Booker leaned back against the shed wall. “Sure, darlin’. I’ll sing ya back to sleep.”
She expected a teasing tone, but he was sincere.
Shifting to give her more room to get comfortable, he started humming, just loud enough for her to hear.
After another moment, Caitlin laid back down, curling onto her side and drawing her knees up as far as she could. Booker continued to hum, and then sing a few verses. He wasn’t very good, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he sang, kept humming, gave her mind another soundtrack to focus on instead of the warped snarls and groans of Geeks playing over and over in her head.
“Booker, I—”
“Shh, it’s almost to the bridge,” he told her. But she knew what he wasn’t saying.
It’s alright.
You’re not alone.
Go back to sleep.
And she did. She slept through to sunrise.
Chapter Six
“I can’t believe you won’t let us hot wire a car.”
Booker stopped, looking over his shoulder at her. His face was mottled with shifting shadows of leaves and tree branches.
“I don’t know what direction that gun squad went,” he said. “Last thing we need is to cross paths with them in a noisy vehicle that might not even have enough gas to outrun them.”
Caitlin brushed a lock of hair off her sweaty forehead. “And the reason we’re hiking uphill further into the forest is…?”
“The trees give us cover,” he said, starting to walk again. “And this is the fastest way to the nearest township that might be both military free and have supplies and a car.”
Adjusting the strap of her backpack, Caitlin sighed, following him. “Fastest for who…” She muttered.
Booker chuckled. “C’mon Meadows, I’ve seen you run. This should be nothin’ for ya.”
“Yes, running for my life. Running on flat ground. Not hiking uphill for hours, carrying a shit ton of supplies and—”
She snagged her toe on a tree root, nearly toppling face first. She staggered, dropped a bag of water bottles, and yelped.
“You tryin’ to ring the dinner bell for nearby groaners?” Booker doubled back, picking up plastic bottles.
“Oh yes, because I’m the only one making noise here.” Unloading her armful of bags from the day before, she planted her feet. “I’m taking a break.”
“It ain’t even noon yet.”
“I don’t care what time it is, Booker. I’m taking my ten.”
He tilted his head up to look at her. “You in a union now?”
“Yep. The union of Caitlin. Got a problem with it, talk to my rep.”
He shook his head, but she didn’t miss the slight curve of his mouth.
“You’re somethin’, Meadows,” he mumbled, tossing the last water bottle into the bag.
“I can tell you’re mocking me, but I don’t care.” She bent to grab the same water bottle he’d just put away and opened it.
In the quiet, she surveyed their surroundings. Most of the trees were sturdy but not many had low branches good for getting a strong foothold, so climbing them would be difficult. She’d shimmied up a few before, and it wasn’t the hardest thing in the world, but she’d had time to practice. She’d never done it with a Geek chasing after her. And the woods only seemed to get denser the further they went, so outrunning a Geek or escaping into a better area didn’t seem like an option either.
Sliding her pack off, she crouched down to rummage through it.
“Don’t go unpackin’ everything now,” Booker chided. She ignored him. “Meadows—”
“How’s your upper body strength?”
Her question caught him by surprise. “Uhh… You askin’ if I can bench press a car, or…”
She pulled out her collection of ropes and bungee cords. “Did you ever have to do those rope climbing courses in basic training?”
“Yeah, why?”
She nodded and started digging for her makeshift weights. “The trees around here don’t have good climbing branches, but the ones higher up look okay. If we get caught in a tight spot, we need an escape method.”
Booker stared at her a moment, frowning. “I think ya lost me.”
“If a Geek is coming for us—”
“I’ve got my knife.”
“Okay, let me rephrase. If a bunch of Geeks are coming for us, and you’ve dropped your knife, we need a plan. I’ve done this a couple times, but only to get to a good sleeping spot, not under pressure of getting eaten.” Pulling out her cloth bag of rocks, she started the routine she’d relied on for two weeks. Rope through the cloth tie, knot it. Double wrap, knot it again, yank.
“What’re you doin’?”
“Making us each a rope swing.” She paused, thinking it over. “Well, I guess it’s more of a rope ladder, but I called it a swing ‘cause… it swings. You swing it.”
“I might need more of an explanation than that.”
She finished tying the foothold knot and stood up to show him.
“This is how I used to get up into trees that were tall but didn’t have lower branches to climb up. They were great for sleeping in but getting up them was nearly impossible. So, I figured out how to make my own rope ladder. A weight at one end to swing over the branch—and you have to make sure it makes it over the branch a couple times, so you have to throw it hard. And then a knot half way up to grab and then use as a foot hold.”
Booker just stared at her, squinting a little. She sighed and rolled her eyes.
“I’m not crazy, it really works.”
He shook his head, taking a step forward. “No, I wasn’t… I’m impressed. Keep goin’.”
Caitlin blinked at him. “You… really?”
“Can you show me?” He gestured to the nearest tree. “Lemme see how you do it so I can try’n replicate it.”
More than a little stunned, she nodded. “Okay, well…” Taking a few steps back, she picked out her branch and started swinging the weight by her side.
It was all about putting enough strength behind the right angle, keeping the arc high but not so high it overshot it and just fell to the ground.
She swung the rope up and over and it wrapped twice, just like she needed it to. The perfect first throw.
Climbing the rope was always less graceful, but she didn’t care. She launched at it, grabbing the middle knot and pulling herself up. Using her feet, she pushed and pulled and in a matter of seconds she was climbing into the crook of the tree branch, letting her legs dangle freely.
“Did you catch all that?”
Booker looked up at her, grinning. “You put Tarzan and Jane to shame, darlin’.”
She laughed softly, gazing out at the forest around them. It was peaceful up there, where the only thing she had to worry about was keeping her balance and not pissing off any squirrels.
It was the closest she felt to safe. Tucked away in the branches and leaves, listening to the birds around her.
Inhaling the scent of bark and moss, she tried to file that away as a pleasant memory for later. When she’d wake up gasping, crying, reliving the horrors she’d seen… This moment would bring her some semblance of comfort.
Carefully pushing herself over the branch, she reached for the rope and shimmed down to the ground. With another fling of her wrist, she tossed the rope over and then it was free and in her hands.
“Your turn,” she said, handing it over.
“Y’might have to help me get the hang of it,” Booker said, lining up his toss.
And she definitely did. Booker was less than a natural, struggling with the right force to curve ratio for over twenty minutes. Frustrated, he handed the rope back over.
“I don’t think this is my specialty.”
Caitlin shook her head, standing up from where she’d sat with her back against a tree trunk.
“You’re just not giving it enough finesse. It’s not all about the strength behind the throw, you’ve got to guide it.�
�
“I am!”
“C’mon Booker, one more time. Gentle to aim, swing it around wide, and let it fly. Smooth as silk, don’t hesitate.”
He adjusted his hold on the rope and cocked his head, smirking. “You flirtin’ with me?”
“Will it help your aim if I am?”
“Dunno, how about you give it a go.”
“How about you shut up and throw the rope?”
His laugh was deep as he turned. “Can’t fault a man for tryin’.”
She pretended the flush creeping up her cheeks was from the noonday heat, and nothing else.
Booker finally got the rope over the branch perfectly. To test it, he climbed up, and only managed to slip once.
And she certainly wasn’t staring as he shimmied down either.
Absolutely not.
***
About a mile from the town that held their hope of transportation, the land started to even out, tree line thinning. But before relief could wash over either of them…
“Shit,” Booker hissed, pulling up short.
Caitlin nearly bumped into him, he’d stopped so suddenly. “What?”
Several yards away, shuffling aimlessly, was a herd of Geeks that outnumbered either of their capabilities. That wasn’t the most troubling part however.
“Is that…”
“Fencing,” Booker finished, looking over his shoulder at her. “Someone penned them in there.”
She glanced around, trying to see if there was an entry point. All she saw was chain link and barbed wire.
“Booker… I think this might go all the way around.”
“All the way ‘round what?”
She swallowed. “The town.”
“Someone fenced off a town… filled with groaners.”
She took a cautious step forward. “Maybe that’s why they built the fence. To keep them all in there.”
Booker shook his head. “I think you’re only about half right, Meadows.”
Realization dawned on her as she stared up at him. “Someone… trapped people in there.”
“Or maybe the town did it to protect themselves. Didn’t realize they were puttin’ themselves at risk.” He backed away, careful not to draw attention to them. “Caged in like animals. One person turns, the whole town gets overrun before they can escape.”
“That’s…” Her gaze followed a young, skinny man—Geek—as he shuffled along the fence line. “Heartbreaking.”
Booker’s expression was grim as he said, “C’mon. Guess we’re goin’ the long way.”
***
Night fell, and they made some semblance of a camp, staying at least half a mile away from the fence perimeter. No fire so as not to attract any unwanted attention from humans or undead creatures alike, but that didn’t bother Caitlin. She hadn’t had a fire at night in over a month.
Hunkered down by the oak they’d planned to sleep in, they ate peanut butter and pretzel sticks and washed it down with Gatorade. Neither spoke much, too tired for conversation and too busy mulling over a Plan B for the morning.
“Here,” Booker murmured, holding something out to her in the dark. “I’m done.”
It was the last of his pretzels.
“What, like you’re full?” She snarked. Full wasn’t something anyone had felt in a very long time.
“Take ‘em,” he said, standing up.
“You should eat them, you’ll need your strength.”
“I’m good.” It was an unusually sincere response from a man who seemed to make snappy banter his second and third languages.
Caitlin took the bag from him, watching his silhouette move. “Are you… okay?”
“’M fine, Meadows. Just thinkin’ I’d better start trying to climb this tree now or I’ll be here ‘til midnight.”
“I only have enough bungee cord for one loop around the trunk, so we’ll have to tie ourselves together.”
His soft chuckle sent a sudden shiver up her arms. “Kinda reckoned we’d already done that.”
“I meant literally, not just metaphorically.”
“I know.” Leaves crunched under his boots. “I can get up there first and you can toss some of that cord up; I’ll get us started.”
It took them a few minutes to figure out how to work together in the dark. A lot of misunderstandings, dropped rope and cord, and cursing. Finally though, they were both on the same page.
It felt like a bigger victory than it was, and Caitlin didn’t have the energy to figure out why.
Nestled in the crook of a branch, back firmly pressed against the trunk, she finished fastening the cord at her waist and made sure it was hooked at Booker’s end.
“Good?” She asked, tilting her head.
“Snug as a bug,” he replied, and the cord wiggled as he settled in.
An owl cried in the distance and Caitlin smiled. Peace was returning to her, little by little, the longer she was up in the trees.
“So, does this mean I should call you Katniss now?”
She rolled her eyes. “Not if you ever want me to speak to you again.”
“Mhm, that’s a quandary.”
“I should unhook you in your sleep and let the ground wake you.”
“Ain’t got it in ya,” he said, voice rumbling.
“How can you be so sure?” She turned her head, but still unable to see him clearly through the darkness. “Maybe I’m an opportunistic sociopath.”
The cord wiggled again as he shifted. “Nah, that ain’t you. Otherwise you really would’ve tripped me yesterday and left me for the groaners.”
Caitlin closed her eyes, smirking. “Maybe next time.”
“Sure, Meadows.”
She was asleep before the grin fell from her lips.
Chapter Seven
Two days.
Two days of heading east. Of trudging through forest and abandoned crop fields. Of discovering suburbs or towns only to find them razed or overrun with Geeks. And more fences.
Each time they came across a chain link barrier, Booker got quieter, almost brooding. Whatever quip he’d been about to hurl at her died on his tongue and he’d slow his pace, fresh disappointment and sorrow washing over him.
He never said why though. But Caitlin could guess.
Their options were running out. Their path was being chosen for them, forced to go the even longer way around. And their supplies were dwindling.
They finished the last of their water on the morning of the third day. Booker immediately pulled out his map and crouched down to read.
“Any viable sources for drinking water are south west from here. And…” He squinted up, gauging the sun’s position. “If we keep going this direction, we’re gonna land smack dab in the middle of a hot zone.”
Caitlin sighed. “What?”
“Atlanta is a day’s walk that way,” he said, gesturing. “If we keep trying to go around, we’re gonna end up in some trouble.”
She wanted to yell and pull her hair. Instead she just exhaled roughly and planted her hands on her hips.
“I spent a week getting away from Atlanta only to wind up back there.”
Booker stood, refolding his map. “It’s my fault,” he said. “I thought there’d be a way to go up and around, but…”
“Okay, so now what?” She couldn’t focus on the time lost. Only on moving forward.
Locking eyes with her, Booker said, “We go south. Fill up our water supply, then we head west.”
Caitlin nodded. It was all she could do. “Alright.”
She felt him watching her as she swung her pack over her shoulder and started walking.
After a few moments, Booker was on her heels. “I know what you must be thinkin’.”
“Oh?”
“You’re thinkin’ I’m an idiot for gettin’ us lost. For leadin’ us towards a hot zone.”
She cocked her head to look at him. “You’re a mind reader now?”
“I really did think there was a way—”
&nbs
p; “Booker.”
“—I just thought if we stuck to the forest, we’d have better luck at avoiding any—”
“Booker.”
“But we’ll figure it out, we’ll—”
“JACK.” She stopped, spinning on her heel to face him. “I’m not mad at you. I don’t think you got us lost. You made a judgement call and it didn’t work out. So stop projecting your insecurities. It’s extremely unattractive.”
She started walking again but could feel him watching her still.
After a moment of silence, he called, “Did you just call me attractive?”
“Should’ve left him for the Geeks,” she muttered, marching onward.
***
Late afternoon sun cast the surrounding land in a golden glow. Caitlin squinted in the light, shielding her eyes.
“Hold up,” Booker said, slowing his pace. “You see that?”
It took her a second, but then she spotted the wire wrapped around a few saplings. It was a perimeter marking, with pieces of metal dangling from it. A homemade alarm.
“People,” she whispered. There wasn’t a house in sight, but it must be closer than they knew if they were that close to their warning system.
“Maybe…” He swung his rifle off his shoulder and held it at his side. “Stay close, Meadows.”
They maneuvered under the wire, stepping lightly and keeping their eyes open wide. After another ten minutes they found a second row of wire and cans, this time with stakes in the ground, pointing up and out to impale any Geeks that managed to make it that far.
“Booker, I—”
“Jeremiah!!” A woman yelled, and Caitlin heard the distinct click of gunmetal. “Trespassers!!”
“Shit,” Booker hissed, making a move for his rifle.
“Hold it,” a man called. “Don’t you move, son!”
Caitlin’s heart was in her throat. Her legs shook with the need to run.
Lifting her hands, she scanned the thin tree line for faces. Several yards away, she spotted the woman aiming a hunting rifle at them.
“Booker, they’re armed,” she whispered.
“Yeah, kinda figured that one.”
Heavy foot falls alerted them moments before the man stomped through the brush. Tall, barrel chested with a round belly, he wore a white button down and suspenders. Not exactly what Caitlin had been expecting.
Bloody Sunrise: A Zombie Apocalypse Romance Page 6