New Eden- The New Eden series book#1 (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 17 "The Michael Bay special."

"What?"

I asked the question stupidly. Did I just hear the man correctly? Did he just say that they weren't dead?

"You're friends that were infected...they're not dead. At least not yet."

Finks' words were like a cricket bat to the face. The scene with Malcolm and John kept playing back in my mind. They were alive? How could they be alive?
I'd seen the vine curling out of his mouth, bursting its way out of his chest...

How could they still live after that?

I didn't want to believe it...couldn't. I had already accepted their deaths. To now believe that they were still alive would mean that their suffering hadn't ended.

No...no. They were dead!

The others in the room started talking asking questions, wanting the virologist to explain himself. But I wasn't listening to anything. My body seemed to move on autopilot as I stepped back, making my way to leave the room.

"Bradley?" Brandon called me. I wasn't listening.

They have to be dead....have to be! I kept repeating to myself in my head. But at the same time I also remembered the last thing I saw before the door closed; Malcolm struggling to stand up.

I grabbed the door handle and yanked the door open, barely giving notice to all the other students that had gathered at the door to eavesdrop.

"Heeeey, man. What's up?" Steffan said and grinned broadly. He had been to the front of the crowd and had almost fell flat as I opened the door.

I pushed passed, ignoring everyone, and started down the hallway. I had to know. Had to make sure.

"Bradley." Kay came walking fast to match my pace. I slowed a bit.
"Is it true?" She asked. "The soldiers killed Ms. Feroklas and Davan?!"

I stopped and faced her. "Yeah." I answered straight forwardly.

"And you didn't tell me?!"

"I know. I'm sorry. But we had other things to deal with. We had to find out what's actually going on."

I began to feel antsy. I sniffled and passed my hand through my messy hair
"Is that what you guys are doing in there?" Kay pressed. "Finding things out? Cause it sounded more like an interrogation."

"Yeah, well we had to make them talk somehow." I shot back, my voice a little too aggressive.

Kay stepped back, palms up as if to push me back. Her face wore the same expression when I had agreed that we couldn't save Samantha.

"If we're going to cross that line and start torturing people, then we're going to end up no better than the people who trapped us in here." Kay said quietly.

Really? Was she really going to play the morality card on me? Hadn't she seen enough people die...I mean, she was in the same situation as the rest of us, and she was actually against us getting answers from the people in blame?

God! I really didn't have the peace of mind to deal with this.

"Alright, look." I stepped right up to her and placed my hand on her shoulder. I felt her tense a bit under my touch. "They're the ones who caused all of this. I understand where you're coming from, but they deserve what they're getting,"

Kay pulled away from me. I clenched my jaw and held back from saying something stupid. Why wasn't she getting this?

"OK." Kay said. "I get why you might be angry at them and want to seek out justice, but I still don't think torturing the ones responsible will change anything." She looked at me hard.