To Be A Hero

Chapter 49: Monster

She raises a brow in interest. "What sort of group?"

"An unusual one. Runner Twenty-three, Runner Five, you are going to the circus."

I frown in confusion. That doesn't sound right. I want to question it, since I know Ellie didn't say she was sending me on a road trip to see the circus, but I don't, because I know Janine will explain it to us later. I didn't even know the circus was still a thing. Who decides to be in the circus during an apocalypse?

That's so weird.

But, them claiming to have tame zombies is even weirder. I mean, I have seen calm zombies before, because of the blue flowers, but those flowers are gone now. The only ones we have left are those that Veronica got from The Natural History Museum.

But, then again, we also have seen partially sentient zombies who acted tame, like how Anna acted with me. Maybe these people will know how they're created. It's a stretch, but we really don't have any options. We discovered something with Sam being immune, but we've already hit a wall with that. We have to follow every possible lead, so if the circus can help us, then so be it.

I do have a strange feeling about this mission. It's not exactly a bad feeling. It's more like... warmth-like the weird giddy feeling you get when something exciting is coming up, and you can't wait for it to finally happen.

So maybe this is a sign of some sort. Maybe we'll find something great here.

And Nicole didn't want me to come.

"When you round the next bend, Rowantree Manor should be in sight," Janine says, and Paula's brows draw together.

"Rowantree Manor. Rowantree Manor. Why does that name sound familiar?"

"Yeah, you might have heard me constantly going on about it," Ellie says, and I jump. I didn't even hear her come in the coms shack.

"Ellie!" Paula says with a smile. "Okay, so, does it have something to do with Vikings?"

"Close! Well, actually, out by several centuries, but certainly thematically related."

"Rowantree Manor was once owned by Dr. John Dee," Janine explains.

"He had a reputation as a sorcerer. He was reported to have uncovered the secret of how to kill someone and bring them back to life, something our manuscript confirms."

I nod. "Oh, I get you. His old home is where they're saying they can control zoms. Yeah, that makes more sense now. I see why you wanted us to come here."

"Yeah, and more to the point, the crest of the Rowantree family is an old-fashioned beehive. Not the hairdo, the hive for bees. So that thing he scribbled on our manuscript about the house of the bees, where he left his secret-"

"Oh! I never would have thought of that. Still, do you think the secret might still be there?"

"It's worth a shot," She replies, and I can picture her giving us a small shrug. "I'm going to go dig up my research notes on Dee while you guys poke around. I'll see if I can find anything about a hiding place. Have fun!"

The coms door opens and closes, and the excited smile on my face fades quickly when the manor comes into view. I glance over at Paula, and she's wearing the same bewildered look that I'm sure I have.

"Am I imagining it, or is there blood splashed over the front of that building?" Paula questions.

"I believe it's red paint, Dr. Cohen," Janine answers.

"And, Five, are those heads impaled in the gateway railings?"

I nod. "Yep. Only question is, are they plastic, zombie or human?"