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My face felt ready to break from the confused expression. “There was more than one?”
“That area has known many wars,” Pierce said with way too much delight. He leaned down and placed his hands on the arms of my chair. “As does any country with a long history. Gojoseon was Korea’s first kingdom, founded in 2333 B.C. by Dangun Wanggeom. Gojoseon lasted for many many centuries, until Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty invaded. It fell after a year of war and disintegrated into fiefdoms and confederacies which later came together to form new kingdoms and wage new wars.”
“I assume you’re telling me this for a reason,” I snapped then fought the urge to shrink away as he brought his face close to
mine.
“Kang’s parents died when Emperor Wudi’s forces invaded,” he intoned, “. . . in the year 109 beeee ceeee.”
I gulped. Kang is over two thousand years old? Holy fucking shit.
Pierce straightened and cast a mocking glance at Kang’s still form. “He’s a bit older than seventy, I’d say.”
“How old are you?” I blurted.
He slid a look to me. “I was born in the Emirate of Cordoba. I don’t know my exact birth year, but my best estimate is somewhere around the Year of Our Lord 760.” His mouth crooked. “I was an old man of perhaps four decades when Kang turned me.”
He pivoted and strode to the door, leaving on a perfect dramatic note.
Until I ruined it. “Hang on, Pierce. Something doesn’t make sense.”
Pierce stopped, then slowly turned back to me, a thin smile on his face and annoyance in his eyes. “Yes, Angel?”
I stood and folded my arms over my chest in a mock-Pierce pose. “If Kang is so old, then he has the mature zombie super senses, right?”
His head dipped a couple of millimeters. “Kang is indeed a mature zombie.”
“Then how did Ed Quinn get the jump on him to chop his head off? Kang would’ve smelled him coming and known he was up to no good.” A rush of exultation flooded me. “That’s what you want to know, isn’t it! You want to ask him how Ed managed it so you can defend against it!”
The amusement returned to Pierce’s eyes. “Kang was tranqed first, just enough to dull his senses.”
My exultation popped like a soap bubble. “Oh.”
His smile widened. “I’d wondered the same thing, so I asked Quinn.”
“Right.” I fought back a scowl. Of course he would ask Ed. Want to know how someone was murdered? Ask the murderer.
“He informed me Kang was staggering down the corridor and didn’t hear him come in.” Pierce looked positively elated as he stomped my theory into dust. “Quinn thought he was drunk. I knew that wasn’t possible and believed a tranq was to blame. Dr. Nikas confirmed my hunch by finding traces of zombie tranquilizer compound in Kang’s neck tissues.”
“You’re enjoying this way too much,” I said sourly. “But that’s cool. I’ll let you have this one. Still, if Ed didn’t tranq him, who did?”
Pierce’s smile spread into a grin. “My guess is Kristi Charish. That woman is devilishly clever.”
I snatched up the book of poetry. “I swear to god, I will bean you right in the head if you don’t stop gloating.”
Whistling “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” he turned and strolled down the hall.
I stuck my head out the door. “Y’know, you could just tell me what the hell you need from Kang.”
Still whistling, he lifted his right hand to give me the finger, keeping it raised until he turned the corner.
I chuckled despite myself then glanced at Kang. “And he has the balls to call you an asshole? Then again, you made me believe you were only seventy. Guess it takes one to know one.” I returned to the bed and leaned close. “Y’know, Kang . . . whatever it is he wants to know, just think how much it would piss him off if you told me first.”
No reaction. Not the slightest blip on the monitor. Damn it.
“All right. Be stubborn. But I’ll be back.” I watched him for a few more seconds then left, locking the door behind me.
Chapter 6
