are taking the economy and the republicans are taking the rest. I haven’t seen her in forever. I’ve missed her. She practically raised me during the summers when Grandma Jean was busy working.” She spun her grin toward Brian. “If we could get some fuel, that would be awesome.”

“What are we going to do with fuel? Oil?” I had talked to James about the maybes, nothing had been confirmed as a for-sure.

“Seriously, Paul. Don’t give me that crap. James talks a
lot
.” Thrusting a hand on her hip, she pursed her mouth. Was it wrong that I wanted to bite her lower lip? She continued. “I get that it’s dangerous, but it’s right up the road. I need to do something.”

And hell, I was going to beat the living crap out of my brother. “Brian can go without you. I could join him, even.” Another meal had to be around the corner, right? Plus, I needed him to stay close so we could test the vaccine on him.

A wide smile plastered across her face, raising the alarms in my nervous system. She answered me in a low sultry voice filled with anger. “I don’t think so. I can go with him. I’m perfectly safe. His house is just up the way. Plus, I wouldn’t mind discussing the situation with his mother. She has a huge influence with the people in town. We need all the help we can get after the crap Dominic pulled, don’t you think?” Of course she would reference the fact that I’m a Most-Wanted and Dr. Duncan had been discredited on the national news by Dominic himself.

Brian jerked his arm away and stumbled back. His action was odd, but what did one weirdo matter when compared to the fact that Heather might leave? He grimaced. “I can take Heather. We’ll head right back after we load up. Do you want oil in five gallon buckets? Or tanks?”

The last thing I wanted was for Heather to leave. She had the immunity. I just didn’t feel right letting her go. But I wasn’t her keeper and she wasn’t doing much sitting around waiting for us to start the defense set-up or for the Duncan’s to keep testing. If she could get some people rounded up and prepared for the upcoming attacks, it would help in the fight against Dominic and his zombies.

Helping her to her feet, my human competition wrapped his arm around her small waist. Low and intimate, his words still carried my way. “Whenever you’re ready.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. She didn’t even look my way. Fine. She’d go grab the fuel, stir up some sympathy for us, and come back. I left the room.

Irritation bunched my muscles. The Hummer rumbled from the driveway. Grandma Jean and James huddled around a tall brass I-don’t-care-what. I grabbed James’s shoulder and bit out. “Heather is on her way to that jerk’s house to see his mom. I need to eat something. Want to come?”

Grandma Jean squinted toward the windy, bumpy road from the property. “Brian’s mom went to Reno to pick Brian up from school. Usually she calls when she gets home. I was worried she might have stayed for a bit when Brian showed up without her.” She wiped at a spot on a large brass face plate. “You know what? I can call her. Brian said he’d eat dinner with us. I’d love to have her, as well.”

She disappeared around the side of the house.

I stared at the odd metal piece. “What the hell is that?”

“It’s an old fashioned fire extinguisher. You should see Grandma Jean throw this thing around. It’s not light. I tried lifting it and I almost fell over.” He turned the extinguisher from side-to-side, inspecting the shiny copper and brass sections.

All too soon, Grandma Jean returned, flicking her cloth at some mosquitoes swarming in the air. Odd, the mosquitoes avoided James and I. Must be something in our blood. Fine lines tracked worry between her eyebrows. “No one answered. She might be outside, but she usually has the phone with her.”

I released James. My muscles clamped into fight mode. “He said his mom wanted to see her. Heather went to retrieve some fuel and discuss the situation with her.”

“That could be. Heather is really close to his mom. Brian and Heather practically grew up together.” Grandma Jean shrugged and continued cleaning the brass thingamajig. “I’m sure Heather is fine.” She winked my way. “Anyway, that
jerk
knows a lot of people in town. Maybe he could get you some more people to test things on. Or to at least rally up some help for when the poo hits the fan. I’m more worried about why Brian’s mom didn’t answer the phone. ” Subtle, but I got the hint. I wasn’t supposed to call Brian a jerk… at least to Grandma Jean.

Holy hell.
James and I stared into each other’s eyes – and not in a good way. He tugged on his ear, his twitchiness like Turret’s. “Do you think Dominic had anything to do with his arrival?”

Grandma Jean thrust a hand on her hip. “Boys, that’s ridiculous. This Dominic guy is not all powerful. He wouldn’t be able to get Brian to betray Heather. She’s safe.” She motioned me forward. “Paul, come look at this old extinguisher James is helping me move. Can you believe —”

“I’m sorry, Grandma Jean. I hate to be rude, but Dominic is very manipulative and very successful at it.” I couldn’t breathe and for once, in the last two weeks, my physiology problems had nothing to do with my infection. Dominic had to be behind Brian’s sudden arrival. Deep down I knew it. “School is still in at the universities. Finals week. You’re telling me Brian came home with his mom and then came here the next day to check in on an ‘old friend’ he hasn’t seen in a while? Just because?” I would’ve snorted, but worry had me staring into the forest in the general direction of the road. “He was rather quick to volunteer to help. And he jumped, I think it was because he heard Dominic’s name.”

His reaction to Dominic’s name was so out of place, I was an idiot for not noticing the significance sooner.

James patted my back. “Do you want to take the SUV or hoof it?” My brother understood me. We had to check on Heather.

Even if she wasn’t aware of it, I had to know she was safe. “Hoof it. He said he lived just over that way. Grandma Jean, can you be more specific?” My legs jiggled with anxiety.
Could we get the hell on the road, already?

Rag in hand, she motioned north. “Just around the bend, past the acre-wide pond. You’ll know you’re there when you see the red fence.” Just enough detail to get me there. I didn’t wait around for more.

James kept up with me strictly because he had the zombie infection. Okay, he also had a strong history in long distance running. Regardless, he worked to keep up. I plowed through the forest, breaking through branches and leaping over anything I couldn’t run through.

The wide pond appeared out of nowhere. We skirted its inky edge, the muddy grasses questionable. I’d most likely step into the reeds and sink to my knees. I didn’t take the time to appreciate the lapping ripples on the shore, a small turtle laying in the late sunlight on a log, or the slight blurring of the lines and shadows of the pond.

A bright red picket fence lined a well-tended yard. We slowed, crouching as we continued around the distinct border. I motioned with two fingers for James to round the opposite side of the property. We separated, moving around to put the house between us. At the front, we conjoined again.

The driveway was empty.

We stopped beside the walkway to the house. How could it
not
be empty? Drapes pulled tight at the windows. A pile of newspapers poured from the drop box inches from where we stood beside the red entry gate.

“How long would it take for them to get here?” James’s puffed. He watched down the road.