“To no one’s surprise but his, Kristi Charish threw him to the Saberton wolves. She told them the truth—that he intended to expose Saberton—and twisted everything else to make her look like a corporate saint. Nicole Saber knows better than to believe the bullshit, but she recognizes the truth about Rosario and will target him for capture. He’s a liability to her as well as to us.”
“Man, that’s fucked up.” I did a slow head shake. “Psychopath Kristi is an asset to everyone. Gets to write her own ticket. But the dude who thought it was wrong to use zombies as lab rats and tried to do something about it ended up being between a rock and a hard place as nothing but a ‘liability’.”
“Exposing Saberton in the manner he intended would have ruined us.”
I bit back an annoyed No shit, Sherlock, and instead said, “Yes, his methods sucked, and he was twisted up by Kristi, but his heart was in the right place. I bet he could be a valuable ally given the right handling.”
“Angel, every human who knows our secret increases our risk of exposure,” Pierce said, as if addressing a child. “Even those with good intentions. Rosario is a perfect example.”
“Pierce, that kind of thinking is obsolete.” I wasn’t trying to mimic his patronizing tone. “Zombies have survived by hiding for, what, centuries? But the world is different now.”
“And I will adapt our methods to the changing world.”
I tossed up my hands in frustration. “You’re stuck in a rut! You still think that hiding is the only option.”
Pierce snorted. “What’s your alternative? Send out a press release that zombies are people, too?”
“Hey, why not? News flash, Pierce. We are people, too.” I leaned toward him. “Saberton’s success depends on us wanting to stay hidden. They can do whatever the hell they want because no one knows about us.”
His mouth thinned. “The general populace won't be—”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “We live in a world full of instant updates and video and selfies and twenty-four-hour news. Exposure is inevitable. So why in god’s name aren’t we planning for it instead of scrambling for the few available hiding places like a bunch of roaches? More to the point, why are we waiting to be outed—in what’s sure to be a negative light—rather than spinning it in a way that benefits us?”
Pierce’s scowl had grown steadily darker as I ranted, but I mentally crossed fingers that some of his pissedness was at himself for not considering my points. He could be a real asshole, but there was no way he’d have survived this long by being closed-minded. I hoped.
Dr. Nikas spoke up. “With the African compounds, we can greatly decrease dependence on brains within a matter of weeks. It is a starting point for a less negative reception.”
Pierce looked like a cornered tiger. “Ari, our history speaks for what happens when we’re exposed.”
A shadow passed through Dr. Nikas’s eyes, but his voice remained firm and calm. “And it is nothing I care to endure again. If there was ever a moment for a new approach, this is it.”
“We’re victims as long as we see ourselves as victims,” I said. “Coming out of hiding isn’t going to be pretty, no matter how it comes about. Instead of thinking of Rosario and the other people who know about us as liabilities, maybe we should think about how to live openly in a world full of allies and enemies.” I shook my head. “Pierce, we need to build a network of human allies before we get caught with our pants down. You can’t protect the Tribe all on your own anymore.”
That hit a nerve. Pierce ground his teeth and looked as if he wanted to hit something. “You’ve started your own little network already.”
“Yup. And those allies saved my ass and the Tribe’s.” I lifted one hand and mimed dropping a mic. “Boom.”
He fell silent. The anger in his face slowly leached away. “I’ll consider your argument,” he finally said, “and we will assess Rosario as a potential ally.”
I decided to take that as a win.
Or at least not an outright loss.
Dr. Nikas slid an approving look my way before setting his tablet aside. “Kang is at optimal temperature,” he announced.
• • •
Dr. Nikas reached into the tank and cut away the gauze that covered Kang’s face. I rolled closer for a better view. Kang was grey, but he wasn’t sunken and wrinkly like he’d been when Jacques and I wrapped him. Now he looked like he was sleeping. In pink snot.
Pierce watched with pursed lips. “He will wake?”
“With the new formula it is indeed a possibility rather than an outright ‘no’.” Dr. Nikas stepped back and wiped snot from his hands with a towel. “Jacques, set the first stage voltage.”
Beside me, Jacques adjusted the voltage. I peered expectantly into the tank. And continued to peer as absolutely nothing happened.
“EEG unchanged and chaotic,” Jacques said. “Heart rate ten. Sixteen. Eighteen.” He paused. “Holding steady at eighteen.”
Dr. Nikas tweaked settings and peered at the EEG. “Increase to second stage.”