Sorrow's Gift

Chapter Ten: Crash

Hours after the others had fallen asleep, Crash sat in front of the computer with his headphones on, replaying a video he'd recorded from just before the super-zombies attacked. He had a quick record button on his keyboard, and he'd gotten in the habit of capturing video images of things he saw with the help of the government satellites. He'd spent hours watching surveillance cameras in cities all over the world, hoping to find one place that wasn't crawling with infected.

When he'd finally come to terms with the fact that nowhere on earth had been left untouched, he'd started recording the rotters just to watch their behavior. He'd never seen anything like the ones that attacked his new friends downtown, though.

When he first saw the figures on his infrared, there had been six of them. Five red-hot figures, and one normal, human-looking figure. As he replayed the satellite camera footage, he focused in on the human figure. He'd almost forgotten about the human until Parrish had said something about the attack feeling deliberate. Assassins, she'd called them.

But that didn't make sense. He'd watched these rotters long enough to know they had no mind of their own. All they cared about was infecting and eating anyone who was still alive. Why weren't they attacking the other human on the rooftop? And why would a group of them deliberately go after a group of humans down on the street?

They wouldn't. Not unless someone was controlling them. Telling them what to do. Now, as he watched the human figure standing in front of the super-zombies, he realized Parrish had been right.

The attack hadn't been random at all. This wasn't just some new stage of whatever disease had ruined the world. The five super-zombies were standing in a line, like they were taking orders from the human. It was almost military in feel. Whoever it was standing there had been explaining their mission. Not once did they attempt to attack that human.

The whole scene gave Crash the creeps. The idea of super-zombies was bad enough, but the thought of a human giving them orders was even worse. Who would send a group of zombie assassins after them? And why?

Chills ran down his spine, and he sat back in his chair, staring at the video on his screen.

The zombies had special powers, but so did they.

Part of him wanted to believe it was all a coincidence. A terrible virus had caused all this, unlocking hidden abilities. It was evolution, not fate.

But he knew better.

The dreams had started long before the virus had taken over the world. He couldn't ignore that.

When Crash had first started having those dreams, he'd searched the web looking for information about omens and prophetic dreams, but all he'd found were new-age type sites talking about destiny or clairvoyance. He knew what he'd been experiencing was different, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He'd honestly started to wonder if he was losing his damn mind.

But when the virus broke out and everyone got sick, it all started to make sense. He wasn't crazy. He was connected to this thing somehow. Not the cause of it, exactly, but his destiny was tangled up with this virus. The virus wasn't some catalyst for human evolution. It was a key, unlocking powers that had been sleeping inside him for years. Lifetimes, maybe.

When he'd started hacking into satellites and protected websites without even breaking a sweat, he knew he'd been right. The way he could control the power, the internet, even simple alarm systems, was no coincidence. When the world began to die, something inside him switched on.

The question was why? Why him? What was so special about the five of them?

He had a feeling if he could figure that out, he'd know exactly why those super-zombies had come after them.

Crash had no idea where to look for the answers.

Short of going onto what was left of the forums he visited and asking if anyone else had started manifesting some amazing powers like being able to control electricity and dreaming about the future, he was at a total loss.

Besides, he was pretty sure he already knew the answer to whether anyone else had powers like he did.

There was no one in the world like the five of them, and even though they hadn't had a chance to talk about it yet, he was certain that each of the others had started manifesting powers just like he had.

He'd hoped getting the five of them together would trigger something. Memories, maybe. Or at least some path to the answers he was seeking.

So far, nothing like that had happened.

He leaned back in his chair again and stared at the reinforced door he'd had installed a month ago. Ten sets of deadbolts and a steel door had made him feel safe until now. No normal zombie was getting through that door.

But what about super-zombies? What about a human with the power to control them?

He thought about the three sleeping girls in the next room. He'd brought them here, thinking they'd be safe for a little while. Maybe months considering how much food and water he had stored away.

Now he wasn't so sure.

Somewhere in this city, there was a human with a vendetta against them. Even if they were lucky enough to have escaped the area without being followed, that person had found them once. He didn't think it would be all that hard to find them again. Not if they had a way of tracking their abilities. Hell, in terms of power usage, his basement apartment might as well be lit up like a fracking Christmas tree.

Crash closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

He needed sleep, but so did the others.

He turned back to his computer and started typing. He'd wake Noah up in a few hours to take the next watch, but for now, he was going to pull up every single surveillance camera in D.C. if that's what it took. Somehow, he was going to find the person who'd sent those zombies after them.

He just hoped he found them before the next wave of zombie assassins came knocking at his door.

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