Meilin and the Challenger Read online

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Cate Masters on Smashwords

  Meilin and the Challenger

  Copyright © 2015 by Cate Masters

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  For Gary, always.

  Meilin and the Challenger

  Chapter One

  Miles from the boundary surrounding City, Will had somehow stumbled into their realm. He could tell by the stench, first of all, the unmistakable rot of flesh that permeated the air, made worse by the night’s humidity. Second, they left an obvious trail – they’d pushed through branches and snapped off the ends, shuffled across the forest floor and crushed undergrowth, basically clearing a path, visible enough in moonlight to follow. No wonder City residents had given up on farming the Grey Zone. Worse than grey – a fallow, and foul, wasteland.

  Hopefully the zombies would make enough noise to cover the accidental snaps of twigs beneath his boots. It helped that some asshole blasted music somewhere nearby. Club music, of all things. Why so far from City? No one lived this far out, not these days. Like the other zombie-infested areas, people clustered their homes behind protected boundaries.

  He caught sight of something moving ahead and ducked behind a tree.

  Yep, a zombie. Hell. Figured he couldn’t make it home from the war without running into a fight before even reaching home.

  How many, though? Sure, he’d studied zombie hunting in his downtime between conflicts, but theory only got him so far. Will found it difficult to guess, and it might end up being the one variable that could get him ripped apart. Nothing like practical experience. It would look good on his resume – if he survived.

  One thing in his favor, he’d collected a few layers of dust from walking. The military plane dropped him at Base 10, in what used to be New Jersey. What money he’d saved during his military service, he planned to give to his mother. Hummer buses had limited room, and even less sympathy for suckers like him.

  So it would take him a day to get home. He was a resourceful guy, and had prepared for zombie encounters. Just not so soon.

  He followed them at a safe distance, always glancing behind and to the side. Two advanced from the rear, a few more on either side of him. Hell, he’d put himself in the middle of them. If he scrambled off, they’d charge him and not stop until they tasted blood. No, better to make like one of them and move slowly. And don’t sweat it – the phrase took on critical importance; perspiration would be a dead giveaway. No advance warnings for his prey. Will wanted to keep the element of surprise. Failing that, he had an Uzi.

  Careful not to make any sudden movement, he increased his pace to get ahead of them. Every step brought him closer to the source of the music, and to the crazy lighting. In a clearing, about a dozen females danced on a makeshift floor. A freaking disco ball sent orbs of light fluttering across the forest, a disorienting effect.

  Will had to warn them. The girls appeared to be about his age, so they had youth on their side, but where were their vehicles? Had someone dropped them off to dance in the middle of nowhere? Stupid. Really stupid, in every respect.

  No sense keeping up the slow pace. He jogged ahead. The nearer he came to the dance floor, the more he couldn’t believe it. King’s daughters! He and his friends used to joke about wanting to get them alone, but he’d never dreamed he’d have the chance, and especially not like this. Adopted sisters, all about the same age, they looked more like a mini U.N., each one a different nationality.

  Maybe he’d been in the service too long, but the four years he’d been away, the sixteen-year-olds he’d last seen had grown into amazing women. Strikingly beautiful, and their graceful moves meant they were in top physical shape. Good thing, they’d need to put it to use very soon.

  Their names escaped him except for one. Meilin. Since the first time he’d glimpsed her, when they were both kids, she’d especially captured his attention. If their father hadn’t hired a private tutor, he’d have pursued her during school.

  Still petite, but she had excellent muscle tone. Long dark hair cascaded like a silken waterfall down her back, flowing with each sway of her hips. Hands raised above her head, eyes closed, as if lost in the music. The sweetest face he’d ever seen.

  He glanced back. No sign of the zombies yet. It would take them awhile to reach this place. After years of military service, it felt like he hadn’t danced with a girl in forever. With what awaited him, it might be years before he had another chance. He wanted to dance now. With her.

  After shaking off his backpack, he set his Uzi near one of the tall speakers, and then gave in to the rhythm, slipped beside her and followed her moves.

  Her eyes flared wide, and focused on him with deadly intent. She must have assessed him as passable; her gaze softened with a hint of pleasure. Maybe she hadn’t danced with a guy in a long time? Nah, too difficult to believe, with her looks every guy with a pulse in a hundred-mile radius would seek her out. If people enjoyed such frivolous things anymore.

  She must be a rebel. Yeah, he liked her more for it; she didn’t let her privileged upbringing go to her head. The way she shimmied up to him, she liked him, too.

  Not her sisters. One lowered the music volume, and then they closed in, glaring.

  A gorgeous blonde jerked her head in his direction. “Who the hell is he, Meilin?”

  “You said you wouldn’t pull this again,” said a dark-haired beauty.

  “Again?” Shit. Whatever connection Will thought they’d forged meant nothing to her, then.

  Meilin squared off against the tallest. “I didn’t. I have no clue who he is.” She faced him. “How did you find us?”

  Time to break up the party, though he hated it to end so soon. “I got caught in a wave of zombies. They’ll be here in a minute.”

  An olive-skinned lovely narrowed her gaze. “Why didn’t you say so?” She strode to the rear of the dance floor, opened a knap sack and tossed rifles to each girl.

  Meilin set her gaze on him. Fringed with long lashes, her dark eyes mesmerized him, and her words filtered through the haze filling his brain.

  She glanced behind him. “Better go. Hurry.”

  “What? Leave the party when it’s getting lively?” He followed her gaze. Yep, here they came, right on time.

  “Seriously.” The tallest handled her weapon like a pro. “Get going.”

  “I’m in on this.” Will grabbed his Uzi and stepped in front of Meilin. “It’s why I’m here.” Run out on them – on her? Screw that. No way would he let the undead get her, for feeding or to turn her into one of them.

  Meilin skirted around him and the sisters lined up, rifles pointed at the zombies. Damn, if he were ever executed, he hoped the firing squad would look like them.

  A click sounded beside him. Meilin propped a rifle to her shoulder and sighted her aim toward the advancing zombies. “Let’s annihilate the party crashers, sisters.”

  A lopsided smile quirked his lips. “Not all the party crashers, I hope.”

  Her stance steady, she glanced over. “I might spare you.”

  Oh hell, I’m in love. Gunfire erupted on either side, but he couldn’t tear his focu
s from her. Amazing, how she braced against the kick of the rifle, her slight frame absorbed it and she fired away. Like you should be doing.

  As trained, he lifted the Uzi. Stunned, he could only watch as the girls split the zombies’ heads with one shot apiece, the most efficient kill he’d ever witnessed. The zombies at the front of the charge fell first, those in the center scattered to either side. Hell, these women didn’t need his help. If only the soldiers in his platoon had been so deadly accurate.

  Better at least try to be helpful. He let the bullets fly. Too bad the walking dead couldn’t run; soon they dropped to the forest floor with the others.

  The tallest blonde held a strange set of binoculars to her face. “There, two more getting away.”

  Hard to sight them in the dark. He swiveled one of the dance floor spotlights in their direction. Momentarily blinded, the zombies halted. Meilin and the tall blonde aimed, and their shots cracked the walking dead’s heads in two.

  Meilin tapped his shoulder. “Aim the light to three o’clock. I think I see a few more.”

  She stood so close, it made him woozy with delight. He did as she asked, but his acute awareness centered on her. Built the way he liked it, petite but powerful. She moved with purpose and grace, surety and intense focus in every action. Like the others, she felled the three zombies with one shot each, exactly where needed for the final kill: their heads. Oh yeah, a woman who knew what she wanted and went after it, a force to be reckoned with.

  She rested the rifle butt against her hip. “What do you think, Lakshme? More hiding out there?”

  The girl with almond eyes shrugged. “Probably.”

  Yeah, most likely. Better make sure. “I’ll do a sweep and check.”

  The tallest blonde winced. “By yourself?”

  Lakshme smirked. “Aren’t we lucky? Superman’s here.”

  Bemusedly, Meilin’s gaze swept over him. “Oh, I thought he was the Green Hornet.”

  The blonde’s lip curled. “Horn dog, more like.”

  What the hell was their problem? “Hey, I’m only trying to help.”

  “Good thing.” Lakshme’s voice turned breathy. “We’re helpless girls, after all.”

  Oh, man. Great first impression. “No, I didn’t—”

  Meilin raised her rifle and shot, three times in quick succession. “Three more down. Now we need to find out how many we missed.”

  A no-nonsense babe. Excellent.

  The tall blonde jumped to the ground. “Pull up the truck so we can dump the bodies. Wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise for any latecomers.” She flashed a sardonic smile and headed for the nearest carcass.

  One sister disappeared into the brush. An engine roared, and a delivery truck backed into the site, halted, and the doors flew open.

  Once they’d loaded the last of the zombie bodies, Will blew out a breath. The tall blonde latched the door closed. How did they all still appear ready freshly showered and ready for a night of dancing? They had this routine down, to the last detail.

  “What now?” he asked.

  The tall blonde poked a finger into his chest. “Now you forget everything you saw here, and we won’t have to incinerate you with the rest of them.”

  Forget? He glanced at Meilin. Not happening. “You might find me useful. And I want to learn more about your operation. It’s impressive. Mr. King’s looking to hire—”

  The blonde grabbed his shirt, her grimace eye level with him. “Don’t ever mention him again.”

  Not speak of their father? He studied Meilin for a clue.

  She wrenched the blonde’s arm. “Back off, Zoe. He’s harmless.”

  Zoe shoved Meilin, who stumbled backward and lost her balance.

  Landing on her butt, she looked up at Will with sadness. “Sorry.”

  His heart lurched. Hopefully, not sorry she met him. “For what?”

  A hard thud to the back of his head came in answer. His knees hit the dance floor, and he toppled over.

  Soft hands caressed his cheek and ran through his hair. Meilin sighed. “Some other time, we might have had a chance at something.” Her lips touched his, the sweetest kiss he’d ever had. He ignored the pain radiating through his skull and clasped her head, not wanting it to stop.

  She jerked away, and Zoe crouched over him. “This isn’t some other time.” Her fist pounded his jaw, sent his head reeling. He lay there in a haze, willing himself to stand but his body unable to fulfill the demand.

  After Zoe strode off, a girl hovered over him. Though blurry, he knew it was Meilin. She pressed soft lips to his cheek. “For luck,” she whispered. “This will hide you for awhile.” A hiss sounded, and then a mist wet his face.

  The truck pulled away. Motorcycles roared to life. Someone yelled, “Now, Meilin. Leave him.”

  Painful as it was, he rolled his head in their direction. The bikes took off. The last girl revved the engine. He squinted to focus. Meilin.

  He reached out. Her sad eyes disappeared when she flipped the visor down, and the motorcycle shot ahead.

  I’ll find you later. Before he blacked out, one last thought rushed up: Don’t stay unconscious long. More zombies are on the way.

  ***

  Pungent smoke burned Meilin’s throat, and she coughed. The worst part of destroying the undead – burning their rotting carcasses. But also the only foolproof way to make sure no stray zombie parts escaped.

  She kicked a zombie leg into City’s incinerator. “You don’t have to be such a hardass all the time, Zoe.”

  Her sister stomped on a mottled hand reaching for her boot. “And you don’t have to be such a girlie wimp.”

  Lifting a severed head by the hair, Meilin scowled at the snapping teeth. Guess someone needed more target practice; they couldn’t afford such mistakes. She tossed the head into the white hot flames. “I work as hard as you do.” She peeled off the arm-length glove, then her face mask, worn to protect from any stray zombie pathogen. “And I liked him.” His teasing smile, the way he jumped into the situation, ready to give it his all. Most of all, he had enough sense to stand back and let them carry out the mission as they’d planned.

  Zoe stripped off her gloves. “You’ve always been a little boy crazy.”

  Yeah, right. One date in three months. “In between developing the special night vision binoculars, you mean? We’d have a hell of a time finding the zombies without those.” A year of her life spent toiling away in the lab, testing and restesting the detection glasses, though the result was worth it. The reverse of night vision binoculars, actually, they sought out movement by bodies lacking warmth to zero in on any zombie from a safe distance.

  Lakshme pressed the button to close the incinerator doors, and lifted her mask. “We’ve all been working too hard, and could use a break.”

  Zoe glared at them in turn. “We’ll take a break after we’re certain we’ve perfected every piece of equipment. If we don’t get it to Father before a new Challenger comes along to demand a huge reward, he’ll lose everything he’s worked so hard for. Is that what you want?”

  Lakshme sent Meilin an uneasy glance. “Of course not.”

  Leave it to Zoe to resort to guilt, though she exaggerated. “We’re ready. We should go to him now.” Yes, their father had offered a name-your-price reward to the one who could eliminate the zombie colony. He’d still have his position as mayor, which ensured him a secure job, if not a lavish wage. And Meilin had no intention of sponging off Daddy any longer. Jobs outnumbered people twenty to one in City, but neither did she intend to rot away behind its boundaries. The rest of the world needed the technology they’d developed. When the time was right, she’d deliver it.

  Dharma shook her head. “We haven’t field tested the scent mask perfume yet.”

  Mireille latched the truck door. “And it’ll take a few weeks yet before the alert system’s finalized. Juliette, Ciara and I are still working out a few bugs.”

  Zoe remained stone-faced. “What about the tracking system?
”

  “A few anomalies keep popping up.” Lakshme hastened to add, “I’m working on it.”

  “Work faster.” The hard edges on Zoe’s face softened. “Bad enough the zombies have grown more aggressive, and doubled the pressure. But the pressure is triple now because this jerk showed up.”

  “Why does it worry you so much?” Meilin hated to raise her sister’s ire, but lately, everything did.

  “I’ve worked too damn hard. I want to know the glory of success, not stand by while City people hail some jerk who doesn’t deserve it.”

  “What if he does deserve it?” Like the guy who’d crashed their fake party. His actions suggested an honorable man. She’d have loved to find out more about him.

  “Sister, someday you’ll understand why it’s so important to value yourself. Until then, steer clear of men. It would kill me to see you married off to some loser.”

  “You mean, happy?” Though Zoe knew Meilin too well – she had no desire for such long-term commitment. Not before she’d had a chance to see the world. And that couldn’t happen until they’d turned every zombie out there to dust.

  “There’s no happy ever after, baby girl, unless you make one for yourself. Think on that awhile.” Zoe strode off.

  Dark eyes innocent as a doe’s, Lakshme watched her. “She wants you to be happy. And she’s right, you know. Civilization might have reverted to near-medieval times, but we aren’t mindless females content to stand by our spouse and let him rule over us.”

  “I never wanted that.” Meilin swept a decayed finger into the trap. “I want the glory, too. But life isn’t all about work and fighting the zombies, either. Is it?”

  “No, I suppose not. We should first defeat the zombies, however.”

  “Right. Don’t lose our focus.” She got it. But what if it took another decade to eradicate the colony? At times, the open space beyond the electrified fence surrounding City called to her. Yes, she could cross the invisible boundary without harm, but how far would her motorcycle take her? And how many more zombies lurked beyond the Grey Zone? Maybe more than her weapons could handle, and that might mean death or zombification. But the same might be true of staying here. If loneliness and boredom didn’t kill her, it might fry her brain.