novelnext Chapter 216: Fanatics and Murderers
Chapter 216: Fanatics and Murderers
Rate this Chapter.
"What the hell do you people want...?"
Carl’s voice barely sounded like his own anymore.
It came out rough.
Defeated.
Exhausted.
The words echoed weakly through what had once been the living room.
Now it looked more like a barracks.
Furniture had been shoved aside.
Windows had been covered.
Supplies had been stacked against walls.
People moved throughout the house.
Not survivors.
Not exactly.
Infected.
Intelligent ones.
Some sat talking.
Others sorted supplies.
A few stood guard near the entrances.
The worst part was how normal they looked.
How organized they looked.
Carl hated that more than anything.
The woman standing before him turned at his voice.
She looked almost amused.
Then she smiled.
"Boyfriend looks thirsty."
Carl immediately frowned.
Across from him, Adira tensed against the ropes binding her wrists.
The woman crouched slightly.
"Someone get this man some water."
One of the infected standing nearby immediately moved.
No hesitation.
No questioning.
Just obedience.
Adira’s stomach twisted.
That wasn’t right.
Nothing about this was right.
The infected she’d seen before had been monsters.
Violent.
Animalistic.
Predictable.
These people followed orders.
They listened.
They worked together.
That somehow felt worse.
A man returned a minute later carrying a clean glass of water.
Clean.
Actual clean water.
The realization made Adira feel sick.
The infected lifted the glass to Carl’s mouth.
Carl tried to turn away.
The man grabbed his jaw.
Forced his head forward.
Water spilled down Carl’s neck as he drank.
The woman watched the entire thing with an approving smile.
Like she was observing a pet being fed.
Finally, Adira spoke.
"Who the hell are you?"
The room grew quiet.
The woman blinked.
Then she placed a hand against her chest.
"Oh."
She looked genuinely embarrassed.
"My apologies."
She stood straighter.
"Perhaps I should’ve started there."
Carl and Adira exchanged a look.
The woman began pacing slowly.
"My name is Miriam."
The name sounded painfully ordinary.
That somehow made it worse.
"I wasn’t always important."
She smiled.
"Truthfully, I was rather pathetic."
Nobody laughed.
Nobody interrupted.
The infected around her simply listened.
Miriam continued.
"I was infected nearly two years ago."
She folded her hands behind her back.
"At first I was exactly like the rest."
Her eyes drifted toward several infected standing nearby.
"A slave to impulse."
"A slave to hunger."
"A slave to instinct."
She paused.
Then smiled.
"Then I experienced enlightenment."
Adira frowned.
The word immediately bothered her.
Enlightenment?
Miriam seemed to notice.
"Interesting word, isn’t it?"
She continued pacing.
"Most humans believe infection is a curse."
Her smile widened.
"I did too."
She stopped walking.
"Until I realized something."
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Miriam looked almost reverent.
"We are evolving."
Adira immediately felt her stomach sink.
There it was.
The crazy.
The thing she’d been waiting for.
The reason behind all of this.
Miriam spread her arms.
"The infection strips away weakness."
"The fear of death."
"The fear of judgment."
"The fear of becoming something greater."
She paused for one, cruel moment.
"And I...out of the goodness of my own heart, want to share that. With all of you."
Adira’s eyes widened for a brief moment. Yet— before she could say anything.
Carl laughed.
A dry, bitter laugh.
"Greater?"
Miriam turned toward him.
"You disagree?"
"You people eat horses and wear human skin as decorations."
Carl snapped.
"Forgive me if I don’t see the fucking upgrade."
Several infected immediately looked offended.
Miriam merely smiled.
"You still think like prey."
Carl’s jaw tightened.
Adira spoke before he could.
"What do you mean by share?"
The question slipped out before she could stop it.
Miriam’s eyes brightened.
"Excellent question."
Adira immediately regretted asking.
Miriam approached her.
Slowly.
Patiently.
Like a teacher addressing a student.
"I want everyone to understand."
"Truly understand."
She gestured around the room.
"The world ended."
"Humanity failed."
"Nature selected something better."
Adira stared.
Miriam smiled.
"And eventually..."
Her voice softened.
"You’ll join us."
Silence.
Carl went rigid.
Adira felt her blood run cold.
There it was.
The thing she already knew.
The thing she never wanted confirmed.
Conversion.
Miriam nodded.
"Not today."
"Not tomorrow."
"You’ll have time."
She sounded sincere.
Like she genuinely believed she was being merciful.
"Time to learn."
"Time to accept."
"Time to understand the blessing you’ve been offered."
Carl stared at her.
"You people are insane."
Several infected shifted uncomfortably.
Miriam simply smiled.
"Am I?"
She looked toward the far side of the room.
"Elena."
A woman standing near the wall stepped forward.
Human.
Not infected.
Adira immediately noticed the difference.
The woman couldn’t have been older than twenty.
Thin.
Tired.
Terrified.
Miriam gestured toward her.
"How about an early testimony, dear?"
The woman hesitated.
Then quietly spoke.
"My son was bitten."
The room fell silent.
"He was eight."
Carl frowned.
The woman swallowed.
"The group I was with...they told me he’d turn."
Her voice shook.
"They told me I’d have to kill him."
Miriam remained silent.
Letting her continue.
Tears filled the woman’s eyes.
"But she saved him."
Adira froze.
The woman looked toward Miriam.
Not with fear.
With gratitude.
A weight settled in Adira’s chest.
How?
"They changed him."
Carl stared.
"No."
The word escaped before he could stop it.
The woman nodded.
"He’s alive."
Then she smiled.
A broken smile.
"But he’s still my son."
Miriam folded her hands.
"You see?"
She looked back toward Carl and Adira.
"Some people don’t need convincing."
Adira stared at her.
Then looked around the room.
Every infected watching believed it.
Every single one.
That terrified her more than anything.
Because fanatics were harder to reason with than monsters.
And these people had become both.
—
Hundreds of miles away.
The blonde woman sat alone.
The room around her had once been a bathroom.
Now it was mostly rubble.
Broken tile.
Collapsed drywall.
A shattered mirror hanging crooked above a sink.
She sat on the counter.
One leg dangling.
Silent.
Her fingers drifted toward her neck again.
Toward the bite.
She touched it carefully.
Then immediately jerked her hand back.
A shiver ran through her body.
The sensation returned.
The memory.
Teeth.
Pressure.
Blood.
The woman frowned.
Touched the mark again.
Another shiver.
"Jesus Christ."
She hated it.
She hated that she kept thinking about it.
Hated that she couldn’t stop replaying it.
The fight itself didn’t bother her.
She’d fought people before.
Killed people before.
Broken bones before.
But that moment...
That specific moment...
Something about it refused to leave.
"Still touching it?"
A voice interrupted.
She looked up.
Another infected stood in the doorway.
Grinning.
"Shut up."
The blonde woman replied immediately.
The infected laughed.
"Got bit by a human and suddenly you’re acting weird."
"Maybe he marked his territory."
The blonde woman’s expression flattened.
The infected kept laughing.
That proved to be a mistake.
She crossed the room so quickly he barely reacted.
Her fist smashed into his nose.
Bone cracked.
The infected stumbled.
Before he recovered she grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall.
Hard.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
The laughing stopped.
"Say it again."
Her voice came out calm.
Dangerously calm.
The infected swallowed.
"Was just joking."
"Then tell a better joke."
She released him.
He immediately backed away.
Rubbing his throat.
Muttering under his breath.
The blonde woman returned to the mirror.
Her fingers found the bite again.
Another shiver.
Another memory.
Adrian.
His expression.
His confusion.
The desperation.
Something about it kept disrupting her thoughts.
Like a song stuck in her head.
She hated it.
The door slammed open.
Callahan entered.
And immediately ruined the silence.
"You made a fool out of me."
The blonde woman sighed.
"Good evening to you too."
Callahan looked furious.
Fresh stitches crossed his face.
Others wrapped around his leg.
The slash Lila had given him looked ugly.
Pain radiated from every movement.
That only seemed to make him angrier.
"You had him."
He pointed.
"You had him dead."
"Didn’t feel like it."
Callahan stared.
Then laughed.
A short disbelieving laugh.
"Didn’t feel like it?"
"You threw away your rifle."
"You let him get away."
"You got bit."
The blonde woman slowly turned.
"And?"
Callahan stepped forward.
"You embarrassed me."
There it was.
Not concern.
Not strategy.
Not failure.
Ego.
The blonde woman rolled her eyes.
"Everything is about you."
Callahan’s jaw tightened.
"I’m in charge."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
The argument happened so quickly it almost sounded rehearsed.
Callahan took another step.
The blonde woman didn’t move.
Didn’t flinch.
Didn’t care.
"You answer to me."
Callahan growled.
"No."
She repeated.
Something dangerous entered Callahan’s eyes.
The room tensed.
Other infected began watching.
Waiting.
The blonde woman smiled.
"Try it."
Callahan looked like he might.
For a second Adrain’s bite wasn’t the most interesting thing in the room anymore.
Then—
The door opened.
Everyone immediately stopped.
Every single infected.
Including Callahan.
Including the blonde woman.
A tall man entered.
Gray eyes.
Black coat.
Clean.
Too clean.
The room went silent.
Callahan immediately stepped back.
The shift was almost embarrassing.
The newcomer glanced around.
Taking everything in.
"You’re arguing again."
His voice remained calm.
Callahan immediately spoke.
"She disobeyed direct orders."
The man ignored him.
Completely.
His gaze settled on the blonde woman.
"How’s the neck?"
The room became very quiet.
The blonde woman looked annoyed.
"Fine."
"Good."
That was it.
No yelling.
No threats.
No punishment.
Just that.
Callahan looked stunned.
"That’s it?"
The newcomer finally looked at him.
The room instantly felt colder.
"She was given authority."
Callahan frowned.
"And I wasn’t?"
The man’s expression never changed.
"Miriam left me in charge."
He said.
Then he pointed.
"I left her in charge."
Finally—
he looked directly at Callahan.
"You were never part of that conversation."
Silence.
Pure silence.
The realization hit all at once.
Callahan wasn’t the leader.
He wasn’t second in command.
He wasn’t even third.
He was useful.
Dangerous.
Respected.
But not in control.
The attack dog.
Nothing more.
The blonde woman’s smile returned.
Slowly.
Callahan looked ready to explode.
The newcomer turned away.
Already done with the conversation.
"Get moving."
"We have work to do."
And just like that—
every infected obeyed.
Including Callahan.
Even if the hatred in his eyes promised the argument wasn’t over.
Not even close.