“Oh, I will.”
I had forgotten all about Bishop until he spoke again. I managed a wan smile as I focused my attention back on the doctor. I wanted to believe with him, wanted to believe in him, but I didn’t really believe in anything anymore. “I hope so doc.”
His eyes narrowed on me. “Are you ok Bethany?”
“I’m fine,” I assured him halfheartedly. My gaze turned slowly toward the dead alien on the counter. “Do you know how it made itself look like that little girl yet?”
Bishop’s attention was diverted from me and once again returned to his new favorite toy. “No, not yet, but there are plenty of examples of mimicry in the world. The king snake looks like the coral snake; therefore predators will avoid the king snake for fear that it is poisonous. That’s what is known as batesian mimicry. These creatures appear to be displaying both batesian and aggressive mimicry though.”
Bishop had moved closer to the creature. For the first time, beneath the awe and wonder, I saw true fear on his features. I swallowed heavily, discomfited by the look in his eyes. “What’s aggressive mimicry?” I asked quietly.
“It is a form of mimicry where the predators share similar traits with something harmless in order to lure in their prey. The alligator snapping turtle uses its pink tongue to lure in fish that believe the tongue is a worm. The fish that try to eat the worm are eaten instead.” Much like when Sarah had tried to help the girl, and instead been destroyed. Goose pimples were beginning to break out on my flesh; I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the hideous thing on the counter. “But animals that exhibit aggressive mimicry don’t strongly resemble the creature they are trying to lure in, not like the coral and king snake. Not like this thing resembling us.
“This truly is a unique ability; it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. What I don’t know is if they were always able to do this, or if it’s a new development. Have they started to evolve in order to find new ways to capture and kill us?”
My goose bumps were now full on shivers; I could barely breathe through the constriction in my chest. “Is it possible to do that so quickly?” I managed to croak out.
Bishop’s eyes were sharp. “Not for us, not for any creature we’ve ever known before…”
“But we don’t know these creatures.”
“No, we don’t. It’s ingenious if you think about it, mimicking one of us, especially a child.”
I hated the admiration in his tone, not when all I felt was stark terror. “And if they evolved to do this…”
“Then what else can they evolve to do.”
I was afraid I was going to be sick. No, I was definitely going to vomit. I ran to the sink, grasped hold of the edge of it, and dry heaved the empty contents of my stomach up. I was sweating, trembling violently as I rinsed my mouth with water and straightened slowly. Ashamed of my weakness, I could not meet Bishop’s gaze as I walked toward the window. It was covered with chicken wire, the reason why I couldn’t begin to fathom, but it caused the sunlight streaming through it to dance across the tile floor in a honeycomb pattern.
I didn’t know what to say, there were no words for what he had just told me. “It may not be evolution. This may have been a trait of theirs all along.”
We both knew he was lying, if they had been able to do this all along, they would have. “Who are you trying to kid here Bishop, me or you?”
He was silent for a moment before answering. “You.”
Well at least he was honest, I thought grudgingly. “Do you think the larger ones can do the same, or is it only the smaller ones?”
“I don’t know.”
I stared out at the quiet bay; there wasn’t even a ripple upon the ocean water. It was hard to believe that there were so many unknown horrors lurking out there on this tranquil, beautiful day. “Does it have any weaknesses?”
“You guys managed to kill it.”
I turned slowly toward him, trying hard not to let my panic show. “That took a whole lot of bullets Bishop. If it had been closer…” I let the thought trail off; we had both seen what that closeness had done to Sarah. “How the hell are we ever going to defeat them?” I breathed.
“You.”
I started in surprise; I could feel the confusion that rolled over my face. “What?”
“Your blood Bethany, it has to be the answer. There has to be some key within it that will help us to awaken the remaining survivors of The Freezing. The sooner I find it, the more people we can save.”
“And the more people we have to help us fight,” I whispered, finally understanding his obsession with me, and my blood. It suddenly all made sense. “Strength in numbers.”
“But the longer it takes me to find the answer…”
“The more people the aliens will capture, drain, and destroy.”
“Yes. We could lose them all before I uncover the truth.”
I nodded slowly. I may not believe that Bishop was right about me, but he was a hell of a lot smarter than I was, and he seemed to be the only hope that mankind had. The only hope for saving so very many people, and he needed my help to do it. “Ok then, let’s get you that equipment doc.”
***
“You can’t do this Bethany.”
I glanced back at Abby as I lifted the rifle onto my back. Darnell handed me a backpack filled with whatever ammo they could spare, and two extra sig sauer pistols. Bret hefted the bag of food onto his back and slipped a revolver and pistol into his waistband. I had tried to talk him out of coming with me, but it had been useless. Private Lloyd Price was also coming with us as was, surprisingly, Jenna.
I had tried to talk her out of joining us but once she heard that we were going to try and make it to the hospital in Plymouth, she had been adamant that she come with us. There was a hospital in Wareham, which was closer, but only slightly and in the opposite direction of where Darnell wanted to start heading. I hadn’t realized he had an actual destination in mind until he informed us of that today. Apparently we had been Boston bound all along in the hopes of encountering more survivors, which he was certain the city would have. Along with more weapons.
I didn’t know why Jenna was so insistent that she join us, but she would not be dissuaded. I was actually a little grateful for another person. Jenna had also received training with a weapon and in fighting. She may not be as proficient as the rest of us, but she was good enough, and another person that could shoot would come in handy.
“The GPS is battery, and solar, chargeable,” Darnell was saying as he handed it to Lloyd. Darnell wasn’t saying this for Lloyd’s benefit, but ours. It was something we would need to know in case something happened to him. “Only use the radio once a day. We’re staying here one more day, and then we’ll be heading toward Plymouth also. I don’t know how swiftly we’ll be able to move, but I plan to proceed at a brisk pace. Radio me at eighteen hundred hours every day.”
Lloyd nodded as he clipped the radio to his belt. “Yes sir.”
“There’s enough food to last a couple of days. I wish we could spare more, but…”
Molly trailed off, her cute face pinched as she watched us worriedly. Molly had been a stranger to us before this had all happened, but her training in scuba diving had saved our lives when we were trapped on the Cape, and unable to escape by crossing either of the bridges. She was a sweet person with her curly red hair and cat green eyes. Since we had joined the larger group of survivors, Molly had helped with cooking duty, and had taken charge of the food supplies.
What Molly hadn’t said was that they couldn’t spare anymore food on us, especially when they didn’t know what our fate would be. They couldn’t afford to waste food on us if we were going to be dead in a day. “We’ll be fine,” I assured her. “There will be plenty of opportunities to find more food on the way.”
Molly managed a wan smile for me before squeezing my arm gently. “I’m sure there will be,” she replied fervently.
“We’ll be following a different route than you, stickin
g more toward the back roads and heavily wooded areas,” Darnell continued.
“We’ll meet up with you once we get the supplies,” Lloyd assured him.
“Bethany please,” Abby whispered.
I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her against my side. “I have to go Abby, but Aiden will be here.”
“You don’t have to go!” she insisted. “There are others that could go!”
I sighed softly, glancing at my brother over her head. He had wanted to come too, but we could not leave Abby alone, and he was needed here more than I was. He understood science, he was a better help to the doc than I was. Bishop had taken, and stored, plenty of blood from me over the past three weeks. In the past day he had taken even more. He had protested my leaving also, but he had done so only with me. I think Bishop realized that I needed this, that I needed some sort of mission, some kind of goal if I was going to keep surviving.
He knew that denying me this was denying me something that I fervently needed. I needed to escape my thoughts, needed to escape my memories, and my torment over losing Cade. “There aren’t any others,” I said softly.
“Of course there are!”
“Abigail,” I said gently, but firmly.
Molly draped her arm around Abby’s shoulders. “It will be fine,” Molly assured her. “I need some help with the cooking and getting the rest of the supplies packed up.”
Abby gave a small nod but tears shimmered in her dark eyes. I managed a smile for her and gave her a quick hug. I felt guilty leaving her here, felt guilty hurting her like this, but it had to be done. It needed to be done. If we succeeded than we may very well be able to save her life, and the lives of many others. I didn’t want to hurt her, it was the last thing I wanted as she had already experienced so much loss in her short life, but I couldn’t stay here.
“I love you Abby.”
She threw her arms around me and hugged me tight. “I love you too Bethany, please come back.”
I closed my eyes, fighting against a wave of tears as I gently dislodged myself from her. I had to get away from her, before I couldn’t. “Good luck,” Darnell said softly.
Aiden walked beside us as we exited the building. He took hold of my arm pulling me back from the others as they made their way to the forest. “You know that I don’t agree with this.”
“Aiden…”
“Even Bishop feels it would be better if you stayed. If something happens to you…”
“He has plenty of my blood, believe me, I know.”
“That’s not the point…”
“I have to do this Aiden.”
As his dark eyes scanned me, I was struck by the stark differences in my brother over the past few weeks and they tugged at my heart. He was only eighteen, yet dark circles from lack of sleep and stress had formed under his eyes. His mouth was pinched tight; the corners of it were tugged down. Just weeks ago, even with the aliens looming constantly over us, he had retained a carefree air and youthful innocence that I hadn’t possessed in years. An air that had been refreshing and joyful, even for someone as jaded as me. Aiden’s exuberance had been contagious, his smile bright, and his quick wit uplifting. Though he still retained a lot of his old personality there were subtle changes taking him over that I didn’t like, and didn’t want to see continue. I wanted to ease the burden he had taken on, and this was one of the ways to do that.
“If you’re doing this because of him Bethany…”
“What are you talking about?” I interrupted sharply, angered and wounded by his words.
He frowned as he tilted his head; his golden hair was longer than usual as it spilled into one of his eyes. I was struck by how much of a man he had become in such a short time. Struck by how much he looked like our father. A lump formed in my throat, my eyes burned. I wished our parents could have been here to see the strong, brave, intelligent man he had become. They would have been so proud of him, and Abby. I shied away from thoughts of what they would think about me.
“Anyone with eyes has seen the difference in you Bethany. Ever since he was taken, you’ve been walking around like a zombie, barely alive.” I couldn’t meet his gaze; I became focused upon the people gathered by the tree line, waiting for me. “I hope you’re not doing this as some sort of a death wish.”
I swallowed heavily, my hands fisted at my sides. “I’m doing this because it may be the only hope we have,” I gritted through clenched teeth. I was resentful of his words, no matter how truthful they may be. “Who knows how long it will take us to get to Boston, or if we even will make it to the city. The doc needs those supplies as soon as possible if he’s going to help anyone. This is the best way to get them.”
His hand was light on my arm; I finally turned my attention back to him. “I understand that, but I also feel as if you don’t plan on returning.”
My mouth dropped. “Of course I do!” I sputtered in indignation. “You and Abby…”
“I want you to return for you.”
I recoiled from him, feeling as if I had been slapped. “Aiden…”
“I want you to want to live again. Not for me or Abby, for you,” he insisted fiercely. “He’s dead Bethany…”
“Shut up Aiden.”
“No, you need to realize that he is dead.”
I glared at him; my teeth ached from clenching them so tight. “I know that Aiden,” I snarled at him. Aiden’s eyes widened in surprise, he hadn’t expected me to tell him that I had come to accept the fact that Cade was gone. “I know he’s dead, I know that he’s not coming back. I know that I am alone…” I broke off shaking my head. “Not alone, I didn’t mean that. I don’t know what I am anymore.”
“You’re not alone Bethany.” To my absolute horror and shame my chin began to tremble. I was struggling not to unravel, not to let free my pain and misery. Struggling to retain my shaken composure. They were already worried enough about me, I couldn’t turn into a sobbing mess right in front of him.
“But I am.” I took a deep breath, regaining control of myself as I lifted my chin and met his wounded gaze. “I love you and Abby. I love Bret and Molly, and I’ve even come to like Jenna a little, but it’s not the same. Nothing will ever be the same. I will never be the same. What I felt for him…”
My gaze drifted back toward the group waiting far more patiently than I would have been. I had never talked about my feelings for Cade, never shared them with anyone. I didn’t think they could understand the intense bond that had been forged between us in such a short time. Especially since I had been dating Bret when everything with Cade happened. I felt they would feel I was being childish, or that I felt guilty because Cade had sacrificed himself to save me (which I did), but it was so much more than all of those things. My love for Cade was the first really amazing thing I had experienced in years. It had been so different, so true.
“I loved him Aiden. I loved him with every ounce of my being. I loved him with a joy and wonder that I never even knew could exist.” I turned my gaze back to my brother, needing him to understand. Needing him to see I was not a silly child harboring a fierce crush, or a wounded person with survivor’s guilt. “I knew what soul mate meant with Cade.”
Though I knew Aiden loved me, and realized that I was far more mature than almost anybody my age, I could see the pity in his gaze. It was that exact look I had feared, that look was the reason I had never talked about my feelings for Cade. “I know that the two of you went through some intense shared experiences…”
“Don’t.” I interrupted sharply. “Don’t you dare minimize what happened between us, or what I feel for him. I am telling you what I feel for him, what I will always feel for him. I am telling you what was, is, and always will be. I loved him from the first time I saw him, I loved him when he first taught me to fish, and when he insisted that I be allowed to play with the two of you. I loved him when he was broken by his parent’s deaths and took to avoiding us. The night of father’s funeral he came and sat with me in the garden for hours. It w
as the first time I had spoken with him in two years.”
“I didn’t know that,” Aiden whispered, looking slightly surprised by my words.
“Throughout that whole horrendous time he was the first person I cried in front of, the only person I cried in front of.”
Aiden’s eyes narrowed on me, his gaze became sharper, more questioning. “I didn’t know you had cried.”
“He never came back after that night. At first I kept going to the garden, hoping that he would return, but he never did. I was hurt in the beginning, wounded by his rejection but time, and the struggle that our lives became, eased it. And eventually I forgot about that night, eventually I moved on. Eventually I even started dating Bret, but you know how much I resisted that, how fairly platonic our relationship truly was. At first I didn’t understand why it was like that, why I was like that. Every girl in school thought I was crazy for not agreeing to go out with Bret right away, and then for being so distant with him once I did agree.”
“Bethany…”
“And then Cade touched me Aiden.” I couldn’t stop now, once I had opened the bottle on the emotions I had been suppressing, I couldn’t stop them from pouring out of me. I seized hold of his hand, desperate for him to understand, desperate for him to see why I was so broken. And maybe, just maybe, he could even forgive me for being so lost. I wanted him to know that I had not abandoned him, or Abby, that I did not want to die but that I simply couldn’t breathe, or even be anymore because part of me was lost forever. A part of me had been killed with Cade.
“Then Cade pulled me into that antique store, and held me, and he kissed me…” I broke off, knowing this was not stuff Aiden wanted to hear. I swallowed heavily before continuing. “And everything made sense. I was whole for the first time in so long, whole in a way I never knew I could be. My indistinct feelings toward Bret, the strange emptiness inside of me, it all made sense because what I had been missing all along was Cade. With him it was so easy, so beautiful, and so absolute. Even my guilt, and lingering sorrow over surviving that car when dad didn’t, weren’t anywhere near as bad when he was holding me. With him everything was better, even with the world falling apart around us.