Carriers

by Krissy Reynolds

  Marena gasped beside her. At first, she expected it to be due to injury, but the girl appeared to be unharmed. She followed her gaze, finding something that crushed all remaining hope out of her. The only alternate route she knew out of the city was blocked by another impenetrable line.

  "Shit." Shay said, jaw open and limp.

  "Which has fewer cars?" Marena asked her suddenly, voice strained with panic.

  "Huh?"

  "Which road has fewer cars?" Marena shouted, the fear in her voice nearly drowning out the panic. She whipped her head around the concrete wall to examine the line, counting ten with haste. Turning her head to the other side she quickly counted fourteen.

  "The one we just came off of. It's a four car difference!" she responded. Marena nodded, but did not speak, as she was already up and sprinting around the corner. Carson followed quickly. Nobody asked questions, instead following Marena with rushed strides. Cassie tried to run past but Shay snatched her arm, yanking her backwards.

  She rose from her crouch, now taller than the girl by a few inches, and dropped her chin to hold eye contact. "Cassie, don't do anything stupid out there. I know you just witnessed a terrible, terrible thing, but run with us. Don't throw your life away."

  "What life? I'm going to die, I don't know when, but I'm dying. I infected my boyfriend, and some cop put a bullet in his chest. Someone has to die in order for the rest to escape, and I want it to be me."

  "Cassie, don't you dare think like that-"

  "I know I sound suicidal, but I don't want to suffer through whatever this thing will do to me. I'd rather get it over quickly. I don't want to slowly have my body eaten away by a virus. I'd hardly feel a bullet to the head. One life for eight."

  "Why, in all of hell, would you want us to live?" Shay spat, gripping the smaller girl's shoulders and shaking her hard. "Letting us survive will start something you and I don't want!"

  "Shay, please just trust me. This needs to happen. Would you rather have a portion die or have the entire world die because we failed to fix the problems?" Her grip loosened, stunned by her words. Logically, and she was a logical thinker indeed, it made sense. But morally, was it right?

  "But why the hell do I have to do it? If you think this is so great, why don't you stick around and not go jumping in front of a bullet? The guy said you can spread it too!" She shouted, suddenly finding herself infuriated. Why was she acting as if this was the right thing to do? The urge was almost irresistible to slap Cassie across her face, knocking the foolishness she was blabbering right out of her.

  "Just trust me, Shay."

  "Don't you dare die on me Cassie."

  "No promises."

  A bullet pinged off the wall scarcely above their heads. She whipped around, saw the advancing officers and was up on her feet instantly, sprinting around the corner with Cassie hot on her heels.

  Chapter 5

  One second Cassie was besides Shay and the next she wasn't. There was no indication she'd even gone down. It was only when she looked over, discovering the golden haired girl's absence, and skidded to a halt. Twisting her neck around, Shay found her friend sprawled several feet behind her on the asphalt, a pool of something red and evil growing beneath her.

  Ducking down she darted to her fallen friend, crouching to examine the wounds. Cassie had been shot three times, one ripping clean through her shoulder, one in her thigh, and another in her abdomen. The metallic reek of blood was strong. It was everywhere. The girl's entire shirtfront was soaked with it, the pool she lay in expanding rapidly. The only sign she was still alive were the slight tremors of her figure.

  "Shay?" Cassie whispered, voice ragged. Her breathing was shallow and irregular, the shaking of her body growing more severe. God, she's dying in pain. She doesn't deserve this. The temptation to look away was incredibly powerful.

  "Yes?"

  "Don't you dare die, you hear me? I don't want to share my seat in Heaven." Her voice became weaker with each word.

  "I won't Cassie. I won't." Shay promised, wiping a tear from her cheek. The reek of blood was overwhelming now. There wasn't much time left. Her body and brain hummed with shock.

  "I'm going to hold you to that, oka-"

  She didn't finish. Shay had to look away, for she knew what it meant. Cassie hadn't even been down for a full three minutes. At least she didn't go slowly, she thought. It provided little comfort, as she knew her friend was not even a target, just a brave and broken girl who threw herself in the line of fire.

  "Okay," she finished, words threatening to snare in her throat. A single, ragged breath escaped her chest as she gathered herself. It was a jarring thing to witness someone die, a bloody death at that, especially a friend. And that's what will happen to me if I don't get out of here, she realized.

  The first round in several minutes whizzed over her head. It barreled straight into a window, sending tiny, sharp shards of glass exploding in every direction. It was as if someone had snapped their fingers and removed Shay's haze of grief, for she was up and sprinting within seconds. She ran straight for the edge of the street, throwing herself on the ground behind the protection of a car.

  A few more rounds, three or four, shot through the air above the vehicle. More glass exploded and the girl was covered in a shower of translucent shards, some slicing her skin. The pain was hot and sharp, but she knew she could not cry out. Staying hidden was crucial.

  "Hey, I found one!" She looked up, horrified to find two officers rounding the front of the vehicle. How could they tell right away she was one of them? Clenching and unclenching her hands, she noticed an odd, sticky sensation. Looking down, she horrifyingly discovered her fingers were covered in blood. It was undoubtedly Cassie's, as the wounds from the glass were hardly trickling. So that's how they knew.

  There was a click, and there was just enough time to duck before a bullet was sent into the metal of the car, directly where her head had been seconds before. Another round was fired and this time pain exploded from her leg. The bullet had blown out a line of skin, running from the back of her knee to an inch above her ankle. It was a graze wound, but a deep one, and the pain was nothing like Shay had ever experienced.

  Instinct drove shaking hands to reach for her father's gun, tucked in her belt. Her hands found the metal and she gripped hard, pulling the gun forwards where the officers could see. Maybe the fear factor would drive them away, she didn't know, but she prayed it would. This was a last resort- it was never the plan to shoot anyone.

  "She's got a gun!" One shouted. She squeezed her eyes shut and fired. The noise was incredible, as was the recoil, and she dropped the gun. Her ears rang painfully, but she brought herself to open her eyes.

  The cop who'd shot her was on the ground. He'd thrown his shoe and sock off beside him, a hole in his foot spilling blood on the sidewalk. She reclaimed her weapon, taking a few quick, deep breaths, and aimed at his comrade. Squeezing the trigger, she sent a round into his foot as well. The officer howled with pain as his figure crumpled, hands flying to his wounded foot.

  Shay took one look at both of them as she struggled to stand, damaged leg screaming with protest. She'd never wanted to shoot anyone, but desperate times called for desperate measures. An apology rose but she bit it back, knowing they would not have apologized for putting a bullet in her skull. It had to be done. It had to be done.

  She wobbled forwards, fresh pain surging from the wound. Running would be a burden now, and her pace had undoubtedly been slowed. She was a strong girl, however, and she knew she had to get away before the officers collected themselves. She began to jog, her stride lopsided and limp noticeable.

  "Shay!" She halted and whipped her head in the direction of the voice- Carson was running towards her, Marena right behind.

  "Oh my God, you got shot!" Marena cried, scanning her friend's wound. She stopped running, the sudden movement angering her injury. Her teeth ground together in obvious agony.

  "It grazed me, but it hurts like a bitch. It's ha
rd to run." she replied. The two took one look at each other before flanking her, offering themselves up as human crutches. Thankful for the gesture, she threw her arms across their shoulders, allowing her weight to be distributed between then two.

  "Where's Cassie?" Marena asked, looking for their golden-haired friend. Shay lowered her dark eyes to the ground, shaking her head. "What is that supposed to mean?" She couldn't forge the right words to respond. Cassie and Marena were not all that close, but the news would still stun her.

  "I think I know," Carson murmured grimly. She looked up to see him briefly point to the street, where Cassie's bloodied white shirt was a beacon against the black.

  "Oh, god," Marena said, her eyes growing wide. She nodded grimly. The sight was far more gruesome up close. Marena and Carson had been spared.

  "We need to keep-"

  Carson was cut off by a metallic cling. A metal canister landed before the trio, rolling slightly before catching in a crack in the pavement. The three eyed it, confused, when thick, acrid smoke began to spill out of its mouth.

  "Get back!" Shay screamed, but an explosive burst of blinding light silenced her. She felt Marena and Carson scatter on either side and she stumbled through the smoke, blinded from the flash and deafened by the detonation. Pain crushed in on her skull. Two hands found metal and she collapsed against a car, her ears screeching. She knew, faintly, she was vulnerable, but was too disoriented to act upon that knowledge.

  In around fifteen seconds, her vision began to filter back. Her hearing was recovering as well, although the ringing was still wailing in her ears. In the time it had taken to recover the smoke had grown incredibly thick, blinding her all over again.

  "Marena? Carson?" She cried out, finding her voice was startlingly weak. There was a pause, then nothing. Fear swelled within her and she shouted their names again, still disorientated as she stumbled forwards, seeking for one of them in the smoke. A flashbang was not lethal, and although she'd never heard of one that released smoke as well, the explosion should not have killed them.

  "Shay?" She recognized Marena's voice.

  "Marena? Where are you?" She shouted back, taking a few more steps in the smoke. Her hands were outstretched, searching for the warmth of a body in the gray.

  "Over here!"

  "Where is over here, exactly?" Shay cried. The smoke did not seem to be thinning no matter where she moved, and her disorientation proved it difficult to follow Marena's voice. Stumbling through the haze her hands found the concrete wall of a building and she leaned into it, calling out the name of her best friend another time.

  "You sound like your touching the wall now, are you touching the wall?" Marena's voice was much closer and clearer.

  "Yes, I'm touching the damn wall," she barked back.

  "Jesus. Alright, move along the wall until it ends, then drop to your knees. The alley is fairly clear of smoke." She nodded and began to move along the wall, her hands eventually finding the curve of the end. Dropping into a squat she turned the corner into the alley, finding Marena sitting up against the wall of a building, a limp body to her left. The smoke was thinner here, but it took a few moments for recognition to settle in. The gelled, dusky hair, long limbs, narrow features- Carson.

  A terrified squeal was forced out of her throat as she scurried towards them. He appeared to be sleeping, his eyes closed and a peaceful expression on his face, but the blood slipping out of his ears told differently. Panicking, Shay brought two fingers to his neck, praying for a pulse. His heartbeat throbbed beneath her fingers.

  "He's alright, I promise," Marena began. "He was closest to the flashbang, so he must have gotten the worst of the effects. Big idiot simply stumbled into a wall."

  "He knocked himself unconscious, so he likely has a concussion," she said back, sitting back on her knees. Worry pulsed in her as she made circles on his hand with her thumb, waiting for him to wake up. Come on, please wake up Carson. Please. She could hear the shouts of officers out on the street, frustrated the trio had seemingly gotten away.

  Carson groaned and rolled onto his back, his hand instantly moving to rub a growing knot on the crown of his head. The girls kept silent, giving him a few moments to come to.

  "Jesus, did they throw a fucking flashbang at us?" he said, ending with another groan. "My ears are screaming."

  "Yeah, and then, in painful disorientation, you ran into a wall." Marena replied, a smirk on her face. Shay shot her a glare and her expression faltered.

  "But that doesn't matter- what does matter is that you're capable of getting out of here. Carson, do you think you can run?" She asked, her hand still resting on his. He looked at her, his brow furrowed with pain, and for a moment, she expected him to say no. Instead, he nodded.

  "Then let's get the hell out of here!" Marena said, hooking an arm under Carson's. She did the same and the girls helped him to his feet, the boy stumbling. They gradually made their way back out onto the street, the smoke now nearly gone. She reached for her father's gun, wishing to have it in her hands in case she'd need it again. She prayed she wouldn't.

  The cops were no longer occupied with the trio, instead honing in on another cluster of familiar faces. Katina and Owen were weaving their way through cars, appearing virtually unharmed from their viewpoint. Kyleigh seemed to be nowhere in sight, same with Laylia and Jaycee. There weren't many places the missing three could be.

  Grunting with effort she managed to push back the pain and run again. This damn leg is going to get me killed. A few more rounds were fired, yet nothing seemed to place them in peril. After a while it seemed like they gave up, for shots grew incredibly spaced apart. It dwindled down to about one shot every three minutes. By that time she'd reached the place where the asphalt sloped upwards, the beginning of the bridge. Carson and Marena were already there, panting.

  Shay joined them, her hands instantly going to her knees as she doubled over. Beside her she could hear Marena muttering shit repeatedly while Carson kept blinking in an odd, rapid way, as if the cloudy day was still too bright for his eyes.

  Now, perched on the slight incline she could see at a better angle. Previously missing faces were now located. Kyleigh had joined Katrina and Owen, the three of them engaging in a flat out sprint for the bridge in a flat out sprint towards the bridge. Jaycee and Laylia were inching slowly past the last vehicle before open road, cautiously looking at the cops every other moment.

  She watched as a windshield of a car ate a bullet, sending Katrina, Owen, and Kyleigh diving down to shield themselves as glass exploded on top of them. Kyleigh's terrified scream rang through the street, followed by the wailing of a car alarm. It was no doubt they'd scarcely dodged a bullet. Now pinned between two cars, the three refused to move, even with officers advancing rapidly.

  "Katrina, Owen, Kyleigh come on!" Shay shouted, hands cupped over her mouth. The three looked up, but did not budge. Kyleigh shook her head.

  "Goddammit, I've never met someone who still acts like an idiot even when there's people with guns ten feet away!" Marena spat. "Of all the people meant to survive a plague, who would believe it would be Kyleigh?"

  "Kyleigh." Carson responded, his wry grin hovering on his lips.

  Her eyes switched from her boyfriend back to the trio in danger- they had still not moved an inch. Taking a deep breath, she retrieved her weapon, clicking the safety off. Someone was going to have to take action or their friends would be slain before their eyes.

  "Marena, who has better aim? You or me?" She asked, running her thumb along the metal textures of the gun. It was oddly soothing.

  "My dad took me to the range more than yours did," she replied. "You're not asking me to shoot anyone, are you?" Her voice was drenched in worry and sprinkled with fear, just as hesitant to shoot someone as Shay.

  "No, but hit something to distract the cops so the airheads can get out of there. I'd probably end up hitting one of our guys."

  "Uh, I think Kyleigh's the only literal airhead-"

  "
Shut up Carson!" Both girls silenced him in unison. Marena then extended her hand and Shay placed the gun in her palm, relieved to have a killing machine out of her control. She watched as her friend raised her arms, both hands wrapped around the grip, dropping her head to take aim. She was poised so gracefully, as if she had taken this stance many times before. Lines of concentration formed on her face, one eye shut and another narrowed as she honed in on her target. It looked as if she was holding her breath, for her body was stilled with concentration.

  She covered her ears and silently mouthed for Carson to do the same- she'd wished she'd been smart enough to do it earlier. He complied, nodding. If he does have a concussion, it's still going to be loud as hell to him, she realized.

  Even with her ears shielded the noise was earsplitting. The back window of a car very close to the officers exploded, shiny shards zooming out towards them. She watched as three heads whipped one way and then the next and then they were off, instinct finally winning over.

  Laylia and Jaycee also seized their opportunity and joined up with the other Carriers about halfway there. Marena shot at the cops again, this time aiming towards the street right of the officers. Her bullet missed by a wide berth, but it was enough to bewilder them further. The others continued to move swiftly, legs pounding over the ground. She watched with bated breath, everything was going so well now; they were in the home stretch…

  Shay felt relief wash over her as the others surrounded them, each seemingly alright. Laylia and Jaycee were both unscathed with the exemption of scraped knees, arms, and elbows while Katrina had a cut on the right side of her forehead, likely inflicted by a stray shard of glass. She didn't seem to pay heed to the blood trickling down her face. Her knees and elbows were also scraped and a dark, fresh bruise clouded her collarbone. Owen too was scraped and bruised.

  "Hey, someone stop them!"

  Eight heads whipped around to see several officers rushing towards them, closing the distance quickly. She twisted around, prepared to run, but was met with bumper-to-bumper traffic almost immediately. For as far as she could see the bridge was congested, the angry blares of car horns rising up from the distance.