Page 76 of Once Upon an Apocalypse

“None taken.” Jonah shrugs. “It’s an accurate statement. But I’m with Lori on this one. We can’t just sit around and wait for Doctore to find us. If we hit his smaller facilities, we decrease his numbers. Maybe we can even turn the gladiators to our cause.”

“That’s incredibly dangerous,” Norman says, finally opening his mouth to voice an opinion. “You cannot be certain that these so-called gladiators won’t be just as brainwashed. Lori might be the only exception. But she fought Dr. Tuwile’s programming. Not an easy thing to do.”

“How do you know that?” I ask, squinting my eyes at him.

“Because I helped him develop the program. It’s not my proudest moment. There were a lot of things I regret from my time with him.”

“Are you still working for him?” My eyes gouge into his, trying for the intimidation tactic, though I’m not sure I have that down.

“Lori,” Amos warns.

“It’s a fair question, Amos.” My piercing gaze shifts to Amos, who shakes his head at me.

“It is. And perhaps it is time I come clean.” Norman sits up in his chair, eyeing each person in the conference room. “I didn’t cut ties with Gabriel. At least not when I left his lab. I needed to convince him I was loyal, not dissimilar from Jonah. When he started kidnapping innocent people, I was done. I met you down in the bunker, Lori. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”

Amos gets up from his chair so fast, but I’m faster. I hold him in place, hugging his tall, broad frame to my petite one. And goddamn, Iamstrong. Amos struggles against the restraints of my arms, but I don’t budge.

“Amos, calm down. Let Norman finish. Then I’ll let you at him,” I say.

A grunt of agreement is all I need to loosen my grip on Amos. When he sits back down, I grab his hand, squeezing gently. He squeezes back more firmly, not letting go as Norman resumes his tell-all.

“I understand Gabriel’s mission. I agree with it in some ways. As much as you all might disagree, he is a brilliant man. Sadistic? Yes. But brilliant. When he accidentally created the virus that brought us the undead, he went a little mad. He didn’t think he was doing God’s work, but became a god himself. Re-animating the dead. Creating a new…species. Breaking every ethics code to get there. What he did to Lori, what we did. That wasn’t the first time. I put my head down and followed orders because I didn’t want to be the next test subject. Then I had the opportunity to leave the bunker as a field scientist. Gabriel wanted more observations on how the undead moved around, hunted, and turned in a natural environment. He gave me a small team. A few weeks later, we stumbled into a horde of undead too large to escape, but I got out. I found this place. It was a chance for me to start over.”

“Why were you so against having Lori here when she first arrived? Were you afraid she would recognize you?” My mom’s voice cannot hide the rage she tries so hard to contain.

“No. I didn’t think someone could override the programming,” Norman says so casually.

“What programming?” I ask.

“While you were sedated, Gabriel would play specific messaging to change the way your mind thinks. To make you forget about what’s being done to you. To keep you thinking forward instead of in the now.”

At Norman’s explanation, brief clips of words reach my ears. But I can’t remember what they said. “I might not remember everything Doctore did to me. But I remember him ripping my unborn baby from my womb. How the hell can anyone look forward from that?”

Norman stares at me with the intriguing eye of a scientist. “I have many follow-up questions to what you just said, but I would like to present a theory as to why I believe you were unaffected. You have an inhuman ability to heal yourself incredibly fast. Perhaps your brain was able to delete all traces of Gabriel’s programming and that is why you could keep your own thoughts and memories.”

“What about me?” Jonah asks, attempting to hide his horrified shock. I had never spoken to him about what happened when I was having a miscarriage. He never asked, and it never came up in conversation after he came to The Valley.

“Trauma can untether the bindings of Gabriel’s programming. I saw it happen a few times. I tried helping those poor souls who were unraveling, but Gabriel got to them quickly. He would either have them executed or resubmitted for further programming. You must have hid yourself well, Jonah.”

I feel Amos loosen from the fuming anger tormenting his heart, but I keep my hand in his. The silence in the room is deafening. Everyone barely breathes as we process everything Norman has revealed to us. Hewasstill working for Doctore, Jonah had been right. Do I believe Norman wanted out? That he miraculously got his chance to escape without Doctore being suspicious that one of his scientists betrayed him?

“Why wait until now to tell us?” Anna asks, twirling her hair nervously.

“I wasn’t planning on telling you ever, but I figured Jonah would recognize me sooner or later.”

“I did. I told Amos immediately,” Jonah snaps.

“Good soldier.” Norman’s tone isn’t condescending, but the way he says those words to Jonah sends a shiver down my spine. “No one has asked the most important question yet.”

“And what’s that?” Amos says, pulling his shoulders back as he releases my hand.

“What is Gabriel Tuwile’s biggest weakness?”

Chapter 48

Thepastthreeweekshave been exhausting. Everyone at The Valley has worked tirelessly to fortify the fences and walls surrounding our community. Patrols have been going out daily to pilfer for any and all resources they can find. The plan is to outlast the enemy should they come to our gates while a few of us go in search of Doctore’s satellite labs.

No one has spotted a potential threat nearby, but that doesn’t mean we are safe. Doctore and his men could come our way any day now. Or maybe we are all just paranoid and expecting the worst outcome. My best hope is that it’s paranoia. I need The Valley to remain untouched by the evil that is Doctore. There needs to be a safe haven for all who are looking to live, to prosper, to find purpose again.

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