Twisted World: A Broken World Novel (19 page)

On the other side of the bed, Mom was still out cold. Her mouth hung open and her breathing was heavy. The glass sat on the bedside table, half full. She must have gotten up to get a drink in the middle of the night.

I didn’t want to disturb her just yet, so I made sure I was quiet when I slid out of bed. Mom moved, but just a little, and she didn’t make a sound. I’d try to wake her up in a bit. Hopefully, she’d go into work today.

I was in the middle of making breakfast—dry toast since that was all we had—when Mom stumbled out of the bedroom. Her eyes were half-closed and her movements sluggish, but hopefully it was nothing a little bit of caffeine wouldn’t take care of.

“Coffee?” I called as I turned to pour some into a mug for her.

“No.” The word was slurred, but it was her tone that made me freeze.

I put the carafe down and turned to face her, the trembling in my body growing with each passing second. “Mom? Are you going to work today?”

When she looked up, she was frowning. “Go to work?”

“Last night you said you were going to.”

“I can’t go to work!” Her eyes darted around the room, big and round and terrified. “I have to find your father. Axl is missing, and I know they’re lying to us. Just like they did with Angus.”

Even though I knew it was useless, I took a step closer to her. “Mom?”

Her gaze stopped on my face for only a second before her eyes were once again flying around the room. The way they bounced back and forth made me dizzy, and I couldn’t understand how she stayed upright.

She started pacing, pulling at her shirt while she talked to herself. “If they took him, that means he’s still alive. In the CDC. We have to get in there. But how? How do we break into the CDC when…”

Her words trailed off, too low and fast for me to catch them. Not that I wanted to. I’d heard all of this over and over again the last few weeks, but after last night, they were more devastating than ever before. Why she had snapped out of it for such a short time didn’t make sense, but it had foolishly given me hope.

The idea of drinking my coffee or eating the toast I’d made no longer sounded appealing, so I left the food on the counter and grabbed my knife before heading to the door. Hopefully, Mom would eat the toast if I left it where it was.

I had to pause when I stepped into the hall because my legs were shaking so much. I leaned my head against the closed door and squeezed my eyes shut, letting out a deep breath. Mom’s crazy rant rang in my ears, but I wasn’t sure if it was in my head or if I could actually hear her through the door.

“Megan?” I opened my eyes to find Charlie staring at me. “Where the hell have you been? I haven’t seen you since the other night at Dragon’s. You’re never home and…” She sank her teeth into her lower lip for a second before saying, “I was worried about you.”

The night we’d gone to Dragon’s with Jackson had only been a couple days ago, but at the moment it felt like years had passed. I couldn’t believe how silly the fear I’d felt that night seemed now. In the face of everything else, that struggle in the bathroom felt like nothing.

I pushed myself off the door. “You don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine.”

“Okay…” Charlie lifted her eyebrows expectantly. “I’m going to need a little bit more than that. I mean, you’ve been MIA for days.”

“I had to get another job.” I waved for her to follow as I headed down the hall. Above us, the lights flickered, sending shadows across Charlie’s face that made her already sharp features sharper. “I’ve been serving drinks at Dragon’s, actually.”

“What?” Her voice echoed through the hall and she looked around. “You can’t be serious. That place was a dump.” This time, her voice was lower.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m running out of options.”

I stopped in front of the elevator and pushed the button. The engine whined behind the door, the chains that pulled the elevator up rattling. One of these days, the thing was going to break for good.

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” she said, her voice low. “I’ve been a really shitty friend.

I glanced toward Charlie but didn’t turn away from the elevator. “No, you haven’t.”

“Yes, I have.”

The door opened and I stepped in. Charlie followed, and I turned to study her as the elevator made its way down. She looked pretty ashamed of herself, which was so not like her.

“What almost happened the other night had me really shaken, and it got even worse when I couldn’t find you for days afterward. I started thinking about everything you’ve gone through, and how selfish I’ve been. Mom’s been telling me for years that I’m spoiled and entitled, but I never listened. She was right. I mean, I have everything. Both my parents are alive and I have a nice place to live, plus extra credits whenever I need them. I’ve never lost anyone.” Charlie looked down. “Can you forgive me?”

“Charlie—” She lifted her head and I gave her a smile. “—I was never mad at you.”

“Thank God. I’ve been feeling like such a bitch. But I’m going to be better from here on out. I’m not going to be so spacey and selfish.”

I laughed, and after the craziness of the morning, it was a nice feeling. “Okay.”

The elevator finally reached the first floor and the door groaned when it opened. Charlie and I headed out together, walking side by side in silence until we’d made it out of the apartment building.

The morning sun was bright and already hot, making me dread work. There had to be a cooler settlement in this country—and one that wasn’t so close to the Regulator. Maybe Luke had the right idea and we should all get the hell out of here while we could.

Speaking of Luke…

I glanced at Charlie out of the corner of my eyes. “Have you seen your brother lately?”

She looked the other way and shrugged. “You know him. Never around.”

I waited a couple beats, and wasn’t at all surprised when Charlie’s hazel eyes shot my way. Her cheeks were red and her lips pressed together, a telltale sign that she was lying.

“You know,” I said accusingly.

“Know what?”

“About the apprenticeship.”

Charlie turned to look at me, her eyes searching my face. “He told you?”

“He came into the bar the first night I was working and told me all about it. When did you find out?”

“Last night.” Charlie sighed. “I was home when he stopped in to get some things. I’ve noticed that his stuff has slowly started to disappear, and I kind of assumed he’d met someone.”

“That’s what your mom thinks too.”

“I know. I told Luke he needs to tell Mom and Dad, and he swears that he’s going to eventually, but I have no idea when. He’s planning on leaving really soon. As soon as he can register as a zombie slayer.” Charlie shook her head like she thought her brother was insane.

Zombie slayers were the only people who could go in and out of settlements regularly and still benefit from the government. Otherwise, citizens stayed inside the safety of the walls—unless they were out on a run or doing something for the maintenance crew. Most people who lived outside the sanctioned settlements were unregistered, which meant they weren’t entitled to help. Ever. No food, no medicine, and no vaccines. Nothing.

Zombie slayers got the best of both worlds, at least according to them. They could get help if they needed it, but they lived outside. They didn’t have to answer to the government as much. It was an approved way to live because the government said we needed people who were willing to spend their days hunting down and killing the dead. Of course, the lifespan of a zombie slayer was usually short. They had to check in at their designated settlement at least once a month, and if they didn’t they were presumed dead. When they checked in, they also had to report their kills for the month. It was how they earned credits. When they made a kill, they collected the ears of the dead as proof. It was chilling, but a harsh reminder of the reality we lived in.

I’d always thought it was a crazy way to live, but after everything that had happened over the last few days, I didn’t think so. Not anymore.

“There’s been a lot going on with me—” Charlie lifted her eyebrows but I waved her questions away before she could voice them. “I can’t get into it right now, but I promise I’ll tell you when things get better. Anyway, after all the shit I’ve learned over the last few days, I don’t think Luke is crazy.”

Charlie’s eyes got huge. “What are you saying?”

“Nothing. I’m just saying that it will be okay. Luke will be back at least once a month. You’ll see him.” And maybe, if I could work things out, we could join him out there. Although, I didn’t think Charlie was ready for that bomb just yet.

We lapsed into silence as we approached shantytown. The shacks were just coming alive, and the sounds of children crying and mother’s urging them to get moving rang through the air, as well as the occasional cough and moan. Halfway through the town we passed the shrine where three people knelt, each one lost in their prayers. I watched them as we walked by, wondering what made them think this was the right god to pray to.

Almost as if she was reading my mind, Charlie nodded toward them. “It’s strange, right? I mean, we never talk about it, but we all know it’s nuts.
Angus
. Can you believe it?”

“They think he died saving the world.” I shrugged even though I agreed with her. It was nuts.

“Do they believe he’s going to come back one day and save them again?” Charlie pressed her lips together, her dark eyes on the people kneeling in front of the statue of my Uncle Angus. “They do realize it’s impossible to come back from the dead, right?”

“Is it? There are zombies walking the earth right this second.” I lifted an eyebrow at her and we both laughed nervously. “Anyway, this wouldn’t be the first religion that believed their deity lived as flesh and blood, died saving the human race, then came back.”

“True…” Charlie shot the people praying to Angus one last look, then walked faster. “It’s still weird.”

She wasn’t wrong.

We didn’t talk again until we’d reached the edge of the shantytown, and when Charlie looked my way, I knew her mind was on something other than the Angus worshipers or her brother. She had an excited gleam in her eye.

“Is Donaghy still fighting at Dragon’s?” she asked.

“Yup,” I said, smacking my lips together at the end of the word and refusing to meet her gaze. My heart pounded faster just thinking about him, and I as afraid she would see it in my eyes.

Hopefully, she didn’t notice the heat that had spread across my cheeks. Despite everything going wrong in my life, I was having a tough time forgetting the kiss Donaghy and I shared last night. It had been amazing. Thrilling. Like a very good dream. After what had happened with Colton, I never thought I’d find myself in this situation again. Even worse, I knew it was bound to lead to the same kind of heartache. Donaghy didn’t belong here, and he’d be leaving soon.

“Maybe I should come see you. You working tonight?” Charlie paused before shaking her head. “No, not tonight. I’m finally starting my apprenticeship with Dad. It will have to be tomorrow.”

“Apprenticeship?” Despite the unease in my stomach, I couldn’t help giving Charlie a questioning look. I’d always thought she followed Al around just for show.

“Yeah, Dad has been on me to make a decision about my future. Then there are the lectures from Mom.” She rolled her eyes like it was the most tedious thing she’d ever had to deal with, which was probably true, but there was a small smile on her lips that gave her away. “I finally gave in. I’m excited, I guess.”

“That’s good.” It was nice that someone had some direction. Now, I wish I’d taken Joshua up on the offer of an apprenticeship two years ago. It would have given me access to the CDC if nothing else.

“Are you working tomorrow night?” Charlie asked hopefully.

“Yeah. Every night.” Every day, every night. I never got a break. Just thinking about it weighed me down.

“If I came by, maybe you could introduce me to Donaghy.”

My feet stopped moving. Seriously? She watched me out of the corner of her eye, trying to act subtle. She missed her target by a mile, though. It wasn’t a surprise that Charlie would want to meet Donaghy, he was hot and any sane person could see it, but for some reason it took me by surprise.

“Meg?” She turned her whole face toward me and shot a questioning look my way. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I started walking again. “Yeah. I’ll introduce you.”

A pang squeezed my insides, but I ignored it. Donaghy had walked away from me because he was leaving soon, so it only made sense that he wouldn’t let anything happen with Charlie. Still… I looked her up and down, and I couldn’t help feeling a little inadequate. Charlie was exotically gorgeous.

“What’s going on?” She narrowed her eyes on me. “Is something happening between you and Donaghy?”

“No,” I said, a little too fast.

When her eyebrows shot up, I knew she wasn’t buying it. “Holy shit! That’s great.” Charlie beamed at me. “Now I want to meet him even more.”

“Nothing is happening.” We reached the intersection where I needed to turn and stopped walking. “I’m serious.”

“Okay.” Charlie started was smiling from ear to ear as she walked backward, heading down the opposite street. “I totally believe you. I’m still coming, though.”

I sighed. “Okay.”

“See you tomorrow, then?” Charlie called as she spun on her heel and headed down the street.

“Yeah,” I mumbled, shaking my head.

She waved once before trotting off, and I let out a sigh.

M
y night
in Dragon’s Lair was restless and not nearly as refreshing as sleeping at the Regulator’s house had been. My guards, who had barely been able to drag themselves into the bar after their night of partying, were still passed out when I woke. The snores the younger one let out were nasal and deep, and seemed to echo off the cement walls of the room. The sunlight that shone in through the one small window was low, telling me it wasn’t nearly time for me to drag my ass out of bed, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t block the snores out enough to get my body to relax.

“Asshole,” I muttered as I rolled over and glared at the guard, whose mouth was wide open.

The door that led to the holding room was cracked, and between snores the sound of distant voices was just audible. They were deep, but not loud enough for me to make out their words. Not that I cared what they had to say. I just knew it meant Dragon was already up and I could get some breakfast. The prepackaged food he’d given me at every other meal tasted like shit, but at least it kept my stomach from growling the way it constantly had in DC.

I slid out of bed and headed across the room, not bothering to be quiet. Not only did I not give a shit if I woke up my guards, but I was pretty sure that a zombie horde couldn’t have roused them at the moment.

The voices grew louder when I stepped into the other room, and even though I could only catch a word here and there, I knew with certainty that one of the men was Dragon. What I wasn’t sure about was
who
he was talking to.

I moved through the dark holding room and past the empty cages. My footsteps were quiet, barely more than a slap against the stone floor. The closer I got, the louder the voices became, and for some reason that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, I found myself straining to listen. They wouldn’t be able to hear me coming, not with the noise they were making, and for some reason I wanted to take a moment and listen. Something about the few words I’d been able to catch had my interest piqued.

When I reached the door I stopped and held my breath, waiting to find out if I’d be able to hear anything through the thick wood.

“I want ‘em out!” The voice of a man I didn’t recognize boomed through the room.

“I know you’re worried, but we can’t rush this,” Dragon said, his own tone much quieter. Calmer. Like he was trying to reassure the other man. “They’re safe for now.”

“They ain’t safe. Nobody is safe here. Them assholes have got eyes everywhere.”

“I don’t know what you think is going to happen, but I’m watching them.”

“An accident is gonna happen. A breach. A damn flu. Hell, you of all people know they don’t give a shit. They can snatch somebody up like that—” The click of fingers being snapped cut through the words. “—and say whatever they want.”

“I’m keeping an eye on them.”

“It ain’t ‘nough. We gotta get out while we can.”

“Are you willing to leave Axl behind?”

Axl
. The name made my heart beat faster, and I pressed my ear against the door harder. That was Meg’s dad, but how Dragon was involved and who he was talking to was a fucking mystery.

“No.” Silence followed, but it was brief. “But I know he’d want me to if it meant keepin’ everybody else safe.”

“Trust me.” Dragon’s voice was calmer than I’d ever heard it, and his tone reminded me of someone who was talking to a hysterical child. “Have I ever let you down? I’ve watched after Glitter, haven’t I? Just like you asked.”

There was a pause, and when the other man spoke again, something about his voice made me think he was smiling. “She’s a good girl, ain’t she?”

“She is. So is Meg. I promise that we will do everything in our power, but we need more time. My contact on the outside is getting the supplies together, but it’s going to be a while before we have enough manpower and explosives. The CDC is a fortress.”

Explosives? The CDC?

“What the hell?” I muttered just as the man in the other room said, “You got me out.”

“It took us almost twenty years,” Dragon said, his tone wracked with guilt.

“We don’t got that long. Understand? What they’re doin’ now is bigger. Shit. You wouldn’t believe the things I seen in there.”

“I know.”

Silence followed, and I held my breath again, waiting. But all I could hear was the sound of footsteps and a few muffled words here and there. After a second, I took a deep breath and eased the door open. Carefully. Slowly. When it was wide enough for me to get a good look out, I peered around the corner. Dragon and another man were behind the bar, still talking, but quieter now. The other guy was older. Lots of gray hair and a beard that matched, both of them wild.

Was this the man who had given Meg the note? It was possible, but how was Dragon mixed up in all this? And what did Glitter have to do with it?

Shit.

I stepped back before they spotted me and stood in the darkness of the room, trying to sort it all out. None of it made sense, and the more I learned about the situation, the more questions I seemed to have. I couldn’t imagine how Meg felt.

I was still standing in the same place when the loud boom of someone knocking echoed through the bar. Dragon swore and I made my move. It seemed like a good opportunity to get another look at—and maybe talk to—the man with the gray hair.

I pushed the door open and stepped out just as the gray-haired man disappeared down the back hall. Dragon was heading for the front door, and when he spotted me, he waved me over. I would have rather followed the other man, but since I didn’t have a good excuse, I headed after Dragon.

He ripped the door open and stepped back when the scent of death floated into the room. “What the hell?”

“A delivery for you. For the fight.” A deep voice said. “In addition to the two you planned to throw in.”

Dragon’s body was blocking my view, but I didn’t miss it when his dark eyes grew large. I took a step closer so I could get a good look, and when I did, I nearly shit my pants. Two men wearing enforcer’s uniforms flanked a zombie so tall that they only came up to his shoulders. And these weren’t short men. Six feet, probably. But the thing between them, which was desperately trying to break free of its chains, had to be seven or eight inches taller than that.

“You have to be kidding me,” Dragon said, his eyes narrowing on the two men. “I like to keep things fair.”

“This isn’t a request.”

Dragon stepped back as the guards pulled the zombie through the door. My feet felt like lead when I moved out of their way, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the creature they were dragging past me. He was thin, but freakishly tall and new. In life I would have been able to take him without a problem, but depending on what strain of the virus he’d been infected with, he could be aggressive. Tough to beat even.

And there would be two others in there with me.

Dragon and I stayed next to the door while the guards pulled the dead man through the bar and into the other room.

“Looks like they finally decided to get rid of me,” I mumbled, shaking my head.

Dragon’s eyes moved from the door the zombie had just been pulled through so they could focus on me. “I think there’s more to it than that.” His gaze went past me, to the dark hallway his friend had just disappeared down. “I think this is a message.”

“What kind of message?” The only message the government would want to send me was the one that said it was time for me to die. I refused to go easily, though.

Dragon shook his head instead of answering.

When he walked away, I didn’t move. Despite what he’d said, I couldn’t really see how this would affect anyone other than me. I was the asshole who was going to get his throat ripped out by the dead man’s teeth.