“And here I am,” Minji said, rubbing a knot forming at the back of her neck.
“Yes, here you are.”
The face of the female scientist behind the glossy facemask of the hazmat suit came vividly to Minji’s mind. “Her name was Dr. Tina McCoy,” Minji said with a sigh. “I saw her die when the event expanded.”
“So she’s not one of the mesmerized?” Alec raised one eyebrow.
“No. She died in front of us.”
“Well, that’s a bit of good news.”
“Excuse me?” Minji gave him an incredulous look.
“I was sent to locate her, and frankly, I was terrified it was a lost cause. But if you know where her body is, that will save me a world of grief.”
“But she’s dead. How can she help you?”
“She’s our way into the facility where the creature is. You and I are going to stop this, Minji. We’re going to do what no one else could do. We’re going to kill the creature causing this and save the world.”
Chapter 25
The wind whistling through the broken windows was the only sound in the store. The temptation to return to the medical center and forget everything Alec had divulged so far was nearly overpowering. For an instant Minji imagined whisking her family away and taking care of Jake and Ava while raising Bailey in some remote area where she could fend for them. It was vivid, alluring, and a distinct possibility, but the image promptly diminished in the face of reality.
“I’m sorry to put this on you,” Alec said in a soothing voice. “I really am, but your immunity means that if the creature stops me, you can continue on.”
“I get it,” Minji said, raising her chin. “Let’s do this.”
Alec scrutinized her face and posture. “You’re tough, you know.”
“Life has a way of toughening you up,” Minji replied.
Alec chuckled lightly while gesturing to her tattoos and dreads. “A bit on the edge, huh?”
“Sure,” she answered, shrugging.
There was no point in explaining her inner steel had nothing to do with her tattoos, piercings, dreads, or counterculture existence. Alec didn’t need to know she’d been the oldest child and comforted her younger brother while her parents fought endlessly. Or how she’d been forced to become a co-parent alongside her mother after her father had left the family to “find himself.” Or how she’d learned to support herself and contribute to the care of her brother and mother at a relatively young age in the aftermath of her parents’ divorce. Or how she’d endured several toxic relationships with bad boys. Minji’s entire life had been one big lesson on how to overcome obstacles which in the end left her with a much tougher skin and a keen eye for bullshit.
For a long time, she’d only trusted in herself, and then Jake had entered her life. One of the wonderful things about life with Jake was that she was finally revered and acknowledged for not only her strengths, but everything about her. It had taken time for him to prove that he wasn’t like the other jerks she had dated and was worthy of her love and commitment. With Jake she’d learned that being in a partnership was not always 50/50. Sometimes one partner carried the other when times were tough. Jake had done his fair share of being there for her and the girls and now it was time for her to be the strong one. Alec didn’t need to know all of this though. He saw
her strength, intelligence, and competence, and that was enough.
“We should get going,” Alec said, gesturing to the front of the store and the motorcycle at the threshold.
With a nod, Minji started toward the front of the store, weaving through the aisles. She took a different path than the one she’d taken to grab the new gear. It was a more direct route to the front doors. The need to move forward and get things done had her firmly in its grip.
Glancing to one side, she froze in mid-step.
A little girl dressed in a white dress covered in tiny yellow flowers lay face down on the floor surrounded by a dark puddle of dried blood. Like tumblers clicking into place, Minji’s mind came to a dire conclusion.
“It killed everyone in white because of the scientists. They were wearing lab coats, right?”
“I haven’t seen the footage, but I suppose so.”
“Or maybe white hazmat suits?”
“Possibly.” Alec took hold of her shoulders and turned her to face away from the child. “Let’s go, Minji.”
“It’s afraid of anyone in white. That’s why it killed them.” Minji walked on, but she kept speaking in a rush. “It killed everyone in the facility wearing white and when the event expanded, it killed people wearing the same color as the scientists.”