Zombien©

×38Ｏ

“Still, I lost count of how many times I had almost lost you. I'm not too keen to let that number rise.” Richard said.

“Dad.” Zac said with firm voice.
“Right now, I just need you here. I don't want to loose you. Blake needs you, too.”

Richard looked confused at Zac. Blake barely knows him.

“He told me how a macho general saved him and Patrick when they survived in the woods. I'm taking a wild guess here, but it's most likely you.”

“I can't believe I had forgotten that.” Richard chuckled. He looked at Blake who was out cold. “He was a scared boy back then.”
Richard mentally scolded himself for not remembering that small detail.

Zac's eyes started to droop and Richard took notice. “Sleep. We'll talk tomorrow.”

Glancing one last time at Blake, he made himself comfortable. He really hated the dream he had. It made him angry and depressed at the same time.

He really hopes it doesn't happen. Zac didn't know what his true reaction would be if it happened in front of him.

He held Blake's hand again, his eyes slowly closing.

×Ｏ

Echo and Richard sat in the kitchen as Lucy prepared something to drink. Echo typed away on the laptop with Richard right next to them.

“Okay, so Patrick did have a wife, but she was killed in the invasion. He, Blake and Fredrickson were the only ones of the family to survive.” Echo read through.

“Patrick became the Duke a year later after they were saved. The previous Duke had died.” Echo read.

“I remember this. He died of an heart attack.” Richard said.

“What caused the heart attack?” Echo asked as they went to the previous Duke's information.

“We don't know. He was dead for two days.”

“Certain sedatives can cause heart problems. If he was regularly dosed with it…”

“The soldiers that were supposed to escort Zac and Blake were found dead. Tranquillizers and poison killed them.”

“Fredrickson.” They both said in unison.

“So, Patrick had Jack murdered so that he can take the Duke seat?” Lucy said, handing Echo and Richard a glass of juice after she had thrown away the orange she squeezed.

“Why would he want to be the Duke? The job isn't exactly easy.” Richard said.

“Well, he got away with leaving Blake for dead and killing Jack and the soldiers.”

“Things were better with Jack as the Duke.” Lucy sighed. “So, Billy that he adopted was an alien.”

“We're missing something. We still don't know how Billy got in and why Patrick wanted to be the Duke?”

“Is Billy even on the records?” Lucy asked.

Echo immediately typed away. “Last name?”

“Neila.”

Echo stared bluntly at them. “You're kidding?” They said. “It's alien backwards!”

“We know.” Richard and Lucy said.

“My kind brag that they are better than humans, little do they know they have idiots, too!” Echo ranted.

Richard and Lucy glanced at each other. “Huh, nothing.” Echo said.

“Hm, guess Patrick is just as big of an idiot.” Lucy said.
“He has alcohol.”

“Uh, yeah.” Richard said.

“The only place that would have alcohol is the surface! He must've snuck out to find some.” Lucy concluded. “Then Billy could've found him.”

“Was Billy youngish looking?” Echo asked. “Like short or so?”

“He was when Patrick introduced him to us when we opened the new training course.”

“I bet Blake would know more. If my math is correct. Billy appeared around the same time when Blake was decleared missing.” Echo said as they eyed the timestamps on everything.

Richard nodded. “Blake has information that can help.” Richard said.“Including why Patrick wantes to be the Duke. He leaned back as he looked at the ceiling.

“If and I mean if, Patrick or Fredrickson finds them here, we need to be prepared for an escape route.”

“What do you have in mind? It's not like we can get anywhere that fast.” Lucy said.

“We just need to be clever and smart about this.”

“If Zac gets another adrenaline rush, then it's going to be bad. It will definitely spike sky high if he just hears one of their voices.”
“They can't see Zac and Blake. If they do, they'll scheme up something to make us look like criminals or even brainwashed by Echo.”

“We can't brainwash people.” Echo said grumpily.

“If Zac has my strength, what if he has other qualities?”

“I thought we were planning to hide them?” Lucy said.

“I'm extremely flexible. You probably saw how low I managed to stay when we broke into Patrick's pod and I'm prstty speedy, too.” Echo bragged.

“Okay, he can hide easier, but Blake.” Richard said.

“We're getting nowhere with this. We can't go with discreet.” Lucy said. “If Jeremy and I try to smooth talk them as a distraction, if they have the manners to knock, they will kill one of us.”

“Push comes to shove. The place to go is the base. I saw we have two Little Bird helicopters. You can use the other to escape.” Richard said.

“So we run with Blake and Zac on our backs to the base?” Jeremy asked when he entered the kitchen, proceeding to throw away the dirty bandages.

“Best we got.” Richard said.

“It'll take another day of preparation.” Lucy groaned.

“Or…when we leave, I can leave a transmitter in the other helicopter. You'll have control off the platform.” Echo suggested.

“Faster.” Jeremy said pointing at Echo.

“Fine. Tomorrow weaponry.” Richard said. “Oh yeah, Jeremy. Blake needs his baby.” Richard casually drank from his cup.
He smiled seeing the look of confusion on Jeremy's face.

“Blake's flamethrower. That's his baby.” Echo said bluntly, taking a sip of juice as well.

“Wow.” Jeremy started. “I think he needs a lot of therapy.”

“I agree.” Echo smiled sadly.