POV: Vera
Flint stumbled backwards, and Tags crouched low ready to pounce when they saw me. Dani just froze. Alex came up beside me and gave wrapped his arms around me in a hug. My entire body wanted to give out. I was to weak to do much now.
"You're a bit late." He said.
"Um… ya… sorry. Didn't know we had been over run by a bunch of stuff-your-face idiots. I'm out for barely a day and the place goes to pot. What did you do?" I asked.
"Nothing… they just walked in." Alex said.
"She's… she's…" Flint started. Alex and I looked at the wide-eyed boys.
"Not infected…" Dani said, "Not even partly…"
"No… no she's not." Alex said, "Nor is she dead."
"But not completely alive either… yet at least." I said.
"I am SOO confused…" Dub muttered, "I thought you guys said she had been bitten? And then you said… that Adam made you kill her…"
"You knew she wouldn't turn." Dani said, "You knew all along. She's been bitten before hasn't she?" Alex looked at me.
"Yes…" Alex said, "But every time, she goes through the stages… they're painful and I've always been there. But this time…"
"I'll be ok…" I assured him.
"Wait… someone needs to explain this to me." Tags said, "I'm beyond confused."
I looked at Alex. I knew what I saw in his eyes. He knew we had to tell them… but he promised he would never tell anyone unless I agreed. I bit my lip.
"Look, we'll deal with that later… I don't know how much time we have left." Alex said, "The infected could be right outside. We have to do something."
"Before or after our population problem?" I asked sitting down.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry," Flint said, not at all sounding sorry, 'But there's no way I'm working side by side with someone who's been bitten. I want the truth if you want my help." I swallowed, hoping maybe Dani would protest and defend me, or maybe my brother say something. But they both said nothing. I sighed and gave him the nod.
"What I'm about to tell you, we haven't told anyone outside our family. Our entire family lived here after the epidemic. We did pretty well for a family of geniuses. We had military knowledge, medical, agriculture… the building blocks of what you see here."
"Makes sense…" Tags said.
"The Carper family has a gene in them… bold blood's, is what we call it. It's what allows us to go into hyper mode… which is just all our senses switching up top notch. That's what Vera was in when you attacked me that night. She would have killed you all and not even used a bullet, and you wouldn't have gotten a bullet off either. Hyper mode is a kill mode that has kept the Carper family alive in the military, and because the only people who can bring us out of Hyper mode is another family member, there was always someone nearby. We were a tight knit family. When the epidemic first hit, Vera we knocked into hyper mode… her first time. None of my family had the bold blood like she did. Her hyper mode was genuine. Usually when someone gets angrier, the more likely they'll rage into doing something stupid. But for Vera… the angrier she is the smarter she acts. The more she gets beat down the stronger she gets. She got bit by an infected two months into the epidemic. My uncle convinced the rest of the family that the bold blood wouldn't turn… it was strong blood that would fight off the infection… and it did."
I shivered, remembering the night I had first gotten bitten. It was a dark night for me… a painful one, but not the worst night in my life… not the one I had nightmares about.
"Since then, Vera's been bitten two other times and survive each time. But each time the infected seem to get angrier. My father always told us to be careful and that it was possible that the hyper mode can take effect and you can never get back out of it. Vera seemed to have control over it though… until that night happened."
"The night she has nightmares about." Dani said bluntly. I closed my eyes, in an attempt to shut the story out.
"There, you have the story." I said, "Happy?" Flint opened his mouth to ask… to ask about that night. But thankfully Dani shot him a look.
"Well…" Flint said after a moment of silence… 'That explains a lot."
"What exactly happens if you can't get pulled out of a hyper mode?" Dani asked.
"You pretty much become a killing machine… man and infected alike, you loose your ability to care for the difference." I said.
"And only you can bring her out of it?" Tags asked, "Great… I'll make a point never to go anywhere with her by myself."
"Look…" I stood up, "I'm not the problem at the moment. The problem is leeching off our supplies. We have to get rid of him."
"It's six to one out there. And leeching or not they're not infected. We can't just kill them…" Tags said.
"Can we?" Flint asked.
"No…" Dani answered, "Look, we know in infected are starting to climb walls… even with the gate closed they'll hit that wall like a wave. We have a threat both inside and outside the castle."
"Our best bet to survive through this, is to win the castle over again. We can take the infected out better from these walls. We split into two teams." Alex said, "One for each threat… the majority on the threat inside."
"Teams?" Tags asked.
"That is… if you'll still have us." Dani said. Alex licked his lips.
"Look… I over reacted and I'm sorry…" Alex started.
"You didn't over-react. You were right to act they way you did. You knew she would survive… and we tried to kill her."
"I couldn't tell you... it's a family promise to keep it a secret. But we had no choice."
"So no mud?" Dani said.
"No mud." Alex agreed.
"Um… excuse me… I'm the one who almost got assassinated… don't I get a say?"
"Murdered…" Flint said, with a smile, "Almost got murdered, assassination is what happens to important people." Vera glared at him.
"Right so what's the plan?" Dani asked.
"Two groups. One figures out how to deal safely with the infestation of infected, while the others deal with the leeches." Alex said, "Vera?"
"Alex I can take care of the infected problem if we had the right equipment." Vera said.
"Right equipment…" Alex suddenly looked at her full on, "Vera… are you sure?"
"Alex, it's that or get eaten alive." Vera said.
"What?" Dub asked.
"Alright." Alex said, "Alright look, Vera is going into town. Adam doesn't know she's alive and that might come in handy later. I'll stay… I'm the only other one who knows the castle."
"I'll go with Vera." Dani volunteered.
"Right. The rest of you are with me." Alex said, "How long will you be?"
"We'll be back by nightfall." Vera said, "Meet you at the south tower." Alex nodded.
"Flint's got the car by the gate… we can take that." Dani said, "How you holding up?" He looked at me. I took a big breath. I wasn't going to tell the truth: that I was still a little wobbly on my feet.
"We best hurry." I told him and went for the stairs. We all started to leave, but I saw Alex grab Dani's arm and held him back. I stayed at the top of the stairs and listened.
"Look," Alex started, "She's all I got left. Going to the city… well just know that night she has nightmares about happened in the city… I'm sure she's a little shaken up about it, but she won't show it. She's a fighter, and she doesn't accept help easily. But Dani I'm telling you she needs is. The bite will leave her weak. She'll push herself, ware her self out. I don't care if you lock her in the car, do not let her ware herself dead."
"I'll take care of her, Alex… I promise." Dani said, "I'm just worried about this Hyper Mode thing…" Alex sighed, obviously something that had been on his mind as well.
"She's loosing control of it. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that you'll be fine. You're putting yourself in danger going with her and to the city no less. Where the chances of her going into hyper mode are bigger than anywhere else. Knock her out Dani… and do it before she fully turns. If she's in hyper mode you won't get close enough to. Knock her out when you see it coming."
"How do I know?" Dani asked.
"You'll know." Alex said, "And don't hesitate to knock her out… or you'll be dead, and she'll be left roaming the planet killing everything she can get her hands on…"
The rest of their conversation was lost as Flint pulled up in the car, headlights of.
"Better hurry, they might of seen us from a window…" Flint said. I nodded, and ran through the rain into the jeep. But Alex and Dani didn't come out… they were still talking. GOOD, I thought. I shifted the seat back and leaned it back so I could sit more comfortably. He was driving, obviously because if I passed out behind the wheel, there goes our plan. I saw a dark figure by the door, waiting for the two boys to come out: Dub. He was wrapped in a tight jacket, watching in both directions. I saw Flint standing by the entrance to the castle keep, where Adam and the rest would come if they did see us. I tried to find Tags, but through the rain and dark clouds I didn't spot him. Somewhere up high, I guessed. A good advantage point if anyone came. A sudden feeling came over me… these boys knew what they were doing. Knew what to do… they were strong… not like the others I had met. But there was something else about them… they way they talked to each other, or acted around each other. They looks they gave or words they exchanged… they were family. Not like me and Alex... not by blood. But family none the less.
Finally Dani and Alex came out. A few more words exchanged, and Dani got in the car. He shut the door, closing the cold rain and noise out as well. It was a bit odd to be in a car with Dani… somewhat still a stranger, yet I was about to go into the city with him. The thought of returning to the city rattled me. I wasn't excited for sure. But the thought of the infected climbing our castle walls willed me forward.
Dub came over to the window, and Dani rolled it down. Through the rain and under the hood of his jacket, Dub seemed to be a different person… a dangerous one. Especially with his rifle next to him. He looked strong and almost menacing… and suddenly I realized with surplice… this was the kid I had taken out that first night… so easily. I shifted uncomfortably.
"You be careful…" Dub said.
"You do the same. Don't let Adam win this time… he's getting use to it. Don't let him destroy the last good thing in this world… alright?" I looked up, and Dub nodded, before taking rounded to the back of the car, where Alex and Flint. Dani rolled the window back up as the boys pushed the car to the gate and a ways out into the turndra. We weren't going to risk Adam hearing the car. Alex opened my door and leaned in. He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead, and a tight hug.
"You do what you have to when the time comes… you understand me? They aren't people… they're infected." He said.
"Alex… if I do it right it won't come to that." I said. He gave me another hug bor shutting the door and taking off with two more shadows.
I could see Dani open his mouth to ask something… but he shut it. He looked forward out at the dark tundra, and turned the car on.
"Which way?" he asked. I pointed.