The Variant Effect: PAINKILLER Read Online Free PDF Page B

trees
where the grounds butted up against the rear of the Shomberg
complex. He followed the path as it wound in and around groups of
trees and manicured lawns that grew beside the buildings.
    If he could find a bit of shadow, he could
enjoy a drink.
    His hand instinctively hovered over his flask
but it dropped when a silhouette appeared against a golden sky
where the path rose. Patients were wandering all over the grounds
some new, without a limp, others hunched and mysterious—most were
in the dining room eating, but they’d finish soon, and start
walking. What else was there to do?
    Goddamn it .
    He didn’t have a lot of time.
    There was a huge patio on the back of the
complex—a thousand square yards of concrete surrounded by wrought
iron. Borland gave it a grunt but pushed on past, followed the path
where it crossed a staff parking area and then slipped between some
tall billowy bushes.
    His hand rose to the flask again, but fell
when he realized three stories of windows leaned behind him. Could
be anybody up there, watching.
    Borland altered his course, set his broad
shoulders toward the building and paced away. His guts hurt.
    He needed a drink .
    The path wound around thick tree trunks and
bushes. It passed cedar benches ringed by stone and flowers.
    But he kept running into patients.
    So he walked toward the sun; off the path the
fluorescing grass whipped his shoes.
    Borland hurried toward a cedar bench that
faced away from the complex, in the shadow of a large flowering
bush.
    Perfect .
    He dropped onto the bench and slipped a hand
into his coat, felt the cold metal and then...
    “Hello.” An old man walked out of a deep
angled cut in the lawn that was hidden by the bush. A footpath
wound out of the shadows and cut across in front of Borland.
    Borland dropped his hand and looked up at the
clouds.
    Goddamn .
    The old man folded his hands behind his back
and limped away.
    Borland studied the clouds and was
immediately reminded of clouds. He didn’t look up at them enough to
be inspired to any other thought. His world was too close, and he
had to look down to watch for traps—or it could have been the past,
heavy with infection and outbreak pulling his attention to
hell—full of loss, fury and the sounds of ripping skin.
    Zombie, I had to do it .
    And he couldn’t really call it the past
anymore, with it pressing against the insides of his eyes. The
clouds were clouds. He was out of practice and his idleness was
never contemplative. It was all about not thinking and avoiding the
broader view. Anytime he got close to it, something would reach out
and slap him. Real life was just a kick in the groin away. So keep
your eyes peeled.
    He needed a drink .
    Bad .
    Then he heard music. A young man limped into
view and moved past, the sounds squealing around his ear-buds. He
gave Borland a passing glance.
    Sharp features. Early twenties .
    Zombie’s age ...
    Borland glared at the young man’s back.
    He needed a drink .
    His sanity was peeling off as he sobered
up.
    He got to his feet.
    Who’s next? Spiko?
    Borland lumbered toward the edge of the lawn
where the trees grew thick. He’d seen the map on the brochure,
where the path wound through a forest. There was a stream back
there that ran along the property’s edge.
    The setting sun would be obscured; the
shadows under the trees would darken.
    If he was quick about it, he could get a
couple blasts into him before the next patient appeared.
    As he slipped into the woods the path began
to meander and make turns and loops so patients kept popping up—his
way grew increasingly unpredictable.
    He was running out of time .
    The damn Shomberg treatment boasted a fast
recovery aided by promoting post-operative activity. Swell .
The end result was a jack-in-the-box population that appeared every
time Borland was poised to take a drink.
    Can’t screw this up again .
    And Brass told Borland that he was out of
chances. Soon his duties with the new Variant Squads would