Edge of Humanity: Book 2 in the Saving Humanity Series

CHAPTER 2

Samuel whistled as he prepared dinner. Caleb's fists clenched at his sides, and it felt like a large rock dropped into his stomach. He glanced at Samuel out of the corner of his eye, then glanced toward the door. He quickly forced his gaze back out the window, afraid Samuel would sense his intention. Not that it mattered; Caleb wouldn't make it to the door before Samuel. Even if he did, there was nowhere to go. Below him was Zomtech with all its security systems and guards. Even if Caleb were able to get out of the apartment and lucky enough to get down the street, there would be RBZs and cops waiting for him.

The rock in his stomach turned into nausea and cramps. The pain threatened to double Caleb over, so he folded his shoulders in to ease the pain. He couldn't let Samuel see what was happening. Samuel would use his pain against him, perceive it as a weakness. In reality, it was a weakness. Caleb didn't have the strength to stand up for himself or fight. He wanted to, but he was smart enough to recognize battles he couldn't win. He needed answers, and as tragic as the situation was, Samuel was the only one who could give Caleb the information he needed. The thought caused nausea to deepen, and bile rose to the back of Caleb's throat. He swallowed thickly and clenched his jaw, an attempt at keeping the bile where it belonged.

"So, what was it like in there?" Samuel's voice sounded right next to Caleb's ear, and he turned to see Samuel next to him, his hands on his hips as he stared out the window.

Samuel nodded toward the window. "The ghetto. What was it like in the ghetto?"

Visions of rotting flesh ran through Caleb's mind. He saw the crowd of undead advancing toward him and felt the fear of being surrounded by them. The fear turned into sheer terror when he realized the zombies wouldn't attack him, they must have perceived him as one of their own. He remembered how he had stuck his face inches from a walking corpse, the stench of rot tickled his nostrils, and fear tingled his limbs. He spoke to the creature, right in its ear, but it didn't react. It was like Caleb wasn't even there. He shuddered.

"Pretty ingenious idea to go into the ghetto to get back into the city in the round-up van. I would have never thought about that in a million years."

Caleb continued to stare at Samuel. "How did you it figure out?"

Samuel turned to look at him. "I saw you on the surveillance tapes. When you ran out of the garage, you left the door open behind you. After being left ajar for more than thirty seconds, it sets off an alarm. Everyone who works in the area knows about that, so they are diligent about closing it." Samuel chuckled, then turned his gaze back out the window. "To be honest, I didn't think much of it. I probably wouldn't have even checked the tapes if the collectors hadn't kept insisting it wasn't them. I did it to prove they were lying. Imagine my surprise when I saw it was you."

In addition to nausea, a sinking feeling entered Caleb's gut. "So, if I hadn't left the door open, you would have never known I was back?"

Samuel looked at him sideways and shook his head.

Caleb cursed in his mind. That small piece of information had large repercussions. Those little details could have changed the course of everything.

"And Jan? Would you have known about her involvement?"

Samuel waggled his head back and forth. "That one's a bit trickier. Once we figured out you were back, I knew you'd try to access the system; I just didn't know how. I was keeping a close eye on things, so that's how I found out about Jan." He held up his index finger. "However, even if I hadn't known you were in the city, I would have found out about Jan's involvement in time." Samuel held his hands out to his sides. "Call me paranoid, but I keep track of everyone who accesses sensitive files."