Zombie Guy

Chapter 25: Betrayals and Revelations

The sound of heavy boots on the porch shattered the stillness of the morning. Jaime and I barely had time to exchange a look before the door burst open, splinters flying as a group of scientists in lab coats and guards with tasers flooded the house.

"What the—" Jaime yelled, grabbing the nearest object—a frying pan—and raising it like a weapon.

"Kevin Winslow," one of the guards barked, stepping forward. "You're coming with us."

"No, he's not!" Jaime shouted, brandishing the pan like a sword. "You want him, you're gonna have to—"

Before she could finish, another guard aimed a taser at her. She froze, her grip on the pan tightening as the tension in the room mounted.

"Jaime," I said, stepping forward, my hands raised. "It's okay."

"It's not okay!" she snapped, glaring at me. "What are you—"

"Please don't make this harder than it needs to be," the guard interrupted. "Both of you are coming with us."

They didn't wait for our compliance. Rough hands grabbed me and Jaime, dragging us out of the house before we could put up a fight. Jaime cursed and struggled, shouting every insult under the sun, while I kept my eyes on the ground, my heart sinking with every step.

It didn't take long to figure out who had betrayed us.

They threw us into the back of a van, and as the doors slammed shut, Linda stepped into view. Her expression was a mix of determination and guilt, but all I could focus on was the fact that she was here. That she'd done this.

"You," Jaime hissed, her voice trembling with rage. "You told them where we were."

"I had to," Linda said, her voice shaking. "It was the right thing to do. They promised me they'd fix him."

"Fix him?" Jaime shouted, lunging forward before the guards held her back. "You call this fixing him? Selling him out to the same people who did this to him in the first place?"

"They're the only ones who can help him!" Linda shot back, her tone defensive. "You don't understand. This is bigger than you, bigger than him."

"Oh, I understand just fine," Jaime spat. "You don't care about him. You never did."

"Enough," I said, my voice breaking through their shouting. They both turned to look at me, Linda with wide eyes and Jaime with simmering fury. "Linda, I want to speak to Hayes. Now."

Linda nodded, looking relieved to be given something to do. "He'll explain everything."

---

When we arrived at the lab, they separated us. Guards led Jaime away, her curses echoing down the hallway, while I was taken to Dr. Hayes's office. He sat behind his desk, calm and collected as always, a clipboard in hand.

"Kevin," he said, smiling faintly. "I imagine you have questions."

"Yeah," I said, my voice low. "Let's start with why I'm here. Again."

Hayes set down the clipboard, folding his hands on the desk. "Your body is unique, Kevin. The protein your brainstem produces could revolutionize medicine. But to replicate it, we need direct access to your cells. Specifically, your living tissue."

I frowned, my stomach twisting. "You mean... you want to cut me open?"

"Not exactly," Hayes said, his voice calm and clinical. "The procedure would involve extracting significant portions of your brainstem. The regenerative properties of the pathogen would sustain you for a time, but..."