In The End Box Set | Books 1-3 Stevens, GJ (story books to read TXT) 📖

The orange jumpsuit lay crumpled at her feet. With her hand at her back she unclipped her bra strap whilst stepping from a lace pair of knickers.

Blood raced around my body, filling me up, urging me on. I took a long drag of the cigarette and turned back to the window, but my thoughts fixed on her curves, the image of her slender body in the dim light stuck in my head.

Was I seriously letting her distract me from the shit going down all around? I took a deep pull on the cigarette, but still I couldn't shake the image.

“It’s been too long. There’s no escaping from our reality. I know that, but…” Toni said, again cutting herself off.

She was talking like we hadn’t seen each other because there was too much going on in our lives.

Yes, when we were together the weeks would pass by like hours. The rest of life set aside, blurring past the window unnoticed, but all it took was for one of us to remember we had other lives, or she’d see me glance at someone else or a call would come from an editor or her boss, and our time would be over.

At first, I thought neither of us could ask the other to make the sacrifice it would take so we could be together forever.

“Too many distractions,” she added.

Determined not to be drawn away, I spoke again.

“Why haven’t you answered my questions?” I said, turning back, but the rest of the words held stiff in my throat as with the clink of coat-hangers on the rail I marvelled at the jeans hugging her form. The dark marks across her face as she pulled down the tight jumper made me regret my tone.

I turned back through the window and caught movement below, people moving between the buildings. Soldiers. A rescue party perhaps.

Shoulders hunching tight, I realised they weren’t here to rescue me. They were here to rescue survivors. They were here to recapture Toni, my fate separate.

“The rescue party’s here to save the day,” I said.

“Look again,” she replied, but I was still watching.

My gaze lingered and I held back from taking another drag. After a moment the pain in my stomach gripped tighter, the light seeming to grow and with it my vision sharpened.

Dull forms took shape. I watched as civilians and lab coats came into focus. I watched their slow movement, their direction without aim. The mass of people seemed to grow in number with the light. I watched their stilted movement, turning only as they bumped into each other, changing direction only as they reached the walls. Like maggots writhing in a bowl.

As the light grew, I saw the mass swelling in and out against a chain-link fence, ebbing and flowing like the tide. I saw another fence beyond and rubbed the bite on my arm. A long drag helped the growing pressure slow and took away the detail.

“What is this place?”

“A research facility,” she replied, her voice getting near.

I recalled our conversation as the figure’s injuries took shape and dark marked clothes grew clear, each face radiating a blank expression.

Now I knew what I was looking at. I knew what they were trying to do. I knew what I’d been infected with.

“What is it you do here exactly?” I said. With surprise my breath remained even.

“Head of infection control,” she replied, her words louder than I expected.

I turned, my gaze catching at first on her bruised face so close. The cigarette dropped as my mouth shot open and my hands pushed to the syringe lunging for my thigh.

15

I lay on my back in the darkness, warm for the first time in what seemed like an age. The left side of my body felt heavy, paralysed under my weight; a soft cushion nestled beneath my head and I waited for the drip to fall to my face.

I couldn’t move my left arm, my body unresponsive despite the rising panic. Just as it seemed like all was lost, I opened my eyes to the dim light and glared down at the dark head of hair resting on my chest.

A memory flooded back. My last. The needle stinging at the top of my leg before collapsing as she pulled back.

“What the fuck?” I screamed, my voice building with every syllable as my right side reared up.

The head stirred, soon tilting around. Toni’s bleary eyes looked back as I scrabbled to the floor.

“What the fuck?” I repeated, pulling down my trousers and seeing the small circular plaster just below my hip.

“What the fuck?” I repeated, pulling them up, my anger towards her so familiar as she dropped back to the sofa, fists rubbing at her eyes as a deep yawn spread her mouth wide.

“What have you done this time?” I said in a desperate voice. “You'd better answer, or I’ll…” I said, cutting myself off, fascinated with the washed-out colours as if I wore sunglasses to smooth the edges of my vision and take the vibrancy from my senses.

Turning back, I glared with my impatience rising.

“Wait,” Toni said, getting to her feet.

I backed off, turning to look for any signs of what had happened whilst I’d been out cold. My gaze passed over the pistol on top of the desk, then stopped on a red jacket and skirt hanging on the back of the door. I lingered on the scarlet which seemed the only real colour in the room as our conversation from earlier pulled at my thoughts.

“Before I answer,” she said, holding her palms out as I turned back, “tell me how you feel.”

“Feel?” I said, snapping forward. “I’m fucking livid,” I said, my volume building.

She pushed her hands out, her mouth twisting in laughter as she fought for control.

“Take a moment, let