Scaled hands gripped the edge of the raft. It would be so easy for her to use her claws on the raft. They were long, and sharp, like knives. She pulled herself up so that she was face to face with Elizabeth.
She flicked her tail at him, the long scales flickering with her own electric current. She was like some kind of mermaid, electric eel, zombie hybrid.
But the creatures moved for her as she passed.
“I’m sorry.” Elizabeth apologized. “May I see one?”
The creature laughed. “You want me to show you my children? You aren’t afraid?”
“I find fear is easily allayed with knowledge.”
“I suppose, then. Put out your hand.”
No way in hell. Adam put out his hand. “I will hold him first.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Let her wash her hands, first.”
“My children will not hurt her.” The creature seemed offended.
“Is it rude to ask,” Elizabeth began, “what you are?”
“Only slightly.” The creature’s eyes were visible in the shadows. They were white orbs with no iris. “But I like you, human. I am a rusalka. I guard this river. Below Bureau 7 is mine. Above is all theirs.”
“I have to warn you, there’s been an accident,” Elizabeth said.
“I know. We’ve eaten many of your accidents.” A wet sound that could’ve the smack of lips echoed.
Adam didn’t like how close she was to Elizabeth. In all the stories of rusalka he’d heard, they were like sirens, luring men to their deaths.
“What do you want with us?” Adam asked.
She laughed again, the sound horrible. “It is you who have come to me, dead man. Not the other way around.”
“Will you allow us to pass?” Elizabeth asked.
“Yes,” the rusalka agreed. “But with your promise to send me more of your tasty accidents.”
“They’re infected with a virus. You don’t know how it will affect you.”
“Aren’t you sweet? Just sweet enough to eat, if I didn’t like you.” A fork in the river appeared and the rusalka guided them to the right, toward the frothy waters that contained ever more of her young.
“Wait!” Elizabeth cried. “Look! It’s Polidori’s lab coat!”
Adam looked to the left and saw John’s blood splattered, shredded lab coat.
“You know him?”
“Yes. I worked with him,” Elizabeth answered.
“I hope you didn’t like him. I sent him the wrong way and there are worse things in these waters than me.”
“Have you been topside?” Elizabeth asked.
“You’re just full of questions, aren’t you?”
Adam stayed silent.
“I’m a scientist. I’m curious about everything.”
“No, I am much like your Poly-dor, in that aspect.”
The canal narrowed and the scaly hand disappeared from the side of the raft.
“This is as far as I go. See the light up ahead? Make sure to grab ropes or you’ll go over the edge of the falls.”
She sank beneath the swirling black waters and her children followed.
Adam decided he was definitely anti-rusalka.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, was excited. “That was amazing.”
She was probably going to be the death of him. Literally. His hearts would stop in his chest, but he decided that was mostly okay.
The fire in her eyes was worth it.
The ropes came at them quickly and they were pulled up into the light. Into a room where everything was sterile and clean and bright. It was completely different from the subterranean world they’d just left.
It appeared that none of the infected had been in this room, either.
There was a keycard and thumbprint apparatus on the only door out and the ax and other weapons had stayed in the raft. There’d been no way to grab them and hold on to the ropes.
Now, the only thing standing between Elizabeth and infection was him.
For the first time, it mattered if he was enough.
For the first time, he doubted himself.
Whatever it was that gave him that extra sensory perception about the Wollstonecraft bloodline also told him that it was Elizabeth who was going to pay the price.
Chapter Seven
The rusalka had been terrifying, but one of the more interesting creatures she’d gotten to interact with since taking the Bureau 7 job. She’d thought for sure the thing was going to eat them, but was pleased they’d made it to the ropes.
She looked to Adam and instinctively knew he was wondering how she was going to fight with no ax. Elizabeth still had the gun, but she had limited rounds and she wasn’t that experienced.
She supposed the zombie apocalypse would be the mother of invention. Experience. Whatever.
Part of her so desperately wanted to take Adam up on his offer to let him carry her away to his boat and sail to warm waters where none of this mattered. But if she didn’t stop it, who would? She couldn’t abdicate her responsibility for what happened here. Sure, they could blame X, but they couldn’t blame them if she abandoned the mess they’d made without trying to clean it up.
“Are you ready?” she asked him.
“Would it do any good if I asked you to stay behind me?” He sounded tired, like it was an exhaustion that went deeper than the body. Soul-tired, if one believed in such things.