Barely Alive (7 page)

Professor-condescension plastered across Dominic’s face. He tilted his head to the side and folded his arms. “Of course I have. I knew what she was going to do.” He pointed his finger out the door. “I tried hypnotizing her, but the mind was already gone. Anything I did was only temporary.” He sighed. “Sad to say I lost the hours of work I’d put into hypnotizing Paul.”

I was right, I’d been hypnotized. That was it. I’d had enough. “I’m done. We’re getting out of here.”

Dominic snorted. “And where do you think you’re going? Back home, Paul? No one there will take you back. I can place you at the attack sites. The cops will pick you up before you make it that far.”

A tingle of worry raced down my back. I lifted my chin and pumped my voice full of bravado – more for me than for him. “I haven’t done anything wrong. Humans
are
inferior, Dominic. You’ve proved your own preaching.” But he was right, just not in the way he said. I couldn’t go home. If my family smelled half as sweet as Heather, they’d be infected before the night was out. If they’d even allow me back. I would do anything to protect them from this. “Can animals get it?”

“
No. I would have tested it on them first, if they could. I’m not a complete monster, you know.” Dominic frowned, vulnerability breaking through his “fearless” exterior. He looked at the burning building and then back at me. “Are you coming back?”

I met his eyes. “I don’t know. I haven’t eaten in a while – thanks to you – and I don’t know how far I’d make it without eating
her
.”

Heather drew in a sharp breath. She needed to know. It sucked I had to be so blunt, but it was just the beginning. She’d be able to handle being around me, if she knew the truth.

“
You can’t take her. She’ll tell the police.” Dominic’s arms dropped to his sides. “I’ll be thrown in jail.
You’ll
be thrown in jail.”

“
You should be! I probably should be. Do you have any idea what you’ve done? This is unbelievable. There are people running around out there with this virus in them and they have no idea what’s wrong. They’re attacking others, making more.” I stomped my foot, unable to hold the rage in my starving limbs. “And yes, I’m taking her. I need to get her home. Of course she’s gonna tell, but we’ve hurt enough people. You better run, so that by the time we get her home, when she does report us, you’ll be long gone.”

Heather moved to the door, but didn’t pass the threshold. I turned to join her, stopping when Dominic yanked on my shirt. “I can fix this, Paul. It’s my virus. I’m sure with enough time and without interference, I can fix this. I just need to reassign the replication process.”

“
How did you design it?” If I could find out some details, I wouldn’t need him so much. I could find another scientist – maybe even Dr. Duncan. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas was known for its science research. If Dominic could give me something to start with, I could take myself in and get some answers and help find a cure. I was the ultimate test subject.

Dr. Duncan’s significance swelled in my chest. He’d be my first target.

Twelve weeks wasn’t nearly long enough. For accurate testing or my life. Ten was worse.

Dominic hung his head. A moment passed.

I hated that the possibility of returning to a human state was so appealing. They were inferior. I hadn’t been consumed by capitalism since I’d changed. The only thing that drove me was my hunger for justice… and other things. But maybe I didn’t have to be human again. Maybe I could sustain my power and superiority with enough protein. I used to drink shakes filled with the stuff. I looked at Dominic, my eyes wide. The lull of immortality was great, but was it possible? “Do you really think you can figure it out?”

“
I’m not sure,” he jerked his head, “but I didn’t think I could make the dead walk either.”

Bastard had a point.

“
She needs to go back, Dominic. She can’t stay here.” I couldn’t function with Heather there. Her honey scent was too damn distracting.

He considered her.

Heather watched us, her brows knit together.

His voice lowered, meant only for me. “You could eat her.”

Those words released my cravings into a rushing fever. I closed my eyes and sucked on the surge of saliva filling my mouth. Just one little sniff. I did. And, oh hell, it was like dipping my nose into a field of honeysuckle. But I was strong. Stronger than my body. I was superior. I’d even tasted her already and stopped myself from finishing the job.
Oh, she tasted good – better shut down those memories before I do something I can’t take back
.

I stopped the earthquake ripping my goals in half. I had to get her home. She deserved the safety of her house after what she’d gone through. I’d chosen this life, unknowingly true, but I left home. I ran away on my own. But right at that moment, safety was a huge issue, I needed food. Massive amounts of food. My solid football receiver form looked more like a puny soccer player’s form – nothing against the ball chasers, but seriously.

Hm. Lost my train of thought again. Damn.

Oh, right. Heather.

I didn’t adjust my volume. “I’m not going to eat her. She’s survived to this point, she’s going to make it longer.”

Dominic ground his teeth. The sound grated in the sudden silence.

We stared each other down. But I didn’t fear him anymore, in fact, I’d somehow gained the upper hand. He broke first and shot an oily smile at Heather. “Sorry, doll. No hard feelings. Just trying to cover my bases. Nothing personal.”

Her smile bit back, filled with angry crystals. “Of course not. Just science, right?”

And her words stopped Dominic from speaking. He stared at her, a shadow passing in his eyes. After a drawn out moment filled with uncomfortable tension, he replied. “Right.”

“
If I feed you, will you stay or at least come back?” Dominic studied me. “I have some animals in the next building over.” He read my face filled with doubt correctly. “No really. I have animals over there. If you want, I’ll go first. You need to eat it in there, though. Too much blood will draw more of your kind out here.”

“
They’re clear in town.” Had to be too far for the smell.

“
Yeah, but part of my research indicates you guys can smell blood from extreme distances – nothing else – but like sharks, one drop and you’re all over it. I never got an exact distance, but in the beginning I had to lock up one because he went off premises and brought back a dead mule deer. Created chaos.” He moved to the door, brushing against Heather with his hips and chest. “Oh, sorry, doll.”

I didn’t have to see the jerk-wad expression on his face to know it was there.

He eyed the junction between her legs and bared his teeth. “You should’ve seen what happened to a girl on her period. Unreal.”

Heather picked up her leg and stamped her heel into his instep. “Oh, sorry, dick.”

Dominic cursed her, baring his teeth. He lifted his hand as if to strike her, but my hiss caught his attention before the swing fell. He glared but moved on.

I ignored the urge to applaud. She was a feisty one. That I’d bit into. When would she become like me? Asking Dominic about the time frame might give him too much information or something. I didn’t want his attention on her any more than it had to be. The bastard was creeping me out.

The promise of food kept me following him, but his past lies held me back from moving too fast. It’d been days since I’d had anything with substance. The small bite in the locker room had been an hors d’oeuvre more than anything. Moving was becoming painful. I felt like a dog on a mission, easily distracted with the appearance of anything that moved.

He waited for me by the door of a tan vinyl-sided building. The square structure didn’t look capable of housing more than three cars let alone animals. Unless they were cats. Damn. I wasn’t eating anything feline – or canine.

“
Do you want her to go in with you? See what you can do?” He smiled at me, with the innocence of a baby in his smooth features. But his comment didn’t need an answer. He knew what he threatened me with.

Her steps crunched on the dry crusted dirt. She stopped beside me.

I didn’t want Heather to see what I could do. She’d seen what that dead girl had done, but that didn’t mean she needed to see
me
as a total monster. I ignored the possibility that she had seen me eat by the showers. I didn’t want to think of me doing it, either.

Humans had a weird way of associating death with monstrosity. I was above it – or I’d like to believe I was – but I still killed things. Heather was a human I liked, who might not be human much longer, and I didn’t want her thinking I was a murderer. Pillager, kidnapper, assaulter, captor, strong hot guy she wanted to rub her body against, all okay, but murderer I’d rather not be.

“
It might be best if you waited out here.” My nerves could have been attached to her face, fear etched in every line. I rushed to reassure her. “I’ll be as fast as I can.”

Dominic muttered under his breath. “If you can stop.” He doubted I’d be able to stop eating and would come out from the building and eat the both of them.

I’d stop. I would.

Heather leaned against the wall beside the door and slid down to sit on the dirt. She looked up at me, her dark blue eyes somber and big under her bangs. Her hair was still pulled back in a sloppy bun, accentuating her cheekbones and slim jaw line.

I would stop.

“
Let’s go, Paul.” Dominic pushed the door open, releasing a wave of stock smells, chicken, cow, and pig mingled with hay and corn. Moos, clucks, and the occasional oink called to me.

Meat.

Fresh. Meat.

Holy crap. I dove through the opening, shoving Dominic to the side.

The door shut.

Click.

My mouth watered.

Sensing a predator in their midst, the animals jostled restlessly in their pens. One cow, three pigs, ten chickens and a couple rabbits filled the small building. The more they moved, the more intense their scents became. I breathed in deep. I couldn’t handle it anymore.

The cow was going first. I had to eat. Now. But I could make myself wait until I’d killed the poor animal. I didn’t need to torture anything. Refused to. I could
make
myself superior.

I approached the heifer, unsure how to kill a cow but the presence of fresh meat and blood spurred me on. I was strong. Maybe I could break its neck. I looked into its eyes, deep, dark brown, not blue like Heather’s.

Dominic had said he’d go in first. He wasn’t even in the building. He was alone with Heather.

I tore myself from the animal smorgasbord surrounding me and approached the door with caution. I wanted to sob. Come on. I wanted to eat!

Catching Dominic would be the only way I’d have proof of what he was, instead of this constant questioning I subjected myself to. I wouldn’t be tempted to stay with him or return. If he hurt her, he’d have another list of problems.

The handle didn’t make a sound when I turned it. I inched the door open.

“
You know you’re not going anywhere, right? Paul’s going to be busy for a while. Why don’t you and I have a little fun?” Dominic’s voice had deepened, its edge serrated with innuendo.

“
I said no.” Sounds of struggling accompanied her words. A grunt and some gasping. The sound of a fist on flesh. She whimpered. “I said no.” More struggling sounds.

That was all I needed. I opened the door. Dominic’s fingers had a firm grip on Heather’s breast and his other hand fumbled at his pants. He was panting, the pressure of his breath puffing the soft hair at the side of her face up and down with each exhale.

A reddening area along her cheekbone screamed on her tan but otherwise colorless skin. Her eyes were shut tight and she had pushed herself across the ground until she’d gotten stuck between Dickhead and a cement foundation. She looked like she wanted to push herself into the cement wall – become one with the rock. She pushed her hand on his face and shoulder, but he was too heavy for her.

Dominic’s back was twenty feet away. I’d make it in seconds. I could eat him. The other-other white meat.

A rock scuttled under my foot on the third step. Dominic turned. He flipped over to his back and dragged Heather to his lap. From nowhere, he pulled a syringe and pressed it to her bare bicep. Three red scratches tally-marked Heather’s terror diagonally across his face.

Everything froze, except time. His words cut across the dirt crust. “Don’t move, Paul.” He nodded at the makeshift barn. “You ate fast. And clean – judging by your face and clothes. Or you didn’t eat.”

“
I don’t trust you.” My gaze flickered from him to Heather. “For good reason.”

He held her arm across her body with her wrist at her waist, her upper arm covering her chest. If she breathed deep, the syringe would puncture her arm.

Swollen skin surrounded a red split on her bottom lip and shadows shaped like fingers ringed her neck. A trickle of blood from her nose enraged me – like the reddest stain on white sheets. Heavy smoke hanging in the air and their combined scent confused me. I wanted to kill him. And her. At the same time. Like we were at a barbeque.