Twisted World: A Broken World Novel (16 page)

Like a new flu outbreak…

Shit. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t made the connection before now. The Regulator and his crony talking about taking out the scum of this settlement and bringing up another flu outbreak as if it was the answer to all their problems. Like population control or something.

“And they would have taken him earlier,” Meg mumbled, shaking her head and staring at the bar counter like she hadn’t heard a word I just said. “No. That can’t be right. Angus died nearly twelve years—” Her mouth moved, but no words came out for a few seconds. When they finally did, they were softer. “Right after Margot disappeared.”

“Who’s Margot?”

“My sister.”

I sat up straighter. Usually, I wasn’t one for conspiracy theories, but it seemed a bit odd that both her sister and her father would disappear. “Your sister disappeared just like your dad did?”

“No.” She still wasn’t looking at me. “She was killed during a breach.”

So much for that theory.

“We never found her body, though. Just her book bag. It was torn and bloody. We all just assumed…”

Of course. Why wouldn’t they?

Meg’s head snapped up. “But what if? What if it was staged? What if she inherited the immunity and they took her to create a new vaccine?” Her eyes grew to twice their size as they darted around the bar. She looked like she thought someone may be eavesdropping, but that didn’t stop her from spewing out the ridiculous theory. “We never did figure out how the zombies breached the wall. They just showed up and started killing people. Mom was walking us home from school and people came running down the street, screaming. It was like a wave washing us away from her. Margot and I were together at first—I was holding her hand—and it felt like someone ripped her away from me. There were so many people around that I couldn’t figure out what happened, so I kept running. Moving with the crowd. The stink of rot was everywhere…” Her lips moved just a little after the words had trailed off, and even though no sound came out, I was pretty sure she whispered her sister’s name.

I felt for the girl, I did, but this story had gotten so crazy and far-fetched that it didn’t make a bit of sense anymore. If her father was immune, why not just tell him? Ask him to cooperate? We all knew the story of Angus James, and we knew that he died trying to get here to save the world—which was the main teaching of The Church. I was sure Meg’s dad would have done the same thing.

“Look,” I said, pausing to take a gulp of ale while I chose my words. “I’m the last person who would ever stick up for this shit show of a government—I don’t trust half the things they do—but even I know that theory is nuts.”

Megan’s eyes flashed like she was once again considering punching me. “Are you calling me nuts?”

“No. I’m saying that you’ve lost a lot and you’re struggling to make sense of it. Only it can’t make sense, and what you’re suggesting is just a touch past crazy.” More than a touch, only I wasn’t about to tell her that.

“You said yourself that you heard the Regulator talking about someone who was immune.”

“I don’t know it was the Regulator, I’m just guessing. It sounded like the prick, but nothing is certain in this world. Hell, for all I know it could have been that guy talking.” I jerked my thumb toward the end of the bar where a guy who couldn’t weigh more than ninety pounds was slouched over a glass of moonshine. His eyes were so bloodshot and sunken that it didn’t take a genius to know he was trying to kill himself with booze. “Whatever I heard may or may not have had to do with your dad, but my guess is it didn’t. Your uncle isn’t the only person they’ve found who was immune.”

“No.” Megan gnawed on her bottom lip. “That’s true. There have been others.”

I found myself hoping that I was getting through to her. She seemed like a nice girl, and I hated to see her lose her shit and start throwing around rumors that wouldn’t accomplish anything other than get her killed or shipped off to DC.

“I’ll keep my ears open,” I said, softening my voice. “Just promise me you won’t repeat this story to anyone else.”

Meg’s eyes glistened with tears. “You will?”

“Sure.” It wasn’t going to hurt for me to pay attention, and hopefully when I didn’t hear anything else, she’d come back to reality.

The smile she gave was more than enough incentive to help her out. Since the moment she stuck up for me, I’d been drawn to her, and the more I got to know her, the stronger that attraction had become. It was stupid and I knew it. In a few days I’d be gone, dragged off to Key West to fight again, then some other place. It wouldn’t stop until I was dead and I knew it. Even if I found myself hoping against hope that I’d make it back to Patty one day, deep down I didn’t really think I would. I’d have a better chance of sprouting wings and flying away.

Meg was still smiling at me when Dragon called my name.

I turned, frowning when I found my guards standing in the doorway. They typically didn’t show up until after the fights, and they didn’t look the least bit happy to be here now.

Dragon waved and I headed over almost reluctantly. Something told me I was about to get some shitty news.

“What’s going on?” I asked when I stopped in front of the three men.

My guards looked ready to rip my head off, and even though I knew I didn’t do anything, their anger was aimed at me.

“Regulator told us to take a hike when we went back to his place,” the older guard said. “Guess we ain’t welcome under his roof no more.”

Shit.

Until now, I’d assumed that Jackson was talking out of his ass last night. The guy had so obviously been trying to snag Meg that I figured it would take a lot more than a little argument to make him back off. Guess I was wrong. Whatever she had done or said last night, it must have really pissed Jackson off. At least I didn’t have to worry about whatever messed-up plan he had cooked up for her anymore.

“Bound to happen,” I said, glancing back at Meg.

I sure as hell was going to miss that bed, but more than that, I was sorry I couldn’t keep my promise to keep my ears open. I’d have to let Meg know that it wasn’t going to work out. Later, though, after the fight.

“We have the cots in the back,” Dragon said, already turning away. “It’ll be fine.”

He left, but my guards didn’t. Apparently they thought if they glared at me long enough, it would kill me. Wrong, assholes. I was tougher than that.

“Dragon’s right,” I said as I turned my back on them. “It will be fine.”

E
ven after Donaghy
headed into the back room and the bar started to fill up, I couldn’t stop thinking about everything I’d just heard. To me it seemed like proof that Mom wasn’t losing her mind, and that the note that crazy old man had given me had at least a little bit of truth in it.

People crowded into the bar and the air grew thicker while Glitter, Helen, and I served drinks. I could hardly focus on what I was doing. The other waitresses seemed to notice that my mind wasn’t exactly on the job, because they each sent questioning—and somewhat concerned—looks my way. Even if I could have explained over the crowd of people begging to get wasted, I wouldn’t want to. Donaghy was right. I couldn’t go around repeating this story to anyone unless I wanted to end up dead or shipped off to DC.

My crew popped up in front of me only a few minutes before the fight was scheduled to start, and just seeing them had my brain buzzing more than ever. I couldn’t forget the way they’d acted when I mentioned my dad, or how they wouldn’t meet my gaze when I asked them questions. They knew something, and I was going to get it out of them.

“Hey guys!” I called, ignoring how the younger of the three—the one with the beady eyes—gaped at my cleavage. I still hadn’t gotten their names, but it was something I planned on fixing. Tonight after the fight if I could manage it. “Drinks?” I smiled and batted my eyes, which earned me another look from Glitter.

“Moonshine.” The guy ogling my tits managed to look me in the eye long enough to order.

“You got it.”

I poured three glasses and slid them across the bar top, slyly waving away the credits they tried to hand me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Glitter shoot me a look, but I didn’t turn long enough to be able to figure out what she was thinking. I wasn’t sure if Dragon would fire me for giving out free drinks, but I did know that I needed these guys at least a little loosened up.

“Thanks.” The oldest of the three guys winked as he took his glass.

He was the best looking of the three, even if he was about ten years older than me. Not that things like that mattered much anymore. The apocalypse made for strange bedfellows.

“See you after the fight?” I replied, smiling.

The guys nodded just as Dragon’s voice bellowed over the crowd. The blond guy gave me a little wave before heading off after the other two, and I watched as they pushed their way through the crowd in hopes of getting a better view of Donaghy and the zombies.

All around us, the crowd moved toward the ring just like my crewmembers had. Glitter came up beside me but I didn’t look her way. I wasn’t sure if she was going to rat me out to Dragon—they seemed to be close, so anything was possible—or what I’d do about it if she did. I needed this job, but the idea of getting on Dragon’s good side made me cringe.

“You going to tell me what’s going on?” Glitter asked when I didn’t turn her way.

On the other side of the room, the zombies were being carted toward the ring, and I kept my eyes on them as I shrugged. “Just need some information. Thought I’d grease the wheel.”

Glitter grabbed my arm and forced me to turn. “You have to be careful about handing out free drinks. Not because of Dragon, but because these guys will kill each other over shit like that.” I shot her a doubtful look, but she nodded. “I’m serious. The wrong guy sees you giving out a freebie after he’s used his hard-earned credits, and the next thing you know it’s a bloodbath in here.”

Shit. She had a point. On the streets, I’d seen fights break out over much smaller things, and that was when alcohol wasn’t involved.

“I hadn’t thought about that.”

“I know, that’s why I’m telling you.” Glitter’s gray eyes moved over me and her lips pulled into a purse. “What else is going on?”

“I just have a lot of crazy family stuff going on, that’s all.”

She shoved her pink hair off her forehead and looked away, and I suddenly felt like a piece of shit. This girl had no one but Dragon and Helen in her life. Compared to her, I’d had it easy.

When she turned her head, the lights shining down from above hit her just right, casting shadows across her face that highlighted the dark circles under her eyes. I hadn’t noticed them before, probably because she’d tried to cover them with makeup. She’d done a good job too, but standing right under the light like this made it impossible to hide them.

“You feeling okay?” I asked, wondering if anyone had ever looked out for this girl before. She claimed Dragon had saved her life, talked about him like he was a father figure, but I had a hard time picturing him as the paternal type. Helen, maybe.

“I’m exhausted. I have dreams. Strange dreams that are fuzzy, but terrifying at the same time. In them I’m always getting poked and prodded, and I’m tied to a bed. When they get really bad, I have a hard time sleeping.” She looked my way, and when her eyes met mine, they were big and round. “I’m sure they’re just leftover hallucinations from my druggie years.”

I shivered at the thought of having nightmares like that. “What do you remember about your life before Dragon found you?”

“Not a whole lot.” Glitter’s gaze moved to the ground like she didn’t want to look me in the eye.

I stared at the scars on her arms, trying to imagine a life where a person had become so dependent on drugs that their past had been totally washed away. It seemed crazy, but these days there was a lot of that.

“How old were you?” I whispered, my eyes still on the scars.

Glitter covered them with her hands and I looked up to find her gray eyes swimming with tears. Helen stood behind her, listening to us as she smoked. There was a frown on her face, but something else flashed in her eyes. Anger. No, more like rage.

“As far as Dragon could tell, I was ten.”

Ten? It seemed crazy to think that this girl barely remembered the first ten years of her life. Like she had just dropped out of the sky or something. Even crazier: I couldn’t believe she was still standing here if that was how the first decade of her life had gone. Addicts didn’t usually make it more than a few years. There were just too many illnesses and bad drugs out there.

“How long have you been with Dragon?”

Glitter gave me a sad smile. “I’m legal.”

“That wasn’t what I asked,” I said defensively.

“Eight years.” Helen finally came over to stand next to Glitter, putting her wrinkled hand on the girl’s shoulder.

“Dragon let me start tending bar two years ago even though I wasn’t quite legal. It gave me something to do.” Glitter’s smile morphed from something sad to something a little more genuine. “Before that I spent my days learning to read and write, catching up on all the things I’d missed out on.”

“Her parents were probably junkies too,” Helen said. “They probably started her out on drugs at young age so they could sell her on the streets.”

I shivered, but Glitter didn’t bat an eye. Helen’s hand had tightened on the girl’s shoulder, and she leaned into it like it was a lifeline.

“It happens,” the older woman said, as if I needed an education in how rough this world was.

“I know. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” I reached out and touched Glitter’s arm. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

The girl’s gray eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she swiped them away. “Me too. If Dragon hadn’t found me, I don’t know what would have happened.”

“He’s been like a father to you,” I said, a sudden appreciation for Dragon coming over me. He may be an odd man, but he obviously had a good side to him.

“No.” Glitter stood up straighter. “Not a father. Just a guardian.”

Helen gave her shoulder another squeeze, and they shared a look that I didn’t get.

The older woman turned her gaze on me, and here eyes were like laser beams, burning into mine. I got the feeling she was trying to tell me something without saying it out loud. What, I didn’t know. About Dragon? Maybe.

“Is Glitter your real name?” I asked, knowing it wasn’t, but hoping to ease the pain surrounding us.

“No.” Glitter laughed and her body relaxed. “I picked it out, and even though Dragon tried to talk me out of it, he let it go. Sometimes when memories come back to me, they’re shiny. Sparkly almost. The first few months with Dragon that was pretty much all I could focus on, so it seemed like an obvious name for me. I’m glad I picked it, though. It makes me feel like there’s a glimmer of hope.”

The crowd roared, and I turned away from the girl in front of me to find that not only had the fight already started, but had come to an end. In the ring, Donaghy was splattered with black blood, his shoulders heaving with pent up rage and energy. He had his hands clenched at his sides as he stared down at the bodies, but a second later he looked up, and when his gaze met mine, his muscles slowly began to relax. Even from this far away, the air between us crackled with energy.

“He likes you,” Helen said.

“But so does the Regulator’s son,” Glitter whispered, her tone oddly foreboding.

I turned to face them. “Donaghy and I just met. We hardly know each other.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Helen said knowingly. “When you meet the right person, you just know.”

Glitter was frowning toward the ring. “The first time I met you, I thought you were with the Regulator’s son.”

“No. It’s never been like that with us.”

“I flirted with him.” Glitter turned to look at me. “I thought you were together, so I flirted with him. I wanted you to catch him so you’d know what he was like.”

“Who?” I shook my head. “Jackson?”

Helen grabbed Glitter’s arm and gave a tiny shake of her head when the younger girl looked at her.

“What’s going on?” I asked. Why the hell did it always feel like people were hiding things from me these days? “Do you know Jackson?”

“He’s the Regulator’s son.” Helen waved dismissively as she snubbed out her cigarette. “That’s all. People get nervous around him. Besides, Donaghy likes you.”

“And he’s hot,” Glitter piped in, only this time, she wouldn’t look me in the eye.

“Life rarely hands you happiness,” Helen said as she pulled a new cigarette out from under the bar. She lit it, her blue eyes on me as she slowly inhaled. When she blew the smoke out, she pointed the cigarette at me as if to emphasize her words. “Be sure you don’t pass it up when it comes your way.”

I had a hard time believing that a convict who fought zombies was my ticket to happiness, but I let the older woman have her sage moment without argument.

The bar began to clear out, and I started to worry that my crew was going to head out too, but when the crowd thinned, I spotted them sitting at a table. I wasn’t sure whether or not they were waiting for me, but I did know that I needed to head over before they decided to go to a strip club or something.

“I need to talk to them.” I said nodding toward the three guys. “I think they know something about my dad’s disappearance.”

Helen’s eyebrows shot up, but when I tried to catch her eye, she looked away.

“We’ll cover for you,” Glitter said, drawing my attention to her.

“Thanks.” I ventured a look at Helen as I poured four glasses of moonshine, but she had moved to the end of the bar where she was saying something to Dragon.

I tensed, waiting for the bar owner to charge over and fire me for giving away free drinks, but he just nodded and looked toward the three guys waiting for me.

More secrets. What the hell was going on around here?

Donaghy was nowhere in sight when I made my way across the bar, but I had to assume he’d gone to clean himself up. I missed the fight, but the blood in the ring seemed particularly thick tonight. He was probably more covered than usual.

When I reached the table, I slid into the empty seat and set the four glasses down. “I think it’s about time we got to know each other,” I said with a smile.

“Thanks,” the three guys replied almost in unison.

I raised my glass, urging them to drink up. I needed loose tongues tonight.

The youngest of the three, who didn’t seem to realize that I had a face, called himself Ticker. At first I wasn’t sure if it was his real name, but after less than ten minutes of sitting with him I decide it couldn’t be. His right shoulder jerked up every minute or so, like a tick he couldn’t control and probably wasn’t even aware of. Most likely someone had given him the nickname when he was younger and he hadn’t been able to shake it. Ticker was thin and wiry, but muscular from a life of manual labor, and his brown, beady eyes made him look slightly unhinged. Luckily, the thick mop of hair on his head helped shadow them, otherwise he’d probably scare the shit out of most people.

The older guy, Matt, was laid back and charming. His deep set blue eyes were intelligent and focused on my face the entire time we talked. He was the type of guy who walked around with a constant five o’clock shadow, giving off the impression that he’d just spent a couple days in the wilderness where he didn’t have access to a razor. He wasn’t only the best looking of the group, but the tallest, tannest, and most muscular. The last two I attributed to being on the maintenance crew the longest. It was strange, because there was a stigma associated with the guys who worked the crew. They were the dumbest people in the settlement. The people who had the least to contribute to society. Talking to Matt, though, I could see that wasn’t always the case.