Quotes from Patient Zero

“I’m not sure I could trust a man who would bypass an Oreo in favor of vanilla wafers. It’s a fundamental character flaw, possibly a sign of true evil.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week, then there's either something wrong with your skills or something wrong with your world.
And there's nothing wrong with my skills.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“I don’t want to kill you and you don’t want to be dead.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“There were more of them out there. More walkers. And I was being asked to step up and be... what? Some kind of Captain Heroism who would lead the boys in the Red, White, and Blue to victory? What was I getting myself into? This wasn't task force duty, this wasn't even SWAT-team level. I'd never even smelled anything this big before and now I was expected to train and lead a black ops team? How frigging insane was this? Why were they asking me? I'm just a cop. Where are the guys who actually do this for a living? How come none of them were here? Where's James Bond and Jack Bauer? Why me, of all people?”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“...as of this moment there's the police department way, the federal law enforcement way, the military way... and my way. If you want me to function at my best then you're going to have to accept that I'm going to have to make up some of my own rules. I don't know enough about your playbook and, quite frankly, I don't like the way you operate. If I'm not a cop anymore then I'm something else, something new. Okay, then from here on out I'll decide what that is; and that includes building, shaping, and leading my team. My team, my rules.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“I did not and do not want my life tied up in cloak-and-dagger bullshit, dead guys, or pissing contests with either the testosterone crowd in there or some prissy-assed Earl Grey-drinking, scone-munching major who isn't even my freaking boss. I don't know you and I don't give a rat's ass if you trust me.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“There are also several notes in your file suggesting that you are a world-class smartass.” “Really? You mean I made it through the nationals?” “And you apparently think you’re hilarious.” “You’re saying I’m not?”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer. –RALPH WALDO EMERSON”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“-Estan marcados- dije-. Esto es de lo que tú hablabas. Sus rostros, sus miradas. Eso nunca va a desaparecer. La violencia siempre deja marca”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“Then this other guy, the thirteenth guy, comes crashing right into me. Even with all that was going on I thought, Drug addict. He was pale and sweaty, stank like raw sewage, and had a glazed bug-eyed stare. Sick bastard even tried to bite me, but”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“[Therapist and friend, with a voice like Raul Julia during his Gomez Adam’s days] Rudy studied my face, “I have a two o’clock open on Tuesday.”
I sighed, “Yeah, ok. Tuesday at two.”
He nodded, pleased. “Bring Starbucks.”
“Sure, what do you want?”
“My usual. Iced half-caf ristretto quad grade two-pump raspberry two percent no whip light ice with caramel drizzle three-and-a-half-pump white mocha.”
“Is any of that actually coffee?”
“More or less.”
“And you think I’m damaged …”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“I’d put two .45 slugs in him from fifteen feet. Pretty much does the trick. If it doesn’t then your only logical ammunition upgrade is Kryptonite. But”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“I’m self-aware enough to know that I have a somewhat fractured personality. Not exactly multiple personality disorder, but clearly there were different drivers at the wheel depending on my mood, and depending on my needs. Over”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“I could feel the shakes starting to come back, so I washed my face, rinsed my mouth out with handfuls of tap water, pasted on my best I-didn’t-just-kill-a-zombie expression, and left with my coffee.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“What’s with the shorts?” “There’s a new fitness trainer. Jamaican gal . . . tall, gorgeous.” “And . . . ?” “Bike shorts show off my package.” “Jesus Christ.” “Jealousy is an ugly thing, Joe.” “Get in the fucking car.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“Holy Christ . . . are we talking zombies here?” Church smiled faintly. “We’re calling him a ‘walker.’ Short for ‘Dead Man Walking.’ The head of my science team has too much of a pop culture sensibility.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“«La humanidad es lo primero. Siempre. La política y la religión, aunque valiosas, tienen una importancia secundaria. Si no trabajamos juntos para conservar la vida, para dignificarla y mantenerla fuera de peligro, entonces no tenemos nada por lo que luchar».”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“Look, cowboy, I know how tough you are...but believe me when I tell you that nobody is that tough. A complete separation from your feelings is not proof of manly strength...it's a big glaring neon warning sign. I know you think you called me today to ask my opinion as a pal and as a medical doctor, but I have to believe that you're reaching out for support for what you've been through. As far as this thing with Javad and Mr. Church goes...well, if you were capable of simply shrugging that off with no traumatic effects then I would either be afraid of you or afraid for you.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“He's a son of a bitch, but he's our son of a bitch. ~ FDR”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“The four of them stared at me. Half an hour ago we were strangers and I was beating the crap out of them; now I was supposed to lead them on an urban infiltration mission against unknown odds and, very likely, plague-carrying walking corpses.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“I don't do martial arts for trophies or for fun. I'm a fighter, and I train to win any fight I'm in. I don't believe in rules and I don't believe in fair fights. You want a fair fight, join a boxing club. I also don't believe in dying for my country. I have a kind of General Patton take on that: I think the other guy should die for his.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“I need sonsabitches that can hit hard, hit fast, and hit last.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“No lloré por eso. Cada año mueren millones de personas. Puedo sentir compasión, pero ninguna pena personal. Como ocurre en el seno de una comunidad cuando un niño se cae en un pozo. Dos meses más tarde nadie se acuerda del nombre del niño. Tu vida no gira en torno a ese momento. No puede, porque si convertimos la muerte de cada persona en algo personal nos mataría a todos. Pero esto… esto es un momento que te cambia la vida de verdad. Igual que a ti.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“Mira, no voy a señalar con el dedo a ningún país, ninguna religión ni partido político. Esto es un fallo en todas las especies. Nosotros, la raza humana, hemos cometido un pecado terrible e imperdonable. Y antes de que nos avergüences a ambos preguntando… no, no estoy teniendo un momento católico. Esto es mucho más fundamental que la Iglesia o el Estado. Esto es algo propio porque lo conocemos mejor. Como especie, lo conocemos mejor. Entendemos lo que está bien y lo que está mal, igual que podemos captar todos los tonos de gris. Hemos tenido miles de años de líderes religiosos, filósofos, pensadores libres y científicos políticos que han explicado la causa y el efecto del comportamiento destructivo. Uno podría pensar que, a estas alturas, en el momento en que estamos, con todos estos avances tecnológicos y ahora que la comunicación entre todas las razas no solo es posible, sino instantánea a nivel mundial, que habríamos aprendido algo, que nos habríamos beneficiado de los errores cometidos anteriormente. Uno podría pensar que nuestro criterio ha evolucionado y que somos más sagaces. Pero no es así. Con la simulación por ordenador prácticamente podemos ver el futuro y ver cómo será todo si seguimos estos caminos y, aun así, no hacemos nada para cambiar de dirección. Quizá el verdadero defecto humano sea nuestra incapacidad para actuar como si la próxima generación importase. Nunca lo hemos hecho. Quizá de manera individual sí, pero no como una nación, como una especie.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“—Eso es poco probable —le aseguró Gault—. Dependo del Guerrero para dar el golpe maestro; pero un asalto a la planta probablemente sirva para crear ambiente… y después todo irá exactamente como nosotros queremos. Ella frunció el ceño y se mordió el labio mientras valoraba todo aquello. Gault sabía que estaba barajando distintos resultados basándose en lo que sabía… a lo que él le había permitido saber. Llegaría a conclusiones muy lógicas y todas serían acertadas; pero incompletas, lo cual estaba bien.”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“Denial is stupid. We're fighting the living dead. Would you prefer we call them 'undead citizens'?”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

“—Ahora ve despacio, chico. A la naturaleza no le gustan las prisas. —Sí, padre”
― Jonathan Maberry, quote from Patient Zero

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