Ava’s stomach clenched at the words, and she slid her gaze sideways to Alex, reaching for his hand. A shiver snaked down her spine as she considered heading to the town where a deadly virus ran rampant. Was her health crisis the only one they’d face, or would this become a problem for them, too?
CHAPTER 9
ALEX
Alex’s leg bobbed up and down as Sebastian drove toward the small town of Hemlock Falls nestled in the mountains of Vermont. The woods on either side of them closed in around them, giving him a sense of unease and claustrophobia.
The further they drove into the dense forest, the more Alex’s chest tightened. The pine trees felt like they were closing in on them, as though the mountain itself was swallowing them whole. The fog thickened, reducing their visibility, making him feel even more trapped.
He slid his eyes sideways to glance at Ava before he returned his gaze to the pine trees whipping past his window on the winding road.
Every step closer to the infected hot zone made him more nervous. What if this had been The Board’s plan all along?
They’d kidnapped him, drugged Ava, and now, were theydriving them to the small town to finish them off? Or maybe the virus would trigger some new phase in Ava’s journey with the Neuroprisol-X.
His nose wrinkled. Had they even anticipated that Kyle may counteract the drug and hoped that this new cocktail would work with the virus to destroy Ava even faster?
Nausea swept over him as he considered the possibilities, his mind a war zone. He was in a good place with Ava right now, finally having accepted that she was his despite everything happening.
It would be his luck to lose her to a weaponized flu virus. This was why he preferred digital communication to personal encounters, why he sealed himself in his Hamptons home and never went to the office, and why he hadn’t used cash since 2010. Germs.
The pesky little things that could worm their way into your body and wreak havoc.
He shuddered as he stared out at the fog that had started to move into the area as they drove further north. They’d soon be trapped in an isolated town nestled in the mountains surrounded by germs.
A warm hand wrapped around his, and he twisted to find Ava offering him a reassuring smile.
He shifted closer to her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer.
“You okay?” she murmured.
“No,” he answered with a shake of his head, “but we have to do this.”
“You could have waited at home,” Sebastian said from the driver seat. “Tech support works from anywhere.”
“I’m not staying home and sending my wife into the hot zone.”
Ava shifted against Alex, leaning closer to the front. “Speaking of, how are things looking, Doc?”
“Not great. There have already been a few deaths, but it’s mostly the older or sick people. The scary stuff will start happening when the younger, healthy people start dying off.”
“Maybe they won’t. Maybe this is a watered-down version for the first test, or maybe it’s not as effective as they think,” Alex answered, his voice hopeful.
“Doubt it. It’s spreading through that town like wildfire. Their hospital is about to be overrun.”
“We can’t let them send anyone to another hospital outside of that area,” Ava said.
“No, we can’t,” Kyle agreed. “But it’s going to be a real strain on them. They can’t be this well-stocked with supplies.”
Alex’s leg bobbed up and down with more gusto. Ava put her hand on his knee, smiling up at him again. “Easy, Ace. We’ll wipe down the hotel room, and you can stay tucked in there.”
“It won’t matter. You all will be coming back all germy and disgusting. Ugh.”
Kyle twisted to face them in the backseat. “First of all, I brought vitamins so we can up our intake when we get there to try to boost our immunity. Second, follow my lead on masking, hand washing, and so on. We will definitely do our best to keep the germs away from you.”
Alex grimaced at him before he shuddered.
“Alex is a germaphobe.”
