Zombie Rage (Walking Plague Trilogy #2) (6 page)

“
Sooo...” Anna said as courageously as she could, “how are we going to do it?”

* * *

A little while later all were seated back at the kitchen table.

Carla wasn’t used to “family meetings” and she tried to reason how this group constituted a family anyhow. Only three were blood relatives, but all played a part in this strange set of circumstances that now encompassed each of their lives. The set of events over the last week or so bound them together. Bonded them more closely than any of them would have ever imagined.

Jared was inseparable from Anna. Carla knew his parents either weren’t aware of his whereabouts or didn’t care. Mike was the Army buddy who had gotten into this mess with Joe, who was Jack’s brother.

I’ve seen whackier families,
thought Carla, but couldn’t muster even a small grin.

“
Carla?” Joe interrupted her thoughts.

“
I’m sorry, what?”

“
I was saying that Mike and I were feeling stronger when we were—transformed,” he repeated. Joe took in the dark circles under Carla’s eyes and her worried face. From what he could tell, she was just about at the end of her rope. Joe loved Anna deeply but he knew that, even under normal circumstances, the girl could be a handful. He also comprehended the gravity of the situation for his brother. Joe gestured to the cellar door as he continued, “How’s he doing?”

Carla took a huge gulp of her coffee. “He’s stopped obsessing,” she said, “but truthfully, I haven’t had the heart to go down there for the last hour or so.”

“You haven’t?” Anna cried out. Before anyone could stop her, she rose from her chair and bolted across the kitchen to the cellar door.

“
Anna, wait!” Jared, Carla and Joe chimed together. But she opened the door and descended the stairs quickly.

They all cautiously followed her, some quicker than others. Jared knew that if Anna thought for an instant that her father was getting “better” she would be in his arms in a flash. He forced his way down the stairs faster than the others.

But Anna had stopped halfway down the stairs, peering into the darkness. “Daddy?”

A groan from below. Then a hoarse voice: “Anna? Is that you?”

“It’s me, Daddy.”

Before she could do or say any more, Carla was in front of her. “Back up, Jack,” Carla ordered. Jack did back up and Carla pulled the chain for the single light in the room. She positioned herself to one side of the cellar, out of Jack’s reach, but also able to see the other four on the stairs.

Anna pulled her hand loose from Jared and started down.

“
Stop right there,” Carla commanded the teenager.

Joe reached his niece and took her hand. “No, honey, not yet.”

But Anna would have none of it. “But he’s fine, Uncle Joe! Listen to him!”

Jack Carter was indeed coherent. He was feeling better, they all could see that. Except for the eyes. His retinas were streaked with a deep, glowing red.

“You’re better, right?” Anna asked him hopefully.

“
I feel better. I feel stronger. Don’t worry, angel, I’m okay now.” Jack smiled, but he was very aware that Carla wasn’t smiling. He was very aware that he was being tested. “I’m really thirsty,” he added. He was thirsty, too, but mostly he was hungry.

So very
hungry
.

Someone was lingering at the top of the stairs. A man. Jack could sense him, smell him.

“Who else is here?” he asked warily.

“
It’s Mi—” started Anna, but her uncle put a finger to her lips, shushing her.

“
But Uncle Joe,” Anna whispered. She didn’t think her dad could hear them, although she knew his senses were heightened. “Why can’t we tell him about—”

“
Not now, Anna. Trust me.”

“
But–—”

“
No buts. Listen, we’ve seen he’s okay. But you’re going to have to trust me on this. Let’s go back upstairs.”

Jack knew something was going down. There was something they weren’t telling him. He also knew he’d better play nice if he was going to get the hell out of the cellar.

Carla was in control now, it seemed.

What a bitch
, thought Jack.
What did I ever see in her?
He fought down rage.
No, Carla is good. She’s the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time.

“
Go on, Anna,” Jack smiled at his daughter again. “I understand. Hell, I had to do the same with your uncle, right? I had to leave him, too. It’ll be okay.”

Joe marched her up the stairs.

“I love you, Dad!” She gave Jack one last glance and then she was in the kitchen with Joe and...another man...Who was that, anyway?

“
I love you too, angel.”

Jared remained halfway down the stairs. He was relieved that someone else could handle Anna. He was glad he hadn’t said anything, glad that no one had told Jack what he would have to face.

Jared was tired too—they all were. Except for Jack, apparently. Jared attempted a poker face while wondering who was going to do it. How they would do it. He’d never seen anyone drown, except in the movies. He had a feeling it wasn’t going to be pretty.

“
Look, Jack,” said Carla, “we’ll get you some water, okay?”

“
Thank you,” Jack answered as calmly as he could. “Carla, you look tired. Thank you for taking care of Anna.”

Carla almost broke down. It was all she could do not to cry right now, because she had been thinking pretty much the same thoughts as Jared. “Of course,” was all she could say. She couldn’t take it anymore.

She turned her back on him and left.

Chapter Fifteen

My fake smile faded as soon as Jared followed Carla up and closed the door.

I didn’t know what the fuck they were planning, but I had a bad feeling about all of it. They wanted to stop me. Cure me. Except I didn;t want to be cured. I wanted to be free. And to feed, goddammit.

Joe was different, too. My own flesh and blood. He was no brother to me anymore. He’d somehow become normal again, which was interesting. I had heard Joe calmly keep Anna silent. They were hiding something from me. No, someone. Either way, I was sure of one thing:
they were gearing up to “save” me.

The last thing I remembered was pawing my daughter, with the intent of eating her alive. I did feel bad about that. Maybe I should feel worse than bad, but I didn’t. Just bad. Nothing more, nothing less. Yes, Anna was off limits as food. Of course. Probably my brother, too.

Maybe.

And how did Joe become normal again? Had he done it willingly? I tried to remember the conversation when I’d almost attacked Anna. I’d been sick and not thinking clearly. They’d been talking about a possible cure. For who? What had happened to make them think there was one?

Suddenly, it came to me.

I’d been sick—

But still holding onto protecting Anna when Mike had attacked me—

And I’d killed Mike—

Shit.
There was a way to transform back. Joe had done it.
I’m going to have to be very, very careful
. Now that I felt strong, I couldn’t imagine life any other way. And if they’d done it to Joe, they would do it to me.

Just a few minutes ago, I’d recognized the scent of the man I couldn’t quite see. Although I felt strong, I realized I was seriously outnumbered by Joe, Carla, and—my lips curled into a snarl—and
Mike.

Chapter Sixteen

Jared followed Carla into the kitchen to find that Joe, Mike and Anna were sitting on the grass out back, away from the house. The two joined the rest of the group.

“
We were waiting for you,” Joe said. “My brother can hear quite well right now. Even out here, perhaps. Either way, we’ll speak quietly.”

They were all thinking the same thing—drowning Jack—but no one knew how to begin.

Jared wished for better times. He wished he could cheer Anna up—and he really wished he could kiss her. He looked down and wished he could pluck a blade of grass and hold it between his thumbs and whistle through it to impress her, but that wouldn’t be appropriate. So, he pulled his knees up and put his arms around them and waited for them to figure out the best way to kill Anna’s father. He almost smiled at the craziness of it all.
Almost.

“
So,” Carla finally began. “Any ideas?”

“
First of all, we can’t let him out of there,” Joe declared. Everyone nodded agreement except Anna. “Anna, you know we can’t. Look what Mike did. Hell, I was on my way to infect or kill a couple of others when Mike cured me.”

“
Cured,” Anna repeated bitterly. “Tell me how it felt, Uncle Joey. How was it, drowning? I’m sorry, but I don’t know if I can do it.”

“
You won’t have to, honey. Maybe you should just let the grownups decide. I know this is hard on you. Why don’t you and Jared go to the park or the zoo for a few hours?”

“
Let the
grownups
decide?” Anna shot back loudly. “This is my dad’s
life
we’re talking about here!”

The adults were silent.

“He’s
my
dad!” she said again, eyes blazing with fury and leftover tears. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been in on this since day one. I helped you,” she pointed at her uncle, “and you.” Now, she pointed a finger at Mike. “I may be fourteen, but I’ve held up pretty well, I’ve thought straight, done research for you, done everything I could. And now you want me to go to the fucking zoo while you kill my father? No!”

She felt a little satisfaction in silencing them all. She had never before used the F-word among so-called grownups. “I’ve got news for you,” she added. “I’m not going anywhere. I can take it.”

“Calm down,” Joe pleaded. Anna nodded. She took Jared’s hand. No one but Jared knew how hard she held on.

“
Okay, this is getting us nowhere,” Carla said impatiently. She needed some shut-eye. Then she needed to get back to work. Now that Joe was here—and
normal
—maybe he could take over. When
it
was done.

A big
it
.

A very, very big
it
.

She took a deep breath. “Anna, I know you’re upset. But just shut up for one minute out of your life and let us talk.” She didn’t wait to see Anna’s jaw drop or Jared hold back a smile. “Joe, Mike. He’s coherent. He’s thinking again. He’s powerful. How
with it
is he?”

“
He’s extremely
with it
right now,” Mike told her. “He will try to be as truthful as he can without letting on that he probably still wants to...” he couldn’t say it in front of Anna. “If he’s like we were, he
wants
to be good, but he’s not quite sure he can.”

“
Right,” Joe echoed. “When you and Jack asked me if I was okay, I didn’t tell the whole truth. And Mike and I felt a sort of bond. We could almost read each other’s minds.”

“
Because you were both infected?” asked Carla.

“
Maybe,” said Joe.

“
Probably,” added Mike.

Carla said, “And then you two planned together how to escape.”

“Right. I told Mike I was a pretty good lock-picker. We talked about it, planned it, and waited for you and Jack to leave. All premeditated. And it worked.”

“
And,” Mike said, “if Joe and I could feel that bond, I’m pretty sure that Jack senses the change in Joe.”

“
That Joe is normal?” said Carla.

“
That’s right,” said Mike. “He knows who is ‘human’ and who isn’t. Which is why I stayed hidden.”

“
A good idea,” said Joe. “But I’d be willing to bet he still knows you’re here.”

Mike nodded. “And probably not too happy about it.”

“You did try to kill Anna.”

“
I was also out of my mind.”

“
Try explaining that to him now,” said Joe.

They all knew, of course, there was no reasoning with Jack. There was only curing him, if possible.

Joe looked at Carla, then Anna. “You two can’t trust what he says. Believe me. I know you care about him but he’s just not right in the head.”

Carla shook her head. It was so much. Was it just a couple of nights ago that she was falling in love with him? She still was. She had to remind herself who the real Jack Carter was. Kind, handsome, and a sense of humor. She’d never met a single father who cared for his child the way Jack did. It was one of the traits that attracted her to him. But for now, she had to stay focused. “We were talking about the cure when he went berserk.”