“Yes, I know what you mean. I’m sorry about this, too,” Dylan replied. She took a few more drags before killing the cigarette with her boot. “Let me have a shot at it.”
Nick stared at her. “You can’t be serious?”
“It’s time to try a different tactic,” Dylan said.
She strode into the room and paused for a moment to let her eyes adjust to the dim light. Bound to a chair was Harris, his face bloody and swollen. Two fingers were dislocated, and he was missing a fingernail.
Dylan pulled a face. While she didn’t have much sympathy for the man who’d tried to kill her, this was too much. “Whoa, guys. Let me talk to Harris for a second.”
Saul stared at her. “Dylan, this is not the place for you. Get out.”
Alex said nothing, but he looked ready to puke at any moment, and she jerked her head toward the door. “Wait outside, Alex.” When he hesitated, she sharpened her tone. “Now!”
With a shrug, he left the building, and she turned to face Saul. “I just want to talk to the man. Nothing more.”
“And you think that will work when nothing else has?” Saul asked.
“No idea, but it’s worth a try,” Dylan replied, facing the prisoner. “What do you say, Harris. Wanna talk?”
He spat a glob of bloody saliva at her feet and grinned. “Sure, pretty lady. Let’s talk.”
Dylan smiled and took a step closer. “Harris, how do you feel about zombies?”
He frowned, clearly puzzled by her question. “They’re monsters. No good for anything but a bullet between the eyes.”
“That’s right. Then you should know that I nearly became one. If it weren’t for Dr. Lee’s cure, I’d be a flesh-eating cannibal right now.”
“Yeah, so? I’ve heard all about you and your crazy ass.”
“Let me guess. Pete Miller and Bobby Jackson filled you in.”
He pressed his lips together and glared at her.
“Let me tell you a little story, Harris,” Dylan said in a low whisper. She bent over until they were eye to eye. “I once tore out a man’s throat with my bare teeth and drank his blood. I did the same to his buddy, and there almost wasn’t enough left of them to burn.”
He blinked, taken aback.
“You see, I am a monster. Despite the cure, the virus is still within me, waiting for the right moment to come out.” Dylan smiled, baring her teeth. “A moment like this.”
“You’re lying,” Harris said, but she detected a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
“Am I? Look me in the eyes, and tell me I’m lying. Tell me I’m not crazy, and that I won’t rip you to pieces with my bare hands.” Dylan stared at him, locking her gaze with his. She allowed the memory of that day to run through her mind with vivid intensity. The day she killed Ray and his buddy like they were nothing more than prey.
Once again, she tasted the rich, warm blood that had flowed down her throat, and the meaty flavor of a man’s throat clenched between her teeth. The virus within her blood had reveled at the taste. It had wanted more. Craved more. It hijacked her brain and senses until she became a demon from the depths of hell.
Dylan smiled, running her tongue over her lips. “Well?”
Harris’ eyes were wide, and sweat ran down his temples. “You’d do that?”
“I would, and I’d enjoy every second of it,” Dylan said. “What’s worse, you’ll become a zombie too.”
“What?” he asked with a croaky voice.
“That’s right. You see, once a zombie, always a zombie. I might be cured, but I’m still infectious. One bite and you’re a goner.” Dylan leaned closer and took a deep whiff of the prisoner’s skin. She snapped at the air with her teeth, barely an inch from his throat. “Care to find out if I’m telling the truth?”
“No! No, please. Don’t do it. I don’t want to be a zombie,” Harris cried out, pulling as far away from her as his bonds allowed.
Dylan straightened up and folded her arms. “Ready to confess?”
Harris nodded. “I’ll talk.”
“Good. I’ll wait outside and remember. If I find out that any of it was a lie, you’re a dead man. Or should I say, undead.”
He bobbed his head. “I won’t lie. I promise.”
Dylan stepped away and drew Saul to the side. “He’s all yours. Make sure you get every detail.”
Saul nodded, his expression somber. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it, and I mean that. Don’t mention this moment to me, or anyone else, ever again,” Dylan said, her eyes fixed to his.
Saul nodded. “Understood.”
Dylan walked outside and beckoned to Alex while removing a package from her jacket’s inner pocket. “Alex.”
He walked over, his expression strained. “Yeah?”
“Harris has agreed to talk. Write it all down and make him sign it at the end. No more torturing.”
Alex took the book and pen with a look of wonder. “What did you say to him?”
“I’d rather you didn’t know. It would just taint that sweet, sweet mind of yours,” Dylan replied.
Alex ducked back inside, and Dylan leaned against the wall with her back. She closed her eyes and sighed, trying not to cry.
Nick moved closer. “Want another smoke?”
“Please.” He handed her a lit cigarette, and this time, it was her hand that shook like a leaf. “Did you hear any of that?”
Nick nodded. “I heard it all. Is it true?”
“It’s true. I was on my second day, and these two guys jumped me. They tried to run me off the road. Anyway, long story short, I killed them. Ripped out the one’s throat with my teeth and drank his blood. I enjoyed it too. The virus was already taking control. I even tried to kill Alex at one point.”
“That’s rough,” Nick said.
“Be glad you got the cure so early. I still have nightmares about that day,” Dylan said,
