Madison works with our vegetables and Naomi our fruits. I can’t help but notice that there aren’t many of either. A couple dozen cans in total will only last the eight of us for so long, and if we run out on the road, there’s no guarantee that we’ll find any more. The MRE’s are almost gone as well—there’s only about ten left—and I’m going to really miss their nourishment. After being spoiled with beef teriyaki, macaroni and cheese, sweet and sour pork, and even a few delicious deserts, returning to solely canned food will be a huge adjustment.
“Need any help?” I ask as I flop into a chair.
“No, we’ve got it. Is everyone still out looking at the truck?”
“Yep. I think Ryder is impressed with Reese’s choice, but it’s hard to tell because I had no idea what all of those vehicle terms mean.”
“How many times did Reese try and talk you out of making this trip?” Madison asks as she packs a thing of canned corn in beside a can of peas. I shudder at the sight of it—I hate peas.
“Too many. He’s making obvious hints this isn’t what he wants, but I don’t know how to convince him that it’s what we need. We can’t keep living like we have been. Hiding in the woods with our heads buried in the sand isn’t good for us, and it isn’t right. We need to help everyone we can, and we can’t do that from this cabin.”
“You won’t catch me complaining,” Madison says. “I know in my heart that this is the right thing to do, and Aaron, Ryder, and Naomi all agree with us. Reese and Daisy are your only real opposition, but I don’t think they’ll put up any kind of real fight. They’ll just complain and try to talk you out of it, and when they see how serious we all are, they’ll give up and just come along for the ride.”
We both go silent for a minute, and I can only imagine what she’s thinking about. It’s still strange to wake up in the morning and see Madison nearby. Before her arrival, I had gotten used to the thought of everyone I love being gone, probably ripped to pieces by freakish monsters. We managed to find each other and be reunited despite the numerous obstacles in front of us, and it’s nothing short of a miracle.
Madison is the only part of my former life—the only familiar part—and it’s hopefully enough to keep me anchored in this new reality. She and I leaned on each other for support in the past, and now we can do it again, now that the stakes are higher than ever before. But even if she wasn’t my cousin, I’d still want her watching my back.
In the months since the world ended, Madison has become the warrior I strive to be. She’s a hell of a shot with her gun, and she’s shown flashes of true leadership ability by keeping everyone together and helping get them to safety. And most importantly, she’s somehow managed to stay strong despite all that she’s lost. That’s an incredibly impressive feat, one that makes Madison very valuable, especially in this new world.
Madison looks up at me and offers me a tiny smile, and I know she feels the same way about me, even if I’m not nearly as valuable to her as she is to me. Knowing that there’s someone else in this house other than Ryder that will do anything for me leaves me with a tight feeling in my chest, like I just might burst from happiness. Even though our circumstances are grim and sometimes hopeless, I feel a real sense of joy that we’ve all managed to find each other and band together to survive.
While the packing continues, I begin to think less about myself and more about the upcoming journey. There’s no telling what we’ll come across out there on the open road, and my mind runs through so many different possibilities and scenarios. I flash back to the Warriors and my pulse quickens. Even though Frank—their psychotic leader—is long dead, he still sometimes haunts my dreams. And even without a leader, what’s left of the Warriors could still spell trouble for us.
The fact that they’re several states away from us should make me feel better, but it doesn’t. Madison and her group made it all the way here from New York—the Warriors could easily make it from Michigan. Especially if they’re all like Frank, willing to do whatever it takes to survive. I can see them shooting and bludgeoning their way across the country, and my blood runs cold at the thought.
Aside from the Warriors, there’s the obvious threat: zombies. Even though they’re much slower and less intelligent, they’re far more numerous than any of our other enemies. And as far as we know, the zombies never tire out. They can keep coming in an endless onslaught of terror. They don’t need to stop and rest or eat or anything. They’re mindless creatures that are capable of widespread destruction. And even worse, they’re terrifying. Months of being exposed to them hasn’t lessened my fear of them, and I’m not sure anything ever will. Any way you look at it, they’re monsters, pure and simple. They’re the stuff of nightmares.
“Sam? I think we’re done,” Madison says. She goes over the food in front of her with an observant eye, and finally purses her lips. “I know it looks like quite a bit, and it’ll definitely take up a lot of room, but this won’t last forever. We’ll have to hope this scientist guy has plenty of food wherever he’s at, or we’ll be in serious trouble.”
“Hopefully he’s up for sharing,” Naomi says. “If not, we are fucked for sure.”
“If we’re offering to help in any way that we can, I’d think he’d be okay with feeding us.”
“What makes you think he even needs our help?” Reese asks from the doorway. “Seriously, think this through. For starters, we’re not even sure this guy is still alive. We could get there—if we can even find the place—and he could be a rotting corpse. Second, this cure might not even work. It could be a complete waste of our time. And third, if he’s still alive, he may have plenty of people already helping him. People who are actually qualified. Other scientists, people who understand how the virus and the cure work. None of us has any background in science, do we? What good are we going to be?”
“He’s right,” Daisy says from the kitchen doorway. “We might just end up getting in the way. We could hurt more than we help.”
“Well, I guess we’ll find out when we get there, won’t we?” Naomi says, narrowing her eyes at Reese. They’ve butted heads over this before, and I can sense another argument coming on. “You can always stay behind if you want. Let the rest of us save the world while you sit here cowering in a corner.”
Reese clenches his hands. “I don’t cower,” he says in a quiet, deadly voice that makes Naomi flinch. She just crossed a line and she knows it. “I’ve done more for this group than you have. Don’t you dare forget it. I’ve kept everyone here safe and alive through the sweat off my back, and I’ll be damned if some little girl is going to try and shame me into doing something I think is a mistake.”
Naomi looks away, refusing to meet his eyes. “I’m sorry,” she says in an equally quiet voice.
Reese glares at her for another minute, and I can feel a sense of dread growing in the pit of my stomach. This is not the Reese I know and have come to care deeply for in the last couple of months. He’s much harder and angrier, and I wonder if the decision to try for Montana is weighing that much on him that it could affect his normally cheerful disposition.
For the first time since reaching our decision, I really start to wonder if this is the right thing for us to be doing. Reese is stubborn—just like his brother and me—but he isn’t stupid. If he honestly believes that this is the wrong thing to do, then maybe I should stop and listen to him. I’ve had my mind made up since Madison and her group first told us about the cure, and I’m not sure I ever really entertained another option. Even though I’m positive this cure is worth the risk, I should definitely stop and consider our alternatives, just in case.
Madison nudges me. “Don’t,” she says. “Don’t doubt yourself. Not now. We’re way too close to doing this for you to question your choices now. Reese will get over it eventually. And if he doesn’t, it’s not your problem.”
I sigh. “You’re right.” Is she though?
Ryder steps around Reese and his eyes find me instantly. “Well, I think we’re just a
bout ready to go. We’ve just gotta pack the food into the vehicles and decide on who is riding together. I’m gonna drive the truck, and I think Aaron should drive the jeep. Sam, I want you with me so I can keep an eye on you.”
I nod. “Okay. Reese, I think you and Naomi should ride with us, too. Madison? I think you should ride with your people. You’ll know how to work best together, and you guys probably trust each other a little more.”
Madison nods. “Sounds like a plan.”
Thankfully Reese decides to stay quiet, and he doesn’t object to our plans. He just hovers in the corner, glaring at nothing in particular and making sure we all know how much he hates this. But I can’t let it bother me anymore. There are far more important things to worry about, like how we’re going to get there without losing one of our own.
“When do we leave?” Naomi asks.
“First thing tomorrow morning,” Ryder says. Nobody objects to Ryder taking the wheel with the planning, because we all know his background and how much experience he has with survival. “We’ll stay here for the night and get some sleep and be fully rested for tomorrow.”
“Daisy and I are going out to the orchard to see if we can’t find some more apples for the trip,” Naomi says, getting to her feet. I notice the gun tucked into her belt, and I don’t bother warning them to be careful. With Naomi by her side, I’m sure Daisy will be more than okay.
“Just be back before dinner,” Aaron warns. “It’s too hard to see in the dark. No telling what might jump out at you. Don’t forget, there are more than zombies out in the woods.”
Naomi nods, and the two girls slide past Reese and Ryder and out the door. Everyone else begins to disperse, leaving me alone with Ryder. Reese hangs back for a minute longer, and it looks like he wants to say something, but since he’s probably already said it more than once, he keeps his mouth shut and leaves with a shake of his head. When the two of us are alone, Ryder plops down on the couch beside me and wraps his good arm around me.
I lean my head on his broad shoulder, and for a minute, neither of us says anything. We just sit there in perfect silence, enjoying each other’s company. Sitting in Ryder’s embrace makes me feel safer than anywhere else, and since this is going to be our last chance to feel safe and secure for quite some time, I plan to enjoy it as much as I possibly can. There’s no telling if I’ll ever get the chance to curl up with Ryder again.
He kisses the side of my head and lets his lips linger against the skin for just a second that sends shivers up my spine. “It’s okay to be scared, Sam. It’s not a sign of weakness.”
“I know.”
He goes silent again and he focuses his gaze at nothing in particular. I can tell by the firm set of his jaw and his tight grip around my shoulders that he’s probably even more worried than I am. Ryder has lost plenty of people since the outbreak started, so he’s no stranger to what’s coming, and I can only imagine what he’s thinking about right now. Is he imagining Reese’s bloody corpse in the middle of a herd of zombies? Or is it mine? There’s no telling, and I don’t want to ask since I know Ryder doesn’t like to talk about his worries like I do.
“We’ll be alright,” I say.
He grunts once but doesn’t say anything.
“Ryder—”
“Be quiet, please. Let me just…savor this moment. This might be my last chance to enjoy life.”
I decide to keep quiet and let him enjoy what could be his final moments of peace and tranquility. And as the silence stretches on, I feel myself begin to relax. I sink into Ryder’s arms, lean my head on his shoulder, and close my eyes. Everything around me begins to fade away until there’s nothing but the sound of Ryder’s breathing, which is one of the most comforting sounds I’ve ever heard.
*****
The rest of the day and night goes by in the blink of an eye. Before I know it, it’s the following morning—the morning we’re going to be leaving—and everyone is gathering out by the vehicles in our snow gear while chewing on a cold breakfast of apples and beef jerky. The apples are a little bruised from hitting the ground and resting there, but the taste more than makes up for it. It’s probably the sweetest thing I’ve had in a while, and it’s enough to brighten my whole morning.
It’s been snowing on and off for the last couple of weeks, and the snow finally seems to be here to stay. It coats all of the trees, the house, and the vehicles, and Reese busies himself with brushing off the windshields before we leave. There is no more than an inch or two on the ground, but it’s enough to impede our progress. We’ll have to drive more carefully on the roads in case of ice, but luckily we won’t be sharing the roads with anyone and don’t have to worry too much about causing an accident.
“Okay, just so everyone is sure what we’re doing, I wanna go over things one more time,” Ryder says, earning a groan from both Todd and Naomi. Ignoring them, he continues on. “Sam, Reese, Naomi, and I will all be in the truck. The rest of you are going in the jeep. Now, the group in the jeep is going to have all of our ammunition and food, and the truck is going to have all of our spare gasoline and water. If we go easy on the food, I think we should have plenty to tide us over until we reach Montana.”
“If we reach Montana,” Reese says sourly.
Ryder ignores him as well. “We’ll have to go a little easy on the water though. We’ve each got a few water bottles to ourselves, along with three milk jugs filled. Again, it seems like a lot, but it won’t last long.”
“Where are we gonna sleep?” Reese asks. “In case you haven’t noticed, there’s snow on the ground, so sleeping bags aren’t really gonna work for us. There isn’t enough room in the vehicles for all of us to stretch out in.”
“There will be plenty of motels and abandoned houses between here and Montana,” Ryder says with just a hint of impatience. It looks like I’m not the only one getting upset with Reese’s stubbornness. “I’m sure we’ll find somewhere safe to hunker down for the night.” Ryder looks at me. “Are we forgetting anything?”
“I don’t think so,” I say, looking around at everyone. “Do we all have our weapons and supplies? Last chance to head back in and grab something.”
Nobody moves a muscle.
“Okay then. Let’s get on the road,” Ryder says, taking the role of leader once again. While everyone figures out their seating arrangements, Ryder pulls me off to one side and lowers his voice so the others won’t hear. “Sam, I need you to promise me something.”
“Anything,” I say without hesitation.
“I need you to promise me that you won’t go and be a hero.” When I open my mouth to object, he hurries on. “I’m just saying, there’s going to be a very real possibility that we’re going to lose these people out there on the road, and I don’t want you getting yourself killed because you think you can save them. It’s one of the first lessons I ever learned, and it happens to be the harshest, too. You can’t save everyone. Remember that.”
“Ryder—”
“Sam, I couldn’t stand to lose you,” he says even quieter. His hand pushes a strand of hair behind my ear and his eyes meet mine. “You’re way too important to me. If anything were to ever happen to you…I’d go crazy for sure. Promise me you’ll stay safe, no matter what happens out there.”
“I’ll try,” I say softly.
“Sam—”
“That’s the best I can do, Ryder. I won’t let someone out there die just because I might get hurt trying to save them. All we have left in this world is each other, and we’ve got to trust and rely on one another. If I can save someone, I will, without hesitation. But I can promise you I’ll at least be smart about it. Okay?”
He sighs and runs one of his large hands through his shaggy light blond hair. It was a little unkempt when we first met, but since then, it’s started to grow out and it reaches the bottom of his ears now. Every so often I see him shake his head to get it out of his face, as if he’s annoyed by its length. I’ve offered to cut it, but Ryder won’t let me near his h
ead with scissors in case he ends up with losing an eye.
“I’m not stupid, Ryder. I know a lost cause when I see one. If someone is beyond help, I’m not going to put my life or anyone else’s on the line, because that wouldn’t be fair to them. I promise I’ll be smart.”
He pulls me close and wraps his arms around me, giving me the tightest hug of my life. “I guess that’ll have to do,” he says. As he holds me, I get the distinct impression that he doesn’t want to let go of me, and the feeling is mutual. If I could just stay here like this forever and shut out the rest of the world, I’d be able to die happy.
Someone clears their throat, and Ryder and I pull apart to see Reese standing just behind us. “We’re all set. If we’re gonna go, now is the time to do it. The snow isn’t coming down too hard yet, so the roads might be decent. But it’s not gonna stay that way for long.”
“Alright, let’s do this.”
Ryder heads around to the driver’s side of the truck, and I hop into the cab beside him. Naomi and Reese take seats in the back, on either side of a pile of backpacks. Each backpack has a blanket and enough food for two nights in case something happens and we all get separated from one another. The jeep has four more, one for each of its occupants, and I silently hope that we have zero need of them.
The truck starts up immediately, and Ryder turns around in the driveway, before leading the way down the trail and out through the open gate. I rub my gloved hands together in an attempt to keep warm. Ryder turns the heat up a little, and I smile gratefully at him. Without a word, he turns his attention back to the road. Without plow trucks and salt to keep the roads clear of ice and snow, it’s going to be incredibly difficult to drive through, but I’m sure Ryder has driven much tougher vehicles than a truck, and he doesn’t seem to have a problem.
Zombie World (Zombie Apocalypse #3) Page 3