Jenny Undead (The Thirteen: Book One) (11 page)

They could have gotten in without the
sunglasses. By the time Jenny, Trix and Casey approached the gates,
the crowd inside was so rowdy Jenny could barely make herself heard
to the guy at the gate, and it was so dark the oil torches did
nothing to penetrate the muggy, clouded-over night. It wasn't Tyler
or Kevin, but a mean-looking guy who looked like he wanted to tear
someone's head off. When they got close to him, Jenny could feel
all three of them tense up. Casey's eyes flicked around behind dark
glasses and Trix scowled as she looked around hungrily.

THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP
.

There were hundreds of heartbeats. They pulsated
in Jenny's head. She shook away the feelings the sensation brought
up inside her and looked at Trix.

“Calm down,” she said, though the
claw inside her had tightened. She clenched her fists until she
could feel her nails biting into her palms. It didn't hurt, but it
distracted her a bit. She tried to relax her shoulders, but she
felt anxious and twitchy. The red threatened her vision, but she
pushed it away. If she hadn't just eaten, it might have taken
her.

“What's with the shades?” the new
guy yelled over the noise.

“Our future's so bright,” said
Jenny. She could smell the hot blood and taste his meat on her
tongue.

“Whatever. Go on in.”

Any unnatural cravings she had felt at the gate
multiplied tenfold when the three of them stepped inside. Heathens
were everywhere. Screaming, fighting, laughing. It was a party.
Jenny had never seen anything like it. Booths had been moved out of
the center and a big bonfire blazed. Men and women in faded leather
passed around bottles of homemade liquor. A guy with a Mohawk ran
past them, naked and whooping.

Jenny turned back to the doorman. “What is
this?” she said. “What's happening?”

“It's a wake,” he said.

“A wake?” she said. “There's
never been a wake at Expo.”

The guy shrugged. “Lost a good one, I
guess. I never met her, but her crew paid off the
vendors.”

Jenny turned back to Casey and Trix. “We
have to go,” she said.

“What? Why?” said Trix.

“Someone's going to recognize
me.”

“How do you know?” said Casey.

“Because this is my funeral.”

“Shit,” said Casey, looking around.
“I didn't even know Heathens did funerals.”

“They don't,” said Jenny. “I
don't know why they would do this.”

“You must've been some important
bitch,” said Trix. “You were like a Heathen princess or
some shit.” She snorted at the thought, but straightened her
face when she saw Jenny looking at her. “Sorry.”

“Why are we here, Jen?” said Casey.
“You never told us. Why can't we just get a sample from some
other living. Why's it have to be at Expo?”

“It's not the sample I want,” said
Jenny. She was having a hard time focusing. There were so many
people here. The hunger was rearing up. It was making her angry.
She didn't know how the two things were connected, but the rage
always followed the hunger. Always. She was so tired of feeling
this way. A woman walked past them and she had to plaster her arms
around herself to keep from grabbing her and tearing into her
flesh. Jenny blinked hard.

“What
do
you want?” said Trix. There was an
edge to her voice, but she wasn't having nearly as hard a time as
Jenny. Casey, on the other hand, was watching the crowd
hungrily.

“Answers,” said Jenny. She narrowed
her eyes at the people. “Fuck it. I don't see Declan or
anyone I know. Maybe they left already. Come on. I know where to
go.”

Jenny felt like a monster in disguise. She
supposed she was. Walking among these unsuspecting people, every
part of her was telling her to tear them apart. But she had to
fight it. If she didn't hang on to the one part of herself that was
still living, that was still one of them, she would be no better
than the rotters who she'd spent nearly half her life fighting. It
seemed like it would be a betrayal to give in to the hunger. Not
just a betrayal to herself, or even to Declan, but a betrayal to
everything they had been together. She couldn't break that.

She kept her eyes front, and walked with purpose
towards Sully's tent. She tried not to look at the revelers. She
tried not to notice them, but it was impossible. Every muscle
tensed, every thought in her head was of ripping and tearing and
blood and meat. When she finally found herself standing in front of
the door to Sully's place, it was like she had passed some sort of
test. She looked back at the other two. Trix was holding Casey's
hands. Jenny could see that his knuckles were white.

“Everything okay?” Jenny rasped.

Casey nodded woodenly and Trix shrugged. Jenny
lifted the flap and they entered.

Sully wasn't alone.

“Let him go,” Jenny
growled.

A guy dressed in a black tee shirt and jeans had
Sully by the throat. He had straight black hair that hung in his
eyes and he smiled with bright square teeth when he saw them.

“Why?” he said.

“Because I want to kill him myself,”
Jenny said. She didn't know if she was really going to kill Sully,
but it wasn't a lie. But then, she wanted to kill everyone.

“I saw him first,” said the guy in
black. He had deep dimples when he smiled and shiny black hair that
gleamed in the lamplight. He was still holding Sully by the throat.
Sully was sweating profusely, and his face was turning an unhealthy
shade of purple. He was pinned against the hope chest in the middle
of the tent, his arms and legs scrabbling like an insect. The man
held him fast, though, like it was nothing. Dimples was looking
from Jenny to Trix to Casey. “What are you guys, anyway?
You're not living.”

“How do you know?” said Trix.

“I know because I'm not living
either,” he said, still flashing the million-watt smile. His
eyes were cold, though. Clear and so dark they were almost black.
He stood up a little, loosening his grip on Sully. “Wait a
minute. I know you guys. You were in that doctor's place.” He
narrowed his eyes at Jenny, the smile slipping. “And you're
the girl who disappeared.”

“Who are you?” said Jenny.

“Abel. I'd shake your hand,
but...”

“You're on the list,” said Casey.
“Abel Cruz.”

Abel stared at Casey. “What list?”
he said. There was an element of near panic in his voice. He wasn't
smiling any longer.

“The list of the Thirteen,” said
Trix.

“That's you guys?” he said.

“It's you too,” said Casey.
“We're the ones who survived.”

“And there's a list?”

Casey shrugged. “Yeah. Doesn't really mean
anything. It's just names. Kind of hard to look someone up these
days.”

“Where did it come from?” Abel
said.

“I think that's enough catching up,”
Jenny said, looking at Abel. There was something about him that
unsettled her. Maybe the fake smile or the million questions, but
she wasn't sure she wanted Casey being his buddy.

“Doesn't matter,” said Abel, smiling
again. He had his eyes trained on Jenny. She glared right back at
him. “I was just about to eat. If you don't mind.” He
nodded at Sully, who looked desperately at Jenny, his eyes bulging.
Jenny curled her lip at him. The smell of him was bringing back the
clawing hunger. She pushed it down. Her anger was almost stronger
than the hunger. Sully had killed her. Whether he meant for it to
happen or not, if it wasn't for him, she'd still be alive and
Declan would still be sane.

“Why don't you look dead?” said
Jenny, turning back to Abel. She took off her sunglasses and walked
over to him. She looked at his face. His skin was bright and a very
living color of deep tan. She reached up with her hand and squeezed
his cheeks together with one hand. He was even a little warm. She
pulled her hand away in surprise. His eyes were clear and dark
brown and glimmered with amusement.

“Clean living, sweetheart,” he said.
“I eat what nature intends. I'm guessing you guys found
another way, by the smell of you. Sheep? Goats?” Jenny
clenched her jaw and Abel nodded at her. “Except for you.
You're something special, aren't you? You've taken a life.
Recently, too. Not enough to make you healthy, but enough to make a
difference.” He looked at the others. “But the rest of
you...definitely goat. I thought they'd all died out.”

“Not all of them,” said Casey.
“We found some on a farm in Idaho.”

“Good on you,” said Abel, clearly
annoyed. Sully had stopped squirming and was staring at Jenny.
“Now get the fuck out of here, I'm hungry. We can talk when
I'm done.”

“Not this one,” Jenny said, her
voice hard. “I need him.”

“Why?” said Abel.

“Information,” said Casey.

“Casey, shut the fuck up,” said
Jenny.

“Information?” said Abel.
“What the hell kind of information?”

“I need to know why he got me
killed,” said Jenny.

Abel raised his eyebrows.
“That
is
a good question.
Friend of yours then?”

“I thought he was,” said Jenny.

“Well, this is getting interesting,”
said Abel. He looked from Jenny to Casey to Trix again. Jenny got
the feeling he was assessing the situation, trying to decide if he
could win a fight with them. His eyes lingered on Jenny's knife,
then on her eyes. He let go of Sully and motioned to the gasping
man chivalrously. “Knock yourself out, sweetheart.”

“It's Jenny. Don't fucking call me
sweetheart.”

“I like you,” said Abel.
“You've got spunk.”

Jenny crouched down next to Sully. “Don't
get too comfortable with living,” she said in a low voice.
“Because I'm probably to kill you in a horrible way for what
you've done.”

Sully was gasping, trying to say something.
After a few tries he was able to speak in a hoarse voice.
“I'm sorry, Jen. It wasn't my decision.”

“It wasn't your decision to send me into a
hopeless situation where you knew I would be killed?” she
said. “It was stupid to go. I take responsibility for that.
But you set us up, you motherfucker. You fucking set us
up.”

“Let me explain...”

“Why would you do that?” she said.
“You were my friend.” She could feel the rage rising.
The red tinged the edges of her vision.

“I knew you wouldn't die.
But you had to change. You have to understand, Jen.
You
had to change
.”

“Why?” said Jenny. “Why did I
have to change? And there's no way you could have known I wouldn't
die. You're not bullshitting me, Sully.”

“You're one of The Thirteen,” he
said.

“But I could have died,” she said.
“If the rotters would have gotten at me, they would have
eaten everything off of me. If someone had shot me or stabbed me in
the head. I could have died, you piece of shit. What gives you that
right? What the hell did you get out of it? Did it get you off to
think about the power you wielded over me?” Jenny realized it
was her hand on his slick, sweaty throat now. Her teeth itched and
her insides ached. She forced herself to loosen her grip and Sully
gasped for air again. Jenny screamed and picked Sully up by his
stained shirt and let him drop on the floor. She put her boot on
his chest.

“Why?” she said.

Sully put his hands up in surrender. “Your
mother told me to,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.

Jenny faltered. She looked back at Casey who
looked just as astonished as she felt.

“He's lying,” said Abel, his eyes
dancing. He was enjoying this. Jenny looked back down at Sully. He
was terrified. That was good. He deserved to be terrified.

“How the fuck do you know?” said
Jenny.

Abel shrugged. “I just do.”

“Forgive me if I don't believe you,”
said Jenny.

“I believe you,” said Trix.

“Thank you,” said Abel.

“Shut up!” Jenny said over her
shoulder.

“She's alive, Jen, I swear,” said
Sully. His eyes darted behind her to look at the others, seeming to
hesitate on Abel for longer than the others. “She sent me
after you. After Casey. After all of you. She wanted me to bring
you together. She said you could save everyone if I just brought
you together.”

“Where is she?” said Jenny.
“Is she in Chicago?”

Sully shook his head and Jenny
knelt on his chest making him groan. “
Where the
fuck is she, Sully?
”

“I don't know!” he mouthed. “I
swear. I have no idea.”

“Sully!” said a woman's voice
outside the tent. “You in there?” There was a
murmuring. She was with someone. Several someones by the sound of
it.

“Yo, Sully,” said another voice.
Jenny froze. It was Lucy. “Get out here, asshole. Munro wants
to talk to you.”

“Get rid of her,” Jenny whispered,
rising from crushing Sully's chest. “Or I give you to
Abel.” Abel flashed a grin and waved at him.

“I'll be out in a bit,” Sully
called. “I'm...I'm occupied right now.”

Jenny heard Lucy sigh and could almost see her
rolling her eyes. “Fine,” she said. “Meet me by
the fire pit. Munro says he has something special for you. Maybe
something Jenny wanted you to have.”

“Okay,” he said. He nodded at Jenny
and she could hear their voices receding.

“Hang on,” said Abel after they'd
gone. “This is for you?”

Jenny grimaced. “I guess.”

“You crashed your own funeral?”

“You could say that.” Jenny looked at Casey and Trix. “We have
to get out of here. If someone sees me, they might come after
us.”

“Who cares?” said Abel.
“There's four of us.”

“There's two hundred of them,” said
Trix.

“Like a big, sweaty buffet,” said
Abel, licking his lips. Trix did the same, but then she looked at
Casey guiltily. He didn't seem to notice.

“I have more questions,” said Jenny,
looking at Sully. “You're going to have to come with
us.”

“If he goes, I go,” said Abel.

“Why?” said Jenny.

Abel shrugged. “I was here first. Besides,
I'm bored. Maybe it'll be interesting.”

Trix snorted. “It's not.”

“Do not touch Sully,” said Jenny,
lifting the man off the ground. He staggered on his feet, but
stayed upright. Jenny looked at her arms. She looked at Trix.
“Did you see that?” she said. “I just lifted him
up. And before that I threw him on the floor.”

“You can do all kinds of things when
you're hungry,” said Abel. He was smiling again.
“Hunger gives you power. You must be new. When did you
turn?”

Casey answered for her. “Couple of days
ago.” Jenny glared at him.

“Damn,” said Abel. “No wonder
you're so angry. You're just a baby. So to speak.”

“Let's just go,” said Jenny. She
looked at Sully. “You're coming with us.”

Sully nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

Trix narrowed her eyes. “Why was that
easy?”

Jenny looked at Sully as she answered. “He
knows that if he stays, Declan will kill him. Isn't that right,
Sully?”

“You want me to go or not?” said
Sully.

“Who's Declan?” said Abel.

“Jenny's crazy boyfriend,” said
Trix.

Abel raised an eyebrow. “You have a crazy
boyfriend?”

“No,” said Jenny.

There was the sound of cheering outside as the
five of them crept out of the tent. They walked along the the fence
that surrounded Expo, trying to avoid running into anyone. Jenny
looked out toward the voices in between tents and makeshift
dwellings that belonged to vendors. There was a crowd surrounding
some kind of fight. Heathens with bottles shouted gleefully at the
violence. The fighters moved toward the crowd and for a moment the
wall of people parted. Jenny froze.

Declan was fighting a stocky guy in a leather
vest with no shirt underneath. But it wasn't so much a fight as a
beatdown. Jenny watched, transfixed, as Declan's fist met the guy's
nose and he went down, arms flailing. Declan jumped on top of him
and brought his fist down on the man's face over and over.
Jenny watched as though hypnotized. She couldn't look away from
Declan's face. It was equal parts rage and grief, tears pouring
down his face as blood from the other fighter sprayed his cheeks.
The man on the ground was no longer moving. Tyler came jogging up
and pulled Declan off just as the crowd closed around them
again.

“Something wrong?” said Abel,
following her gaze to the crowd.

Jenny started. After a moment she shook her
head. “No,” she said weakly. “Let's
go.”