by Haga, A. H.
Shadia started moving again. Nicholas had gone quiet, but I could still hear the deep timbre of men talking. Then they got quiet as well.
Shadia was moving so slow as if afraid moving any faster would show them where we were.
“This is your last chance,” Nicholas yelled, his voice seeming to make the world around me vibrate. “If you don’t come out in the next ten seconds, I’ll light the house on fire.”
What? He wasn’t serious, was he?
“Ten …”
Did he know what would happen if he started a fire right now? We hadn’t had rain in weeks. Adrenalin slammed into my system, making my fingers and lips tingle.
“Nine …”
The fire would spread out of control, too fast for even him to be completely safe, and it wasn’t like there were any firemen to put it out anymore.
“Eight …”
Even he couldn’t be that stupid, right? That desperate? I turned and looked up at Shadia. Her eyes were huge and afraid.
“Seven …”
As if thinking the same thing, she turned us around and rolled me to our own bedroom. We had to see if he ment it or not.
“Six …”
Moving under the curtains again, I looked out the window.
“Five …”
Nicholas was standing in the middle of the driveway, leaning against his cane. The men were standing around him. It was too dark to see any details, but it looked like three of them were holding bottles.
“Four …”
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” one of the men asked in a low voice, barely audible.
“It is our mission to repopulate the earth, and we need every human on our side to do it,” Nicholas answered. “Three …”
“But not like this,” the other man continued, gesticulating. “Not by risking a fire that could level Oslo.”
Without warning, Nicholas lifted his cane and swung it at the man. He didn’t even have time to duck as it cracked against his shoulder.
“Two…” Nicholas lowered the cane as the other man lay on the ground, groaning. “Anyone else have any objections?” The other men shook their heads. “Good. One.” Nicholas returned his attention to the house. “We gave you ample warning. Your time is up.”
For half a second, nothing happened, and I hoped the other men in the group would be reasonable. They would understand the magnitude of what they were about to do. The hope died when fire flickered in their hand. In the light, I saw fabric stuffed down the top of bottles. The fools had made Molotov-cocktails.
“Now!” Nicholas ordered, and the men moved forward, out of my sight.
We could do nothing but listen as windows broke downstairs, followed by the smash of bottles breaking on the floor. The smell of alcohol swam up the stairs, closely followed by the sounds of fire, grabbing hold of fabric and wood.
Crap. They were really burning the house down. And we were stuck on the second floor.
23
Before I even had time to finish the panicked thought of being stuck, Shadia pulled me into the hallway again.
The smell of smoke was already heavy in the air, but it hadn’t begun to go hazy yet. We still had time.
As we moved, Shadia slung a bag into my lap, and I recognized it as my messenger bag. I secured it over my shoulder as Shadia handed me my sunglasses and stopped in front of the master bedroom, flinging open the door.
The master bedroom, the room where Max had eaten his owners after they died, spreading their bodies all over the place, was at the side of the house, so there were windows on all three walls. Those on the right looked over the garden, those on the left onto the street. The wall straight ahead was mostly one big closet, but there were small windows on both sides, looking into the neighboring garden. One of the windows was open, and the rest of our bags lay on the windowsill, waiting for us.
Shadia made her way to one of the smaller windows.
“What are we doing?” I asked as I followed.
She flung the rope she was carrying out the window and moved to secure the end to the bed. “Getting out,” she answered. “There’s a passage down there.”
I rolled to the window and leaned out, looking into a small opening between the house and the fence. It was empty, but that didn’t mean they weren’t keeping an eye on it. Even if they hadn’t noticed the passage, they would probably be in both the back yard at the front of the house. We could get out, but then what?
“OK, and where do we go from there?” I asked, turning back to see Shadia checking the knot would hold.
She froze, eyes going distant for a moment, then she shook her head. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
I considered answering with something snarky but had to clap my hand over my mouth to keep from coughing. OK, time to go.
Shadia stood. “You first.”
“No, you go,” I answered.
She opened her mouth, and something exploded downstairs. My chair jumped under me, and I screamed in shock. Shadia yelled my name and reached for me. Outside, someone yelled something. They must have heard me. Great.
My hands shaking with adrenaline and fear, I pushed to my feet. My legs started wobbling the moment I stood, pain lancing through them like lightning, but I didn’t care, didn’t give myself time to feel it. Instead, I climbed onto the windowsill and turned my back to the open sky. I’d never rappelled before and wasn’t sure my legs could even support me bouncing off the wall, but there was no time like the present to try something new, right?
Grabbing the sheet-rope, I pushed my way out of the window.
My legs gave out the moment I tried bouncing off the wall, and I slapped into it instead, face scraping against the melting paint. The heat of the fire inside the house had penetrated the walls, and I could feel it trying to burn my cheek. I didn’t let it. Somehow, I got my knees against the wall and supported my feet on one of the many knots of the rope. Gripping above the next knot, I moved my feet down to the next, and so on.
Shadia climbed out above me, heavy with bags but still able to climb much steadier than me.
I was two knots above the ground when something else inside the house exploded. This time, I managed not to scream as the window above me shattered and rained warm glass over us. The rope jerk in my hands before breaking. I fell to the ground and thudded against it, the air knocked from my lungs. But even as I gasped for breath, I tried to call for Shadia, afraid the fall would be too long for her.
She landed beside me and rolled, somehow able to keep her momentum. It wasn’t a graceful landing, however, as all the bags pulled her balance in every directions. She wasn’t hurt, however, and I allowed myself two seconds to breathe in relief. Or try to, at least.
I looked up at the window we’d just escaped through. The fire was licking at the walls around it, reaching out against the darkening sky.
The house had gone up quicker than I thought. It could hardly be more than a minute since they’d thrown the bottles. But we hadn’t had rain in forever, and the house had been old and filled with fabric and flammables.
Shadia appeared and helped me sit up, looking me over for damage. I did the same with her. Satisfied, I threw one last look at the boiling walls, and another window shattered somewhere. I sent up a silent apology for André. No one would know he was dead. No one but us. This fire was his funeral pyre.
I sat there watching until my back stopped hurting. It didn’t take long. I was full of adrenaline, but my lungs wouldn’t stop complaining. They were dry and sore from the smoke and heat, which was still roiling around me. If I didn’t move soon, I couldn’t help but cough, and then Nicholas and his men would find us.
Turning, I made it onto all fours. Grabbing for my hat, I looked around. “Where to?” I whispered.
Shadia was looking around as well, chewing on her bottom lip. The smoke of the fire lay like a blanket around us, even this low. There was no wind to take it away.
“I can hardly see the end of the pas
sage on both sides, so the men there shouldn’t be able to see us, I think,” Shadia said, glancing at me. “We can follow the fence and get to the road, maybe steal a car?”
“They left the doors open,” I said, catching on. “Maybe they’re arrogant enough to leave the keys in as well?”
Shadia snorted. “No doubt.”
“The drivers stayed in the cars, though.”
“I don’t think they would have stayed there when the fireworks started.”
I sighed, trying for nonchalance to hide my fear and worry.
In front of the house, someone said something. It wasn’t a yell, so we couldn’t make out the words, but I recognized the bass of male voices.
“Let’s go,” Shadia said and crawled past me.
Crawling along on all fours, Shadia in front and me behind, we stayed close to the fence and let the smoke hide us. It had grown even thicker in the short time we’d stopped, and I was glad for it, even if my throat hurt and my lungs desperately wanted me to cough. My eyes were burning, and tears were constantly trying to fix the burn, making me blink all the time.
Above, another window shattered, and fire leaped toward the sky. I reached for Shadia, wanting to protect her. At the same time, she flung herself around to grab at me. We buried our faces against each other as glass shards bounced off our heads and shoulders. When it stopped, we pulled back and looked at one another. I had to fight not to giggle hysterically, and Shadia must have seen it in my eyes, for she touched her lips to mine and whispered a shush, but I could see strange amusement in her eyes as well.
When my laughter was under control, we crawled on, and after what felt like forever, we reached the end of the passage.
The voices were clearer now, and I picked up a few words. Looking around the corner, I saw the shape of men moving in the smoke, but nothing distinct. No details. I couldn’t even tell if one of them had a cane or not.
“… heard something,” one of the voices said.
“But no one’s come out. Maybe it was just something exploding?” another voice answered.
“No, that was a scream. I’ve heard enough of those lately to recognize it.”
“You don’t think they stayed inside and burned rather than be with us, do you?”
“Nah. No one’s that stupid.”
“Or smart.”
“Hey! What did you say?”
I let them argue and moved closer to the fence again, looking at Shadia. Her eyes jumped to the shadow of the cars, and I nodded.
The fence scraping against our shoulders, we crawled on. If the men could see this far, maybe they would think our shadows were just part of the fence.
To my left, the men were arguing openly now, having drawn another into their discussion. I both thanked and cursed them. Their argument would mask any noise we made, but it might also draw the rest of them to a position where they could see us.
The ground beneath me changed from tired grass to dirt. Breathing shallowly, I continued, forcing myself to stay calm despite my racing heart and hurting muscle. Focusing on Shadia’s ass in front of me, I tried to not look at the men and not move too fast.
Nicholas’s voice sounded above the others, making them fall silent. I stopped, afraid that my movement would catch their attention, despite the crackling of the huge fire.
“What is this?” Nicholas asked, his voice harsh.
“He said he thinks the girls are smart to stay away from us,” one of the original voices said.
“I did not,” the other original voice answered. “I just said that we should let them be. What right do we have to decide their future for them?”
I didn’t dare turn to look at them, so I stayed frozen, listening.
Nicholas tsked. “But my dear brother, don’t you know our sacred duty?”
“To repopulate the earth,” the offender said, voice empty.
“Yes. And is it not then our duty to keep every mother safe? Even from themselves?”
“Yes.” Still empty.
A small hope had flared inside me and died in the same instant. This guy didn’t believe the nonsense Nicholas was saying, but he wouldn’t help me either. He wasn’t ready to break away, or maybe he was too afraid. He was no help to me.
Something crashed behind us, and I jumped. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the roof of the house had collapsed, the fire reaching for the sky. It illuminated what had previously been hidden by smoke, and I could see small details in the shapes of the men now. The color of their clothes, the way they were turned toward the fire, watching.
This was our chance. If we lingered, they would see us just as clear as we now saw them. This was it.
I turned and met Shadia’s eyes. She nodded and swung forward, rushing toward the nearest car. I followed, scraping my knees and fingers against stones and asphalt. My palms were protected by the gloves, making some sound but nothing loud enough to catch their attention with the raging fire so close, I hoped.
The fence disappeared from my side, and I almost toppled onto the sidewalk. Luck was the only reason I stayed up.
I glanced back, seeing the men even clearer now. They were turned away from us, thankfully. I faced forward, seeing Shadia scramble into the driver’s seat of one of the cars. I rushed after her and pulled myself through the open back door, and sent a hurried thanks to whoever might be listening as I grabbed the door, swinging it shut. As I lunged across the backseat to close the other one, Shadia started the car with a roar.
Someone yelled as the doors slammed. I didn’t look, didn’t think, but tugged the other door closed and moved to climb into the front.
The car rushed forward and flung me into the backseat again.
“You OK?” Shadia called.
I didn’t answer, just pulled myself into the front seat and grabbed the door that had almost closed on its own.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, I saw nothing but smoke and the orange gleam of the fire. Without signaling, Shadia swung onto a side road. I was praying the men wouldn’t catch up before we were out of sight.
We were in the open for what felt like forever, but finally, the road turned, and I breathed a small sigh of relief. The smoke had lessened, and I didn’t doubt the men would have noticed the car if they looked in the right direction. We’d been lucky so far.
Something moved out of the smoke before us and slammed into the front of the car.
24
The car crunched against concrete, and I flew forward. Just before I struck the dashboard, the airbag let out and pushed me back against the seat as the car flipped over the wall and landed on its roof. Shadia’s scream made my ears ring. If not for the airbag, I would have thumped my head against the roof, maybe broken my neck. As it was, I was stuck for half a heartbeat before the bag started deflating.
Somehow, I got my arms under me, and the landing on the roof was soft. I slipped from the bag’s grasp and lay panting. Broken glass from the windows was everywhere, digging into my skin. They didn’t cut, but it was uncomfortable.
“Shadia?” I turned to look for her and saw her legs as she crawled out through the broken window.
I was about to call for her again when her face appeared in the window. “Kit? Are you OK?” Blood was leaking from a wound in her forehead, coating most of her face.
“I could ask you the same thing,” I answered.
Shadia touched her cut and winced, but she didn’t take her eyes off me. “Come on; we got to go. Nicholas and his men must have heard the crash.”
I undid my belt, turned onto all fours, and started crawling out of the shattered window. The moment I was out, Shadia reached for me, but I swatted her hands away and grabbed her face.
“Does your head hurt? Can you see me OK?” I asked, staring into her eyes. Her pupils looked normal, and she was furrowing her brow in irritation.
She pushed me away. “It’s just a surface wound. They bleeds.”
I grumbled again as she looked me over. All her movements seemed steady, and
despite the bleeding, there didn’t seem to be any swelling.
When she was happy with my own condition, she started rearranging her bags. As she worked, I looked myself over as well.
I was dressed in loose-fitting clothes, and both pants and t-shirt were shredded by the glass. I was bleeding from multiple cut, but not as bad as Shadia’s. She had other small wounds as well, but nothing seemed serious on either of us. Nothing was broken, at least.
Panic moved in my stomach when I considered all the ways we could get infected now. Zombie blood in our open wounds would be enough. It wouldn’t have to be more than a drop. I squeezed the panic by reminding myself that we had been staying away from meat for a reason. Even if we got zombie-eggs in us, they wouldn’t survive without meat.
Shadia fished out an anti-bacterial spray and hurriedly sprayed it over most of her wounds, then over mine. She gave the bottle to me so I could spray her head, then she had me tie a t-shirt around her head to stop the bleeding. It all took barely two minutes.
Taking the bottle from me, she handed me a rucksack. I swung it onto my back as she grabbed her own rucksack and swung it around to carry it over her stomach. I noticed that my hat and one of the axes were gone, but I knew we’d dallied too long. It was a wonder Nicholas and his men hadn’t found us already. At least I still had my glasses.
“Up you go,” Shadia said, and I crawled onto her back.
Groaning, she stood up.
“You sure this is OK?” I asked. I was battered and bruised, and she had to be feeling the same.
“It’s fine,” she said and took a few steps away from the car. “It’s only temporary anyway.”
I didn’t ask what she meant by that. We both knew we wouldn’t get far with her carrying me, and we had to find an alternative. But first, we needed to get out of here.
Looking up, I saw the orange flicker of the fire in the haze. We weren’t far away, just downhill of the house. As I watched the fire flicker and grow bigger, Shadia jogged down the street. Blood dripped from her chin and onto the ground, but by the time we reached the end of the street, most of what could drip away had already done so, and the trail we left behind was growing harder to follow.