Chapter 1On a zombie run, I took a bite saving the squad.
My boyfriend Crew—our squad leader—said he had to keep it fair and gave the only antidote to some chick who'd snuck out and got herself scratched.
Eyes bloodshot, he swore: "Blair, trust me. Three days till you turn—I'll find another dose. I PROMISE."
I nodded, biting down the pain burning through my arm.
Next day? He actually came back with an antidote.
But right when the needle's about to hit my arm, Kenzie—this girl who's literally never left base—suddenly grabs her head.
"Crew, my head's killing me... What if I'm infected?"
Right there, everyone watching, Crew didn't even blink. Stuck that needle straight into Kenzie's arm.
"Kenzie's on my squad. Something happens to her, that's on me."
"Blair, you're my second. You're my girl. I gotta keep this fair."
I caught the nasty little smirk Kenzie shot me, saw Crew's jaw set, and I actually laughed.
Keep it fair?
Cool.
Without me, he's got jack shit.
And when the next horde hits?
He'll get it.
---
When Crew handed Kenzie that antidote, he didn't even glance my way.
"Kenzie, take it."
Said it like he was passing her a water bottle.
Kenzie grabbed it, couldn't hide that nasty smirk.
Then Crew handed me this tiny bottle of cloudy crap.
Wouldn't look me in the eye: "Suppressant. Should buy you more time."
That cheap suppressant? Useless for an infection like mine.
My voice stayed level.
"You know this won't do shit for me."
Crew's eyes darted away, frowning:
"Blair, don't start. Kenzie's weak. If she really got infected..."
I cut him off with a cold laugh:
"She hasn't been on a single run since she joined. No wounds on her. How the hell would she be infected?"
Crew's voice went up:
"That's just the surface!"
"The virus has a three-day incubation—you know that! I'm the squad leader, I gotta look out for everyone!"
"You're my girlfriend AND my second. If I give you the antidote and not her, what's everyone gonna think? How am I supposed to lead? I gotta keep this fair!"
Same bullshit excuse again.
The gray veins were slowly crawling up my right arm toward my shoulder, burning like hell under my skin, getting worse by the minute.
I stared at him, took a deep breath.
"So my life matters less than your reputation? You're seriously gonna give me this useless crap and call it a day?"
Crew's face twitched:
"What're you even saying? I promised I'd hit up the West Side research lab tomorrow and bring back an antidote!"
"Can't you just trust me one more time?"
Before the apocalypse, back at the Academy, Crew and I were the dream team.
He called the shots, I charged in. He made the plans, I made them happen.
Everyone said we were perfect for each other.
Graduation day, right there on the training field, he told me:
"Blair, you can trust me with your life. Always."
When everything went to hell, I helped him build this survivor squad from nothing. Didn't mind being second-in-command.
Gave him all the credit, took all the risks myself.
Three years. We grew this squad from seven people to over forty. He became this legendary "Leader Crew" everyone looked up to.
And what'd I get?
"Gotta be fair" over and over. "Next time" over and over.
If this infection hadn't wiped out my powers—if going out there wouldn't make me zombie chow—I sure as hell wouldn't be counting on him to save me.
I'm so damn tired: "This isn't the first time you've promised."
He grabbed my hand, looking me dead in the eye:
"This time's different!"
"Just like every mission we've run—you always had my back, right? Blair, trust me one last time."
I looked at his hand that used to hold mine through gunfire and hell, and heard myself say:
"Fine. Last time."
Crew let out a breath:
"Go rest. I'll set up tomorrow's crew and route. Everything's gonna be fine tomorrow."
I turned and left. Didn't look back.
Right outside the door, I heard Kenzie's whisper:
"Crew, she looked scary just now... is she already..."
Crew's voice went all soft: "Don't worry, she's fine for now."
Back in my quarantine room, I slid down the wall and sat on the floor.
The burning in my right arm kept getting worse.
This is day two of my infection.
Based on normal progression, I should be showing signs of muscle stiffness and dulling senses by now.
But I'm not.
Except for the heat and occasional stabbing pain, my mind's crystal clear.
Weirdest part? I can feel something waking up inside me.
From the ruins outside, zombie howls echoed back and forth.
That's not the sound of some small horde.
The perimeter defenses—without my powers reinforcing them—won't hold for long.
I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms.
Tomorrow's day three.
Crew, this is your last shot.
Chapter 2
I burst out of quarantine at dawn.
The gray veins had covered half my shoulder by now.
After one night, the rotten smell in the air seemed even thicker.
I could feel the zombies closing in from outside. Without me as the main fighter, this base was gonna fall sooner or later.
Crew's door was cracked open.
I pushed it. Then froze.
Crew was curled up on his cot. Kenzie was lying next to him. Same blanket covering both of them.
Kenzie's arm was draped over Crew's waist. Crew was leaning into her, sleeping like he didn't have a care in the world.
My brain went blank for three seconds.
Then exploded.
"CREW!"
I yelled and charged in, yanked Kenzie up by the collar, and slammed my fist into her face.
Kenzie screamed and rolled off the bed.
Crew jerked awake, saw what was happening, went white as a sheet: "Blair! What the hell are you doing?!"
I pointed at Kenzie, my voice shaking:
"What am I doing?"
"What the FUCK are YOU doing?! Crew, look at what you two are doing!"
Kenzie covered her face and scrambled behind Crew:
"I just... last night I suddenly felt sick, got scared, came to talk to the squad leader about the antidote..."
I let out this bitter laugh: "Oh, so you had to crawl into bed with MY boyfriend for that?"
Crew stepped in front of Kenzie, and I could see panic mixing with anger in his eyes:
"Blair, enough! Kenzie really did show symptoms last night. I'm squad leader—what, I'm supposed to just ignore when my people are scared?"
"We didn't do shit!"
I stared at his messed-up collar, the blanket still warm on the bed: "Crew, you really think I'm that stupid?"
His voice went up, almost yelling:
"Look at yourself right now! You're being paranoid, violent, completely out of control! You're supposed to be second-in-command—remember that?!"
I went still.
Before the apocalypse, in the Academy med bay, when I'd pushed myself too hard in training and aggravated an old injury, fever spiking to 102.
Crew skipped classes all afternoon, sat by my bed changing cold towels, making me drink water, finally fell asleep slumped over my cot.
When I woke up, he said:
"Blair, if you dare die before me, I'll chase you to hell and beat you back to life."
Back then, his eyes showed worry, showed fear of losing me.
Now?
He looked at me, eyes ice cold:
"Today's mission is too important. I don't have time to fight with you. Kenzie, get ready to move out."
Kenzie nodded fast, wiping blood, and as she passed me, shot me this smug look.
I grabbed Crew's wrist: "You're taking HER?"
Crew shook me off: "She knows the West Side layout."
"Blair, the way you are now, how can I trust you with the squad?"
"Just wait at base. I'll bring back the antidote."
He geared up and walked out without looking back.
I stood there, staring at the empty room, at that blanket still warm from two bodies.
That power inside me suddenly surged violently. The gray veins instantly spread to my chest.
My skin felt like it was splitting open. The burning almost swallowed me whole.
But I held on.
I clenched my fists, nails digging deep into my palms, blood dripping through my fingers.
Crew, you picked her again.
So we're done. For good.
I stumbled back to quarantine, leaned against the wall, gasping for air.
I was now dead certain something was off about this infection.
Outside, engines roared to life.
I walked to the window and watched three modified trucks roll out the base gates.
Crew sat in the passenger seat of the lead truck. Kenzie sat right next to him in the back.
Kenzie leaned over saying something to Crew. Crew smiled—that relaxed, unguarded smile.
I hadn't seen him smile like that in forever.
The convoy disappeared into the ruins.
I closed my eyes.
Crew, if you don't make it back before sunset today...
You're gonna regret every choice you made.
Chapter 3
I waited through the burning pain until dark.
People whispered about unusual large-scale zombie movement they'd spotted.
And me? I could only watch and wait, hoping Crew would get back with that antidote.
The sun sank below the horizon. Emergency lights flickered on around base.
Finally, engines rumbled in the distance.
Three trucks. All accounted for.
My heart started pounding.
He's back.
I ran downstairs, ran to the center of base.
Doors opened. Crew jumped out first, then the other squad members, finally Kenzie.
My eyes locked on their hands.
Crew's hands were empty. So were Kenzie's.
Squad members unloaded supply crates, but no antidote.
My breathing stopped for a second.
"Where's the antidote?"
My voice came out raspy.
Everyone went silent.
Crew's eyes flickered, then looked away from me:
"The antidote... we found it."
My heart lifted.
He pressed his lips together:
"But on the way back, we ran into a horde. Kenzie got scratched trying to protect the supply truck."
"It was an emergency. I had to give her the antidote."
I looked at Kenzie.
She immediately held up her bandaged hand, looking guilty:
"I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to..."
"Which hand?" I asked.
Kenzie froze: "What... what?"
I stepped closer: "How deep was the wound? How much blood?"
"Any infection signs show up yet?"
Kenzie's eyes went panicked, looking at Crew.
Crew got between us: "Blair! She's already hurt, and you're gonna grill her like this?"
I yanked my collar down, showing him the gray veins spreading across my chest:
"Crew, look at me. I've got till midnight—maybe less."
"And your 'injured' Kenzie over there? She's talking fine, eyes are clear as day. You seriously telling me she's infected?"
A few squad members wouldn't meet my eyes.
Riley muttered under his breath: "She could've dodged that scratch..."
"Riley!" Crew snapped.
But too late.
I got it now.
Kenzie did it on purpose.
And Crew gave her the antidote again. Right in front of everyone. Picked Kenzie over me again.
I said quietly: "Crew, you ditched me for her again."
Crew went pale: "I didn't ditch you! I just..."
I laughed, my voice tired more than angry:
"Just because you're squad leader and gotta look out for everyone? Gotta keep it fair?"
"Or is it just that you don't give a damn about me anymore?"
He opened his mouth. Nothing came out.
Kenzie grabbed his arm, voice all whiny:
"Crew, does Blair not believe me? I really got infected, look..."
She started unwrapping the bandage.
Crew stopped her: "Don't!"
Then he looked at me, disappointment all over his face.
"Blair, you're really letting me down. Kenzie's on my squad. She got hurt. Was I supposed to let her die to make you happy?"
"You're right. Good call. Squad leader should be fair and square."
Crew went still.
I looked at him protecting Kenzie, saw that smug look Kenzie kept shooting me, saw the pity and avoidance in everyone else's eyes.
That power inside suddenly went wild.
But I held it down.
I kept going, my voice dead flat:
"So now this 'squad member' is about to turn. What's the squad leader gonna do about it?"
Dead silence.
Everyone stared at Crew.
His face kept changing, finally said through gritted teeth:
"I'll keep looking. There's another place up North..."
"No time." I cut him off.
He went quiet.
Kenzie spoke up softly, just loud enough for everyone to hear:
"Crew, Blair's too dangerous like this. What if she suddenly turns..."
Crew's body went rigid.
I looked in his eyes—those eyes that used to be full of love for me, now just full of conflict and hesitation.
That power inside hit harder.
This time I could barely hold it.
