Hot Zone (36 page)

“Why?” I asked before I even thought. It was strange, but I always found myself challenging Cal, as if he put some chemical in the air that got my back up. I reminded myself to chill.

Meri said quickly, “She’s working with him.”

Cal said, “Why are you working with him?”

I shrugged. “He asked me to, so, um …” I noticed that Meri was looking really uncomfortable. “Meri? What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” she said.

Cal shot her a look. “Honey, why don’t you go find something to do. Let Madde and I talk.”

I started to say something like, ‘Meri can be in any room she wants!’ but I stopped myself. I wanted to know what he wanted. I was getting increasingly anxious.

Meri bit her lip and nodded. As she left the room, I turned back to Cal. “You know, Cal, I’m feeling a little pressured here. What exactly do you want, and why do you want it?”

Cal’s eyes widened slightly. I hadn’t been nearly so forthright before he left, but time and responsibilities, especially lately, had given me some cajones. “I have a reason, but I’d rather you tell me what you know first.”

“And I feel the same way. You first,” I said evenly.

He smiled at me suddenly, “Come on, Madde. Everyone’s heard about him, and here you’ve met him. I’m just curious.”

I didn’t believe that for a second. “Do you know who you should talk to? Karen. She’s met him too. Or Luis. Do you remember him? He was a few years older than we were, so we weren’t in high school together. They’ve both met him, as have a couple of others around here. I’m not really unique.”

“But you’re right here,” he said charmingly. “Plus, Meri told me that he’s really taken with you. That he sees you differently than other people.”

I tried to laugh that off, but as an actress, I don’t think I was all that convincing. “Oh, well, you know how girls talk to each other.”

Cal said in a teasing voice, “I thought you two were almost an item.”

I started to wonder if I had made a bigger deal of this than I should have. Maybe Cal was simply curious. Maybe I’d begun to see intrigue in every corner.

“Hardly.” This time the laugh was easier.

“He hired you to work for him?” Cal asked innocently.

“Sort of. I’m just doing a few things he doesn’t have time to do.”

“Like what?”

“Oh, contacting some other communities and helping them get organized. Catfish has been lucky, but some towns were far more devastated. I’m also going to help with supply needs once Gabriel gets supplies.”

“Oh? How is he getting supplies?

He’d told me several aid groups had offered supplies for the quarantine area. Even the U.S. government—still our government, had been helpful, although not as much as Gabriel thought they should be. Even though Gabriel wasn’t my favorite person right now, he deserved my silence. If Cal really wanted to know … I had an idea. “Oh, I have no idea,” I said. “You know, I could probably get you in to see him, if you wanted to.”

Cal thought about this. “Maybe. I’d sort of hoped he would come here, maybe to see you.”

“No, I doubt that,” I said, trying not to look horrified.

Cal said, “No offense, Madde, but why would Gabriel, a man who has had a meteoric rise to power, ask you
to help him? Didn’t you work at a fast food place or something?”

It was strange, but a few weeks ago I would have agreed with him. Now, however, I was insulted. “Why not me, Cal?”

“Well,” he gave a chuckle. “You don’t exactly have experience in politics.”

I decided to let it go. “Who knows? Guess you’d have to ask Gabriel that one.”

“Meri also told me that Gabriel has an effect on people.”

I tried to just look politely interested, but inside I was fuming at both Meri and myself. I never should have told them, and Meri? Damn, she’d told Cal when she’d promised not to share that. Still, if I hadn’t told her in the first place we wouldn’t be here right now.

Cal continued, “Yet this effect he has on people doesn’t seem to work with you. Why do you think that is?”

I gave up politeness. I was getting seriously annoyed. “Cal, cut the crap. You obviously know quite a bit. I’m not going to sit here and play games.”

Cal seemed to change in a subtle way. His eyes hardened, and his posture became stiffer. “As you wish. I want to know how to get Gabriel here. I need to talk to him.”

“Why?”

“Frankly, Madde, it’s none of your business.”

“Then don’t expect my help,” I said.

He studied me. “You’ve changed.”

I crossed my arms in front of my chest. “Probably.”

“It’s important. I need to do this. It’s why I’m here.”

“I thought you were here for Meri. That you were joining us,” I challenged.

“I am here to stay, probably. I’m now exposed. So yes, that’s true. But I also have an assignment, and I need to see Gabriel, here, to fulfill that.”

“What is your assignment?”

“It’s classified.”

I rolled my eyes. “I can’t help you.”

“No, Madde. You won’t help me. There’s a big difference there.”

Meri chose this minute to interrupt. “Uh Cal, can I talk to you a second?”

At first I thought Cal might just tell her to go to hell. Then his eyes cleared, and he shook his head slightly. “Sure, come on in.”

“Out here, if you don’t mind,” she said meekly.

“Fine.” He stood up, and then leaned over towards me. “I’m on a timeline, so you need to ask yourself how badly you want to piss me off.”

My eyes widened as he left the room.

My phone chimed. I saw I had a text message from Tucker. It read: “Sorry! Phone problem. Home soon. Love u!” I sighed with relief, but as my worry left, my anger at his earlier behavior came rushing back.

I stood up, thinking I’d go and pack while Cal and Meri were chatting, but as soon as they saw me in the living room, Cal shook his head. “Madde, we’re not done.”

I thought about his last comment. “Yes, actually, I think we are.” I smiled at Meri, although I wished she hadn’t blabbed about my resistance or Gabriel’s abilities. The look Meri returned was tense and worried.

“Meri? Are you all right?” I asked.

“Oh, yes. Sure,” she said lightly, but her eyes seemed to be trying to communicate something to me. Whatever it was, I wasn’t getting it.

Cal said, “Madde, I’m sorry, but we are having this talk now. So sit down and tell me what you know.”

I stared at him. This was beyond annoying and bordering on frightening. “No,” I said steadily, taking a few steps away from him.

He took a step towards me and Meri touched his arm. “Sweetheart, if you—”

“Take your hand off me,” he said in the most menacing voice I’d ever heard.

Meri and I both froze. Cal blinked a couple of times. “I’m sorry Mair. I guess I need some sleep. I just don’t feel right.”

Now I understood Meri’s visual warning. Cal was getting sick. Cal was losing it.

I swallowed, wondering why everyone had to be gone today of all days. Was there a reason Meri hadn’t mentioned to him he might be getting sick? Should I just run and try to get help? Where the hell was Luis? I hadn’t seen him all day. I tried not to sound scared as I said, “Okay, we can talk. Let me go to the bathroom and I’ll tell you whatever you want. Unless you want to catch some sleep first?”

Now Cal looked suspicious. He looked at me, then at Meri, who was shaking almost visibly. Not with fear of Cal, but most likely with fear for him. He said in a soft voice. “I’m getting it, aren’t I? That’s what you think. I’m getting sick.”

Neither of us said anything for a long moment. Finally Meri said softly, “You’re probably just tired. But if you are getting sick, well, we have doctors, and we’ll help you, I promise.”

Cal sat down as if he was stunned. “I never thought I’d get it. They kept warning me it was possible, even likely that I would, but I had so many shots that I never really believed …”

Meri sat down next to him and put her arm around his shoulders. “Oh sweetie. It’s okay.”

I was backing out of Cal’s line of sight. Once I thought I was far enough, I quietly pulled out my cell phone and slowly tried to get it to silent without Cal hearing. As I pressed the button that would silence the phone, it beeped, and Cal’s head shot around. I immediately looked at the phone, smiling at him. “I have a text message from Tucker. Excuse me if I don’t read it aloud.” I let my voice drip with insinuation as if it was something mushy.

Meri gave me a little smile, but Cal said, “Let me see your phone.”

“No way!” I said in what I hoped was a light, teasing voice. “Private property.” Cal used to use that term as a joke when other guys showed an interest in Meri.

He looked less upset for a minute. Then suddenly he rose. “If I’m getting sick, we have just that much less time. Madde, sit down.”

“Bathroom, okay?” I said, heading off. He launched himself over the couch and was at my side before I’d taken two steps. He grabbed my upper arm with a grip so tight I gasped. He pulled me over to the couch and threw me into it.

Meri stood and went to him. “Cal, what are you do—” She got no further before Cal shoved her back into the couch too.

“Just answer the questions, Madde,” he said.

I nodded. If he was able to push Meri around, the woman he loved, I wasn’t going to mess with him.

“First question, can you contact Gabriel?”

I looked at Meri, wondering how much she’d told him. But then I realized Cal could easily look on my phone where Gabriel’s name was clearly listed. I looked back at him. “Yes.”

“Do it. Tell him to come here.”

“Uh, Cal? Please tell me why?” I sounded pathetic, even to my own ears. I kept thinking about Eddy, and how he’d been at the end.

Cal said, “He’s dangerous. My assignment was simply to gather information, but if he has this power over people, then I know what I need to do.” His words were fast near the end.

I swallowed audibly. “Shouldn’t you ask someone’s opinion first? You know, report in?”

He looked unsure for a minute, but he shook his head. “It would take too long. I don’t have a lot of time.”

“But can’t you—” I froze as he pulled out his sidearm. I’d seen it there earlier and hadn’t really thought about it. So many people wore guns these days.

“Make the call, Madde,” he said, his voice oddly flat. The gun was not exactly trained on me, but I knew it could be in a second’s time.

Meri started to cry. “Please, Cal, please don’t do this.”

He looked at her, and the gun pointed briefly at her. “Meri, you don’t know how important this is. Just—you can’t keep talking—it’s—just stop!”

Meri just shook her head. I knew those words—they were so similar to what I’d heard as people went nuts. What had Eddy said?
It’s just too much?

I slowly opened my phone. I tried to think what to do. No matter how mad I was at Gabriel, I did think he was helping the Hot Zone. And he was someone I knew, and at least partially respected. Could I set him up and get him killed? Even to save myself?

Cal released the safety on the gun. “Madde. If I have to, I’ll put a bullet in you. You won’t die. At least not right away.” Suddenly he looked at Meri, who was shaking her head, her face ravaged with tears. He frowned, turning back to me. “He’s dangerous. Who’s to stop him if I don’t? He could take over the entire world with the power he has. If you’d been able to kill Hitler in the early days, wouldn’t you have done it?” His voice was pleading now, pleading for understanding.

Gabriel as Hitler? I must have looked stunned, because he continued, “Think about it, Madde. You are the only one who can help me. You’re the only one who—Oh my God!” he said. “If you’re right, I won’t be able to do it. I won’t be able to pull the trigger.” He suddenly focused on me again. “Am I right?” He didn’t give me a chance to answer. “Just call him!” he yelled at me.

I was shaking as I found the contact number and pushed send. I heard Gabriel’s smooth voice on the other end of the line. “Madde? I’m glad you called.”

“Gabriel,” I said, and my voice must have tipped him off.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt? In trouble?”

“Yes, thank you,” I said woodenly. I pressed the phone tightly to my ear so Cal wouldn’t hear Gabriel.

“Someone is there,” he said, almost to himself. “Where is Luis?”

“I was wondering, um, if you could come and see me, here at the house in Catfish,” I said. Cal nodded approvingly.

Silence. “Madde, you don’t want me there.”

“Right. So, could you come right away?” I hoped that he would understand not to come, that I was being forced to call.

“You want me to help you myself?” he said, completely misunderstanding me.

Cal was looking increasingly agitated. “No, I don’t think so,” I said a little desperately. Cal frowned, suddenly swiping the phone from my hands. He held it upside-down so that he could talk into it, but couldn’t hear anything. “Better come quickly, hotshot, or your girlfriend here will be nothing but a memory. Anyone comes with you, and she dies. I don’t want to hurt you, just talk to you. That’s it. Better hurry,” he snapped the phone shut.

I saw Hoover, her paws on the sill of the window, looking in. I wondered if she could hear and understand what was happening. I wondered if she’d go help us. I wondered if I was going crazy. Cal saw me looking at the window, and looked over as well. He saw the dog there, and quickly moved the gun to point at her. Hoover’s paws disappeared from the sill.

I said in a soft voice to Cal. “I don’t know what Meri told you, but Gabriel and I aren’t really that close. We kind of had a fight, and—”

Cal nearly snarled at me, “You had better get on you knees and pray that he comes. If I have to go to him, there will be a whole lot of bloodshed.” He gave me an appraising look. “You are going to shoot him,” he said with a smile.

I shook my head automatically.

“Yes,” he affirmed. “You aren’t affected by him, so you’re maybe the only one who can.” I noticed Cal was sweating now. This was happening too fast. “You’re going to do it because if you don’t …” he hesitated, again looking lost.

After he took a deep breath, he said to me. “If you don’t, I’ll shoot Meri.”

I stared at him, unable to believe what I’d just heard. Meri apparently felt the same way. He looked at her, and his voice was pleading. “You understand, right? This has to be done. And she loves you and doesn’t want you hurt. If Phil were here, I’d use her. I don’t want to hurt you. I just don’t have any one else that she feels that strongly about. Maybe Tucker will come and I can use him,” he mused.