Zombie Mountain (Walking Plague Trilogy #3) (2 page)

Carla shook her head. “No, Jack. Let me stay behind with her.”

“But I want to be near her in case....”

“
I know,” she said softly “But you’re too close to this right now, Jack. Let me stay. You need to find something to take your mind off Anna.”

“
I need what? Take my mind off my daughter?!” Jack couldn’t help the icy tone that frosted his words.

Carla raised her hand in peace. “Facing you is probably going to be the most difficult thing for her. I know you’re heartbroken. We all are. But right now, we need to take care of business. And our first priority, for the
entire
group, is security.”

Jack couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Especially when his brother said, “She’s right, Jack. Let Jared work his magic on Anna. She’ll come out eventually. And those two couldn’t be in better hands than Carla’s right now.”

“I’m her father, goddammit!”

“
I know,” said Joe, lowering his tone. “And, I’m her uncle. I’m in no hurry to lose her either. You and I taking care of Anna will be next on the list once we secure the premises.”

* * *

The security sweep took longer than anticipated.

They began on the roof, armed with loaded weapons and padlocks. The roof held more crazies than they’d expected. But the infected were sitting ducks. Shooting them and getting their bodies out of the way took a while. The group was relieved to find the huge telescope escaped damage. Internationally famous, perhaps there would be a use for it again some day. They hoped so.

They closed and padlocked the telescope’s door to keep the smarter zombies from vandalizing it. Then they made their way down through three levels that had once hosted hundreds of visitors daily. Before the outbreak, of course. Now, the only visitors to Griffith Observatory were the undead kind. Jack hated killing, even in the military, but this... this was so alien and absurd. The emotions involved in taking another’s life felt completely different.

The worst aspect of killing zombies was that there was no real chain of command, or support, or anything but flying by the seats of their pants, knowing they could join them at any moment. Completely on their own and reliant on one another. In considering every dire scenario, though, Jack was glad Carla had his back. God, if she became infected, what in the hell would he do?

Drown her,
maybe?
Or, cure her?... Well, no way in hell I’m losing her. Or Anna. Or anyone else I give a damn about.

During the security sweep, they found a few open windows and doors. Hard to understand how this monumental facility had been left unsecured. Then again, the last security shift was likely frightened away without locking up. Perhaps infected. Jack hated to think they were killing people like them. But, the law of the moment was ‘Kill or be killed’.

And they weren’t people. Not any more.

The world had gone to hell in a hand basket and they were its riders. But while they took down the infected here at the observatory, were they also destroying the brightest minds?

A hand grasped Jack’s shoulder and he whirled around, ready to shoot.

“
Whoa, cowboy.” Mike stepped back. “It’s just me.”

Jack lowered his gun. “Sorry.”

“We’re all a little spooked.”

Jack nodded. “I think we’re pretty much done with the sweep.”

They had reached the basement, below the lowest public level. It was pretty dark. The only light shone from the opened doors atop the stairs. They had Carla’s flashlight, but used it sparingly to preserve the batteries.

Mike was soaked with sweat. So was Jack. Joe walked up to them, radio in hand.

“That’s about it,” he said, “Unless you know of any other rooms to check?”

Jack fought to dampen his worried thoughts about Anna, searching his tired brain for any place they hadn’t searched and locked up. “No, I think we secured everything.”

As his brother, Joe could read Jack like a book. He held his eyes for a moment. Jack appreciated his empathy, glad he was with him...and alive.

Joe raised the radio and pressed a button. “Carla?”

“Ten-four.” Her voice was breaking up. The building had thick stone walls, and iron strengthening it throughout. Not conducive to decent conversations by radio.

“
Perimeters searched and cleared.” Joe maintained official military lingo.

“
All clear here, too,” she answered.

Jack grabbed the radio. “How’s Anna?”

A pause. What did he expect her to say?

“
She finally came out of the restroom,” said Carla, sounding hopeful. “Anna is in the office with Jared. Your girl’s a real trooper.”

Chapter Two

Joe and Mike trailed behind Jack as he burst into the office.

Jack hadn’t wasted a second, sprinting up the stairs, through the lobby and hallway to get to his daughter. He pictured holding her and telling her everything would be all right.

He stopped short.

Anna was lying on a table, Her eyes were closed and she was covered with jackets for warmth. Jared leaned in next to Jack’s daughter, holding her hand. Seated in the only chair, Carla put a finger to her lips as the men entered the room. Anna shielded her eyes from the daylight brought with them, since up until that moment the door had been slightly ajar.

Not fully sick yet, Jack’s daughter’s brows were knitted together, and her lips parted as she breathed softly. Her eyes, no longer swollen from tears, appeared sunken. Worst of all, Jack couldn’t sense any of Anna’s normal joy of spirit.

Jared didn’t look up. His worried gaze was fixed only on Anna and her misery.

Carla rose from the chair, motioning for the three men to follow her out of the room, again leaving the door ajar. They moved down the hall, to where they could speak freely.

“She’s okay for now,” said Carla. “Jared... he’s great. He won’t give up. And it’s working. He just kept talking, and finally coaxed her out. Of all of us, I think she trusts him the most. So let’s allow him to continue unhindered, if possible. He’s a great caretaker for her.”

Jack was at a loss for words, and he looked back at the room, unable to tear his eyes away from the door still ajar. Everyone seemed to be waiting for him to say something. When Jack didn’t, Joe gave Carla the details of the sweep they had made. She took it all in, likely memorizing details like the good cop she once was. Afterward, dead silence flattened them once again... until Jack couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’ll be back,” he announced, and returned to the office.

He opened the door slowly, softly. Jared looked up at him. “Thank you, son,” Jack said simply. “I’d like to sit with her. Alone. For a few minutes.”

Jared gently loosened his hand from hers and replaced it with Jack’s. Anna didn’t open her eyes as Jared quietly left the room. He was a good kid, understanding a lot at his age, or so it seemed. Although never mentioning a word about his background, parents, etc., seemed downright weird.

Jack leaned closer and stroked his daughter’s hair like he used to when she’d skinned her knee or had a bad dream—those little girl moments seemed so long ago. She turned to him with a wan smile and opened her eyes.

“Hey, Angel,” he whispered.

“
I’m sorry, Daddy.” Daddy, her little-girl name for him.

“
I’m the one who should be sorry.”

“
This is the last thing any of us needs,” she said. “Anna screwed up again. She didn’t listen. Now look what happened to her.”

“
It doesn’t matter,” he said soothingly, uncomfortable she was talking about herself in the third person. “You’ll be all right, Anna.”

She moaned and rubbed her bitten ear.

“Can I take a look?”

She pulled her hair back, angry tears appearing again. Her ear was swollen. Cleaned and disinfected as best as could be, the teeth marks glared angrily in their redness. The wound was festering, though, like they all did. But it hadn’t spread to the rest of her head. Not yet.

“It hurts,” she told him. “And please don’t touch it, Daddy.”

“
I won’t. But it doesn’t look so bad.”

“
Yet.” Her voice was cold, bitter. “But I know how it will go. I had plenty of time to think about it before I ever got bitten. Soon, I won’t be able to think at all. I will be a monster.”

“
No, never that. You will always—
always
—be my daughter.”

Anna cast aside the jackets over her, reached up and hugged him. “Why, Dad? Why is any of this happening? I’m so scared!”

He wrapped his arms around her. Tightly. “Sometimes there is no ‘why,’ Anna. I can’t answer why. But we’re going to figure it out. Okay?”

“
You’re going to figure out how to drown me!” She wept bitterly. “Aren’t you? Don’t lie!”

“
Shh. Don’t think such nonsense!”

“
How can I not...”

“
Just don’t! That’s an order. You couldn’t have a better group of people protecting you. Who love you. Who would do anything for
you.”

“
Jared,” she said softly. Apparently, he’d been waiting just outside the door. As soon as he heard his name, he stepped into the room.

“
I’m right here, Anna. I said I wouldn’t leave you. And I never will.”

It was enough for now that Jared was supportive and loving. Forcing back his own tears, Jack hugged her, stood and made room for him.

“Can you drink some water?” Jack asked.

Anna frowned. “It doesn’t sound appealing.”

“You should, if you can, Angel,” he said.

“
Yeah, I can.”

“
I’ll get you some.”

With that, Jack left the room.

* * *

An hour later, Jared stepped out from the office and joined them.

“She’s asleep,” he announced, and plopped down next to Jack. They were sitting cross-legged in a circle not far from the office.

“
Now that we’ve got this place secure, we were just talking about our options from here on out,” Jack said, bringing him up to speed on what the rest of them had discussed for the past twenty minutes.

“
What do you mean?” Jared asked.

“
What to do. About everything.”

“
Including Anna, or
only
about her?”

“
Whether this is the best place for
all
of us to remain, and for how long,” Carla advised. “Food. Supplies, like sleeping bags, batteries. Communication with the world. And yes, Anna.”

Jared didn’t respond, and Jack didn’t know how best to tell him the rest. He caught his brother’s attention by raising his eyebrows.

Joe nodded. “Jared... Carla has an idea. I mean, we all do. We don’t know much about this infection yet, and it got us thinking.”

“
What’s the idea?” Jared stared at the marble floor.

“
Well, she was bitten on the ear, right? Her dad said it didn’t look too bad. It hasn’t spread through her body, and definitely not to her brain yet. Not so far.”

Jack watched the boy; he remained still, but he was listening. Listening for any glimmer of hope.

Joe continued, “You know how sometimes, like if you get bitten by a snake, you have to cut off the blood flow so the poison doesn’t get into your bloodstream? Well, we were wondering if it might be the same type of thing with this.”

“
My infection seemed to move slower,” Jack added. “I don’t know why I was spared what happens to most victims, when the change happens swiftly.”

“
What’s this got to do with Anna?” Jared raised his head and looked Joe dead in the eye. “You can’t tie a cord around her ear. It wouldn’t work. I don’t like where this is logically headed....”

“
Son,” Jack said gently, “is my angel showing signs of sickness yet?” Jack could have gone and looked himself, but it was hard to face her, and he had to think straight.

“
No,” said Jared, almost inaudibly. “I don’t think so, anyway. She doesn’t want to eat, but that’s how she is when she’s really upset. It’s not a physical rejection of food... not yet. She did finally drink the water you brought her.”

Jared nervously watched the rest of them exchange knowing glances. “What are you thinking now? I know you’re planning to try something to stop the blood flow. Right?”

“It’s a bit more drastic than that,” Carla’s voice was soft and strong at once. “We’re thinking we should cut off her ear.”

Chapter Three