Thanks to Xander’s contacts and clues from power drains on the grid, they were able to narrow down a few possible locations within the city for a BSL-4 lab.
There were three likely places, circled in red on the city map. “CJ, Laird, you take the north. Scarlett, Xander, you take the west, and I’ll take the east.”
“You shouldn’t go alone,” Scarlett said. “Xander can send an agent to go with you for backup.”
Zak waved off the offer. “I don’t want to wait. I want to hit the road now. Every minute counts. I’m aware of the risk. I know how to breach a building undetected. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Don’t let your emotion cloud your judgment,” Scarlett warned, but Zak was already on the move. He had a one-track movie playing in his mind—find Caitlin—and he didn’t care.
Zak walked out the door with CJ, of all people, hot on his heels, calling out, “Wait up, man.” When Zak stopped with an impatient frown, CJ, said, “Hey, man, take a breather, you’ve got a mad-dog look in your eyes and it’s not you. You’re always the one cooling me down, so I figure it’s my turn to return the favor. You’re running too hot. You need a cooler head if you want to save your lady.”
Zak hadn’t told CJ about his feelings for Caitlin. “Scarlett tell you?” Zak asked, narrowing his gaze with suspicion but CJ just shook his head.
“It’s pretty damn obvious. You’ve got the worst poker face. You’ve been head over heels for the doc since day one. It’s cool, man. I envy you, for real. But if you want to save her, you’ve got to calm down and think straight. You’ve got that look in your eyes like you want to rush into the place John McClane–style, guns blazing, and that’s going to get you killed. Possibly the doc, too. That’s not what you want.”
Zak didn’t want to hear this even if CJ was right, but hell, coming from CJ, the original crazy hothead, it was just weird. Maybe that was why he was able to hear it. It was just weird enough to sink in. He blew out a frustrated breath but nodded, accepted the advice.
CJ grinned, realizing he’d gotten through to Zak. “Damn, maybe I’m good at this. Career change—therapist, maybe?”
Zak shook his head ruefully. “I wouldn’t go that far, buddy, but I get it. Thanks. You’re right, I was coming in pretty hot.”
“Damn right you were. I mean, I respect it. It’s how I do things, but we both agree I come at things with a sledgehammer when sometimes a sledgehammer does nothing but break shit.”
He chuckled. “True again.”
“So you gonna wait for backup?”
“That would be the smart thing.”
“But you’re not going to, are you?”
Zak cast a shit-eating grin at CJ. “Hell, all I’m doing is a little recon. Don’t need backup for that, right?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
He laughed, the red cloud lifting for a minute. “Keep your phone handy. I might need backup if my location is the jackpot.”
“Ditto.”
They bumped fists and parted ways.
Heading for the eastside location, Zak scanned the area looking for anything that seemed to support a BSL-4 lab. GPS put him a half block from the location on the grid and he saw a warehouse looming. It was certainly big enough to support the needs of a BSL-4 lab. Parking far enough away to walk in undetected, he kept to the shadows and crept in the alleys behind the warehouse, watching for potential cameras. If this was the place, they wouldn’t take any chances with unwanted visitors. Zak came to the backside of the building and scanned to the top.
Time to do a little snooping around and see what he could see.
Regina came to Caitlin’s “bedroom” later that night with a pleased expression. “Your serum is working well. We will move into mass production of your formula starting tomorrow so that we can inoculate the Faithful ahead of the super blue moon eclipse. You’ve exceeded expectation. Very good. Robert’s faith in you was not misplaced.”
Caitlin didn’t trust herself not to spit something snarky at the woman, so remained silent. She was trying to earn brownie points. “How is Rebecca?” she asked, concerned for her friend. “Is she recovering?”
“Assuming your serum continues to work as expected, she’ll recover. However, she will remain in isolation and under guard until we can determine that you are not going to do anything foolish.”
“And by foolish, you mean try to escape because you’ve kidnapped me,” Caitlin supplied with a short smile devoid of humor.
“Your perspective still needs adjusting but I’m willing to overlook your rudeness for this evening,” Regina said, patting her bun with a subtle motion.
Then she smiled and said, “As a reward, I’ve arranged for some company for you tonight. Robert said you and Teresa seemed to have hit it off. She’s a kind soul and a good girl. You would benefit from emulating her meek spirit.”
Not bloody likely. Caitlin accepted the offer with a subtle nod and Regina seemed satisfied. She opened the door for Teresa to enter and then stepped out. “I will return within the hour. Enjoy your visit.”
Teresa had brought ice cream.
“I hope you like vanilla,” she said, handing Caitlin a small dessert cup. “I figured that was the safest bet.”
Caitlin accepted the ice cream with a smile. “It’s great, thank you. Please, sit with me.”
Teresa smiled, happy to be there with her. Either Teresa was dumb as a box of rocks or she’d been kept in an underground shelter her entire life and knew nothing about the world in general. One way to find out. “Teresa, do you realize I’m being held here against my will?” Caitlin asked.
Teresa’s smile faltered. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, Regina jabbed a needle in my neck, drugged me and forced me to create a serum to protect the Faithful so that when she unleashes a horrific virus on the world, the Faithful don’t die bleeding out their assholes.”
It was a little on the graphic side but Caitlin didn’t have the option of softballing the situation. Teresa looked nervously to the door. “Regina is our leader. God has chosen her to lead us to the new world.”
“No, Regina is a crazy loon and she’s going to kill a lot of innocent people unless you help me. Teresa, you seem like a good person. Why are you helping a bunch of crazy people hurt innocent people? Do you know what this virus does to the human body?”
“It puts the bad people to sleep,” she said, although her voice reeked with uncertainty.
“No, it doesn’t do that at all,” Caitlin corrected her, trying to remain patient when she wanted to shake some sense into her empty head. “It liquefies your insides and turns you to mush. It’s excruciating and it’s brutal. One of the first victims was a two-year-old child—practically a baby. Right now, there is a three-year-old in the hospital dying from this virus—” Caitlin stopped, realizing that for all she knew Georgia Burke was already dead, too. Her eyes welled with sudden tears but she sucked them back. “People are already dying horribly from this virus and it’s all Regina’s fault. Please. Listen to me, Teresa. You can save millions if you listen to me right now.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know what Regina has told you about how the virus works but I can assure you that the infected don’t simply go to sleep peacefully. She’s lying to you. Help me. Regina is dangerous and she’s crazy.”
The wheels were turning enough to give Caitlin hope that maybe Teresa wasn’t as dumb as she appeared, until she suddenly shook her head resolutely. “No, she’s chosen. You don’t understand. All prophets face trials and must endure sacrifice.”
“Regina isn’t sacrificing anything,” Caitlin said, trying again to get through to Teresa. “She’s pushing her own agenda and it has nothing to do with anything I’ve ever seen in any Bible! Show me where in scripture does it say you must unleash a supervirus on some lunar event in order to cleanse the earth? I must’ve missed that day in Sunday school because I don’t remember that lesson.”
Teresa insisted, her expression becoming beatific. “No, you don’t understand, she’s sacrificed her own flesh and blood, much like Abraham!”
Caitlin drew back. “What?”
Teresa bobbed a vigorous nod. “Yes. God knew that Regina couldn’t ask of the Faithful the ultimate sacrifice if she wasn’t willing to do the same, so she offered her own flesh and blood.”
“What are you talking about?” Caitlin repeated, confused. “What sacrifice?”
“Her daughter, Ellis.”
Suddenly, Caitlin’s throat constricted and three names flashed in her memory.
Wes, Ellis and Georgia Burke—the family in quarantine.
Why hadn’t she put it together?
“Regina infected her own daughter?” Caitlin asked, horrified.
Teresa said sadly, “She was an unrepentant.”
Tears blinded her. “Oh, my God, if I ever hear that stupid word one more time I’ll jab a pen in my own ear,” she said, wiping at her eyes. “They’re innocent people, not unrepentant. Regina might’ve killed her own damn family.”
Caitlin thought of the little girl, Georgia, and felt fresh rage. If Zak didn’t find Regina first, Caitlin had a pretty good idea how she’d like Regina to meet her maker, and it was going to end up messy.
Caitlin shocked Teresa, reaching out to grab Teresa’s hands, holding them tight. “Do you feel this? Human hands. Warm blood courses through my veins, same as you, same as the people Regina is condemning to a gruesome death over some misguided sense of faith. How can you in good conscience support the murder of millions? The murder of children, whose only crime is being born to parents who don’t subscribe to the same faith as yours? Is that really so bad? People can still be good even if they don’t believe in the same religion. History is built upon the bones of people killed in the name of religion. Please don’t add to the list of misguided people believing theirs is the only way. Please, Teresa. I’m begging you.”
Teresa blinked back something that looked like tears, as possibly even doubt crossed her expression, but she pulled her hands from Caitlin’s tight grasp and rose to knock rapidly on the door. “Regina, we’re done with our ice cream,” she said, avoiding Caitlin’s crushed gaze. And Caitlin knew Teresa wasn’t going to help her.
Whatever Kool-Aid Regina was passing out, Teresa was guzzling it down just like everyone else in this crazy place.
Caitlin closed her eyes and prayed Zak was having better luck in finding her than she was having in busting out.