“Then prepare to be shut out completely. She doesn’t need you anymore, not since you got here.”
I move my hand to cover my heart and add as much sarcasm to my voice as possible. “Ouch.”
He shrugs and holds the door open and I pass through, leading the way upstairs.
*
Carol’s face lights up when I walk out of the elevator. “Alexandra! It’s so good to see a familiar face! How are you? I hear you’re doing well with the training program.”
“I’m great,” I tell her, because what do you say? I survived the zombie apocalypse and all I got was a bitchy sister? No. I don’t think that’d go over well. Plus, she’s right. I actually knew her from my father’s research lab from before all this. Yep, he managed to get her down here safely whereas I was on my own. “How are you?”
She shrugs. “Best as I can be, I suppose.”
I eye the magazine on her desk, an old People with Brad Pitt on the cover. Carol is probably bored out of her mind. But at least she still has her mind, I guess.
“I’m here to see Jane.” I walk toward the door.
“Oh, um, let’s see.” She pushes the magazine aside and flips through the spiral-bound desk calendar. I glance at Wyatt and roll my eyes. “You don’t have an appointment.”
“No. I’m sorry. Do I need one to see my sister?”
Carol bites down on her bottom lip, unsure how to proceed. Wyatt sighs behind me and marches across the room to the imposing wood door, opening it with an impatient swing. Before Carol can stop me, or even really react, I follow him in.
The office is large and filled with sleek, contemporary furniture, the kind you imagine a CEO conducting business in. I suppose Jane is the CEO of PharmaCorp now, although I’m still not sure how she gained the position. I’m not sure I want to know, honestly.
She’s bent over her desk studying a stack of papers, but her head snaps up when we enter. Her eyes soften at the sight of Wyatt, a small smile on her lips. It fades when she spots me trailing behind him.
“What’s this?”
“Alex would like to talk to you about the mission to dispense the vaccine.”
I offer her a friendly wave, because I’m trying.
“I don’t think now is a good time. I’m under an intense deadline.”
“Jane,” I say, using a hand to move Wyatt out of my way. For some reason, he has positioned himself between the two of us. “I really just need a minute to talk about all of this and understand everything a little better.”
“Really Alexandra, it’s not something with which you need to concern yourself.”
See that? It stung. I do take a steadying breath before I open my mouth. I do. I promised Cole, and assured Wyatt I would behave. But Jane and I are family and family has its own language, and it’s time for Jane to really talk to me. “I carried the vaccine information on my personal body for five hundred craptastic miles. I fought off Eaters, met and lost friends, escaped an air force base and,” I close my eyes and swallow, “I killed our mother and left her in a barn to rot in North Carolina. I didn’t even have time to bury her. I’ve done everythin
g you and dad asked me to do. Everything—even letting this guy,” I jerk my thumb at Wyatt, “follow me around like I’m a five-year-old. I feel like I’ve proved myself worthy of the cause.”
She stares at me, unflinching, until Wyatt pushes past me and approaches her desk. He leans over and whispers quietly in her ear. I study every movement, every breath, trying to figure out their level of comfort. Her palms lay flat on the desk as she leans over but there’s no tension. No arrogance.
He steps away, and with a prolonged glance in his direction she says to me, “Fine. You have ten minutes.”
“Oh.” I’m shocked she relented so easily, although I know from experience Wyatt can be persuasive. “Okay.”
She gestures for me to sit on the surprisingly comfortable couch. She takes the chair next to mine and Wyatt remains standing by the desk.
“Look, I’m not the one that has you sidelined. Dad didn’t want to put you in harm’s way. He even fought me on the patrol duties.”
“Funny, I didn’t know he cared.”
“Of course he cares. He’s just incredibly busy right now and focused on saving society. Don’t be selfish. Plus, you know how he gets.”
I throw her a look. The look that says, “Did you really just throw dad under the bus and call me selfish?” but she looks sincere enough in her own twisted way. I sigh. I do know how Dad gets.