Immediately we all fall silent and ready our weapons. If Ryder is preparing himself this way, then we all know that we really do need to be quiet. Our anger at one another dissipates, and any argument seems less severe knowing that there could be danger lurking around any tree.
We all sit in silence, hardly daring to breathe. We wait for Ryder to do or say anything, but it isn’t him that speaks up.
“On our left,” Reese says calmly. It’s impossible to tell if he’s actually that calm or if he’s just a master at pretending he’s in charge of his fear. “Maybe ten of them. Moving in on our direction, about two minutes out.”
“Let’s move out,” Ryder commands, getting up from his crouch. “We’re not gonna stay and fight if we don’t have to. No use wasting our ammo and risking our lives if we can try to outrun them first.”
I hike my backpack up tighter around my shoulders as Ryder sets out at a brisk walk. Reese and Aaron are the only ones that seem to have no problems with Ryder’s pace, but the rest of us aren’t going to be able to keep it up for long, especially with heavy backpacks on our shoulders, slowing us down and putting a strain on our backs. Were not used to the kind of harsh conditions that Ryder and Aaron have probably had to endure, and even though Reese isn’t a soldier of any kind, he’s had to keep up with Ryder from the very beginning of this mess.
The zombies never catch up to us, and after nearly two hours of fast-paced walking, Ryder lets us stop to catch our breath. Reese heads up a nearby tree to act as our lookout the same as he always does, and we get some much needed rest. Sitting on the snowy ground sucks, but I need to stop and catch my breath. All around me, everyone is sucking down their water as if they haven’t had anything to drink in days, and I tip mine back, joining them.
Once it’s empty, I tuck it back into the pocket of my backpack, making sure it won’t fall out if we have to run. Then I take my boots off and begin to gently massage me feet, trying to ignore the cold as it bites at my toes. I can feel the blisters on the bottoms of my feet, and they ache at the slightest pressure. I hope they don’t pop and start to bleed, because I’m not sure if that tiny bit of blood will be like blood in the water to a shark, drawing in zombies from miles around.
The others are doing the same, examining their feet for any sign of damage. Ryder and Aaron alone don’t bother to strip their shoes. They’re probably used to walking ungodly long distances, and I’m sure if they can even have blisters on their calloused feet that they don’t register the pain. Years of drills have probably turned their feet into stone.
Daisy is the worst off. Her feet have already cracked and are starting to bleed. It looks like she’s almost in tears at just the sight of them, and I notice Naomi bend down and start digging through her backpack. She comes out with a handful of bandages. “How far do you think we walked?” Naomi asks, sounding too tired to care about our earlier argument. “I don’t think we can go much farther.”
“Not far enough,” Ryder says. “We’re still not out of this forest. Who knows how far it could stretch, and the light won’t hold forever. Eventually night will come, and if we’re stuck out here in the cold, we’re in for a lot of trouble. Let’s hope this base is actually out here, or we’re screwed.”
“We’ll be fine,” I say. “Don’t be so dramatic. If we need to, we can always build a fire and keep watch. It’s cold, but it’s not that cold. We can huddle together for warmth, and we have blankets in the bags. Don’t sound so morbid,” I scold him.
Ryder shakes his head. I think he wants to tell me I’m wrong, but he doesn’t, likely because he knows it won’t get him anywhere. Either that or he’s remembering that not all of our group are as hardened as he is. Daisy is more than a little fragile, and he and I both know she doesn’t need to hear him sounding so morbid and dark.
“Maybe we should stop for the night. We can’t keep this pace up much longer. Daisy’s feet are already in bad shape. If we keep this up, you’ll have to carry her the rest of the way.”
He looks to Daisy and frowns. “We haven’t even really gone that far,” he says. “I’ve gone much farther in one stretch, with sixty pounds of gear strapped to my back in dry heat.”
I almost smile. “Daisy is a teenager, not a hardened Marine like you. She can’t be expected to keep up with you. Neither can the rest of us for that matter. Only Reese and Aaron could keep pace with you,” I say.
“Sam, the faster we make it out of this forest, the better. I really don’t want to stay the night in here. It’s not safe, no matter how many people we put on watch or how big our fire is. So many things can and probably will go wrong out here.”
“We’ll be fine,” I say, probably for the hundredth time.
“I wish you would stop saying that,” he says, rubbing his temples. “You have no way of knowing something like that. And if you’re wrong and something does happen, it will be all my fault.”
“Ryder—”
“It was my decision to continue on foot. It was my decision to bring us through these damn never ending woods!”
“The forest can’t go on forever,” I say, trying to soothe his nerves. “We’re on the right track, I know it. This weird little path is still beneath our feet, which means its leading us to something. Even if it doesn’t lead where we want it to, it will lead us someplace safe we can rest at for the night. Then, in the morning, we can regroup and come up with another plan of action.”
He looks at me, a grateful smile on his face. “Maybe it’s a good thing that you’re so positive all the time.”
“Well, one of us has to be,” I tease.
“You always find a way to pull me out of my deepest doubts. Thank you,” he says, leaning over to kiss me. “I don’t know what I would do without you by my side.”
I love Ryder’s softer, more sensitive side, and it so very rarely comes out. I have to take a second to just enjoy his words, basking in them as they fill me with a sense of happiness.
“You’d probably be holed up somewhere safe and sound, ready to out last the zombie apocalypse. You’d have at least a year’s worth of provisions and ammo, and it would be safe guarded against just about anything.” Ryder raises an eyebrow at me. “And you would be bored out of your mind without me to bring life to any situation. Just think how much entertainment I brought to us by bringing Todd home with me,” I say, watching Todd take a minute to examine the black polish on his nails with surprising attention.
He laughs. “I’m okay with how things are in the group. I wasn’t sure at first, but I’m really glad you brought Madison and her group home that day. Not only is Aaron a huge help to me, but it’s so nice to see you so happy all the time. I’ve taken Reese for granted in the past, and watching you and Madison has reminded me not to do that anymore. Even though he still doesn’t think we’re doing the right thing and is fighting us every step of the way, he’s still here for us. I should probably go talk to him.”
I nudge him with my shoulder, a smile on my face, and he nudges me back like a little school boy. “That’s probably a good idea.”
“How long do you think Daisy needs to rest? I can’t give her long, especially since we know there are zombies out here with us, but I can give her a little break while Reese and I have a manly heart to heart.”
I pull his face closer and kiss him on the cheek. “I’ll go ask how long everyone needs. Try to get some rest yourself—even if you think you don’t need it,” I add when he opens his mouth to argue with me.
I can feel his eye on me as I walk away, and I smile knowing that I can catch and hold his attention like I do. I love it when I notice those little things, those discreet glances or the smiles that are only for me to see. They remind me that no matter how tough he is, Ryder is still human.
And he’s all mine.
Chapter Eight
After Daisy gets her feet wrapped, Naomi packs up the rest of our medical supplies. She walks right past me without so much as a glance, and takes a seat by herself under a nearby tre
e, making sure her coat acts as a barrier between her and the snow beneath her. She slides a book out of the front pocket of her backpack and buries her nose in it, blocking the world out.
I watch Naomi read her book, using it as a prop to effectively ignore me. I feel a strange twinge of unease at the thought of Naomi ignoring me. Out here on the open road, you have to be able to trust not only yourself, but the people around you. And it’s obvious by looking at her that she doesn’t trust me anymore. She surprisingly agreed with me that finding this cure was the right thing to do—all in a last ditch attempt to save her younger brothers—but I’m not sure she’s on board anymore.
Reese takes a seat next to me. “Think she’ll be a problem?”
“No more than you’ve been so far,” I say, looking over at him.
He turns his head away from my questioning gaze, refusing to meet my eyes in case he sees any disappointment in them. “I know I haven’t been the most supportive—” I snort and he ignores me, “—but I’m sorry. I still don’t think this is the right thing to do, but after talking to Ryder and realizing how serious you all are about this, I promise I won’t make this any harder.”
“You mean more than you already have,” I ask with a smile.
He sighs, but there’s a smile on his lips. “Yeah, I’m sorry about the way I’ve been acting.”
“Like an ass,” I say. “You’ve been acting like a giant ass.”
He laughs. “I know it’s not fair to you and Ryder, so I’m gonna try to be more positive.”
“Then I take it you and Ryder are good now?”
He nods. “We’re good. He and I talked through some things. We understand each other better now. So no more being a pain in the ass,” he says with a grin.
“That’s good to hear. Brothers shouldn’t fight, especially since we’re lucky if we still have someone we love. Don’t take that for granted.”
We’re both silent for a minute while he does some heavy thinking. Then, “So…now that my attitude problem has been fixed, what do we do about Naomi’s?”
“I don’t know. If I go to her and try to talk things out, she might close herself off even more and get even angrier. But if I just let things simmer between us, she could explode and there’s no telling what would happen then. I don’t know what I should do, Reese.”
“Everything will work itself out in the end,” he says, sounding so sure of himself that I have to believe him. “You’re normally so optimistic. I don’t think now is the time to start being a Debbie Downer. Cheer up.”
I give him a grateful smile. “Thanks, Reese.”
“Whatever you decide to do, it’ll have to wait for now. Looks like Ryder is ready to get a move on.”
He’s right. Ryder gets to his feet and shoulders his backpack, which I’m sure is much heavier than all of ours just by looking at it. He always makes sure to carry most of the burden—both physically and mentally. He knows that I worry about his ability to carry on like he does, but he shows no signs of taking my words to heart and lightening his load. There are plenty of us to help him, but he’s too stubborn to change his ways.
“Alright everyone, our break is over. We have to get going or we’re going to be stuck out here in the dark tonight, and you don’t want that. We have to reach the end of this path, wherever it leads us.” He looks at Daisy as she struggles to her feet. “Will you be okay to keep going?”
“I have to be, don’t I?” she says, grimacing as she puts weight on her feet.
I can’t imagine how much pain she has to be in. Mine feel a bit tender after walking for hours, but they haven’t cracked or started to bleed yet and I’m thankful for that. Poor Daisy is going to be in a lot of pain for now, and she’ll be in even more later. Cause her feet are only going to get worse and there’s no telling how much further we have to walk. It could be a mile, or it could be twenty miles.
Naomi readjusts the straps on her backpack and goes to Daisy’s side, offering her a shoulder to lean on. It’s weird to think that Naomi is younger than Daisy, but she seems so much older, so much more capable and mature. Neither of them is exactly sheltered now—nobody truly is—but Daisy still somehow manages to be more naïve and dependable than Naomi probably ever was.
With Naomi’s shoulder to lean on, Daisy takes a few tentative steps. She looks like she’s in pain, but with Naomi’s help, I think she’ll be able to keep going until we reach our destination. If she can’t, I don’t know what we’ll do with her. Obviously we can’t just leave her behind somewhere and promise to come back for her. She’s not a fighter in the slightest and wouldn’t last the night.
But I’m not sure anyone here would be able to carry her. Aaron and Ryder have healed wonderfully since sustaining their wounds, but I’m not sure they’re well enough to carry another person as well as their gear. Reese might be able to do it, but he’s our lookout and he needs to have a free range of motion in case something was to happen.
I quicken my pace and come up beside Ryder. He doesn’t look over at me, refusing to take his eyes off of our surroundings. Constant vigilance is one of his rules for being out in the open, and I try not to distract him too much, but I have to know what the plan is. So I keep my voice low so it won’t carry to the others behind us.
“Ryder, Daisy isn’t going to be able to go much further, and even if she does, we won’t make good time at a pace that she can keep. What are we going to do? It’ll be dark soon, and we’re still stuck out here in the open with no sign of shelter. It’s too cold out to be comfortable out in the open, and we need to get some rest later.”
“I know,” he says as quietly. “Daisy’s in trouble and we’re in trouble, too. Maybe we should have gone back into the nearest city and looked for some alternative mode of transportation that could make it through this path, like an ATV or something. We could have doubled up and siphoned the gas out of our vehicles. But that doesn’t seem very practical,” he says, sounding frustrated.
“No, it doesn’t. I’m not sure there was really any better way to do this, but this really does suck. How much longer do you think we have until it gets dark?”
“Another hour, maybe two if we’re lucky. This far north, it’s probably a miracle it’s not already pitch black out. We’ll have to stop soon and set up camp if there’s no end to this path in sight. Otherwise we’ll be making camp in the cold and the dark…” he stops, and I nearly bump into his shoulder.
“Ryder?”
“Shhh.” He puts up a hand, silencing any further conversation.
I’m curious as to what he’s hearing, but I know better than to ask him. He’s listening for something, and if it’s something dangerous, I don’t want to make it harder for him to hear. He’ll tell us what’s going on as soon as he’s sure himself.
“Is that what I think it is?” Aaron asks, stepping forward.
“Yeah,” Ryder says. “It’s a river, not too far from here.” He smiles and looks at me. “I’d be willing to bet that it flows out from that lake we saw on the map. If that place is out here anywhere, it’ll be close.”
“So we’re gonna make it?” Naomi asks, panting heavily. She’s shouldering the weight of her backpack and some of Daisy’s weight as well, and I can see beads of sweat start to collect on her forehead. She’s tough—a former athlete in high school—but nobody can keep up this kind of pace indefinitely. She’s going to need a rest pretty soon, and I’m worried she won’t be able to keep going once she stops.
“When we find that river, we’ll stop to refill our canteens and then keep going. It shouldn’t be too long before we get there. Just think we could be sleeping someplace safe, with good food, electricity, and maybe even hot showers. We’re nearly there. We can do this.”
“Oh thank God,” Naomi says, shifting Daisy’s weight.
“Do you want some help with her?” I ask.
“No, I’ve got her,” Naomi says dismissively.
Reese and I glance at each other, and he just shrugs his shoulders and
gets moving. I sigh, wondering if Naomi just needs her space or if she’s going to just stay angry at me forever. Is she really that mad at me because Madison and I were talking a little louder than we should have been? I know that no place is one hundred percent safe, but we’re in the middle of nowhere and it’s not like we didn’t have Reese, Ryder, and Aaron watching our surroundings and making sure we were safe.
It can’t be just that. There’s got to be something else that’s bothering her. I just have to figure out what it is and try to fix things before this gets any worse. But what could it be? What else has happened recently that would make her so angry?
I pull myself away from my inner thoughts and force myself to focus more on my surroundings. We’re so close to our destination, I can’t afford to lose sight of what’s important right now. Naomi and I will have to wait, and hopefully a hot shower and some warm food will help her calm down enough to talk to me about what’s bothering her. I just hope it’s nothing that I did.
It’s another ten minutes of walking before I can finally hear the river, and I’m amazed that Ryder and Aaron could hear it before. We can’t see anything yet, but from the whooshing sounds that I can hear loud and clear from this distance, it seems like a pretty fast moving river. I hope there’s a way across it that doesn’t involve getting wet. I’m a decent swimmer, but it’s far too cold out to be getting wet. Someone will catch pneumonia for sure.
As we reach the river, I adjust my backpack, trying to lesson the ache in my shoulders. It’ll be hard enough to cross it without worrying about the pain in my body. I’m not even sure how we’re all going to make it across. It’s not too wide—a stones throw to the opposite bank, and I have a pretty weak arm. Unfortunately for us, I don’t see any bridge that will help us cross over safely.
“Well, we’re screwed,” Todd says, dropping his backpack to the ground with a thud.
“Todd—”
“Madison,” Todd whines, mimicking her tone of voice. She smiles, and he grins back. “We can’t swim it, not in this weather. We’d freeze to death before we got anywhere safe. Even if we managed to build a fire and dry off for a bit, we’re still at risk for pneumonia or frost bite.”
Zombie World (Zombie Apocalypse #3) Page 11