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Chapter Three: Gone

You woke up the next day disoriented and squinting as the early morning sunlight filtered in through the windows of the Detroit Police Department. At some point in the night, the battle to stay awake became too difficult, and you’d slipped off into dreamland with your head resting on Hank’s desk. But, of course, that didn’t explain how you’d ended up lying sideways on a row of chairs lining the wall with someone’s jacket slung over your form.

It was all coming back to you now – the café, the streets, the zombies.

You sat up with a groan and rubbed the sleep from your eyes. You were quick to spot Fowler pacing in his glass office, mumbling lowly into his phone. The man looked unbelievably tired, but he still acknowledged you with a slight nod when he saw you were awake before returning to the person on the other end of the line.

 Then, there was Gavin leaning back in a chair on the opposite side of the bullpen, eyes closed with his arms crossed and his legs resting across what you assumed was probably his desk. You noticed he no longer wore his leather jacket, but it wasn’t the one currently draped over you. You eventually spotted it, thrown carelessly atop a counter cabinet in the centre of the room, still very much covered in blood.

You couldn’t see Nines anywhere, but Hank now occupied the desk you were at last night, scrolling through something on his terminal while Connor sat beside him with his eyes closed and his blue LED flickering. His jacket was missing, leaving him in a crisp white button-down that did little to hide his lean frame. You gingerly lifted the one off your torso, eyes widening when you spotted the faint blue glow of the notorious armband and logo.

You shot up a little too abruptly, legs wobbling in protest. “Ah, shit…”

“Mornin’, kid,” Hank acknowledged, his blue eyes barely leaving the terminal. “How’d you sleep?”

Connor stirred beside him, brown eyes fluttering open. He regarded you with that same small smile from last night, the one you liked a little too much.

You rubbed the back of your neck, “Surprisingly well, aside from the fact that my neck hurts like a bitch.”

“Happens to the best of us,” the lieutenant chuckled. “Feel free to help yourself with some coffee or whatever in the break room. There’re doughnuts, too, if the others haven’t eaten ‘em.”

You nodded before looking back to Connor, who, to your surprise, was still watching you. You flushed and held his jacket out to him, quietly muttering your thanks as he accepted it. His fingers gently brushed over yours, and you flinched at the contact. He seemed to notice this, for his brow furrowed slightly in question.

“I did what I could with your jacket, but I suggest a dry clean for a more effective option.” He remarked, choosing not to comment on your jumpiness. “I hung it over the door for you.”

 “Oh, thank you! You didn’t have to do that...”

“I think mine could use a wash, too, don’t you think, tin can?”

Your eyes rose to meet Gavin’s as he swung his legs down from his desk, fully awake now. The talking must have woken him.

You rolled your eyes, “What’s with that?”

“What’s with what?” He replied.

“The stupid little nickname,” you clarified. “Tin can? Really?”

“Why? You one of those android sympathisers or something?”

“I mean, it’s free not to be an asshole.”

An obnoxious laugh fell past his lips, “Wake up on the wrong side of the bed, doll?”

Connor piped up this time, “She wasn’t on a bed, Detective Reed.”

“You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you, tin can-”

“Oh, shut the fuck up, would ya?” Hank groaned, pulling back from his terminal with a frown directed at the three of you. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, “It’s way too early for this shit.”

A quick glance at your watch told you it was half-six.

Gavin’s lips curled into a shit-eating grin as his eyes fell on you again, sending you an infuriating wink. You rolled your eyes for the second time and marched off to the break room, where the other three officers were tucking into their doughnuts and coffee. They greeted you, offering you a box of sweet treats to browse through while they introduced themselves.

“I’m Officer Person,” the female officer said warmly. She gestured to the others, “These two are Officers Lewis and Wilson.”

They nodded at you, and you waved, “Hey.”

Person nudged your arm as she leaned over, a hand blocking the view of her mouth as she pretended to whisper. “I’d take the whole box if I were you. These two here are dubbed the department’s ‘doughnut kings’ – and trust me, it’s not a compliment.”

Lewis grinned sheepishly around a mouthful of food while Wilson scoffed, “Yeah, yeah. I’ll remember that the next time Fowler orders those custard-filled Krispy Kremes you like.”

You giggled into your hand as a round of bickering ensued and left them to it, so you could fumble around in the kitchen for a bit, deciding to make yourself some hot chocolate. You absently paid attention to the news segment playing on the wall-mounted TV. It was only quiet, but you didn’t need to hear to know what they were talking about. Disturbing videos of people recording the infected – this was the official term for them now – wandering around outside their homes; others were holed up in offices, fast food restaurants, and so on.

The screen transitioned to another news chopper hovering above a ritzy neighbourhood you’d travelled past many times. The well-known freelance reporter, Joss Douglas, was talking up a storm, eyes wide as he gestured to the building in the background. The cameras then zoomed into a black chopper in the distance – SWAT?

That can’t be good, you thought with apprehension.

The others were paying attention, too, now. More hovering and talking, and suddenly, there was a thunderous booming sound. The camera shook violently before the live feed cut out to a black screen, and it wasn’t long before you heard the real thing in the distance, startling you as the ground rumbled beneath your feet. Your cup slipped out of your hand, spilling hot chocolate everywhere.

The reaction was instant. Chairs in the bullpen rolled back as their owners stood, alarmed, and Captain Fowler stormed out of his office with a slam of the door against the railing. Lewis, Person and Wilson went to join him in the bullpen, and you froze, unsure of what to do. A series of hushed shouting ensued, mainly between Fowler and Hank, so you decided to stay in your temporary safe haven until they finished hashing it out.

That is until you saw Nines. The tall android was lingering in the hallway; his eyes narrowed and calculating as he watched the scene unfold before him. His stance was rigid, his arms practically pinned to his side.

Was he there the whole time?

You wondered what was going through his mind. Was he worried? Anxious? Was he itching to get out in the field and regain some semblance of control? He looked like that kind of person. Someone that liked to be in control – liked order. Of course, you knew next to nothing about deviated androids and their personalities, so you were going purely off his appearance here.

Icy eyes suddenly met yours, and you faltered, quickly moving to clean up the mess you’d made. You could feel the burn of his eyes lingering on the back of your neck as you knelt down, preying he couldn’t tell how fast your heart was racing. What was it about him that… unsettled you?

Someone called your name, “Are you all right?”

It was Connor. He was crouching beside you with a trash can for the soiled paper towels. You subtly peeked around him, somewhat relieved to find Nines had disappeared again.

“Y-yeah, just startled, that’s all. What’s going on?”

“The government has issued an official warning to evacuate central Detroit. The military has set up a quarantine zone for survivors on the city’s outskirts.”

“Shit,” your shoulders slumped at the news.

You still haven’t heard anything from your parents yet. Should you try calling again? Should you bite the bullet and head over to the hospital?

Connor was quick to notice your hesitance. “I highly recommend going to the quarantine zone,” he insisted. “It’s the safest option for you.”

“What about you?” You asked after some thought. “Where will you go?”

Your question seemed to throw him off guard, his brown eyes flitting up to yours. There was something unreadable in his expression.

“I go where Hank goes.”

Your lips twitched into a smile at his response. Their father-son dynamic was really quite adorable. Your neck craned back slightly to maintain eye contact with him as he straightened up beside you, the last of the mess finally cleaned up.

“You reckon he’ll mind if I tag along?”

He returned your smile then. “I’m sure he won’t mind.”

The two of you joined the others back out in the bullpen after Connor kindly offered to rewrap your wounded palms and make you another hot chocolate. You’d stood at the bar tables yet again as he moved around the break room with surprising fluidity, blatantly checking him out every time his back was turned. It was difficult not to when there was nothing else to focus on.

Someone else had joined the ranks, you noticed – or re-joined the ranks, that is. Chris – the officer who’d stayed behind at the café – had returned, standing beside Gavin with folded arms. He looked a little worse for wear (no different to Fowler) as he nodded along to whatever his co-worker was saying to him. You didn’t know him, but you were glad he was safe. You could only wonder what happened to the others at the café and made a mental note to ask him later.

You tuned into Fowler’s words.

“Since shit’s hit the fan, I want all of you to take what you need. Head office has bigger things to worry about than some missing equipment. If things continue the way they are, then I doubt it’ll matter anyway...” He drifted off.

“Appreciate it, Sir,” Officer Wilson said gratefully. He clapped his superior on the shoulder, “I’m sure we’ll catch up at the QZ anyway, right?”

“I’m heading straight there!” Officer Person chimed in, “I haven’t got any family to worry about here.”

You wished you could say the same. You could only hope yours had gotten the message and were on their way already.

 “Alright, folks,” Fowler continued, looking disgruntled. “Do what you need to do, and for God’s sake, stay safe out there.”

Everyone was quick to disperse after that, quietly muttering to each other as they prepared to leave. You sat quietly at Hank’s desk once again after retrieving your jacket from the restroom door. The dark blood stains were noticeable, but it would have to do for now. Depending on what way Hank was heading, perhaps you could ask to stop at your apartment building if it wasn’t overrun. You could change into better clothing, and you couldn’t leave your cats to suffer.

Hank eventually joined you with a DPD-issued duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He inclined his head towards you, “Connor says you want to come with us?”

“If you don’t mind, of course.”

He chuckled, “Heh, if you don’t mind being squished in the backseat with him, then knock yourself out!”

“He’s not sitting shotgun?” You asked, finding it odd.

“He usually does, but Nines is coming, too. He’s bigger than Connor, so I figured I’d stick him up the front. Save you from being flattened and all.”

You pursed your lips. If Hank and Connor liked him enough to let him tag along, then surely, he was alright. On the other hand, perhaps you’d judged him too quickly. He could be the sweetest guy out there for all you knew.

It wasn’t long before the two androids joined you and Hank, Nines also shouldering a large duffle bag. You followed them as they led the way to the car. It was unnervingly quiet in the station’s garage, your footsteps echoing along with theirs. Your eyes widened when Hank unlocked his car. Finally, it dawned on you why he was so amused about you being squished in the back.

He pulled his seat forward so you could climb in. Once Connor hopped in beside you, there really wasn’t much room left. He apologised not once but twice as his knee knocked into yours while he tried to adjust himself into a comfortable position. Since he was tall, he had to keep his legs apart lest they dig into the back of the driver’s seat.

You buckled up as the car started, Nines now situated in front of you. You nearly shat yourself when the speakers blared heavy metal music. Hank swore and shut it off completely.

“Fuck, I really hope none of those things are around,” he mumbled under his breath.

“I scanned the garage upon entering,” Nines declared, surprising you with his deep voice. “We are the only ones here, save for Detective Reed.”

Despite what he’d said, you couldn’t stop your eyes from searching out the window. Thankfully, you only saw Gavin hopping into the driver’s seat of a black Jeep in the distance. He was shaking his head, most likely in response to the obnoxious show he’d just witnessed from Hank.

“What way are we headed?” You asked as the lieutenant backed out.

“Why’s that?”

You hesitated. “If it’s on the way, I wanted to stop by to grab a few things and let my cats free.”

Connor asked for your address, and you told him. He addressed Hank after a few flickers of his LED. “It’s not too far from yours, Hank.”

The lieutenant looked at you in the rear-view mirror then. “We’ll check it out, then.”

You gave him a small smile in thanks, tensing as the car pulled out into the street. Your eyes immediately landed on some infected wandering around out the front of the station. Those demonic screams you’d heard last night returned as they spotted the car and began sprinting towards it. Hank put his foot down and sped off, giving them no time to catch up.

Turning in your seat, you watched them as they did the same thing to Gavin’s black Jeep as it pulled out of the garage. You winced as he ran one of them over. Whether it was unintentional or not, you were unsure. Though, if you had to guess, it was most likely the latter.

Wonder where he’s heading…

Unsurprisingly, a few other cars were zipping around without a care in the world for the stop signs and lights they were flying through. Momentum had you sliding and bumping into Connor several times as Hank swerved to avoid them, cursing and flipping the bird in the hopes they’d see it. Unfortunately, they most likely wouldn’t.

“Would you like me to drive, Lieutenant?” Nines asked finally after another swerve.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think there was a touch of cheek in his tone.

You caught Hank rolling his eyes in the mirror, “I’ve got it, smartass.”

You held in a giggle. So, Nines was being cheeky, then.

Ten minutes later, the car was parallel parked between some dumpsters in a quiet back street that led to your apartment complex. You fished around in your pocket for your access card and unbuckled your seat belt to get out while Hank went on about ‘being sitting ducks out here’ and that ‘you had ten minutes, tops’.

You were surprised when Connor followed behind you as Nines let you out but thankful to have the company. The two androids shared a silent look, their LEDs flickering before Nines left you to it. A flash of irritation slipped across Connor’s face, but it was gone before you could get a good look.

You frowned. What was that about?

Shaking your head, you took the lead and led Connor up to the fifth floor where your apartment was. The hallways were insanely quiet. No muffled noises of TVs from behind closed doors, no shouting from that noisy neighbour a few doors down, no kids causing a racket at nine in the morning – it was nerve-wracking but expected.

A look of horror crossed your face when you noticed the door to your home was already open, a few food wrappers and clothes articles scattered across the floor leading out. It was hard to miss the splatters of blood along with it, though you couldn’t tell if it was leading in or out.

Connor immediately took the lead, gently beckoning you behind him, even as his face hardened into a dark expression. His posture was rigid as if waiting for an attack, and you just knew he was scanning the apartment when the two of you cautiously entered. He seemed to be weighing up his options as he paused in the middle of your trashed living room, his left hand reaching for something inside his jacket and then stopping as if he’d changed his mind at the last second.

Your eyes worriedly searched for any signs of your cats, but there were none. Even their food and water bowls were missing, which was alarming. Had someone taken them? Were they somewhere in the building?

You experimentally tiptoed away from Connor to try and catch a glimpse inside your kitchen, but he glared at you (a first – and hopefully the last because, damn, that sent shivers down your spine), and you halted at his silent command. There was no way he was about to let you wander off on your own, even if you knew this place like the back of your hand.

He proceeded further into your apartment, entering a small hall that housed the main bedroom, your parent’s guest suite and the bathroom. Blood scraped along the walls this time, and it was clear they led to your room. The door was ajar, and you noticed with a sinking feeling in your stomach a few clumps of grey fur on the carpet.

You froze on the spot, your breaths coming out shakier when your ears finally picked up the sounds of crunching and squelching from inside – the tell-tale signs that the infected were nearby.

Connor pushed onward, crouching slightly as he nudged the door open fully. Crouched over your beloved pets was a lone infected woman, hands bloodied as she shovelled innards in her mouth. You couldn’t hold in the gasp that escaped your mouth at the gory sight, tears welling in your eyes.

Big mistake.

Her attention snapped up to you, and there was a split second before she completely bypassed Connor and hurled herself toward you. That awful, high-pitched shriek sounded so much louder inside your small hallway, leaving your ears ringing. The air left your lungs as you were tackled to the floor, very nearly knocking your head for the second time in two days.

Connor was quick to tear her away from you, hurling her back into the bedroom with a strength humans would struggle to match. His larger frame proceeded to block the doorway, preventing the frenzied monster from reaching you as she continued to howl.

“H-holy shit!” You uttered out of pure shock.

She was completely ignoring the android in front of her, her arms reaching around him in a failed attempt to take a swipe at you.

“She doesn’t see me!” Connor quickly confirmed your thoughts, grunting as he shoved her back again and shut the door behind him, leaving you to deal with the revelation alone.

Of course, she wouldn’t. Unlike you, he wasn’t made of flesh, warm blood and bone. He was made of hard plastic, long wires, and blue blood. He wasn’t the tasty meal here. You were - the human. It was easy to forget that when Connor was so human himself.

A muffled gunshot sounded from inside the room, and you jumped, taking a cautious step toward it. “C-Connor?” You called out, voice unbelievably shaky.

The door swung open again, and Connor surged forward, wrapping his long arms around you. You heard the door click shut but couldn’t find it in you to care as hot tears finally began to roll down your cheeks. A hand gently ran through your hair while the other maintained a firm grip on your back.

After what felt like hours, he pulled back and assessed your form. You shook your head to tell him you were fine, the words unable to audibly leave your mouth. He finally straightened up, eyes and LED flickering momentarily like they had when he’d communicated silently with Nines. Were they talking again?

“Is there anything you want from your room?” He asked, deep brown eyes searching your face. He still didn’t seem convinced you were okay. “It’s better if I get it for you.”

“Just s-some clothes… if you could. T-there’s uh…” you swallowed thickly, trying to compose yourself. “There’s a backpack near the bed. Just stuff whatever you think I'll need in there."

He moved to enter the room again, but you quickly grabbed his hand, shocking the both of you. His gaze landed on you again, inquisitive this time. “And please, if their collars are in there, could you…?” You trailed off, but he seemed to understand.

Tears continued to fall even after he’d retrieved your belongings, even after he led you back outside and helped you into the car, ignoring Nines probing stare and Hank’s questions of ‘what the fuck happened’ and ‘why’d you take so long.’ They only stopped when you fell into a restless nap, head resting atop Connor’s shoulder.

You would worry about their questions later.