“I’m Lena, and I’ve got a word of advice for you.” Lena leaned forward and jabbed a finger into Cat’s chest. “Stay the hell away from Jay. He’s not for the likes of you.”
“I didn’t ask for this,” Cat protested.
“I don’t care. If you insist on playing his game, you leave me no choice but to challenge you.”
“Challenge me? To what?” Cat asked.
“A fight to the death. Winner takes all,” Lena said, before turning to leave. “Enjoy the apple while you can.”
Cat’s stomach churned as she watched Lena leave. The last thing she needed was to get caught up in a feud over a man she didn’t even want. “Great. Just perfect.”
Cat took a last swig from the bottled water before passing it on to the others along with the apple. Her gesture earned her a bit of goodwill, and a few sympathetic smiles turned her way. A couple went as far as to warn her about Lena. Apparently, the woman was cruel and vengeful, obsessed with Jay. None of which was good news to Cat.
A few hours later, they rolled into the Ravager’s camp, and Cat’s heart sank into her boots. Escape from there would be impossible. Fenced, patrolled, and guarded by tens on tens of Ravagers, it would take a miracle to get out without being spotted.
Once inside, the men and women captives were separated and pushed toward wooden structures built to imprison them. These consisted of little more than wooden poles lashed together in a rough square with an open ceiling. The floor was a sea of mud, and the elements had free reign over the occupants. Rain or shine, hot or cold, they felt it.
From inside these structures, numerous sets of haunted eyes looked their way, staring from gaunt faces and bony bodies. A thick miasma of rot, pus, decay, and raw sewage emanated from it.
Cat gasped, facing the grim future laid out before her. She pressed a hand to her nose, trying not to throw up. “Good God.”
“Don’t you like what you see?” Jay asked, appearing at her side.
“No,” she admitted with a vehement shake of her head.
“There’s only one way out of the stockades,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“The Ring. You fight for your rights in the Ring. If you win, you get to be one of us. If you lose…”
“I get eaten?” she asked.
Jay laughed. “So you’ve heard the stories, have you? About us being cannibals?”
“Aren’t you?”
“No, we’re not. Who in God’s name would eat people?” He faked a shudder. “It makes for a fearsome reputation, though, and if people fear you, they obey you.”
“Clever.”
“I knew you’d appreciate that. You’re more than just a pretty face, aren’t you?” He traced a cool finger down her arm, and she fought with herself not to pull away from his touch. She was on her own here. It was up to her to survive.
“Maybe.”
“That’s why I want you to face Lena in the Ring tonight,” he said, turning speculative eyes on her.
“Fight Lena?” she asked, a frisson of terror running up her spine. She knew better than to show it, though. The only thing Jay respected was strength.
“Beat her, and you’ll be my queen. Lose and..” He shrugged. “You can figure that one out for yourself.”
“Are you the leader of the Ravagers?” she asked.
“No, that would be my brother, but he’s taken, so don’t bother setting your sights on him,” he said. “Besides, he lets me make most of the decisions. He’s too taken up with his pleasures to worry much about running the camp. The real power lies with me.”
“I see.”
Jay gripped her chin and looked into her eyes before planting a bruising kiss on her lips, one that left her gasping for breath. “Beat Lena, and I’ll make sure you never regret it.”
Cat nodded, at a loss for words. Jay terrified her. His nature was both base and primal. Attractive in some ways, deadly in others. I have to escape, or he’ll be the death of me, but how?
Jay smiled. “Now, off to the stockade for you to prepare for your match tonight.”
“The stockade? But…”
“You thought I’d coddle you?” Jay laughed. “A few hours in there is just what you need to convince you that your best option lies with me.”
Jay stepped back and snapped his fingers. “Take her.”
Without sparing her another look, the Beast walked away, leaving Cat on her own. A guard grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the fetid opening of the stockade, ignoring her struggles as she tried to pull free.
Once they reached it, he unlocked the door but paused for a moment. “This is from Lena,” he whispered in her ear, before lifting his foot and bringing it down on her right ankle with brutal force. “Try winning in the Ring now.”
A sharp, searing pain shot up Cat’s leg, burning its way through her nervous system until every sense was alight. With a cry, she fell to the ground as he shoved her inside, cradling her injured limb with both hands. Hot tears streamed down her face as she fought to contain her agonized sobs.
Minutes later, the awful truth set in. There’d be no fight for her tonight, only an execution. As much as she hated Jay, he was preferable to a slow death in the stocks while she found a way to escape the Ravagers. With this injury, though, there’d be no victory for her. Nothing but death awaited her in the Ring. I’m doomed.
Chapter 17 - Nadia
It was early afternoon, and the sun shone hot and fierce, its yellow orb raining down heat. Nadia shifted in her seat, cursing when her sweaty skin stuck to the leather. She lifted an arm and sniffed. “Ugh, this is impossible.”
“What is?” Lisa asked, not taking her eyes from the binoculars pressed to her face.
“I stink, and I’m sweaty. How in God’s name am I supposed to seduce anyone?” Nadia complained.
Lisa sighed. “I’m sure you’ll find a way. You’re young and pretty. Plus, it’s the apocalypse. Women are scarce.”
“I hope you’re right. This whole plan hinges on me infecting a bunch of people, and I can hardly go around biting people,” Nadia said. “They’d kill me within seconds.”
“Yeah, I’d rather that didn’t happen. This time tomorrow, I want both my friends safe and sound and back with me. Got that?”
“I’ve got it.”
Nadia fished in her bag for a rag, dampening it with water and giving her sticky skin a quick wipe. She combed her newly trimmed hair and applied fresh lip gloss and eyeliner. Her outfit was sexy, but not over the top, her boots and gear dirty and worn enough so she looked like a legitimate survivor.
“There. Do I look the part?” she asked, nervous tension coiling in her stomach.
“You go get them, girl,” Lisa said with an approving nod.
“Are you sure we’re ready for this?”
“Of course. Everything’s in place,” Lisa said, and indeed it was.
After hatching their new plan the previous day, they’d wasted no time implementing it. The first thing they’d done was look for a getaway vehicle. Something big that could plow over fences and people alike. The idea was for Lisa to storm in during the outbreak with said vehicle, pick Nadia and Cat up at a designated spot, and get the hell out of there.
The mining dump truck they’d found was perfect. Big, brash, and bold.
From there, Lisa would drive to their second getaway vehicle, a Land Rover SUV with a full tank and plenty of supplies. This would offer them what they needed to make good their final escape.
Two towns over, they’d prepped a safe house. Something small and hidden away in the suburbs, equipped with enough food and water to tide them over for a couple of weeks. They’d stocked it with medical supplies, and both the vehicles carried a first-aid kit. Nobody knew in what kind of shape either Cat or Nadia would be in after their time with the Ravagers.
Nadia bit her lip as she prepared to get out. “Here goes.”
“Be careful, all right?” Lisa said, her shoulders tense with worry. “I’ll come st
orming in the moment it all goes to hell and meet you over by the water tower on the edge of the camp.”
“I’ll try to set off a signal,” Nadia said. “But if I can’t…”
“I just hope I time this right,” Lisa said.
Before she could chicken out, Nadia dropped out of the dump truck to the ground, shouldered her pack, and set off toward the road. From there, she made her way toward the guarded gates, her pace steady and determined. Behind her, Lisa and the truck stayed hidden between the brush and trees on the old dirt track they’d found earlier.
As the gates grew nearer, Nadia’s stomach began to rebel. Butterflies swirled around inside it until she thought she’d lose her breakfast. She couldn’t afford to look nervous, though. The whole plan hinged on her confidence and ability to charm.
A guard spotted her and stepped forward, his gun pointed at her breast. He waited until she was close enough before calling out, “Stop, right there.”
Nadia stopped.
“Now raise both hands in the air. Slowly.”
Nadia complied.
“Walk forward.”
Nadia did so until only a few steps divided them.
“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” he asked.
“My name is Nadia, and I’m a survivor looking for a safe place to hole up in,” she said.
“Nadia, mm?” he said. “Where’s the rest of you?”
She shook her head. “It’s just me.”
“On foot?”
She shrugged. “I ran out of gas a ways back.”
“I see,” he said, studying her through narrowed eyes before jerking his gun at one of his mates. “Disarm her.”
“Why?” Nadia asked, taking a step back even though she’d expected it to happen. It was all part of her playing her role.
“This is our place, Missy, and we don’t allow armed strangers to waltz into our camp just like that.”
“Okay,” she answered, trying to look reluctant but also eager to please. “Fair enough.”
The other guard stepped forward, and she stood stock still while he removed her weapons, one by one.
“Satisfied?” she asked when he was done.
The first guard nodded, allowing his eyes to roam over her body. “Very much so. You’ll make a welcome addition to our camp.”
“What do you mean?” she asked. Guard number two roughly grabbed her arm, no longer as friendly as before, and she cried out, “Hey, watch it.”
“Take her to the stockades. She can simmer there with the others for a while. A whole bunch of newbies came in yesterday.”
“Stockades?” Nadia asked, her eyes wide, though her ears perked at the word newbies. The stockades. That’s where Cat will be, so that’s where I need to be, but first…
“You’re putting me in the stockades?” she asked.
“You heard me,” the first guard said, while the rest snickered. Besides him and his friend, two more had drifted closer to watch the unfolding spectacle.
“Wait a minute. I’m sure we can come to some sort of an arrangement,” Nadia said. She pulled her arm free with a gentle twist from her captor’s hold, before walking toward the guard who’d spoken. He appeared to be in charge, and as she approached, she swayed her hips from side to side.
He eyed her with interest. “Arrangement?”
She tilted her head to the side and bit her lower lip before answering. “Well, I didn’t come here to sit in a stockade, now did I?”
His eyes began to glow. “Why did you come here then? Haven’t you heard about the Ravagers?”
“Oh, I’ve heard about you,” she said with a curve of her lips, stopping when a mere inch separated them. She raised one hand and traced a finger over his chest as she leaned forward. “I’ve heard that you’re strong and dangerous…just the way I like them.”
“You do?” The guard grinned as his eyes devoured her.
“Who doesn’t like a bad boy?” Nadia asked with a mischievous smile. Swallowing her misgivings, she slipped her hand behind the guard’s head and drew it down to hers, standing on tip-toe to kiss him full on the mouth. His breath stank, a reeking mixture of garlic and gum disease, but she forced herself to carry on, slipping her tongue between his lips.
Around them, the other guards whooped and cheered, until at last, her guard broke the kiss. He smirked, chest puffing out at the boost to his ego. “Mm, maybe, I should keep you for myself.”
Maybe,” Nadia cooed, though she secretly longed to gag. “Or maybe, I’ll just do this.”
With perfect precision, she lashed out with a frontal kick, delivering a sharp blow to his groin and crushing his balls. His eyes popped out as he doubled over, both hands cupping his now-defunct crown jewels. With an agonized groan, he toppled over, much to the hilarity of his friends. She turned to look at them with wide eyes. “Did I just do that? Oops.”
The guard who’d disarmed her continued to chuckle. “All right, Miss. You’ve had your fun, and because we all enjoyed the show, I’ll put in a recommendation for you at the Ring.”
“The Ring?” Nadia asked with a frown.
“Yeah, you look strong and sturdy. A fighter. If you win in the Ring, you earn the right to become one of us. That’s what you wanted, right?” He gestured at the fallen guard. “That’s what that little spectacle was for, wasn’t it?”
“Uh, okay. Precisely that. So now what?” she asked.
“Now I take you to the stockade until it’s your turn to fight. Ready?” he asked.
“Sure.”
Nadia followed at a sedate pace as he led the way with another guard following behind. While they walked, she craned her head, taking in as much of their surroundings as possible. She spotted the Ring soon enough. An amphitheater styled structure made from lodge and thatch.
Numerous men and women milled about, each going about their business. They looked rough and rugged. The red bandannas identified them as Ravagers, and Nadia noticed that all of them were in excellent shape and armed to the teeth. A warrior society.
The only feeble ones were captives, their manner and posture like those of beaten dogs. They shuffled about with bent shoulders and downcast eyes, their bodies starved and their clothes threadbare.
“It pays to be a Ravager, I see,” Nadia said.
“That it does,” the guard replied. “Win your fight, and you’ll be one of us.”
“Sounds good.”
Nadia’s gaze fell on what had to be the stockade, a flimsy structure of poles open to the sky. It looked like a strong wind could blow it over, but judging by the prisoner’s demeanor, it wasn’t the cage that kept them captive, but fear itself. Her nostrils flared when they caught the stench emanating from inside, and she gagged. “Man, that stinks.”
“Yup, sorry. Until you win your fight, that’s where you’ll be,” the guard said.
Nadia saw an opportunity to infect a few more men and backpedaled. “You’re putting me in there? No, way, it’s disgusting!”
“You have to,” the guard said. “It’s only for a few hours until tonight anyway.”
“No way in hell!” Faking a panic attack, Nadia fought against their hold, kicking and thrashing as they forced her toward the stockade. Whenever she got the chance, she bit down on bare skin, breaking through and tasting blood. A passing Ravager pitched in to help, and together, the three men got her inside, slamming the door shut.
“Holy crap, she’s a hellcat,” one said, nursing his bleeding arm.
“No, kidding,” the other agreed, blood dripping from his wrist.
“Fuck her, the bitch. She can rot in hell,” said the guard who’d promised initially to vouch for her to fight in the Ring. She’d gotten him the worst. Three wounds on the upper arm.
Nadia smiled as they walked away. Four infected. Not bad. Then she turned and looked around. “Cat? Are you there?”
At first, she encountered nothing but apathy and indifference. The prisoners were long since broken, their spirits ground to nothing bene
ath the heel of their enemy. Then she spotted a familiar camo vest and canvas jacket in the corner. “Cat?”
A disbelieving face turned toward her. “Nadia? Is that you?”
“It’s me!” Nadia ran over and crouched next to Cat, noting the pained look on her face. “What’s wrong?”
In fits and starts, Cat told her the story of Jay and Lena before allowing Nadia to look at her injured foot. The joint had swollen to twice its size, and she’d had to loosen the laces of her boot.
With care, Nadia slipped it off entirely along with the sock before inspecting the ankle. Any movement or prodding elicited cries of agony, but in the end, Nadia was sure of one thing. “It’s not broken. You tore a ligament, I think.”
“Is that bad?”
“Pretty bad in here.”
Nadia slipped off her jacket and long-sleeved shirt before donning the jacket again. Tearing the shirt into strips, she securely bandaged the foot before putting the open boot back on. It was a tight fit. Exactly what she wanted.
From her pocket, she pulled out a handful of painkillers and a small bottle of water which she fed to Cat bit by bit. She’d come prepared, after all.
While waiting for the meds to kick in, Nadia looked at the stockade, testing each pole until she found a weak one which she broke free with a grunt of effort. The end was sharp and splintered, and the other she wrapped in the last piece of her shirt.
She handed it to Cat and whispered, “Keep this as a weapon, and be ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“I infected a few of the Ravagers before they tossed me in here. This place is going to hell in a handbasket soon.”
Cat’s eyes widened. “But we’re stuck in here.”
“Not for long. Come on.”
With Nadia supporting Cat, they made their way to the exit and sank down next to it. Nadia eyed the lock on the chain with a smile, before picking a bobby pin out of her hair. “Easy peasy. Now we just have to wait.”
A few hours passed, punctuated by captives coming and going. None would talk to either Nadia or Cat. Nadia watched the going-ons outside the stockade, alert for any signs of the infection taking hold. Finally, when the sun dropped below the horizon and night set in, she heard it. The telltale screams of fresh victims falling to the teeth of hungry zoms. She tugged Cat to her feet. “This is it. Get ready to run.”
Children of the Apocalypse: Mega Boxed Set Page 129