So I suck in a deep breath, straighten my spine and force myself to walk to the communal dining room.
Out For Blood
Rhys
Idon’t think I’veever been this enraged.
Sure, there have been times in my life when I’ve been pissed off. Watching several people verbally attack Ollie has certainly angered me to the point of dropping me into the cold, dark place where my fury lives. Or seeing the injustice being wrought on vulnerable people during my time in the SAS and being unable to do anything about it has certainly pushed me close to this point.
But this is different.
This rage is deeper, more insidious, and colder than anything I have ever felt in my life.
What happened tonightnevershould have happened. The training and protocols I’ve put in place should have prevented all of this. But in my absence, it seems those protocols were forgotten or ignored. Now we have a gate area strewn with rotting undead corpses and several deadmembers of the community that should have been safe. Not only that, but the people I care for were put in danger, and that’s unacceptable.
All because of a few stupid, selfish people.
I’m barely able to hold back my snarl when I see the people from the supply team that started this whole mess traipse into the dining room. They’re all clean and unharmed, looking like they’ve just walked out of their homes rather than a battle like everyone else. The room stinks of sweat, rotting flesh and smoke, and it’s going to be a bitch to clean for breakfast in a few hours, but I’m past caring.
I’m out for blood.
The only thing keeping me reined in right now is that I haven’t seen Ollie or the guys yet. I’m desperate to know if they’re unharmed, but I need to stay here and make sure everyone who was at the gate comes here. The first thing we need to do is check for bites, and I want to make sure no one tries to sneak away before we do.
I also want to make sure everyone understands that I’ll be damned before a clusterfuck like what happened tonight willeverbe allowed to happen again.
Harriet and Matt rush in, clean blankets and towels in their hands. They weren’t in the fight at the gate—I made sure they weren’t—so they’re clean and unharmed, having spent their time making sure the residents stayed in their homes and away from the gate as directed. Harriet offers me a small, wobbly smile that doesn’t reach her eyes as she passes me.
“Shout if you need us. I’m more than happy to get my hands dirty,” Matt mutters as he sends a dark look at the clean supply team before following his wife out.
Finally, Ollie, along with Alex and Theo, walk into the dining room. Ollie’s eyes are puffy and red like she’s been crying, and while her face is blank, I can see the despair in her green eyes. My gaze devours the three of them, my need to make sure they’re okay a compulsion I can’t control.
It’s only when I’m sure there are no gaping wounds that I look at Theo and silently ask him about Ollie. He shrugs and shakes his head, telling me she’s not okay, but there’s nothing we can do about it right now.
Blowing out a breath, I turn my attention back to the room as my rage returns. “I want everyone to strip to their underwear. I don’t give a shit what your feelings are on the matter. You strip, or I’ll do it for you.” My voice is a cold, sharp whip that cracks through the room.
No one argues. Although a few people hesitate—mostly those who were on the supply team—before everyone strips. Once everyone is shivering and down to their underwear—including myself—I jerk my head at Theo and Alex.
“Start checking for bites,” I order before stepping forward to do the same.
There’s about thirty people in the room, meaning it takes the three of us almost fifteen minutes to check over everyone. A few people—mostly the cowards from the car—object and try to weasel their way out of it, but one glare from me takes the fight out of them. The last one to be checked is Andy.
He stands on the far side of the room, away from everyone, his weathered face closed down and blank. While I don’t know the man very well, judging from the concerned frowns from Tobias and Rachel, his behaviour isn’t normal. Ollie keeps glancing at him with barely concealed grief, which only confuses me further.
Until I see the bite on his shoulder.
“Fuck.” It’s the only thing I can say as I stare at the ugly black and blue mark in the perfect shape of a human jaw.
Andy clenches his jaw and nods. “Fuck, indeed,” he says with a resigned sigh.
“Can you turn so I can look at the back of it?” While the bite looks painful, it’s still only a bruise from the front.
Andy says nothing; he just turns.
I step closer and examine it. Just like the front, it’s a mess of blue, purple and black teeth marks. I don’t see any broken skin, but as I look closer…
Right on the top of his shoulder blade, where the skin is thinnest, is the tiniest cut. It’s barely more than a paper cut, but that insignificant wound could spell his doom.
I sigh heavily, the weight of what I’m about to say pressing down on my shoulders. “Andy, I’m going to need you to go to the medical building for isolation.”
