Infected: Die Like Supernovas (The Outlaw Book 2) (29 page)

“Is she okay?”

“I think so.”

“What’s wrong?”

“…Hannah…she was on the bridge.”

“The cheerleader? Oh no…”

“I couldn’t get to her.”

Silence.

“Okay, we have to go,” he said. “We’re moving, Puck.”

“Any sign of Carter?”

“None.”

“Are you hurt?”

“Everything hurts. You?”

“All over. But Katie is safe. Other than what appears to be a broken ankle. And being blown up. And almost killed half a dozen times.”

“Can’t believe it. You got her out. Well done.”

“We didn’t get the Chemist.”

“Not tonight.”

“Until we do, no one in Los Angeles is safe.”

“We?”

“Of course, we.”

“Carter is going to have very mixed emotions about this.”

I could no longer listen. Exhaustion took over.

“Is he really dead?” Carter asked.

I was sitting on my front porch in the sunshine, reading a newspaper. I usually didn’t read papers, but I figured I owed the LA Times after all the free publicity they granted me. The front page headline was
OUTLAW ASSUMED DEAD.
The helicopter cameras had lost track of the masked man after the big explosion. Complete incineration was the likely cause of death.

“I’m not sure yet,” I grinned. “The Outlaw’s a lot of trouble but I kind of like the guy.”

“He was growing on me. Despite the stupid newspaper stunt,” Carter said and he sat down beside me. “I hope he sticks around.”

“I have to ask. Why do you always wear gloves? Tank does too. I can’t figure it out.”

Carter said, “Simple,” and tugged off a glove. His hand was misshaped. Or…something. The fingers were blocky, and the bones looked like they were about to push out when he made a fist. “The virus causes it. Bones grow too big. Same with toes. The rest of the body hides the abnormal growth, but no such luck with finger and toes.”

“Tank has it too?”

“Assume so. Kid’s got some big bones. Doesn’t happen to many of us. Virus affects us all differently. You just get back from the girl’s funeral?” he asked, indicating my shirt and tie.

I nodded. Hannah Walker’s funeral had been brutal. No body had been left to bury. Her mother could barely function. Our whole school had shown up, looking for ways to make sense of the nonsensical. How are people supposed to process video of a genuine superhuman battle? It was beyond belief but a large section of our city was being held hostage by a criminal mastermind with…super powers. The police had besieged his kingdom but could now only guess how to deal with him. This was both impossible to believe and also just fifteen miles down the road. I’d been there and I still couldn’t fathom it. Like everyone else, I was walking around numb. A lot of people had died. One of them had been the most popular kid at our school. The secret of our breakup died with her. I cried my eyes out while everyone watched and I hadn’t been pretending.

“This is probably a sore subject, but…” I said. “How did the Chemist get you in that headlock? I thought you had him.”

“Bah,” he growled. “That stupid stick of his. He’s had it for years and I don’t even know what it’s made of. Hurts like hell, though,” he said, rubbing the side of his head in memory.

“I saw him block gunshots with it,” I shook my head. It had been a haunting sight. “How do you fight
that
?”

“He was showing off, mate. When you’re as old as Martin you can
hear
the bullets coming and step around them.”

“How many Infected you figure he had?” I asked.

“Seven, at the beginning. I think. He kept three with him at all times. Puck told me you killed one, that makes four. Shooter says there were three others on surrounding rooftops. And there was a pretty girl watching from a chair I can’t figure out, so maybe eight.”

“Troy died. And Martin shot one of his girls. So it’s down to five. Did Samantha or your shadow kill any of them?”

“My shadow?” he grunted.

“Well, what the heck do you want us to call him? I won’t pretend I didn’t see your body guard.”

“Shadow works,” he sighed. “And Samantha thinks they got two.”

“So he has three Infected left, maybe four.”

“That we know of.”

I said, “We got lucky. We didn’t lose any.”

“Not luck. Martin’s recruits were young and inexperienced. Not ready yet.”

“What a mess.”

“I owe you an explanation,” he said. “After what Martin told you.”

“About time.

He lit a cigarette and smoked it silently for several minutes. I didn’t mind. I had nothing to do. After the funeral Katie had gone to the hospital to visit Tank, who still hadn’t woken from a coma.

Gosh I hate that guy.

Tank’s involvement had been recorded by helicopter cameras, and by all appearances he
looked
like he was trying to save the hostages trapped in the bus, not just on a personal vendetta against the Chemist. The video showed him getting shot, but since he survived everyone assumed it was a wax bullet and the shooter was the infamous Sniper. Tank was being hailed as a hero, especially after his relationship with Katie Lopez became public knowledge. News channels were reporting on his condition hourly and his awakening would be a celebrated event in an otherwise depressed and shell-shocked city.

GOSH I hate that guy.

“Martin was telling the truth,” he said finally. “You were intentionally infected with the disease at birth. So were a lot of other newborns during a sixty-day span at Glendale Memorial.”

“That’s why so many have suddenly been popping up,” I observed. “And why they’re all my age.”

“Yes,” he nodded. Smoke was leaking out of his nostrils as he stared off into the past. “Most of the kids died around puberty. A lot of them moved away, so we might potentially hear rumors of them around the globe soon. But the rest are here.”

“Which is why the Chemist is here. He’s collecting them.”

“Yes. He’s collecting them. We both are. It was a mistake and I regret it, and I’m fixing it the only way I know how. We thought it was too much work to track all the children growing up, but in retrospect we should have. Now we’re just…looking for clues.”

“Mathematically not many should survive, right?” I asked.

“He’s figured out a way to preserve their sanity. He is using powerful medicine to keep them comatose for months at a time. Somewhere in Compton. That should increase his numbers. Might double the survival rate,” he chuckled without humor. “Clever bastard.”

“Great,” I groaned. “What will he do with his growing squad of physical freaks?”

“Martin is arrogant. He creates chaos and draws power from it. He was the ruler of a small country in northeast Europe in the 50’s. Arranged for his own assassination, and threw the entire country into chaos. Not sure it even exists anymore, now that I think about it. I’d forgotten about that debacle,” he smiled as if in fond memory. “He’s here for the attention and the chaos and the power. He doesn’t have too much longer to live before his organs give out, so I bet he has something big planned. Whatever it is, we’ll have to stop him.”

“Did
you
infect me in the hospital when I was born?” I asked. “Like, stuck a needle in me?”

“One of us did, Martin or me. We’re both licensed to practice medicine in all fifty states, so it was easy.”

“You once told me you didn’t know many medical terms,” I remembered.

“I lied.”

“I didn’t think the disease was contagious,” I frowned. “How’d you do it?”

“The virus is only communicable under the right circumstances.”

“What are those circumstances?”

“I’ll explain that,” he said. His voice was fierce and earnest. I never saw him look worried before. “Soon. I promise. The only thing you need to know at the moment is that Martin will achieve those circumstances
again
in the near future. Unless we stop it.”

“He’ll be able to infect other children soon?”

“Correct.”

“Carter. You suck. For a lot of reasons. Seriously. You should be in jail.”

He nodded and said, “I’m making penance for past sins, kid.”

“Sounds to me like all of Los Angeles could pay for them.”

“Which is why I want the Outlaw to stick around,” he said in a cloud of smoke.

“I will not be one of your stooges, Carter. You’ve strong-armed good people like Samantha and Puck into being your puppets. Not me.”

“I’ll call in some additional reinforcements.” He ignored me, his white pointy teeth flashing. “And we could use Tank’s help too.”

“What?! Tank hates me. He hates you too!”

“Not as much as he hates the Chemist. We’ll handle him with care.”

“If he ever wakes up,” I noted wryly.

“He’ll wake up. I’m his doctor,” he chuckled. “Best chance his brain has is to stay under a while longer.”

“You’re his doctor??”

“I didn’t drag him out of there just to let him die, mate. When he’s fully developed he’ll be a big bomb to throw at Martin.”

“Carter, you’re the worst. Some of my friends will be here soon and I want you gone.”

“Keep something in mind. I’ve got a short temper,” he said and he stood up. He threw his cigarette butt into my lawn. “And I’ll throw your dead body into the ocean if you cross me.”

“I destroyed the listening devices you planted in my room,” I growled at him.

“I always protect my investments,” he shrugged. “I’ll put more in soon. I don’t want to be your adversary, Outlaw. Remember that. We’re on the same side.”

“Then act like it.”

“Martin told you that you’re special,” he said as he started walking away.

“I remember.”

“That’s bad news for you.”

“Why?”

“It means he wants you for his protege. Wants to be your mentor, a father figure, pass everything to you. And he’ll stop at nothing. I’ll explain more later.”

“I don’t care,” I called. A black SUV pulled up. Carter got into the passenger side and it roared away. “But I am hungry,” I said to myself. “For some chocolate.”

My phone rang. Or, the Outlaw’s phone rang.

“Yeah?” I answered it.

“Carter’s driving away,” PuckDaddy said. “What’d he say? Both Shooter and I are listening.”

“Carter is the worst,” I said.

“Yeah we know. What’d he say?”

“He wants the Outlaw’s help.”

“Woohoo!” PuckDaddy shouted. “I knew it! We’re joining forces with the Outlaw!”

“Weren’t we already on the same team?”

“Yeah but now it’s official. Makes us cooler by association, dummy. Plus, he told us it was 50/50 whether he would kill you or not.”

Samantha asked, “Is Katie coming over?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Are you going to tell her that you’re the Outlaw? That you’re in love with her?”

“No way. Not while she’s waiting for Prince Charming to wake up.” I wanted to tell Katie so badly, but as usual Tank screwed it up. One of these days she’d see through his disguise. I hope.

She asked, “Are Cory and Lee coming over too?”

“Yeah, they’re coming too.”

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

“Great!” I said.

PuckDaddy said, “Leave your phone on! Puck wants to listen. Our lives are SO much more fun now.”

“You people are weird,” I smiled. “Puck you should come over too.”

“I don’t live near you, stupid.”

“Oh yeah.”

“But you’re the first person that’s invited me to hang out in ten years. This is a weird feeling,” he said.

“I have to go. Here comes Katie. She’s early,” I said. She was limping down the street in a soft ankle cast. She looked so pretty I thought my heart would break.

“Of course she’s early,” Samantha Gear laughed. “She’s in love with you.”

The End

Epilogue - Excerpt from Katie Lopez’s Journal

October 15th

Mami and I are wondering if we should pack up and move. The Outlaw recommended downtown Los Angeles be evacuated, and the city is now taking him seriously. Thousands of people are streaming east on the interstate. Probably more like hundreds of thousands. We live less than ten miles from downtown.

The Chemist seems unstoppable. I know the military is considering carpet bombing large portions of southern Los Angeles. The stories coming out of the Chemist’s territory are hard to fathom. Wild men running like animals in the buildings. Cannibalism. Rampant drug use.

I think about my encounter with the Chemist often. I know I’m lucky to be alive.

What I remember most about that night is the Outlaw, especially our retreat. As we fled that intersection I heard two voices. The Outlaw’s voice and a girl’s voice.

One thought keeps surfacing. How did they know Hannah was a cheerleader?…

The Story continues in…
The Sanctuary
Book Three of the Outlaw Series
Due out soon!

Alan Janney…

-is married to a beautiful girl

-has two handsome boys

-used to teach high school English (brilliantly so)

-leads Young Life

-invites you to consider John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”