To Be A Champion

Chapter 45: Captain of a Shipwreck

"Janine, I know what you're going to say."

Janine looks at Sam with pinched lips, a dark eyebrow raised. "Do you?"

He shrugs, tugging at the beanie on his head. "I mean, well, yeah. You're going to say we shouldn't be on this boat going to get the cure Frances and the people on Dearg Island have made for you and Tom because right now that's unimportant, and sacrifices must be made. Which quite literally they are because not only did..." He casts a nervous glance to me, "not only did Tom lose his leg and was moved to the Undaunted for his own safety, but Amelia told me this morning that a good dozen of her soldiers have now joined the bloody red god and have made some sacrifice of a lamb to it.

"Which, I mean, I'm not sure what they think a fungus would want with a lamb, but..." He trails off with a sigh. "I'm just telling you we're not going to take it from you, alright? Not one more speech about how you're unimportant and we should be doing something other than trying to help you!"

She scowls at him, causing him to flinch back. "I wasn't going to say that. Runner Five, Mr. Yao, Chief McCallen, we have very few friends on this island. Over the last two days, most people have succumbed to the red fungus."

I grab at my invisible backpack strap. Yesterday a few nurses, the same ones who helped with Tom's surgery, succumbed to it. We chased them out, but Nicole ended up shooting one. Rory looked terrified and asked her if she would do the same thing to him if the red fungus ended up taking his mind.

To my surprise, she told him no.

"We have long wondered who our enemy was, and now we know," Janine continues. "Shona wormed her way into our group and cleverly gained our trust. She set us against those who might have helped us. Chief McCallen, only you, Miss Brown, and Rory have remained apparently free of the skincoat's malign influence."

"They're a force of darkness, Colonel," He says gruffly. "I will do whatever I can to fight with you."

She nods. "Thank you. Five, you must observe my condition. My left eye is useless, and my shaking has worsened. In these circumstances, Mr. Yao, I cannot doubt that my duty is to become well and fight. If Miss Reid enacts her plan, the country—indeed, the world—will be overtaken by the red fungus."

Chief McCallen shudders. "Doesnae bear thought. I'm here to help however I can. Have you heard from Laird Reid? I've not seen him since we took you to safety, Five."

"Nobody has," Sam says. "He couldn't shoot at Shona, of course. Poor man. Probably just wants to be left alone. Imagine knowing your daughter did all this."

Thunder rolls in the distance, and I can smell the incoming storm. It's thick in the air and cold. The water under the boat becomes choppier but not bad enough to make me feel worried.

I narrow my eyes when I see the breached ships Sam and I ran across to get to Dearg's drop-off point the first time. There are figures on the vessels—not zombies. People. Islanders. They haven't turned full V-Type, but their minds are mangled. While there's no red glossing their skin, I have noticed that their eyes get this red rim around the pupil the greater the infection becomes. It gets thicker and thicker, and your mind slowly goes as your iris turns almost entirely red.

I noticed mine yesterday. The replica of the fungus in my blood is losing the battle against the real thing. It's not as thick as Sam's or Rory's, but the red ring is there.

We're all running out of time.

"What on earth are they doing out in this weather?" Sam asks before cringing. Some of them have completely crimson irises.

"They're afraid," Janine replies. "Look. They're salvaging weapons, anything they could find to defend themselves. Ms. Spens has made it clear that she is willing to kill everyone on the island to stop the King of the Rocks ceremony. She has found a sense of duty at last.