“Wait? What?” I jump to my feet. I need to get back to the dorm and talk to Cole. He should be with me—us. That was the plan. “We’re leaving now?”
“Twenty-nine minutes,” he says. “I’d start down now so we don’t leave without you.”
I fumble for my bag wondering if I can dash down to the lab or not, but I know it’s impossible. This building is a maze and the labs are at the furthest point from the garage. I push through those around me to get to Wyatt or even Walker but they both slip out the door before I can get there.
“What the hell, Davis?” I ask bumping into him on the way out.
“You wanted to be in the FF, Alex. This is how we roll.”
“Are you telling me you had no advance warning?” I can’t help but notice his backpack, loaded, on his shoulder. He knew.
He shrugs. “That notice you got today was your advance warning. You’ll be okay. They’ll pack everything we need.”
“So this is how you operate? On blind faith?”
He smiles, a little sad, like it hurts to see how slow I am. “Welcome to the Fighters, where we take orders and get shit done.”
“Are you serious?”
His face turns grave and he gestures to the door. “As serious as an Eater bite.”
I follow the others but keep my eyes peeled for Cole as we file down the hallway. Panic rises in my chest and I think for a moment I should run, but then it’s too late and we’re corralled down to the garage.
I quickly learn that everything said by Walker or Wyatt is only a partial truth. Yes, we go to the garage, no we don’t leave right away. When I get downstairs I’m instantly queued up. “What’s this for?” I ask the girl from the meeting. She turns and I see her nametag. Parker.
“You don’t think they’d send us out without our own inoculation do you?”
The vaccine. We’re getting the vaccine.
Why does that idea scare me so much?
“No, I guess not.” My hand clenches around the strap of my bag.
“What?” Parker asks.
“I’m just…I guess I never really thought this would happen, you know? Being able to go out there safely.”
She laughs, her teeth white and perfect. “All the vaccine does is keep the virus from taking hold and spreading into your neurological system. If one of those things tries to bite your head off and you bleed out? You’re still dead. You won’t turn though—that’s definitely a bonus.”
“Oh, right.”
Again, I search the room for Cole, wondering if I’m the only one in the dark.
“Next,” a voice calls from the front of the line. We shift forward.
“So you think this vaccine will work?” I ask. Parker gives me a weird look. “What?”
“Aren’t you Dr. Ramsey’s daughter? You don’t trust his work?”
“I trust him. He’s brilliant.” But my sister? She’s a genius but unstable. “You’re right. I’m just nervous.”
We shuffle forward and soon Parker is sitting in the chair next to one of the scientists from the meeting upstairs. The patch on his uniform says Adams, and unlike in the briefing room, he looks much more comfortable now. “Roll up your sleeve,” he directs.
Parker complies, exposing the inside of her forearm and elbow. I have a flash reminder back to when Cole and I met. His blue eyes intense over the white lab mask. I had no idea then we’d be together, all these months later. I didn’t even know his name back then. The memory hits me like a ton of bricks.
I step out of line and search the room. Wyatt and Walker stand next to the door deep in discussion.
“I need to talk to you,” I say, rushing up to Wyatt. His eyebrow lifts. He knows. Of course he knows.