To Be A Killer

Chapter 1: Break Your Heart

"Anything?" Janine questions, her voice tired and empty.

"Mmm... nothing," Sam sighs.

I squeeze my eyes shut and grip my covers tighter, trying to keep from crying at that word.

Nothing. It's been the same word I've heard everyday for the last few months. Three months, one week, and two days to be exact. That's how long they've been gone-how long he's been gone.

I keep my headset on at all times, even now as I lay in bed. I sleep in my running clothes, just in case I have to get up in the middle of the night to chase a lead, although I haven't been getting much sleep here of late anyway.

But each lead-each clue-each one has been a dead end. And with each dead end, I lose a bit more hope; We all do.

I remember spending five hours running around on Sam's birthday in June because he said all he wanted was for us to find our people. It's August now, and still no luck. Still no Maxine, still no Caleb, or Ed, or anyone else. They've disappeared, and even though I've tried to use what little knowledge I have on Diana to help find them, it's done little to no good.

"We'll try again tomorrow," She sighs. "New base command will be here by then. She's coming straight from the Ministry. They might have some new leads to follow up. We never really investigated the farms to the west."

"That's because they're swarming with fast zombies. Like, everywhere is swarming with fast..." He sighs, and I can almost see the defeated look on his face. "Even if we wanted to, we couldn't get up there."

An odd beeping starts up, and Janine lets out a noise of frustration. "System's glitching again. Turn it off... Wait, look at that."

I perk up.

"If this is another joke, Janine... I have to tell you, it's not funny when you pretend we've found Maxine or Ed or someone and it's actually a cow. Five nearly had a meltdown the last time that-oh, crap."

"Yep."

"Almost everyone's out. Who've we even-crap!" He turns on the speakers. "Runner Five, Runner Twenty-three, Runner Seventeen, gates now!"

I jump up from my bed, seeing Summer jolting awake and doing the same. Paula's sleeping in another building, but I'm sure she's booking it even faster than we are. I run outside, fast as I can as the stars twinkle about me.

"Raise the gates! They're coming! Runners, move! We've got something!"

"Something? Like a big something or a small something?" Summer questions as she runs beside me, while Paula's a few steps ahead. Her eyes are wide with excitement and curiosity, and I'm certain my face mirrors hers.

"Big something. I mean, I think it's a big something."

"That's good enough for me," I say as the three of us run out of the gates.

I tell myself not to get my hopes up. I've let that happen before and I felt completely broken when our lead turned out to be a dead end. But the way this sounds, the way this feels... I think it might actually be something.

I don't really know if it's a prophetess thing, even though I'm almost determined that's what I am. Or at least, that's what I think I am, since those dreams and such...

But I haven't talked to Janine about Chrys, or Tony or the dreams. Not after what happened. I can't let us separate our time between helping her and finding our people.

Plus, even if I could get Sam to believe me, I doubt I could get Janine to do so. She'd say I was crazy, and put me in a room with a straightjacket. But unlike last time, I wouldn't be let out for a long while.