Free LovewithaChanceofZombies by Delphine Dryden

weapon against her back as she ran.
    By the time she got back to the lab, Lena was panting. Fit
as she was, the anxiety took a toll on her stamina, and she had to stop and
gasp for long moments before she was able to tell Lucas what had happened.
    “I have to go back to Watson, tell him what Gilford said,”
she finished. Lucas had let her talk, not commenting, not even seeming
especially perturbed. He kept his eyes on the page where he’d been scribbling
notes when Lena ran in.
    “Where do you think Gilford heard it?”
    “Does it matter? How can you be so damn calm?”
    Lucas shrugged. “If it’s just mess-hall gossip, maybe it’s
not such a big deal. I’ve been out of sight for weeks, and it’s been pretty
quiet aside from the incidents at the farm. People will always start making up
stories when they’re bored. The attacks are on the hemp field, I’m supposed to
be there at the farm doing some secret project. Then you show back up at the
gate and start running experiments with the hemp. I’m kind of surprised we
haven’t heard something like this earlier, frankly. It would have been helpful
if you’d questioned him a little more thoroughly though.”
    “I’m sorry, I was a little too busy trying to pretend I had
no fucking idea what he was talking about when he said you were being hidden
somewhere!”
    Lucas finally looked up, and Lena noticed he didn’t look
quite as tired or pale as he had over the past few days. Even in the weak
fluorescent light, she could see that his color was a bit better—he looked
almost rosy—and some of the strain was gone from around his eyes. But he
reached his fingers up to the bridge of his nose, rubbing there like he always
did when his head hurt, and she automatically chided him.
    “You should go sit at the desk where you’d have better
light.”
    “I just sit down and start writing when the ideas come.”
    “I need to go talk to Watson. We need a plan, just in case—”
    “Stanton. Doctor.”
    They both turned to see Watson at the door to the lab. The
look on his face broadcast the bad news he bore.
    “Admiral.” Lena stood up at something like attention.
    “We’ve had an unfortunate development.”
    “I saw Gilford—” she started, but Watson cut her off.
    “I just came from the mayor’s office. Cochrane called me in
right after you left. He’d just heard a rumor that hit a bit too close to home
for comfort.”
    “And?” Lucas asked quietly.
    “He wants us to pull the plug. Send you to quarantine, come
clean about the cover-up, make a public announcement.” Watson looked tired,
older than usual. “I managed to get him to wait a few hours. He’s planning to
make the announcement at six. You have a little time to pack a bag, get some
things ready. I’ll have an escort to take you over to the quarantine barracks.
I’m sorry, Nye.”
    “You did what you could, sir,” said Lucas. His face was
impassive, unearthly calm, but Lena could see a fine sheen of sweat along his
forehead.
    “This is bullshit!” Lena protested. “This could be the cure
we’ve all been waiting for, and you’re just going to cave?” She wasn’t sure who
to address, Watson or Lucas, but neither of them met her eye in any case.
    After a moment of horrible silence, Watson cleared his
throat. “Six o’clock, Nye. I’ll do my best to see you’re not bothered between
now and then.”
    He left without a backward glance, and Lena stared after him
until the lab door closed. “I can’t believe this.”
    “I can. Get the notebook there, please? And anything else
you need from the lab. We won’t be coming back here for weeks.”
    “What? Didn’t you hear what Watson—”
    “I heard what he said,” Lucas assured her with a grim smile.
“You thought I was leaving this to chance? The cure we’ve all been waiting for?
Come on, it’s time to go to ground. I was hoping for a few more days,
but…probably this timing is for the best.”
    He was all the way to the door when