Death After Death (#2)

Chapter Ten

"Please! What have I done?" Principal Beckman snivelled, eyes locked with the metal blade pressed against his windpipe.

"C'mon Max, talk to us," Dawson urged uneasily.

Nurse Granger took a step towards her colleague in an attempt to free him from Max's grasp, but JJ cut her off before she got the chance. He jabbed his own knife into her side, enough so that she would know he was serious.

JJ nodded at Max to show his support. He had no idea what the older man was up to, but he trusted him.

"They're infected, the lot of them," Max growled, piercing the Nurse in particular with his burning glare.

"That's preposterous, we're no mor-" the Principal began to babble before Max eased the knife that little bit closer to his throat.

"That's why you wanted us to rest, right? So you could have a nice fresh supper. None of that bland stuff," Max spat.

"Listen, you've got the complete wrong end of the stick. Just put the knife down and let's talk about this," Nurse Granger calmly soothed.

"Max, are you sure? How can you tell?" Dawson whispered urgently. She was starting to worry that her new travel companion wasn't as together as he first seemed.

"I've been around the Brotherhood long enough to notice the subtle signs, believe me," Max grumbled.

"Like what?"

"The look on the little girl's face when we came in for starters," Max argued.

"Oh, she was frightened, that's all!" the Nurse snorted in disbelief.

"That's funny, cause she was calm as anything when she opened that door for us. No, she wasn't scared, she was hungry. I can see it on all of your faces, the strain in your speech, desperately trying to keep the urges hidden. Even you couldn't keep your tongue from hanging out when you were treating my fresh wounds, Nurse!"

"Max, I don't know? I haven't noticed anything," Dawson admitted.

"What about the fruit?"

"What fruit?" Nurse Granger asked.

"In the fridge. Shelves and shelves of rotten fruit. Why would you let it go off, if you really have been stuck in here all this time? It seems a weird thing to waste..."

"Well, we... there was..." she stuttered.

For the first time, the look in Dawson's eyes changed to a glare of intrigue; she was starting to see truth in Max's tale.

"Check them for bites and scratches," Max ordered Karl and Rodney.

They rolled up the sleeves and trouser legs of the kids, as Max and JJ did the same to their captives. The Principal's arms were littered with scrapes; subtle pale white marks that had long since healed, but they were there.

"Scratches over here," Rodney confirmed.

"Looks like a meaty old bite on this kid's ankle," Karl added.

JJ took a little longer to inspect before concluding, "Can't see anything on her arms or legs, but there could be cuts anywhere."

"What does that all prove?" Nurse Granger laughed. "Take a look at yourself, you're covered in teeth and nail marks!"

She had a point, they could easily be immune, just as he was, but he trusted his gut. Something was off with them, especially the children who seemed to lack the composure to hide their symptoms effectively. One of the little girls hadn't been able to take her eyes off his now bloody bandages since he'd arrived.