Rabid by Jami Lynn Saunders Page A

He’s as responsible for Aiden’s death as anyone. You’re next Doctor Tanner, and I’m coming for you soon.

T HREE D AYS E ARLIER
    It was just past midnight, and Abby, Salvatore, and Dr. Tanner were sitting together at a nurse’s station on the top floor of the hospital. Abby was in a wheelchair, her legs elevated, trying to rest, but there would be no rest for any of them. Screams of death had punctuated the night as Pippa stalked and killed her prey, and each scream reminded them what would happen if she chose to attack them when she was finished with the reptile creatures.
    â€œMaybe I should try to find her,” Salvatore said, without much conviction.
    â€œNo offense, but you’re no match for her,” Dr. Tanner said. “She’s rabid. Besides, Abby needs you here. She’s in no shape to be worrying about you.”
    â€œIt’s a result of her first metamorphosis,” Salvatore said. “Whenever a werecat or hyena morphs the first time, it’s beyond physically and mentally exhausting. I assume it’s the same with a hybrid.”
    â€œWhy do you refer to werecats and hyenas as if they’re different breeds?” Dr. Tanner asked.
    â€œHyenas have always been considered the lowly scum of the werecat race. Most other werecats consider us untrustworthy and shun us. Given the hatred humans have for us, you might think all werecats would stick together. But we don’t.”
    â€œWe need to figure out how to protect ourselves against those creatures and against Pippa,” Dr. Tanner said. “Mostly against Pippa, since we may not need to worry about the creatures by the time she’s done with them. I need a weapon. I’ve tried Excalibur and the fire saw, but neither will work for me.”
    â€œThe weapons aren’t tuned to your DNA,” Abby said, her voice gruff. “Tomorrow, I’ll reset Aiden’s fire saw for you.”
    They were silent then, but each knew what the other was thinking. If Pippa attacked, she could be slain by the fire saw.
    â€œI won’t let Pippa be killed,” Abby said. “And I won’t leave her behind.”
    â€œNo one said we were leaving her, Abby,” Dr. Tanner said. “We’ll wait it out. But we need to make sure we can protect ourselves. And there’s one more thing we have to do. We have to bury Aiden.”
    â€œI’ll help,” Salvatore said. “What do you want me to do?”
    Dr. Tanner stood up. “We have to disinfect his body tonight, to prevent any infection from spreading. Tomorrow, we’ll bury him.”
    Dr. Tanner picked up his medical bag, and Salvatore followed him into the room where Aiden’s body lay. Abby wheeled herself in behind them. The doctor removed a bottle of a clear solution from his bag and cleansed Aiden’s cold body with it. The liquid foamed when it touched his wounds. When he was finished, Dr. Tanner pulled the sheet back over Aiden’s head, and they left the room and returned to the nurse’s station.
    They were quiet again, waiting for the next death scream, until Salvatore broke the silence. “We should rethink how we’re going to get out of this place,” he said. “There must be a way to get one of those vehicles running.”
    â€œI could take the solar cells from the fire saw and convert one of the vehicles to solar power,” Abby said, renewed excitement in her voice.
    â€œThat’s a good idea,” Tanner said.
    Abby frowned again. “But then you wouldn’t have the fire saw for a weapon, doctor.”
    â€œA way out of here is more important than a weapon for me. Salvatore and I can check out the vehicles tomorrow morning.”
    Abby’s smile returned. “Oh, I think we still may be able to come up with a weapon for you. Where’s Excalibur?”
    Dr. Tanner pointed to a metal table behind the desk of the nurse’s station. The black-handled