Page 33 (1/2)
“Join the club Heard enough?”
“Tell ”
“Okay, after the second death of David Vale, I of course woke up in a mysterious Atlantean structure, which, you know, makes total sense There was only one way out, like a rat in a maze Said maze dumpedit “It was horrifying It was a burned-out wasteland The suht to stop: the Iht there in front ofit was surreal The Immari patrols captured me, took me inside the base Then I sahat it hat they were doing there”
Kate nodded “And you decided to fight them”
“No Not at first, and I’m ashamed of that Very ashamed of that My first impulse was to escape the camp and find you” He looked at her, and in that fraction of a second, she saw theand vulnerable, and… David
He glanced away from her “But I had no idea where you were, no clue where to start That’s when I decided to fight, to take the base”
“David, it’s changed you somehow”
“Before today, I had killed hundreds of people—hell, I don’t even knoto kill me or my team at the time—well, except the ones I shot with a sniper rifle, but saeneral principle Ceuta was different Different than following orders I drew up the plan, sold some men on my plan, and when the hour came, I pushed the button that killed thousands of soldiers and plunged that place into war It was ht it was just, that they deserved it And I want to finish the fight I feel the i inside me like a fire, like an itch I can’t scratch, like a thirst I can’t quench I want more I want to wipe them all out, nohile we can”
Kate understood Her leaving hiht in Ceuta His wounds wouldn’t heal overnight, and his rage wouldn’t fade fast But there was an opening, ashe could slip through to get to hieted on the bed He was vulnerable now, and she sensed that her next words would determine what happened to “them” and perhaps the fate of many others She spoke quietly “I need your help, David”
He turned his head, but said nothing
“In the next forty-eight hours, ninety percent of the world’s population is going to die”
“What?”
“The plague, it has mutated There was an explosion in Germany—”
“Sloane He carried a case out of the structure in Antarctica”
“Whatever that case was, it enature that swept the world at the speed of light The radiation changed the plague There’s no defense against it now Orchid has failed The A widespread infection and death They’re collapsing But I think I can find a cure Martin orking with an underground consortium, Continuity It includes the people at the CDC I think he was close to finding a cure I have his notes, but I need your help”
“You think—”
“There’s so I have to say I’ in Gibraltar I’an I’ain No matter what happens, froether No ive a damn how many times you’ve died or what scars you do or don’t have”
He kissed her on the mouth, and it was like the kiss in Gibraltar She see out of hi some pressure valve that had been about to blow
When they separated, he stared at her, the softness back in his eyes
“And one : I will follow your orders”
“Actually… I think ive the orders for a while I’ a little perspective, res I just said” David shook his head “Not the sanest stuff that’s ever come out of my mouth, or entirely rational for thaton You do the thinking, I’ll do the shooting”
“I can do that”
David stood and glanced around the stateroolobal apocalypse Hell of a second date”
“You’re certainly not boring”
“Just trying to keep you interested Nohere do you want to start: with the plague or Martin’s murderer?”
“I think—”
The boat suddenly lost speed Kate felt as though it was co on?”