“Good thinking, but after that blow, we’ll be lucky if she knows her name.” I’d laugh, but my body’s too uptight. The knots in my neck would take a rolling pin to push out.
He gives me the flashlight, and I shine it down the tunnel and back into the underground. With each step, my feet sting and my eyes burn. I don’t feel safe until I see Grace’s wide eyes and outstretched arms. She grabs me tight and hugs me like it’s the last time she’ll see me.
“Oh thank God, I thought something happened to you,” she says. “When you didn’t come back last night, we thought the worst.” Her eyes drift to Cole with Amber draped over him. “Who is that?”
“A witch,” I say.
“I second that,” Cole says. He places her body on the floor. Her head flops awkwardly to the left and rests on her shoulder. He touches her forehead with the outside of his hand. “Her name’s Amber. She worked with Lexi at the hospital.” He looks at me. “Her head feels warm.”
“Well, yeah, you did knock her out,” I say.
“Why’d you do that?” Grace asks.
“Oh, just you wait. You’ll want to knock her out yourself.”
“Lexi, I’m being serious here,” Cole says.
I walk over to Amber and touch her arm. It is warm. When I do the same thing as Cole, the heat from her skin radiates into mine. “She has a fever.”
“Great to have you back, bro,” Bruno says while running toward Cole and pulling him into a man hug. “I was about to call in the cavalry.” He slaps Cole on the back and smiles.
“Welcome back. Did you manage to get any information?” Roméo asks. He appears from behind Bruno, his smaller stature hidden by Bruno’s towering figure. His voice is quiet, but very serious.
“Actually, yes. Turns out Bill was right,” I say.
“Ah-ha, yes, I knew it!” Bill says. “I’m awesome. Go on and say it. ‘Bill, you’re the most brilliant man alive.’ Do it; go on.”
“Bill, your wisdom has left me breathless,” I say while rolling my eyes at him. “Anyway, they were escorting Sinners to the lab. After a few hours, they came out and were ordered to return home.”
“When they left, did you notice anything different about them?”
“Not really, if anything … maybe a little confused?” I say.
“Amber”—Cole points to her lifeless body—“was part of the group. Thought maybe you’d want to question her,” Cole says to Roméo with a nod in his direction.
“That, and she was trying to turn us in,” I say with a frown. I watch as Roméo strokes the cleft in his chin and lowers his eyes for a moment.
“By the looks of it, she didn’t come willingly,” he says. I glance at Cole, and he shifts on his feet. “Unpleasant people are always a pleasure to work with,” Roméo says. He grabs at his collar, pulling it away from his neck. “Lexi, is it too much to ask for you and Grace to stay with her? When she wakes up, let me know.”
“Sure,” I say. “Oh, wait.” Their eyes turn back to me. “We saw Sutton.” Everyone stops and stares at me.
“How?” Roméo asks, breaking the silence. “Was he all right?”
When I try to answer, nothing comes out.
“Definitely not,” Cole says. “Wilson beat him publically, trying to lure Lexi in.”
“Guess that means you didn’t get to chat,” Bruno says.
“He did … mouth to me … to get the records,” I say.
“Are you sure that’s what he mouthed, Lusty? Because reading lips isn’t a skill we all have.”
“Yes, I’m sure of it.”
“Poor Sutton. Where was he?” Grace asks.
“The execution stage,” Cole says. And I don’t miss the look that passes between him and Bruno. Bruno’s body tightens, his shoulders arching upward.
“Also … ” Cole says.
“More good news?” Bruno asks, but he’s not smiling. His fists clench at his sides.
“Wilson took away the daily rations.”
“Here comes the zombie war,” Bruno says.
“But on the bright side of things, we have food down here, so we aren’t gonna starve.” Bill seems pleased with himself as if he personally collected all the food.
“This mission just got a whole lot harder,” Bruno says. “They all know what Lexi looks like. How are we going to hide her? It was bad enough that people outside the Hole were fed wanted posters and notices every hour. Now, people inside the Hole will be hunting her too.”
“You’re not hiding me anywhere. There’s no way I’m staying down here while you guys are up there. Plus, it’s not just me; they know all of us, except Roméo. And I doubt they know Bill’s with us.”
“Have you got anything good to tell us?” Bruno asks. “You’re like the harbingers of death.”
“Sorry, man, not a damn thing,” Cole says.
“I’m going to grab some things; mind if I take Zeus with me?” Bill cuts in. I twist my head in his direction, confused.
“For what?” I ask.
“Company.”