Beautiful Death (Bella Morté Trilogy Book 1) (11 page)

“I used to think it was like art, but I wanted like an exciting life. Now I’d give anything to like wake up and be stuck planting bushes.”

The man next to her raised his hand, shifting in his chair. He had black hair graying around the edges with a colony or two building a city block in the back of his head. His stocky body and big belly reminded people of Skipper from Gilligan’s Island. “I’m Howard Bramble. I work in a supermarket stocking shelves. My wife and I were here this week to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary.”

“Oh, how nice!” Candice smiled. “Just a week away for the two of you.”

“Not exactly. I gave her divorce papers and she went crazy. She turned into a,” he paused, trying to remember the word. “Freakazoid. I had to kill her so I guess that plan is moot now.” Brushing a hand through his hair, determined gray eyes looked around.

“Wait, you gave your wife a divorce for your tenth wedding anniversary?”

Brandon arched a brow. “Huh, I don’t remember that on the list. It must be new.”

Wincing, Trevor nodded. “Sounds a little harsh to me.”

Candice scoffed. “For ten years? That’s some show of appreciation. I would’ve gone crazy and killed you too.”

Howard shrugged. “She’s been cheating with my best friend. I thought it was a gift we’d both enjoy.”

Rachel stared at him. “How do we like know you didn’t like kill her and use this as like an excuse to cover up the crime?”

He stared at her in mid-bite of his candy bar. “You can’t be serious.”

“Hey, it wouldn’t be like the first time someone tried to get out of a murder.”

“Wow,” shaking his head, he took the bite. “If I caused all this to cover up
one
little murder, then I’m more than good. I’m
damn
good.”

“Like I’m just saying.”

The next in line spoke up. “I’m Erica Holden. Everyone knows I was here camping with my sorority. I’m not saying it all again.”

Candice rolled her eyes. “Yes, you’ve beaten that into our heads.”

She jumped as Sophia cleaned out her wound. “Ouch! Can you be a little easier?” She glared at Candice. “Well, it was horrifying!”

Gingerly, Sophia grabbed her hand, holding it in place. “I’m sure it was, dear, but stop movin’ around.”

Wiggling his brows, Brandon looked at Erica. “College girls are so yummy. I know. I’ve had a few.”

Grabbing a few ashtrays from the back, Trevor placed them on the tables. “Didn’t I read it was college girls who were the original creators of the Wild Girls series to make some extra money for their sororities?”

“I don’t know if they created it, but I do know they starred in quite a few of them. Hell, I directed a few of my own.”

Candice rolled her eyes. “Nice.”

Erica looked annoyed. “I don’t know who started it or who starred in them. Tonight they all changed. It was horrible. Listening to the screams. I couldn’t help them. If I got down, I was going to die too. Those girls were still alive when they ripped out their insides and ate them. I’ll never get their screams out of my head.”

Trevor cringed. “That sounds pretty gross.”

Brandon winced. “I’m here if ya need a shoulder to cry on.”

Ian watched, nodding as she spoke. “After a traumatic event, it’s better to talk things through. I am Ian Daniels and a psychiatrist if anyone needs to talk.”

Ian was an older man with gray hair, matching the color of his eyes. He had a medium physique, tall, but a limp made him appear shorter. When he was in his forties, he developed a mysterious limp. No one knew where it came from. The doctors couldn’t treat it since they couldn’t find the cause, but it got worse with age.

While cleaning Erica’s arm, Sophia arched both brows. “Hey. Do you guys have a first aid kit?”

Ian looked over curiously. “Don’t doctors have to carry medical bags?”

“Yes, we do. However, mine is back at my tent. Would ya like to run back an’ get it?”

He raised his hands defensively. “Not me, but thanks.”

“That’s what I thought. Now, if you guys have a first aid kit, I can see to this cut.”

Standing, Trevor nodded. “Yeah, we have one in the back. I’ll get it.” He walked out of the room but wasn’t gone long. Setting it on the table in front of her, he reclaimed his seat.

Candice looked around. “It has to be a virus.”

Brandon looked over at her. “Why do ya say that?”

“Todd didn’t get sick until
after
we got here. One night he was perfectly fine, the next he was sicker than a dog.”

Sophia nodded. “What were his symptoms?”

“Sweating, wouldn’t eat, and puked his guts up. He wouldn’t touch the beer and the man was a party animal. He loved his beer. Hell, he cracked one open while the rest of us were scrounging around for our first cup of coffee.”

Zach nodded. “Yeah, he just got worse. He wouldn’t leave his tent, got bitchy, and fought with his girlfriend more than usual.”

“During the day, she had to find a way to shade the tent from the sun. If she didn’t, he bitched at her.”

“We ended up putting a tarp over their tent. It was a pain in the ass. It was like camping with a vampire.”

Sophia nodded. “It
could
be a virus. It has similar symptoms to one.”

Candice looked at her. “Where do you think it came from?”

“To infect so many at one time, it
had
to be in a primary source. If it’s not in the food, then it could be in the air. Then again, none of us got it. I’d have to check the status of the hospitals to see if they were on alert.”

Brandon arched a brow. “What’s ‘at?”

“That would tell us whether it was just in this area or if there was some epidemic goin’ on.”

“How does ‘at work?” Trevor asked.

“When the hospital is overrun with an epidemic, either by food poisonin’, viral infection, childhood disease or whatever; it’s broadcasted. This warns others with a notice on the website. It would shoot out a text to all the employees; primarily callin’ us all back in to help.”

Brandon shrugged. “Hmm, learn somethin’ new every day.”

Looking at Sophia, Candice nodded. “So, then it’s possible this is a virus and we’re not out of the woods yet.”

“Sure, it’s possible, or it’s possible someone was sick an’ cooked.” She looked around the room. “Did anyone eat here? I need a show of hands.” Justice, Trevor, Brandon, and Montana raised their hands. Looking around at the others, she sighed. “Well, there goes
‘at
idea.”

Sipping his coffee, Zach shook his head. “I’m not sure I want to hear we’re going to get whatever it is.”

“There are a number of reasons why we haven’t been infected. The main one is we’re immune for some reason.”

Looking at Sophia, Howard nodded. “I like the odds that we’re all immune and wound up here together, but what’s so special about us? Why would
we
be immune? This group doesn’t appear to be anything special. No offense to anyone, but look at us. We’ve got,” he pointed around the room with each labeled person, “campsite workers, a computer hacker, landscaper, surgeon, shrink, sorority girl, carpenter, and me the grocery stocker. We’re all from a different group in society and yet none of us were affected.”

Brandon sneered. “I’m special. My mommy used to tell me that all the time.”

“My probation officer told me I was a special case. Does ‘at count?” Trevor joshed.

Smiling, Candice giggled. “You’re both
special
cases, but Howard’s right. Why would we be immune? As special as you
think
you might be, we’re really not, so what trait do we have that others don’t?”

Sophia shrugged. “I dunno. That would involve a lot of testin’. We’re talkin’ years to find the reason. It’s like searchin’ for a needle in a haystack o’ porcupine quills.” She taped the bandage to Erica’s arm. “There ya go.”

Trevor exhaled. “Oh, just a
needle in a haystack o’ porcupine quills
, no less. I thought it was gonna be somethin’ hard.”

“Exactly. It’s not just a quick check. You’re lookin’ at a million different samples. Not just from one or two either.”

“How many would ya need?”

“As many as I could get. It would be easier to log into the hospital an’ look at the records.”

Brandon shook his head. “I’m not sure how. The internet’s down.”

Rachel stared at him incredulously. “Internet servers are like down?”

“I can only guess. There’s no cell phone service, no electricity, so I’m pretty sure ‘at means no internet too.”

“Holy shit, like it’s the end of the world.”

“How’s ‘at?”

“My friends and I used to say like we’d know because like there wouldn’t be any internet.”

Rolling his eyes, Ian chuckled. “Oh, well if you and your friends said this, it must be so.”

She flipped him off in answer.

Erica shook her head. “What virus would do this?”

Sophia shrugged. “Without testin’, I couldn’t even begin to guess.”

“One of my sisters suffered from Downs Syndrome. She had it all her life. She barely had enough strength to pull herself out of the bathtub. Every night we had someone on standby to help. However, tonight she had the strength of a small football team when she came at me.”

“She was able to walk?”

“Walk, run, and eat my other sisters! She scratched me good too! She’s the one that did
this
,” she pointed at her bandaged arm, “to me.”

Brandon looked over, furrowing his brows. “You mean the crazy girl at the bottom of the tree?”

Erica nodded. “Yes, that was her.”

Candice shook her head. “She was infected before tonight.”

Erica arched a brow. “What makes you say that?”

“It doesn’t happen
that
fast.”

“Oh, so now
you’re
the expert on this thing?”

Candice rolled her eyes. “Todd was fine when we got here, but then over the course of a week, he went from sick to deadly.”

Motioning to her arm, Sophia looked at Erica. “You’re sure it was one of ‘em who did that to you?”

Erica nodded. “Yes! She was trying to rip my arm off to eat me. I pushed her off and got my ass up the tree.”

Looking around, Rachel stopped on Montana. “How can you like be so sure we’re safe here?”

He arched a brow. “What do ya mean?”

“Like what’s to stop them from just like opening the door, stepping inside, and like killing us all.”

“Yeah, how do we know while we’re sleeping some of us won’t change?” Pausing, Erica looked at Ian.

Ian scowled. “Why are you looking at me?”

Sophia shrugged. “I’d say if it hasn’t already, it’s not gonna… unless there’s a drastic change.”

She turned back to Sophia. “What kind?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, Sweetie.”

Eight

Sophia watched Erica sitting in the corner, groaning in pain, sweating enough that she looked as if she stood in the shower fully dressed. Standing, she motioned with a tilt of her head for Montana to join her. Walking over, she grabbed a cup of coffee, doctoring it for flavor.

Catching the motion, he stood, walking over as well. Even though he had a full cup on the table, he fixed another to keep up appearances. The other guides noticed and followed him over. Candice watched the group and when the little huddle formed at the coffee station, she figured it was a good time to grab a cup as well and joined them.

After they were all gathered, Sophia leaned in, whispering. “I have a bad feelin’ about Erica.”

Candice arched a brow. “What do you mean?”

“I dunno. She’s more irritable ‘an before.”

Trevor leaned in, whispering, while sipping on his cup of coffee. He didn’t want it, but it looked better while standing around the pot. “Yeah, but we dunno how she usually acts. This could be the
real
her.”

“True, but she was attacked by one o’ the infected an’ now she’s sweatin’ big time. It could mean she’s got it or she’s gettin’ it.”

Justice winced. “Not good.”

“You said your friend was fine, but after a few days he was… rabid?”

Candice shrugged. “I’m not sure rabid is how I’d describe it, but yeah. He turned crazy. He was an ass to begin with. It was worse when he didn’t get his way, but this was…
way
worse. Not to mention, he wanted to sleep all day. He wasn’t his usual
on the go
self.”

“That sounds like a virus. The body tries to fight it off. It fights better when you’re sleepin’.”

Brandon looked over at Erica, curiously. “How do ya think she got it?”

“I think Freakazoids pass it through touch.”

Trevor nodded. “She said it was one o’ her infected sisters who scratched ‘er. What does the scratch look like? Are we talkin’ about a little scratch or somethin’ much worse?”