Thirteen Roses Book Four: Alone: A Paranormal Zombie Saga by Michael Cairns

not put your brain to use doing that instead of causing hysteria in a place that’s already far too close to it.’
    He left a silence in his wake as he stormed off. His hands were shaking. He’d spent the last four years of his life buried in the lab and the thought of speaking like that to anyone was ridiculous. He found himself smiling as he reached the private room. He shoved the door open and froze.  
    Ed and Dave were sat on the two beds, chatting to one another. They both raised a hand in greeting then went right on talking. He stood and stared for a minute, blinking. They were talking about computer games, Call of Duty from the sounds of it. He’d never been a role-player, he enjoyed Mortal Kombat far too much.  
    He strolled over, trying to calm the churning in his gut, and sat in one of the chairs. He tried to get in a position where he could get Ed out quick if he needed to. His machinations made them break off the conversation and look at him.  
    ‘Hi, Alex, are you alright?’ Ed asked.
    ‘Yeah, well, you know, apart from the obvious.’
    ‘Well yeah, zombies and all that.’
    Alex blinked and felt sweat pop out on his forehead. They hadn’t told Ed. He’d been in here the entire time. ‘God, Ed, you don’t know. One of the ladies was murdered.’
    He thought to keep his eyes on Dave’s face and was rewarded by a look of complete stunned surprise. There was no chance it was acting. The guy didn’t even express his own feelings anymore, let along fake ones. He really didn’t know.  
    Ed was pale and shaking his head. ‘What happened?’
    Alex spared as many of the details as he could and kept it short. When he’d finished, Ed’s first question was whether it could have been a zombie. Dave’s were whether it could have been Jackson. Alex hadn’t gone there, maybe because he was so convinced it was Dave, but now he had no choice.  
    ‘Yeah. I don’t think it was a zombie, there was nothing eaten. But Jackson? Yes, I suppose so.’
    The three of them exchanged looks. When the door slammed open they all jumped. Bayleigh stared at Dave, then at Alex, who shrugged. ‘I don’t think so. He didn’t know.’
    She stalked across the room and grabbed Dave’s hand. He watched her, frowning in confusion as she inspected his nails. Alex got a look and saw the lack of damage and blood beneath them. He didn’t do it, which meant it had to be Jackson. It had to be.
    ‘We wait.’ Alex said. ‘He comes back with the devices and we take him.’
    Ed snorted. ‘You take him how? He’s bigger that all of us put together.’
    ‘Dave could handle him.’
    Dave had remained silent until now, but he looked at him with those weird flat eyes and shook his head. ‘I know what you said about the zombies, but I can’t just switch it on. I don’t even know what it is. I don’t know what it feels like.’
    ‘How can you not know?’
    When Dave spoke again, there was something odd about his voice. It was almost as though he was trying to sound like someone who was sad might sound. But he was trying instead of just being. There was no real emotion there, but his voice cracked in all the right places, and Alex found himself rethinking things again.  
    ‘I don’t know what anything feels like. It’s all gone.’
    Alex and Bayleigh shared a look and Alex nodded to the door. They excused themselves and headed out. When they reached the door, Bayleigh hesitated. ‘Um, Ed, I think one of the ladies wants to speak to you.’
    It was as poor an attempt as Alex had ever heard, but if Dave realised, he didn’t show it. He raised a hand in farewell to Ed and leant back in his chair. Alex pulled the door closed and dragged the others down the corridor. ‘It could still be him. I know he seems innocent, but I think he’s acting.’
    ‘I don’t know what he’s doing. I don’t have a clue anymore. I was so sure it was him, but now…’
    ‘Ed, how long have you guys been talking?’
    ‘Dunno, half hour