Infected: Die Like Supernovas (The Outlaw Book 2) (6 page)

I’m not exactly sure,
I replied, and rubbed my forehead. My brain was starting to hurt.
We didn’t exchange business cards.

>> I haven’t seen you in two months! Where have you been?

Before I could reply, another message arrived on the Outlaw’s phone from a different number. It was from Tank, who bizarrely enough had texted with the Outlaw previously.

>> …Hope you’re not dead, pajamas…

>> …I’ve been looking forward to doing that job myself…

I grimaced against the pain building in my skull and typed,
Still here, ugly. Not going anywhere.

>> …Next time I’mma strap you into your car before I ignite it.

I hurled the phone across the room. Of course it was Tank! I HATED that guy. I retrieved the device and was pounding out a reply when he texted again.

>> …you throw a rock into my living room? I destroy your piece of junk car. Payback. And the Latino girl will suffer for it…

Katie! Outraged, I started to reply but then I…I couldn’t breathe. I had no oxygen. I was suffocating! I sucked in air to no effect. I tried again. Nothing. My lungs refused to respond. Sweat broke out all over my body. The walls, the very walls of my room, started to collapse on me. The ceiling began lowering. My head cracked and pain spilled in. I gasped and only swallowed agony. I needed oxygen! Peering out through clenched eyes I realized I was wallowing on the floor.

It was a panic attack. It was the virus! Carter was right. I’m dying!

Calmdowncalmdowncalmdowncalmdown!

I did my best not to writhe and shake, but it was impossible. He’d said that my brain was tender and could snap. Seems like tonight’s news was enough. No air. Like a plastic bag was over my head.

RelaxrelaxrelaxrelaxrelaxrelaxyougottarelaxChase!!

I was dying and it was taking forever.

Katie…

Finally, right before the blackness and stars consumed me, I found a trickle of air. I sucked as hard as I could but it wasn’t enough. I heaved in air but found only a mouthful. Again and again and again and again I pulled in insufficient air, barely staying conscious…still alive…shallow breath, shallow breath…still awake…shallow breath, shallow breath…Katie… still alive, shallow breath, deeper breath, deeper breath… lights coming back on…maybe I’ll survive this…

Sweet oxygen. My lungs began to re-inflate. I didn’t dare move though. I’d never open my eyes again. The pain had been awful. I found a shirt with my hand and pulled it under my head blindly, and then I collapsed into sleep with the television on, unsure if I’d wake up.

“It’s gotta be PuckDaddy,” Lee said, sliding into the adjacent chair. My first class, Pre-Calc, hadn’t started yet, which was good because I hadn’t fully woken up; I’d spent the previous night tossing and turning and groaning on my floor. Lee is a math whiz and had already taken all the math classes our school offered, and so he helped tutor students like me for additional credits. He was wearing an Outlaw shirt.

“Lee,” I said blearily. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. So shut up.”

“PuckDaddy, baby! You’ve heard of him, I know you have, bro. Everyone has.”

“Go away. I hate you.”

“Can’t believe you don’t know who PuckDaddy is, dude,” Lee shook his head.

“What about PuckDaddy?” Samantha Gear asked. She dropped into the chair next to me, opposite Lee. I’d forgotten she was in this class. I’d probably be seeing more of her, considering that Coach Garrett had unofficially dubbed her our new kicker.

“Who are you?” Lee asked suspiciously.

“I’m pretty. Do you really care what my name is, little man?”

“No,” Lee admitted. “And I’m not little. Do you really know who PuckDaddy is?”

She shrugged, “Of course. Well. I mean, I’m familiar with the moniker. I didn’t think many people were. Isn’t he a big secret?”

“Pretty girls like you aren’t supposed to know about guys like PuckDaddy,” Lee stated, trying to digest this strange turn of events.

“I’m full of surprises. Want to sit on my lap?”

“………………….what?” Lee asked finally after working his mouth silently for a long time. Samantha had green eyes that she could turn on like tractor beams. Lee appeared helpless; his face was turning summersaults. “Yes?”

“Come on over here, little man,” she coaxed, leaning back in her chair. “And whisper about PuckDaddy in my ear.”

I said, “Both of you either shut up, or tell me what on earth you’re talking about.” This was like watching a dorky version of Beauty and the Beast.

“PuckDaddy is one of the baddest dudes on the planet,” Lee started.

“He’s a computer hacker,” Samantha interjected.

“Hey. Hot new girl. I’m telling it. He’s not just a computer hacker. He’s a digital god, dude, a networking wizard. He’s been a myth in hackerdom for years, just lurking in the Deepnet. Dude makes most programmers look like crackers instead of hackers,” Lee gushed in adoration.

“He might not even exist,” Samantha said. “Most think he’s a rumor.”

Lee demanded, “Okay. Seriously. How do you know this stuff?” She just arched an eyebrow at him and smiled. “Anyways. After the Outlaw incident, hackerdom is buzzing, bro. Straight churning. He exists! PuckDaddy revealed himself by pulling off the biggest stunt the programming world has ever seen. Erasing all those videos is basically impossible. Has to be him.”

“Are you a programmer?” Samantha asked him.

“No way, baby,” he grinned and pointed at himself with his thumbs. “I’m applied sciences. An inventor.”

“PuckDaddy is the one who erased the Outlaw videos,” I said, pulling on my lip. “Why would he do that?” I already had a guess. PuckDaddy worked with Carter! Carter said the Infected hated publicity and so PuckDaddy was cleaning up the evidence? It made sense. If this guy actually even existed.

“Nobody knows,” Lee said.

Samantha said again, “He might not even be real. He’s a legend.”

“He exists,” Lee burst in excitement. “And he’s connected with the Outlaw! And the Outlaw is back, baby!”

“Shhhhhhh!!!” We got shushed by several of our classmates, frantically doing homework before class started.

“The Outlaw is gone,” I stated.

“He is?” Samantha asked. “Are you sure? How do you know?”

“He was kidnapped. He’s gone for good,” I said and I meant it. After last night’s debacle on my floor, I wanted nothing to do with the mask anymore. I just wanted to survive the next few months.

“Nope,” Lee grinned. “He’s back! I told you.”

“What about the kidnapping video?”

“Natalie North tweeted last night, dude. She said the Outlaw is okay. She’s like the only person who would know. He probably just whipped their asses and then made out with Natalie.”

“Ugh,” I groaned. “Natalie.” Natalie and her twitter account.

“Ugh,” Katie groaned. “Why is it always Natalie North?”

“Cause she’s super fly, dude,” Lee said and bit into his sandwich. Katie was staring at the television over our lunch table. The station was re-broadcasting the Outlaw news. Around us the cafeteria roared; kids letting off steam.

“I know this,” she glared at Lee. “I met her. Remember? She visited me in the hospital. But why does the Outlaw only visit her? And never me?”

“The Outlaw wasn’t visiting Natalie,” I said instinctively. But I couldn’t finish the sentence. I couldn’t tell her the Outlaw had been keeping an eye on her date with Tank. Stupid stupid Tank.

“Yes he was,” Katie sighed. “And then some stupid computer nerd stole all the photos of him. The first good photos we’ve had in months.”

“PuckDaddy,” Lee said with a seriously offended disposition, “is NOT a computer nerd.”

“Yeah, don’t even talk like that,” Cory said sagely, chewing on homemade chicken salad. “Could be listening.”

“PuckDaddy,” Katie considered. “His name is like a cross between Sean Combs and Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“What?” Lee said blankly.

“Shakespeare,” she said, searching for signs of intelligence in our eyes. “You three are illiterate.”

“Maybe the Outlaw
will
come visit you,” I told Katie. The idea was exciting!

“No way, man,” Lee said. “He never leaves the city. He’s a city dweller. Besides, the Outlaw is probably tracking down the Sniper.”

“What Sniper?” I asked.

“Dude. You forget
everything
. The LA Sniper! Remember? Wax bullets?”

I scoffed, “The Outlaw doesn’t care about the Sniper.”

“Sure he does! The Sniper got three more last night!”

“Three more what?” I asked.

“Victims. Duh.”

I laughed and said, “I’m sure the Outlaw has more important things going on than stopping a practical joker. This guy is just scaring people. The victims are all okay, right? Just bruised.”

“You don’t know the Outlaw like I do!” Lee shouted. “Remember, bro. I met him! And trust me. He’s going to get the Sniper. And he doesn’t leave the city. He can’t visit Katie.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like he’s
trapped
there. He can go where ever he wants.”

“Besides,” Cory reminded Katie. “You have Tank now.”

Lee said, “Barf.”

“I don’t
have
Tank,” Katie perked up, smiling. “But we are going out again. Soon.”

Lee said, “Barf.”

“Nooooooo,” I groaned. “Not again. One date was enough.”

“Oh my boys,” she said, smile widening. “My jealous boys.”

“Ugh. Just thinking about you dating him gives me a headache,” I said, rubbing my forehead.

“Speaking of headaches,” Cory rumbled. “You need a ride home?”

“Yes,” I sighed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do about a permanent ride yet.”

My girlfriend ambushed me after school. She was waiting for me at the exit, bouncing on her toes with a million-kilowatt smile in place. Most of my fellow students slowed down just so they could look at her.

“Hi quarterback!” she sang.

“Hi Hannah,” I smiled back. “This is a nice surprise.”

“That’s not the real surprise,” she said and she grabbed my hand. She pulled me out of the school doors and into the sunlight. “The real surprise is that my father is here!”

“Oh,” I said, blinking into the sun. “That is…a… surprise.”

“He’s in the parking lot. Come on!”

Hannah’s father looked like money. He was wearing a gorgeous suit, had a thick head of gorgeous silver hair, and generally gave off Presidential vibes. I bet his stylish glasses cost more than my car. Or at least more than the insurance agent told me my car was worth after it blew up.

“Good afternoon, Chase,” he said and politely accepted my handshake.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Walker.”

“Pleasure’s mine. I enjoyed watching you play football last season. You’re a credit to this fine high school. I helped build that field, you know.”

“I…did not know,” I stammered. “Thank you?”

“Don’t thank me
yet
,” he smiled benevolently. “Hannah tells me that you helped protect her from the Hispanics during the riot.”

“The Hispanics? Oh, the protest, right.”

“Call it what you like, son. This place was crawling with spics, and I am grateful that you took care of my only child.”

“Well,” I shrugged. “I guess that’s what boyfriends do.”
Spics
??

“Only good boyfriends,” Hannah said, still tightly holding my left hand. I could never predict when she’d pour on the affection and when she’d act distant. Were all girlfriends this complicated?

“I helped pass that law, you understand,” Mr. Walker said. “I’m an advisor to the
senator,
and it’s about time someone notable, someone of
prestige
, took a stand on the influx of hispanics into our once great city. The Hispanics were rioting because of that law, because they’re afraid of justice.”

“Oh yeah?” I said. I knew nothing about politics or laws. But I had a feeling I disagreed with him.

“But I’ll discontinue this tangent before I begin to preach,” he smiled. “Hannah is giving me the warning look.”

“Thank you, Daddy,” Hannah said.

“The spics destroyed your car,” he said. “Hannah informed me, and then I read the report in the newspaper.”

“That was a good car,” I nodded. “I will miss it.”

“Well, let me see what I can do to help,” he said. “I’m a financial consultant to many of our nation’s
finest
automobile manufacturers, including Mission Motorcycles. You have heard of them?”

“I don’t know much about any cars. Or motorcycles,” I admitted.

“Well, it just so happens, they owed me a favor and agreed to give me a short-term loan on one of their new electric bikes,” he said. And it was then that I realized we were standing beside a gleaming black, silver, and orange motorcycle. I hadn’t noticed before because our school parking lot always looks like a luxury car showcase, and I’d grown numb to the opulence. A sleek black helmet hung from each handle. Mr. Walker placed his palm on the seat and said, “This bike is yours. Until you get a new car.”

“Wow,” I breathed. A motorcycle!!

“Isn’t it sexy?” Hannah smiled. “It looks like it’s from the future.”

“It does,” I agreed. “I’m almost afraid to touch it, like it’ll fly off. But sir, there’s no way…”

“Please don’t be so ungrateful as to refuse, son. That’s low class, and that’s not the Walkers. You are in
elite
company. Dating my daughter has advantages, as I’m sure she’s told you. You just keep performing on the football field.”

“Oh…right,” I said.

“I’m gratified I can help,” Mr. Walker said and shook my hand again. “I’m expecting big things from you. Don’t let me down. It’s electric, so you’ll need to charge it at night. Fill out the paperwork in the storage compartment and return them signed to Hannah tomorrow. If you wreck it, I’ll have you drowned off Long Beach. I wish I could stay, but I’m late for a meeting with the Board of
Supervisors
. Hannah, tell your mother I’ll be out late,” he said and got into the back seat of a black sedan that whisked him away.