Gone Series: Plague Part 12

But again they ignored him. Not Jack at first but Dekka, who went because she was brave and wanted to help, even though she guessed what she would find; Taylor because she was curious and wanted to see; Jack because he didn't want to be left behind alone in total darkness.

Hunter was sitting up. He was in the middle of a neat camp: glowing embers from a dying fire, a small tent, a makeshift shelf of sticks and vines where Hunter had a pan and a pot and a plate. A mountain lion hung from a rope looped over a high branch.

Hunter's entire body writhed and squirmed.

The side of his head was partly gone. A creature, like some monstrous melding of insect and eel, protruded from Hunter's shoulder and as they stood there rooted in horror it took a vicious bite of Hunter's flesh.

Taylor was suddenly gone.

Dekka's face was grim, her eyes wet.

"I tried ... ," Hunter said. He held up his hands, mimicked pressing them against his head. "It didn't work."

"I can do it," Sam said softly.

"I'm scared," Hunter said.

"I know."

"It's 'cause I killed Harry. G.o.d has to punish me. I tried to be good but I'm bad."

"No, Hunter," Sam said gently. "You paid your dues. You fed the kids. You're a good guy."

"I'm a good hunter."

"The best."

"I don't know what's happening. What's happening, Sam?"

"It's just the FAYZ, Hunter," Sam said.

"Can the angels find me here so I can go to heaven?"

Sam didn't answer. It was Dekka who spoke. "Do you still remember any prayers, Hunter?"

The insectlike creature was almost completely emerged from Hunter's shoulder. Legs were becoming visible. It had wings folded against its body. It looked like a gigantic ant, or wasp, but silver and bra.s.s and covered with a sheen of slime.

It was emerging like a chicken breaking out of an egg. Being born. And as the creature was born, it fed on Hunter's numbed body.

Jerky movements beneath Hunter's shirt testified to more of the larvae emerging.

"Do you remember 'now I lay me down to sleep'?" Dekka asked.

"Now I lay me down to sleep," Hunter said. "I pray the Lord my soul to keep."

Sam raised his hands, palms out.

"If I should die-"

Twin beams of light hit Hunter's chest and face. His shirt caught fire. Flesh melted. He was dead before he could feel anything.

Sam played the light up and down Hunter's body. The smell was sickening. Jack wanted to look away, but how could he?

Sudden darkness as Sam terminated the light.

Sam lowered his hands to his side.

They stood there in the darkness. Jack breathed through his mouth, trying not to smell the burned flesh.

Then they heard a sound. Many sounds.

Sam raised his hands and pale light glowed.

Hunter was all but gone.

The things that had been inside him were still there.

His knock at her door was soft. Diana almost didn't hear it.

She took a shaky breath. He had come. She'd figured he would.

"Who is it?" Diana asked.

"Sam," Caine said.

Diana opened the door. He was leaning against the frame. His body language and expression were not those of someone who was happy.

"Funny," Diana said.

Caine pushed past her into the room. "Close the door and lock it," Caine ordered. "Bug: if you're in here and I catch you I will kill you. You have till I count to ten to get out."

Caine and Diana both waited and watched the door. It did not open.

"I don't think he's here," Diana said. "I can usually smell him."

They stood awkwardly apart. Like strangers. Diana noticed that Caine had bathed and combed his hair. He was usually as well put-together as circ.u.mstances would allow. But this was a special effort.

Diana had decided against any special outfit. It wasn't about lingerie or whatever. She was dressed in jeans and a blouse. Barefoot. She had avoided makeup.

"You want me to be Sam," Caine said. "I'm not Sam. I'm me."

"I don't want you to be Sam," Diana said.

"You don't want me to be me," Caine said.

Diana considered him. Handsome, no question. Cruel. Intelligent.

"There's more than one you, Caine," Diana said.

He blinked. "What's that mean?"

"You're not Drake."

Caine waved off the suggestion and his face registered disgust. "Drake's a sick creep. I just do what I have to do. I don't get off on it. He's a psycho. I'm ..." He searched for the right word. "... ambitious."

Diana laughed. Not a derisive laugh, a genuine laugh of astonishment.

"What? I am ambitious," Caine said.

"That's one word for it," Diana said. "Power hungry. Domineering. A bully."

"I'm not good at taking orders," Caine said.

Diana grinned. "No. You're not."

They both fell silent. Diana looked at him. He looked down at the floor.

"But you did take orders. From the Darkness, Caine."

Caine flushed angrily. He turned away. He walked quickly back to the door. But he stopped before touching the handle.

"The lights are off in Perdido Beach because you took orders," Diana said.

"Who was it that buried that thing in its mine shaft?" Caine demanded, his voice ragged.

"You."

"Yeah," Caine said. "And saved Sam in the process."

"Yes. And soon after that we became cannibals."

"We have food now," Caine said. "Lots of food."

He walked back to Diana, reached to touch her, but this time she walked away. She stood at the window. The false moon was setting. It dabbed the distant hilltops with silver.

"It was too much," Diana said, almost to herself. "Everything else I could kind of accept. The violence. The battles. What we did to Andrew and what you did to Chunk. And all the rest. I mean, it all sort of left a bruise on me, you know?"

Caine did not answer.

"Inside. In my heart. In my soul." She laughed at herself. "Diana Ladris's soul. Right."

"It was a low point," Caine admitted.

"You think?" Diana snapped, looking over her shoulder at him with a trace of her usual mockery. "Eating human flesh, that was a low point?"

"We had no-"

"Oh, shut up," Diana said. She turned away from the window. There were tears in her eyes and she hadn't wanted him to see. The last thing she wanted was to seem weak.

But he did see now. The shock on his face almost made her laugh again.

"All my life I've been a tough girl," Diana said. "I was cool with that. People would say, Diana's a b.i.t.c.h. Diana's a s.l.u.t. Diana's mean. All that I could deal with because I guess it was basically true. Now they're going to look at me and say, Diana's a cannibal? How do I live with that?" She was shouting suddenly.

"Who are these people you're worried about? Penny? Bug?"

"What if we get out? People! People!" She hesitated. "And G.o.d." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "And my kids. Someday."

"Kids?" Caine's look of confusion and consternation finally did force a laugh from Diana.

"Yes. Someday. Could happen. That's right: the day may come when I have a baby. Maybe even more than one."

Caine said, "Um ..." He made a vague gesture with his hands. He made several attempts to say something. None were successful.

"Do you love me?" Diana asked.

Caine's eyes widened. She could actually see him twitch. Like a startled animal. Like a rabbit who had just heard a fox.

"It's a yes or no question," Diana said acidly. "But I'll accept a nod or a shake of the head or an incoherent grunt."

"I ... I don't know what you mean by that," Caine said lamely.

"When I jumped off the cliff, you saved me even though it meant letting Sanjit and the others escape."

"You didn't give me much choice," Caine said peevishly. "You had a choice. You wanted to destroy them."

"Okay."

"Why did you make that choice?"

Caine swallowed and seemed to find his palms sweaty since he rubbed them on his sides.

Diana walked to the door. She unlocked it and held it open. "Go away," she said. "Come back when you figure out your answer."

"But ..."

"Yeah: not happening. Not tonight."

Caine escaped into the hallway.

Diana undressed and crawled under the sheets. Then she beat the pillows with her fists until feathers flew.

Chapter Eleven.