Duality (The Hitchhiker Strain) (19 page)

Except, when I look back over, he's no longer sitting there. The table, like every other table in the drab, spacious room, is empty. Biting my lip and not sure if I should be disappointed or relieved, I go to sit at the
nearest table...and nearly bump into Zack in the process.

"Whoa!" he says, holding his hands up in surrender. "Slow down."

"Oh! Hey. I thought you'd gone already." Am I grinning like an idiot? I feel like I'm grinning like an idiot. Why am I grinning like an idiot? I'm pretty sure I've forgotten how to interact with human beings in the last eight months, let alone guy-type human beings.

"You thought I'd get up and walk away without saying anything? Ouch." He holds his hands over his heart but a smile tugs a
t his lips. "I do actually have to go, but I wouldn't just leave. Actually, I was thinking we might be able to bribe Gregor to let you come with me."

"He doesn't actually seem to care where I go anymore. I'm pretty sure his orders now are follow me around
and shoot me if I try to eat anyone."

"Well that's encouraging," Zack says, and I can't tell if he's being sarcastic or not. "So you're in?"

"Aww man, and I was so looking forward to eating"—I look down at the plastic-wrapped ball of bread in my hand—"whatever this is. Where are we headed?"

"Well, you know Savannah?"

"The girl you've been waiting to hear about?" I study his expression. It doesn’t look like he’s recently received bad news.

"That's the one. She just got back, like, literally two minutes
ago."

Oh. "If you want some time to hang out with your friend, I really wouldn't want to get in the way. Don't worry about me. I've got lots lined up for the night like
—"

Zack cuts me off. "No, it's not that. She's back but she brought a couple people with
her. Doctor Silvers is pissed." He draws the word out for effect. "Liam and I are headed down there to try and dig her out of whatever trouble she's gotten into this time."

"So why invite me?" I'm not sure what answer I'm hoping to hear, but I watch his f
ace for any clues as to what he’s thinking.

He shrugs. "I don't know. Why not?"

I can’t think of a reason not to go, and it sounds like things are about to get a whole different kind of interesting, so I’m not about to volunteer to go back to my room and wait it out. I shrug back at Zack and discard my lumpy dinner on the first table I pass as we walk out the room to go meet the infamous Savannah.

Chapter 24 – Savannah

It takes far too long to get the sick and injured moving and into the vehicles we
’ve been assigned to make the trip back to the Initiative in. Everyone has an opinion about what we’re doing, how we should get there, and what we should take with us. When we pull out of the parking lot, the sun is all but hidden behind the horizon line. By the time we’re able to navigate the way back into the part of the city where Cole and the others live, the only light we have is coming from the moon and our headlights.

I can practically feel the moment when the cameras start watching me. I know more or less
where the security perimeter is but not exactly where each camera is placed. Still, I know they're watching us. They watch everyone who comes into their little circle of solitude.

I wonder how long it will take them to realize that I'm not another Militia
patrol passing through with no idea about what's going on underground. I give it less than a minute before the guys in security are ringing the metaphorical alarms and bringing in the guys at the top of the food chain to try and figure out what I'm doing bringing a small convoy of people right into the heart of their operation.

And when I say small convoy, I really do mean small. Alex and I are in Dooley
’s car and the two vans behind us carry those who were hurt in the attack in Tilton. I can't believe anyone would ever turn these people away, especially since they don't plan on sticking around, but I'm not really sure how they'll take my forcing their hand either. This is going to be interesting.

I indicate for Alex to slow the car down as we approach the
underground parking ramp that leads into the facility and then turn off the car. The vehicles behind me do the same. They knew this was part of the plan. Even though everyone inside can see the surrounding area, I can't know for sure if we've been followed and can't risk leading anyone unexpected into the heart of the Veritas Initiative's operation.

That, I know they'd never forgive me for.

As quickly as I can, I get out of the car and signal for Alex to wait where he is. He doesn't argue—he’s barely said anything to me the whole way here. If it weren't for wanting to see for himself that Zack's okay, he probably would have stayed with his family. But they needed someone else who wasn’t sick to go with me in case messages had to be run between the two groups, and I'm glad he's here. I just hope he's up for whatever we're about to walk into.

I wait five minutes in the perfect darkness of night, listening for any signs of cars or Zs. Once I'm sure we're clear I walk over to the one spot where I know there's a c
amera—an unused dumpster that's been set up to hide its true purpose—and look right into the lens. "All right, we're good. Let me in. I can explain, I promise."

Whoever is behind the security desk tonight tortures me for nearly a minute before the large me
tal garage door finally rolls open. My heart starts to race as I get back in the car and lead the way down into the pitch-black tunnel. Once we’ve gone a few dozen feet, the lights above us start to flicker on one by one.

We park the car back in Dooley's u
sual spot. There's already a small crowd of people waiting for us, a few of whom I recognize. Most of these people would usually be climbing into bed around now, so I know this is no coincidence. They might be the greatest minds left in America but they all still want front-row seats for the latest and greatest gossip, and tonight that's me.

Dorian Harris pushes his way through to the front of the group before I've even helped Alana Nesbitt out of the van. "Savannah!" he snaps. "Well, what do we have here?"
Our audience goes quiet as the all lean in to make sure they don't miss a single word.

"Nice to see you too," I say but regret it immediately. This isn't the time for sarcasm, but sometimes I can't help myself. I do my best to look apologetic as I continu
e. "I'm sorry about this, and I'll explain everything, I promise. Can it please wait until we get these people some help though?"

"Fine." Fine? That
’s it. I was bracing myself for a fight just to get these people through the door.

The nine of us in my group are now all gathered in a small semicircle around him, but he doesn't move to let us pass through.

"But then we need to talk, Savannah. Get them down to the medical wing and I'll have someone meet you there. Then I expect you to meet me in the Omaha boardroom to explain exactly what it was you were thinking."

My shoulders sag with relief. This is better treatment than I expected. If the only good I can manage tonight is that these people have a chance at survival and don't have t
o stand around while I'm berated publicly, then I can consider it a job well done.

No matter what else I might say about Dorian Harris, he's effective. By the time I manage to navigate my little flock of recently infected through the Initiative maze and
to the medical wing, there are already three doctors waiting for us. They don't look thrilled at being pulled away from their evening poker game, but not one of them takes it out on their new patients. I don't even have to ask if they'd be willing to start all of them on Veritas. With one look at Mrs. Applegate's scabby jawline, they go to work.

It's not easy to convince Alex to stay behind. I'm sure he can tell I'm about to be in a whole lot of trouble
—something I might have downplayed a bit to him and Paulson—and it's nice to know he's got my back. Still, he'll probably make things worse as a visible reminder of all the rules I've broken.

"This should be over quickly," I assure him. "There are usually some books in the back office. Or even better, see if
someone will let you use their computer. It'll feel kind of weird at first, typing on a keyboard again, but some of these guys still have games installed so you can probably find something fun to kill time."

My offer seems to work at cheering him up a bit
. If this were any other day, I'd go find Zack so the two of them could catch up while I'm busy, but I don't want Alex to have to deliver the news alone and I can't exactly expect him to pretend everything is okay when it so thoroughly isn't. Selfishly, I also don’t want to miss their reunion. Now that I know our little group will never be whole again, all I want is to see the three of us together again.

Liam is waiting for me right outside the double-door entrance to the medical wing. "Welcome back," he sa
ys with a smile, falling into stride beside me.

“
Hopefully you aren’t the only one who feels that way.”

“
Don’t worry about it. You can manage this, no problem.” So my upcoming verbal flogging is public knowledge then? Great. “I went through basically the same thing when I brought Tilly here last night. Although…probably on a smaller scale.”

“
And they like you more than they like me.” Liam smirks but doesn’t argue.

As the two of us make our way into the administrative section, he gives me a quick rundown of
what I’ve missed but alludes to big news that he’ll fill me in on after.

Zack finds us about thirty seconds before we reach the boardroom. Behind him trails a girl about my age that I don't recognize. She's pretty in an unpolished kind of way, and I'm sur
e I would remember having seen someone like her here before. Not a lot of teenage girls are hanging out around here, and the ones who are always look like they're on the verge of jumping into a lecture about biology, my behavior, or how Cole can be a hard guy to get to know but they think it's
really great
that we found each other. Uh huh, sure.

"Savvy! You're back!" Between taking one step and the next, Zack envelopes me in a massive hug, crushing me under his bulky arms. "Glad you made it out of there oka
y." He lets me go, and I take a step back to look at the slightly ajar door behind him. Who on my jury is listening in to our conversation right now? "What happened? Is everyone okay? I can't believe you went back without me!" Zack's questions come a mile a minute, but he doesn't actually seem worried at all—just relieved. I'm jealous of his ignorance but determined not to let it show until we get a moment alone.

"I'll tell you everything as soon as I can." I jerk my head toward the door I'm headed for. "I'
ve got something else I have to do right now, but we'll definitely talk. I have a lot to tell you." Beside Zack, the girl shifts her weight to lean against the wall. I forgot she was there, but now I wish I hadn't looked at her. She doesn't seem to be blinking. She's watching me like a cat watches a mouse, part curious and part hungry. It's more than a little unnerving.
Who is this chick?
Like Zack's, my questions will have to wait. "Can I meet you guys somewhere after?"

"Yeah, all right,”
Liam agrees, not giving Zack the chance to argue. “We'll be in the atrium. Good luck.”

"I think I
’m going to need it. You know, if they kick me out, I'll..." I don't know what I'll do. I was kidding, but suddenly that seems like a very real possibility. I wonder if Cole and his dad have been called in on this. They must have been. He wouldn't let them throw me out on the street.

"It'll be fine," Liam promises, giving me a quick encouraging squeez
e around the shoulders. "I wish there was something we could do to help you. We'll see you in half an hour."

I wave goodbye silently, giving them a thirty-second head start before I head into the office. Pulling back my shoulders, I make a point of holding my head high as I open the door. I did what any decent human being w
ould have done. I have nothing to apologize for.

A large rectangular table takes up most of the room. Sitting around it are most of the people I would have guessed. Doctor Silvers sits in the middle with Doctor Nickleby and Dorian on his right. On his left
, he’s flanked by two men I don’t know by name. I’m not sure I’ve ever even spoken to them, so I have no idea why they were brought in on my little tribunal. Cole is nowhere to be seen.

"Please shut the door behind you."

Once I explained everything that happened, starting off from Liam's and my separation from the others—despite knowing that Liam must have already told them most of this after he got here, they're probably corroborating our stories—they stopped interrupting me every other sentence and are just listening. No one looks particularly happy, but it's a good sign that they're all sitting calmly in their seats, able to refrain from yelling at me despite the privacy from eavesdroppers.

I leave out the part where I'd been prepared to bring th
e entire group and not just the infected people here, and I get the sense that it helps my case. As frustrated as I get with these people, they aren't monsters. I finish off by promising that they won't be here long and swearing that I know they're good people. No one will tell a soul where the Initiative is—or that they even exist. All they want is a chance at survival.

"I'm sorry to hear about your friend," Doctor Silver starts, officially ending my half of our discussion. It's out of my hands now, and al
l I can hope for is some level of understanding. "It's a horrible way to have been reunited with the people you left behind."

"Thank you." I drop my gaze from his and stare down at my hands. Why do people keep apologizing like they had anything to do with
Pierce’s death? I wish these constant reminders would stop all together. This isn't the best time for my grief to resurface. I have to keep a cool head and make the best case I can for sharing Veritas with my friends.

“
That being said…you know the rules. Both you and Liam have brought unauthorized people to us in the last two days—”

“
She’s just a girl! And the rest of them are people too. Living, breathing human beings. You’d have let them die?”

A shocked silence fills the room until Doctor Nickleby shakes
her head. “No, of course not. We’ll do everything we can for her. But we can’t have everyone bringing in every random person they find. Someone will reveal our location eventually, and that puts everything we’re doing at risk. You can understand that…”

I a
lways liked the doctor, and on some level I owe her my life, but I don’t appreciate being chastised for doing the right thing. “Not really, actually. But if you want to go there, these aren’t
random
people. I know them. I grew up with them. I
trust
them. They don’t want anything from you that you can’t afford to give, and they won’t give away your secrets! What’s the big deal?” I know my volume is slowly creeping upward.

“
Savannah…relax. You’re not in trouble.” Doctor Silvers taps his pen against the side of the table. Usually this habit drives me crazy, but now I barely notice.

“
Huh? I mean… Huh? But I—”

“
Yes. We know what you did. But we also understand why you did it, and not one of us here would have behaved differently.” Inadvertently, my eyes shift to Dorian, who had been none too concerned with abandoning a group of refugees when I first met him.