Ground Zero (Patient Zero Book 1) Read online

  My face was hot, and I was happy when the boys finally nodded.

  “Sure,” Jake said. “We’ll get everything packed and find a decent place to cross.”

  I felt as if he was simply humoring me, but he sighed and frowned. “You have good instincts, Zero. Keep me informed when you notice those feelings again, okay?”

  Smiling shyly, I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll let you know.”

  He smiled and turned away. “Good. Now get your stuff packed.”

  Shooting him a mock salute, I said, “Yes, sir!”

  Grinning, I realized what he’d done. I’d been in a paranoid, worried frame of mind, and Jake had helped lighten the mood. Sneaky.

  Getting out of this area would help a ton. I never could get relaxed when there were other people too close to us. Sure, some people were still friendly and willing to help, but those were few and far between. These days you were as likely to get jumped and killed by a human as by one of the creatures.

  With Scout and his people nearby, I knew I wouldn’t be able to relax. With the guards at the wall, it was doubly assured that I wouldn’t. How the others were able to settle and relax so easily I would never know. I had to admit feeling a bit envious of the ability to shut down and be relaxed.

  The camp swirled with activity as everyone packed their belongings, and I finally reached to get my bedding to put into a plastic bag. Just one small way to make sure any remnants of my tears wouldn’t contaminate anyone else’s belongings.

  Honestly, if I were being smart I would probably go off on my own somewhere. Not allow myself to get close to so many people. It would be so easy to make a tiny mistake, and I would turn my closest friends into B-grade movie monsters.

  I’d already lost one family to this thing. I refused to lose another. Protecting them was my priority, now and always. That’s why I couldn’t let all of them come with me as we hunted down the people who had experimented on me.

  Mine was the last bag to be tossed into the cart, and I slipped my sword and shoulder sheath out of the pile of weapons. Jake may have lightened my mood, but my paranoia wouldn’t allow me to go unarmed any time soon. Rex, Jake, and a few of the others took their cue from me, and strapped weapons to their belts as well. Knives, daggers, handguns… all were out and ready to be used at a moment’s notice.

  Apparently paranoia is contagious, because I even noticed the others glancing around as if watching for enemies. Of course, I could tell them when the creatures were approaching, but I had no way of knowing when a normal human was around. We could be surrounded, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

  Separating from the group was definitely out of the picture for a while. At least until I stopped feeling the tingling in my neck. The anticipation of something happening kept me on guard, every muscle twitching and ready for action. It was exhausting. Not a state I could keep up all day.

  Only the occasional chatter broke the oppressive silence of the woods. The rest of the time it seemed none of us could fight the dark feeling that something horrible was about to happen.

  Living in a horror movie will do that. In our previous lives, we would have been running, laughing, and playing if we’d come across a wooded area like this. Climbing trees, enjoying lighthearted jokes and the company of kids around our own age. Now? Now we were lucky if we could enjoy even a few minutes of joyful play that wouldn’t be interrupted by the rotting creatures attacking. We couldn’t trust the trees enough to run and play, they could hold traps others had left—for the monsters or any people who happened by—and any lapse could lead to serious injury or death.

  Some would be excited to have the ‘zombie apocalypse’ happening within their lifetime. Those people had no idea of the reality of the situation. Friends and family killed—or worse, turned into rotting monsters trying to kill them—life without any other purpose than to survive, and the need to kill creatures who used to be someone you cared about. Not something I could see being excited about. To each their own, I guess.

  Midday arrived with a clang and a frustrated yell from the trail ahead.

  “What happened?” I asked, rushing forward.

  “Cart’s stuck,” Aly said, kicking at the wheel in disgust. “Thought we’d be able to get through here, and it got caught between a couple rocks.”

  “Alright. Someone get started with a meal, and we’ll get a couple people to work digging the rocks out so we can get the cart loose,” Jake suggested. “It’s a decent time for a break anyway.”

  Rex eyed me curiously, and I nodded. “We’re clear. We should be good to relax for a bit,” he said.

  I rubbed my neck. “Yeah. We can take our lunch break.”

  Leaving the others to the work, I moved deeper into the woods for a few minutes to get a better feel of the area. It seemed clear, so I took care of some business, and headed back.

  A branch cracked behind me. Before I could turn around or yell for assistance, a thick arm wrapped around my neck, covering my mouth and dragging me away.

  Chapter Twelve

  I caught a glimpse of familiar black sleeves, but glancing around, I saw only covered faces. Whether it was Scout and his group, or someone else with a similar fashion sense, I couldn’t say for sure. I’d bet on it being Scout though. It seemed unlikely that we’d run into a different group so soon after our encounter with Scout.

  My sword was removed from the sheath, and I was left unarmed and helpless. They tied my arms behind my back and stuck a gag in my mouth.

  “Zero. As in ‘patient zero’ right?” Scout asked, a grin on his now uncovered face. “You are one sought after little girl, you know that?”

  I glared, unwilling to show the bully of a man how scared I felt. I mentally kicked myself for leaving the safety of the group. My instincts had told me we were far enough away to be safe. I’d been wrong.

  Ignoring my look of hatred burning through his skull, the man chuckled. “We’ll be getting free rides into the safe zone for this.”

  His friends cheered, and I stilled. Getting out of this zone was my goal, but not without my friends. They would be missing me soon—if they hadn’t already—and would hunt for me. It seemed unlikely that they would attempt to get through the wall without me.

  At this point, I was at Scout’s mercy. Despite my fighting skills, there was no way I’d be able to force my way free. I had studied our maps extensively, so I could likely find my way back to the others. Only if I was able to sneak away somehow. That was the point I was a bit fuzzy on. Escape had to be my main goal, but the how was difficult. If they grew lax, I could simply run. My feet were untied, and even with my hands behind my back I should be able to run decently.

  Might be worth a shot, I mused as Scout pushed my shoulder to get me moving. Away from my friends. Away from anyone who would protect me from my tormentors instead of delivering me to them. Given the ability to speak, I would definitely be poking at his idea of being a strong man. Picking on a young girl for something that wasn’t even her fault to begin with…

  Despite my best efforts, I felt tears burning in my eyes. These people were a threat, but I still didn’t want them to turn. Especially with me tied up in the middle of the group. I may be immune to the virus, but they could—and probably would—still kill me if they turned.

  If the others noticed my tears, they thankfully ignored them. I had no way to warn them away. The gag was uncomfortable. I hoped that once they felt safe they’d remove it. My guess was they were only using it to prevent me from yelling for help. They couldn’t know that it also prevented me from warning them if a horde approached, or telling them to avoid my tears at all cost.

  Was this really my life? Tears used as a weapon, a scream working as a repellent for creatures straight out of the worst horror movies ever, and a strange tingling feeling every time said creatures approached. All totally normal, right? And that wasn’t even mentioning the fact that I’d been kidnapped again! Not exactly my best year ever.

  Alright, the pity par
ty had to stop. Despite my ire at being grabbed, I had no desire to watch these people turn. Which they would if they touched the rag tied around my head. My tears had soaked in, and it was a total biohazard they would be completely unaware of.

  Gloves would protect them, but even those would be contaminated once they touched the wet rag. There was a reason only I handled anything of mine, and then washed thoroughly after touching any of it. I could hope there was an end time for the contamination, but without someone to confirm the tears were no longer dangerous, I couldn’t risk anything. And the only way to tell for sure was for someone to come into contact. Not something I was willing to risk on anyone.

  Well, maybe the creeps who did this to me. They probably deserve to suffer the way their victims have suffered.

  The thought opened up another line of possibility. Should I simply allow my captors to deliver me to my kidnappers? I might be able to get my answers and my vengeance on them if they did. Of course, following that course of action would leave my friends in the dark about what had happened to me. If any of them were injured because I made no effort to free myself, I couldn’t handle it.

  Scout stopped his group, and I realized I’d missed my normal warning. The tingle in my mind told me a horde was approaching. I suspected the others knew already. They dropped low to the ground, Scout moving forward slowly. I pushed my thoughts toward the enemy, hoping for once to exert some sort of mental control over them.

  The grunts and groans were growing louder, indicating that my attempt had been unsuccessful. Again. I groaned and pulled at my bindings in frustration. If they would just free my mouth, I could prevent an altercation.

  “Cover her,” Scout ordered as the horde approached.

  I shook my head, trying to get their attention. Speaking around the gag was ineffective. Scout’s people simply surrounded me, facing the forest and ignoring any noises I made.

  This horde was huge, and they were hungry. If I couldn’t free myself… if they were able to attack in earnest…

  We would all be slaughtered.

  Chapter Thirteen

  My attempts to speak had loosened my gag. Not enough to speak, but enough. Now I might be able to wiggle it loose with my shoulder.

  “Knock it off, kid,” a male voice, not Scout, said. “We’re going to protect you.”

  Another voice snickered. “Yeah. We can’t escape this hell-hole without you. Don’t worry.”

  Comforting. I could believe they wanted to protect me, but they had no idea the sheer number of the enemy approaching. They wouldn’t stand a chance unless I could help.

  Even expecting it, the clap of the first gunshot made me jump. Thankfully, it had the added bonus of drawing my guard’s attention from me, so I could resume my attempt to free my mouth. A scream would definitely come in handy.

  Or I could try to get my weapons and fight my way out. Slash and cut my way through the people who’d taken me, and the horde who threatened my safety. Beat them bloody as I made my way to freedom.

  No. That wasn’t right. I shook my head, pushing harder at the gag. The horde’s growls were reverberating through my brain, and I couldn’t think! I wanted out. I didn’t want to kill the people around me.

  My newfound aggressive feelings apparently helped, because I was able to loosen the gag. The damp cloth dropped around my neck so suddenly that I almost didn’t even realize it. I stood in the center of the chaos, unnoticed as I turned in a slow circle in an attempt to figure out the best direction to aim my scream.

  The creatures were relentless. Many had already fallen, many more were attacking. A few of Scout’s people were clearly wounded. Tears began to fall down my face at the wasted lives.

  I felt the well of emotion rising, and took a deep breath. With my exhale came a piercing scream. All the creatures cringed back and retreated. Scout and his group kept firing, killing the enemy as they ran. Even as they kept up their attack, I saw the sideways looks they cast toward me.

  They would capture me for a bounty, but had no idea why I was even wanted. No idea of the torture I faced every day, knowing I was one of the causes of the outbreak.

  My scream ended, and I dropped to my knees wearily. My energy drained. I stayed down, waving back and forth slightly as the gunfire gradually began to slow.

  Finally, the last echoes ended, and I found myself the center of some unwanted attention.

  “Don’t touch the gag,” I warned. “And you probably don’t really want to touch me either. Unless you want their fate to be yours,” I indicated one of Scout’s men who was nursing a bite wound. A look of horror crossed his face at what he knew would be his fate. “I’m sorry, by the way. No one deserves to become one of those things.”

  Scout’s eyebrows furrowed. “Wha- I don’t understand. What just happened?”

  The others stood, watching warily as their boss tried to figure things out. One kept the bitten man covered. “What do we do with him, boss?” one of the women asked.

  Staring at his fallen comrade in dismay, Scout shook his head. “I… Charlie, you’ll be turned. It should be up to you what happens now.”

  Charlie, the fallen man, sat on the ground. He was still staring at the bite in disbelief. He shrugged wearily. “Take me with you. Once I start turning, shoot me. I don’t want to be one of those things.”

  Already green and black lines were spreading from the wound. “Okay,” Scout nodded. He turned from his friend briefly—before spinning and shooting him! I jumped at the sudden violent act, a small scream escaping.

  Scout shook himself after a moment, motioning for one of the others to remove the body. “Now,” he turned to me. “What just happened?”

  I stayed silent, unsure how much I was willing to share with the people who would sell me to my tormentors. They had no idea of the guilt I felt because of what had been done to me. Scout’s people seemed unsure what to do in this situation. I couldn’t blame them. If they were as close a group as I was with the other kids and Jake, I wouldn’t know how to react to one of them getting bit either.

  Seeming to sense my reluctance, Scout’s eyes softened. “What happened, kid? How did you—?”

  “We should move,” I interrupted. “They won’t be gone long.” The gunfire and smell of death would assure that.

  He nodded abruptly. “Fine. Then we’ll talk as we walk.”

  When he made a move to grab my arm and help me up, I jerked away. His eyes softened further. “I ain’t gonna hurt you kid.”

  My mouth curled slightly. “Not worried about that. But I could be the death of you.”

  Despite Scout abducting me, and shooting his friend, I didn’t believe he was a bad person. In regards to him shooting his friend: Charlie’s change would have been swift. Killing him would have become more difficult if they’d allowed him to change. Regarding kidnapping me: he’d seen wanted posters, and was trying to do right by his people. If they delivered me to my enemies, they could get out of the infected zone.

  A darker part of my mind warned that they would likely end up either dead or captured if they approached the people in charge. I couldn’t be sure, but I suspected they wouldn’t be happy with anyone knowing too much about me. They wouldn’t risk that I’d told them what I could do.

  Scout’s eyes had widened at my comment, but he waited for me to continue. While waiting, I pushed myself to my feet, and we started walking. My arms were still bound, and I was a bit uncomfortable. Both with the situation, and physically.

  With a sigh, I clearly indicated I was unhappy with the situation. I rolled my eyes to meet his gaze. “About a year ago, before the outbreak, I was kidnapped. I don’t remember much about it, but when they released me back to my parents… I’d…” I shook my head, wanting to avoid shedding more poison tears.

  “They did something to me. They used me to start the outbreak. My tears… my tears cause people to change. My parents were the first…” I spoke hesitantly, a lump in my throat as I allowed myself to think about my lost parents
. The parents I’d changed into monsters.

  The parents I’d then killed.

  “It spread quickly,” I continued. “Before long, I discovered I have a connection to the creatures. The scream pushes them back, but only for a short time. I can sense when they approach, and I know when they’re going to attack.”

  I kept silent on how the horde had recently begun to overpower my mind, leading me to envision ripping and tearing through my friends the way they wanted to. The connection had made me feel homicidal toward these cowards who snatched and bound a thirteen-year-old girl.

  The connection I felt again now as the horde began to move toward us once more.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Scout shook me. His hands clutched dangerously close to the tear dampened rag, which hung loosely around my neck. “Kid! Snap out of it. We’ll let you go, okay? Just help us get away!”

  Help them? The horde was so noisy in their approach. So many victims of the unknown experimenters. I pushed against the hive mind, trying to fight the control they were gaining over me. How could I help? The scream hadn’t held them off as long as usual, another would be even less effective.

  “Set me free,” I demanded with a growl. “And give me my weapons. I’ll tear through them.”

  I felt hands at my wrists, untying the rope and setting my hands free. Scout knelt in front of me, my sword in his hand. I reached for it eagerly. “Them, Zero. Go through them. Don’t hurt my people, okay?”

  Barely comprehending the words, I grunted, snatching the sword from his hands as the horde swept through Scout’s exhausted friends. Screams and moans filled the air, as did the crack of gunfire.

  I waded into battle, unafraid. I would be victorious, or I would be killed. But I would not be turned. That was one fate I wouldn’t face.

  The enemy felt the bite of my blade as I fought for freedom. My mind blanked until all I could focus on was the next attacker. On some level I knew this wasn’t all me, but I was powerless to slow down enough to figure things out.