Z-Volution by David Sakmyster, Rick Chesler Read Free Book Online Page B

Alex, you’re to come back to the treatment facility for further observation.”
    “No.” His mother was defiant, shouting the word as firmly as she could.
    “Listen,” Alex said. “Who’s in charge here? I’d like to meet with him and review a few things. Including what authority you have here. Otherwise, I would like to take my mother home.” He took a breath, and added: “Now.”
    “I’m afraid that’s not possible.” The man nodded to the driver, who then reached to his side for his weapon.
    —only the holster turned out to be empty. A look of shock crossed his face as he looked down at the vacant leather accessory, then back up sharply.
    Alex’s mother stepped forward, raising the .45 and pointing it with both hands.
    “Looking for this?”
    “Mom!” Holy shit. “When did you—?”
    “Not now. Alex, start the plane.”
    The man in the black suit shook his head. “Think about what you’re doing, Mrs. Ramirez.”
    “Think about what you’re doing. I’m getting out of here before you can do anything else to me.”
    “Like finish your cure?”
    She shrugged. “I feel great, and I’ll take that any day rather than risk whatever else you have planned.”
    “Mom…”
    “You need more treatments,” the man said. “Monitoring. We have to be sure…”
    “I’ll take my chances. I’ll trust in how I feel, that whatever you gave me, it did the job. As to the rest of it, the rest of you…no way. I’m not going to let you hurt my son, or use me for whatever the hell you’re setting up.”
    She aimed the gun, steadying her hands as the driver approached. “I mean it.”
    “Drop the gun, ma’am.”
    “Uh, Mom, maybe you should listen to them.”
    She fired, blasting a round right at the driver’s feet, knocking him back in alarm.
    Elsa screamed. “Call off the dogs! Tell your friends to turn back.”
    The man in black raised his hands in surrender. “Fine, you win.” He mumbled something into the walkie.
    “Now what, Mrs. Ramirez, since you have the gun?”
    “Mom, really…”
    “Trust me,” she said, almost barking the command. “I feel right about this, just as I feel so wrong about that place. You weren’t there. For days I felt like a prisoner, told nothing, just injected over and over. Put under and…I have no idea what they did. No one told me anything from the moment I got here.”
    “Okay, Mom. Okay.” Alex had to agree at this point. She had stolen a gun and taken a shot. There was no way he was going to give her up and go back with these guys at this point, no matter what. And the connections with Vostok, holy shit… He reached out and gently took the gun from her.
    “Let me handle this. I’ve had some experience lately.”
    He pointed at the driver, then the other man. “You heard the lady! We’re leaving. Get back in your Jeep and turn around. Don’t try to stop us and nobody will get hurt.”
    The man in black gave him a vile look, then lowered his sunglasses. “Whatever you say, Mr. Ramirez.”
    The driver went back to the Jeep as Alex backed away, his mother tugging at his shirt. They continued backing up until the Jeep advanced, then turned in a large half-circle and drove off.
    “Now that that’s settled,” his mom said, “let’s get off this island.”
    #
     
    “We can’t go back to the U.S.,” Alex told her as soon as they were airborne. She gave him a worried, confused look but he shook his head. “It’s all a big cluster—”
    She narrowed her eyes and he stopped mid-curse. “It’s all under quarantine. Feds issued a high threat level.”
    “Even for you?”
    “Especially for me.” He banked to the left and ascended, checking gauges and especially fuel reserves.
    “We have enough to make Miami, but I know they won’t let us land. Hopefully there’s another option.”
    “Like what? Alex, I’m scared, but my, I’m proud of how you can handle this plane!” She beamed, even as she white-knuckled the arm rests in the co-pilot seat.