Merc nodded down the hall. “Thought we’d use your old office. No one moved in while you were gone, so it’s still empty.”
“How long will we be there?” McKenna asked, following Carter down the hall.
She was wiggling a little as she walked, so Lily asked, “Is there a bathroom in there? Or can we go first? We were in the car a long time.” McKenna wasn’t the kind to bring that sort of thing up, and even though Lily didn’t have to go right now, she had no idea how long they’d be in quarantine.
“There’s a bathroom back there in reception—” Carter pointed down the hall. “But we can’t flush it without water, which we don’t have set up yet. There’s another office next to the one I stayed in. We’ll set it up with a bucket. Someone will come and empty it twice a day.” He paused to rap his knuckles on a door. “Merc will get it set up, right? And we’ll be here.”
Carter held open the next door so that Lily and McKenna could go in. A desk was pushed against the wall. A punching bag hung in the corner. It was windowless, of course, since it was underground. The walls were lined with bookshelves, most of which were empty except for a bunch of bobbleheads on the shelves right at eye level. There was a leather sofa, three chairs, a useless desktop computer. No sign, however, that Carter actually lived here— when he wasn’t out rescuing girls from Farms.
McKenna wrapped her arms around her chest and sat on the edge of the sofa, bouncing a little, like she was excited or really had to pee.
“Can you let us know as soon as you get the bucket set up?” Lily asked just as Merc was starting to close the door behind them.
She wasn’t used to feeling so protective of McKenna. She’d known her in the Before, although they hadn’t been friends. Not by a long shot. But she no longer had Mel to take care of, and watching out for McKenna gave her something to focus on. Something to think about besides the fact that there were a hundred people out there who expected her to lead them to greatness.
A few minutes later, Merc came back to tell them the bucket was ready. A few minutes after that, they were all back in the office, the next few days stretching out before them.
McKenna flopped back on the sofa. “Quarantine? This sucks. How long do you think they’re going to keep us here like this?”
Lily found herself looking at Carter, wondering the same question. “If it was me,” he said now, “I’d keep us in here for three days at least, watching for symptoms.”
McKenna groaned a little. “That’s obnoxious. None of us are sick. Besides, I thought you were their leader.”
“No. It’s smart,” Lily said quickly. She didn’t know for sure if Merc or anyone else was listening at the door. If he was, she didn’t want to rehash the whole issue of whether or not Carter was the leader—particularly the part about her not being an
“But none of us has been exposed,” McKenna groused.
“We don’t know that,” Lily said gently. Funny, just a few days ago, she would have been annoyed by McKenna’s whining. Now, she knew this was just how McKenna acted when she was afraid. Under the circumstances—McKenna must be terrified. She was pregnant and alone. Joe was probably dead. Frankly, it was a miracle she could function at all. “We were all really close to Ticks not that long ago.”
“It’s not airborne,” Carter said quietly. “It’s passed from one victim to the next by bodily fluids. Like the vampire virus. A Tick has to bite you or—I don’t know—swap blood somehow. We should all be safe.”
But his voice sounded desperate rather than confident. That’s when Lily knew he’d figured out the same thing she had.
But McKenna obviously hadn’t figured it out yet, because she said, “So, what? If one of us does show symptoms, they just leave us in here to die?” McKenna broke off mid-rant; she must have noticed both Lily and Carter staring at her. “What? Get sick and die, right? That’s how it goes.”
“Yeah, for most people.” Lily pushed herself to her feet and moved to stand over by the shelf. Right at eye level was a bobblehead of a superhero—one of the ones she didn’t recognize. She reached out and gave his head a nudge and then watched it bob for a second before turning around, but she still couldn’t make herself look at either of her friends. “But if I show signs—I mean, any signs, any fever at all—you’ve got to take me out right away, okay?”
“What?” McKenna gaped.
“Lily—” Carter took a step toward her, but she held out a hand to stop him.
“You know I’m right. So we might as well get it all out on the table.”
McKenna wobbled to her feet. “What are you guys talking about?”
Lily opened her mouth, but couldn’t make herself say it aloud. Instead she turned back to the bobbleheads, trusting Carter to fill in the blanks for McKenna.
“She’s talking about the regenerative gene. There’s some rare gene that only about one to two percent of the population has. If you have that gene and you’re exposed to the Tick virus, you turn into a Tick.”
“Yeah, I know that. Just because I was a cheerleader in the Before doesn’t mean I didn’t watch the news.”
“According to Sebastian, when Genexome Corporation did the research that created the Tick virus, they started with Roberto’s genes, with his DNA. They created a virus that mimicked some of the characteristics of the vampire virus. Roberto was trying to create an army of monsters that he could control. So he made a virus that also affected the victims’ mental capabilities and he did away with the territorial thing all vampires have going for them, but he still started with the same gene.”
“So?” she asked.
“So, if Mel didn’t have the regenerative gene, when Sebastian fed off her she would have just died. Instead she turned into a vampire. That means she has the gene. And Lily and Mel are identical twins. Genetically identical. So she has it, too.”
“Oh.”
For a second, no one seemed to even breathe. Finally Lily gave the bobblehead one last nudge and turned around. No superhero was going to save her. “So there it is. That’s why it’s a good idea for me to be held in quarantine. And probably why you guys should stay in a separate room.”
Damn, she should have thought of that before now. She made a move toward the door to go talk to Merc, but Carter stepped in her way.
“No. Don’t go borrowing trouble. We know you weren’t exposed.”
“No, we—”
“Yes. We know. I was with you the whole time. You weren’t bitten. Besides, it took us two days to drive here. I’ve been watching for symptoms that whole time and haven’t seen any. And I know you haven’t, either.”
“How do you know—”
“The way you kept asking McKenna if she was cold, too? And the way you kept holding my hand to your cheek? You’ve been watching for signs of a fever. Not very subtly, either.” He brought his hand up to her face and cupped her jaw. His other hand slipped to her waist. For just a moment, her heart pounded with something other than fear. “You’re fine. Don’t worry.”
The anguish in his voice as he said it matched the way she felt. Then he dropped his forehead to hers, and she had to close her eyes against her tears. It was all she could do not to press her body against his and just lose herself in his touch. But it seemed wrong under the circumstances with McKenna there. Especially since McKenna had just lost Joe. So instead, Lily swallowed hard and stepped back. Carter trailed his fingers down her arm and clasped her hand.
“Did you really think I hadn’t noticed?” he asked.
Lily gave a shrug. “You’re the one who’s always talking about how smart I am. I guess I just hoped I’d figured it out before you. I didn’t want to freak anyone out unless—” She couldn’t even bring herself to say it.
“Well, we don’t have to worry about that,” he said brusquely. “You’re fine.”
Okay, time to get past her squeamishness. She didn’t want to say it aloud, but she couldn’t afford not to say it, either. “Look, about that. If something does happen—”
“Nothing’s going to happen. We’re here now. We’re safe. That’s not something we have to worry
