Chapter Fourteen

Diagnosis? Zombie-itis

I shook my head and tried to get my blurry eyes to focus. Josh and the doctor struggled, their hands on each other’s throats.

“Josh!” I pushed on the arms of the chair, but my legs wouldn’t hold me. Instead, I hit the floor, banging my head. Blackness threatened to overcome me, but I fought through it.

Damn! Another knot on the head!

“You’ll pay for what you’ve done!” The doctor broke free of Josh and reached for a vase sitting on the corner of his desk. He threw it, aiming for Josh’s head, but missed.

“I can’t let you go on. You’ll hurt her.” Josh rammed into Toulog, and I swore I could hear his bones break.

“Argh! You idiot. Back off or pay the consequences.”

Toulog packed one hell of a punch for a skinny dude. He struck Josh on the side of the head and sent him sprawling. Josh landed on a chair, breaking it into two pieces before thudding to the floor with a terrifying crack. Taking deep breaths, I pushed to a sitting position and tried my legs again. They held me up, but just barely.

I called out a warning to Josh as Toulog leapt into the air, but it did no good. Toulog landed on top of Josh. His hands locked around Josh’s throat as they fought, kicking and hitting.

How can a little guy like him overpower a man Josh’s size? But I didn’t have time to think about an answer as I whirled toward the sound of banging on the door. The door burst open and fell to the floor with a loud thud.

The freaky man from the waiting room had broken the door right off its hinges. His face drooped, almost as though the skin was sloughing off. His eyes, half covered by the skin of his forehead, were as black as night and more menacing than I cared to think about. All at once, his tongue lolled out of his mouth. I’d gotten it right before. He looked like the walking dead.

It took a minute for me to regroup while he continued to glower at me instead of helping my struggling husband. And, frankly, that just pissed me off. “Help us, dumb nuts!”

The guttural sound he made sent shivers down my spine, and I fisted my hands, ready for action. Yeah, like I actually know what I’m doing. No. Wait. I actually do know what I’m doing!

“Gggivatamay.”

Wow. Talk about a mush mouth. Is he drunk? Yet on further inspection, I realized he didn’t have any teeth. Eeww.

Although it was apparent that he’d spoken to me, I didn’t have a clue how to interpret gobbledygook-speak. “Look, mister, if you’re not going to get into the fight, then at least call 911.”

Instead, he came at me, half hurling his body and half stumbling toward me. His stench assaulted me, and I wondered if my nose had fallen off from breathing his disgusting odor.

I dodged his lunge by throwing my body sideways. Mr. Freak, however, wasn’t deterred, and after me he came. I scrambled away again, tripped over my own feet and went down on my hands and knees. Come on, Sam!

He landed on top of me, grabbed my hair and yanked my head to the side. I yowled and drove my elbow backward, hoping I’d hit a part of him. Preferably a tender, easily damaged part. I heard him grunt and used the moment to thrust my body upward, pushing him to his back and landing me on top.

“Oh, shit!” I squirmed, and a bone-chilling grayish goop slimed my shirt and oozed around my sides.

I hadn’t expected to literally sink into his body. The stench grew stronger as gunk from his insides covered me. Yelling a string of curses so loud I could’ve raised the dead—so not a good thought at the moment—I grabbed for anything to give me a hand up. But Mr. Freak’s guts slimed over me and I couldn’t get a hold anywhere.

He lifted me high into the air, holding me up as though I weighed nothing. I kicked, my strikes landing in his dissolving midsection, but he acted as though he didn’t feel a thing. He chuckled—at least I think it was a chuckle—and shook me like a rag doll.

“Let me go, you asshole!”

“Gggivatamay.”

I looked up just in time to see Toulog slam a book against Josh’s head. Josh went rolling to the wall. The bastard whirled toward me and Mr. Freak. “Damn you. You weren’t supposed to interfere.”

Was he talking to me or Mr. Freak?

“Gggivatamay.”

“What the hell does he want?” I sputtered in between gasping for air.

“He said, ‘Give it to me’, you twit.” Toulog kicked Josh and knocked him in the head again. Josh groaned, a horrible sound that ripped through me.

“Give what to him?” I’d give the big lug whatever he wanted. If I only knew what that was.

Toulog rolled his eyes. “Don’t play stupid, Sam. I’m not as gullible as the rest to buy into your ridiculous memory loss excuse. Tell me where you’ve hidden the Pearl of Wisdom.”

Again with the pearl? I froze, needing a rest from struggling to get free. “Are you kidding me? I don’t know anything about any damn pearl. If I did, do you think I’d be here?” I choked, Mr. Freak’s death grip tightening on my throat and cutting off my air.

“Put her down, but hold her. Let me do this an easier way.”

“I’m all for easier, but I’m telling you. I don’t know anything about any Pearl of Wisdom.” I twisted every which way I could, but nothing freed me from his grip. If only I had some help…but Josh was still out for the count.

“Sheesapraaty.”

Toulog held up the stone amulet on the sparkling silver chain. “He thinks you’re pretty. But there’s no accounting for taste, now is there? Let’s get back to where we were, shall we?”

Uh-oh. “Give me a break. More hypnotism?”

“Iiiswahtor.”

I knew I shouldn’t ask, but I did anyway. When would I learn? “What did he say?”

Toulog cackled. “He wants you.”

I cringed, unable to hide my disgust. “Uh, sorry, but I’m taken.” If only Josh would come to and save me!

“Really? Are you sure?” Toulog raised the amulet in front of my face and made it sway back and forth.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Never mind. When I’m finished with you and you’ve told me where to find the pearl, you won’t have a brain to worry with.”

By this time I should’ve been shaking in my boots. If I’d been wearing boots, that is. Instead, a sudden urge overwhelmed me, and a strange power rejuvenated me, driving the fear away. Yep, at that moment, I was frickin’ Superwoman. However, feeling like Superwoman and doing what Superwoman can are very different things.

I tried to kick him and missed. Yeah, the kicking thing was working out real well. Not.

“Hold her head still.”

“Kaanaayuckoraforooredahn?” The big lug clutched a hunk of my hair, keeping me from moving my head.

This time I preferred not to know what he’d said. But I should’ve known the jerk couldn’t resist telling me. His eyes, an evil gleam twinkling in them, met mine. “Yes, you can fuck her when I’m finished. In fact, you can do anything you want to her. Fuck her and then eat her alive. Although I doubt she’ll be very tasty.”

He held up the amulet. “Look at the pretty stone, Sam. Keep your eyes on it and you won’t feel a thing.”

“Go to hell.” I wish I could’ve given a more dramatic comeback, but that was all I had at the moment. Unable to work my way free, I did the only thing I could do. I turned into an angry toddler, scrunched my eyes closed and let out a wail.

But Toulog wasn’t bothered by my tantrum. He mumbled words that were as incoherent as Mr. Freak’s. Instantly, my mouth clammed shut and my eyes popped open against my will.

WTF?

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be, Sam.”

Somehow I spat at him, but the glob of spittle fell short, landing on my foot. Figures.

He merely smiled and swayed the amulet again. Although I tried to close my eyes, tried to turn away, none of my efforts succeeded. Soon, I felt my mind go blank and my attention center on the pretty piece of jewelry. I even forgot about the pain.

“Turn her loose, you asshole!”

The voice, familiar and comforting, wrenched me out of the spell. I couldn’t turn my head, but I could glance sideways at the door.

“Rim!” Delight and relief washed through me. I didn’t know how or why he was here, but I was damn happy to see the man from the restaurant.

“Hi, Sam.” Rim grinned at the doctor and Mr. Freak. “Do you need help?”

Toulog screeched and scurried behind his desk.

“Daayumufforfookor.”

“Did you just say, ‘Die, you motherfucker’?” Wow, I could speak his language now.

Mr. Freak’s mouth twisted in what I assumed was a snarl as he threw me to the side and launched his huge body like a heat-seeking missile at Rim. I banged my shoulder against the wall and slumped to the floor. But at least I was free of the stinky galoot.

Rim met the challenge head-on. In a dazzling display of martial arts, Rim struck Mr. Freak in the face—dissecting the left side of his face to fly away in ugly gray bits—then whirled around and landed a solid kick to his knee. He collapsed to the floor, but never stopped reaching for Rim’s neck.

“Hang on! I’m getting there.” I looked around for a weapon and snatched up the only thing heavy enough to be of any help—an iPad connected to the computer on the desk. Yanking the cord out, I started spinning the iPad in a circle above my head.

“Keeyah!”

I let the iPad fly, flinging it straight at Mr. Freak. It landed with a thud against his lower backside to take a chunk out of his ass.

“Yay! I got him!” Never mind that I’d aimed for his head. I’d take my victories any way I could. But my excitement was short-lived when he turned to scowl at me.

“Run, Sam, run!”

Rim threw his body against the big lug lurching my way, knocking him to the floor. Stunned, I didn’t move for a second until Rim raised his head to shoot me an exasperated look. “I told you to run!”

I high-jumped over both of them, landed in the muck on the floor on the other side and slipped-stumbled my way toward Josh.

“Sam! I’m ordering you to get the hell outta here!”

“I’m not going anywhere without Josh.”

“Damn it!”

Mr. Freak twisted his body, taking Rim by the neck, and thrust him toward the front door. Together, they rolled into the hallway until they broke apart. Mr. Freak slammed a fist into Rim’s chest and knocked him backward. He snarled at Rim, then disappeared down the hallway.

Rim took one look at me and shook his head. “Why can’t you ever follow orders?” After pulling himself up, he raced after Mr. Freak.

“Look what you’ve done. You’ve ruined everything.”

I whirled to find Toulog yanking a half-conscious Josh off the floor only to knock him down again. I screamed and dropped to the floor, my legs no longer willing to hold me up. But that wouldn’t stop me from helping my man. Pulling myself along more than crawling, I worked my way toward them inch by agonizing inch.

A flash of brilliant light erupted, blinding me. I cried out, covering my eyes at the intense glow with the crook of my arm. Someone screamed in agony. A moment later, everything plunged into silence. I feared what I would find when I uncovered my eyes. Holding my breath, I lowered my arm and squinted.

A smoky haze hung in the air, at first hiding the two unmoving figures. My heart thudded dully, terror paralyzing me. At last, one of the men groaned and moved.

“Josh?”

The man lifted a hand, then let it fall to the floor. He groaned again, this time the sound expelling in a harsh hiss of air.

“Josh, please answer me.” I pushed onto my knees and continued crawling toward him. The smoky fog lifted, clearing both the room and my sight.

Josh lay on the floor next to the immobile Toulog. Bloody lines covered his arms and face. He groaned and pulled his body into a sitting position. I grinned, happy to see that he had the strength to do so. But my smile faltered as I studied his face.

His face was pale, drained of color, and he looked at me without emotion with dull and unseeing eyes.

“Josh?” I couldn’t speak above a whisper.

Still looking directly at me, he blinked twice, opened his mouth, then closed it.

“Josh, are you all right?” I resumed my crawl toward him, the distance in the small room seeming like miles of uncharted territory. “What happened? Is Toulog dead? Oh, my God, I think he’s dead.” My husband killed a man. Granted, it was in self-defense, in defense of me, but that didn’t negate the fact that he’d taken a life.

He blinked again, and my gut twisted. Had the light blinded him? Or made him mute? Maybe deaf?

“Can you hear me? Please, Josh, you’re scaring me.” I tried to keep the tremor from my voice and failed. “Say something. Anything.”

“S-Sam.”

I almost cried at the simple sweetness of hearing his voice. His face may have looked like a ghoul’s—now where had that idea come from?—but I couldn’t mistake the tenderness in his voice. I covered the remaining distance as fast as I could and took his face in my hands.

“Are you hurt?” I scanned his body but found that his wounds were superficial. “What the hell happened?”

“I couldn’t…”

He shuddered, whether from pain, fear or anger, I couldn’t tell. I placed a tender kiss on his bruised cheek. “You couldn’t what?”

He jolted as though struck by lightning and scared the hell out of me. “I couldn’t let him go on. I couldn’t let him hurt you.”

Although I was thankful he hadn’t, I had to ask. “So you killed him?”

His gaze shifted, his eyes brightening as though he was at last returning to normal. “Are you all right? Please tell me you’re okay.”

He scoured my body for injuries as I’d done his. “Yeah, I’m good. Aside from one hell of a headache and the zombie guts all over me.” And, of course, the dead body a few feet away.

“What happened?” My voice broke. “Josh, please tell me what’s going on.” Could I trust him now that he’d saved my life? God, how I want to trust him, how I want him to be the man I’ve fallen for. Please, tell me the truth.

He pulled me into his arms, cradling me. I leaned against him, melting into the safety of my husband. I laid my head against his chest and concentrated on listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat. The man had lied to me, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop caring for him. Especially since he’d risked his life for mine.

“He’s not dead, Sam.”

I pushed away from him, needing to check the body. If he wasn’t dead, he was doing a great job of faking it. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. He’s out cold, but he’s still alive.”

The rush of relief rocked me. “Shouldn’t we call the cops? Or an ambulance?”

“No. He’s okay. Or at least he will be.” His hold tightened. “I had to stop him, Sam. He went too far, tried to dig too deep, tried to make your memories come back too fast. Once I knew you were in trouble, I didn’t have a choice. You couldn’t have withstood the probing any longer.”

“So you did hear me call for help.”

He shook his head. “No, but I could see your panic. The look on your face was…awful.”

I let his sigh ripple through me, comforting me better than any words could. He lied to me. I shook my head against the thought. He’d saved my life. Didn’t that make up for his lies? Yes, but I still needed answers.

“Josh, what was that light? Where did it come from? And the smoke afterward?” I sat up, needing to see the truth—or the lie—in his face.

“I don’t know.” He twisted away from me, keeping his gaze from mine.

“Oh.” Please, Josh, tell me. If he’d tell me what I needed to know, I knew I could forgive almost anything.

Still, I held back the urge to jump all over him, demand the truth and not let him go until he told me everything. Instead, I tried a different tactic.

“Josh, what’s the Pearl of Wisdom? Toulog kept talking about it like he expected me to know.”

Josh gave me a look that said it all. He wants to tell me. I know he does. Something’s holding him back.

I waited, my heart pounding, as he took several long minutes to respond. He opened his mouth a couple of times, and I held my breath, positive that he was about to tell me everything. My hope plummeted when his face grew expressionless. “I don’t know, Sam. Do you? Are you starting to remember?”

Damn, damn, damn. He was still lying.

My heart felt as though it had dropped to the floor. I wanted to scream at him, to shake him and make him understand that he could trust me. His inability to open up to me made me second-guess telling him what I knew.

“No. I mean, sort of. I’ve had dreams about a special pearl, a large pink pearl. Then Toulog—” I glanced at the body, “—started asking me about it. Why did he think I knew about this wisdom pearl thing? I didn’t even know it existed until today.”

I took another look at the prone body and smothered a cry. “Holy shit, Josh, you know he’s going to call the police. What are we going to tell them? That you attacked him because he was pushing me to remember?” I didn’t think the police would buy it, but I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“It’ll be okay, Sam.”

“But how? We can’t simply walk out the door and leave him here. He needs medical attention.”

“I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.”

“Don’t worry? Are you serious?” The restraint keeping back my emotions broke apart and I felt like crying and screaming at him at the same time. I was so tired of all the lies.

“Trust me. He won’t go to the authorities any more than we will. What he tried to do was unethical and probably illegal, too. No, I think it’s best we pretend we were never here.”

I tried to move away, but Josh’s arms tightened, trying to comfort me. A part of me couldn’t help but suspect he’d used the hug to keep me from studying his face. “Please believe me, Sam. We’ll figure everything out. I’ll keep you safe no matter what happens. I promise.”

I closed my eyes. I wanted him to believe in me just as I wanted to believe in him. And I did believe him. He’d saved my sanity and my life.

Maybe it didn’t make sense after his lies and secrets, but my heart told me he was one of the few people I could trust not to hurt me. Just like he had with Toulog, he’d have my back.

Was I too gullible? Was I wanting to regain the relationship we’d had in the past weeks? Or should I have listened to the warning bells ringing in my head?

In the end, I compromised. I’d trust Josh until I found out the whole truth. He deserved as much after saving me. I sighed and sent him a silent plea.

Please don’t break my heart again.