“I want you to work for me, Dr. Lee. I want you to manufacture the cure for my men, and eventually, the vaccine.” King’s eyes scanned her face. “You will be looked after, and you need not fear being harassed.”
“Forget it, King,” Tara replied, her hands curling into fists. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice, doctor. You’re coming with us,” King said. He waved at Perez. “Tie her up.”
“Yes, Sir.” Perez used a cable tie to secure Tara’s hands behind her back; her feeble struggles were no match for his brute strength.
Amy wanted to protest, but one look at Red’s face and the way his gun pointed at her back convinced her otherwise. She pressed her lips together while trying to think of a way to escape.
The entire time, Dr. Bannock watched from a shadowy corner, his sweaty hands wringing together in a display of nervousness. His eyes blinked behind his thick spectacle lenses, and his thinning hair did little to disguise his shiny scalp.
“Dr. Bannock,” Tara cried. “Aren’t you going to do something? This is crazy. You can’t just run around kidnapping people.”
Dr. Bannock shrugged. “Why not? It’s a new world out there, Dr. Lee, and Lieutenant King has promised to look after me.”
“He’s lying. He only cares about himself.”
Dr. Bannock smiled. “Great minds think alike.”
Tara whirled toward King. “Why take me? Why not my research? You’ve got a scientist already. Take what you want and leave us alone.”
“It’s not that simple, Dr. Lee. Dr. Bannock has assured me of his usefulness in that regard, but apparently, it will take some time for him to interpret your work,” King said. “Time I do not have since I’ve been forced to flee the fort. Without a secure base, I need that cure, or my men don’t stand a chance.”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” Tara muttered, an angry flush staining her cheeks.
“Believe it, Dr. Lee,” Bannock replied. “Soon, we’ll be working together again. Just like old times.”
“Screw you, Bannock,” Tara said.
“What about the rest of them?” Perez asked. “We can search the base. I’m sure we’ll find them. There are only so many places they could be.”
“It’s too risky,” King said. “I would’ve liked to grab the doctor. I could use a surgeon, but it will have to wait for now.”
“But Sir.”
“No, Perez. We can’t afford to get caught. We’re leaving, and that’s final,” King replied. “Besides, there will be other opportunities. This isn’t the last Fort Detrick will see of me.”
“And these two?” Red said, nudging Amy and nodding toward Alex.
“Kill them,” King commanded. “We don’t need either of the two.”
“No!” Alex shouted, surging to his feet. He charged at the nearest soldier but stopped mid-stride when a shot rang out. Red bloomed on his white t-shirt, and he stared at the spot with a disbelieving gaze.
“Alex!” Amy screamed, her voice taut with horror and pain. She tried to run to him, but Red grabbed her by the arm and held her back. His grip was rough, and the gun barrel he jabbed into her spine held the promise of death. She didn’t care. All she cared about was her brother.
Their eyes locked across the room, and time slowed to a trickle. Amy remembered all the years they’d spent together as a family. Years that had bonded them as brother and sister. The fights, the laughter, the tears, and the sorrow. It was all there, a glittering tapestry of love and loss ripped away by a single bullet. “I’m sorry.”
Alex blinked once, and his lips formed the words, “I love you, Sis.”
Slowly, he toppled over to lie face-down on the carpet. A growing pool of blood spread around his body, thick and viscous. Voices buzzed around Amy’s head, but she couldn’t make out the words. None of it mattered. Not even the thought of dying. She closed her eyes, preparing herself for the shot that would end her life.
It never came.
Instead, Tara threw herself at King and pleaded with him. “Please, don’t kill her. She’s just a child. She’s sixteen years old, for heaven’s sake.”
King shrugged. “Her age doesn’t exempt her from death. The apocalypse should have taught you that by now, Doctor.”
“I’m begging you, please. Spare her. If you do, I promise, I’ll do anything you want,” Tara said, her cheeks wet with tears.
King’s gaze grew calculating. “Do you swear it? You’ll work for me, without complaint, and without trying to escape, if I spare her life?”
Tara nodded, her hands twisting behind her back, already swollen from her bonds. “I swear it.”
King nodded. “It’s a deal. Red, tie the girl’s hands. She’s coming with us.”
“Yes, Sir,” Red replied.
“Leave her here,” Tara said. “I swore, didn’t I?”
“Maybe, but I’d feel better if she comes with us to ensure your obedience,” King said.
Tara shook her head, and she looked at Amy. “I’m sorry. I tried.”
Amy nodded. “It’s okay.”
With rough hands, Red yanked Amy’s arms behind her back and secured her wrists together with a plastic cable tie. The sharp edges cut into her skin, but she hardly noticed. Her eyes went back to Alex, searching for signs of life. Any sign at all.
King followed her gaze and said, “Perez, make sure he’s dead. I don’t want to leave behind unfinished business. It’ll only give the girl something to yearn for.”
“Yes, Sir,” Perez answered, raising his gun.
“No!” Amy screamed, struggling against Red’s hold as Perez pumped three more bullets into Alex’s back. “No, no, no, no!”
Alex jerked with each successive shot, and the pool of crimson blood beneath him spread ever further. He made no sound, and at that moment, Amy realized he was dead. She squeezed her eyes shut and fought against the pain that threatened to overwhelm her.
It was no use.
Sorrow burned through her veins like acid, and she found herself unable to think or even move of her own volition.
King continued to shout out orders, and the soldiers stripped the house of all
