Surviving Earth: Makayla's Journey (12 page)

My immediate hope is that they are searching for a cure, but in the back of my mind I keep thinking they're experimenting for evil purposes. I need to have a look in that building, just to satisfy my own curiosity.

"I guess this means we're checking out that building." Logan says close to my ear.

"You are correct." I say, as I walk closer to the building. It had a code box exactly like the one at the house. "Anyone have any ideas of how we can get in?" I ask.

"Yeah, gimme a sec." Clara responds working on the code box. A buzzer sounds from inside just as the door swings open. "Hell yeah, I'm awesome." Clara says as she cheers for herself.

Once inside the door, the darkness surrounds us and the odor takes my breath away immediately. Searching the wall closest to the door, I touch something gooey soft and I retract my arm quickly. Reaching further back, I finally feel metal beneath my fingertips and I run them over the wall until I find the switch. Flipping it on, I'm taken aback by the gore all around us.

Cages at the rear of the building hold zombies in varying stages of decay. The first hold a few freshies, the second holds the next stage and so on, until the last cage. This one holds zombies so decayed their eyes hang from the sockets and their skin is peeling from their body; some are picking at their own rotting skin, eating it as it falls from their bodies. I have to force back the nausea by covering my mouth with my hand.

I watch in fascination as the freshies gaze at us with intelligent eyes. Their eyes having not changed completely to those of the undead, they still hold humanity within their depths and it is terrifying. Walking deeper into the room, we see cots holding decayed body parts and vials full of the varying degrees of brown sludge stand on tables nearby. Further to the side lays a female strapped to a table; she seems to be asleep, or possibly in a coma. One arm is bandaged in white gauze and the other lay loosely by her side.

Moving in her direction, I'm grabbed and brought up short by Logan. "Mak, you have no clue what's going on here. Just leave it." He says, holding onto my elbow as if to hold me back.

"But what if she's hurt or she's being held prisoner?" I ask, shaking him off.

"Hold up, Makkie. She very well may need help, but let's do this slowly, ok?" Clara says lightly.

"Fine, whatever." I answer.

Once reaching the side of the cot the woman lay upon, I notice her skin isn't quite the right color. It’s more grey than the peachy tones of the human race and she is ice cold to the touch. Lifting the bandaged arm, I start to slowly unwrap it. As soon as I see the infected site of a zombie bite, I drop it back to the cot.

"She's been bitten." I say, backing away from her side.

"Yeah, and it looks like she's in the first stages of the virus, too." Clara says leaning over my shoulder.

Turning away from the young woman, I move through the building where there's more decaying body parts thrown here and there. This isn't a place I want Tessa or Gage to ever see.

The moans from the undead intensify and I look up, casting my eyes upon the door. Standing in the shadow of the open door is the doctor and her guard. "Well hello. Nice of you to drop in. I see you've come across my little project." The doctor says snidely. Lifting my Glock, I aim it at her head and she just laughs.

"I'd put the guns down if I were you. See this little button here?" She asks, pointing to a red button encased in glass. "One press and it opens all the cages allowing my lovely pets to get out." She says laughing evilly. "As a matter of fact, it seems to be feeding time for my precious hybrid. She's looking rather hungry." The mad doctor adds, directing our attention to the woman who, was only moments before, strapped down.

The woman was now sitting up, the bonds that held her lay ripped to shreds at her side. Frantically scanning the room for a way out I see that the damn doctor and guard stand in front of our only way out.

"Come on, Daniel, let's leave Susie to her dinner." The doctor laughs, as her and the guard leave the building, closing the door behind them.

Standing with jerky movements, the hybrid’s eyes never leave us. "Do not be afraid. I will not hurt you, much." She says, with an evil grin. Logan grabs both Clara and me, pushing us behind him.

"What the hell is that thing?" I ask, reaching for the Glock at my side. Before I can lay a hand on the gun I am roughly jerked to the side and thrown across the room against the freshies cage.

"I didn't forget you my brothers and sisters." She says robotically. Their hands reach out, clawing at my body and pulling my hair; trying their best to yank me through the cage bars.

Hearing gunshots ring out I see Logan fighting for our lives. Clara is lying beside the decayed zombies’ cage, passed out. They are trying to reach her, but being that their bodies are beyond rotten, they are unable to reach through the cage for her. They still struggle, wanting their last meal, but fail miserably as they fall apart with each jerky movement.

A loud squeal has me turning back to the fight unfolding in front of me. Yanking my hair from the freshies’, I stand and run for the Glock that had been knocked from my hand. I lift my gun to shoot, but Logan is standing in front of her, her teeth at his neck.

"We have reached an impasse, I believe." She says, in that same robotic voice.

"Let them go and I'll stay." I say, soberly.

"Why do I have to let anyone go?" She asks, an evil grin on her face. She holds Logan even tighter and my brain searches frantically for an answer. Any answer that will help.

"We can get you out of here." I say, desperately hoping to get Logan out of her clutches.

Turning her head from side to side as if she is contemplating my offer, she grins at me before answering, "And what of my sisters and brothers? Will you also get them out of here?"

"I'm not sure your, umm, brothers and sisters in the last two cages can leave. They seem incapable of movement." I respond, pointing to the last cages.

"They are beyond repair, but Dr. Cilley is helping us to become better. So as for your offer of leaving, no thank you." She says with a sneer. There is something so robotic about her it is almost as if she is made of metal and screws, instead of flesh and bone.

Her intelligence, and other worldly abilities, are creeping me out, and I really want to put a bullet between her eyes; my hand twitches on my gun. Snapping her teeth together she leans closer to Logan, inhaling his scent. 

"I think it's dinner time." She says, sinking her teeth into Logan's shoulder.

"Noooooooo!" I scream, lunging forward and knocking Logan to the floor as my fist rams into the bitch’s face.

She flies backwards and I pull my katana smoothly from the sheath. With a downward thrust, I center it between her eyes, the sharp tip goes all the way through her brain and the hybrid closes her eyes for the last time. 

Grabbing up medical supplies, I race to Logan's side. His shoulder is bleeding profusely. I look up as Clara walks to our side.

"Oh my God. No, this can't be happening." She says, kneeling at Logan's side.

"Help me. Please, Clara." I beg. My hands are trembling as tears cover my face.

"Logan, hang in there. You're going to be ok." Clara says, wiping the wound with gauze and alcohol.

Logan gasps from the sting of the alcohol. Gripping my hand he looks me in the eyes, "Makayla, you and Clara need to get out of here. Leave me." He says, sliding his gun closer to his side.

"No, I'm not leaving you. We can beat this. We have no idea if she can infect you with a bite. Please don't give up. Please, I need you." I plead, tears dropping onto our joined hands.

"Mak, I love you. I need you to go. Please don't stay and watch me turn into whatever the hell that was." He whispers.

The door creaks open and the doctor and guard walk in. I level my gun at the doctor’s head and scream, "Bitch, you better have a cure for what your little experiment did or you will meet your death at the end of my gun!"

The guard raises his gun, but I don't hesitant. I flick my gun to him and pull the trigger, shooting him through the heart. He falls at the doctor’s side.

"See? I'm not playing." I say as I walk toward the shocked doctor.

"I, I, I, don't have a cure. I was trying to make biological weapons that could be controlled. Why would I want a cure?" She asks, still wearing a shocked expression.

"Look around you. This world doesn't need another killer. What this world needs is a cure."

Rearing back, I let my fist fly into her face, knocking her backwards to the floor. I pounce, pummeling her wherever I can reach. Letting out all of my fear and rage on the evil scientist.

Too soon I am pulled away and wrapped in a set of strong arms and tears cover my face. I don't want to lose the man I have fallen in love with. Turning, I wrap my arms around Logan and sob.

"Shhhh, Makayla. It's going to be ok." Logan says as he wipes the tears from my face.

"No. It's never going to be ok. It's always going to be a battle for survival." I reply, burying myself deeper into his chest. Giving myself this one moment of reprieve from the world that surrounds us. From the cruel world that awaits us outside. 

Throwing the doctor into one of the empty cages, we go about searching the rest of the premises. The house is locked with a code like the lab, but with Clara's computer know-how, she has the code cracked and is smiling in a matter of seconds.

"We're in, yes!" She shouts with a fist pump.

Logan walks with one arm wrapped securely around my waist and the other hanging loosely at his side. I know he has to be in agony from the bite, but he keeps going, his shoulder a mass of white bandages.

Walking in the door behind Clara, the first thing I notice is how luxurious the home is. There are lamps on and the room is warm, but I’m not sure if that’s from a heating system or fireplace. As we wander ideally through each room, I wonder if this could in actuality be our safe place. We would have electricity, heat, and electric bars to keep out the undead. The thoughts keep floating through my mind, but then they come back to reality with Logan by my side. My concern for him overrides all other thoughts.

"Logan, how are you feeling?"

"Ok so far, babe. Seriously, quit worrying." He responds. Standing on my tiptoes, I brush my lips across his cheek.

Clara runs to the sink, turning on the water. With it flowing between her fingers, she lets out a loud, "Hell yeah!" Before she thinks about Logan and I behind her and her face clouds with anxiety. "Since there's running water, let's cleanse your wound." She directs Logan to sit by the sink.

Rushing to what I presume is the bathroom, I grab a towel and wash cloth. Not taking the time to look around, I run back out to Logan and Clara, colliding with Clara as she runs about gathering a few supplies for Logan's shoulder. Reaching out I grasp her shoulders to steady the both of us.

"Sorry." I say as I walk toward Logan. "How are you feeling?" I ask him.

"Makayla, so far I'm ok, but I don't want to take any chances. Please put me in one of those cages in the lab." He finishes on a sigh.

"If we notice any changes we will, but until you’re sick you will stay right here!" I state with my hands on my hips.

After cleaning Logan's wound, I send Clara out after Lainey, Blu and the kids.

Logan tried to stop me by saying, "You're putting everyone in danger by having them around me."

"If I thought you were dangerous I would send them all away, but this house is a safe haven for every one of us. We need this break from the outside world." I say softly. The house did indeed offer us a chance to catch our breath, to take a break from the harsh planet that existed outside these doors.

My thoughts are interrupted when I hear the door open and close, then the sound of Tessa’s sweet voice. "Oh wow, there's electricity. Is there water, too?" She asks.

Giggling softly, Clara answers her with a more sedate tone. "There is running water."

Tessa walks swiftly into the kitchen where she stops, stunned as her eyes land on Logan's injury for the first time. Lainey, who walks in behind her, pushes her aside and runs to her brother. She crumbles to her knees and lays her head in his lap.

"No! This just can't be. Logan, please tell me you didn't get bitten." She sobs. We all know what being bitten meant, but Lainey didn't know it was from a genetically altered hybrid.

"Lainey, shhhhh. So far I'm not showing any signs of changing. This zombie was different, it was made in a lab, not from a bite or scratch. It was a half human half zombie hybrid." Logan says, as he brushes the hair from her face.

Usually I would lean on Logan if this happened to anyone else, but I had no one to lean on now with it being him that could turn into a flesh eater. My heart skipped a beat as all the fears raced through my mind. Lainey fusses over Logan's bite, cleaning and wrapping it before giving him both an antibiotic and a pain pill. All of us wear frowns, worry prevalent on each face.

With the pain meds in his system, Logan is soon asleep on the sofa. I watch him sleep for a while before I walk in the other room to start the electricity running through the doors and windows. Everyone can rest tonight, but I know I won't be sleeping with Logan possibly infected. I'll stand guard by his side, even though I’m not sure if I can complete the job if he turns. I love him, how can I end him if it becomes necessary?

"Mak, where are you?" I hear Clara shout from the kitchen.

Quickly wiping the tears from my face I turn, but Clara is there, wrapping me in her arms. Sobs catch in my throat. "Makayla, it's going to be alright. You have to have faith." She whispers into my hair.

Withdrawing myself from her arms, I turn to walk away, but my anger gets the better of me. "How can you say that? Even now Logan could be in there turning into one of those things." I sob out, balling my fist up, ready for battle once again.

The next morning Logan is still asleep on the sofa. So far there is no sign of a fever, but no one knows how he'll wake up. Will he be himself or will I have to use my Glock once again?  This time on the man I love. Leaning against the wall, I gaze out into the front yard as the sun rises steadily in the east and my thoughts go in so many directions. I sigh, then go to check on Logan. 

Once again, there is no change; no temperature and his breathing was deep and steady. Just maybe we managed to escape and survive intact after all. My hopes soar.

A while later I'm shaken awake by Blu, "Mak, go get some rest. I'll watch over Logan." He says casting a glance at Logan's still form.

"I got it, Blu. If something happens I'll be responsible for it, not you.” I say, patting him on the shoulder.

"Not everything has to rest on your shoulders, Mak." Blu says as he walks away.

Wiping a tear away from my cheek, I walk over to Lainey, who remained at Logan's side all night even though I'd warned her of the dangers of being that close. Shaking her awake, she looks up at me with fright-filled eye.

"So far there's no change. I just want to change his bandage and try to get some more meds in him." I say, brushing the hair from his forehead.

Gasping I look down, Logan's eyes are open. He jerks my arm from his hair, sitting up then moving away from both Lainey and me.

"Get away from me. It’s too fucking dangerous to be this close." Logan says, glancing around the room quickly.

"How do you feel?" Lainey asks, her voice trembling from fright for his life.

"Well, I'm not one of those decaying flesh eaters yet. But, my shoulder hurts like a bitch and I'm thirsty." He finishes, running a hand through his hair. Standing, he wobbles slightly to the left and Lainey is there to give him a hand, but he waves her off. "I feel like taking a shower." He says, then turns to me, winks and continues. "Wanna join me Makayla?"

I know my face is beet red, I can feel the flush as it covers the rest of my body. This isn't my Logan. Yes, if we were alone I could imagine him saying something to that effect, but we were surrounded by the people we loved and that included the kids.

"It's a new day people. I feel more alive, stronger, ready to take on the world, but what I don't feel is hunger for your flesh. But hey, that may change as the day moves forward." Logan says, laughing maniacally.