Edge of Humanity: Book 2 in the Saving Humanity Series

CHAPTER 1

Caleb stood by the window on the 37th floor of the Zomtech building and looked out over the city. Zomtech was one of the tallest buildings in the city, but Caleb had believed most of the floors were used as labs or areas to imprison the undead. He didn't know the higher floors were penthouses. This apartment—and a rather impressive one—was the size of the ground floor of the house he had grown up in. The living room flowed into the kitchen, and the two walls forming the outer edge were banks of windows. Caleb hadn't been given a grand tour, but he assumed the five closed doors behind him opened into bedrooms and probably at least one bathroom.

Darkness settled over the city. Lights blinked on and illuminated a small radius of buildings. At the far corner of his vision, almost at the edge of where the apartment's windows ended, was a large concentration of white light. From this distance, it was about the size of a baseball, but the whiteness cut through the night obscenely. The zombie ghetto. It was supposed to make the humans feel more comfortable knowing the creatures were constantly being monitored, even in darkness no movement would go unchecked. He'd seen the light firsthand while hiding in the ghetto, and the thought of the place made Caleb's skin crawl.

The events of the past few days ran through his mind. So much had happened, so much had changed. It all began with a video leading to Caleb discovering he was immune. It felt like a dream—he wanted it to be a dream. Rachel had been killed because of him, he'd discovered Big Zombies and Really Big Zombies actually existed, and he'd become a pawn in someone's struggle for power.

A lump developed in his throat. Samuel. He said the name with distaste even in his mind. He had been the driving force behind it all. He had manipulated Caleb into the position he was in now. Caleb should have known; he should have suspected. But how? At the time, nothing seemed suspicious. It wasn't like he knew Samuel very well, so he couldn't tell if he was deceptive. Sure, he talked a lot about his conspiracy theory friends, but it wasn't an indication of treachery. Of course, now everything was clear. But hindsight was always 20/20.

A door opened and closed behind Caleb. He continued to stare out the window, attempting to avoid looking at the zombie ghetto, but his gaze kept it in the corner of his vision. He didn't know why he was so drawn to the place. Perhaps it was because it offered him protection and safety. As much as Caleb hated being around the undead, they wouldn't bother him. They thought he was one of them. If the living came after him in the ghetto, they wouldn't be afforded the same luxury. The zombies would attack, giving Caleb yet another level of protection. As much as the thought upset him, the ghetto was the safest place he could be. Even so, Caleb had no intention or desire to go back.

The sounds of cupboards opening and closing in the kitchen reached his ears, followed by the crinkle of packages and the clunk of pans on the counter. It reminded Caleb where he was and who he was with, along with what had happened to get him there.

"You were wrong, you know," Caleb spoke without turning around.

"About what?" Samuel's voice sounded distant and disinterested.

"About the world being black and white. Even before zombies, it was covered in gray."

Caleb referred to the conversation he had with Samuel when he and Jan got caught at the pizza place. Samuel argued the world was no longer black and white, there was no more good and evil, and it was only about survival.

The rustling from the kitchen stopped. Several long moments of silence followed. Caleb turned, wondering if Samuel was still in the room. He stood at the counter, his hands flat on the surface, a look of contemplation covered his face. More moments of quiet slipped by. A small smile crept across Samuel's lips. He turned his gaze to Caleb as if seeing him for the first time. His smile grew wider.