THEM (Season 1): Episode 4 by M.D. Massey Read Free Book Online

her hand back and forth. “
Claro
, of course. But I doubt that’s the case. I’m strongly of the opinion that the treatment is currently the only thing that’s keeping you from becoming a walker.”
    About that, I wasn’t convinced. “I seemed to be doing fine with Bobby’s ’thrope blood running through me.”
    The Doc shook her head no. “Perhaps, but we don’t know for certain.” She set her clipboard down and clasped her hands in her lap. “The bottom line is that you need to rest so your new enhanced immune system can overcome any remaining Z venom that’s left in your system and flush it from your body completely. Upgrades or no, right now your body’s immune functions are taxed to the limit just in preventing the spread of the infection. If you don’t take it easy and recuperate, you could end up a deader just the same.”
    That was simply not an option; I had to get to Kara and the other settlers as soon as possible. We had no idea what the Corridor Pack was doing with them, but it couldn’t be good. And I had a strong feeling that once the settlers had outlived their usefulness to the ’thropes, they’d all be good as dead.
    I looked her in the eye and shrugged. “That’s not going to happen, Doc. I have ’thropes to kill and people to save.”
    Captain Perez actually managed to look sympathetic for once. “Look, I know you think that time is of the essence, and maybe it is; but you’re not going to do anyone any good if you start craving brains.”
    I grabbed my gear and hopped off the exam table. “I’ll take that under advisement, Doc.”
    The look on her face told me that she knew I had no such intentions. As she shook her head in silence and returned to her charts, I headed to the armory to clean my weapons one last time before heading out.
· · ·
    That night I took Gabby to what served as the physical training area for the Facility, a multi-purpose room roughly half the size of a basketball court. The place came complete with a painted concrete floor, a few mats that looked as though they’d been salvaged from the trash, some free weights, an old leather punching bag, and a few treadmills and some exercise bikes. It would do. I felt it was time to inventory Gabby’s skills and training, to see if there were any areas where I could help her improve upon what her uncle had taught her.
    Bobby watched us from the other side of the room where he was lounging on one of the old mats, munching on a slab of raw deer meat. I glanced over at him, and he waved with the bloody chunk of venison, looking both eager and fascinated to see what I had planned for Gabby. I turned back to the girl and tilted my head toward Bobby.
    “Try to pretend that he isn’t in the room.”
    She smirked. “I’ll try, but it’s hard when he starts acting up.”
    I sighed and smiled. “Well, at least give it your best shot. Now, give me a quick rundown of the hand-to-hand combat training your uncle taught you.”
    She twisted her mouth and looked up at the ceiling above my head, tapping an index finger on her jaw. “Well, he taught me how to shoot, mostly with pistols, and he taught me how to use this.” She pulled her Kabar from its sheath and dropped into something like a boxer’s stance, slashing and hacking with the knife as if fending off an imaginary opponent. Her moves were fast and precise, reminiscent of a fencer—one with street smarts.
    I gave an appreciative nod at her demonstration. “Okay, I think we can both agree that you’re very familiar with fighting with a short blade. However, I think you need to start training with something that has a bit more reach.” I reached into my ruck and pulled out the kukri. Earlier I’d spent some time in the armory replacing the scales and making sure that the grip and handle were sound. It’d served me well on my second trip to the pit, and I thought it’d make the perfect companion to Gabby’s Kabar and pistols.
    “Now, the kukri is mainly a