CHAPTER
36
MERCURY FELT ODDLY detached as she watched the scene unfolding below them. She didn’t notice the roughness of the roof against her knees. She didn’t feel the cold bite of the wind. Her whole being was focused on Moira.
Mayor Cruz moved so that she stood in front of Moira. Mercury couldn’t see the mayor’s face, but she had a clear view of Moira. The woman didn’t cringe. She wasn’t crying and didn’t even look frightened. She simply stared defiantly at Eva Cruz.
“I hate that you’ve forced me to do this.” The mayor spoke softly, but the courtyard amplified her voice, lifting it to the rooftop. “Had you simply cooperated, everything would have been fine. I would’ve brought your goats into town. I’ve even set up a pen for them in Cowden Park. You could’ve chosen from any of the houses near the park and lived there happily, comfortably. But no. You couldn’t be a team player.”
Even through the duct tape covering Moira’s mouth, Mercury could see that woman sneered at the mayor.
Cruz shook her head. “I couldn’t let you go out there, back to your dingy ranch in the middle of nowhere. You’d get snatched by marauders in an instant.” The mayor crouched before Moira so she could look into her eyes. “You green bloods are too valuable for that. We’re in an apocalypse, you know. Food is going to get tough to come by pretty soon.”
Moira’s brow furrowed as she stared at Cruz.
The mayor laughed humorlessly. “You don’t even know, do you? Your blood—it causes plants to grow.”
Ron coughed, a wet sound that made Mercury cringe. Beside her, Karen gripped her hand as tightly as a lifeline.
Amber rounded on Ron. “Did I not tell you to see a doctor about that cough and that godawful bloody nose?”
“I did. Said there wasn’t a reason for either and they’d probably just go away,” Ron muttered.
“Ugh. It can’t be soon enough,” said Amber. “Madam Mayor, would you let Ron and Wes and me take care of the rest of this?”
Eva Cruz stood and brushed dirt off her hands. “Yes, I believe I will. I’ll be out in the Suburban. Please be quick. I have a decent bottle of wine waiting for me to wash away that festival swill.” She looked down her pert, perfect nose at Moira. “I really wish you’d been a team player.” As she strode to the exit, the mayor told Wes, “Put her over there by the potatoes afterward. We’ve discovered from the last two that even their meat makes things grow.”
As soon as the mayor was gone, Amber went to Ron, who stood closest to Moira. He coughed again, sniffed, and spat.
“Ron, that’s disgusting. Get out of my way. I’ll do it.” Amber grabbed something out of Ron’s hand and moved behind Moira. Moonlight glinted off the blade of a hunting knife. As Mercury clutched Karen’s hand, Amber fisted Moira’s hair. In one swift motion she pulled back her head and slit Moira’s throat.
Blood spurted in a wide arc, washing the eager beefsteak tomatoes while Moira’s body gurgled, spasmed, and fell to the side between two huge, fruit-filled plants.
Mercury felt Karen’s body tremble through their joined hands. She had to quickly swallow the liquid that filled her mouth as she forced herself not to puke.
“You heard what the mayor said. Bury her over there by the potatoes. And hurry up. It’ll be dawn in an hour, and some of the new people at the school are ridiculously early risers.” Amber turned to hand Ron the knife, but the man’s body was wracked with coughs. “Jesus Christ, stop it!” She hissed the words at him. “You’re going to wake someone. Wes, maybe you should finish this on your own while Ron reports to the clinic.”
Ron nodded jerkily and tried to speak, but his cough turned into scarlet vomit. His blood mixed with Moira’s as he fell forward on his face. His legs kicked spasmodically, and then he was still.
“Well, shit. Now I’m going to have to help you bury Ron’s dumb ass, and I’ll probably break a nail. Go get another shovel and tell the mayor what happened. She’ll need to drive herself home while we clean up all of this.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Wes said before he jogged to the exit.
Mercury and Karen ducked back under the lip of the roof.
“We need to get out of here. Now!” whispered Mercury through lips that felt numb with fear.
“I’m coming with you,” Karen’s face was drained of color, but her voice was firm. “Now.”
Mercury led the way back down the stairwell from the roof. She looped the chain around the handles of the doors on the ground floor so that they appeared to still be locked. Then the two women sprinted in their sock feet to their classroom and burst through the door to see Ford stop, mid-pace.
“There you are!” He pulled Mercury into a fast hug. “Stella woke me. Said we were going to go soon, but we had no idea where you two were.”
“Th-they killed her. Slit h-her throat!” Karen spoke through teeth that chattered with fear.
“Her?” Stella asked.
“Moira,” Mercury said as she went to her cot and pulled on her boots. “Karen and I were up on the roof talking when Ron and Wes, Amber and the fucking mayor dragged her into the courtyard. She was duct taped. Couldn’t talk. Couldn’t run. Couldn’t do anything except wait on her knees.”