“Dr. Nikas hated that you were a prisoner,” I said quietly. “He threatened to leave the Tribe if it ever happened again.” No way was I going to tell her about Pierce’s proposal to turn her into a zombie.
Kristi sat back and crossed her legs. “Did he now? He should leave the Tribe. He’d be far better off.” She pulled out a legal pad and began perusing notes, signaling an end to the conversation, and leaving me with plenty to mull over for the rest of the return trip to NuQuesCor.
Chapter 28
It was twilight when we arrived back at NuQuesCor. Since I was heading to the Tribe lab next, Kyle passed me the packet samples for Dr. Nikas then continued inside with Kristi.
I spent a good chunk of the drive puzzling over Kristi’s statement about Dr. Nikas. Why would she think he’d be “far better off” away from the Tribe? She was well aware of his paralyzing fear of crowds. Maybe she wanted him to come to work for Saberton? Though I couldn’t imagine any incentive that would convince Dr. Nikas to defect to the enemy.
My worry shifted to how my dad, Jane, Portia, and Bear were handling being thrust into the world of zombies. Especially Portia. The others already knew about zombies and had come to terms with the fact that brain-eating monsters walked among them and could actually be pretty nice people. But I’d thrown Portia into the deep end.
Not that I regretted my decision. I’d rather have her be freaked out and hating me than see her duct-taped to a cot. Still, once I reached the Tribe lab, I tucked the water bottles from the bowling alley into my backpack then practically ran inside.
After I turned the protein packet samples over to Reg, I found Bear sitting in the central rotunda, face puckered in worry.
“Angel!” He lunged up from the chair. “Any news?”
“I checked on your people about an hour ago. They’re stable.” A safe answer. Better than telling him that some of his people were restrained in the high school gym, and one of them had gone berserk.
“Yeah? Okay. That’s good, I guess.” He started a nervous pacing. “I told the rest of my group to get into their bunkers and keep in touch with each other and give health updates.”
“That sounds pretty solid.” I paused. “Why didn’t Nick just have you get in your own bunker? I assume you have one.”
“Oh, I definitely have one. But Nick probably knew I wouldn’t stay in it and would instead be checking on the others.”
I smiled. “Was he right?”
“One hundred percent
. But now he’s still out there, with all that shit going on.”
“Nick knows all of the safety protocols,” I reassured him.
Bear scowled. “Everyone in my survivalist group knew them, too. Didn’t help my people at the bowling alley. I fucking worry about him.”
“So why are you telling me you’re worried?”
Bear stopped pacing. “You’re right. You’re fucking right.”
“Of course I am. Go call him right now. But first, where are the others?”
“The Congresswoman is in the conference room making a zillion phone calls, pulling strings to get more medical staff and supplies down here. Your dad is in the media room, and Miss Portia went off with that tall doctor guy.”
“She did?” My pulse quickened. “Why? Was she hurt? Or was she really freaked out about the zombie stuff? Or doesn’t she know yet? Is she—”
Bear held up his hands. “Angel, stop! She’s fine. We broke the news to her on the way here. Figured it was better for her to find out from us before she was in the thick of things.”
“How did she take it?”
“Utterly disbelieving at first, as expected. Then Kang . . . well, let’s just say he convinced her zombies were real.”
“Nuh-uh. No ‘let’s just say.’ What did Kang do?”
“Weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.” Bear whistled low. “First he got old, like he was in his eighties. Then a knife slash kind of wound opened up on his arm and closed right back up. And then he went back to looking normal forty-something. I could tell she was a believer when she started asking him questions—really technical stuff on how it worked. Kang finally told her she should talk to Dr. Nikas.”
I relaxed. “She’s in good hands then.”
“Sure seemed that way to me.”