Gutsy came over and squatted down next to Ledger. “How many people does Collins still have in town? Who else is part of all this?”
Morton licked his lips, then winced as he tasted blood. “I don’t know. Some. I never wanted to know names. They’re just… just…” He didn’t finish the sentence, clearly uncertain how to make it sound as bad as it probably was. “Please… help me.”
“If you want help, Doc,” said Ledger casually, “you have to earn it. Tell me why Collins wanted you dead.”
“I don’t know,” he wailed, but when Ledger only smiled and made no move to get help, the doctor drew a breath, and in a more controlled—though bitter—voice, said, “From the way you’re talking, it’s clear Bess got away. If so… then maybe this was her cleaning up loose ends. Maybe she was mad because I talked to you. She has to know that I would. I won’t take the fall for her or anyone. Not after what she made me do. Not after what happened to the town. I’m not a monster.”
“Yes, you are,” said Gutsy coldly. “You killed my mother.”
Morton could not look at her. “I did what Bess made me do. You can’t say no to her. Not her. You have no idea what she’s really like. She’s more terrifying than anything out there. What choice did I have? I… I… oh God, it’s all falling apart. Look at me.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” said Ledger. “Look at you. Can’t begin to tell you how eaten up with sympathy I am. Oops—‘eaten up.’ Sorry, unintentional pun. Funny, though.”
“Please…”
“If Collins was cleaning up loose ends, then that means she was afraid of something you might tell us,” said Ledger, “and I find that real darn interesting. Now, we got a couple ways we can play this, Doc. I figure you have about six, seven hours of what we can both agree will be screaming agony. Then you make that very interesting transition to being what my friends in California like to call a ‘zom.’ Then, you have all the time in the world to wander around going bitey-bitey. Personally, I think it would be fun to lock you up in a cell and keep you as a pet. Would you like that, Doc? New Alamo’s zombie mascot. Truth to tell, there would be a bit of justice in it.”
Spider made a sick sound, but Ledger pretended not to hear.
“Help me, for God’s sake,” wheezed Morton.
“Why don’t you help us?”
Morton’s eyes seemed to sharpen at that. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” said Ledger, “as I understand it, you infected Karen’s daughter, Sarah, which is some evil stuff right there. Makes me want to do very bad things to you while you’re still alive to feel them. No, don’t you dare look away. You look me in the eye when I’m talking to you.”
Morton did, but Gutsy could see how much it cost the doctor. She fished inside her heart for a splinter of pity, and surprised herself by finding it.
“You’ve been giving Karen some drugs for Sarah,” continued Ledger. “Something to keep the Reaper Plague from spreading. That’s the only reason Karen hasn’t put a bullet in your brainpan. Those same drugs could keep you alive. Am I right?”
“Yes! The RZ16 pills. That’s what I need. Get me to my office. I have some. I need them, before it’s too late!”
Gutsy heard Benny gasp, but beat him to the punch with the obvious question. “How many of those RZ16 pills do you have?” she demanded.
“Enough,” said Morton quickly. “There’s enough for me to keep working. I can still be of use. I’m the only doctor left, and—”
“Slow down, sparky,” said Ledger. “How many is ‘enough’?”
“Thousands of capsules. Enough for me.” He flinched as he looked at the faces of the people gathered around him. “And I can make more.”
“Wait a minute,” snapped Gutsy. “You can make as much of those pills as you want?”
“Yes. But you need to get me back to my office so I can—”
Gutsy made a sudden lunge, but Ledger shoved her back, and then Spider was there, pulling her away. Gutsy fought against the hands holding her, yelling so loud that spit flew from her mouth. “You could have given those pills to everyone who ever got bitten. All those people who got hurt on the wall. Everyone who was hurt today—you could have saved them all! Why didn’t you? What’s wrong with you?”
Morton whimpered, bleeding, sobbing, defeated and terrified. “I’m sor—” he started to say, but Ledger grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled forward with shocking force.
“Doc,” said the soldier quietly, “if you say you’re sorry, I’m going to let Gutsy have you. I’ll hold you for her.”
The doctor flinched but said nothing. Ledger shoved him back against the wall.
Gutsy was breathing hard, but she stopped fighting, and Spider slowly relaxed his hold. She nodded to him but continued to glare hatred at Morton. She got to her feet and moved to stand close so her shadow fell across the doctor’s face. Ledger pivoted on the balls of his feet and glanced up at her.
“Do you know what’s going to happen now, Dr. Morton?” asked Gutsy. “Right now, we’re going to take you to your office. You’re going to show us where these RZ16 pills are. You’re going to tell us everything we need to know in order to get the right dosages to everyone in town who’s been bitten. Everyone. You want to know who’ll be the last person to get those pills?”
Morton stared at her.
“Then,” continued Gutsy, “you’re going to tell the hospital pharmacist how to make those pills. You’re going to make sure it’s done right and that there’s enough for everyone, for as long as they live. That’s the way you get to stay alive. If you mess this up—if you don’t do everything you can to help us—then I’m going to kill you. I’m going to make it hurt, and I’m going to make it last a long, long time.”
“God… Gutsy…,” murmured Alethea, shocked.
Gutsy didn’t look at her friend. She didn’t look at anyone except Dr. Morton. The world around her seemed to be made of ice.
“Do you understand me?” she asked.
Morton said nothing. He sat there, weeping. Ledger leaned close.
“The lady asked you a question,” he said. “If I was you, I’d give her the answer she wants to hear.”
14
THEY GOT MORTON TO HIS feet. Benny and Sam took an arm each and half walked, half carried the doctor down the alley and into the hospital, following Gutsy and trailed by everyone else. Nurses, techs, orderlies, and the many wounded stared in fear and confusion. There was no sign of Karen, and Gutsy figured she was still looking for Manny. It hadn’t been more than a few minutes since she’d left them, after all.
Gutsy walked alone, aware of the looks her friends gave her. Even Benny seemed surprised by her threat to Morton. Nix, on the other hand, caught Gutsy’s eye and gave her a single nod. Everyone understood, but Nix seemed to truly get her.
Sombra trotted beside her, throwing nervous looks around. The coydog’s devotion softened Gutsy’s heart, but only a little. Rage was a furnace inside her chest, and she knew that at the rate things were going, it was going to consume her. Ever since Mama died, the rage and pain seemed to define the whole world. It made her envy the dead.