Side Effects: Book Two: Visions of Despair, Page 9

  “Sorry," Mitch said. “I just couldn’t help myself, and like you said, there was no one here to stop me," he finished, shaking out his hand. It had been a really long time since he punched someone.

  “Remember that time down in Panama, that guy, what was his name? Ramon Montijo? Is that right?” Mike asked, knowing that there was no forgetting what happened down in Panama. It had been something that had lived with both of them for nearly two decades and wouldn’t be subsiding anytime soon.

  “Who could forget Panama or Ramon?” Mitch asked, wondering where his friend was going with all of this.

  “What we did there, how that went down, that was justified. This guy, he deserves the same kind of treatment. No mercy, Mitch. If you’re too soft for the job now, then you had better hand it over to me," Mike finished.

  “What happened in Panama?” Henry asked from the chair he had pulled out on the other side of the table. “Who’s Ramon?”

  “Ramon was the worst of the worst. He ran a ring of thugs that made their living stealing little girls from their beds at night and then selling them as sex slaves to the highest bidder. Lucky for us, he also trafficked war weapons into the US, so we were sent to put a stop to it. Quietly," Mitch told Henry.

  Gus began trying to turn and twist his arms against the restraints. Mike’s little trip down memory lane was having the desired effect, and this guy was starting to see what he was dealing with. Mitch let out a low chuckle. “How does that feel? Even tighter now, isn’t it?”

  “I’m not going to tell you anything, this won’t accomplish anything," Gus said with defiance.

  “I only have one goal here tonight, Gus, and rest assured, I always complete the task at hand," he finished.

  Mitch rolled his shoulders while he walked over to grab another chair from the table, taking a moment to mentally prepare himself for what needed to be done. He had never enjoyed this part of the job, and it had been years since he had to do it. He preferred to be in control, though, and as hard as it was to cause physical pain to someone, it was almost harder to watch Mike do it and not know what was coming next. Mike could be brutal.

  “First question, Gus. What’s the medication you’re using to turn people?" Mitch asked as he sat in the chair in front of the man.

  He watched as Gus’s eyes shifted around the room, he leaned back in the chair still trying to loosen the restraints. “Okay I’ll tell you, it’s Vicodin. It must have been a bad batch or something, and once I knew what was happening, I took all of it from the pharmacy. I knew it would come in handy," he finished.

  “You disappoint me, Gus.” Mitch said, shaking his head, as he slowly paced in front of him. “You see, that was a test, I wanted to know if I could trust your answers or not, and you just proved to me that you are a liar. I already knew the name of the medication causing the change," he finished, and watched quietly as all of the color drained from Gus’s face.

  Chapter Twelve

  Juliette

  Juliette lightly rapped her knuckles on the infirmary door before walking in. Micah was still laying on the bed in the center of the room, even though he was wide awake. “How’s my patient doing?” she asked.

  “Where’s my dad?”

  “You answer my question first. How are you feeling this afternoon? Your Nana Kate said you won’t eat, mind telling me why?” she replied while she checked the antibiotic bag that was hanging above him. It was empty so she began disconnecting the line.

  “There’s no point in eating, I’m dead any way. I don’t know why it hasn’t happened yet, I thought it would have already," he said, his voice mixed with both fear and disgust.

  “You’re not going to die, Micah. Not now at least. In fact, I would say you are safer now than the rest of us," she remarked as she undressed the wound on his arm. She marveled at how good it looked. He was healing nicely; the color was back and there was no sign of infection. At the rate it was healing, they would be able to remove the stitches in just a few days.

  “What do you mean, ‘I’m safer?’ I was bit by one of them, so I’m dead just like everyone else. In fact, you should probably finish me off before the change happens, I don’t know why it hasn’t already," he finished, his voice shaking with emotion.

  Her heart broke for him. Poor kid. She took a deep breath as she decided to tell him about Jimmy, she wasn’t sure why Mitch had left it out. He needed to know, she would certainly want to know.

  “You’re right, Micah. You should have turned. I was as surprised as you are to see that you didn’t. You know the boy that came with your sister yesterday, Jimmy?” she asked.

  “Yeah, what about him? He’s just a little kid," Micah said, confused by the question.

  “He’s not just a little kid actually, he’s much more than that. This outbreak, it turns out that his body has natural immunities to it. Your dad, he found out about it and gave you some of Jimmy’s blood, which transferred the immunities to you. Think of it like a vaccination," she finished.

  Juliette glanced up at Micah’s face as she finished cleaning and redressing his wound. His eyebrows were furrowed as he tried to process the information that she had given him.

  “So, how did you guys know about the antibodies?” he asked, his face a mask of confusion.

  “I like you, Micah. You’re a guy who asks the right kind of questions. That is the craziest part of all. The boy can see the future, and the past too apparently," she finished, her mind wandering back to her conversation with Jimmy, and ultimately landing on her sister where it always did.

  “What’s the matter? Why are you so sad?” Micah asked, the sorrow she felt mirrored back at her in his eyes.

  She swallowed the cherry pit that suddenly appeared in her throat. “What do you mean?” she questioned, certain that she hadn’t exposed her feelings at all since she had walked into the room.

  “I feel this crushing sadness, and it’s building like waves in the ocean," Micah whispered, a tear slowly sliding down the side of his face. “It’s coming from you. It wasn’t here before you came in."

  “I don’t understand?” she said, taking a big breath to try to clear Cordy from her mind.

  “Neither do I, but it’s getting better. So, what were you saying about the kid?” he asked.

  “Jimmy can see the future and the past. It’s quite remarkable, he is spot on," she finished, shaking her head.

  “So, it was his idea to give me the blood? My dad took advice from a little kid about my medical care? Are you serious? Man, I always miss all of the good stuff, I bet seeing that would have been awesome. Was Emily here when it happened?” he asked, amusement playing on his face, the sorrow he was feeling only moments before replaced with a sort of lightness.

  Juliette started at a scratching sound outside the door, her heart beginning to race. Micah reached out and grabbed her hand, a smile playing on his face. “Relax, Juliette, it’s just my dog. Will you let her in please?” he asked.

  She stepped over to the door and wasn’t surprised to see that black furry dog, Bentley, sitting on the other side wagging her tail. “Well get in here," she said, holding the door open for her.

  “So, I was thinking” Juliette began, as the dog brushed past her, eager to see her boy. “You need to come sit out by the fireplace. I’ll have your Nana fix you something to eat. I think I saw leftover soup in the fridge, you know that stuff she made the other night? It was fantastic,"

  “Yeah, Nana Kate is the best," Micah said with a soft smile. “Okay, I’ll try it out,"

  Juliette was surprised that he agreed so readily. She didn’t like him being in here all alone--he needed to feel the support of his family--and it would do him good to start moving around. Lying in bed wasn’t good for anyone.

  “Just sit up for a few minutes before you try to stand," she told him as she offered her hand to help him. “Your legs and feet are pretty bruised up, so you need to expect some pain when you stand."

  “I feel like I’m one giant bruise. They were ev
erywhere, I hadn’t seen so many all in one place before. I really thought I was dead for sure," he said, his body giving a slight shiver as goose bumps appeared on his arms.

  Juliette put her arms around the boy, feeling like he need to be comforted. She knew what an experience like that did to a person. The last thing he needed right now was to feel alone.

  He relaxed into her for a moment before he stiffened and pulled away. “I think I can stand up now," he said, his gaze on the floor.

  “I’m sure you’ll be just fine, but for my sake, why don’t you let me lead you," she said, putting her arm under his good one and helping him stand.

  “Thanks, Juliette," Micah said once he was on his feet.

  “No problem, I’m here whenever you need me," she replied, feeling a wave of emotion for this boy.

  “You really mean that don’t you?” he whispered, as a look of pain crossed his face with the first step that he took.

  “Of course, I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t," she said, giving his hand a small squeeze.

  “I believe that," he said simply, as he continued to shuffle slowly toward the door with Bentley right behind them. He began to relax a bit and walk more easily once they were out into the hall.

  “So, what’s been going on this morning? I heard my sister yelling earlier," Micah asked.

  “They think someone took your Uncle Mike, so your dad and Travis went after him." She didn’t see the point in sugarcoating, the kid needed to know what was going on, and she didn’t believe in holding back.

  “So, they’re all gone right now? It’s only us?” he asked, his voice laced with fear.

  “We’re not alone. There are several other people here with us Micah," she answered, trying to alleviate his fear. As they reached the big room, she felt him stiffen. Juliette glanced over at Emily who was sitting in one of the recliners. The look on her face was deadly; she must still be mad about being left behind.

  “Jesus, Emily, there’s smoke coming out of your ears. You need to relax," Micah said in a sharp tone that surprised Juliette, he sounded almost venomous.

  “Hello to you too," Emily shot back at him, her tone almost as nasty.

  “That’s enough you guys," Juliette said with authority as she began to tap her foot and do the first thing that popped into her head to diffuse the situation. “Come on people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, try to love one another, right now, right now," she sang in a joking tone.

  She watched as Emily and Micah exchanged a look before they both started to laugh. “The Young Bloods. It’s a great song, if you haven’t heard it before you should check it out, really," Juliette finished with a smile, glad to see that they had both relaxed a little. She hated uncomfortable situations.

  She was surprised by Micah’s sudden mood change. He had been fine just moments before, so something about his sister must have set him off. She hoped he could relax now, she had wanted coming out here to be a good experience for him.

  “Thanks again, Juliette," Micah said as he eased into the chair beside his sister. “I don’t know why I got so angry,"

  “I’m sorry, Micah, you’re right. It seems like I only have two emotions lately: anger and fear. Honestly, I’d rather be angry than afraid," Emily said, wringing her hands. “I do need to relax or I’m going to be one of those sad cases you read about. ‘eighteen-year-old dies of sudden heart attack’," she finished with a small smile.

  “Where is everyone else?” Juliette asked, surprised to see that even Dave had left the room.

  “Drew went up to the crow's nest to keep a look out, and Nana Kate took Dave into the kitchen for some tea. I’m not sure where Jimmy and Anna went, I think they all just wanted to get away from me. As we just established, I’m a little hard to be around right now," Emily replied.

  “All right, Micah. I’m going to head into the kitchen and see what I can find for you. I’ll be back in just a few minutes," Juliette told him, giving his shoulder a little squeeze.

  “I’ve been taking care of him since he was a baby, we’ll be fine without you," Emily said, looking irritated once again.

  Juliette raised her hands in mock surrender and backed slowly away with a slight smile on her face. Damn, teenagers were moody, she thought to herself, as she turned and left the room.

  “My Drew--he’s got his hands full with our girl--she’s a firecracker," Juliette heard Kate say to Dave on a laugh as she walked in the kitchen. Juliette imagined Kate had gotten her own dose of Emily’s temper at least once or twice throughout the years.

  “How is patient number two doing today?” Juliette asked, as she walked over to the table where they were sitting.

  “Well, he’s certainly gotten his appetite back today," Kate said, her brows furrowed in worry.

  Juliette pulled out the chair beside Kate and took a seat. She wanted to study Dave for a moment. If she was reading Kate correctly, the woman was deeply concerned.

  Dave’s gaze met hers as she made herself comfortable. “How are you feeling, Dave? Were you able to get some rest?” she asked, concerned for the poor man.

  “I’m fine, no need to worry about me," he said in a low gravelly tone. “Kate here, is taking really good care of me,"

  “Yes, Dave has been very hungry. I fixed him some soup, a sandwich, leftover pot roast, and he just asked if we had any steak," Kate replied with a nervous laugh.

  Juliette’s heart began to race as she tried to decide what this could mean. It was definitely odd behavior for a man as sick as Dave was this morning, and she knew that Kate was clearly alarmed.

  Juliette and Kate jumped simultaneously when they heard Bentley let out a low growl from the doorway when she walked in sniffing the air. She could feel herself break out into a cold sweat as she began putting all of the pieces together.

  Dave turned slowly to stare at Bentley as she made her way into the room. Juliette forced herself to swallow the panic as she heard Dave begin to quietly growl back at the dog. She slowly reached over and took Kate’s hand, knowing that their best chance of survival was getting away now.

  “Why don’t we go see if we can find some steak for you?" she said, slowly pushing her chair back and giving Kate’s hand a little tug to prompt her to do the same.

  “You ladies can just stay where you are," Dave growled, his voice barely understandable now. “I want a steak with a heartbeat," he finished with a roar.

  Juliette did the only thing she could think to do. She tipped the table toward him and yanked Kate down behind it with her. Her eyes began raking their surroundings looking for some sort of weapon, as Bentley’s loud barks began to pierce the air.

  Emily burst into the room with a large knife in her hand, Jimmy closing in behind her. Juliette was shocked to see that the boy was carrying a gun. “What’s happening? Where’s the creeper?” Emily shouted.

  “It’s Dave!” Juliette shouted back.

  “Emily, get out of here girl, I don’t want to hurt you," Dave growled as he began to stalk toward her. “I can’t stop it, the urge is too strong," he finished, his words nearly lost in the deafening growl that erupted from him as he lunged toward her.

  Juliette jumped up and ran around the turned table. “Dave!” she yelled, trying to turn his focus from Emily.

  “Stay back, Juliette. I can handle this!” Emily shouted at her.

  Juliette watched in stunned silence as the girl raced toward the man and buried her knife in his ear while his focus was turned on Juliette. One last growl escaped him before he slumped lifelessly to the floor.

  “Nana Kate, are you okay?” Emily asked as she rushed past Juliette to get to her grandma.

  Juliette tried to will her feet to move, but it seemed her whole body was paralyzed in the moment. She glanced away from Dave and her eyes locked on Jimmy’s. He walked to the counter and set the gun down before making his way over to her.

  “You saved her, Juliette. If you hadn’t come in here, he would have killed her. We all owe you a thank you,
" he said, wrapping his tiny arms around her.

  Kate got up from the floor as Emily approached her. “I’m fine, my girl, but that poor man...what do you think happened?” she asked, stunned. “I’ve never seen that happen. Before they had always been bit. Do you think he was bit?”

  “I’m not sure, Nana Kate. I’ve only seen it happen that way once before and I thought it was because the man was on that medication, Zoletripine. But I don’t think that Dave was taking any medication. Maybe we were wrong and it didn’t have anything to do with the meds, I just don’t know," Emily said, shaking her head.

  The blonde girl that had arrived with Emily walked through the door and froze. “What happened to Dave?” she asked, her face going pale right before she sprang into action and moved quickly into the room. “We have to get him out of here, right away! We shouldn’t have infected dead in the house. Who’s going to help me?” she questioned, her gaze shifting around the room. “Where’s Drew? I think I’ll need him to help me lift."

  Juliette felt like her head was spinning as she took in the girl who had just walked in. She couldn’t remember what Emily said her name was. The girl was small, maybe even smaller than she was, and she wasn’t very big. Juliette was used to walking into patient rooms and having them comment about her being tiny, which she always found amusing. Most people would never comment about someone being big, but it was totally acceptable to go on and on about why a person was small.

  The girl had long blonde hair that was pulled into a side braid. She was dressed in a blue sweater and had on a pair of leggings with happy, brightly colored ice cream cones all over them. They seemed too joyful for the situation, and Juliette couldn’t take her eyes off of them.

  “Ice cream cones?” she questioned, startled by the sound of her own voice and not sure why she had said it.

  “What?” the girl and Emily both said at the same time before they started to laugh.