Moses and Kira took next watch. I climbed into the tent, fluffed my pillow, and refused to think further on the things I hated. Instead, I focused on what I did have. A new family, the skill of fighting, and the ability to get Sharon to do what I wanted.
I smiled. It would be enough. For a while, anyway.
The presence of close bodies kept me warm, and I drifted off to sleep dreaming of the life I’d have in ten years. One where I never worried about food or shelter or fighting creatures thirsty for blood.
14
Over another bowl of gruel the next morning I pondered who to take to the nearest tall building and who to leave behind to guard the supplies. With scavengers and the mystery group roaming the city, our supplies would be very enticing. I could leave ten behind and pray Fawke and I could safely meet up with the arriving five and stay alive in the process.
I could send Ezra with him, but as leader, I felt it my duty to take on the more dangerous tasks. Why have someone do something I wasn’t willing to? If I perished, the next poor fool to land on black would be sent to take my place same as any of them.
Pushing to my feet, I told the others to stay behind and pull the wagons out of sight. “Fawke will go with me.” I eyed Lars and Dayton. “If you two cause any trouble, I’ll have your chips detonated. Run and I’ll shoot you the moment I see you. You heard Sharon. You’re with us now. Prove we can trust you.”
“I’m in no hurry to die,” Dayton said. “You’ll have no trouble from me.” He handed me the pack with the luxury items. “Lars and I aren’t stupid. Good luck getting the same attitude from those you’re meeting up with.”
I nodded, hoping the released prisoners would cooperate because they were no longer behind bars. Not cooperating could easily result in their death. If they ran, they’d die for sure. I doubted any of them would be seasoned fighters. I slung the pack over my shoulder and motioned my head for Fawke to lead the way.
“During our watch last night,” he took the pack from me and put it on himself, “I spotted a tall building that looked as if it might support the weight of several people.”
“Not the chopper?”
“I don’t think they’ll land. The pilot will most likely hover and let the others jump off.” He inhaled long and deep. “With all these newbies, we’re going to have to take a day or two to teach them fighting skills. It’ll be too dangerous to have to babysit so many inexperienced people.”
“We can hold up for a while. If Sharon complains, we’ll explain why.”
He laughed. “You mean you’ll tell her and leave no room for argument.”
I grinned. “Yep.”
“Let’s hope your luck with her continues. I don’t think Soriah has ever met anyone as strong willed as you.”
His words sounded like a compliment and filled me with a rush of warmth. “This may be none of my business, but are you and Gage an item?” The words spewed out before I could stop them.
He stopped and faced me. “With only two years left on my time, why would I get involved with anyone here? Especially someone with nine years left.”
Which meant I had no chance. I shrugged. “That makes sense.”
“Why’d you ask?” His eyes twinkled.
“Seems like folks pair up on occasion. It’s a lonely life out here.”
“I don’t mind being alone.” He resumed our hike.
I stifled a sigh and matched my pace to his. We’d set off early enough that I hoped we wouldn’t run into too many Malignants. At least not until we retrieved the newcomers to our group. I also hoped they came with weapons, guns preferably. Every member of our group needed a long-range rifle and a sword.
A rock clattered to my right. I whirled in time to see a large rat scurry out of sight. The question as to what the Malignants ate when they couldn’t kill a human was answered. Rats would be easy prey to feed their offspring.
“If we ever find a nest,” I said, “we have to dispose of it.”
Fawke arched a brow. “Of course.”
Stupid statement. My face flushed. “Killing young will be easier than the adults.”
Again, his expression said I stated the obvious. “You know what I mean. We’re here to find survivors, but that doesn’t release us from ridding the city of Malignants.”
“Again, that’s obvious. By us clearing the way, scavengers have an easier time filling the coffers of the rich.” Bitterness dripped from his words.
My steps faltered. Fawke rarely showed displeasure with the life he’d been dealt. Did things get mentally harder the closer a person got to their date of freedom? Of course, we’d discovered a lot of deceit in the last few days. Lies told by Soriah to get us to do their bidding.
Fawke slipped through the same opening we’d discovered the day before and halted. “Coast is clear. See that building across the way? It’s got to be ten stories tall. It should suffice for the chopper.”
“If it isn’t full of Malignants.”
“Move as quietly as possible. Our suits will hide our scent.”
True. But I doubted those we were meeting would be dressed in the same suits. I glanced at the sky, relieved not to see any rain clouds. If Sharon really listened to my requests, the newcomers would arrive with a crate containing what they needed to survive out here. We weren’t as expendable as Soriah once thought.
We sprinted down the street toward the building Fawke had chosen. Inside, we stopped and pulled the scarves from our nose and mouth. The air reeked, warning us of Malignants inside.
I pulled my scarf back up to hide the black stripes and make breathing a little easier, then followed Fawke toward a set of stairs. Ten flights. Ugh.
We saw little sign of the creatures in the cement-walled stairwell. A few fresh smears on the wall that looked like blood. They’d brought their kills from yesterday here.
“Keep your eyes open for weapons,” Fawke whispered. “Anything else we can use. If they brought the dead here, they could have been wearing packs.”
That would be an easy score. I remembered the pack I’d spotted across the way a couple of days ago. We’d need to see if it was still there if others hadn’t found it first. We weren’t in any position to let anything useable lie out to rot.
On the fourth floor we found the remains of the first body in the middle of a nest. No sign of the nest’s occupants, but I heard shrieks from a distance away. The Malignants had left their lair to hunt.
We searched the room for anything useable, finding a knife and a small bottle of water purification tablets. I confiscated them and continued following Fawke to the next floor. Score. A backpack lay next to the remains of another body.
I opened it to reveal vegetable seeds and articles of clothing. I grinned. Sharon didn’t know of these things. I could use them to barter with. In a city of overcast skies, no vegetables would grow. Only Soriah had the means to make artificial sunlight.
By the time we reached the roof, we hadn’t found anything else, and my lungs burned from the climb. I slid to the cold concrete roof to rest until the chopper arrived. I pulled a canteen from my belt, took a deep drink, then handed it to Fawke who sat next to me.
“Thanks.” He didn’t look as if he’d just climbed ten flights of stairs. He wasn’t panting for breath or wiping sweat from his brow. How did he continue on as if everything was an afternoon stroll?
I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. We were safe enough on the roof. With only one door leading to us, we’d pick off any Malignants who dared follow. “I hope we don’t have long to wait. I want to search the area the fighting occurred yesterday.”
“Me, too. I’d like to get back before dark.” He took another drink from the canteen and handed it back to me. “It’ll be slow going if a crate arrives with the five new people and we run into Malignants.”
We always ran into them. The creatures were an infestation. I couldn’t remember how long ago the world had gone dark or when the plague released. Way before my time. Even before my parents. I’
d once heard it had happened a hundred years ago. I didn’t think anyone thought it possible the Malignants would breed. I’m sure they believed they could eventually be killed off.
The thwump of an arriving chopper pulled me to my feet. I squared my shoulders and waited to see who Sharon had sent us.
The chopper hovered just off the rooftop. A crate was pushed off first, followed by two women and three men all forty-years-old and younger. At least we hadn’t been sent any elderly people. These all looked strong enough to be of some worth. The two men dragged the crate toward us, then the five lined up as if for an inspection.
“I’m Crynn Dayholt, your leader. This is Fawke our top fighter.”
The oldest man, his gray hair shaved close to his head nodded and pointed to each person down the line. “Riva, Samson, Jep, Lotus, Zed. Thank you for asking for our release.”
“Your crimes?”
He sneered. “I’m the only murderer here. Killed someone in a drunken brawl. You won’t have to worry about any of us. The air might be foul here, but at least we’re in the open.”
“Time will determine how grateful you are.” I smiled. “Did they tell you what you’d be doing?”
“Spending the rest of our lives fighting monsters.”
“Can you fight?”
“Time will tell.” He chuckled.
“Let’s see what we’ve been sent.” I motioned for them to open the crate.
Seven rubber suits, two flame throwers, swords, food, and long-range rifles. My smile widened. Sharon really wanted us to live long enough to find the survivors Soriah sought.
“Don the rubber suits. It helps hide your scent. Then, each of you grab a gun and a sword. You’ll need them before we get back to camp. Very little time passes without a battle.”
The pretty woman named Lotus paled. “I’m here because I refused to accept my fate on the wheel. It landed on red. I’m not a fighter.”
“You will be,” Fawke said. “If you make it back to camp alive, I’ll train you. If you don’t learn, you’ll die. That goes for all of you.”
“How many of us are there?” The young man named Jep asked.
“You five make us seventeen.”
“That’s all.” His eyes widened.
“That’s it.”
I waited for one of them to comment on my age, glad when they didn’t. These people had been trained not to ask a lot of questions. Good. They’d follow orders without too much trouble.
Once they had donned the suits and picked up the crate, we headed down the stairs and onto the street. Lotus gasped as shrieks rose from an adjoining building.
“No sound,” I hissed. “No sudden moves. The suits confuse them, but if you run or make too much noise, they’ll attack.”
Tears welled in her eyes. She nodded.
“And absolutely no tears. There’s no room for weakness out here. If you must cry, do it in the privacy of your bed.”
“You’ll make a good replacement for Alga someday,” Fawke said, his gaze warm on mine.
Pleased way more than I should be, I headed in the direction of the fight yesterday. Unless those who’d fled had returned, we’d find things they’d left behind. I didn’t mind scavenging for the sake of my group. Why let Soriah’s bloodhounds find everything?
15
“Let’s show these newbies how it’s done.” Fawke held out his hand.
I slipped mine in his and got to my feet. We’d chosen the courtyard of a small building with a collapsed roof as our temporary camp. Surrounded by a block fence, we were protected by any surprise attacks. It was the perfect place to spar and train the others. Only one way in and that was by squeezing past an iron gate hanging by one hinge.
I pulled my sword and took up my stance, a grin spreading across my face. “I’m better than I used to be. Are you sure you don’t want to use sticks?”
“That’s good, and no. This way you’ll fight harder to avoid my blade.” He winked and attacked, his weight on his right leg.
This was no fancy dancing back and forth. This was a straight out brawl.
I swung my sword over my head, metal clanging as he blocked my sword. I spun and dropped to one knee, jabbing upward only to have him swing and block again.
The gazes of everyone in our group burned holes through me, fueling me to fight harder, fight faster. Sweat ran down my face, blurring my vision.
The flat side of Fawke’s blade slapped against my backside eliciting screams and jeers from the others. “I don’t think a Malignant is interested in that part of my body.” I lunged. “They prefer guts.” I knocked his sword aside, stopping my tip from mere inches from his belly.
“Bravo.” He stopped and clapped. “Anger spurs you on.”
“That and the will to live.” I leaned against the fence to catch my breath. “The rest of you grab a thick stick. I’ll work with the women?”
“Sounds good. Ezra and Moses are strong enough fighters to help with the men.”
I sheathed my sword and found a stick as thick as my wrist. We didn’t want any injuries worse than a bruise, and the sooner we deemed the new people fight worthy, the sooner we could resume our mission.
I paired Gage with Lara, Kira with Riva, and Lotus with Lara. I closely monitored the last two, them both being new to the group, and occasionally changed places with one or the other.
“Block your body at all times. When the attack comes, the monsters won’t pussy-foot around. They come at you in full force. If you don’t kill them, they will kill you. Don’t be timid.” I tapped my stick on Lara’s shoulder. “Pretend you’re protecting your babies.”
That helped a little, but the woman was definitely not a fighter. I doubted she’d last a month out here.
After an hour, I called a fifteen-minute break, then resumed. “I’ll spar with Kira. The rest of you watch and learn.”
Kira wasn’t as good as Fawke, but she gave me an intense workout. It might be a good idea to have regular sparring sessions to keep us all in top fighting shape. “Look.” She pointed her stick to the sky.
A white parachute floated down toward the parking lot on the other side of the fallen building we’d camped next to yesterday. “Whoever that is won’t survive the horde living there. Let’s go, people.” I pulled up my scarf and took off at a dead run.
Fawke passed me quickly. Pounding footsteps behind me let me know the others followed. We were going to be too late no matter how fast we ran.
“Over the top! There’s no time to reach the opening.” I scrambled up, my feet slipping on loose bricks and cement.
Up and over like ants, then a full sprint to where the person fought to free themselves of their chute. From the nearby buildings swarmed Malignants. Seconds later, screams came from under the chute which was now being ripped to shreds along with the person trapped underneath.
I held up my hand to stop the others. “We’re too late. The horde is too big for us.” My shoulders slumped. “We’ll wait until nightfall to see what we can retrieve.” Happy Birthday whoever you are.
Back at camp, I paced in front of my group. “That’s what happens when you’re unprepared. She should never have gotten tangled.”
“She?” Dante tilted his head.
“Sounded like a female.” I kicked a rock. The poor girl probably wouldn’t have made it to us anyway. Not with the numbers of Malignants that swarmed her. We could have lost more by trying to save her.
“How are we supposed to get across that lot with that many of those things?” Lotus turned and lost her breakfast.
Fawke glanced my way. “Should we start traveling at night? The rubber suits have flashlights. It’ll be slower, but they sleep at night.”
I stopped my pacing. “I don’t see that we have any other choice. Get some sleep people. We move out as soon as it’s quiet.” I sat with my back against the wall and closed my eyes. I didn’t need to see to know Fawke sat next to me.
“It’s unfortunate, but it happens. More than we’d like.�
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“How many since you’ve been here?”
“She made five. All the same way. They couldn’t get out from under their chute in time.” His voice held all the weariness I felt.
The radio crackled. My eyes snapped open as Sharon’s face appeared on the monitor. “It’s your job, Miss Dayholt, to make sure new arrivals don’t die the moment they step foot on land.”
“There was nothing I could do. The Malignants were too many for us to tackle.” I would not let her make me feel any worse than I already did.
“We have more turning eighteen in a few days. Make sure if one arrives that you keep them alive.” The screen went black.
“How did she know?” Lotus asked.
“The chip we all have goes dead when our heart stops beating,” Fawke said.
“We’ll lose some of us as time goes by.” Ezra sat next to one of the gas fires. “There’s no way we can reach that mountain without a few deaths.”
“Thank you, Mr. Encouragement.” I glared.
“I don’t want to go.” Lara shook her head. “Leave me here. I’ll die here. It’s better than being torn apart.”
“No one stays behind,” I said.
“Let them activate my chip.” She stared wide-eyed around the group, shrugging off her husband’s hand as he tried to placate her. “What do I need to do?” She grabbed her stick. “Kill?” She whacked Lotus on the head. The girl crumbled to the ground.
I tackled Lara, yanking the stick from her hand. If her chip wasn’t activated once Sharon found out, it would confirm my suspicions that they were nothing more than trackers.
Kira knelt next to Lotus. “She’s alive, but she’ll have one hell of a headache.”
I stood and pulled Lara to her foot, then shoved her in the direction of her husband. “Take care of her or I’ll use her as a distraction when we cross that lot. If she tries something that stupid again, I’ll kill her myself.”
Nodding, he led his wife to the other side of the courtyard, doing his best to calm her hysterics. “Shh. It’ll be okay.”
Idiot. I moved over and patted Lotus’s cheek. “Open your eyes.”
The Wheel: A Young Adult Dystopian Novel (Nightfall Book 1) Page 9