Skylight (Arcadium, #2) (26 page)

“Want some
help?” I ask.

Jessie looks up
and smiles. “Sure. You’re up early. You’re not ditching breakfast
are you?”

“I’m meeting
the others there later. Kean is shopping with Trouble.” I take hold
of the trolley and we push it together.

“I’m just
getting fresh blankets and uniforms from the laundry store. It’s
not far. It won’t take long.”

I shrug. “I
came to talk to you actually. Well, to say goodbye.”

Jessie looks
over, her forehead creased. “But you just got here. You’re my
assistant.”

“I know. But we
left behind some of our group because we weren’t sure they’d make
it. We didn’t even know if there’d be anyone here.”

“Does that mean
you’re coming back?” Jessie looks so hopeful. “I’ve enjoyed having
all of you around.”

I shrug with
one shoulder. “I’d like to.”

The store is
dimly lit and housing all sorts of mismatched blankets and towels
and sheets all neatly folded on shelves that climb to the ceiling.
It all smells very soft and floral.

Jessie starts
reaching for piles of blankets, neatly filling the laundry trolley.
“Well, either way, you’ve been awesome, Florence.”

“Have I though,
really?” I say, taking a pile of towels from her arms and fitting
them in the trolley. “I didn’t do a whole lot.”

Jessie smiles.
“You guys reminded us that there are survivors out there, that we
aren’t the last ones left in this world, that there’s still a
reason to fight. You’ve helped everyone, even if you can’t see it.
Heck, even if they don’t see it themselves.”

Killing
infected people to help others, that I can understand. But the
other stuff? The invisible stuff — the hope and dreams and beliefs
— they’re beyond me. I have no control over them, but I’m grateful
that Jessie thinks I’m more than just a killer.

“Listen…”
Jessie chews on her bottom lip for a moment. “I’m sorry I told you
about Jacob. I know it got to you and I hope that’s not why you’re
leaving. I just wanted you to know the truth.”

“I belong back
at home. Jacob belongs somewhere else. It’s not because of you.” I
don’t want to ruin our goodbye explaining that Jacob killed my
sister, so I don’t give her any more details.

Jessie blows
her fringe out of her eyes. “Okay.”

“Let me finish
up here.” I say. “You might as well take one morning off, because
once I’m gone…”

“I will never
get any rest. I see where you’re going with this.” Jessie puts a
hand on my shoulder and pulls a stubborn smile. “I don’t want you
to leave, but I wish you all the best out there, wherever you may
go, whatever you may do. I’m glad I met you.”

“Thanks.” I
take the pile of blankets off her hands. “Now go relax.”

Once Jessie is
gone I grab all the blankets and fill the cart right to the brim,
and seriously it feels like the first real work I’ve done since
I’ve arrived. I’ve just been following her around the whole time,
watching and trying to learn things.

It’s not a sad
goodbye and I feel like that’s a triumph, because it doesn’t happen
a lot these days. Maybe I’ll see Jessie again and maybe I won’t,
but I’m glad I met her too. Even though we’ll both probably die in
the very near future.

I actually
manage a smile as I push the laundry trolley back to the nurse’s
station because I start wondering if I should cut my hair into a
fringe if I make it home. I wheel the cart out into the big open
space and look up to admire the huge glass and metal structure one
last time. It’s grey outside, not the bland fluffy kind, but a
moody purple grey. The colour of a quick brewing storm. As if on
cue a rumble of thunder sounds, rippling faraway. I don’t care.
Rain, thunder, lightning — they won’t stop us from making our way
home. Besides, the storm will probably pass within the hour, and
Melbourne will return to being its scorching hot self.

I’m about to
start moving when something catches my eye — a shadow ducking
behind a round pylon. I freeze, gripping the rim of the cart. I
stare at the space for so long I swear the clouds above me grow ten
times darker.

After a while I
decide it can’t have been anything — definitely not an infected
person, which is always my first reaction, whether I’m safe or not.
I’m alone here; everyone’s at breakfast. I go to keep moving, and
that’s when he steps out.

I stop
breathing.

He looks the
same, but he looks different too, with the remainder of a scar
tainting his symmetrical face; the scar he wrote about in his
diary. It’s not that bad really, just slightly discoloured, but he
thinks I gave it to him.

“We meet
again,” Adrian says. His arms hang tensely at his sides; his eyes
fierce and sharp, like a glance alone could cut me.

Adrian formed a
creepy attachment to me in Arcadium. Not surprising since his dad
was a psycho, experimenting on helpless women, men and kids. And I
left him for dead in Arcadium. So I know that whatever’s about to
happen will not be good.

I hide my
horror behind a tight smile. “Someone’s been reading up on the
lamest villain lines ever created,” I say.

A smile creeps
across the corner of his lips. “I’m the bad guy?” He laughs and it
smoulders slowly into silence. “I wondered when I’d see you again,
Florence. I wasn’t quite sure how to approach you.”

“Creeping up on
me when I’m alone seems entirely appropriate for you.”

“You know, my
brother told me about you after he bought you in. He can’t shut up
about you, just — goes on and on and on. I think he might have a
tiny crush.”

I glance away
for a moment.

“That’s right.”
Adrian nods once. “Dear old Franklin is my baby brother.”

“I’m surprised.
He seems so… nice compared.”

Adrian’s eyes
narrow. “I’m curious. Why do you think I’m so bad, Florence? I
never hurt you. In fact, I gave you everything you wanted.”

“And I’m
curious how you stood by while your father killed all those
innocent people.”

Adrian sighs
like we’re arguing over small change. “Let’s not disagree over
minor details. I came to tell you it’s all water under the bridge.
I understand why you did what you did.”

Now I’m really
surprised. I’m still waiting for the fight to the death. Adrian
walks toward me and puts his hands on the other end of the trolley.
“All is forgiven, Florence. I hope we can be friends. After all, we
live together now. It’s not like we can get away from each other.
I’ll always be just around the corner.” He flashes a grin, too
sharp to be genuine. “I’ll always be beside you, right behind you,
watching you. Anyway, you want some help with this?” Adrian tugs
the trolley from my grip and just stares at me.

I’ve been cool
enough up to this point, but now I start to panic. I’m no match for
Adrian. We’re alone. He’s still creepy and acting very strange.
This is not good.

“Um, no,” I
say. “Thanks though, but I have to go. Now.” I spin and run,
abandoning the trolley. Since Adrian’s blocking the escalators
leading down to the food court, I head up a level. I glance over my
shoulder as I hit the escalator, just in time to see Adrian recede
into the shadows. Another slow rumbling thunderclap creeps closer
to Skylight. And I race back to last night’s makeshift room to wait
for Kean and Trouble.

It’s dark when
I duck under our roller door, but I still lock it before fumbling
for the lamp switches. I hit them all, and faint pools of light
seep across the floor.

A little yellow
post it note sits on my pillow.

Meet me at Hank’s look
out spot as soon as you get this. There’s one last thing to show
you before we’re never alone again…

Kean xx

I stare at the
note, trying to work out if it’s serious. I assume it is, because
why would he want me to meet him at the spot I almost died
yesterday for poetry and roses?

The problem is,
to get there, I’ll have to cross Adrian’s path. I mean, I don’t
know where he is, but I definitely don’t want him to find Kean
alone.

I trace a path
across the second level, keeping an eye on the ground floor. The
end of the corridor is soaked with natural light, which is strange
since a big curtain should cover it. I glance around and make my
way half way down the escalator. And I stop, because everything is
wrong.

The thick red
curtain is flung back. The wooden slats are folded back like an
accordion. The glass doors are stuck wide-open.

No one’s on
guard at the look out. No one’s anywhere.

Cool air flows
in. It smells like churned dirt and grass.

And then Adrian
steps into view. He stands in the alleyway, waving his hands and
jumping casually on the spot. He glances my way and his face falls.
“No!” he yells. “You’re too early!”

I take one step
up the escalator and freeze. Groans and gurgles, slapping bare feet
and hungry moans float on the fresh air.

“No,” I say on
a breath.

Adrian backs
into Skylight and with him come hundreds of infected. They flow
through the open doors, clawing and shoving each other. Adrian zips
up the ladder and stands on the edge of the lookout. “I told you I
had one last thing to show you!” Adrian sends a sharp cackling
laugh into the air.

I take the
escalator two steps at a time and sprint back along the second
level. I have to get to Kean and Trouble. They’ll still be
shopping, totally unaware. And I have to warn everyone at
breakfast. The infected will funnel down the escalators and stumble
across the canteen too easily.

I fly across
the tiles, followed by the infected below.

As I run, I
slow to check no one’s in our old room.

That’s when I
see the body.

I pause,
confused. Jacob’s body shudders on the floor as he rasps a cough.
He’s all curled in on himself, looking totally helpless. Can I
leave him lying there when I know that in this state he’ll stand no
chance against the infected? I may detest the guy but it’s not like
I can walk away and leave him there to die, is it?

“Jacob,” I
call. “Are you okay?” I call.

He doesn’t
respond. I know the others won’t be far away, so I approach him
quickly. I can’t see his face, but his whole body is shaking.

“Jacob,
seriously…” I kneel next to him and touch his shoulder. “You need
to get up now.” He rolls back, face smeared with the blood
dribbling from his nose. His mouth gapes, his eyes waver back and
forth. I think he might be beyond help now. Maybe I should just
shut the roller door and leave him too it.

Jacob’s eyes
focus a moment before he moves, but it’s not enough time for me to
react. His arm comes up and I feel the jab, the cold wash through
my blood. I catch my reflection in one of the shop mirrors and see
the needle still sticking out of my neck. The edges of my vision
blur.

“What the…” I
manage to say slowly.

Jacob sits up,
perfectly stable, and wipes his nose. He watches me fall, crumpling
slowly to the ground, holding onto my consciousness until the very
last thread. But there’s nothing I can do. And I can’t even warn
him of what’s coming. I blink — once, twice — and then I’m out.

I OPEN MY eyes
to a white illuminated ceiling, and a thought trickles in my head:
Arcadium. The walls are all sparse here. I feel like history is
repeating itself. There are beeping machines somewhere. I roll my
head on the pillow and fight a sudden wave of nausea. It passes,
thank God, and I start to sit up.

“There you
are,” Jacob says in his low gravely voice. “I’ve been waiting.”

I swing my legs
around so they’re dangling off the side of the bed.

“We’re in the
hospital wing of the science centre,” he says. “Since you fainted
and couldn’t be roused.” Jacob passes me my boots. Thankfully I’m
still fully clothed.

“Sorry about
the whole sedating and kidnapping thing. It’s just… I knew you
wouldn’t help me. Which would not normally be a problem, except
that I really do need your help.” He sees his reflection in a
mirror behind me and wipes some blood off his ear. “Halloween
blood,” he says, shaking his head. “Gets absolutely
everywhere.”

“What the hell,
Jacob?” I rub my forehead. “You have the worst timing! I have to
get back. I have to warn the others.” I stand up and receive a
temporary head spin. “Adrian just opened Skylight’s back door and
infected are flooding in. You have to take me back.”

“No… that punk
from Arcadium?” Jacob rubs his chin stubble. “I suppose that
explains why the Doc told me not to leave until he returned and
just ran out.”

“Jacob! This is
serious! People will be dying over there.”

“Your
people.”

“And what the
hell did you inject me with?”

“Just a mild
sedative. Side effects will wear off in a few minutes. Listen—”

“I can’t
believe you stuck me in the neck and killed my sister. And now you
think I’ll help you over Kean and Trouble.”

I slip on my
boots and tie the laces slowly. Panic vibrates in my chest. Hostile
words zip around my head so furious that they’re too hot to grab
onto, too hot to use.

Boots secured,
I slip off the bed and head to the door. I really can’t stand to be
in this place a second longer.

“Wait,” Jacob
says. His voice cracks just a little and it surprises me, but I
don’t stop.

“There’s
nothing you can say.” I keep walking.

“I can help
Liss.”

I pause,
staring straight at the door.

“If you help
me, I can help Liss. I give you my word.”

“Please, I’m
not stupid,” I say.

“No, you’re
not. But I know far more about this virus than you do. It’s so much
more complicated than you could ever imagine.”

I reach for the
door handle.