Apocalypse: The Dead Lives
Chapter 46: Almost

Chapter 46: Almost

We left the mall in a hurry, moving through abandoned alleys. The sky outside darkened the further away we got from the mall.

Marco was ahead, leading the way with that irritating confidence of his, while August trailed close behind me. The air smelled like rain, thick and humid, but the streets were empty.

A rare moment of peace in a world that no longer knew how to be quiet.

"Where exactly are we going?" August asked, his voice curious and uncertain.

Marco glanced over his shoulder. "Somewhere with electricity. A laptop. A little thing called modern technology. Ever heard of it, kid?"

August rolled his eyes. "You’re an idiot."

I smirked. "He’s right, Marco. You’re a walking migraine."

Marco clutched his chest in mock pain. "You wound me, Hails."

"Good."

Truth be told, I had no idea where we were going either. But Marco had a way of making things work. It was infuriating. He’s one of those people who thrived in chaos, while the rest of us are just trying to survive it.

We moved carefully, cutting through alleys and empty streets. The city was eerily quiet. Too quiet.

My fingers brushed over my pocket, where the SD card rested. Luke clearly wanted me to see whatever was on it.

I have no idea what was on it, but I knew it was important. And we were about to find out.

After about an hour of walking, we found an old electronics store.

Marco broke in like he’d done it a thousand times before. I swear he has like a thousand personalities or past lives.

We locked the doors behind us after stepping into the store.

Almost everything was covered in dust.

Rows of shattered phones and tablets lined the shelves, but the back room held exactly what we needed.

A working laptop hooked up to a barely functioning generator.

Marco booted it up. I pulled out the SD card and took a deep breath before sliding it in.

The screen flickered. Then a video popped up.

Luke.

He looked rough. Tired and desperate. His face was streaked with blood, his eyes sunken in. He was sitting in his office, whispering like someone might hear him.

"If you’re watching this," he said, "then I didn’t make it."

I swallowed hard. Marco’s jaw tightened. August just stood there, his arms were crossed as he patiently waited for Marco’s next words.

Luke exhaled shakily. "I don’t have much time, so listen carefully. The virus- it wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a lab mistake. It was made. Engineered." He confessed and my stomach dropped.

Luke hesitated like he wasn’t sure if he should say the next part. "It was created by... by Dr. Michael Welch and me, Luke King."

Silence.

Right. He hadn’t confessed to working with Michael, yet.

My father.

I felt Marco’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t look at him. I couldn’t look at anyone.

Luke kept talking, his voice cracking. "It was supposed to be controlled. A biological phenomenon.

The NecroVive Serum was going to be the next big thing. But something went wrong-

The NecroVive Serum turned into the NecroVirus. And that virus mutated and spread faster than anyone expected. We tried to contain it, but it was too late. And now... now it’s everywhere.

One of our seniors, Dr. Stewart, died of a heart attack, but before the ambulance got there, he bit me and infected me with the NecroVirus.

Michael figured that it would be best if he just fled. The plan was for him to stay alive- and to continue creating a cure." Luke said.

I forced myself to breathe. To think. My dad. My dad did this. To a boy that he raised like he was his own son.

August was the first to speak. "Are we just gonna ignore that Hailey’s dad is literally responsible for the end of the world?"

"Shut up, kid," Marco said.

"No, seriously," August snapped. "Am I the only one freaked out by this or- were you guys already aware of this?"

Marco rubbed his temples. "We don’t have time for your moral crisis, kid."

August let out a bitter laugh. "Moral crisis? Dude, we’re living in a zombie apocalypse caused by her dad."

"Enough," I said. My voice didn’t even sound like it was mine anymore. "We need to keep watching."

On the screen, Luke ran a hand through his hair, glancing over his shoulder like someone was after him. "If there’s any chance of fixing this, of stopping it... it’s in Watkins Glen. Upstate New York. There’s a facility there. It’s underground. It’s where everything started."

I frowned. "An underground facility?"

Luke nodded like he could hear me. "It’s got the research, the formulas, maybe even a cure. If Michael has succeeded in his goal. I don’t know. But it’s the only shot we have. And you can’t do it alone. You need people. Smart people."

"I hope this message reaches the right people. Ronan, Cooper, Hailey-Jade, and Oliver. I love you guys. More than life itself. It just all got too much for me-" He breathed out a shaky breath before drying his tears with his palms.

"I hope you can forgive me for what I’ve done someday."

The video cut out.

Silence.

Marco leaned back, rubbing his hands over his face.

I pressed my fingers against my temples. My thoughts were a mess. My dad. Watkins Glen. A cure. It was too much.

And I felt so guilty for blaming Luke for his own death and for calling him selfish. Of course, Luke would still be alive if he could.

"So," August said, "what now? What’s your big plan?"

I exhaled slowly. "We have to go back."

Marco looked at me, eyebrow raised. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. We go back to Watkins Glen."

Marco let out a humorless laugh. "Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Let’s march into the town where everybody hates me and wants me dead."

"We don’t have a choice," I said. "If there’s a chance we can fix this, we have to take it."

"Fix it?" August repeated. "You think this is something we can fix? I just found out your dad is responsible for all of this- imagine how the rest of the world is going to react. This is calm. I’m calm." He said while gesturing to himself.

"Ender will not be calm!" He exploded.

I cut him off. "August. I know you’re scared. But this isn’t about me or my dad or whoever created the NecroVirus. This is about saving lives. We have to save our people."

He shook his head. "No, this is about you wanting to clean up your dad’s mess."

That stung. Because maybe, just maybe, he was right.

Marco raised, standing up. "Well, I guess we’re heading back into the lion’s den."

"Wait- are you being for real?" I asked.

He smirked. "You think I’m gonna miss out on the opportunity to watch this all explode in your face? Not a chance, Fiesty."

I sighed, turning to August. "Are you in?"

He hesitated, then groaned. "I don’t have much of a choice, do I? Just remember that when we die, I’m coming back to haunt you."

I almost smiled. Almost.

So this is the plan. We were going back to Watkins Glen. And this time, I wouldn’t run away.

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