The Girl Who Punched Back: The Death Fields Read online

The last time I saw Erwin, he tried to kill me. His soldiers were the ones that shot Chloe. I am well aware that they are hostile, but I want to know why my sister can’t cooperate with them. Well, I know why. Their ideas about the future of society are vastly different. I want her to admit it.

  I sit and tune out the rest of her speech. It’s mostly tag lines about sticking together and following orders so we can build a better, safer society. When she’s finished, Wyatt escorts her off the stage, my father following behind like a puppy. Walker steps to the podium and directs people to leave in an orderly fashion.

  “I don’t trust her,” I say to Cole as everyone files out.

  “I know. I hear what you’re saying about Erwin. As much as I hate that guy, we need his help if we’re going to vaccinate as many people as possible.”

  “It’s only logical.”

  “You would think,” he agrees.

  “Then why isn’t it? Why can’t they work together? PharmaCorp provides the vaccine—Erwin distributes it. Why have they been fighting each other?” Erwin captured us on the way from Raleigh and had an active lab seeking to make their own vaccine. They wanted the information left with me by my father. In theory, PharmaCorp should create the vaccine and the military distribute it.

  “Maybe you should go talk to her in private. Or your dad. I’m sure if you approach them, calmly,” he gives me a look; “they’ll be willing to talk.”

  I cross my arms over my chest. “I doubt it.”

  Cole shifts so that he’s facing me in our uncomfortable auditorium seats. His knees touch mine. “Look, I know things are bad between you and your sister but you have some legitimate concerns. Everyone else here is just happy to have food, shelter, and a big fat wall between them and the bad stuff out there. I’ll try to do a little digging on the actual vaccine now that they’ve announced it. If they’ve been doing trials it’s all been very quiet. I know we’re running out of time on this, but I’m worried about side effects; does it need a booster at some point, and how much vaccine do we actually have?”

  I reach for his chin and cup it with my hand. “Smart guys are hot, did you know that?”

  He tips his forehead to mine. “So are brave, stubborn girls.”

  “Hey!” I pull back, but he’s already standing and his laughter echoes off the high ceiling. “I’m not stubborn.”

  “Sure.” He leans forward and warmth spreads through my chest. He steals a kiss, although I wouldn’t exactly call it stealing. I pretty much handed it over.

  The metal door swings open and a figure moves into the doorway. We freeze, both unsure about making our feelings public, but relax when Wyatt’s face comes into view, an eyebrow lifted.

  Cole sighs. “Duty calls, I guess.”

  I nod and squeeze his hand. “You do your job and I’ll do mine.”

  Chapter 6

  I’m not afraid of my sister but I decide to take back-up anyway. Or at least I’m trying to. From the expression on Wyatt’s face, it’s clear he doesn’t want to get involved.

  “You know I’m right.”

  “No,” he says. “I don’t.”

  I corner him in the stairwell. I don’t think he likes the elevator, either. “We’ll get slaughtered out there without military backup. Or even worse, Erwin will find us and take us down.”

  “It’s not my call, Alex. Or yours.”

  “Look, I just want to talk to her, but she won’t be such a raging bitch if you’re in the room.”

  He snorts. “Why’s that?”

  Because he’s hot. And dangerous, and clearly my sister likes having him around. “Just do me a favor. For old time’s sake?”

  He rubs the strip of hair on his head and glances up the stairwell. Finally he says, “I’ll escort you to her office but don’t get your hopes up. She’s got her plans ready. They don’t involve Erwin. At all.”

  I narrow my eyes. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Look, I get what you’re hinting at with Erwin. He would be a good ally but you and I both know he’s not to be trusted. He tried to kill me. He shot Chloe.” Wyatt shakes his head. “I don’t even know why you’re suggesting this.”

  Why? Because something has bothered me since I got here. Yeah, Erwin is a little intense. Definitely focused. I’m just not sure he’s any different than my sister, but I have a feeling he may keep her in check. He may keep the rest of us alive. I open my mouth to say all of this but I stop myself. It’s not worth fighting with Wyatt right now.

  He sighs and turns to the door leading toward the elevator. Jane’s office is on the top floor. Too far for us to voluntarily walk. His hand is on the doorknob when he turns and says, “My advice? Go in with an open mind. Get on her good side. Pretend—” I groan and he continues, “I said, pretend you’re part of the team. Maybe you’ll get somewhere.”

  “And what if I don’t?”

  “Then prepare to be shut out completely. She doesn’t need you anymore, not since you got here.”

  I move my hand to cover my heart and add as much sarcasm to my voice as possible. “Ouch.”

  He shrugs and holds the door open and I pass through, leading the way upstairs.

  *

  Carol’s face lights up when I walk out of the elevator. “Alexandra! It’s so good to see a familiar face! How are you? I hear you’re doing well with the training program.”

  “I’m great,” I tell her, because what do you say? I survived the zombie apocalypse and all I got was a bitchy sister? No. I don’t think that’d go over well. Plus, she’s right. I actually knew her from my father’s research lab from before all this. Yep, he managed to get her down here safely whereas I was on my own. “How are you?”

  She shrugs. “Best as I can be, I suppose.”

  I eye the magazine on her desk, an old People with Brad Pitt on the cover. Carol is probably bored out of her mind. But at least she still has her mind, I guess.

  “I’m here to see Jane.” I walk toward the door.

  “Oh, um, let’s see.” She pushes the magazine aside and flips through the spiral-bound desk calendar. I glance at Wyatt and roll my eyes. “You don’t have an appointment.”

  “No. I’m sorry. Do I need one to see my sister?”

  Carol bites down on her bottom lip, unsure how to proceed. Wyatt sighs behind me and marches across the room to the imposing wood door, opening it with an impatient swing. Before Carol can stop me, or even really react, I follow him in.

  The office is large and filled with sleek, contemporary furniture, the kind you imagine a CEO conducting business in. I suppose Jane is the CEO of PharmaCorp now, although I’m still not sure how she gained the position. I’m not sure I want to know, honestly.

  She’s bent over her desk studying a stack of papers, but her head snaps up when we enter. Her eyes soften at the sight of Wyatt, a small smile on her lips. It fades when she spots me trailing behind him.

  “What’s this?”

  “Alex would like to talk to you about the mission to dispense the vaccine.”

  I offer her a friendly wave, because I’m trying.

  “I don’t think now is a good time. I’m under an intense deadline.”

  “Jane,” I say, using a hand to move Wyatt out of my way. For some reason, he has positioned himself between the two of us. “I really just need a minute to talk about all of this and understand everything a little better.”

  “Really Alexandra, it’s not something with which you need to concern yourself.”

  See that? It stung. I do take a steadying breath before I open my mouth. I do. I promised Cole, and assured Wyatt I would behave. But Jane and I are family and family has its own language, and it’s time for Jane to really talk to me. “I carried the vaccine information on my personal body for five hundred craptastic miles. I fought off Eaters, met and lost friends, escaped an air force base and,” I close my eyes and swallow, “I killed our mother and left her in a barn to rot in North Carolina. I didn’t even have time to bury her. I’ve done everythin
g you and dad asked me to do. Everything—even letting this guy,” I jerk my thumb at Wyatt, “follow me around like I’m a five-year-old. I feel like I’ve proved myself worthy of the cause.”

  She stares at me, unflinching, until Wyatt pushes past me and approaches her desk. He leans over and whispers quietly in her ear. I study every movement, every breath, trying to figure out their level of comfort. Her palms lay flat on the desk as she leans over but there’s no tension. No arrogance.

  He steps away, and with a prolonged glance in his direction she says to me, “Fine. You have ten minutes.”

  “Oh.” I’m shocked she relented so easily, although I know from experience Wyatt can be persuasive. “Okay.”

  She gestures for me to sit on the surprisingly comfortable couch. She takes the chair next to mine and Wyatt remains standing by the desk.

  “Look, I’m not the one that has you sidelined. Dad didn’t want to put you in harm’s way. He even fought me on the patrol duties.”

  “Funny, I didn’t know he cared.”

  “Of course he cares. He’s just incredibly busy right now and focused on saving society. Don’t be selfish. Plus, you know how he gets.”

  I throw her a look. The look that says, “Did you really just throw dad under the bus and call me selfish?” but she looks sincere enough in her own twisted way. I sigh. I do know how Dad gets.

  “If you’d like more active assignments, talk to him. I’ll do what I can.”

  “So you don’t have a trust problem with me, then,” I ask.

  She laughs. “If anyone has a trust problem it’s you, Alex.”

  “That’s not true!” I shout, but spot the arch of Wyatt’s eyebrow and clamp my mouth shut. “You can’t blame me for having opinions or wanting to know more. We were raised to ask questions.”

  “True,” she admits. “But, you’re pretty judgmental about what we’re trying to accomplish here. I know you blame me for the spread of the virus in the first place.” She looks at her hands. “And for what happened to Mom.”

  I should cave here. I should, and tell her yes, I do blame her for those things, at least one of them, but I also know she’s the best way to repair the world. I stare at Jane’s chest—at the spot where the bullet tore through my mother’s heart.

  “I’m trying to fix what happened while being smart about it,” she says. “We have the opportunity to reshape the world. We can salvage society by making better decisions from here on out—and that begins with the vaccine.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You want to know the plan? Why we don’t want Erwin and the military involved?” It’s not a question—it’s a challenge.

  “Yes. I want to know.” At least I think I do, something about the tone of her voice makes me nervous.

  “We’re an independent group. We have no ties to the government. The bureaucracy is gone and frankly I have no desire to have it back. There is no FDA, no regulation boards or ethics committees mucking up progress. There are no forms for the approvals for grant money and drug trials.”

  “Uh, aren’t those things sort of important?”

  “In theory, they have their place, but what you don’t know and what I didn’t understand until I climbed the ladder is how corrupt the system is. The push is to give the elite the best medications while the poor and uneducated get nothing. Skyrocketing prices just to line pockets. Lobbyist money filtering through Washington. It’s disgusting, and if I have my way, those days are gone. The old systems are crushed and it is my genuine hope they will never return. We have the vaccine. We will control who receives it.”

  “What do you mean? Who do you plan on giving it to, then?” Or, the better question may be, who will she withhold it from?

  She glances at her watch, I’m clearly running out of time and she’s tired of giving me answers. “We have a very strategic plan set up. It’s going to be a good thing. We’ll save the world with hard workers, intellectuals, and good people. The best and the brightest will usher us into our new society.” She smiles at me. “People like you, Alex. You can be an important part of the plan, if you’re ready to be a team player.”

  “And you have a way to determine who deserves saving?”

  She simply smiles.

  I glance at Wyatt, who has gone stone-faced. I’m sure none of this is a surprise to him. My sister has delusions of grandeur, but I have little choice but to join her fight—if not god knows what she’ll decide to do with me if I don’t.

  My voice sounds unfamiliar when I say, “Your ideas are certainly innovative. I won’t deny that I have some questions but I do think that I’d like to work with you. To be a part of your vision of the future.”

  “Our future.” She stands with a smile. “Before we go any further you’ll have to talk to Dad—make sure he approves.”

  “Yeah, I’ll talk to Dad.” Definitely. I can tell she’s ready for me to leave but I have one more thing to ask. “Can I ask you something else?”

  “You can ask.”

  “What’s it like in the rest of the world? I haven’t seen anything beyond my own experience and before that what they showed on TV. Has the virus spread?”

  For the first time my sister looks shaken—even if she recovers quickly. “The crisis is worldwide. We have no idea what the population devastation looks like but it’s international. Domestically, I think most areas are like our own. Many infected—small pockets of holdouts. We’re not the only ones trying to rebuild society or even the only ones working on the vaccine. I suspect we are the only ones with a viable antidote at this point. We have no choice but to make this vaccine work.”

  “Thanks for telling me.”

  To my surprise, she steps forward and pulls me into a hug. “It’s good to have you here. Believe it or not, I was so worried about you.”

  “I was worried, too.” About me. About Cole and Chloe. About Wyatt. About surviving.

  She releases me and heads back to her desk, already refocused on her paperwork. Wyatt gestures to the door and I follow him, wondering what I’ve gotten myself into. Wondering about the fate of society under my sister’s control.

  Chapter 7

  I’m walking down the long, cool hallway toward my father’s private lab when Cole emerges from one of the doors.

  “How did it go?” he asks, stepping in pace with me.

  I shrug. “Jane’s hard to read and it took a bit of guilt-tripping, but I think I’ve got a spot on the team. How about you? Any progress finding out details about the vaccine?”

  “Nope. Not a thing. The scientists working with your dad on the project aren’t discussing it.”

  “Great,” I mutter. I’m tired of all the secrets and secrets inside secrets.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out.”

  We stop outside the lab door and I take his hand. “Come in here with me. Let’s see if he’ll answer your questions, too.”

  Cole scrunches his nose. “I don’t know if I want to get in the middle of family stuff.”

  Cole, unlike my father or my sister, sacrificed everything to get the information, and me, from Raleigh to Augusta safely. He nearly lost his sister—his twin. So yeah, Cole has earned the right to be involved in my family affairs. Unfortunately, my actual family are the ones that left me on my own to do their dirty work without even giving me a reason.

  I reach for his hand, linking my fingers with his and squeeze. “We may not be family, but we’ve supported each other during all of this. More than Jane or my dad. Let’s do this together. You’re the only one I can really trust.”

  He looks down at our linked hands and nods. “You sure?”

  “Yeah.” I knock on the door marked with a huge ‘Do Not Enter’ sign and other warnings of danger. I push up on my tip-toes to look through the small window. My dad is at a shiny, steel worktable in the middle of the room clad in goggles and gloves. He’s surrounded by an array of microscopes and two other scientists dressed similarly work nearby. He looks up at my knoc
k and his eyes reflect surprise in seeing me there. Rightfully so, it’s the first time I’ve been down here—at least to see him.

  He stops what he’s doing and points down the hall.

  “What does he want?” I ask.

  “I think for us to meet in his office next door.”

  I wave in understanding, and by the time we get there he has the door open and his goggles and gloves have been removed.

  “Alexandra,” he says, pulling me into a tight hug.

  The familiarity of his scent—his voice—overwhelms me, and I find myself embracing him even though my heart and mind are still hurt.

  “Hi, Dad.”

  “I’ve been hoping you’d come visit.”

  “Well, that goes both ways. You know how to find my room.”

  He nods, guilt flashing in his eyes. I’m not here to fight. “I thought maybe you needed some space, or, that maybe you hated me.”

  This is crazy. This tension and conversation. We’re survivors of a world-wide, society-ending crisis and we’re behaving petty. I glance at Cole and say, “You remember Cole.”

  “Of course.” He gives him a genuine smile and shakes his hand. Something passes through their expressions—more familiarity than I expect from Cole being a lowly lab assistant for him in Raleigh. But then again, he’d asked him to make sure I got down here with the information. He trusted him. “I’m glad to see you safe, son.”

  My father gestures us to seats in his office. I notice the couch pushed against the wall and the pillow and blanket on the couch crumpled at one end. Piles of paper work tower on every available surface, his familiar handwriting visible on each sheet. He’s been working hard on the vaccine—no surprise—but it makes more sense now why he hasn’t been up to visit. From the pale pallor of his skin to the stack of dinner plates next to his computer, it’s obvious he hasn’t been anywhere other than in this room or the lab next door.

  Cole and I take chairs across from my father’s desk. A framed photograph faces away and I wonder whose photo he’s placed inside. My mother? Jane?

  “I assume you’re here for a reason,” he says from his side of the desk.