Thank you to Staypeculiar and Judging. All Day Every Day for reviewing. Staypeculiar my response to your review is at the end of the chapter because I couldn't respond to it without spoiling this chapter a bit!
Judging. All Day Every Day: I'm glad you liked the chapter, I put Addy and Warren's conversation in there for a bit of a different perspective. Even though them being judgmental made you mad I was happy my writing invoked an emotional reaction, there are really no such thing as bad reviews! So thank you for taking the time to leave your thoughts!
S3E09:
When 10K woke up from the shot he found himself again leaning against Bailey as she leaned against the tree. The sun was rising and the sky was turning pink with a new day as he groaned a bit and tried to sit up using his elbows for support but he was still too groggy and ended up falling back into Bailey. She didn't seem to mind though and brought her fingers to run through his hair.
"Were there any Z's while I was out?" he asked.
"No, Murphy must have enough power going that he turned on every light in Spokane, any Z's within seeing distance would have been drawn to it."
"He's probably using the blends to round them up and put them in the moat." He groaned getting some of his strength back. It fell silent as Bailey kept running her fingers through his hair before she let out a long breath and spoke.
"We need to go to Murphy's compound." She said with a touch of sadness in her tone like it upset her to say it.
"What?" he asked turning his head to look at her in shock and confusion. She looked down at him and her eyes were sad, she knew he wouldn't like what she was saying but she felt trapped, backed into a corner and this was the only path left to take.
"Dr. Merch is still there." Bailey began, bringing her finger to run along his jaw as he craned his neck keeping his eyes on her, "Maybe she's made a better version of the booster shot. Or maybe she's found a cure, something that will keep you out of Murphy's control permanently, or –"
"Bailey I can't go back there." He said, "You don't know what it was like there. I can't go back. I won't." he said his voice getting deeper and fiercer as he went on.
She sighed and looked away as he sat up, their bodies no longer touching, "Tommy." She said reaching into the grass and picking up the last booster shot they had, "We're running out of options."
He stared at the shot, his last shot, and she saw the conflict in his eyes. How much ground could they cover before he had to take it? How much distance could he put between himself and Murphy before it wore off? They had no food, no water and the only weapons they had were Bailey's. On foot they wouldn't get far.
"I can't go back there." He said softer now still staring at the injector as he made a fist pulling up some grass.
"Tommy –" then they heard a twig snap and both their heads shot up at the sound. 10K got up and Bailey followed him, they turned in all directions until through the trees they saw a small glint off a black helmet and saw one of the soldiers Murphy had bit.
"Run!" 10K shouted grabbing her hand and they took off. They heard the blend following them as they sprinted through the trees, then they came to a small clearing and stopped dead in their tracks. Another person was in front of them and turned to see them, it was Will with his hands behind his back casually.
"Murphy was right. You do have ten thousand lives." He said sounding impressed as he smirked and they dug their feet into the dirt and turned to a new direction and kept running. They didn't see Will chase after them which only made them feel worse, that meant he'd brought reinforcements and now they had the problem of wondering how many blends were in the woods with them. Bailey didn't even know what direction they were running in anymore as her lungs burned and her legs throbbed. Then 10K stopped and pulled her behind a wide tree.
"You have to go." He said with a firm grip on her arms.
"What?" she asked still catching her breath.
"They don't want you, they want me." He said urgently knowing every second they stood there the blends were catching up.
"I'm not leaving you." She said defiantly.
"Bailey you have to. I don't know what I'd do if Murphy did this to you too. I can't let that happen, you have to go." He said, his hold on her arms getting tighter with desperation as his voice turned to begging.
"No."
"Bailey –"
"No I'm not leaving you! I just got you back." She refused as 10K brought one hand to her face.
"Look, I promise I'll find a way out of this, I'm a survivor, a cockroach like Doc said remember." He told her as she grabbed his open shirt and held on tight, "I promise I'll find a way out of Murphy's control and when this is all over, I'll find you."
She started shaking her head, "No Tommy, please don't – "
"Run." He told her his voice cracking, "Just run east and keep running and no matter where you end up, no matter how far you run I promise I'll find my way back to you I swear." She shook her head again now with tears falling down her face, "Have I ever not kept a promise?"
She shook her head no as Tommy's gaze snapped to their right where they heard the blends getting closer.
"Go." He said turning back to her urgently, "Bailey, go, run!" he said pushing her away and she slowly started taking steps backwards. "Don't look back, just keep running! Get out of here!" one more choked sob broke free before she turned and took off through the trees hearing him shouting after her, "I'll find you, run! Just go!"
10K POV
"I'll find you, run! Just go!" he shouted watching her disappear through the woods. Then he turned and saw the blends approaching him and he took off in the opposite direction Bailey had went. He was too tired and too weak to leap over rooftops and scale fences like he had last time he'd been running from them and it wasn't long before he felt himself get tackled and he fell to the ground.
Third Person POV
There was a blend on a ladder feeding the Z's their lunch in the moat when Warren and Hector snuck over to where the fence met the building and cut a hole big enough to crawl through. They'd been staking out the compound for hours and finally had their chance around mid-day.
"I'll go, you wait here." Warren instructed.
"By yourself?"
"He's less likely to put up a fight if it's just me alone."
"I'm not worried about Murphy. I'm worried about the Z's." Hector said.
"I move fast."
"Yeah, you better." He passed her his knife and she tucked it into her pocket as she infiltrated the compound. She saw Murphy come out and head to the bathroom. There were two wooden port-a-potty type structures, one that read "Mr. Murphy" and another that said "Everyone Else."
Warren turned at the sound of snarling and saw the Z's from the moat following her into the compound through the hole she'd cut to get in. She quickly ducked into the spare port a potty before they all started banging on the door trying to get to her. She looked around, knowing that to get out of this one she'd have to think – literally – outside the box.
Murphy POV
"Five minutes to myself, that's all I ask." He grumbled coming out of his stall to find zombies pounding against the one beside him.
"What the hell's going on here?"
"Somebody cut through the fence." Will said arriving with reinforcements, "They must be trapped inside."
"Back off." Murphy ordered the Z's who cleared the area, then he turned to his blends, "Open it."
When Will did kick the door open the stall was empty and the back had been broken apart.
"Warren." Murphy muttered, knowing it couldn't have been anyone else.
Citizen Z POV
"Greetings America. Or what's left of America. This is your old friend and commentator Citizen Z. Now joined by. . . "
"Kaya in the Sky-a. Hello zombie apocalypse from beautiful Camp Northern Light. High above the zombie frostline."
"Eager to hear from any and all of you out there on the by-ways. . . "
"Or in your bunkers."
"Most especially our dear old friends at Operation Bitemark. – what the holy hell?" he asked as their headphones filled with static and Kaya checked the dials.
"Someone's on the same AM frequency." She said.
"The signal's blowing out half the dial."
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called the apocalypse. Surviving, afraid, hungry. Well, fear no more my friends."
"Oh no." he said recognizing the voice.
"What is it?" Kaya asked.
"Murphy."
10K POV
"We are six years into the zombie apocalypse and looking down the barrel at seven. But as the good book says, seven lean years shall be followed by seven fat. Or in our case, seven years shall give way to a time of hope and freedom. I don't care who you are, where you live or more to the point what you've done. We have all done what we had to, to survive. You don't need my forgiveness. That's not what I'm about. My business is hope. If you come here, if you join with me, you won't have to worry about bites, about turning. No more sleeping with one eye open watching for zombies, waiting for loved ones to turn. Here at my Spokane clinic we have a simple vaccine that'll end all your zombie related fears, once and for all. We have enough Murphy Miracle Vaccine for all who are ready. Ready for the future. Ten thousand doses of freedom from fear."
He heard Murphy's broadcast from the cell in the basement he was locked in. He leaned back against the wall and slid down to the floor. He was barefoot now, what was left of his clothes were tattered and barely hanging onto his body and every bit of exposed skin was covered in dirt and grime. There was a plate of food and a cup of water on the ground next to him that he'd only touched because he had desperately needed it. Besides, Murphy wouldn't poison him, he wanted him for some reason. Maybe he was still pissed that 10K had been the one to mercy Cassandra and making him suffer as a blend was payback. Everything felt hopeless, Murphy was going to get him back under his control, turn him into a puppet like Cassandra, make him hurt his friends like Cassandra. The only positive thing he held onto was that Bailey was out there running. She was going east, every minute she got further from Murphy, as long as she made it he'd be okay.
Warren POV
After three days of searching Seattle for the Red Hand the Red Hand finally found them. Their drug dealer, a man called Hopper, led them to the Red Hand's hideout with a smile on his face. It was a messed up place that ran under the city, dark tunnels filled with zombie hands crawling like spiders and men wrapped in barbed wire that Hopper had executed when he'd flipped on the power switch. He hadn't even given murder a second thought and as much as it made Warren grit her teeth, these were the kind of mindless killers that she needed on her side if they were going to stop Murphy.
Hopper led them to a room that was brighter than the rest but still classified as dark with only a few lamps here and there emitting a red light through their shades. They were brought to a circle where metal barrels with melted holes in the sides had fires burning in them illuminating the space in a hellish glow.
They stood among the Red Hand as a man emerged from a doorway across from them. They were pushed to their knees but they weren't the only ones, all of the Red Hand knelt as well around them. The man walked right up to them and removed his hood.
"You seek Escorpion?" he asked and Warren's breath caught in her lungs. Holy. . . shit.
Vasquez POV
Warren sat on her knees before him between that son of a bitch Hector Alvarez and an Asian woman he did not know. When Hopper nodded they along with the Red Hand members all rose to their feet. Warren looked like she was seeing a ghost, or an angel, he couldn't tell which but she did seem to be in shock. It was almost an insult. Did she really think he'd be killed so easily? He almost wanted to ask her. After all, what did she think had become of him after he left, that he'd curl up and die? But he couldn't ask those questions, he was a new man now, with a new life and a new purpose and he had to keep up the act. Let them think he'd gone crazy, who cared? It would be a fraction of the payback he wanted to instill on the woman in front of him who had taken away his revenge. Though clearly Warren didn't see it that way, she didn't see what she'd done to him by trying to make him a better man.
"I hear you have a proposition for me." He said, Murphy, it had to be Murphy. He'd gotten stronger in Spokane, Vasquez had heard the transmissions, and the intel from the groups he'd sent out to gather supplies from across Washington State. Murphy was getting stronger and Vasquez was letting his Red Hand run his plans into the ground whenever he could. Bailey was still out there, still plotting her own revenge, any blend he could kill or any survivor he could turn to the Red Hand before they got to Murphy the easier it would be for her to kill him and find her peace.
"Sorry." Warren replied after looking at him in shock and sadness for a moment, "I didn't expect to find you here."
"Have we met?" he asked and for a second she looked hurt. Good.
"Yes. We've met. . .Been a while."
"I think you must be mistaken, I would have remembered you." He said before moving to Hector, "And who are you?"
"Alvarez. Hector Alvarez." He replied seeming a bit nervous like at any moment Vasquez would remember him and kill him where he stood. He almost chuckled, let him suffer too, let him grow nervous and paranoid wondering how many glances it would take before Vasquez remembered their past and ordered the Red Hand surrounding him to take him down. Whatever was going on in his mind was more torture than Vasquez could inflict anyway.
"I know you." Vasquez replied and Hector shuffled on his feet nervously, "You're one of those men. . . who think they're better than me. Better than the Red Hand. They want the peace and security that I bring, but they denounce my methods as cruel. The work of a madman. But right now what the world needs is a madman. Would you agree?"
"Are you sure you remember who I am?" Hector asked.
"Why? Should I?" he asked and Hector rolled up his sleeve revealing his tattoo. Back when he had the Zeros at his command that was all he needed, flash that tattoo and have people bow at your feet. Not anymore. He wouldn't let Hector think for a moment the street cred he had still applied. He was a no one, that tattoo was no different than dozens like it.
He scoffed, "Got one just like it." He said showing his own ink on his forearm before laughing and moving to the Asian.
"And who are you?"
"Captain Sun Mei." She replied and he moved to a Red Hand member holding a case.
"Mmm. This yours?" he asked. "Uh-huh. Useless. Take these two away, lock them up." He said gesturing to Hector and Sun Mei. After they left he turned to Warren.
"Why are you here?"
"I need your help. Like you, I too am on a mission to save humanity. With the help of you and your men, we can make a vaccine against the zombie virus."
"I have my mission." He interrupted, "You should help me."
"You know, we were once on a mission together you and I." she said and he chuckled, enjoying how she spoke softly, like she was trying to gently coax the memories from him. Again an insult. How could she ever think he'd forget what Hector did to him, to his family? How could she forget how he'd crossed the country with her to find his wife and his little girl's killer?
"Tell me more about this mission we were on." He said.
"Let me show you something." She said stepping forward and bringing her hands to his red vest unbuttoning it from the bottom up.
"What are you doing?"
"Just a reminder." She said softly.
"Careful." He warned.
"Always." She moved the fabric aside and brushed her fingers on the scar above his hip bone. "You were hurt." She said her tone turning seductive. Ah, so this was her move, clever, show him physical evidence, something he couldn't deny. "Badly wounded. Dying."
"Go on."
"I was hurt too. And you helped me." She leaned in, "And then. . . I. . . " then she brought her lips to his and kissed him. She wove her hand into his longer hair that he'd slicked back. He returned the kiss because eh, why not? But when she pulled away and whispered 'Javier' he grabbed the back of her neck tangling his fingers into her hair and pulled her away from him harshly. She had no right to call him by that name, he'd let Bailey because they were the same, lost souls, kindred spirits. They understood the others pain, their misery, but Warren, she tried to change that in people and it only made the misery last longer. How dare she call him by that name!
"Escorpion." He told her, "Guards get her out of my sight!"
«»
After he'd had time to think and calm down he ordered the others brought back to the circle. When his men returned there were only two, Warren and Captain Sun Mei.
"Where's the other one?" he asked Hopper.
"He uh. . . " he chuckled nervously still smiling. "He escaped. But not for long."
"He's still here." he said. He knew Hector, he was no coward, he'd be plotting and he'd be nearby.
"And you." He said walking up to Warren. "Why are you really here, hmm? What is this?" he asked holding up an odd thing that looked like an epee pen.
"Our mission." Warren replied, "You've got to remember this. We were trying to get Murphy to California. We ended up in Mexico, La Reina, the Queen. You found the real Escorpion. We were doing this together. We were a team. This, we –" then there was screaming in the distance and they turned to see Hector charge out with a brick as he started hitting men in the face. It was when he threw the brick he lost his advantage and the Red Hand guards were able to detain him.
"Found him." Hopper said casually as Vasquez removed his jacket leaving him in the red sleeveless vest. Now Hector had made a move against the Red Hand. Now, he threatened the new life Vasquez had made. He wasn't about to lose his new family like he'd lost his old one. And now, he had an excuse to execute him without destroying his new Escorpion façade.
"Don't kill him." Warren begged and it set his teeth on edge. She still defended him. She still defended a man who murdered an innocent woman and her daughter.
"Who are you?" Vasquez asked stepping up to Hector.
"I'm the real Escorpion."
"That's a lie." He said before punching him in the stomach, "Who are you?"
"Yo soy Escorpion!" he shouted and Vasquez grabbed his head and kneed him in the face. "I killed for La Reina. Los Ceros. I have the tattoo."
"I killed for La Reina and Los Ceros!" he shouted back keeping up the act for those Red Hand watching and it gave him an excuse to continue Hector's beating, "I have the tattoo!"
"You're not Escorpion!" Hector replied, "Escorpion killed your family. You were an undercover cop named Vasquez. . .And I killed your family."
He stepped away from him and went to a Red Hand who handed him a small ax with a thin blade.
"You're lying!" he shouted even though he knew it was true. How dare he mention his wife and daughter. He was nothing but dirt with no right to even think of them. And how dare he try to tear apart the life Vasquez now had. The man he had been before, the cop seeking revenge for his family, that man was dead. He'd stolen the great Escoripon's name and reputation and he had the strength, power and numbers to keep it.
"No." Hector said.
"No he's not." Warren sobbed.
"It's the truth." Hector went on. "But I lied to you before. In Mexico. When I told you I didn't remember killing your wife and your little girl. I remember. I remember every little detail. Your wife begging for her life 'please don't kill my nina. Don't kill my little girl' I remember. But I didn't care. . .And I shot them both."
He lied. He lied. He didn't even have the decency to tell the truth in Mexico. He'd led Vasquez to believe that to him his wife and daughter's lives were nothing, but they had been everything. And he could feel himself starting to break down. Then he got cold and stepped forward with the ax still in his hand.
"No wait." Warren begged.
"Let him fight." He ordered and the Red Hand let Hector go.
One passed him a weapon and they both circled each other. They each swung and dodged until Vasquez got a hit right in Hector's face with the handle making him step back and recoil. When he returned to the circle Vasquez swung a few more times which Hector dodged but Vasquez was able to maneuver fast enough to take the knife from him and stab him in the stomach again and again and again.
"I am Escorpion." He said as Hector fell to the ground clutching his bleeding stomach. "Say it."
Hector shook his head, "Say it!" then his head fell back and he died. The next thing Vasquez knew he had a machete through him and Warren was in front of him with her fingers around the handle. Oddly enough, he wasn't mad. He knew it was a fatal blow and it felt like all the pain he had drained from him along with his blood. He'd avenged his family and now he got to be with them.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
"It's okay. . . Roberta." He said now able to let go of the act as he bled out.
"Javier."
"Don't tell Bailey." He whispered, "Mercy."
She nodded, "Go home to your family."
Then it was all over.
Citizen Z POV
"I finally triangulated Murphy's signal. He was transmitting from Spokane." Kaya said typing away on the computer.
"Washington?" he asked as Kaya brought up a map on the screen, "That makes no sense."
"And anything else does?" She had a good point.
"What is he up to?" he wondered knowing with Murphy in charge it couldn't be good.
10K POV
He had no way to track time in his prison so he had no idea how long it had been since the 2pm broadcast when the door to his cell finally opened and Wesson stood there looking down at him.
"Get up. He's waiting for you."
But when he showed no intention of moving Wesson stepped in, grabbed him by his upper arm and hauled him up then dragged him out. He didn't have the strength to fight back so he stumbled along, his feet cold against the concrete floor. When he got to Murphy's 'throne room' he saw how much more lavish it had become while he'd been running. Everything was plush and polished. There were decorative vases and curtains, it looked too Pre-Z, it looked too out of place.
"He's here sir." Wesson said when they halted in front of Murphy who was sitting in a throne made of driftwood with a pelt lining the seat. He had his ankle resting on his knee as he reclined in the chair and he took in 10K's appearance for a moment before he spoke.
"You know the funny thing about confinement? And I speak from experience. Gives you time to think about the big things. You know, life? It's purpose? Why am I here? How do I fit in? Did you find that?"
He swallowed before he answered his throat still dry, "I only thought about how much I hate your guts." He said his voice soft, he didn't even have the energy to make it sound as hateful as he wanted to make it.
"Hate my guts?" Murphy asked not sounding upset. "Wow, those are hurtful words. For the man who found you starving and near death." 10K almost scoffed, sure, he'd been starving but Murphy must be using the term 'found' loosely, he felt more like he'd been hunted. If he'd been able to stay with Bailey, they would have found a way. They would have found food. . . eventually, they would have found a way to make it. Then Murphy cleared his throat.
"So tell me, what is Warren planning?" he asked but 10K didn't answer, "Come on." He said getting up from his throne and walking toward him, "I know her as well as you do. Warren is relentless. She's gonna try something. What is it?"
The corner of his mouth twitched in a weak smirk, "She didn't tell me."
Then Murphy walked over to the safe by his throne and opened it.
"Hey! Look what I found. Humanity in a single injection." He said holding up a case that must have held vials with a cure Merch had created while he'd been gone. Murphy clearly saw the want in 10K's expression, he didn't try to hide it, that was what he needed, a single shot and it was all over. He'd be himself again, he wouldn't have the voices in his head, he could go find Bailey. But he knew Murphy wouldn't just give it to him, he'd want 10K to pay for it. "So you tell me what Warren is planning, and I might just give you your soul back. Huh? So. . one more time. What is Warren's plan?"
He hadn't been lying when he told Murphy Warren hadn't told him, the only thing she'd said was. . . his smirk turned into a smile, "She's planning on spanking your ass good."
Murphy looked agitated for a brief moment which 10K relished in before Murphy laughed and his smug smirk returned making 10K scowl as Murphy shut the case with the injectors.
"Like I said, confinement makes you think about the big things." He said taking a few steps down from the platform where he'd been standing by the safe. "You don't want your soul back? Fine. How about your heart?"
10K looked confused for a minute before he heard scuffling and turned to see Will and Anderson dragging in Bailey each one holding an arm. His eyes grew wide in panic and he lunged trying to go to her but Wesson grabbed both his arms and held them behind his back as he struggled. Bailey looked at him in shock and he knew she was concerned about the fresh bruises on his face, he noticed a line of blood on her temple where it looked like she'd been hit hard, probably enough to get knocked out which would explain how the blends got her. Her braid had fallen out leaving her hair a messy curtain around her face as she struggled but Will and Anderson were too strong. Murphy went back to his safe and put away the injectors with the medicine 10K needed and he pulled out something else. It was a syringe, not as fancy as the ones he'd stolen from Sun Mei's supply drop and it was full of a light blue liquid, it wasn't as dark as the vaccine he was giving the blends and both Bailey and 10K looked from Murphy and back to each other. Will and Anderson dragged Bailey over to a chair at the base of Murphy's platform and threw Bailey into it quickly securing her with duct tape making sure her wrists were restrained to the arms of the chair and her torso was tied tightly to the back of it. Then Will moved to help Wesson hold 10K back as Anderson left the room.
"Know what this is?" Murphy asked moving to stand by Bailey's chair as he looked at 10K and held up the syringe. "This. . . is the last dose of the vaccine I was originally injected with way back when."
Bailey struggled against the duct tape restraining her and Murphy's smirk grew into a smile which only worried 10K.
"Did I ever tell you that I saw it used on two other prisoners before me?" Murphy went on, "Neither one made it, but clearly it doesn't fail every time." He said gesturing to himself and 10K swallowed nervously. "And I've just been dying to give it another trial run." He said bringing his semi-blue hand to run through Bailey's hair as she flinched away.
"Don't." 10K said and Murphy's eyebrows shot up.
"Oh, now you want to negotiate?" he asked not taking his hand off Bailey. "Alright. Tell me what Warren is planning."
"I don't know." He said his voice raspy and Murphy brought the tip of the needle closer to Bailey, "I'm not lying!" he shouted pulling against Will and Wesson who still held him back as he fought, "Murphy, I swear, she didn't say anything to me!"
Murphy tightened his hold in Bailey's hair at the nape of her neck making her wince as he pulled her head back exposing her neck as 10K kept shouting. "Warren said she was going to stop you but she didn't say how!"
"Nothing? Warren kept you completely in the dark?" Murphy asked not moving the needle away from Bailey, "You're smart Ten Thousand, even if Warren didn't lay out her plans to you you still would have picked up on something. Some minor detail, some measly scrap of information." He said and 10K saw Bailey wince as Murphy's hold in her hair tightened, "Or does her life really mean so little to you?"
"I. . . I -" he said his mouth opening and closing as he tried to think back to anything he could give Murphy. Lucy, Warren had sent Addy and Doc to go get Lucy. "She –"
"Don't!" Bailey shouted and his eyes darted to her and she shook her head with what limited movement she was capable of. But now Murphy was reaching his breaking point and he pulled on Bailey's hair again tilting her head back as far as it would go.
"Last chance 10K." Murphy said looking at him without an ounce of remorse in his eyes. 10K's eyes kept flashing from Murphy to Bailey who was still looking at him even from the angle her head was now at. He could see the hard look in her eyes telling him not to tell Murphy a thing but there was also fear in her expression, and Murphy's patience ran out with 10K's hesitation, "Okay."
Then Bailey cried in pain as the needle was jammed into her neck.
"NO!" 10K shouted trying again to break free but Wesson and Will were still holding him back. Murphy pressed down on the syringe and the liquid inside vanished as it was pumped into Bailey's bloodstream. Murphy took the needle away and let go of Bailey's hair as she started gasping like it was now difficult to breathe.
"Like I said, the other guinea pigs didn't survive the injection." Murphy said approaching 10K who kept his eyes on Bailey, "The difference between them and me?" he said clasping his hands behind his back and leaning forward whispering in his ear, "I was bit."
10K's eyes widened in horror, then there was snarling and he turned to see that Anderson had come back with a Z from the moat and was leading him into the room on a pole, at the end was a metal claw that was clamped around the Z's neck as she led him toward Bailey. Will and Wesson struggled more as 10K thrashed desperate to break free and protect her, the hole in the shoulder of his shirt ripped more as they held onto him as he struggled and Anderson let the Z free. He lunged at Bailey who brought her leg up and was able to stop the Z with her foot against his chest. Then with all the strength she had kicked him back to the floor, but the Z was hungry and quickly got up and lunged again but this time Bailey couldn't get her leg up in time. The zombie fell onto her and dug its teeth into her left shoulder. Bailey screamed, 10K had never heard such a loud cry of agony come from her and the Z pulled back ripping away a mouthful of her flesh, the bloody skin and muscle hanging from its jaw before it leaned forward and bit down again and again mauling her shoulder like a rabid dog to a bone.
"Stop it!" 10K shouted as Bailey continued to cry, "Murphy enough! STOP IT!"
Then, satisfied, Murphy raised his hand and Anderson moved forward and got the claw of her pole around the zombie's neck and pulled it away from Bailey as she took it back to the moat. Bailey was breathing deeply, her head leaning forward and face covered by her hair as she looked at the ground. He could see her body rise and fall as she took deep breaths as she shook in fear of what would happen to her now. The collar of her shirt was hanging off her left shoulder revealing the mess of destroyed flesh that ran from the top of her shoulder blade over the curve of her shoulder and down to her collarbone and went from the base of her neck across to the top of her shoulder to where her arm began and 10K thought he could see a bit of bone peeking through the torn bloody muscle tissue. He clenched his teeth in rage seeing Bailey in so much pain.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" he shouted turning his gaze to Murphy who looked quite pleased with himself as Bailey cried, then he waved his hand and Wesson and Will began to drag 10K back to his cell in the basement as he kept shouting in rage. "I don't know how, but I'll find a way to kill you!"
Staypeculiar: when I saw your review about why they couldn't be happy for 5 seconds I felt so bad because the only thought in my head was 'oh, and it's going to get so much worse!' I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter, especially after what just happened.
You guys have any predictions about what that injection might do to Bailey? Will she survive it like Murphy or will she end up like the other people Merch tested it on? What will 10K do? Do you guys think his storyline will be affected or stay the same? Then of course there's Warren and Sun Mei, will Bailey being injected affect them and their search for a HZN1 cure? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to see if anyone guesses it right!