EVOLVED

by Jessica Gomez

  “I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you. You’re safe now, you both are.” He wraps me in one arm and places his other hand across my belly.

  I allow myself a moment before relaying our situation. “They’re coming. They’re chasing us. Becky and Jeff, both are coming.” I’m still out of breath from the run, so my sentences are short and choppy.

  He glances behind us, inspecting our surroundings. The infected are loud as they make their way through the forest. Ian tucks me behind him, shoving me back the way he came.

  Heading down the hill, I get a clear shot of the group. Smiles spread across their faces, as happy to see me as I am to see them. James is in my arms in the next instant, squeezing me the best he can around my belly.

  Our reunion will have to wait, they’re almost on us. “Run. They’re coming.”

  The realness of the situation has my adrenaline pumping, adding the extra strength I desperately need. Good thing too, because by the sounds of it, several infected are heading our way.

  “Do you know how many there are?” Luke shouts to us.

  Asher answers, since I can’t catch enough of a breath to get a word out. “There’s two smart ones and seven unintelligent ones in our cave.” He breathes a few times and continues. “But there’s another pack of infected out here. Their female leader is named Becky, Lil says you all know her. She wants Lillie and the baby. That’s why they attacked the camp today. Jeff let us go and told us to run.” He takes a second to catch his breath and lets the information absorb.

  “Becky’s after you?” Ian asks.

  I avoid speaking by nodding. I can talk or run, but not both.

  “Jeff let you go? Why the hell would he do that?” Confusion is thick in Ian’s voice.

  I close my eyes, trying to take in enough of a breath to answer, but then shake my head instead. It’s too hard to talk at these speeds.

  “Shit!” Mason shouts, slamming a hatchet into an infected who jumps from the trees. “They’re catching up!” He doesn’t slow down as he warns us.

  “This way!” Luke hollers, steering us away from where the infected ambushed us.

  A growl sounds off to the right, as two infected jump from the trees. Luke pulls his weapon and fires two consecutive rounds into their heads, dropping them both to the ground. We run into an open grassy field, staying clear of the forest’s camouflage.

  Jere shouts from behind us, but the noise it cut off mid-scream.

  Mason pulls back and lines up with Ian. I chance a glance behind us and see two infected perched over Jere, tearing his innards from his body.

  “Go!” Ian orders me and James, then turns with Mason to kill the infected.

  Asher steps in where Ian left off, placing his hand on my back, keeping me at pace with the group. “You’re doing great. Keep it up,” he encourages.

  Luke leads us through another thicket of trees, possibly seeking shelter. We break through the clearing and my heart plunges into my stomach. We’re on an outcropping. The very same tree that decorated my dream sits looming at me, close to the edge.

  The infected enter the clearing moments later, covering all their angles, blocking us in. One, two, three rounds of bullets shoot, hitting their three targets. “I’m out,” Luke states, throwing his gun an approaching an infected, smacking it right in the face.

  Its head snaps to the side, then straightens with an angered scowl, continuing its pursuit. The entire line of infected charge in unison, probably an order from their hidden leader. Becky has yet to show her face. We’ve killed a few, but they still outnumber us two to one.

  Three head toward us, and Asher quickly tucks be behind his back, stabbing the first approaching in the eye with the knife James gave him. “Stay behind me.” The other two infected alternate their attacks, luring him farther away from me. I try to keep myself completely behind him, but that also brings me closer to the cliff’s edge. Infected are dropping left and right, our crew proving quite deadly.

  Two figures emerge from the tree line for a moment, then duck behind some brush. They ambush a group of infected attacking Luke and James, dispatching them easily. Ian stands tall, searching our surroundings until his eyes land on me. Instantly, he’s heading in my direction, hacking and cutting down the infected in his path. Relief sweeps through me. I’m standing where my premonition shows me, on a cliff, vulnerable, with Ian several feet away.

  A roar distracts me, vibrating through the clearing as Big Bully charges in, heading directly for Mason. He sees him coming and prepares for the hit by side stepping and swinging his bat. He nails Big Bully in the head, flinging his legs into the air, then slamming his body to the ground.

  A glimpse of movement catches my eye, drawing my attention. Shooting out of the tree line and running straight toward me is Becky. Her skin is yellowish in color and dripping with lesions. She’s deteriorated further since she was last at the cave.

  The world begins ticking by in slow motion. There’s nowhere to run, blocked in by infected on both sides. I meet Ian’s eyes, relaying the silent message.

  Ian’s speed increases, but I can already tell he’s not going to reach me in time.

  “No. Mine. Move.” Jeff’s voice growls through my head, giving me only seconds to jump out of the way as he slams into Becky, both stumbling over the edge of the cliff. Even with the warning to move, their collision clips me, causing me to teeter totter with death. My arms pinwheel, attempting to balance when a fist latches onto my shirt, saving me from my fate.

  My breath is knocked from my lungs and my head pounds, as if a piece of its been ripped away. Jeff’s voice in my head is silenced for good when he hits the rocks below, tearing that part of himself away from me.

  Thick arms wrap around me as Ian pulls me tightly against his chest, catching me before my limbs give out. Ian swoops me up into his arms and swiftly moves away from the cliff.

  “I’ve got you, baby.” He gathers with the rest of our group at the edge of the field, where this location they can see in all directions.

  The rest of the infected retreat after their leaders go over the cliff. Their dead pack members litter the cliffside, soaking the ground with blood, leaving only a handful to escape. A million thoughts rush through me as I witness the dead infected. The first and most important is that no one else is injured. Two of our biggest threats are now dead and I’m free. Holy hell, I’m free! The craziest part is that Jeff chose to die protecting me instead of letting Becky kill me. That action alone churns unthinkable possibilities about the infected. There were several times when his humanity came through. He took care of me and the baby, probably better than I could have done on my own. It’s twisted, but I owe him our lives in more ways than one.

  Ian sets me in the soft grass, the rest of the group surrounding us, watching for the infected to return. “Are you all right?” Ian asks.

  “I’m okay,” I assure, then break down in tears, my emotions overwhelming me. “I’m so happy to see all of you. I’ve missed you so much.” Holding my arms open, they all push in around us, hugging me tightly. James lets go, wiping his eyes. Asher stands off to the side, giving us a moment to reacquaint.

  “Asher.” I call him closer. “Come meet the family.” He’s one of us now.

  He smiles. “Hi. I’m Asher. I was held captive with Lillie. The infected have changed more than we thought possible. There’s so much we have to tell you, but right now, we’ve got to get back to Wendy. What about your friend, the one that fell as we were running? Did he make it?”

  “No. The infected got to him after he went down. Who’s Wendy?” Mason states bluntly.

  “Another person who’s being held at the caves,” Asher responds, leaning down next to me. “There’s no way you can go back, we ran too far. They’ll never find it if I don’t go with them. Are you okay if I leave you here?”

  I tilt my head to him, smiling. “I think I’m safer than I have been in months.”

  Asher smiles. “That was a bit of a stupid question, I g
uess.” He stands and meets Luke’s eyes. “You’ll need me to find the caves. They’re hidden.”

  Luke nods. “I’ll go. Mason, you’re with me. Ian and James, stay here with Lil. Get her some water. She requires some rest before we continue. We don’t want her going into labor out here.”

  “Yeah, no thanks,” I comment.

  Ian sets his pack down, starting to pull food and water from every pocket. “Here, take these. You’ll need the extra energy.” He tosses Asher a few of Sarah’s breakfast bars. My stomach growls, remembering their sweet berry flavor. “Here’s yours.” He chuckles, handing me a couple bars.

  “Thank you,” Asher and I reply in unison.

  “Be safe,” I tell the group heading back to the cave. I hope they return in time to retrieve Wendy safely.

  They rearrange their weapons, checking their reliability. James hands Asher his water canteen, allowing him to strap it to his waist for easy travel. Asher pulls the canteen out and swallows a mouthful of water, then continues to devour the bars Ian handed him moments ago.

  “We’ll be back in a flash.” Mason tries to placate my worries.

  I nod, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. Another person died. I may not have known Jere well, but he always told a good joke. This decrepit world stole another innocent life.

  “Hey, you okay?” Ian asks.

  “Yeah. I’m finally free.” The words are a release. “I’m hoping I don’t wake up from this one.” We both laugh, understanding my meaning.

  James comes to sit next to me, taking my hand. “We dreamt of you. I saw you fall.” His hand squeezes tighter, as if Fate would throw me over the cliff herself. “It was horrible.”

  I wrap my arm around his shoulders and hug him the best I can with my belly. “I’m happy to finally be free and come back home. How’s Azami doing?” My stomach flutters excitedly thinking about my angel.

  Both Ian and James smile ear to ear. “She’s doing good,” James replies. “She’s growing like a weed. I hate to break it to you, but I think you’re going to be the shortest one in the family.”

  I slug him in the shoulder, laughing again. Our predicament is dire, waiting for the others to return, but it’s already much better than my existence with the infected. “At this point, I’ll be the tallest, smallest, fattest whatever. I don’t care. I’m just stoked to soak in the warm water when we get home.” I moan thinking about it.

  “Here, take this.” Ian pulls a coat from his pack and wraps me up, zipping, and buttoning the outside. “What happened there in the cave?” Ian’s the first one to ask a serious question, one we’re all avoiding, each for our own reasons.

  The ordeal was emotionally draining, painful, and disgusting. The story is going to take several hours to tell, not the handful of minutes we have now. “Can we discuss it later?” My voice is quiet, feeling selfish for wanting to wait before we dig into the dirty details.

  He watches my demeanor, gauging the emotions floating between us, sensing if I’m really okay. He slowly begins to nod. “Yeah, sure. If that’s what you want.” He pulls me closer. “But I expect a full story once we’re home. I’ll give you time, but I have to know everything.”

  I rest my hand on his arm as he hugs me close. “I promise.”

  He kisses the top of my head, then lays his cheek on my hair. “You’re okay though, right?”

  I squeeze his arm again. “I’m perfect now that you’re all here.”

  “We missed you so much.” James cuddles into my side.

  “I missed you too.” My voice cracks, but I hold it together. “I’m excited to get back home.” I sigh in relief.

  Chapter 21

  Ian

  Looking at Lillie sitting in her shabby clothes and state of dirtiness breaks my heart. She’s my responsibility, and this is what I let happen to her. She’s also spent most of her second pregnancy away from me—one thing I swore I’d never miss again. From this moment on, I’m spending every second of the day with her.

  I chuckle to myself.

  Lillie and James look up at me expectantly. “What?” she asks. Her voice is still new. I want to listen to her speak for hours.

  “I’m thinking about how annoyed you’re going to get with me when I won’t leave you alone for a second.” They both laugh with me. “Speaking of being annoying, I’m going to ask. Are you hungry or thirsty? Do you need anything at all?” I have this overwhelming need to coddle her. Without waiting for an answer, I pull the jerky from my backpack and give it to her.

  “Thank you. I’d love some more water too. That run has me thirsty. We’ve eaten fish practically every day over the months. This is a nice change.” She rips a piece of meat off.

  “Did you eat well enough then?” I understand wanting to wait to get into detail about how she lived her last few months, but she’s going to give me some answers.

  She rips off another bite and talks with her mouth full. “Jeff fed us fairly well.” She leaves the rest of her story unsaid, frustrating me more than expected. She reaches over and touches the hand dangling off my knee. “I understand that you’re frustrated and want answers.” She pauses, licking her lips. “I’m not hiding anything from you. You’ll have all the answers, I promise, but it’s a long story to tell. One I’d like to get out all at once, not small tidbits to relive over the next few days. When we get home, I promise to tell you everything.” Her hand is now on the side of my face, her beautiful eyes glistening with tears.

  I choke back my own emotion and pull her onto my lap. “I don’t care if you say another fucking word. I’m just glad I have you back.” My grip is probably suffocating her, squeezing her against me as if she’ll disappear through my fingers.

  “Whoa!” She leans away from me, holding her stomach.

  Thinking she might be in labor, I do the only normal thing, and almost drop her on the ground when I freak out. “What! Are you okay? What’s happening?” I’m seconds from standing with her in my arms, getting ready to run Lord knows where when she slaps my arm.

  “No, you dork. He’s kicking. Here, feel.” She snags my hand and pushes it against her belly.

  Nothing happens for a moment, but then, wham! A hard thump hits my hand. I suck in a breath, blown away at the overwhelming emotion that floods me. “Do you feel him?”

  I nod, my eyes large, waiting for him to move again. “There it is again!” I’m excited.

  “Let me feel.” James scoots closer, placing his hand on her stomach. She moves his hand to the right spot. The second the baby kicks, his face lights up with amazement. “That’s so cool.”

  “Yes, it is,” I agree. The smile soon falls from my face, ready to get back to business. We’re still vulnerable sitting out here. We killed most of the infected, but some ran, and they could be lurking in the trees. “How far is the cave from here? Can you remember?”

  She thinks, trying to remember, but shakes her head. “Honestly, this is the first time I’ve left the cave since they took me. There was so much going on, I can’t remember specifically. If I had to take a guess, a few miles. It felt like we ran forever.”

  “It’s okay. They’ve been gone a while. If it’s only a couple of miles each way, they’ll be back soon. I’d like to head back to our camp before nightfall, and the sun is on its way down. Most of our supplies are there. I can carry you if you need me to.”

  She gives me a dirty look. “Since when am I a damsel in distress?” She winks. “But since you’re offering, I’m tired after the run. I’ll go as far as possible, but there’s a chance I’ll get a lift.” Even covered in dirt, giant clothes and tattered shoes, she’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.

  “Tell me when you’re done walking and you’re all mine,” I growl, leaning in for a kiss.

  She puts her hand against my chest. “Hold on there. I haven’t brushed my teeth in months. Not days, months. I don’t think you want to kiss me quite yet.” She giggles, her lips trying to cover her teeth.

  A burst of
laughter erupts from me. “I love you. I don’t care if you have bright white teeth, dirty teeth, or no teeth at all. I’m going to kiss you.” Sinking into one another, I kiss her passionately.

  “Dude. As happy as I am that you’re back, can you please limit the PDA? There’s plenty of time for that when we get home.”

  I quickly kiss her lips one more time, not caring that James is present. “Get over yourself. It’s not like—” A branch snaps to my left, drawing my attention.

  James hears it too and blocks Lillie in on the other side, our backs to each other. We both have a knife, and James grabs a large stick, preparing for a fight. My ears perk, listening for any other noise.

  An owl hoots three times. James and I both lower our weapons, knowing Luke’s signal to announce his presence. Their emotional signals float to me before they step out of the tree line. Only the three of them. Lillie stands up, stepping toward them with hope in her eyes. She can plainly see that her friend isn’t with them, but she’s optimistic.

  She continues to close the distance between them as I follow a step behind her. She walks straight to Asher. “Where’s Wendy?” Her question is innocent, but deep down, she knows her friend is dead.

  Asher’s face is forlorn, sadness etched at the corner of his eyes. “She didn’t make it.”

  Lillie starts to cry and falls into his arms. He hugs her back, cradling her head against his chest. Internally, it’s killing me to watch him support her, but they’ve lived through hell together. They’ve lost their friend. “We…we…” she hiccups. “We… left her… be…behind.”

  Asher rubs her back, shushing her. “I know,” he whispers, tears in his own eyes.

  I give them a moment and step over to Mason and Luke, whispering so Lillie doesn’t overhear. “What’d you find?”

  They both shake their heads, signaling that it wasn’t good. “They got to her before us,” Mason replies. “Tore her apart.” He leaves the description short. “She didn’t have a chance. It looks like they were all chained to boulders.”