Chapter 10:
It wasn't a good way to start my day. But it was even worse if you take into account that I had being awake for the last twenty four hours.
I had no idea of why they were shooting me in the first place. It was plainly stupid. Even when unknown, you don't go and shot anyone who's actually keeping your stuff together. Not to say how stupid it was to attack a cape in the first place. Sure, they could have thought that I was going to get infected, but that would leave them with days to work with before I was an actual threat. What was worse and made it even more stupid, since they were trying to shot me down, not only were the infected getting through the other gate, but also through the one I was guarding. Soon, their base was overflown, they all killed. People could be stupid like that.
I wasn't in the mood to fight the infected again, so I jumped out of their grasp. First, to the top of a nearby wall. Then, to the roof where I was originally hiding in. They observed me, but were unable to reach my position, though they were gathering beneath me.
Far in the distance, I was able to see the helicopter getting away, heading to the river, and something reddish jumping from one building to the next, following its trail. Maybe I should follow them too. If he was the patient zero, maybe they could synthesize a cure, or a vaccine, and the thing could be trying to avoid it. They were all trying to get into the facility he was in after all.
Either way, with my portal, I should be able to carry whatever medicament they developed back to the bay fast enough, but the problem was how to get them to not shot me on sight again.
I really didn't get why the everyone was shooting at me lately… well, that one time when I was killing people at the hospital was justified, but, beside that one? I was being law-abiding enough to not be shot.
"Hands up!" was the shout that took me out of my absorption. Turning around, I saw four guys much like the ones which were guarding the jarred guy. On the other side of the rooftop, four more were getting down of a black combat helicopter. Trying to avoid a fight, I returned my arm to its armored, human form, noticing how the armor I was wearing was almost completely part of my body.
"Could we please just talk this out?" I tried.
Their aims steady, he kept shouting at me. "Shut up! Hands up! You are coming with us! If you try anything funny, we will take you down! Sergeant, do it!"
One of them let go of his rifle, whose strap saved from reaching the ground and probably shoot us all accidentally, and drew a different weapon. While he was aiming for me, I noticed how it's magazine was giving off a dim red light.
I wasn't going to let them shot me with some weird weapon just because they were soldiers. I was done with being shot by soldiers. Focusing for a second, I invested most of my body mass to teleport away.
"What the fuck! How did she… fuck. Everyone better understand this. We. Didn't. Encountered. her. Is that clear soldiers?" I heard the same man order to the others.
Hastily, they all agreed with a loud "we do, Lieutenant."
Was I being just unlucky? Maybe. Were all the soldiers jerks? Most likely.
I was in the room right under the roof, hearing them, and observing the helicopter from behind the windows, when something crashed against it.
I had no time to recover my breath or wait for them to leave. They were taking him away for a reason, and, whichever it was, it would probably be bad if those monster killed him.
Without a second thought, I jumped through the pane. Making them all notice me one more time. Grabbing the first infected that got into my reach, I jumped again, trying to skip them by jumping over the crowd. On every land, I would consume the previous one, just to pick another. After just three forward leaps, I was out of the main group, and out of the soldier's weapons' range, so I ran straight to the smoke column I was seen.
When I reached the crashing site, the scene kind of a relieved me. Yes, almost everyone was dead, and that was a shame, but he was a few paces away from the helicopter main body and no infected was around. The substance he had been in, keeping him safe from the fire, making a thin pool around his body. As I walked inside, I noticed how it was slightly burning out my soles, but I deemed it unimportant, it could be mixing with the acid of the battery or any other number of things. Leaning over him, I checked him in case he had any injury, not wanting to infect him if he wasn't already, and carefully took the breathing mask he was wearing off.
As soon as I did it, he coughed, throwing up some of the liquid. "Mom?" was his first word.
"Sorry, I'm not your mother… Are you alright?"
The boy eyed me inquisitively, his deep light-blue eyes so clear that they were almost white, making a good match for his pale skin. He was younger than me, maybe eight or nine, and thin, almost scrawny. His clothes were old, if the worn out sleeves were something to go by, and soaked, pretty much like his short golden hair. There was no evident injury over his body, maybe a consequence of being trapped in that thing during the crash. I was unable to locate the container, so it probably was shattered.
After a while, he smiled, still mostly lying on the floor. "Would you help me find my mom lady?"
Lady, sure, because I was old. It's funny how something like that could made you get a bit mad. "We better get out of here first, the zombies are coming. Do you know anywhere nearby were we could hide?"
Placing his index on top of his chin, and his thumb beneath it, he made a thinking pose. Kids. It was weird to be holding a boy in my arms, which was probably cuter than me, while he was doing that.
"I know this place, the Manhattan borough repair shop. It's really close, and have sturdy doors, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to walk there by myself." blushing a bit, he looked away, into the river.
"Very well, tell me were it is and I'll carry you there."
Straightening a bit, he pointed to a half closed gate that was a few paces behind me. Kids.
Lifting him carefully, I walked us inside. The place was just a garage, the doors going into the actual place barricaded. Maybe someone hided there before. The floor was covered with bits of wood, a couple of mattresses, and empty food cans.
I lied him on the one that was next to a wall and took the pillow from the other, to help him to remain straight without much effort. When I decided that he was as comfortable as he would be, and the gate was securely closed, I took a sit next to him. "So, you want me to help you find your mother?"
"Yep, and I think you will succeed." he said with the gleaming smile of those who remained untainted by the world.
"But, how will I do that? Do you happen to know where she is?" I inquired.
"Nop," his smile not faltering.
"Look, I don't want to let you down, I really want to help you to reunite with her, but I'm not from here. I know almost nothing about the city, and even less about who your mother is or how to find her."
He tilted his head to the side while saying, "But you can learn. Can't you?"
It was getting a bit creepy. "What do you mean by 'learn'? Did she left something behind which could point out to her location?" before he could answer, I remembered something else, something I intended to ask him since the beginning, but, somewhy, didn't. "Whats your name, and why were you with those men, in that container?"
Undisturbed, he said "I'm Aphira, and, if you are thinking that it's weird, it means spontaneous and friendly. That said, they were protecting me."
"No, yea, I mean, it's a cool name. Anyway, protecting you? From what?"
"From the monsters. Obviously."
Exasperated, I took out the detector I was still carrying to check out the boy, just in case. Testing it, I found out that it wasn't working anymore. Whenever I pressed the button, it would just go red, even if nothing was close. With no better options left, I kept asking the boy. "And, where do I find the information I need to learn to be able to find your mother, while I protect you from the monsters at the same time? I guess there wont be an easy way to do it, right?"
Waving one of his hands dismissively, he said "Meh, don't worry about the monsters, I'm sure they wont bother me if I stay here." he scratched his nape, making a funny face. Probably thinking. "I don't remember his name, or where he might be, but there is a guy in the city who knows were she is. You should find his assistant and consume him. That way you will know how to begin your search."
"Seems like a… wait, what?" I asked in disbelieve, unsure if what I just heard was what I thought it was.
"You know aunty, May I cal you aunty? You looks a lot like my aunt, anyway, Easy two-steps plan, as you asked. You find guy, you eat guy. Should be easy. I even happen to know where he's hiding." when I stared at him shocked, his face straightened all of a sudden. "Don't look at me like that. I was awake when they took me out of the facility, and I saw you wielding that arm of yours."
Fearing it all to be a trap, I readied myself. "That doesn't explain how you do know that I can get memories from others, and it better be good, I've told no one about it."
His smile resurfacing until it twisted a bit the outer corner of his eyes. "Don't give me that look aunty. While I was in there, I heard them talk. A few days ago, when the outbreak began, a couple of forensic surgeons trapped a man inside of the morgue, behind a huge armored door. They made plenty of test to him, and he was able to manifest something akin to the thing you had in your arm. I just connected the dots and assumed that, if he could, you should be able too."
A man... Was he that man, the one I saw in the station the first time, the one from my dreams. The one with the hood. It was a possibility and he made his point. "Where's he know?"
"Dunno." he said casually."Last thing I heard, they were going to vivisect him yesterday. I don't know if he survived. Anyway, are you going to help me or not? They could be torturing her, you know?" Fucking kids.
"Do you know anything about this outbreak? You seems knowledgeable for someone of your age."
"I'm what… like eight? I know that they let a virus go wild and kill thousands, just to see what would happen because they said so. And I know that you have a good heart deep below aunty. I'm just asking you to help me find my mother. Is that to much?"
"Okay, Okay, but there is no need to kill him. I'll just ask for his cooperation. Where is he?"
"He lives on top of the Havana Central restaurant. But he wont tell you willingly, just saying."
"I'll talk him into it, don't worry, but, could you give me some directions? I have no idea on how to get there."
"Let me think…" moving away the cans next to his mattress, he began to draw a map "First, you turn right from were we are. Then, you must follow the river until you see a place called the intrepid museum or something like that. Once there, turn right again and go straight. It should be after the fourth or fifth intersection. He owns the tenth floor."
"Okay, I'll see what I can do. Are you sure you will be safe here?"
Giving me the thumbs up, he said "No prob. Good luck"
I was about to leave when I thought about something else. Something important actually. "Which is your mother's name?"