by Cameo Renae
“Stevens, you’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she keeps up.”
Jimenez chuckled.
Without turning around, the sergeant added, “Jimenez, you’ve just joined him.”
“Ahhh, shit, Sarge,” he hissed. Stevens gave him a smirk. “Asswipe.”
Stevens and Jimenez grabbed the girl, while the rest of us quickly gathered our things.
The sergeant led us northeast. The growls were growing louder and louder, informing me there were just as many Arvies in this group as the last.
Danielle was restrained, with her arms behind her back. Her mouth had been sealed to muffle her screams. She still hadn’t spoken a word and was groggy, but stumbled along at a decent enough pace. The possessed stare in her eyes was undeniable though. She wasn’t the girl I’d met in her mind. This girl was damaged, maybe beyond repair.
The only one she’d let near her was Chase, for reasons we didn’t understand. Maybe she felt a connection to him.
They put the remains of the baby into a plastic bag and wrapped it in the blanket to keep the smell at bay. Then Chase carefully attached it to the back of his pack, and walked in front of her, which made her willingly follow. It was a smart plan on Chase’s part and seemed to be working.
The sun was getting lower as we hurried our way across the sand.
Stevens stopped and squinted ahead. “Is that the town?” he asked.
In the distance, as the sun barely touched the ground, I saw a dozen black dots on the horizon.
Sergeant Hawkins peered through his binoculars. “No, the town is much further, at least thirty miles away. Those look like random homes. We’ll need to pick up our pace so that we can take refuge there.”
Jimenez looked concerned. “Sarge, if those mutants find us, they’ll corner us.”
“I see them—a cloud of dust,” Jones said, pointing to the south. “There must be around fifty heading our way.”
“Abi, how do they know?” the sergeant asked. “Is the girl calling them?”
“No,” I answered. “She’s been quiet.”
“How far, Jones?” Sergeant Hawkins questioned.
“They’re approximately twenty clicks southwest of our position. If we don’t kick it into gear, those Arvies will be munching on our asses in a matter of hours.”
“Munching on our asses?” Jimenez chuckled.
“Yeah, and look! I can see one of them in the front, waving a bottle of hot sauce in the air. Looks like he’s craving Mexican,” Jones laughed.
“Ha, ha, ha,” Jimenez snarled. “I hope it finds me. I’ll give that bastard a mouthful it’ll never forget.” He racked the slide on his handgun. “But we do have a colorful buffet of options. White and dark meat. Or, they might prefer Hawaiian.”
Keanu gave him a side glance and flexed his bicep. “Hawaiian, yes, but if they’re looking for pineapples or ham, it ain’t here.”
“What are you talking about?” Stevens laughed.
“Damn white people used to think they could throw ham and pineapple on a dish and call it Hawaiian. That’s bullshit. Real Hawaiians never ate that shit.”
Stevens’ brow crinkled. “What did they eat?”
“Whatever the hell they felt like eating,” Keanu replied, staring down at him with a scowl.
“That’s cool, that’s cool,” Stevens replied, not returning eye contact.
Keanu smacked him on the back. “But these days we can’t be picky, am I right?”
“Right.”
“Hey, I see a chopper,” Jones said, pointing to the sky. “They’re headed for the Arvies.”
We all waited anxiously for more news as he focused his binoculars. “They’re firing on them. Holy shit, I think our asses have been saved. They took them out!”
Sergeant Hawkins stood next to him, glancing through his binoculars. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I don’t see the Arvies anymore.”
“Is the chopper headed our way? Are we going to be rescued?” Stevens’ eyes were wide, trying to spot whatever was across the desert with his naked eye.
“They’re headed our way,” Jones said.
“Looks like rescue is on the way, ladies,” Sergeant Hawkins chimed.
“Hooah!” the men cheered.
“Are you sure they can see us?” Dr. Simon asked. “We are nearly invisible out in the open.”
“No. No!” Jones yelled. “They’re turning. Heading northwest, toward the last town we were in.”
“What if we make a signal fire?” Stevens asked.
Jimenez turned to him with an annoyed look. “Because, genius…we’ll be signaling more than the chopper. Remember the town we set on fire? The smoke led them to us. If the chopper doesn’t see it, we’ve just invited trouble for ourselves.”
“It was just a suggestion,” Stevens huffed.
“Grab your gear and get a move on,” the sergeant commanded. “I’d like to reach these homes before it gets completely dark. We can’t be out in the open knowing the mutants are pursuing us; they knew we were headed this way. And, I’d like to have the advantage of whatever daylight we have left to remove any Arvies that may be hanging out in those homes.”
I turned to Dr. Simon and noticed he looked a little flustered. “How are you?”
He turned and smiled. “I’m fine. Of course, we could all be better.”
“You need some water?”
“I’d love some,” he replied.
Keanu heard our conversation and handed Dr. Simon a canteen.
“Thank you,” Dr. Simon and I answered together.
I was glad the chopper was headed in the opposite direction. It meant another day of figuring out an escape plan. The soldiers were slowly dropping their guard around me, and I was trying to prove to them that I wouldn’t try to escape.
Yet.
Since I promised, I tried to make contact with Danielle to let her know about the Arvies.
It took a minute for her to respond. Her voice was quiet. “Are the monsters gone?”
“Yes. They’re all gone,” I said. “You don’t have to be scared.”
“Okay. Thank you,” she answered.
“You’re welcome. I’ll contact you later,” I said, turning and looking at the girl with Chase. It was like they were two completely different people. She was still a little groggy and looked battered. In more ways than one.
While the soldiers seemed like cool enough guys, their mission had been to capture me, regardless of the cost, and they had. But then again, they were only following orders
…not to mention, killing Arvies in the meantime.
I wonder if Finn had stayed in the bunker if he would have been a part of this team. He would’ve fit in with them perfectly. Everyone loved him—not as much as I did— Finn had a magnetic presence and personality and got along with everyone
I couldn’t think too much about him because it made my heart ache. He would be furious that I left without telling him. I had to keep reminding myself it was for the best.
Or was it?
We had limited time on this earth. I wanted to be with Finn, and I knew he wanted to be with me, yet here I was, captured…a prisoner being led through the desert, trying to stay alive.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered to him, wishing I could go back for a do-over. If I had a second chance, I’d want him with me. The real question now was…had my decision caused us to be separated indefinitely?
We kept moving as quickly as we could and made it outside the small group of homes right before the sun disappeared on the horizon.
“Everyone down,” Sergeant Hawkins said, dropping to his chest about two hundred yards out.
As soon as Danielle saw the homes, she threw a fit, screaming and thrashing her body around.
“Shut her up,” the sergeant ordered.
Chase crawled over to her and grabbed the sides of her head, steadying her to look into his eyes. In a calm and soothing voice, he reassured her she was going to be safe. “Nothing will harm
you. I’ll protect you.” He repeated the words over and over like a lullaby, and it worked. She calmed down; her wide brown eyes never leaving his.
“You rock, Chase. And it looks like you’ve got a new admirer,” I said.
Keeping his eyes on Danielle, he replied, “Figures. It doesn’t surprise me I’d get the mentally unstable one.”
I giggled then heard a terrifying growl. Chase and Dr. Simon’s heads snapped toward me, simultaneously.
“Did you hear that?” I whispered.
They both nodded.
“What is it?” Sergeant Hawkins asked.
“Arvies. They’re somewhere in there.”
He pulled his M-16 from his back and checked the ammo. “We’ll go in teams of two. “Keanu and Stevens, you’ll take the right. Jones and Jimenez, you’ll go left. Clear the outside buildings first and move in. I’ll go center.”
“Sergeant, I can help. You’ll need someone to cover you.”
“She’s right,” Jones said. “Going in alone is dangerous. We can’t afford to lose you.”
Sergeant Hawkins gave me a stare down, and I could almost see him weighing the pros and cons. He finally leaned forward, handing me the M-16.
“No,” I said pushing it back. “I need my gun.”
“It’s a handgun.” He said it like I was saying something absurd.
“It can kill as quickly and efficiently as your rifle,” I said.
After another brief pause, he reached into his bag and pulled out Hellfire. As he placed her in my hands, it felt as if he’d gifted me a firstborn child.”
“How many do you think are in there?” he asked.
“It doesn’t sound like many. Maybe a dozen? I’m not entirely sure.”
He reached back in and threw me an extra clip. “Just in case.”
“Thank you,” I said, tucking it into my belt.
“I’ll be taking that back when we’re done,” he noted.
“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Anger bubbled inside at that, and Venge stirred. But I had to keep her caged. If I didn’t, they’d all be dead.
“What about us?” Chase whispered.
Jones handed him his handgun. “If you try and run—”
“Do you seriously think we’d run?” Chase held his free hand up gesturing to the landscape. “There’s nowhere to run to.”
Keanu gave Dr. Simon his piece.
“I don’t know how to use this,” Dr. Simon said, holding the gun as if it would bite him.
“Just point and shoot,” I said. “You probably won’t have to use it. You should be okay, just stay down and stay quiet.” They looked terrified, but I knew we could clear the Arvies and be back in no time.
I turned to Chase. “You’ve got this, right?”
“Yeah, just hurry back.” His voice was trembling.
With two hand signals, the two teams ran left and right.
“You ready?” Sergeant Hawkins asked, glancing back at me.
I grinned. “I was bred for this.”
I swear I saw a smile on his face as he turned back and ran toward the middle house. I followed closely behind, with adrenaline pumping through my veins, and Hellfire grasped tightly in my hand.
When we reached the back of the house, we pressed our backs up against it.
“Do you hear anything?” he asked.
“Yes,” I replied. “They’re here and are close; I just can’t pinpoint their location.”
He nodded. “I’m going around to the front. You cover my back.”
I nodded and followed him around the side of the house, staying under the windows.
In a few seconds, two gunshots rang out.
Sergeant Hawkins ran forward, knowing we’d been given away.
Stevens yelled.
KNEELING IN THE DIRT, TEN yards away, was a man with his hands in the air, begging Stevens not to shoot. He must have been a survivor because he looked like a vagrant.
Stevens made a swinging motion with his gun, the man stumbled to his feet and ran away.
Another gunshot fired behind us.
“Abi,” Sergeant Hawkins called. He was already at the front door. There was so much going on, I had to work on keeping focused. He broke through the door and stormed in.
Holding Hellfire up, I swung her around, checking our perimeter. So far, it was clear, but there were Arvies and vagrants in the area.
With the outside clear, I made my way into the house. It was dark, but I could see the sergeant’s flashlight swinging back and forth. Following his light, I made my way through a hallway. I could hear a faint growl, but wasn’t sure if it was in the house or farther outside.
A weapon was fired. I heard Sergeant Hawkins struggling, so I ran back to help him. He was wrestling with two bodies. I fired the next two shots, and both bodies dropped.
Sergeant Hawkins was on his back, pushing one of the bodies off him. He reached for his flashlight a few feet away. The light briefly shone on a corpse’s face.
“Oh my God,” I breathed, horrified. “They were survivors.” My entire body trembled. “Oh my God. I killed survivors.”
They were filthy from head to toe, much like Danielle. Their hair was matted, facial hair long and unkempt, their teeth badly eroded, and their nails, long and sharpened.
Sergeant Hawkins pointed his flashlight toward the first man. A foot away from him was a machete with dried blood smeared across the blade. Then he moved to the second man. Still gripped in his hand was a serrated blade, also stained with blood.
“We call them Manics,” he said. “Survivors who came topside way before the government said it was safe. Most of them have gone mad and violent. They are mainly those who had private hives and didn’t adhere to the government's warnings. You’d be surprised how many there are up here.”
“How do you know about them?”
“We’ve run across them over the past few months,” he said kicking the machete toward the wall. “They’re no better than the mutants. A few soldiers witnessed a group of them practicing cannibalism. During a routine search, they found three bodies strung up with large pieces of flesh missing. One of them was a child.”
“Oh God.” I covered my mouth, acid rising in my throat. The smell coming from these men was nauseating.
“I didn’t even see them when I walked in the room. They were hiding in the closet. He pointed the flashlight to a small walk-in. “You saved my life. Those men would have killed me without batting an eye. Look at them. They’re savages.”
I nodded, wiping my tears. I would believe his words, but mainly because I didn’t want to think I’d killed innocents. If I did, my world would fall apart.
Sergeant Hawkins glanced at me. “We still have a few homes to clear. You up for it?”
“Yes.”
He made his way toward the exit and paused, checking outside. Then he handed me his flashlight and put on his night vision goggles. “You’ve got one hell of a shot, girl. They were all quick kills, right to the forehead.”
“I was trained by the best,” I said.
“I can see that,” he said. “And thanks for offering to cover me.”
“Survival works best in a group. With people you trust.”
He gave a nod. “Let’s go.”
I followed him to the next house and heard low rumbling growls. “Head’s up. Arvies inside.”
He gave me a thumbs-up and readied his weapon. As soon as he broke through the door, he began firing. Arvy screams rang loud. He went right, I went left. A dark figure moved, and as I swung the flashlight around, I was slammed from the side.
Toppling onto the ground, I grabbed hold of the Arvy’s neck as it pushed down, snapping its teeth at my face. Hellfire was trapped in the hand being held beneath my body. I bent my knees and kicked off the ground, enough to release my arm. As soon as it was free, I shot. One bullet in the side of its head. I pushed it to the side and jumped to my feet, whisking the flashlight around the room. Empty.
I quickly made my way to the ne
xt room when I heard multiple shots. Running toward Sergeant Hawkins, I saw another movement ahead. I raised Hellfire.
“Don’t shoot!” It was Stevens. “We’ve cleared ours and came to help.” Keanu stood outside. “We killed five Arvies, and let loose two survivors.”
“Clear,” Jones yelled, then walked into the house.
Sergeant Hawkins came out of the back room dragging two Arvy bodies. We heard screaming outside, and then gunshots.
Keanu ran from the doorway. “Jimenez!”
There were more gunshots and yelling. I headed for the door but was met with the team.
“Get him in.” Both Keanu and Jones carried Jimenez into the home; each had an arm.
“Shit. Shit. Shit!” Jimenez moaned.
“What happened?” Sergeant Hawkins pulled a chair from the corner.
“Damn son of a bitch! It bit me,” he hollered. “I’m going to die. I’m not ready for this shit.”
“Where?” The sergeant stood in front of him.
“Leg. I was walking back, and it dove at me. Before I knew what was going on, it bit my calf.”
More gunshots were heard outside.
“Shit! The Readers,” Stevens exhaled.
“Go get them!” Sergeant Hawkins yelled.
Stevens and Jones ran outside, with me on their heels. The gun continued to fire…five, six, seven, eight, nine times. I sprinted as fast as I could, passing by Keanu and Stevens, my heart hammering.
When I neared them, I saw an Arvy on the ground, feet away from the group. Dr. Simon had his weapon pointed at the body, his hands trembling.
“Dr. Simon!” I yelled.
He looked at me and released the weapon. He’d fired every single round into the Arvy. It was riddled with bullets.
“Holy balls,” Stevens whistled. “That mutant looks like Swiss cheese.”
“Do you even know what Swiss cheese is?” Jones sneered.
“I’ve seen pictures. It’s very…holey.”
“Dr. Simon, look at me?” I said kneeling next to him. He was still shaking, so I placed my hand on his shoulder. “You did good.”
He turned to me, a blank look in his eyes. I knew that look well. It was his first kill, and he was in shock, probably trying to process what really happened. It must have been especially hard for someone who’d spent his life helping people.