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

“Okay,” I said, nodding, watching as her smile relaxed and her brow bore down to what I could guess was its normal, stern position.

“So, tell me you've been wasting my time. Tell me you've not seen someone who has survived a bite. Tell me you haven't witnessed what could be our first clue in bringing this nightmare to an end before it takes out the rest of the country.”

Still, I couldn't just blurt out the words she wanted to hear; something was telling me it wasn't right to just hand over Jack.

I couldn't help but turn to Cassie; couldn't help but look deep into her eyes as she stared straight back like she was trying to reach into my mind and tell me something. Trying to urge me to go one way or the other.

67

“Jack,” I said, knowing as the name came out I could no longer take it back.

Staring at Cassie, I watched the intensity of her expression melt to a smile.

“His name is Jack,” I said, warming with her reassurance. “But he's only ten, or thereabouts.” I turned back to the doctor and watched her hands slide through the mess of paper spread across the desk.

“When was he bitten?” she said, as she seemed to find what she was looking for.

I looked to Cassie, turning away as she nodded.

“Two days ago, when this all started, but we only met him this morning.”

She looked up from a page of paper she had in front of her as she found a pencil.

“How can you be sure?”

“There's a wound on his hand. Looks like a bite. Plus, it's what he told us.”

She continued to stare in my direction before turning down and scribbling.

“Did he say if he had any ill effects?”

I shrugged.

“He said he slept an entire day, but he didn't mention anything else.”

The pencil ran across the page.

“And there's no chance he could be lying?”

“He's a good kid. What would be the reason?”

Looking down at the page, she made more notes, before striking through part of what she'd written.

“Where is he?” she said, her pencil hovering.

I looked to Cassie and saw a flash of what I thought was concern in her eyes.

“What are you going to do to him?”

Her smile came back and I stiffened upright in the seat until she let the facade drop.

“Blood samples, that's all. We're not the monsters,” she replied. “There's a simple test. If he continues to suffer no symptoms and we find the Cordyceps fungus in his blood stream, we'll know he's creating the precious antibodies we need.”

“Then what?” I said, my voice more stern than I'd intended. I looked to Cassie and her eyebrows raised, urging me on.

“More tests, but it's hard to say until we see the blood work,” she replied, her own posture stiffening. “Where is he?”

“We were holding out with our friends in a house about ten miles away. They're waiting for us to come back with supplies.”

“Where exactly?” she said, the pencil still hovering.

“I couldn't tell you,” I replied, shaking my head and watched as she leaned forward, tilting her head to the side.

Her eyes squinted, but still locked on to mine.

“It's the truth. Ever since this started we've been on the move.”

As she shook her head, I felt rage building in my chest.

“Look here,” I said, moving to stand. “What with watching our friends die, scavenging for food, hiding from those creatures, being shot at from the skies, attacked by looters and kidnapped by the military, I didn't have a chance to consult the map I didn't even have.”

Cassie's hand reached across from her chair and I felt myself calm with her warmth. I sat and watched the doctor take a deep breath, the wrinkles on her forehead flattened out for a moment as a scowl flashed across her face.

“But we can take you there,” I said.

Her head angled up and her shoulders relaxed as her hand went below the table. From her pocket she pulled a radio handset, her long wrinkled fingers tapping across the numbered buttons before she held it up to her mouth.

A quiet male voice came from the speaker. “Captain Bains, Ma'am.”

“Captain, when is the next patrol due back?” she replied, her gaze not leaving mine.

“Sixteen hundred, Ma'am.”

The doctor shook her head. “Have you got another squad available for a retrieval?” she asked, her eyes still fixed. “About ten miles?”

I nodded.

“Ten miles out. Collecting a group of?” she said, raising her left eyebrow.

“Seven,” I said, and she repeated the number down the line, adding two passengers would accompany the patrol as she watched Cassie's nod.

“We'll need three vehicles, plus at least six on security,” the voice came back.

“Can you spare them?”

There was a pause for a moment before the reply.

“Yes, Ma'am, they can be ready in ten minutes.”

She killed the call without signing off and placed the radio on the table.

“Okay,” she nodded. “We'll get everyone together and take it from there.”

Moments later, there was a knock at the door and we were introduced to Sergeant McCole, a tall, but stocky man, made wider with the full body armour and camouflage kit he wore. With weathered skin and jet-black, short hair, his thick, unkempt eyebrows added to his unwelcoming expression.

“Have either of you had any military training?” were his first words as he led us down the corridor, leaving the doctor in her office.

Shaking my head, I voiced the answer, looking at Cassie as she did the same.

“No.”

“You'll do well to remember that. We're the professionals and you do as we say,” he said, without looking to us as he walked at speed down the long corridor, not checking to make sure