Flip This Zombie (21 page)

“And
why
would I do that?” Kevin asked with a humorless laugh.

Dave shrugged. “Maybe you saw too many
Resident Evil
flicks and found yourself always rooting for Umbrella Corp rather than the hot chick. Maybe you like how it feels when you play God with dead things. Maybe you think you can take over the Badlands or even storm this supposed Midwest Wall that everyone believes is out there. I have no idea what your twisted mind would have as a reason to fuck with monsters that are already bad enough as it is.”

“David, please,” I whispered, although I have to admit, I was watching Kevin for his reaction to Dave’s accusations. For now, there wasn’t one. All the emotion was wiped from his face and his gaze held steady on my husband.

His hand held just as steady on the .45.

Finally he sighed. “David, you’ve been in the Badlands, as you call them, a long time. I can’t imagine what you’ve seen and done and been through. And I suppose it’s because of those experiences that you have such a
low level of trust, such a low level of tolerance for hope. But I promise you, there is no way I would ever participate in making ‘bionic’ zombies, as you put it. I’m trying to eradicate this infection, not mutate it to my own devices.”

“Hm,” Dave said without hesitation. “Sounds like something a mad scientist
would
say.”

Kevin’s eyelids fluttered just a little, his only tell that what David said annoyed or angered him. His voice remained calm, though.

“Very well, you’ve made your point clear. You have no faith in me. And I suppose none in any hope that this
thing
that has happened to our world can be changed. But what about you, Sarah?”

His gaze turned on me, piercing behind the glasses. I shifted slightly beneath it, especially when I felt Dave’s stare with equal intensity and force. I felt like I was being tugged between two worlds.

Dave was the world I could see, the world of today. And you may not believe it, but there was some comfort to that. After all, now I knew exactly what
this
world entailed. After a few months, I understood the whole zombie thing and the camp thing and the survivalist thing. I knew how to endure.

But I wouldn’t call it living.

As for Kevin… well,
he
represented a world I couldn’t yet see. A future world where maybe zombies wouldn’t exist anymore. Where maybe there was hope of getting back to what we had all lost. It was all very shadowy and unclear so far, this world he painted for me. And terrifying because I had no idea what would happen if we managed to get ourselves to that new reality.

But that thing, that ideal this man represented… it was
hope
.

“I-I want to believe that what you say could happen… is possible,” I admitted, trying hard not to look at David from the corner of my eye.

It didn’t work. I saw the betrayal on his face. The pain that I would take some other man’s side over his. My heart hurt as much as my head as I dipped my chin and stopped looking at him.

“Then will you stay?” Kevin pressed. “Can I depend on you to keep helping me?”

I looked up. This was it, my last chance to back out. My last chance to keep things status quo. Only I knew I would regret that choice. Especially if somewhere down the road Kevin
did
find that cure. I would always regret not taking a stand to save this world.

I nodded. “Yes. I want to continue helping you.”

Dave sucked in a breath beside me and I finally forced myself to look at him straight on. I owed him that much. I wished I hadn’t. Beneath the bruises, his face was pale, his eyes almost dead as he stared at me.

I reached for him, but he backed out of my reach.

“Please,” I whispered. “Please stay and help me.”

He shook his head. “No way, Sarah.” His voice was as soft as my own. “I’m not going to help him bring down this world. And I’m certainly not going to watch him bring you down with it.”

“Dave?” I said, the sound almost not carrying.

He didn’t answer. He just turned on his heel and left the room without looking back. Without saying another word.

“David?” I called again. “David!”

But he was gone.

*       *       *

I guess on some level I thought he would come back. I mean, so he left, but he was a hothead. I figured he would drive around that afternoon (although I hadn’t really thought about the fact that he had no vehicle now that our van was toast) and maybe even go into camp for the night. But then he’d cool off. He’d come back.

But he didn’t. As I watched the sun rise on the monitors in Kevin’s lab, there was no David on them. Not even a hint of him or where he was or what he was doing or if he’d ever bother to return.

I blinked to keep tears from falling and looked around. I was on my own for the first time since the outbreak. Really for the first time in years before that. Even at our worst, Dave had always been there. I hadn’t ever been truly alone.

Until now.

Behind me, I heard a door open. I turned to watch The Kid enter the viewing room. He glared at me in accusation. It kind of reminded me of my own dirty looks for my mom when she and my dad got divorced when I was just a little younger than the boy before me.

“Is he back?” The Kid demanded without preamble or explanation of his question.

I shook my head. “No. Not yet.”

I looked at him. He was clean, at least. Even his clothes were new, so I guess Dr. Barnes had gone all out and found each of us something to wear (or maybe from the stock here in the lab). Dave’s set sat untouched on the chair in my room. Accusing me as much as The Kid’s expression.

“How’s your arm?” I asked, motioning to his wrapped wrist.

He moved it a little and cringed slightly. “Sore,” he admitted. “But I’ll get over it.”

I turned back to the monitors, my thoughts back to David. “Yeah, me too.”

“So he’s not returned, eh?”

This time it was Kevin’s voice at the door and I turned once again to face him. He was holding a tray, but from my angle I could tell what was on it.

“No, I’m afraid not,” I said softly.

“It’s too bad, but I suppose each of us has to make a choice in life,” he said as he put the tray down.

I stared at what was in front of me. Eggs, bacon, coffee. A croissant. A motherfucking croissant! That was it. I had died in the accident and this was heaven.

“Holy shit,” I burst out as I grabbed for the pastry first. “What—what?”

He smiled. “Well, it’s amazing what one can do between military rations and other supplies. Please do enjoy.” He turned toward The Kid. “You too.”

The boy leapt forward without waiting for a second invitation and dug into the food with gusto. With a shrug, I joined him. The two of us ate non-stop for a few minutes before I glanced up to see Kevin watching us. Well, watching
me
. That was enough to make me self-conscious and I grabbed for a napkin to wipe my face sheepishly.

“Sorry,” I said. “It’s been a while.”

He smiled as he sat down in one of the rolling chairs near mine. “No worries. I like to see a woman eat with such passion.”

I blushed as I sipped my coffee. “My head is still a little foggy this morning,” I said as a way to change the subject.

Kevin nodded. “Yes. Today you’ll probably be a bit off-kilter still, but I’m betting you’ll be feeling more yourself tomorrow.”

I frowned. I hated to put it off that long, but there really wasn’t much of a choice. Not without my partner. I sighed. “I don’t think I should go out to hunt until I’m well.”

“I agree,” he said instantly. “Regardless of what your husband thought, I
don’t
want to see anyone hurt in the name of my research. Take the day to rest and rejuvenate and we’ll see how you feel tomorrow.”

I nodded. “It’s going to be more complicated since I’ll be hunting alone.”

The Kid’s head jerked up at that. “What do you mean alone?”

I shot him a brief look. “Alone. Definition: without other people. E pluribus by-myself-us,” I chuckled. “And you say you like to read.”

The Kid glared at me without acknowledging my little joke. “No way. I’m going with you.”

I stared at him. “Robbie, your wrist is going to slow you down. You can hardly hold that cup, let alone fire a weapon or tie a knot.”

“So how the hell are you going to catch one by yourself?” The Kid asked, filled with brimstone and righteous indignation that was almost laughable when it came in child-size.

I shrugged but I turned my gaze on Kevin. “Dr. Barnes here is going to give me
plenty
of his knock-out juice and a way to shoot that shit from as far a distance as possible.”

Kevin hesitated for a fraction of a moment, but then he nodded. “Of course. I
have
been working on a dart gun for future use in dispensing my cure, should I ever perfect it.
I’m sure if you give me today to work on it, I can adjust it to fit your purposes.”

I nodded slightly. “And there’s one other thing you’ll do for me today.”

His eyes widened and I was pretty sure a dirty thought had just crossed his brilliant little mind. I ignored it as best I could.

“And what is that, Sarah?” he asked, his pervy tone proving what I’d just guessed.

“I want to see this place,” I said softly. “
All
of it.”

He stepped back. “What? Why?”

“Just because I decided to stay and fight your little battle doesn’t mean I don’t have my own doubts about you,” I said through gritted teeth. “Dave brought up more than a few good points about why we shouldn’t take you at face value. So before I go off to be your lackey again, I want to know what I’m working for. Exactly.”

There was a moment of shuffling and Kevin sent a slow side stare at The Kid, who sat with his arms folded, looking at the doctor like he was ready to fight to get me what I wanted if it came to that. Which was sort of cute, really. But finally Barnes nodded.

“Very well, if you insist,” Kevin sighed. “I’m happy to show you the lab, though I doubt it will be very interesting to you.”

I got to my feet, grabbing my half-full cup of coffee and the last bite of my croissant as I moved. “Oh, Doc. I’d be willing to bet good money that I’m going to see more than enough to keep me interested.”

I
t turned out Kevin was right. His lab was pretty boring, actually. The Kid had been right in refusing to come along on our “dumb adventure.” Now I kind of wished I’d gone to take a nap like him. But here I was and I was determined to stick to my plan. It would make Dave proud to see me questioning the good doctor’s facade… even if he wasn’t here and maybe never coming back.

Since it had originally been a military facility, there were several observation rooms where privates had sat once upon a time and watched the television monitors for… I don’t know, whatever they thought was going to threaten the facility, I guess.

I’m thinking they didn’t have “zombies” on that list. Or maybe they did.

There were plenty of storage areas, too, stacked high with weaponry and equipment for a very long, very bad disaster (kind of like the one we were in). But I’ll admit, none of the supplies I saw shocked me. None screamed,
“Secretly making bionic zombies, planning to kill you all!
”