by Casey, Ryan
Bleeping red.
Slowly at first.
But now quicker.
Quicker.
And…
Noah spun around. “We need to get out of here right now.”
Iqrah frowned. “What—”
“Iqrah, we need to—”
He didn’t finish.
Outside the caravan, he heard footsteps.
And then he saw the figures.
Eight of them.
Rifles raised.
Pointed at the caravan.
“We’re fucked,” he said. “It’s too late. They’re already here. We’re fucked.”
Chapter Fifteen
Noah saw the guards emerging outside the caravan, rifles raised, and he knew he and Iqrah had no choice now.
Rain pelted down from above. All he could hear was heavy water banging against the metal roof of the caravan. A muggy, humid stench filled the air. The smell of sweat. The smell of death.
Bruno stood by Noah’s side. Even though he couldn’t see the guards outside, he kicked back a few times. Looked around, uncertainty in his big brown eyes. Like he knew something was wrong, too.
Iqrah held on to her rifle. Noah held on to his, too. That had to be one option. Fight through these guards. At least they had the element of surprise on their side.
But then what the hell was he thinking? There were just two of them, and one was a child. It’d be stupid to stand their ground and fight against eight of the Society’s heavies even with two experienced, trained gunmen. Fighting their way out of this was off the table. Out of the question. It couldn’t be done.
“What do we do?” Iqrah asked.
Noah looked at her. And despite all his moments of forgetting just how young she was because of her cockiness, her confidence, he still heard that desperation in her voice. That child-like need for security at the hands of someone you can trust; that need that never goes away.
He looked into her eyes, then back out the curtain. Saw those guards approaching slowly, closing in, rifles raised.
And he knew one thing for sure.
“We can’t stay here,” he said.
“Then what do we do?”
Noah gulped.
“The only thing we can do.”
He rushed over to the bed. Clambered on top of it, over Elijah’s corpse. Fuck it. He’d got himself into this mess. There was no explaining his way out of this situation. Whether he liked it or not, he was in this now, and he saw no choice but to get Iqrah somewhere safe, to reunite her with her family, whether he went the whole journey or not.
But one goal at a time. One damned goal at a time.
He looked up at the hatch. He had to get out there. Escape. And then he had to get into the woods and run for his goddamned life.
And as much as he wanted to take the lead, as much as he knew it was the ethically right thing to do… he knew he needed another plan here.
A plan that didn’t seem safe. A plan that seemed reckless.
But a plan he needed to enact.
“I want you to get on the roof, Iqrah.”
Iqrah looked at him. Frowned. “What?”
He went over to her. Dragged her over. He wanted to be careful with her. Gentle with her.
But at the same time, he knew time was running out—for him, too.
So he needed to cut straight to the shit as soon as possible.
“Get on the roof. They’ll shoot me the second they see me, especially if Elijah’s emergency line went off. But if they see you, they’ll do everything they can to keep you alive. You’re special to them. I’m nothing to them.”
Iqrah shook her head. “But—”
“You get on the roof. Distract them. And trust me. The second you hear the gunfire, that’s when you get down, and you jump off the back of the caravan, okay? That’s when you jump.”
Iqrah looked panicked. Confused. Outside, the footsteps got closer.
“Iqrah, we’re running out of time. Are you with me?”
“I—”
“Are you with me?”
“Yes. Yes.”
She turned around. Walked over to the bed. Clambered on top of it. Stood there and stared up at that open hatch.
And as she lifted herself towards it, up into it, Noah asked himself the question: what if you’re wrong?
What if they don’t value her life at all anymore?
What if they open fire?
He tensed his jaw and watched Iqrah climb out of the hatch.
Waited for the blast of gunfire.
It didn’t come.
He heard them, then. Voices. Telling her to stay put. Then to get down off the caravan. Panic. Confusion.
“I—I’m okay,” Iqrah said. “I’m coming. I’m okay.”
Noah glanced out through the blinds. Saw their rifles lowered. Saw them glaring up there at Iqrah, all their eyes on Iqrah.
He knew this was mad.
Knew it was fucking crackers.
But it was the only choice he had.
He looked at Bruno.
Held on to the rifle.
“Here goes nothing,” he said.
And then he swung open the caravan door and opened fire.
He hit three of them right away. Sent them flying towards the ground.
And by the time they fired back at the caravan, the door was already closed.
He raced across the caravan floor. Staggered onto the bed. Climbed up there as bullets peppered against the metal walls, Bruno in his arm—
And then Bruno fell onto the bed.
“Bruno!”
He looked down at Bruno. Then heard the footsteps getting closer to the caravan. He didn’t have time.
“Fuck. Fuck it.”
He reached down. Lifted Bruno.
Just as he went to pull himself through the hatch, the caravan door blasted open.
He lifted his rifle and shot the man dead immediately.
And then before he had the chance to even see if anyone else was coming, he climbed out of the hatch, onto the caravan roof, into the rain.
Iqrah was nowhere to be seen. Good kid. At least she’d listened to his command.
He scurried across the caravan roof. Jumped off it, onto the mud beneath him. He heard footsteps in the caravan. He had about five seconds. Five seconds until those guards realised he’d gone out through the hatch. And then they’d be right out here and after him in no time.
But he couldn’t see Iqrah anywhere.
He couldn’t see her, and he needed to get away and…
He saw her. Lying there. Just feet in front of him.
She was clutching onto her ankle.
Twisted.
Broken.
“Iqrah,” he said.
He ran over to her.
“My ankle. I hurt it falling off here. I tried to run, but I can’t. I can’t.”
Noah looked back at the caravan. Heard footsteps racing down the front steps again. They’d be here in no time.
Then he looked at Iqrah.
And as much as he knew how mad this all was, he didn’t have a choice.
“Come here,” he said.
He grabbed Iqrah with his one hand and the other stump.
Lifted her over his shoulder.
Started to run into the trees.
That’s when he heard a click.
And then the familiar voice of Alfie, the guard who’d visited him a hell of a lot over the last few years.
“Not another muscle there, Noah. Not if you want to breathe another breath.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Come on now, Noah. You’re a good guy. I know you’re a good guy. Why the hell you have to go ruin it all for this, huh?”
Noah stood and stared into the woods ahead. Rain lashed down. Bruno barked by his side, looking back at the guards standing behind them.
Iqrah over his shoulder, twisted ankle, wounded.
He turned around and looked back.
Four guards stood there and stared ba
ck at him. All of them had their rifles raised.
Leading them, Alfie.
Alfie and Noah got along. It was very strained. Kind of forced. But they got along. He certainly showed Noah a lot of leeway when it came to living out here in the woods. He’d even spotted Noah creeping beyond the initial warning perimeter for food to hunt a few times and let him off the hook for it. It should be an offence punishable by death. He’d let it slide on more than one occasion.
But right now, with three colleagues by his side, it didn’t look like he was going to let anything slide.
“Alfie, you need to listen to me,” Noah said.
“No. You need to listen to me right now. We’ve found two guards dead, and both of them are linked to you. And the girl. Iqrah here. She’s important. She’s special. And she’s dangerous. You do realise that, right?”
“I know she was kidnapped from her parents. And I know she’s been tested on. I know she’ll be killed if they don’t get where they want to get with her. I know she’s just a girl who wants to see her parents. That’s what I know.”
Alfie shook his head. Underneath his mask, Noah knew he was smiling right now. “Noah, Iqrah here hasn’t been entirely honest with you. She’s far more valuable than she’s letting on. And far more dangerous, too.”
Noah looked at Iqrah. She had her eyes squeezed shut, gritting her teeth with the pain of her twisted ankle.
He looked back at Alfie and the guards again. Heard one of them mutter something he wasn’t supposed to make out, but something he heard clearly: “Why don’t we just gun him down and be done with it?”
And Noah saw that look in Alfie’s eyes. Like he was considering it. Something he really didn’t want to do, but something he’d have to do if it came to that.
“Noah, you need to listen to me here. Very carefully. You’re in the shit. Deep, deep shit. And I… I ain’t one to bend the rules. I’ll be straight with you. Our orders are to kill you. But hand Iqrah here over, and maybe we’ll let you run. Give you a five-minute head-start. A chance to get away from here. I know it’s not a lot, but it’s your best option right now, bud. Believe me.”
Noah shook his head. “Hardly a tempting offer.”
“Doesn’t look like you’re gonna be getting many more offers.”
Noah opened his mouth. He didn’t know what to say. Hand Iqrah over and die in five minutes? Or resist, and… well, die?
There was no way out of this. He was trapped.
He knew he had to hand the girl over. He knew he was surrounded now. There was no divine intervention coming. There was no sneaking out of this one.
“The sooner you hand her over, the better,” Alfie said. “And I don’t just say that for our sakes. I say that for your sake, too. Trust me, pal. You’re messing with shit you don’t understand. You might not think I’ve got your best interests at heart here, but I get it. I really do. You need to listen to me. You need to trust me. Hand the girl over. End this, for everyone. Now.”
Noah looked into Alfie’s eyes, and despite everything, he heard the sincerity in his voice. He heard the genuine concern. And as much as he knew it was dangerous… he believed him.
He looked down at Iqrah. Saw her shaking her head. “Don’t do this. Please. I need to find my parents. Don’t let me go back there, Noah.”
Noah swallowed a lump in his throat.
And then he looked over at Alfie.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
He threw his rifle to the ground.
And then he took a step towards Alfie.
He noticed a change immediately.
The three guards standing behind Alfie started shaking.
Dropped their rifles.
Started writhing around.
Struggling to yank their masks from their faces.
Alfie looked at them.
Then back at Noah.
“What…”
Noah noticed something else.
Blood.
Pooling down Alfie’s cheeks from his eyes.
Alfie coughed. Pulled his mask away.
Thick red blood drooled out of his mouth, down his chin.
His face turned pale instantly.
Bruno barked wildly.
“Noah?” Alfie said, dropping his rifle. “What…”
And then his neck cracked to the left.
The sound of bone snapping.
And then he fell to the ground.
Noah stood there. Stared at these four bodies. Unable to understand. Unable to make sense of any of it. A million questions racing through his mind.
He looked down at Iqrah.
Blood rolling from her nostrils.
Just like before.
“What…”
He didn’t have time to ask the questions.
Because the guards shot back to their feet.
Only they weren’t the guards anymore.
Not now.
They were infected.
And they were running towards Noah, Iqrah, and Bruno.
Fast.
Chapter Seventeen
Noah saw the guards rise to their feet, and he knew he had no choice but to run.
He spun around. Raced towards the trees. Bruno ran by his side. Iqrah rested over his shoulder. Blood rolled down from her eyes. Veins bulged from her hands and arms. She was breathing, but only lightly.
And as much as Noah ran from these infected and away from his caravan, towards the perimeter, he couldn’t stop the thoughts racing around his head. The things Alfie said to him before his sudden turn to infected.
You don’t understand the half of it, Noah. You’ve no idea just how dangerous that kid is.
He looked into his arms. Watched the rain wash away the blood on Iqrah’s face. He’d seen what’d happened. He’d seen three healthy live men suddenly turn into infected at the click of a finger.
And he’d seen Iqrah pass out in the process.
Was that what this was?
Was that what she was?
He didn’t have time to think about it, because he felt a scratch right across his back and fell towards the ground.
He splattered into the mud, landed right on top of Iqrah. Bruno stopped. Spun around. Kicked back his legs and stood up to the infected.
“Go, Bruno!”
But Bruno didn’t budge.
He just stood there.
Kept on kicking back.
Protecting Noah.
Defending him.
Behind him, the infected so close.
“Bruno, go!”
He saw one of the infected run past.
Saw him go to grab Bruno.
And in that instant, Noah squeezed his eyes shut and felt it.
Energy.
Energy he hadn’t felt in years.
Like he was in touch with his surroundings. Like he was in touch with those around him, somehow.
He opened his eyes and saw the infected guard standing over Bruno.
He was frozen still. One hand outstretched, trying to reach out to Bruno, but twitching, shaking. Veins bulging all over his face.
And then Noah looked around and saw the second of the infected standing right over him; the one that’d scratched at him, knocked him down to the ground. He saw the other two infected—Alfie, and another guard, both standing there in this stasis, shaking, twitching, bleeding.
He felt this energy streaming through his body. A reddish tinge to the sky around him. The metallic taste of blood in the air. He wanted to back away from it. He wanted to hide it. He didn’t want to face up to what he was truly capable of.
But then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Go.
He felt that word. Didn’t just say it, felt it.
And as he felt it, he heard movement.
He opened his eyes.
Saw the infected backing away. Disappearing into the woods. Eyes on him and Iqrah all the time.
Go. Go, and don’t come back.
He saw the infected shaking. Twitc
hing. Resisting. Wanting to keep approaching. Wanting to keep chasing. To keep on pursuing.
But then they stumbled off. Disappeared into the woods.
Noah clenched his jaw and kept his focus on those disappearing infected for a long time. He felt the energy sapping away from his body. Felt it all draining from his system.
When he was totally sure they were gone—when he felt they were gone—he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and felt a wave of peace through his system.
He looked down. Iqrah lay underneath him. Her blue hospital gown covered in blood. And then he looked up at Bruno, who stood there, wagging his tail like he’d deterred the infected.
“Good lad,” Noah said, getting to his feet. “You did a good job.”
He laid Iqrah down by the side of a tree and stood and looked back in the direction of his caravan. He thought about what’d gone down in his home. How Elijah’s body was in there. And even if he did something with it, hid it, buried it, they’d always come to him. They’d find a way to find him.
And without Alfie fighting his corner, certain death would come his way.
He looked down at Iqrah as she lay there and felt two rival forces pulling at him. One of them wanted to leave her here. Let her be found. Because Alfie was right. He was messing with forces he didn’t understand. Iqrah was dangerous. She wasn’t his responsibility. She’d already fucked up his life today, why should she fuck it up any more?
But then there was that other voice.
That rival voice.
He was on a new path, whether he liked it or not.
He had to find a new home out there, beyond the perimeter. He was going to be a wanted man.
So what harm was there in trying to find somewhere new?
Somewhere outside of the grips of the Society, like Iqrah said?
Maybe that’s just what he needed right now.
And this girl.
There was something about her. Something special about her.
But she was just a girl trying to find her parents. Which, in the end, surely counted more than anything?
But then he was just a man trying to find peace, too. And the thought of bonding with someone, of getting close with someone…
He closed his eyes. Looked away. Off into the woods, over towards the perimeter.
He wanted to help this girl.