Page 82 of Night of the Living Manny
Screams filled the air, and he put on more speed, the sounds of gunfire absolutely insane.
“Kids! I’m coming up.” Brenden didn’t want to get shot, so he shouted it before he burst into the kitchen. He ducked an infected one and beat feet for the garage.
“That’s him! That’s Brenden!” Liam’s voice shocked the fuck out of him.
“Liam? The kids?” He looked around, finding military men instead of infected.
“In the chopper. Moose too. Come on!”
Liam held out a hand, so he took it, letting the soldiers hustle them into a big chopper. Shock made his hands shake when he tried to give the syringes to Liam. “She’s had one full dose.”
“Good. You’re okay, love? You didn’t get bit?” Liam turned to the nearest military man. “We have to go. Take off, soldier!” he snapped.
“No. I mean, I don’t think so. Are Peter and Britt okay?”
“They are, though I almost fell over dead when Peter started shooting.”
“Moose?”
“I have him.” Liam turned to Susanna. “Hey, you. I told you not to get bitten.”
“You also said you’d be back before dark.”
“We’re going to have to put a mask on her,” one of the soldiers said, and Liam nodded.
“Better safe than sorry.”
What did that mean? Did that mean the antidote didn’t work?
He glanced at Liam, who sighed. “I hate it, but until she’s recovered completely, she could cough or sneeze and pass the virus.”
“Oh. You okay, kiddo?”
Susanna nodded and waited for them to mask her. Then she chuckled, the sound raw. “Do they need to cuff me too? I mean it, Dad. You can.”
“Don’t be dramatic, child.”
“I’m not. If I’m gonna get allgrrbefore this thing runs its course—”
“You’ll do fine. I’ll need to do a blood draw once we get back to the compound.”
Brenden peered down the way to where Britt was clinging to Moose with one hand and one of the soldiers with her other. He gave her a thumbs-up, and she gave him a watery smile.
“We’re going to an Army installation. We’ll be able to relax a little bit. There’s a hospital. Doctors.”
“Were you able to recreate the antidote?” He squeezed his hands together because he wanted to throw himself at Liam.
“I was. We’ve had two people respond well.”
“That’s amazing. I mixed Susanna’s up like you said in your instructions.”
“Good. Good. She’ll need a second dose at the twelve-hour mark.”
“Okay. We’re at… about five hours?” He glanced at Susanna, who nodded, her eyes closed.
Liam held her hand in his gloved ones before looking to Peter and Brittany. “You guys are the bravest.”
Peter laughed, the sound hollow. “It’s not like a video game at all.”
