"No, I like the house. Krychek came through with a good location. There's even a boat I could use for a quick getaway and plenty of woods for my little army of ghouls." He snickered again but cut it short when an alarm sounded inside his office. "Fuck. No, there's someone on the grounds. The proximity alarm just went off. No, I'm not taking any chances. I have her blood. She can rot for all I care."

Nice. Sarah knew he was talking about her. There wasn't anyone else in the building that she could detect. At least not on this floor. And he definitely had her blood. The bastard wouldn't leave that behind after the difficulties he'd had in acquiring it. The good news was that it sounded like he was leaving. Sarah felt her pulse leap at the idea.

Sellars's voice increased in volume, speed and pitch. He was nervous. She heard him end the phone call, and then she heard cursing and rustling sounds from within the office.

A few minutes later, he was jogging down the hall, a big satchel slung over one shoulder, a large handgun in one hand and a cooler bag in the other. No doubt that was where he'd stored her blood. She couldn't let him get away, but she also didn't have a weapon. If she tried to stop him now, he'd shoot her at point-blank range.

Better to bide her time, follow him out of the house and hope to hell it was Xavier who'd breached the defenses. She knew he would be coming for her. It was only a matter of time. Hopefully, he would find her and they could work together to bring Sellars down.

She crept along the corridor as Sellars ran up the stairs. The lights went off as she hit the bottom step and she heard a door slam shut above. She was in the dark, but she knew where she needed to go-up.

Sarah took the stairs as quickly and quietly as she could. She encountered a light switch at the top of the stairs, but she left the light off. When she opened the door, she didn't want the light betraying her in case Sellars or anyone else waited above. Suddenly she had a bad moment: Had Sellars taken the time to lock the door from the other side? She hoped he'd been in too much of a hurry.

Only one way to find out. She turned the knob. Much to her relief, the door opened. The room beyond was dark, but there were windows, and some ambient light came through them from outside. She was on the first floor, in the kitchen of a very well-appointed house. Of course, she had no idea where the house was. With a sinking feeling, she realized she might not even be on Long Island anymore. Sellars could have taken her anywhere. She didn't know how long she'd been unconscious.

Before she could start to panic about that, a shadow passed in front of the kitchen window. She crossed the room to peer out cautiously and came face-to-face with a hideous apparition. It was a zombie and half its face had been chewed off. A single eye stared at her blankly, and she had to swallow the yelp of fear that threatened to erupt from her throat.

Too late. It saw her. She jumped back as its fist crashed through the window, its clawed hands reaching for her.

Xavier started shooting the moment he saw the first zombie in the woods. He had no idea how many of them were on this property, but one thing he did know-there wouldn't be any when he was through. He systematically plugged four shots into each target before moving on to the next, counting as he went.

He'd taken care of four zombies by the time he reached the small clearing that surrounded the house. They hadn't started to disintegrate yet, but the first would go any time now. Xavier did his best to ignore the four who followed him from the woods while he plowed his way through the clearing, shooting four darts into each of two patrolling creatures. Six down, who knew how many more to go.

"Alpha One. Two more targets coming around the north side of the house," Reno reported from his vantage point in the sky far above. "We've also got two heat signatures. One in the house and one heading down to the beach."

"How'd that one get past me?" Xavier wanted to know.

He lined up his shots and fired at the two zombies as they rounded the north corner of the house. As he finished darting the second of the pair, the first of the previous batch began to implode. Behind him, he heard the hideous moaning come to an abrupt halt, time and time again as the creatures dissolved.

"Must've been a tunnel from the house," Reno told him. "The heat signature popped up on the infrared near the top of the stairs to the beach. Before that, we saw it in the house for a quick second before it disappeared. I figure it went belowground or into a shielded area."

"Son of a bitch. But there's another one still in the house?"

"Yeah, and it's on the move. Movements are erratic. It appeared in the same spot as the first one, about one minute after. Now it's moving around the rooms inside the house."

"Current position?"

"Northeast face, three windows down. It's in that room right now."

Xavier was already on the move. Of the eight zombies he'd shot, six had dissolved. The other two were in his way, and he detoured in a sprint, passing wide around them. These creatures moved a little faster than the previous versions he'd dealt with, but most of them were still hampered by uneven gaits. They couldn't run like Xavier could.

They tried to grab him as he passed, but he was too quick. He counted down to the third window on that side of the house and saw another of the creatures doing his best to break down the window and force his way inside. Xavier took aim and fired on the run.

That made nine. How many of them were there?

Entering through the window wasn't an option until the tenacious number nine disintegrated, so Xavier kept running until he found a sliding glass door several yards away. Using his rifle butt to smash the glass, he jumped inside a moment later, ready for action.

"Xavier?"

He heard Sarah's voice calling his name. Relief washed through him like a fresh spring rain. Thank heaven he'd found her.

"Where are you, Sarah?"

"Kitchen," came the terse reply. "I could use some help and a weapon. There are three of them in here and one trying to get in the window. I'm cornered." Her voice rose as she talked fast, panic entering her tone.

He stalked through the house. The kitchen was right next door. He stormed the room, firing as soon as he had a clear shot. Sarah was standing on the center island in the big gourmet kitchen, flinging pots off the overhead pot rack at the creatures who blocked three sides of the rectangular table.

It was a good position for someone who was otherwise unarmed. The heavy pots and pans kept the creatures at bay somewhat, and the width of the table kept her out of their reach as long as they remained on the floor and she on the island.

"Don't move your legs," Xavier ordered. He sent four darts into each zombie with deliberate thoroughness. The creatures didn't seem to notice. They kept trying to get to Sarah, and she kept them at bay with broad swings of a long-handled frying pan.

"Can I move now?" She spared a moment to look at him, and the zombie on the right took the opportunity to swipe at her legs. The claws connected, and Sarah's face showed her shock and pain. Blood welled and she nearly lost her footing from the force of the blow.

"Come here, Sarah," Xavier yelled over the inhuman moaning of the creatures. The top end of the table closest to him was clear for the moment. "Jump. I'll catch you."

He held out his arms and caught her. There was no time for the hug they both needed. The creatures followed as they left the kitchen and headed for the room next door where Xavier had busted in. He gave her a pistol from his belt, plus an extra clip of darts, as they moved through the hall.

"Bravo One, I have Alpha Two," he reported over his headset. "We're heading out of the house now. Stand by for evac."

"Roger that, Alpha One. We're ready and waiting," Sam said. He was the leader of the B Team, hence the Bravo One designation.

Xavier could hear the triumph in Sam's voice even though he kept his talk professional and calm over the radio.

Xavier turned to Sarah as they came to the broken glass door. There were more zombies out there, gathering in the clear space between the house and the woods. That was the space they'd need to use for the helicopter extraction. Damn.

"Can you run?" he asked her.

"I can run," she assured him.

"Good." Because they couldn't stay there. Hot on their heels were three zombies from the kitchen, taking their damn time to disintegrate. Xavier and Sarah would have a better chance of avoiding the creatures out in the open. "Let's go."

"Alpha One, eight more targets entering visual range," Reno told Xavier as he heard the chopper lower closer to the ground in preparation for extraction.

"Roger that. We've got three behind us, already dosed but not going down. Total of twelve already dosed."

"Sellars said there were twenty on the grounds," Sarah reported as she ran, having heard his side of the conversation.

"Alpha Two reports total of twenty."

"Roger that, Captain. We see eight more from above, so that sounds about right."

"Sarah, do you know where Sellars is?"

"He made a run for it, I think. He was the only person I saw in the house. He kept me in a lab in the basement. He used the phone, but aside from the zombies, I don't think there was anyone else here."

Xavier reported the information back to his men. "Clear for you to drop down," Xavier tacked on to his radio message. "We could use some air support, but under no circumstances do I want to see any of you on the ground. Standing orders are still in effect."

Xavier was firing at the zombies coming into view from the edge of the woods as he relayed messages. He saw eight of them and reported that there was too little space to maneuver.

A half minute after his last transmission, the helo dropped into view. The roar of the blades was loud as both Kauffman and Sam leaned out either side of the bird and began to dart the remaining creatures. Sarah and Xavier did the same, but they were surrounded. The zombies from the house had closed in from behind. The stubborn bastards had been shot but still hadn't dissolved. The other eight fresh zombies had fanned out and formed a circle around Sarah and Xavier that drew ever tighter.

Not good.

One by one the fresh zombies were slowly but surely getting their four doses each, but it was taking too long. They were too close. Kauffman sent down the rope ladder, but Sarah was having a hard time negotiating the swaying rungs. She hadn't even cleared enough room for Xavier to grab on and secure a foot- and arm-hold.

Then a blond blur rappelled downward and Xavier saw Sam clinging to a rope in midair, taking the final shots needed to give each zombie four darts.

"Dammit, Sam," Xavier muttered under his breath.

The son of a gun had disobeyed orders-though not technically. His feet weren't touching the ground. He was suspended on a rope from the helicopter.

The zombies were too close. In what felt like slow motion, Xavier saw one reach for Sam from behind. Xavier screamed at Sam, trying to warn him but it was already too late.

Sam jerked as the zombie bit into his leg. Using the butt of his rifle, Sam beat the creature off. It was one of the kitchen zombies. Even as Sam pushed it back, it disintegrated. But it was too late for Sam.

Xavier had had enough. He launched himself onto the rope ladder, caging Sarah in his arms and reaching around her to grab relatively secure handholds.

"Take us up, Reno!"

"You're not secure, sir."

"Don't argue, just get us away from this group. Set us down on the other side of the house and we'll do it right."

"Roger that, Captain."

A second later, they were soaring over the roof of the mansion. Reno lowered over the small clearing in front of the house, hovering. Sam was working his way back up the rope into the copter while Xavier jumped down to the ground and held the rope ladder taut for Sarah to climb. She made steadier progress this time, and Kauffman leaned over and pulled her into the chopper even as Xavier made the quick climb up himself.

When everyone was aboard and the doors shut, Reno sped upward.

"Where to, sir?" Reno asked, but he already seemed to know what Xavier would say. It was obvious from the direction he'd sent the bird in.

"Police station. I want McCormick to look at Sam. Meanwhile..." Xavier unzipped the bag holding McCormick's precious serum. The pouch included some serious-looking needles, and she'd given Xavier instructions on how and how much to administer. He hadn't thought he'd need to try it-at least not so soon-but it was the only hope for Sam. Already, Sam was going into shock. Death from the contagion was fast.

Xavier prepared the dose and stuck Sam in the heart muscle with the long needle McCormick had packed. It was nasty and caused Sam a huge amount of pain, but it was better than dying and rising to become a fucking zombie.

"Come on, buddy. Make this work," Xavier prayed under his breath.

Sam's heart distributed the serum fast, sending it throughout his system, where it combined with the contagion. They'd know in the next few minutes whether Sam had the right antigens and whatever other voodoo he'd need to stay alive.

He started to convulse when they were setting down on the helipad behind the police station. Reno had radioed ahead and Dr. McCormick was waiting for them, escorted by the SWAT commander and a few of his men. She ran up to the chopper as the blades slowed, and Kauffman pulled her inside to help Sam while Xavier let Sarah out the other side to make room.

Sarah balked at the idea of leaving before they knew Sam's fate. Xavier stood beside her, looking into the chopper as Dr. McCormick examined Sam. The roar of the engines lowered as Reno shut down the chopper and they were able to talk and be heard without the use of headsets.

"Will he be okay? What was that shot about? And who is she?" Sarah asked, leaning against his side as they watched Sam settle down on the floor of the chopper. He'd stopped convulsing, at least.

"She's a scientist who was part of the original navy team. Sellars was courting her, trying to get her to work with him. She gave us the location of that house where he was keeping you. The shot was something she cooked up. It might counteract the contagion and save Sam's life. Or not. It's experimental." Xavier's words were clipped as he watched his best friend fight for his life.

He put one arm around Sarah's waist, supporting her against his side. It was good to have her back safe. She was a little banged up and her uniform was a mess, but she was alive. Thank heaven. He kissed the crown of her head, not caring who might be looking. The time for hiding his affection for Sarah was over.

McCormick looked up from her patient and sought Xavier's eyes.

"What's the verdict, Doc?" Xavier asked. Sam looked better, but Xavier wasn't a doctor. He didn't know for sure.

"I think he's one of the lucky ones." McCormick sat back on her heels, hands on her thighs as she crouched inside the helicopter. "He's started to stabilize and I think he's out of danger, but I'd like to keep an eye on him. Is there any way we can get him back to my lab? I can rig suitable facilities to make him comfortable, and if he takes a turn for the worse, I have the toxin on hand to deal with it." Her expression was grim. "I don't think it'll be necessary, but I wanted you to know that I'm equipped to handle any contingency. Your friend won't suffer if he does turn into one of those creatures."

Xavier weighed his options. They still had a lot of work to do before they could call it a night. He looked over toward the SWAT team and realized he could use their help after all.

"Wait here a minute." Xavier walked over to the man in charge, Sergeant Luke Tomlinson.

"You got our officer back, I see." Tomlinson's raised eyebrow said he realized Xavier and Sarah were more than just coworkers.

"Safe and sound," Xavier agreed. "I could use your help, Sergeant. I have an injured man who needs to go with the lady you've been looking after for me, back to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. She's a scientist there and has agreed to watch over my man until he's recovered."

"Is he contagious?" Tomlinson looked skeptical.

"Not at the moment, and if Dr. McCormick has anything to say about it, he'll remain that way. I can't tell you the exact nature of the threat, but it's something we have a reasonable handle on. It's also been offered for sale to terrorists, which makes it a threat to national security."

"So not anthrax or sarin. Something new." The man's face paled, but his expression said he was ready for anything.

"Definitely something new," Xavier agreed. "Something we can't let get out. It's worse than anything that's come before."

"And your man was exposed tonight?"

"He was." Xavier nodded grimly. "But McCormick can take care of him. What I need is to get her and him to Cold Spring Harbor. Can you help with that?"

"I'll take them myself." There was no hesitation in his voice, only a willingness to help avert disaster.

Xavier sent Lewis Kauffman along with Sam and Dr. McCormick. Tomlinson was acting as chauffeur. In short order, they were in one of the SWAT vehicles and on their way.

Chapter Thirteen

"What now?" Sarah turned to Xavier. She'd taken a few minutes to go into the police station and call her chief, assuring everyone that she was safe and fit for duty, and then left some instructions for campus security.

"We have to go back to the beach house and make sure we got them all. We also have to tag the remains for the cleanup crew." He looked tired and worried, which was understandable under the circumstances.

She knew enough not to mention Sam. They both knew he was in trouble, but they were powerless to help. Xavier had already done what he could by administering the serum. The best thing they could do for Sam now was to catch the bastard that had caused all this. She wanted Sellars with a vengeance. The man had kidnapped her and his intentions had been horrific. He'd told her flat out he intended to torture her. The man was truly a monster. Never mind the monsters he created. The real contagion was in his mind, and as far as she was concerned, it had to be stopped by whatever means necessary. If the doctor didn't walk away from this, she wouldn't shed a tear.