The Stones of Angkor (Purge of Babylon, Book 3) (44 page)

He took his time. Walked back to her, cracked open the can, and took a sip of warm soda. Then, wiping at his lips with the back of his hand, he shrugged. “The ghouls need live bodies. They need a continuous supply of blood. Human beings, in other words.”

The blood farms…

“It’s part of their plan,” Josh continued. “The Purge, the blood farms, the relocation camps, and now, the towns. It’s all part of a grand, ambitious plan, and it’s up to people like me to make it happen. But don’t worry, they’re not going to extinguish the human race. They can’t. They need us. They need humans, but
controlled
humans. Future generations of humanity that understand and are willing to do what needs to be done in order to coexist. They just want to share the planet.”

“Are you saying those women out there are pregnant on purpose?”

“Yes. It’s the entire basis of the agreement.”

“The babies…?” she said, barely able to get the words out.

She remembered the Mercy Hospital children looking out the back window of the fleeing Humvee at her with tear-streaked faces, an image she would never be able to forget for as long as she lived.

“Oh, no, they’re not going to
give
the babies to the ghouls,” Josh said, and he almost laughed. “No, no, nothing like that. Don’t be morbid, Gaby.”

Morbid? This whole thing is morbid, Josh.

“Those babies will all grow up into healthy boys and girls,” he continued. “The ghouls
need
us, Gaby. Animals won’t do it. Yes, they can drink animal blood, and they have been, but it’s not the same. They were always going to do this. This was always the plan all along. They just didn’t really know
how
to go about doing it.”

“That’s where you come in…”

“That’s where Kate and I came in, yeah. She used to be human—still is, for the most part. The trap on Song Island? That was her idea. All this? Her idea. I just added in the little details, made sure everything was working in the daytime. The less she and the other ghouls show themselves around the people, the easier it is to control them, to convince them that this is for their own good.”

He motioned for her to follow him outside. She did, and stood next to him as he gestured at the people in tents, the ones walking around, the men ripping cooked meat with their teeth around the campfires.

“Look around you, Gaby,” Josh said. “This was my idea. I showed these people there’s nothing to fear. We let them go if they want, but the vast majority of them stay.” He gave her that eager to please smile again. “We’re giving them food, a place to live, and they don’t ever have to fear the night again.”

“What happens at night?” she asked.

“Nothing. Nothing happens at night. That’s the point.”

“What about blood…?”

“We have that taken care of, too.” He looked over at the blue tent. “There’s another, smaller tent behind that one. People give blood there. That’s what we give to the ghouls. They don’t
need
to suck it out of you, they just want the end results. It’s like donating blood. Painless.” He smiled again. “This is good for us, Gaby. That’s why I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Why is that, Josh?”

“Because I get to see you again, that’s why!”

He laughed and moved toward her, but Gaby took a quick, involuntary step away from him before she even realized what she was doing.

He froze, then frowned. “But you don’t believe me.”

“I don’t know what to believe, Josh.”
Find a way to salvage this.
“You were supposed to be dead, then it turns out you’re not. Three months, Josh.
Three months.
”

His frown eased, and she saw a hint of regret.

There. Keep going…

“And then you show up and tell me you’re in charge of these collaborators?” she continued. “Not just that you’re one of them, but you’re actually
in charge
of them?”

People were stopping to look at them now. For the first time, she saw Josh feeling less than in charge. He reached for her arm, but stopped himself in time.

“Let’s go back inside,” he said quietly, almost meekly.

She followed him back into the tent.

“I should have contacted you sooner,” he said. “I really wanted to. God, you have no idea how much I wanted to. I’ve missed you so much, Gaby. Every day I think of you, about that night we spent together.”

His shoulders slackened, and he was suddenly the eighteen-year-old boy she had lived out of basements with all those months, always worried about when he went searching for supplies with Matt, and had been so happy to see when they came back safe.

Josh, are you really still in there?

“Please, don’t be angry with me, Gaby.” His voice almost pleading now. “You know how I feel about you. I love you. I’ve always loved you. I did all of this for you. Please, can’t we just…” He paused. Then, softly, “Can’t I just hug you? Please? It’s been so long, and I’ve missed you so much…”

At that moment, he sounded like the same Josh, the awkward boy in love with her, who followed her around and sneaked looks at her in school when he didn’t think anyone was watching. She threw herself into her training with Will and Danny in part to forget about him, to push away the hurt of losing him. And it had hurt. Not because he was the great love of her life, as he wanted so desperately to be, but because she liked him. Truly, truly liked him, and though she hadn’t felt it yet, she was certain she could have grown to love him too, if they had only spent more time together.

Then he was gone, taken away in a hail of bullets.

Only to resurface now, so different, and yet…so much like the same Josh.

He looked as if he was about to cry, when she rushed forward and into his arms. She pressed her head against his chest and he wrapped his arms so tightly around her that she couldn’t breathe for a moment.

“Gaby,” he whispered. “God, it’s been so long. I’ve missed you so much. You don’t know how much I’ve missed you.”

“Me too, Josh, me too,” she said, forcing back tears.

In the back of her mind, one thought kept going around and around:

Can I kill him? If I have to—and God, I might have to—can I kill Josh?

‡

TOWNIES

WILL

Josh was alive.
That shouldn’t have been possible, but there it was. In living person. Flesh and blood. He was still Josh. Eighteen years old, with longer, shaggier hair than Will remembered, but still the same kid.

Will remembered watching him drop into the water, the urge to jump in after him overridden by the sight of the collaborator boat bearing down on them. At that moment, he had been forced to make a decision—save himself, Blaine, Maddie, and Bobby, not to mention the supplies they had come for, or risk everything for one kid.

He liked Josh. He did. But Josh was one life, while there were many more, including Lara, on the island. He wished he could say it was a difficult decision, but it wasn’t.

Just when you think everything was starting to make sense, the world reminds you that you don’t know Jack shit.

He stood next to Josh’s tent and listened to the conversation inside. He moved slightly backward and out of view when Josh led Gaby out. When Josh told Gaby there were no reasons for the people to leave the camp, Will couldn’t disagree. The kid was right. These people didn’t want to leave. And why should they? They had it good here. Too good.

Will remembered what Kate had once said to him:
“But then again, I was always good at selling dreams to desperate people.”

And that was exactly what this was. A sell job. Where Kate began, Josh continued. Giving people a place to call their own, safety, and the ability to live and love and die of old age was a damn fine offer, especially given the alternative. No wonder most of the people around him now—the laughing kids, the smiling pregnant women, the gruff men gathered around campfires cooking fresh meat—thought this was better than running and hiding and constantly fearing the night.

Because, in so many ways, it was.

Josh and Gaby went back into the tent, where they continued their conversation. He could tell by her questions that Gaby was trying to squeeze Josh for information, to keep him talking.

Smart girl.

He glanced at his watch: 2:45 
p.m.

Plenty of time, but it wouldn’t last. He would have to do something sooner rather than later. Either rescue Gaby and Nate, or at least one of them. Eventually someone would notice the “Givens” on his chest. He couldn’t remove it, either, because everyone here had a label—with the exception of Josh. Will guessed that was due to Josh’s rank, his ability to come and go as he pleased.

Maybe that was it. Josh. Maybe that was his way out with not just Gaby, but Nate, too.

Doable.

Will walked around the tent and slipped inside the open flaps.

Josh looked up, clearly annoyed at the sight of him. “What is it?” Then Josh saw the gun in Will’s hand. “What—?”

Gaby turned, saw Will, and recognized him instantly even behind the gas mask. “Thank God you’re alive. They took Nate.”

“I know,” Will said.

“Gaby?” Josh said. “You know him?”

Will pulled the gas mask up, perching it on his forehead.

“Will,” Josh said, frowning slightly.

“How you doing, kid?” Will said.

“I’m…fine.”

“I can see that. Gaby,” Will said, and nodded at Josh’s handgun.

Gaby quickly pulled it—a 9mm Glock—free and slipped it into her own empty holster.

Josh’s eyes snapped to her. “What are you doing, Gaby?”

“You know what I’m doing, Josh.” She opened the pouches along his gun belt and stuffed his spare magazines into hers. “How did you think this was going to end?”

Josh’s face seemed to crater. Will almost felt sorry for the kid. “You don’t believe me,” Josh said. “After everything I’ve told you, you still don’t believe me.”

“I believe you think you’re doing all this for me. But it’s bullshit, Josh.”

“It’s the truth.”

“No, it’s not. The truth is, you’re not the Josh I remembered.” She looked over at Will. Her face was stone, but he could see through it to the emotions roiling around inside her at the moment. “What about Nate?”

“They took him to the blue tent.” He looked over at Josh. “Kid.”

Josh looked up, his face shell-shocked.

Gaby was moving around the tent, looking for supplies. She picked up a backpack from the ground—Josh’s—and stuffed in anything she could find. Busy work. She didn’t want to look at Josh. Didn’t want to see the heartbreak on his face.

“How many collaborators are in the camp?” Will asked Josh.

“Too many for you to kill them all,” Josh said.

Will grinned back at him. “Are you sure about that?”

“Assuming you could. Then what?” he said, his voice challenging. “Look around you, Will. No one here wants to leave. The gates are open. They’re not leaving because they don’t want to. Look outside if you don’t believe me.”

“I’ve seen enough. I’ve also seen the pregnant women in the blue tent. You’re breeding blood farms, Josh.”

“No. You’re looking at this all wrong.”

“You’re turning the human race into chattel. Open your eyes.”

“No!” he shouted.

Will lifted a finger to his lips. “Don’t do that again.”

“Or what? You’re going to shoot me?” Josh looked as if he might laugh. “They saved me from the lake, Will. Not you.”

“I couldn’t come back for you. Not with the others and the supplies at risk.”

“You could have, but you didn’t. You made a choice. Just like I did.”

“Is that what you tell yourself?”

Gaby walked back over to them, avoiding Josh’s searching eyes. “I’m not leaving without Nate.”

Will nodded. “Yeah, I figured.”

“So what’s the plan?”

Josh was staring at Gaby. “You lied about him,” he said accusingly. “He’s not just some guy.”

Will thought Gaby would keep ignoring him, that she’d pretend Josh had never spoken. But she surprised him by turning around and looking Josh in the eyes. “I didn’t lie to you. I did just meet him this morning. He didn’t have to come here, but he did. I don’t care what you think this is, Josh, but he’s my friend, and I don’t leave my friends behind.”

“What about me, Gaby?” That might have been a question, but Will thought it sounded more like another accusation.

“What about you, Josh?”

“You’re going to leave me again? After three months? After everything I’ve done—”

“For me?” Gaby finished. “I never wanted this. I
don’t
want this. Stop fooling yourself into thinking this is all for me.”

“But it
is
,” Josh said, almost pleading now. “Why can’t you see that? Everything I’ve done, everything I’ve accomplished, it’s all for you. This is how I’m going to keep you safe, Gaby.
This.
”

“Look at me, Josh.” Gaby stepped toward him, and though they were the same height, somehow she seemed to tower over him anyway. “I don’t need your protection. I never did, and I never will. So you can stop lying to yourself about why you’ve done the things you’ve done. It’s
bullshit
, Josh.”