“Better safe than sorry. There could be other people out there and we don’t know if we can trust him.”
Jenna frowned at Darnell’s statement but he moved past her before he could elaborate. “What does that mean?”
I explained it to her as we made our way toward the back, and Bishop. He was going to be disappointed that he wasn’t going to be able to get a fresh blood sample out of me again. For some strange reason, I was acutely relieved by the fact. Cade disapproved of Bishop using me as a guinea pig, and I wasn’t certain I wanted the answers that Bishop’s new round of tests might reveal.
CHAPTER 13
I studied the map, barely listening as Darnell outlined the path he wanted to take. Some of it was going to be rough terrain, but at least it was mainly woods. We had been on the move for the past three days, only now settling down once more for a rest. We were going to spend a few days at the small hotel we had discovered nestled at the edge of the woods. On the other side of the large cabin-like building was a sparkling blue lake. Everyone had been ordered to stay away from the lake, only the woods were a secure position in which to remain hidden. It was a good thing the weather had become cooler; I didn’t think I’d be able to resist the allure of the dark blue water otherwise.
I glanced at the people gathered around the table. Aiden and Lloyd were close together, Jenna stood slightly behind Bret, leaning over his shoulder. It looked like an intimate posture for the two of them, but unfortunately it was simply because it was the only place she had been able to squeeze in. Bret was still annoyingly obtuse to her, not because of me, but because he had become focused on becoming even more of a soldier, and spent every free moment he had training with the remaining troops. Bishop was standing beside the two other soldiers, Private Mick Smith and Private Frank Doogal.
There were a few other people gathered around, but I was acutely aware of the fact that Cade was not present. And neither was Ian Hoyt, the enigmatic man that had wandered into our camp just days ago. Cade was weary of him still, distant, and he did whatever he could to keep me as far from Ian as possible. I had wanted to question him on it, but we barely had a moment alone, never mind time to have an in depth conversation. I was hoping that our stay in this hotel would give us a chance for some much needed, and wanted, privacy.
My attention left Darnell and the map as I scanned the crowd once more. I didn’t know where Cade had gone, but for the past two days he had been hard to read. I was worried about him, but he still wouldn’t talk to me, still wouldn’t tell me what had happened to him while he’d been gone. What they had done to him.
Tension. There was always tension within him, always something simmering close to the surface. Something I was becoming more frightened was going to explode, no matter how tight of a hold he tried to keep on it. And he was keeping a very tight hold on it, that much was apparent. Even if it was only apparent to me.
A light touch on my elbow pulled me away from my morose thoughts. I blinked Bishop into focus. Apparently the meeting was over. “We’re staying for a few days. I would like to finally get a sample if I could.”
My throat was suddenly dry, but I managed a brief nod. I could not put Bishop off forever, could not hide from what may be hidden within my blood. I worried about Cade’s secrets, but I think he suspected I was harboring a few of my own. He didn’t question me about it, but I was well aware of the fact that he was watching me even more than normal. Even more than those times I had caught him studying me in the halls at school, or on the streets when I had felt his gaze on me, and been drawn to him, but had been too shy to approach him in anyway.
It was all very confusing but neither of us seemed willing to talk about what we were going through, or our doubts. I took comfort in the fact that at least he was back, at least the world did not appear as dark and cold with him here. However, now it wasn’t the world that was dark and cold, but Cade himself.
And I was even more confused about the changes going on inside of me. Changes that had increased since that thing had attacked me in Plymouth. My craving for meat had increased, it was a battle to avoid it now, one that left me strained and exhausted by the end of every day. I almost hoped that this fresh sample of blood would provide Bishop with the answers he sought, but I was terrified of what those answers might be.
“Of course,” I murmured.
I followed Bishop up the steps of the hotel. He had set up his new research area in the small ballroom tucked in between two larger ballrooms. The three rooms could be combined by opening the partition that separated them. When they were all combined the rooms took up almost three quarters of the first floor of the hotel. I imagined it had been a beautiful spot for weddings and parties.
I sat on the stool that Bishop patted lightly before turning away to grab his ever present needle. My other, tainted, blood samples had been disposed of. Bishop had seen no need to keep them since they were ruined, and I had returned alive. “Do you really think this could work?”
I turned in surprise; I hadn’t realized that Darnell, Lloyd, Aiden, and Jenna had followed us into the room. I had been so caught up in my own worries and fears that I hadn’t noticed them behind us. “It’s a possibility,” Bishop muttered.
“But it could save more lives, if we can get to the remaining frozen people in time?” Darnell pressed.
We were all acutely aware of the fact that we hadn’t come across any of the human statues in a long time. Though there had been some destruction and debris left here, there had been no bodies, and very little blood. I tried not to think about the possibility that they were all dead. That it was already too late to save anyone, no matter how hard we tried. “There’s no way to know that, but we can hope.”
“So they could all be dead already. This could all be for nothing.” My voice was weak, listless with despair as Bishop stabbed me. I had been poked and prodded more times than I wished to count, we had risked our lives and experienced awful things to go to Plymouth, and it could have all been for nothing.
“They’re not dead. At least not all of them anyway.”
I jumped slightly, a sharp pain shooting through me as I twisted on the stool and jerked the syringe in my arm. I didn’t know when he had arrived but Cade was now standing in the doorway, his eyes narrowed upon the needle stuck in my arm. His displeasure was obvious as he watched us.
“Who’s not dead?” Darnell asked quietly.
“The Frozen Ones.”