Twisted World: A Broken World Novel (34 page)

“In time,” the gray man said. “Right now, I need you to go home.”

“No. I’m not going home until you tell me what’s going on, and who you are, and most importantly, where my dad is.”

“No,” the gray man said, taking a step forward. It wasn’t menacing or I would have shrunk away from him. Everything about his attitude was protective. Just like it always had been with me. “You’re gonna go home and get your mama. You get Al and that rich girl he married too, and their daughter. And Ram—Parvarti. Don’t talk in the apartment. They’ll hear you and know what we’re up to. Write a note or take ‘em downstairs. Whatever makes ‘em understand. Got it?”

He’d been ready to call Parv something else, but I didn’t know what. Ram? Like a sheep? Maybe it was an old nickname. I’d never heard it, but apparently there was a lot from the past that I had never been told. Either way, I’d have to worry about silly names later, but right now the urgency in his voice had my attention.

“Okay.” I nodded, and then shook my head. There were so many question swirling through my brain right now that it was hard to think straight. “Then what? What do I tell them all?”

“Tell ‘em to come here. Not tonight, that’ll be too suspicious. In the mornin’. Act like things are normal. Split up, don’t come together.”

It was happening. Finally, after days and days of confusion and questions, it was going to happen.

“Are we going to get my dad?” I asked as my heart beat faster.

The gray man nodded once. “Fuck yeah we are.”

I wanted to jump up and down, I wanted to curl up into a ball and cry, I wanted to punch the gray man for not answering my questions, and I wanted to drag Donaghy back into the shower and screw him again.

With all the options in front of me seeming insane, I chose to take a deep breath and nod. “Okay.”

I turned to face Donaghy, who pulled me in for a hug before I could utter a word. “You okay?”

“I’m okay,” I said against his chest. His lips touched my head and behind me, the gray man grunted. I ignored him and looked up into the fighter’s blue eyes. “I have to go.”

“I know.”

The kiss he gave me was so deep that I could feel it in my toes. It went straight through me like a bolt of lightning, leaving shivers behind.

“Shit,” the gray man muttered. I pulled away from the kiss at the sound of footsteps and found the gray man crossing the room to us.

“Hands off, asshole,” he growled, his eyes on Donaghy.

“It’s okay,” Dragon said. “I told you. We can trust him.”

The gray man’s mouth puckered up, making me think of Dad. His eyes were still on Donaghy when he said, “You gonna help us, lover boy?”

“I’ll do whatever I have to if it helps Meg.”

The gray man’s lip curled into a sneer, but he nodded. “I’ll let Axl deal with you.” His expression softened when he turned his eyes on me. “You gotta go now.”

I nodded as I pulled away from Donaghy. My gaze moved across the three men standing in front of me and to the door, and for the first time, I noticed Helen and Glitter standing there. Did they know too? Who the gray man was and where Dad was being held, what they were doing with him? How and why and who these people were was a mystery, but one that would be solved in the morning. I just had to get through a few more hours, and then I’d have answers and I’d know the plan. The plan to rescue my Dad.

Then maybe we could leave this city. All of us.

T
he closer I
got to the apartment, the more my legs shook. On the walk home I decided that a note would be the best of course of action. I considered getting everyone to go down into the basement with me, but since I didn’t know how they were monitoring us or who was listening, or how often, I was afraid that if I pulled everyone out to talk it would clue them into what we’re doing. Whoever
they
were.

It was late, meaning the apartment building was quiet, but not late enough that everyone should have been in bed. Dragon had sent me home early, and it wasn’t quite eleven thirty yet.

I stopped outside Al and Lila’s door, trying to decide if I should talk to them first. Mom would take longer—and a lot more writing—but Al and Lila already knew a lot of what was going on. Plus, Al might not even be home and I doubted Parv was. This would give Charlie time to go out and get them.

I knocked, jumping when the sound echoed down the hall, and only seconds later footsteps headed my way on the other side of the door.

The lock clicked, and Lila pulled the door open. She blinked in surprise when she saw me. “Megan? It’s late. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah.” I let out a nervous laugh and pushed past her, pantomiming writing so she’d know I needed paper and a pencil.

Even though I knew I wouldn’t be able to figure out how they were keeping tabs on us, I found myself looking around. Everything look normal, though.

My aunt’s eyes flashed with worry, but she didn’t hesitate. “Looking for Charlie?” she asked as she pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of a drawer.

“Yeah. We had a fight the other night at the bar and I wanted to apologize.” I started writing, but since I was talking too, the words were slow to come out. “I feel bad.”

“She’s in her room.” Lila sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. “You want me to get her?”

“Okay.” I wrote faster. “Thanks.”

My aunt glanced at the note as she walked by and the color drained from her face. She moved faster, and I was still writing like crazy when her knock rang through the apartment.

“Charlie, Megan is here to talk to you.” Lila’s voice trembled.

We needed to keep it together. Just until morning.

I was just writing the last sentence when footsteps came up behind me. Charlie and Lila stopped at my side and I added a period, then slid the paper across the counter.

“What’s going on Meg?” Charlie asked as she started scanning the words.

At her side, my aunt did the same. After only a couple seconds, she grabbed Charlie’s hand and held it in hers.

“I wanted to say I’m sorry about the other night. You know how shitty things have been for me, and I was being a bitch.”

The words tumbled out so fast I didn’t even know what I was saying, but I knew I was repeating myself. Giving them time to read the note, then time to respond. Charlie threw a few comments in as my aunt started writing, making it sound like she was still pissed, even tired of my temper tantrums—her words. Good. I needed her to storm out. To go find Al and Parv, and get them back here or at the very least make sure they met us at the bar in the morning.

Lila slid the paper over to me with shaky hands just as she said, “Charlie, you aren’t being fair to Megan. She’s been through a lot, and a little forgiveness goes a long way.”

Charlie took a step toward the door as I read the note.
We’ll be there.

“You’re always on Meg’s side,” Charlie said, her eyes darting around like she was trying to figure out who was listening. Like me, she seemed clueless.

The expression on her face reminded me of Mom. I needed to apologize, to let her know how sorry I was for thinking she was crazy.

“It’s the right thing to do.” Lila’s eyes were big and wide and focused on her daughter as Charlie stopped in front of the door, her hand resting on the knob. Lila looked like she was afraid she’d never see her again.

“I’m out of here,” Charlie yelled, her voice bouncing off the walls. She shot her mom one terrified look, then pulled the door open and hurried out, slamming it behind her.

I let out a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Lila.”

Her hand clutched mine and I had to look away from the tears in her eyes. That was when it hit me how dangerous this situation had gotten. If Jackson or his father found out we were on to them, and plotting something to boot, we’d all disappear.

“It will be okay,” Lila said, barely speaking above a whisper. “Go check on your mom.”

My steps were heavy when I left the apartment and crossed the hall. I had the note in my hand to save me some writing. Hopefully, Mom’s plan to boil the water had worked and she was coherent.

“Mom,” I called when I slipped inside.

I shut the door behind me and locked it. No one responded, which made my heart beat wildly.

I walked deeper into the apartment, calling out a second time and holding my breath while I waited. Footsteps padded down the hall and I let out a deep breath when Mom walked into the living room. She was clean and put together, her face pink and bright with life, and her brown eyes alert. So alert that she noticed the fear on my face the second she saw me.

“Megan? What’s wrong?”

“I got in a fight with Charlie.”

I put my finger to my lips and motioned for her to come over. Then I started writing. I’d already decided I wouldn’t tell her everything yet. Not all the stuff Al and Parv and Dad had been hiding especially. Let them explain why they’d all decided to lie to her. No, right now I was just going to fill her in on the fact that we were pretty sure Dad was alive and in the CDC, that she’d been right when she’d thought someone was listening in on her, and that we had to go in the morning.

Mom stood quietly at my side while I wrote. I said a few words here and there, just in case someone was listening, trying to sound angry and hurt. I called Charlie a bitch and acted like I was mad at Mom for leaving me alone all this time. I could tell that one hurt her, but I was too busy writing and talking to feel bad about it.

When I was done, Mom took the paper and scanned it, her eyes getting bigger the more she read. When she reached the end of the note, she lowered it and took my hand, giving it a squeeze.

We just stood there like that, staring at each other with our hearts pounding and words feeling totally insignificant. There was only one thing that mattered to me, and I was sure Mom had the same thought floating through her head. It was the last thing I’d written on the note. The one I’d underlined and the one that made my eyes tear up.

We’re going to save Dad. Then we’re getting out of the city. Together.

A
fter Meg left
, I tried to get some information out of Dragon and the gray man, but they weren’t talking. Especially the man with the stormy eyes. Every time he looked my way he acted like he was trying to hold himself back from punching me in the face. Even though I was younger and stronger, I found myself shrinking away from him. He had a glare like a bulldog.

Eventually, the gray man disappeared—although to where, I didn’t know—and I was able to relax. Glitter and Helen were cleaning up, and Dragon was counting the credits he’d made from the evening’s fight. It didn’t seem like much, but that wasn’t a big surprise. The bar had been pretty empty.

“Shitty night,” Dragon muttered as he shoved the credits into a lock box.

“You’re worried about credits with everything else going on?” I shook my head.

“The credits,” he said as he turned on me, “will help us reach our goals. We need supplies, and supplies aren’t free.”

I arched my eyebrows at him. “So that’s why you do this?”

“That’s why I have you here.” Dragon pointed his glass at me. “I was happy with the way things were. We had plenty of credits, but the place was never too crowded. We could do what we wanted pretty much. Except buy all the supplies we needed at once. I was okay taking my time, because we had plenty of it, then Axl disappeared and things got pushed up. Can’t wait forever.”

“So you know where he is and you’re going to help Meg get him back?”

Dragon grinned over the rim of his glass, revealing the hole where his teeth used to be. “Yes.”

The word pushed its way through the gap, making him sound like a snake. Only, he was a snake that was on our side, and I had a feeling his venom was reserved for the CDC.

Helen leaned over the bar and patted my arm. “Don’t worry, honey. It’s all going to be okay. We know what we’re doing.”

“I’m not the one you need to reassure.”

The door banged open behind me, and I spun around as a group of guards rushed in. At my back, Glitter yelped and Dragon swore. Helen told the younger girl to get behind her.

“What the hell is this?” Dragon asked, his voice booming through the room.

My heart pounded in my ears, and it only got louder when the guards headed my way. They grabbed me and dragged me off the chair, shoving me to the ground. My face was pressed against the cold, stone floor as they pulled my arms behind my back. A knee dug into my spine and I swore.

“Get off!” I growled and struggled against them, flailing around on the floor like a fish out of water, but making no progress.

My curses rang through the air as they jerked me to my feet, my hands now bound behind my back and a man on each side of me. More guards stood just inside the door holding guns, and behind the bar Dragon stood frowning. At his side, Glitter and Helen were holding onto each other. The younger girl was crying, but Helen looked like she was ready to strangle someone.

“Perfect.” The slimy way the word rang through the air left little doubt who had said it, and when the guards spun me around, I wasn’t the least surprised to find Jackson walking toward me. “It’s come to my attention that you’re supposed to be on your way to Key West, but your guards have met an untimely end.” The corner of his mouth twitched like he found the idea of my guards dying funny. “We wanted to make sure you had a proper send off.”

Jackson gave the room a quick once over, then spun on his heal and headed for the door, barking for his men to follow him.

The guards dragged me forward, their fingers digging into my arms. My feet were bare, and they slapped against the cement floor as I moved. I fought, but no matter what I couldn’t get away. Not that it mattered. What would I do if I did manage to get free? Get shot. That’s what.

That would kill Meg.

Meg!
“Shit.” I fought against them harder even though I knew it was stupid and pointless. “Tell Meg I’m sorry!” I called over my shoulder. “Tell her—”

My words were cut off when the guards jerked me forward, pulling on my arms harder. Not that mattered. I wasn’t sure what else to tell her. Not be upset? That would be a pointless gesture. Not to look for me? That might clue Jackson in on what was going on. I had nothing to say beyond what I’d already yelled.

Pebbles and trash dug into the bottoms of my feet when the guards dragged me outside. A truck sat waiting, the engine already running and the back so full of armed men that it made my head spin. Was all this for me?

I was shoved into the back where I fell to my knees at the guards’ feet. When I looked up I was met with angry glares, and alarm shot through me only a second before one of the men kicked me in the gut. I grunted and hunched over, my stomach throbbing from the impact. A second kick got me in the side. With my arms tied behind my back, it was impossible for me to protect myself from their blows, and I turned my face only to have knuckles slam into my eye.

“Enough.” Jackson barked. “We need him in one piece.”

I stayed curled in a ball and seconds later the truck lurched forward. We barreled down the road, bumping over the potholes and debris, but I didn’t move. Every inch of me hurt, and I wasn’t dumb enough to think that I was headed to Key West or any other settlement. If anything, I’d guess that I had about ten minutes left to live.

Patty was dead, so I shouldn’t care that my own life was finally at an end. If it hadn’t been for Meg, I probably wouldn’t, either. But thinking about leaving her after everything she’d been through hurt worse than the kick to the gut had.

The truck stopped and I was jerked to my feet. I expected to see the outside world looming in front of me, or possibly a horde of the undead waiting to rip me apart. It would have made sense if these assholes had thrown me to the dead so they could watch them tear me to pieces. But to my utter shock—and then complete terror—I found the CDC looming in front of me.

“You know what to do with him,” Jackson said when he stepped out of the cab, not even bother to look my way.

Just like before, I was dragged forward. Out of the truck and through a side entrance to the building. We ended up in a hall that was long and sterile. The lights from above reflected off the white walls and floors, nearly blinding me. We passed what seemed like an endless number of dark windows and brightly lit labs where men and women were hard at work even though it was well after midnight. All of them were hunched over microscopes or computers and wore white coats.

When we finally stopped, it was in front of a closed door. The words posted above it screamed at me:
Authorized personnel only. Top Secret Clearance Required for Entry.

The man in front of me typed a few numbers into the keypad, and the small, red light turned green. Then the door popped open and I was dragged inside.

The windows we passed this time revealed rooms of horror. Some held zombies that were so decayed they looked like skeletons with strips of rotten flesh clinging to their bones, while others held newer victims who could almost pass for human. They all snarled and chomped their teeth as we went by, banging against the windows as they tried to get at us.

About halfway down the hall, a zombie smashed into the glass on my right, and I cringed away when recognition slammed into me. It was the man who used to work for Dragon. The one who was bitten that day Meg and I were outside the wall together.

The next few rooms held creatures similar to the one I’d fought in the ring. Hairless, their nearly transparent skin shining under the lights and making the dark veins in their arms and legs stand out. They didn’t try to get at us the way the others had, but instead watched as we passed, their eyes intelligent and calculating despite the disease flowing through their veins.

The last of these creatures that we passed was slightly different, but it was still obvious that he’d been infected by the same strain of the virus. His head was smooth just like the others, but there was still a sprinkling of dark hair on his chest and legs. His eyebrows hadn’t fallen out either, and the five o’clock shadow on his face contrasted with his smooth head. My eyes met his as I was dragged by, and for the second time a jolt of recognition shot through me. Even worse, I saw the same thing in his eyes. Matt. The missing man from Meg’s crew.

The teenage girl in the room at the end of the hall was even worse than all the zombies combined. She was secured to the table by straps that barely cover her nakedness, and the inside of her arms were covered in scars that reminded me of Glitter. The girl was hooked up to machines, countless tubes running from her arms. When her eyes met mine they were alert, and the sadness in them was so thick that I actually found myself hurting for her. Whoever she was, her existence looked horrific and torturous.

The window just past the girl revealed an empty room, and that’s where the men dragged me. Just like the door that had led into this hall, there was a keypad on the wall. The guard holding me tightened his grip, while another one punched in a few numbers, and the door popped open with a hiss that reminded me of Dragon’s basement.

Alarm shot through me when the guard tried to drag me forward. I jerked back, my side throbbing from my earlier beating. My wrists were still tied, too, but somehow I managed to get one arm free. I shoved the guard away, then kicked the second one in the stomach. The man went down and I stumbled across the hall, away from the open door and the room that most definitely held a lifetime of torture for me. I’d only made it one step before someone tackled me from behind, and I slammed face-first against the glass window in front of me.

Voices screamed in my ears, calling me scum and throwing threats at me while my face was pressed harder against the glass. On the other side of the window, a man with gray eyes watched it all unfold. Unlike the girl, he wasn’t restrained, but he obviously wasn’t here of his own free will, either. He was wearing a hospital gown and his feet were bare. Like me, this man was a prisoner.

The guards pulled me back, dragging me across the hall toward my own cell, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the face in front of me. The scar on his chin stood out, screaming at me from the other side of the glass. It was in almost the exact same place as mine, and seeing it nearly knocked the wind out of me.

“Axl!” I yelled, pulling against the men holding me. “Axl James!”

The man got to his feet just as I was shoved into my own room. I stumbled forward, falling to my knees, but before I could stand the guards were on me. They pushed me against the ground, holding me down as they unbound my hands. I had to grit my teeth to keep from screaming. When my hands were finally free, the men hurried out.

Behind me, the door slammed shut, but I was on my feet seconds later and running to the window. Across from me stood the man with the scar. When our eyes met, he nodded, and I swear to God I wanted to cry.

I’d found Meg’s dad, only there was nothing I could do about it.