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Chapter 7
[tt=Chớ bao giờ đi ngủ khi đang giận]Never go to bed angry[/tt]. [tt=Khiếp sợ thì OK]Terrified is okay[/tt].
Amanda [tt=đang ngủ trên ghế dài]was asleep on the couch[/tt] by the time I finished [tt=cắt khúc mớ thức ăn có thể giữ lâu]logging the non-perishable foods[/tt] and putting them into a couple of big boxes to take with us the next day.
Since I don’t cook very often, I’m sorry to say we [tt=chẳng mấy khi đụng đến cái bếp]didn’t have much of use in our cupboards[/tt]. There was [tt=vài món súp cũ, thanh kẹo Power, vài hộp cereal sô-cô-la cũ]some old soup, a few Power Bars, a really sad box of store brand chocolate cereal[/tt]. Oh, and Pop Tarts. Wonderful Pop Tarts in a variety pack I’d found [tt=hạ giá]on sale[/tt] a couple of weeks before.
[tt=Tôi hy vọng sẽ kiếm đc thêm chút gì đó ở nhà của Amanda và Jack khi ghé đó trên đường đi ra]I hoped that Amanda and Jack’s apartment would give us a little more booty when we stopped there on our way out[/tt], but after seeing [tt=tình trạng thảm thương]the sad state[/tt] of it [tt=hồi sáng]earlier in the day[/tt], I somehow [tt=e rằng mình đã hy vọng hão]doubted it[/tt]. In fact, I was starting to think I wouldn’t want anything they had.
Another box and [tt=ba lô]a backpack[/tt] sat by the door as I entered the main room. Those contained [tt=vũ khí dự phòng]our weapons cache[/tt] which now consisted of the guns, [tt=đạn]ammo[/tt], [tt=một cây dao phay lớn mà tôi thậm chí còn không biết là chúng tôi lại có nó]a big butcher cleaver I didn’t even know we owned[/tt], Dave’s [tt=gậy bóng chày]baseball bat[/tt] and my heavy [tt=đèn pin]flashlight[/tt]. [tt=Thêm một lần nữa, tôi ước rằng chúng tôi kiếm đc nhiều thứ hơn]Once again, I wished we had more[/tt]. [tt=Trong mấy phim zombie, người ta thường tìm thấy mấy dàn phóng tên lửa ở đâu thế nhỉ?]Where did people find their missile launchers in zombie movies anyway?[/tt]
[tt=dù vậy]Still[/tt], [tt=những thứ này cũng giúp chúng tôi đi tiếp]it would get us going[/tt] and I hoped [tt=chúng tôi sẽ tìm kiếm thêm dọc đường vậy]we’d find provisions along the road[/tt], [tt=hay thậm chí đến đc chỗ nào đó mà trận dịch này chưa bị lan tới]or even make it to someplace untouched by the outbreak[/tt] [tt=nơi mà chúng tôi có thể đến một cửa hàng để tiếp tế và chờ những chuyện này trôi qua]where we could just go to a store and resupply while we waited for all of this to blow over[/tt].
I walked to the couch and looked down at Amanda. She was a couple of years younger than me [tt=và ngay lúc này, trông cô ấy còn trẻ hơn nữa]and right now she looked even more than that[/tt]. [tt=trông như một cô bé mới mười mấy tuổi]Like a teenager[/tt] and [tt=theo một cách lạ lùng nào đó]in some twisted way[/tt] I’d become a twenty-seven-year-old Mom to her. [tt=May mắn cho tôi là cô bé không còn cần phải mang tã nữa]My only consolation was that she was out of the diaper phase.[/tt]
I grabbed [tt=chăn mền]a blanket[/tt] from the back of the other chair and [tt=đắp lên]spread it over[/tt] her. She didn’t [tt=tỉnh giấc]wake up[/tt], [tt=dù rằng cô bé có cựa mình rúc sâu vào tấm nệm ghế]though she did snuggle down deeper into the couch cushions.[/tt]
I [tt=lắc đầu]shook my head[/tt] as I [tt=quay đi]moved away[/tt] from her. I [tt=không hiểu nổi làm sao cô bé có thể làm thế]had no idea how she could do it[/tt]. I [tt=tin mình không thể ngủ đc đêm nay]doubted I’d be sleeping much tonight[/tt], [tt=chắc chắn là thế]that was for sure[/tt]. Not with zombies [tt=vẫn lảng vảng quanh đây trong khu nhà này]still roaming around the apartment complex[/tt]. But I [tt=nghĩ]guess[/tt] she [tt=bằng cách nào đó tin tưởng rằng]somehow trusted that[/tt] Dave and I [tt=lo liệu đc mọi chuyện... và lo cho cả cô bé]would take care of the situation… and her[/tt]. Which was [tt=đáng yêu một cách quái lạ]sweet in a really weird way.[/tt]
I walked into our bedroom to [tt=thấy rằng]find[/tt] Dave already [tt=chui vào chăn]under the covers[/tt]. The [tt=khẩu súng đã lên đạn]loaded rifle[/tt] was [tt=nhô lên]propped up[/tt] on his nightstand and I could see he had [tt=chuẩn bị sẵn vài đôi giày dễ xỏ vào]put some easily slipped on shoes at the ready[/tt], too. I did the same and put my shotgun [tt=trong tầm tay]within reach[/tt] before I got in beside him.
The smaller television we kept on the [tt=tủ áo]dresser[/tt] was on and he was watching [tt=đài nào đó]some channel[/tt]. This time it wasn’t CNN since we don’t get cable in the bedroom, but a [tt=đài địa phương]local affiliate[/tt] that had [tt=chiếu toàn các tin tức về cuộc khủng hoảng này]gone all news all the time in the crisis[/tt]. You know, “Zombie Watch, 2010.”
[tt=Một nữ xướng ngôn viên trông đầy vẻ hốt hoảng]A really freaked-out anchorwoman[/tt] with no makeup was sitting at the desk.
“Let me repeat that information again. Yes, [tt=Mạng điện thoại]the phone systems[/tt] in the Greater Seattle area [tt=đang ngừng hoạt động]are currently down[/tt]. And we’ve [tt=nhận đc báo cáo là hầu hết các cell phone cũng không thể hoạt động]had reports that most cell phones are also not getting service[/tt]. [tt=chính quyền tuyên bố họ không dính líu gì đến chuyện hệ thống viễn thông ngừng hoạt động]State and local governments have denied any involvement in the loss of telephone communications[/tt], [tt=và chuyện này có vẻ liên quan đến cuộc bùng phát đại dịch ở khu cao ốc địa phương sáng nay] and it may have to do with an outbreak of the plague at a local tower facility earlier in the day[/tt].”
I moaned. “Maybe it’s just [tt=mất sóng (điện thoại)]crappy reception.[/tt]”
“Told you to upgrade to a better system,” Dave said as he [tt=nghiêng người tới]leaned forward[/tt] and continued watching the small, fuzzy screen. “Can you hear me now?”
“Right now we can update you with [tt=vài số liệu kinh hoàng]some shocking numbers[/tt],” the [tt=xứng ngôn viên]anchor[/tt] continued. “The [tt=Trung tâm Kiểm soát Dịch bệnh]Centers for Disease Control[/tt] is telling us that [tt=dựa trên sự lan rộng của trận dịch]based on the aggressive spread of the outbreak[/tt], [tt=hàng triệu người có thể đã bị nhiễm cái mà những dân chúng gọi là zombie]up to a million residents could already be stricken with what people on the streets are calling zombieism.[/tt]”
“Ha,” Dave said in a flat tone and shot me a look. “[tt=Anh nói rồi mà. Anh gọi nó là vậy đúng không?]Told you so. Did I call it or what?[/tt]”
[tt=Em chắc rằng anh nghĩ ra nó đầu tiên, anh yêu]“I’m sure you thought of it first, dear,”[/tt] I said as I [tt=vỗ]patted[/tt] his arm.
“I’d like to go now to Dr. Emmett Elias, a University of Washington professor who [tt=làm việc ở phòng lab đc cho là nơi xuất phát trận dịch này]worked in the lab where the outbreak apparently started[/tt]. Joining us in the studio is Dr. Elias. Thank you [tt=vì đã dũng cảm lái xe băng ngang thành phố để đến đây]for braving the drive across town[/tt], sir.”
The camera [tt=zoom ra toàn cảnh]panned back[/tt], and sitting next to the woman at the [tt=bàn của người dẫn chương trình]anchor desk[/tt] was [tt=một người đàn ông mập hói mặc bộ đồ rất bẩn]a fat, balding man in a really bad suit[/tt]. Like beyond Men’s Warehouse. I did not like the way he looked.
“Thanks for having me, Karen,” he said with a [tt=đỏm dáng]smug[/tt] smile.
She [tt=nheo mắt]frowned[/tt] at him. “Dr. Elias, can you tell us exactly what your lab was studying [tt=mà đã gây nên hậu quả kinh hoàng cho thành phố hôm nay như chúng ta đã biết]that could have caused such a terrible outcome as we’ve seen in our city today?[/tt]”
The guy looked at her, [tt=ánh mắt sắc bén, đôi môi mím lại vì giận]his gaze sharp and his lips thin with anger[/tt]. “No, I’m afraid I’m [tt=không đc phép bàn về những gì chúng tôi đang đặc biệt nghiên cứu trong phòng lab]not authorized to discuss what we were specifically studying in the lab.[/tt]”
The reporter [tt=nhìn trừng trừng]stared at[/tt] him and Dave laughed. “She’s ready to [tt=nện, thoi]punch[/tt] the guy, [tt=xem cô ta đang mất bình tĩnh đến thế nào kìa]look how freaked out she is.[/tt]”
“I hope she does,” I said as I [tt=chăm chăm nhìn]glared at[/tt] the doctor. “[tt=tên khốn kiếp]Asshole[/tt] ruined my city and nearly got us all killed.”
“[tt=nguồn tin của chúng tôi cho biết]Sources have told us[/tt] that there may have been [tt=tài trợ của chính phủ trong cuộc nghiên cứu này]some government grants associated with the research,[/tt]” the reporter [tt=thúc ép]pressed[/tt]. “Was this some kind of government program? [tt=nghiên cứu đó thuộc phân ngành nào vậy?]What branch was it related to?[/tt]”
The researcher’s [tt=cặp mắt mọng nước nheo lại]beady eyes narrowed[/tt]. “Well, it is a [tt=trường công lập]state school[/tt], Miss Finch. Federal and state funding helps us provide many programs.”
“And do most of those programs lead to [tt=dân thường]everyday citizens[/tt] turning to [tt=những kẻ ăn thịt người]cannibals[/tt] [tt=xung quanh]all around[/tt] us?” the woman asked, her tone rising enough that it was clear she was as [tt=sắp sửa phát tiết]on edge[/tt] as anybody. “Do you know that I saw a five-year-old child eating a cop on the way to the studio tonight, Dr. Elias?”
There was some [tt=tiếng huýt sáo huyên náo]hustle and bustle[/tt] [tt=bên ngoài camera]off-camera[/tt] and the reporter blushed as she glanced at the screen. “I’m sorry. But [tt=hẳn ông cũng thấy]you must see[/tt] that people deserve to know more about what has caused this terrible outbreak that seems to be spreading at an [tt=thái quá]outrageous[/tt] rate.”
Dr. Elias looked at her, [tt=nghiêng đầu]tilting his head[/tt]. I [tt=cau mày]frowned[/tt]. The way he was moving reminded me of something.
“It’s quite all right, Miss Finch,” he said. “You have lovely hair.”
“He’s a zombie,” Dave [tt=thì thầm bên tai tôi]whispered from beside me[/tt].
I nodded because [tt=ngay giây phút vị tiến sĩ khen ngợi mái tóc của người dẫn chương trình]the second the doctor complimented the reporter on her hair[/tt], I realized that his [tt=những cử động giật giật kỳ quái]twitchy, weird movements[/tt] reminded me of the super in the hallway. Mr. Gonzales had also turned his head all weird as he looked at me and so had Dr. Kelly before she attacked in her office. All zombies reminded me of a dog in an alley or the freaking alien in the Alien franchise.
I think the reporter realized [tt=vị tiến sĩ là gì]what he was[/tt] [tt=cùng lúc ấy]at the same moment[/tt] because she let out a [tt=tiếng thét lạnh gáy]gut-curdling scream[/tt] and [tt=vội đẩy ghế ra xa khỏi chiếc bàn]pushed her rolling chair away from the desk[/tt]. But she wasn’t fast enough. The doctor [tt=nhào ngang qua]lunged across[/tt] the space between them and [tt=chụp]grabbed[/tt] her. He [tt=kéo cô ta lại gần rồi nhe răng cắn vào cổ cô ta]yanked her close and then his teeth sank deep into her neck[/tt].
Dave and I both [tt=ngồi phịch xuống, cùng la lên]lurched back with combined cries of[/tt], “Oh!”, like we were watching football or something. Red blood [tt=phọt ra xung quanh]spurted around[/tt] his black teeth from the wound, [tt=tung tóe khắp]spraying across[/tt] the desk. [tt=Vài giọt]A few little specks[/tt] even hit [tt=ống kính camera]the camera lens[/tt] so now we watched [tt=phần còn lại của trường đoạn kinh dị này xuyên qua vệt máu lờ mờ hoen đỏ]the rest of the horrifying scene through a slightly reddish haze of smeared blood.[/tt]
A whole bunch of people [tt=từ xung quanh chạy đến]came running from all directions[/tt]. See, [tt=trong những ngày này, mọi người vẫn chạy tới một cuộc tấn công như vậy]they still ran toward an attack in those days[/tt] [tt=bởi vì chúng ta quá bị sốc với những gì xảy ra xung quanh chúng ta]because we were all so shocked by what was happening around us[/tt]. I guess we [tt=tin rằng chúng ta có thể làm gì đó]figured we could do something[/tt]. We [tt=không nhận thức đc rằng chẳng có cách gì cứu giúp một người bị cắn, trừ khi bắn vỡ đầu người đó trước khi họ bị biến thành xác chết biết đi và mất hết ý thức về chính họ]hadn’t fully realized that wasn’t any way to help someone who was bitten except to blow their head off before they turned into the living dead and lost all control of who and what they were.[/tt]
A group of four men [tt=túm lấy vị tiến sĩ]grabbed for the doctor[/tt], [tt=kéo ông ta ra khỏi người dẫn chương trình đã tóa máu, la hét rùm trời]who was pulled off the bleeding, wailing reporter[/tt]. She lifted her hand to her neck and when she saw [tt=máu trên ngón tay]blood coat her fingers[/tt], her [tt=còn rú lên lớn hơn nữa]screams grew even louder[/tt]. [tt=vị tiến sĩ zombie, cả vì tài nghệ tạo ra zombie và vì chính ông ta hiện cũng là zombie]The zombie doctor, both in that he created zombies and now was one himself[/tt], [tt=gầm gừ, nhe răng táp những người đang khống chế ông ta]groaned and smashed his teeth at his captors.[/tt] His higher brain function was clearly gone now and he [tt=giẫy dụa]thrashed about[/tt] like a [tt=con thú bị mắc bẫy]trapped animal[/tt].
Someone grabbed [tt=cây micro lớn trên bục]the boom mike from the stand above[/tt] and [tt=bắt đầu nện hắn cho đến khi vị tiến sĩ và những người đang giữ ông ta lăn quay ra sau cái bàn, thoát khỏi khung hình]starting hitting him until the doctor and the crew who held him slipped off frame behind the desk[/tt]. The only thing we heard were [tt=tiếng gầm gừ]growls[/tt] and the only thing we saw [tt=trong một phút hay hơn]for a minute or even more[/tt] was the [tt=cánh tay của người cầm micro giơ lên và nện xuống]crewman’s hand as it lifted up and then slammed down[/tt] behind the desk. [tt=mỗi một nhát nện, cây micro càng trở nên đẫm máu tởm lợm hơn]With each smashing blow the mike came up more bloodied and gruesome.[/tt]
The reporter [tt=nằm dài ngang]lay across[/tt] the desk now, [tt=dưới đầu cô ta là cả một vũng máu]blood pooling under her head[/tt] as she [tt=rên rỉ]whimpered softly[/tt]. But I [tt=đã sớm biết]already could tell[/tt] she was [tt=bắt đầu biến đổi]starting to transition[/tt]. Her posture went from weak to something more ready. And when she lifted her head, her eyes had a [tt=ửng đỏ]red glow[/tt] that had nothing to do with the [tt=ống kính camera vấy máu]bloody camera viewfinder[/tt].
“Oh no,” I whispered. “Those poor people.”
Sure enough, she [tt=quay qua nhóm người vừa cố tìm cách cứu cô ta]turned toward the group of men who had just tried to save her[/tt]. With [tt=nhoẻn cười điên loạn]a crazy grin[/tt], she [tt=ré lên trong họng nhảy vào giữa đám người đó]dove down amongst them with a guttural scream[/tt] and then the screen went white with just the words, “We are experiencing technical difficulties. [tt=Xin chờ chút]Please stand by[/tt].”
Dave [tt=quyết định không làm theo những chỉ dẫn rõ ràng trên màn ảnh]opted not to follow the neatly printed directions on the screen[/tt] and instead [tt=tắt TV]clicked the TV off[/tt]. We sat in silence for a long time, staring at the black screen. Finally, I rolled over on my side to face him.
“[tt=Tình hình đang trở nên tồi tệ hơn]It’s getting worse[/tt],” I said after the silence had [tt=duỗi người]stretched out[/tt] a long time.
“It seems to be,” he agreed.
“If [tt=chỉ trong 24h đã có hơn 1 triệu người bị nhiễm]there are a million infected in less than twenty-four hours[/tt],” I continued, “[tt=thì vào cuối ngày mai, phân nửa thành phố hoặc hơn sẽ chung số phận]by the end of tomorrow half the city or more will be gone[/tt]. So is the plan the same?”
He thought for a moment and then nodded slowly. “With the telephones out, the power is probably next, and I’d rather not be in the city when they shut her down completely. I think [tt=cả thành phố sẽ trở nên hoảng loạn]it’s going to be mass hysteria[/tt].”
“[tt=Dù sao đi nữa, thành phố này cũng chẳng hay ho gì]It’s a crappy neighborhood anyway[/tt],” I said. “[tt=Ngoài việc bị trộm cướp và zombie, cũng chẳng tốt lành gì nếu chúng ta ở lại]Between the thugs and the zombies, we’d be fucked if we stayed[/tt].”
He [tt=nhún vai]shrugged[/tt]. “I say we [tt=thức dậy sớm]get up early[/tt] and [tt=bắt đầu đi ngay khi đèn tắt (trời sáng?)]get moving as soon as it’s light out[/tt]. My sister lives what… a hundred and thirty miles south in Longview? Maybe that will be far enough away. And without traffic to slow us down, we might even make it there in less than two hours.”
I [tt=thở dài]groaned[/tt] as I [tt=buông thõng ngã người vào gối, thất vọng hãi hùng]flopped back on the pillows in dread and frustration[/tt]. “Gina? You want to run to Gina in a crisis?”
There was a long pause as Dave clenched his teeth. Finally, he asked, “Why not?”
I looked up at him. “Um, she [tt=cực kỳ ghét em là một lý do]fucking hates me for one[/tt].”
“[tt=Anh luôn cho rằng em cũng ghét she như vậy]I always figured the feeling was mutual[/tt],” he said, [tt=nhướn mày]his eyebrows lifting[/tt]. “Come on, admit it, you [tt=chưa bao giờ cố cảm thông]never really tried[/tt] with her.”
I [tt=khoanh tay]folded my arms[/tt]. Okay, so I’ll tell you something I [tt=thừa nhận điều đó]never would have admitted to him[/tt]. He was right (again, that asshole). I hadn’t ever really tried with Gina.
She was only five years older than us, but acted like a mother. A really boring, plaid-wearing mother. And she [tt=yêu chiều Dave]doted on David[/tt]. Nothing he could do was wrong, which meant everything I did was. When we were with her, he acted like her little brother, not my husband. And he [tt=bênh vực]deferred to[/tt] her, never taking my side if we disagreed.
I hated visiting her.
“Okay, how about this, which is worse,” he asked. “Zombies or Gina?”
I hesitated too long, I guess, because he grabbed the pillow behind him and [tt=tát nhẹ]swatted[/tt] me with it playfully. I laughed as I [tt=đẩy anh ta ra xa]fended him off[/tt].
“Okay, okay, zombies are worse,” I admitted. “But just barely.”
He pushed the pillow behind his neck but remained lying on his side looking down at me. As I stared up at him, I realized we hadn’t been so close in bed for a long time. I’d forgotten how nice it was. And he smelled good since we had tossed Jack out the window earlier in the evening and taken showers to clean up.
“Thanks,” he said softly. He [tt=đưa tay hất nhẹ vài cọng tóc ước vương trên má tôi]reached down and brushed a little damp hair off my cheek[/tt]. “I know you hate going down there. I think [tt=anh hiểu điều đó]I even get it[/tt], [tt=dù rằng anh luôn mong em sẽ yêu mến gia đình anh]though I wish you liked my family[/tt]. But I have to see if she’s okay, at least.”
I nodded. Okay, so I got that. I wondered about my family, too, but Gina [tt=gần nhất]was closest[/tt].
“This is going to be really dangerous, isn’t it?” I asked, my voice soft in the dark.
He didn’t answer for a long time, but finally he nodded slowly.
“We might die,” I continued.
He nodded again, his gaze never leaving my face.
I [tt=vươn tay ôm gáy, kéo đầu anh xuống]reached up and cupped the back of his head and drew him down toward me.[/tt]
“Well, I guess [tt=chúng ta tốt nhất nên đi ra trong tiếng súng - bắn phá xông pha]we better go out with a bang[/tt].”
He smiled before he dropped his mouth to mine and kissed me.
[tt=Chớ bao giờ đi ngủ khi đang giận]Never go to bed angry[/tt]. [tt=Khiếp sợ thì OK]Terrified is okay[/tt].
Amanda [tt=đang ngủ trên ghế dài]was asleep on the couch[/tt] by the time I finished [tt=cắt khúc mớ thức ăn có thể giữ lâu]logging the non-perishable foods[/tt] and putting them into a couple of big boxes to take with us the next day.
Since I don’t cook very often, I’m sorry to say we [tt=chẳng mấy khi đụng đến cái bếp]didn’t have much of use in our cupboards[/tt]. There was [tt=vài món súp cũ, thanh kẹo Power, vài hộp cereal sô-cô-la cũ]some old soup, a few Power Bars, a really sad box of store brand chocolate cereal[/tt]. Oh, and Pop Tarts. Wonderful Pop Tarts in a variety pack I’d found [tt=hạ giá]on sale[/tt] a couple of weeks before.
[tt=Tôi hy vọng sẽ kiếm đc thêm chút gì đó ở nhà của Amanda và Jack khi ghé đó trên đường đi ra]I hoped that Amanda and Jack’s apartment would give us a little more booty when we stopped there on our way out[/tt], but after seeing [tt=tình trạng thảm thương]the sad state[/tt] of it [tt=hồi sáng]earlier in the day[/tt], I somehow [tt=e rằng mình đã hy vọng hão]doubted it[/tt]. In fact, I was starting to think I wouldn’t want anything they had.
Another box and [tt=ba lô]a backpack[/tt] sat by the door as I entered the main room. Those contained [tt=vũ khí dự phòng]our weapons cache[/tt] which now consisted of the guns, [tt=đạn]ammo[/tt], [tt=một cây dao phay lớn mà tôi thậm chí còn không biết là chúng tôi lại có nó]a big butcher cleaver I didn’t even know we owned[/tt], Dave’s [tt=gậy bóng chày]baseball bat[/tt] and my heavy [tt=đèn pin]flashlight[/tt]. [tt=Thêm một lần nữa, tôi ước rằng chúng tôi kiếm đc nhiều thứ hơn]Once again, I wished we had more[/tt]. [tt=Trong mấy phim zombie, người ta thường tìm thấy mấy dàn phóng tên lửa ở đâu thế nhỉ?]Where did people find their missile launchers in zombie movies anyway?[/tt]
[tt=dù vậy]Still[/tt], [tt=những thứ này cũng giúp chúng tôi đi tiếp]it would get us going[/tt] and I hoped [tt=chúng tôi sẽ tìm kiếm thêm dọc đường vậy]we’d find provisions along the road[/tt], [tt=hay thậm chí đến đc chỗ nào đó mà trận dịch này chưa bị lan tới]or even make it to someplace untouched by the outbreak[/tt] [tt=nơi mà chúng tôi có thể đến một cửa hàng để tiếp tế và chờ những chuyện này trôi qua]where we could just go to a store and resupply while we waited for all of this to blow over[/tt].
I walked to the couch and looked down at Amanda. She was a couple of years younger than me [tt=và ngay lúc này, trông cô ấy còn trẻ hơn nữa]and right now she looked even more than that[/tt]. [tt=trông như một cô bé mới mười mấy tuổi]Like a teenager[/tt] and [tt=theo một cách lạ lùng nào đó]in some twisted way[/tt] I’d become a twenty-seven-year-old Mom to her. [tt=May mắn cho tôi là cô bé không còn cần phải mang tã nữa]My only consolation was that she was out of the diaper phase.[/tt]
I grabbed [tt=chăn mền]a blanket[/tt] from the back of the other chair and [tt=đắp lên]spread it over[/tt] her. She didn’t [tt=tỉnh giấc]wake up[/tt], [tt=dù rằng cô bé có cựa mình rúc sâu vào tấm nệm ghế]though she did snuggle down deeper into the couch cushions.[/tt]
I [tt=lắc đầu]shook my head[/tt] as I [tt=quay đi]moved away[/tt] from her. I [tt=không hiểu nổi làm sao cô bé có thể làm thế]had no idea how she could do it[/tt]. I [tt=tin mình không thể ngủ đc đêm nay]doubted I’d be sleeping much tonight[/tt], [tt=chắc chắn là thế]that was for sure[/tt]. Not with zombies [tt=vẫn lảng vảng quanh đây trong khu nhà này]still roaming around the apartment complex[/tt]. But I [tt=nghĩ]guess[/tt] she [tt=bằng cách nào đó tin tưởng rằng]somehow trusted that[/tt] Dave and I [tt=lo liệu đc mọi chuyện... và lo cho cả cô bé]would take care of the situation… and her[/tt]. Which was [tt=đáng yêu một cách quái lạ]sweet in a really weird way.[/tt]
I walked into our bedroom to [tt=thấy rằng]find[/tt] Dave already [tt=chui vào chăn]under the covers[/tt]. The [tt=khẩu súng đã lên đạn]loaded rifle[/tt] was [tt=nhô lên]propped up[/tt] on his nightstand and I could see he had [tt=chuẩn bị sẵn vài đôi giày dễ xỏ vào]put some easily slipped on shoes at the ready[/tt], too. I did the same and put my shotgun [tt=trong tầm tay]within reach[/tt] before I got in beside him.
The smaller television we kept on the [tt=tủ áo]dresser[/tt] was on and he was watching [tt=đài nào đó]some channel[/tt]. This time it wasn’t CNN since we don’t get cable in the bedroom, but a [tt=đài địa phương]local affiliate[/tt] that had [tt=chiếu toàn các tin tức về cuộc khủng hoảng này]gone all news all the time in the crisis[/tt]. You know, “Zombie Watch, 2010.”
[tt=Một nữ xướng ngôn viên trông đầy vẻ hốt hoảng]A really freaked-out anchorwoman[/tt] with no makeup was sitting at the desk.
“Let me repeat that information again. Yes, [tt=Mạng điện thoại]the phone systems[/tt] in the Greater Seattle area [tt=đang ngừng hoạt động]are currently down[/tt]. And we’ve [tt=nhận đc báo cáo là hầu hết các cell phone cũng không thể hoạt động]had reports that most cell phones are also not getting service[/tt]. [tt=chính quyền tuyên bố họ không dính líu gì đến chuyện hệ thống viễn thông ngừng hoạt động]State and local governments have denied any involvement in the loss of telephone communications[/tt], [tt=và chuyện này có vẻ liên quan đến cuộc bùng phát đại dịch ở khu cao ốc địa phương sáng nay] and it may have to do with an outbreak of the plague at a local tower facility earlier in the day[/tt].”
I moaned. “Maybe it’s just [tt=mất sóng (điện thoại)]crappy reception.[/tt]”
“Told you to upgrade to a better system,” Dave said as he [tt=nghiêng người tới]leaned forward[/tt] and continued watching the small, fuzzy screen. “Can you hear me now?”
“Right now we can update you with [tt=vài số liệu kinh hoàng]some shocking numbers[/tt],” the [tt=xứng ngôn viên]anchor[/tt] continued. “The [tt=Trung tâm Kiểm soát Dịch bệnh]Centers for Disease Control[/tt] is telling us that [tt=dựa trên sự lan rộng của trận dịch]based on the aggressive spread of the outbreak[/tt], [tt=hàng triệu người có thể đã bị nhiễm cái mà những dân chúng gọi là zombie]up to a million residents could already be stricken with what people on the streets are calling zombieism.[/tt]”
“Ha,” Dave said in a flat tone and shot me a look. “[tt=Anh nói rồi mà. Anh gọi nó là vậy đúng không?]Told you so. Did I call it or what?[/tt]”
[tt=Em chắc rằng anh nghĩ ra nó đầu tiên, anh yêu]“I’m sure you thought of it first, dear,”[/tt] I said as I [tt=vỗ]patted[/tt] his arm.
“I’d like to go now to Dr. Emmett Elias, a University of Washington professor who [tt=làm việc ở phòng lab đc cho là nơi xuất phát trận dịch này]worked in the lab where the outbreak apparently started[/tt]. Joining us in the studio is Dr. Elias. Thank you [tt=vì đã dũng cảm lái xe băng ngang thành phố để đến đây]for braving the drive across town[/tt], sir.”
The camera [tt=zoom ra toàn cảnh]panned back[/tt], and sitting next to the woman at the [tt=bàn của người dẫn chương trình]anchor desk[/tt] was [tt=một người đàn ông mập hói mặc bộ đồ rất bẩn]a fat, balding man in a really bad suit[/tt]. Like beyond Men’s Warehouse. I did not like the way he looked.
“Thanks for having me, Karen,” he said with a [tt=đỏm dáng]smug[/tt] smile.
She [tt=nheo mắt]frowned[/tt] at him. “Dr. Elias, can you tell us exactly what your lab was studying [tt=mà đã gây nên hậu quả kinh hoàng cho thành phố hôm nay như chúng ta đã biết]that could have caused such a terrible outcome as we’ve seen in our city today?[/tt]”
The guy looked at her, [tt=ánh mắt sắc bén, đôi môi mím lại vì giận]his gaze sharp and his lips thin with anger[/tt]. “No, I’m afraid I’m [tt=không đc phép bàn về những gì chúng tôi đang đặc biệt nghiên cứu trong phòng lab]not authorized to discuss what we were specifically studying in the lab.[/tt]”
The reporter [tt=nhìn trừng trừng]stared at[/tt] him and Dave laughed. “She’s ready to [tt=nện, thoi]punch[/tt] the guy, [tt=xem cô ta đang mất bình tĩnh đến thế nào kìa]look how freaked out she is.[/tt]”
“I hope she does,” I said as I [tt=chăm chăm nhìn]glared at[/tt] the doctor. “[tt=tên khốn kiếp]Asshole[/tt] ruined my city and nearly got us all killed.”
“[tt=nguồn tin của chúng tôi cho biết]Sources have told us[/tt] that there may have been [tt=tài trợ của chính phủ trong cuộc nghiên cứu này]some government grants associated with the research,[/tt]” the reporter [tt=thúc ép]pressed[/tt]. “Was this some kind of government program? [tt=nghiên cứu đó thuộc phân ngành nào vậy?]What branch was it related to?[/tt]”
The researcher’s [tt=cặp mắt mọng nước nheo lại]beady eyes narrowed[/tt]. “Well, it is a [tt=trường công lập]state school[/tt], Miss Finch. Federal and state funding helps us provide many programs.”
“And do most of those programs lead to [tt=dân thường]everyday citizens[/tt] turning to [tt=những kẻ ăn thịt người]cannibals[/tt] [tt=xung quanh]all around[/tt] us?” the woman asked, her tone rising enough that it was clear she was as [tt=sắp sửa phát tiết]on edge[/tt] as anybody. “Do you know that I saw a five-year-old child eating a cop on the way to the studio tonight, Dr. Elias?”
There was some [tt=tiếng huýt sáo huyên náo]hustle and bustle[/tt] [tt=bên ngoài camera]off-camera[/tt] and the reporter blushed as she glanced at the screen. “I’m sorry. But [tt=hẳn ông cũng thấy]you must see[/tt] that people deserve to know more about what has caused this terrible outbreak that seems to be spreading at an [tt=thái quá]outrageous[/tt] rate.”
Dr. Elias looked at her, [tt=nghiêng đầu]tilting his head[/tt]. I [tt=cau mày]frowned[/tt]. The way he was moving reminded me of something.
“It’s quite all right, Miss Finch,” he said. “You have lovely hair.”
“He’s a zombie,” Dave [tt=thì thầm bên tai tôi]whispered from beside me[/tt].
I nodded because [tt=ngay giây phút vị tiến sĩ khen ngợi mái tóc của người dẫn chương trình]the second the doctor complimented the reporter on her hair[/tt], I realized that his [tt=những cử động giật giật kỳ quái]twitchy, weird movements[/tt] reminded me of the super in the hallway. Mr. Gonzales had also turned his head all weird as he looked at me and so had Dr. Kelly before she attacked in her office. All zombies reminded me of a dog in an alley or the freaking alien in the Alien franchise.
I think the reporter realized [tt=vị tiến sĩ là gì]what he was[/tt] [tt=cùng lúc ấy]at the same moment[/tt] because she let out a [tt=tiếng thét lạnh gáy]gut-curdling scream[/tt] and [tt=vội đẩy ghế ra xa khỏi chiếc bàn]pushed her rolling chair away from the desk[/tt]. But she wasn’t fast enough. The doctor [tt=nhào ngang qua]lunged across[/tt] the space between them and [tt=chụp]grabbed[/tt] her. He [tt=kéo cô ta lại gần rồi nhe răng cắn vào cổ cô ta]yanked her close and then his teeth sank deep into her neck[/tt].
Dave and I both [tt=ngồi phịch xuống, cùng la lên]lurched back with combined cries of[/tt], “Oh!”, like we were watching football or something. Red blood [tt=phọt ra xung quanh]spurted around[/tt] his black teeth from the wound, [tt=tung tóe khắp]spraying across[/tt] the desk. [tt=Vài giọt]A few little specks[/tt] even hit [tt=ống kính camera]the camera lens[/tt] so now we watched [tt=phần còn lại của trường đoạn kinh dị này xuyên qua vệt máu lờ mờ hoen đỏ]the rest of the horrifying scene through a slightly reddish haze of smeared blood.[/tt]
A whole bunch of people [tt=từ xung quanh chạy đến]came running from all directions[/tt]. See, [tt=trong những ngày này, mọi người vẫn chạy tới một cuộc tấn công như vậy]they still ran toward an attack in those days[/tt] [tt=bởi vì chúng ta quá bị sốc với những gì xảy ra xung quanh chúng ta]because we were all so shocked by what was happening around us[/tt]. I guess we [tt=tin rằng chúng ta có thể làm gì đó]figured we could do something[/tt]. We [tt=không nhận thức đc rằng chẳng có cách gì cứu giúp một người bị cắn, trừ khi bắn vỡ đầu người đó trước khi họ bị biến thành xác chết biết đi và mất hết ý thức về chính họ]hadn’t fully realized that wasn’t any way to help someone who was bitten except to blow their head off before they turned into the living dead and lost all control of who and what they were.[/tt]
A group of four men [tt=túm lấy vị tiến sĩ]grabbed for the doctor[/tt], [tt=kéo ông ta ra khỏi người dẫn chương trình đã tóa máu, la hét rùm trời]who was pulled off the bleeding, wailing reporter[/tt]. She lifted her hand to her neck and when she saw [tt=máu trên ngón tay]blood coat her fingers[/tt], her [tt=còn rú lên lớn hơn nữa]screams grew even louder[/tt]. [tt=vị tiến sĩ zombie, cả vì tài nghệ tạo ra zombie và vì chính ông ta hiện cũng là zombie]The zombie doctor, both in that he created zombies and now was one himself[/tt], [tt=gầm gừ, nhe răng táp những người đang khống chế ông ta]groaned and smashed his teeth at his captors.[/tt] His higher brain function was clearly gone now and he [tt=giẫy dụa]thrashed about[/tt] like a [tt=con thú bị mắc bẫy]trapped animal[/tt].
Someone grabbed [tt=cây micro lớn trên bục]the boom mike from the stand above[/tt] and [tt=bắt đầu nện hắn cho đến khi vị tiến sĩ và những người đang giữ ông ta lăn quay ra sau cái bàn, thoát khỏi khung hình]starting hitting him until the doctor and the crew who held him slipped off frame behind the desk[/tt]. The only thing we heard were [tt=tiếng gầm gừ]growls[/tt] and the only thing we saw [tt=trong một phút hay hơn]for a minute or even more[/tt] was the [tt=cánh tay của người cầm micro giơ lên và nện xuống]crewman’s hand as it lifted up and then slammed down[/tt] behind the desk. [tt=mỗi một nhát nện, cây micro càng trở nên đẫm máu tởm lợm hơn]With each smashing blow the mike came up more bloodied and gruesome.[/tt]
The reporter [tt=nằm dài ngang]lay across[/tt] the desk now, [tt=dưới đầu cô ta là cả một vũng máu]blood pooling under her head[/tt] as she [tt=rên rỉ]whimpered softly[/tt]. But I [tt=đã sớm biết]already could tell[/tt] she was [tt=bắt đầu biến đổi]starting to transition[/tt]. Her posture went from weak to something more ready. And when she lifted her head, her eyes had a [tt=ửng đỏ]red glow[/tt] that had nothing to do with the [tt=ống kính camera vấy máu]bloody camera viewfinder[/tt].
“Oh no,” I whispered. “Those poor people.”
Sure enough, she [tt=quay qua nhóm người vừa cố tìm cách cứu cô ta]turned toward the group of men who had just tried to save her[/tt]. With [tt=nhoẻn cười điên loạn]a crazy grin[/tt], she [tt=ré lên trong họng nhảy vào giữa đám người đó]dove down amongst them with a guttural scream[/tt] and then the screen went white with just the words, “We are experiencing technical difficulties. [tt=Xin chờ chút]Please stand by[/tt].”
Dave [tt=quyết định không làm theo những chỉ dẫn rõ ràng trên màn ảnh]opted not to follow the neatly printed directions on the screen[/tt] and instead [tt=tắt TV]clicked the TV off[/tt]. We sat in silence for a long time, staring at the black screen. Finally, I rolled over on my side to face him.
“[tt=Tình hình đang trở nên tồi tệ hơn]It’s getting worse[/tt],” I said after the silence had [tt=duỗi người]stretched out[/tt] a long time.
“It seems to be,” he agreed.
“If [tt=chỉ trong 24h đã có hơn 1 triệu người bị nhiễm]there are a million infected in less than twenty-four hours[/tt],” I continued, “[tt=thì vào cuối ngày mai, phân nửa thành phố hoặc hơn sẽ chung số phận]by the end of tomorrow half the city or more will be gone[/tt]. So is the plan the same?”
He thought for a moment and then nodded slowly. “With the telephones out, the power is probably next, and I’d rather not be in the city when they shut her down completely. I think [tt=cả thành phố sẽ trở nên hoảng loạn]it’s going to be mass hysteria[/tt].”
“[tt=Dù sao đi nữa, thành phố này cũng chẳng hay ho gì]It’s a crappy neighborhood anyway[/tt],” I said. “[tt=Ngoài việc bị trộm cướp và zombie, cũng chẳng tốt lành gì nếu chúng ta ở lại]Between the thugs and the zombies, we’d be fucked if we stayed[/tt].”
He [tt=nhún vai]shrugged[/tt]. “I say we [tt=thức dậy sớm]get up early[/tt] and [tt=bắt đầu đi ngay khi đèn tắt (trời sáng?)]get moving as soon as it’s light out[/tt]. My sister lives what… a hundred and thirty miles south in Longview? Maybe that will be far enough away. And without traffic to slow us down, we might even make it there in less than two hours.”
I [tt=thở dài]groaned[/tt] as I [tt=buông thõng ngã người vào gối, thất vọng hãi hùng]flopped back on the pillows in dread and frustration[/tt]. “Gina? You want to run to Gina in a crisis?”
There was a long pause as Dave clenched his teeth. Finally, he asked, “Why not?”
I looked up at him. “Um, she [tt=cực kỳ ghét em là một lý do]fucking hates me for one[/tt].”
“[tt=Anh luôn cho rằng em cũng ghét she như vậy]I always figured the feeling was mutual[/tt],” he said, [tt=nhướn mày]his eyebrows lifting[/tt]. “Come on, admit it, you [tt=chưa bao giờ cố cảm thông]never really tried[/tt] with her.”
I [tt=khoanh tay]folded my arms[/tt]. Okay, so I’ll tell you something I [tt=thừa nhận điều đó]never would have admitted to him[/tt]. He was right (again, that asshole). I hadn’t ever really tried with Gina.
She was only five years older than us, but acted like a mother. A really boring, plaid-wearing mother. And she [tt=yêu chiều Dave]doted on David[/tt]. Nothing he could do was wrong, which meant everything I did was. When we were with her, he acted like her little brother, not my husband. And he [tt=bênh vực]deferred to[/tt] her, never taking my side if we disagreed.
I hated visiting her.
“Okay, how about this, which is worse,” he asked. “Zombies or Gina?”
I hesitated too long, I guess, because he grabbed the pillow behind him and [tt=tát nhẹ]swatted[/tt] me with it playfully. I laughed as I [tt=đẩy anh ta ra xa]fended him off[/tt].
“Okay, okay, zombies are worse,” I admitted. “But just barely.”
He pushed the pillow behind his neck but remained lying on his side looking down at me. As I stared up at him, I realized we hadn’t been so close in bed for a long time. I’d forgotten how nice it was. And he smelled good since we had tossed Jack out the window earlier in the evening and taken showers to clean up.
“Thanks,” he said softly. He [tt=đưa tay hất nhẹ vài cọng tóc ước vương trên má tôi]reached down and brushed a little damp hair off my cheek[/tt]. “I know you hate going down there. I think [tt=anh hiểu điều đó]I even get it[/tt], [tt=dù rằng anh luôn mong em sẽ yêu mến gia đình anh]though I wish you liked my family[/tt]. But I have to see if she’s okay, at least.”
I nodded. Okay, so I got that. I wondered about my family, too, but Gina [tt=gần nhất]was closest[/tt].
“This is going to be really dangerous, isn’t it?” I asked, my voice soft in the dark.
He didn’t answer for a long time, but finally he nodded slowly.
“We might die,” I continued.
He nodded again, his gaze never leaving my face.
I [tt=vươn tay ôm gáy, kéo đầu anh xuống]reached up and cupped the back of his head and drew him down toward me.[/tt]
“Well, I guess [tt=chúng ta tốt nhất nên đi ra trong tiếng súng - bắn phá xông pha]we better go out with a bang[/tt].”
He smiled before he dropped his mouth to mine and kissed me.
