An ache encased Kate’s back as the hours passed, and her body remained tethered to the wooden chair. The straps bit into her wrists, and she had nearly given up tugging on them. There was no give, and she was too weak.
Weak, weak, weak, weak, WEAK.
The word ricocheted around in her thoughts, gaining momentum until the one syllable was a monumental scream. Kate’s lips trembled with her ever-increasing respirations. The hopelessness created a miserable hole in her chest. Exhaustion dried up any possibility of tears.
When the dining room door creaked open, the sound met Kate’s ears with disinterest. She glared at the table through slits in her eyes as a plate was set before her. Kate had no intention of caring for the interruption until the aroma of grilled meat wafted into her senses.
On a white plate of fine china, inlaid with blue roses, a slab of roasted meat sat before Kate. It had been half a day since she had eaten, at least, and the smell should have made her stomach twist and writhe for the meal. Only a sick nausea took hold.
The person who had set the food in front of her was quick to depart the room, leaving Kate to eye the strange meat. If she was so deplorable, why cook up a choice roast for her?
Juices seeped down the sides of the brisket. Kate wondered if she was expected to lean down and chomp into the food without hands. A knife and fork framed the plate. If only Kate could reach…
Another session of struggling against the straps proved useless. Kate slumped against the back of the chair. The fight was futile, and this was her doom.
As Kate sunk into her realm of self-pity, someone entered the room.
“Have you foregone your pathetic attempts at escape yet, dear?” Margot’s voice grated against Kate’s nerves. The woman’s mature, patronizing tone ramped up Kate’s adrenaline.
Kate chose silence over feeble attempts at verbal warfare. Margot did not seem to be one to listen to those she felt were beneath her.
The floor rumbled beneath Margot’s bootheels as she approached Kate. The thin, commanding woman leaned over the table and cut slices from the meat. The veins in her hands throbbed as she worked the knife and fork. When Margot had separated a bite-size section, she stabbed the fork into it and brought it to Kate’s lips.
A dreadful awareness seized Kate. The synapses of her mind sizzled with snippets of information. A mutation of the Kuru disease. Contaminated protein. The Infected ripping off pieces of their own flesh. The disease was finding ways of sustaining itself, and Kate was to be its continuation. Cannibalism was not something she thought she would take part in, but there she was.
Kate rolled her lips inward, intent on pressing them together to prevent entrance. A peeved smile formed on Margot’s face,the corners of her eyes creasing into crow’s feet. When the fork inched closer to her face, Kate turned her head to the side.
Margot sighed at Kate’s juvenile display. She clutched the sides of Kate’s jaw and squeezed. The pressure resulted in her teeth separating just enough for Margot to shove the warm sirloin between her lips. In an attempt to interrupt Margot’s feeding, Kate shook her head from side to side and spit out what little food had made its way in. Margot released her and leaned back. Her eyes pierced Kate with a disapproving grimace.
“Listen, you insufferable little bitch. Youwilleat this food, or I will let one of the Feeders do it.”
The thought of eating human flesh made Kate’s stomach churn. The idea that an Infected would come in and shove decayed bits of its own skin into her mouth was less desirable. The demise of everything sat at the end of a fork, and Kate had no choice but to open wide.
Bile rose up in her stomach as Kate chewed the sinewy steak. When she prepared to swallow, her throat spasmed, and she vomited. Margot’s palm came across Kate’s face, leaving her cheek in a flash of pain.
“Keep it down,” Margot growled.
Another piece of meat met Kate’s tongue. The juice warmed her gums and spilled down her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed. Margot shoved another bite into her mouth and repeated the process until half the steak had been eaten.
Kate could not feel the mutated proteins merging with hers. She was unable to detect the disease as it caused her body to change. But she knew it in her heart. These were her final moments of cognitive normalcy.
Chapter 50
Nick stood along the treeline, observing the activity of Margot’s fortress. After he locked Malik up at Fort Vanguard and secured additional ammo, Nick had come here to keep watch until Ryan joined him. The guards had a system: patrolling certain areas at particular times. Four guards walked the upper balconies of the house, two guards stood like statues at each entrance, and ten guards roamed the grounds. These were merely the ones on duty. If things were like the warehouse, there was an entire shift separate from these men resting and preparing to take over.
The darkness of the night was extreme, with no moon hanging in the sky. Nick’s world was neon green as he viewed it through his night vision. Margot’s guards used flashlights and lanterns to keep an eye on their surroundings, and Nick knew his ability to see clearly through the night would be to his advantage.
He felt as though he had been watching the house for hours. Ryan was supposed to meet him at dusk.
Where the fuck was he?
The metal alloy of the rifle in Nick’s hands was his only solace against the rage burning in his chest. As he watched the guards and caught glimpses of shadows in the windows, his body urged him to take action. Charge in. Start shooting. Make bloody messes of every person involved in Margot’s trade business. He closed his eyes and drew in a breath.
Be patient. Don’t fuck this up.
Foliage rustled behind Nick. He readied his rifle, spinning around to greet his company. Ryan ducked through a tight grouping of trees. There were others. Person after person filed in behind Ryan. Men and women, some wearing Marine Corps camouflage, some wearing tactical gear. They were prepared for battle and heavily armed.
“‘Sup, man. I brought some help,” Ryan said, smirking. Marcus broke through the woods and directed the makeshift soldiers into a battle formation. Before Nick could grasp what was happening, the fence surrounding Margot’s property was lined with fifty people ready to fight.
