Humanity's Hope: Book 1 in the Saving Humanity Series

CHAPTER 6

Matt jerked his head to the right and stood from the bench. "Come with me."

Caleb hesitated for a moment, then got up. If Matt had wanted to do something to him or imprison him, he could have done it when he was unconscious. Caleb stood, as did Samuel. A wave of dizziness overcame him and his stomach cramped. His knees wobbled slightly and threated to give out, but he remained upright. The thought of laying back down sounded extremely appealing. Curiosity kept him from doing it. Matt led them out of the cafeteria and down a long hall. A grunt caught Caleb's attention, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Lilah following them with a lumbering gate.

His eyes drifted to the stump of where her arm used to be, and the thoughts of how she lost it drifted through his mind. She had saved him and Samuel. A zombie—a Big Zombie—had actually done something for a human that didn't involve consuming them. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it. Even seeing it with his own eyes made him question his sanity. RBZs and BZs weren't supposed to exist. They were a myth, and yet, there she stood. It couldn't be. It just couldn't.

What troubled him even more was the fact that he felt sorry for her. Her hand clutched at the stump, her gaze was on the floor. If she had been human, Caleb would have assumed she was mourning the loss of her limb. That sent a pang of sadness across his chest, followed by a burning anger. He shouldn't feel anything for the creature. It was an abomination, a killing machine. Just because she hadn't exhibited those murderous traits in the short time he'd been around her didn't mean they didn't exist within her. That didn't mean she hadn't killed and devoured before. She didn't deserve sympathy. She deserved condemnation.

Caleb shook his head. The thoughts were giving him a headache. It was more than he could handle at the moment, but at the same time, he wanted to know more. He had to understand what was going on. His sanity depended on it. What made her different? Why did she illicit sympathy from him?

At the end of the hall, a large metal door stood open. Caleb scoffed. It wasn't doing much to protect them if anyone or anything could walk through it. Behind the door was a set of stairs that led up. Sunlight spilled down them. A warm, dry breeze touched Caleb's face. His curiosity was piqued further. Apparently, Matt wasn't concerned about threats or dangers. That allowed Caleb to relax slightly, but he also kept his defenses up. There was no telling what lay before him.

Betrayal. Death. Maybe unspeakable torture. Run now while you the chance.

Caleb ignored the voice. He was willing to give Matt the benefit of the doubt.

It'll be your funeral.

Caleb shooshed the voice with his mind and proceeded with the group upstairs and into the sun and fresh air. Caleb inhaled a deep breath and enjoyed the warmth on his face. He closed his eyes and let the light surround and engulf him. It seemed like it had been forever since he had been in such brightness. He wanted to pull it into his soul and push the darkness out permanently, but Caleb was convinced there wasn't a light bright enough to accomplish that task. With a frown, he opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings. They stood on a rock ledge overlooking a barren desert landscape. Cactus, sagebrush, and dirt surrounded them, along with a few rolling hills. He glanced behind him at where they had come from. It was just as he had suspected; they had been in a bunker. Had it been created to hide and house someone important? If so, where were they? Did they ever make it? It wouldn't surprise Caleb if they hadn't. A lot of people didn't make it after the rising. Matt was in it now, and it was completely possible it had been developed for him. Not that it mattered. Even if it wasn't his, Caleb was sure he wouldn't give it up without a fight. But it didn't appear he needed to. He obviously wasn't worried about threats—his door was wide open. What was his story? At one time he had worked for the government and then Zomtech, had helped in ridding the world of the undead threat. His studies had advanced humanity's understanding of what they were dealing with. Was he still working to help humanity? Or had he gone rogue? Caleb glanced at Matt out of the corner of his eyes. His suspicion grew.