“Who did this?” Jude asks from his spot next to Parker on the bed.
“That Erwin guy you’re always talking about?” she tosses out.
Davis and Wyatt exchange looks. I know they’re wondering what I’m wondering. Which psycho is behind this? Erwin or my sister? The military or PharmaCorp? I’m no longer sure if there’s any difference.
“Maybe Paul doesn’t have the full story. It sounds like he was pretty sick. Maybe he hallucinated some of it?” Jude is trying to reconcile the terrible story.
“You did say that the military bombed that bus in Raleigh,” Davis says. I’d told them that months ago. Paul just confirmed it. His large frame blocks the door like a brick wall. “Sounds like their M.O. Plus, I’m really not sure PharmaCorp has access to military-grade weapons like that.”
Now it’s time for me and Wyatt to share a look. We both know anything is possible with Jane. Nothing will stop her, but the bombings do sound a little extreme.
“What do you think?” I ask him.
“It sounds like Erwin had a larger testing pool than we knew about.”
“So you don’t think it’s Jane?” I ask. The other three snap their attention to me. Yeah, they just figured out what I think about my sister.
“No. Like Davis said, between the bombings and out of control testing, it sounds like what we experienced at Fort Shaw. He’s desperate.”
I feel relief at his words. “Then what now?”
“I think everyone needs to be careful. It may feel like the world is gone, but it’s not. We’re in a battle for the future and right now we have the leverage, the vaccine. But that also means it’s a liability. It means we will have enemies coming for it. For us.”
“Why are they our enemies?” Parker asks. Her confusion mirrors on Jude’s face. “Don’t we all just want the same thing?”
Before Wyatt can answer, a hand beats on the door. “Open up!” The nurse yells. Davis swings open the door, hand already poised on this gun. She ignores him but stares at Wyatt. “The front gate has asked for you.”
“We’re in quarantine,” I argue.
“I told them that. They don’t care.”
“And this person overrules procedure?” Davis asks. She shrugs and shuts the door. None of us speak, but my mind has already gone to one awful place.
It’s Erwin. It has to be. The school must have been monitored. We fell directly into his trap.
Again.
Davis and Wyatt must feel the same way and spring into action, checking weapons, using lingo I can’t quite follow. I’m quick on their heels but stop abruptly in the hall. “What do we do about the sick? I promised Paul he’d be safe.”
Wyatt nods at Davis, who takes off toward the back of the building. “Where’s he going?”
“He’ll take care of them. And you.”
“I’m going with you.”
He sighs. “No. You’re not. I’ve been called to the front gate. That’s all. It’s probably nothing. But if it is something, you’ll be fine.”
“One rule, Wyatt.”
He gives me a hard stare and chews on words he never spits out, instead leaving me and storming out the door. I go to follow, but Jude calls my name and it’s clear he needs help with a barely functioning Paul, who is currently slung over his shoulder.
“Fine,” I mutter at the doorway he just exited through. “Whatever.”
Parker tosses me my backpack and I take Paul’s as well. Davis leads us out the backdoor, despite the nurse’s arguments to the contrary. If Wyatt can leave, so can we, right? I have no idea where we’re going, but simply walking outside into the fading daylight perks me up. It’s been days without fresh air.
I inhale, ignoring the lingering soot and smoke from the fight the other night, and I’m caught by surprise when Hayes steps out of the shadows next to Davis. He takes charge and leads us toward the main building—the original Welcome Center. We pass the front doors and the bathrooms connected to the sides. We move quickly toward the back, away from the functioning parts of the compound.
“Where are we going?” Parker asks.