What Remains: Untainted

by Kris Norris

  Darcy reached out to her, pointing at the various guns in sequence. “The shotty’s a nice choice for closer combat. Not much skill required, and it puts them down with one shot. It also happens to be Barrett’s weapon of choice, which is probably why he gave it to you. His way of compensating for having to stay behind with the sniper rifle. Colby’s submachine gun will give you more options at the ranges we might encounter than your M16, though it’s a bit harder on ammo, so remember to release the trigger after every pull, so you don’t use it all in the first ten seconds.” He caressed the pistols at her hip, allowing his hand to linger against her side. “I see Barrett let you bring your Berettas. Nothing wrong with them. You got extra clips?”

  She patted her ass. “As many as Barrett could stuff into my rear pockets.”

  “You know that was just an excuse to touch your ass, right?”

  “With the way my heart’s racing, I didn’t mind the distraction.” She nodded at the window. “How’s it looking?”

  “Not nearly as clear as I’d like. But if we move slowly and quietly across the top of the vehicles, we should be able to get to the pavement without being noticed. Just do me a favor? Let me take out whatever resistance we run into on the way in with my knife if possible. I’d rather not have the entire contingency of dead chasing after us before we’ve even reached this magical warehouse.”

  “As long as it doesn’t mean you’ll get bitten.”

  “Can’t ask for more than that.” He turned toward the window then stopped, spinning back and snagging her waist, pulling her hard against his chest. He lowered his head, stopping with his lips brushing hers. “Don’t make me regret this.”

  She didn’t answer just fisted his shirt, crushing her mouth to his. He gave himself over to the kiss, praying it wasn’t the last one he’d ever have before easing away and turning toward the window again. He couldn’t look back, knowing he had to focus on the mission and trust Abby to play her part. Hell, she’d proven that first day she could more than handle herself, and despite the change in sleeping arrangements, he had to have faith she wouldn’t put her life in jeopardy.

  “I’ll go first. Just stick to my ass like glue and don’t hesitate.”

  He didn’t wait for her answer, just opened the window and hopped out, landing as quietly as he could on top of the first truck before scooting forward, keeping his body crouched in an effort to stay hidden. A soft thud sounded behind him, and he smiled at how truly incredible Abby was. How they’d ever managed to earn both her love and her trust was a mystery to him, and he’d be damned if he’d let her get so much as a scratch while in his care.

  Abby tapped his back, letting him know she was ready, and he moved forward again, testing each hand and foot placement before putting his weight on it. The last thing they needed was to announce their presence while still climbing across the damn vehicles.

  Darcy kept crawling, scanning every direction as he made his way along the line of cars. He stopped when he reached the last one, slipping inside the truck through the sunroof. He shifted over, making room for Abby to squeeze through. She all but jumped down, her body flowing gracefully through the air before she squatted on the seat. She gave him a stunning smile and a quick nod, pointing at the building off to their right.

  He held up his fist, motioning her to wait as he peeked out the windows, ensuring the immediate area was clear before inching the door open. He held his breath, waiting for the damn thing to creak, sighing a relieved breath when the door swung open with nothing more than a slight whoosh of air. He climbed out, checking the Gray’s positioning one more time before signaling Abby to follow.

  She fell in behind him, her body brushing against his. He allowed himself one moment of peace before motioning to the first building. They’d make a run for the warehouse then hopefully lose any zombies when they darted inside. Abby tapped his back again, and he nodded, jumping forward, racing across the pavement at a full sprint. Two zombies started toward them, and he veered off the path, killing the first one with a knife toss to the head. Then he ducked under the other, popping up behind it and snapping its neck with a hard twist of his hands. He stuck his other knife through its eye, ensuring that it stayed dead this time before retrieving his throwing blade and tagging behind Abby as she headed behind the first building.

  She ran down to a small door set into the metal wall, slipping one of her keys into the lock and twisting it, before stepping back.

  He stopped behind her, giving her a light squeeze. “Good girl. Now stay behind me in case we’ve got company inside.”

  She nodded, the shotgun Barrett had given her clenched in his hands. He mouthed the countdown, inching the door open when he reached three. Nothing by shadows moved in the darkness as he stepped in, clearing each side of the room with his rifle before ushering Abby in and locking the door behind them. A sharp scratching noise sounded on the other side of the wall, sending a shiver down his spine.

  “God I hate those motherfuckers.” He motioned to the far end of the warehouse. “Please tell me you have a key for the other side of this thing.”

  “One of the men that had been hiding out here from the start had keys for nearly every door. Luckily, he left them behind the day he got mauled.”

  Darcy winced at the desolate tone to her voice, ignoring the instinct to comfort her. There’d be time for that once they were safely back in the damn tower. “Okay. Show me the way but be careful.”

  She nodding, heading off across the room at a fast walk, keeping her gun at the ready. They made their way to a long hallway, the rest of the space occupied by what looked like offices. Darcy grabbed her arm, motioning behind him again as he took lead, ensuring each door was closed before moving forward. They’d reached the last office before the outer door when something banged inside the next room.

  He stopped, pressing his back against the wall as he tried to look through the dirt-smeared window next to the door. A flash of movement darted past before pale flesh rushed out of the room. Darcy reacted, swinging his rifle, knocking the creature back. It bounced off the opposite wall, leaving a smear of blood on the dull gray paint before coming at them again. He grabbed his knife when another Gray barreled out of the room, its skin peeled back from its face, one arm nothing more than strips of rotting flesh. He pivoted, stabbing the bastard in the head as the first creature bore down on him. He prepared to kick it back when Abby lunged in front, slamming it in the chest with the butt end of her shotgun before spinning the shaft around and blowing the fucker’s head off. Chunks of bone splattered across the far wall as the Gray crumbled, its limbs twitching at its side.

  Darcy swore as the shot echoed down the hall before letting the zombie trapped behind his rifle barrel to fall to the ground. He looked at Abby. “You okay?”

  “I know what you’re going to say, but that damn thing was too close. And I’m not nearly as good as you with a knife.”

  He sighed, motioning to the outer door. “Let’s just get out of here before more figure out a way in.”

  “There’s about twenty feet between that door and the next building. There’s a fire escape off to the left. It’ll be safer to climb to the roof and go in through a hatch than to use the door since it’s been missing for months.”

  “Fabulous. Fine. I’ll clear the area first then you make a run for it. I’ll hold off any interested parties while you get your ass up that ladder.”

  “Darcy—”

  “That’s non-negotiable, darling.”

  She huffed but fell in behind him as he moved to the door, readying his gun as he pulled it inward, prepared to slam it shut if more than a couple of the fuckers had gathered beyond the doors. Three heads swung in their direction from the corner of the other building, their bodies swaying as they turned and hurried across the pavement.

  “Run!”

  Darcy raised the gun to his shoulder, picking each one off with a single round as he backed toward the ladder, constantly checking over his shoulder for more Gray.
Abby whistled, already several rungs up as she continued moving, her boots clanking against the metal. He nodded, killing a few more before dashing for the ladder. He reached the bottom, swinging his rifle to his back, just as a large group appeared around the opposite corner, the undulating mass moving faster than expected. He grabbed at the rungs, only to realize they’d catch him before he could reach a safe height.

  He unholstered one of his handguns, picking off the first few zombies when a series of pops filled the air.

  “Damn it, Darcy, climb!”

  He looked up as he started moving, cursing when he saw her leaning over the first platform, gun at her shoulder as she released the trigger, killing three at a time. He climbed faster, kicking at the hands that clawed at his boot, finally reaching the platform. He leaned against the wall, catching his breath before grabbing Abby and pulling her close. She moved into his arms, but he could tell by the stiff line of her back she wasn’t sure what he was doing.

  He gave her a firm hug then dropped his arms, flashing her a scowl. “You scared the hell out of me hanging over the damn railing like that. What if it’d given way?”

  “But it didn’t.” She trailed a finger down his cheek. “I love you too, but we need to get the drugs before there’s too many of them.”

  Her simple declaration soothed the raw feeling twisting his gut, and he nodded, darting up the rest of the levels, clearing the roof before heading for a large vent off to his left. He stopped at the edge, glancing inside. The floor loomed forty feet below them, the dull concrete masked by a mass of moving flesh.

  Darcy bowed his head, a sick feeling rolling through his gut. “Son of a bitch.” He couldn’t look at Abby’s face as she peered over the lip, knowing the sight would break her heart.

  She went to her knees. “No.”

  Darcy sighed, bending down beside her, laying his arm across her back.

  She cursed and shook it off, jumping up as she took a few heavy steps away. “I’m still going.”

  He rose, blocking her way as she made for the vent. “You’re not going down there.”

  “I didn’t come all this way…get within sight of the damn cure…just to give up.”

  “And I didn’t risk my ass to see you mauled in front of my eyes.” He ran his fingers through his hair, tempted to pull a few strands out. “Is there another way in or out of this railcar?”

  She frowned, looking away as if trying to remember. “There’s a door on the side, and a set at the end, but the ones on the end are locked from the inside. But even if we open them the only direction you can go is up because they hit the damn wall long before we’d be able to squeeze through.”

  He huffed, glancing inside again. “Can you access the top?”

  “I’m not sure.” She returned to the edge, kneeling down so she could stick her head partway inside. “It’s a hell of a leap, but yeah. Once we jump from the catwalk to the staircase we can vault over to the railcar. But it’d take both of us to get back up here. I wasn’t originally planning on climbing back up. I’d hoped we’d be able to make a run out the main doors.” She popped up, her eyes widening. “I think I have an idea.”

  Darcy shook his head, grabbing her shoulder. “Oh no. I have a feeling I know what you’re thinking, and it’s suicide. Even if you can get inside, they’ll tear you apart while you’re trying to climb out of there.”

  “Which means we’ll have to work together.”

  “No way, Abby. Not unless it’s my ass going inside that railcar.”

  “We’ve already been over this. I need to see what medications they have.” She pushed to her feet, pressing her body against his. “I know this can work.”

  He leveled a glare at her. “Right up until the point where I’m not quite quick enough and you get eaten.”

  “I’m not scared. I know you’ll pull me up in time.”

  “Fantastic. That makes one of us.” He kicked at the tar lining the roof, wanting to say no but knowing he needed to save Colby as much as she did. “This is a terrible idea.”

  “Not if it works.”

  “And that’s a pretty big if, darling.” He punched one hand into the other. “Okay. Here’s how it’s going to work. We go in together. If I think for even a second you won’t reach that door and lock it in time behind you, we pull out.”

  She nodded, moving in behind him.

  He cursed again then placed his hands on the edge. “Be careful.”

  He vaulted himself over the edge, landing on the narrow platform running the length of the warehouse. He shuffled forward, giving Abby room behind him, ready to catch her if she misjudged the distance. She landed perfectly in the middle, raising an eyebrow when he took a step toward her.

  “I’ve done this before. You don’t have to babysit me, Darcy.”

  “Just making sure I’m the only one who’ll get a chance to bite your ass.” He motioned toward the staircase that ended at a small office on the far side. “Once you’re on top of the railcar, give me a few minutes to get their attention before you drop down and dart inside.”

  “Got it.”

  He led the way, jumping to the top floor of the stairs, grabbing Abby’s hand when she leaped after him. Some of the zombies looked their way, groaning and grunting as they headed for the staircase. He gave Abby a tap on her ass, holding his breath as she climbed through the railing and launched herself onto the top of the railcar. His heart thundered in his chest as she rolled across the width, somehow getting her feet out in time to stop her momentum before she fell off the other side. She shook her head then made her way along the edge, stopping above the side door. He nodded, killing the first few Gray that had ventured up the set of stairs, the harsh reverberation of the rifle drawing the rest of the group.

  The mass moved as one, stumbling toward the stairs, tramping each other in an effort to reach the steps first. He kept picking off corpses, using the noise as a distraction. It took a few minutes, but soon the area directly in front of the door cleared, giving Abby a window of opportunity. She waved at him, slinging the shotgun across her chest as she palmed the lip and dropped ten feet to the floor.

  Her boots made a dull thud, but she quickly rolled to her feet, swinging the metal door open then slamming it shut behind her. Darcy drew a deep breath and waited.

  Abby pressed her back against the door, trying to catch her breath, as the steady echo of gun fire vibrated through the metal walls. Fear coiled low in her belly, her imagination conjuring up a thousand different ways Darcy could die. She bit her lip, praying she hadn’t done exactly what she’d asked them not to and traded his life for Colby’s before shaking the thought from of her mind and racing over to the bins of drugs stacked along the far wall. Though she’d rummaged through some of them before, she had no idea where the anti-malarial meds would be, or if there even were any.

  “God, please let them be here.”

  She ransacked three of the containers, tossing some of the plastic bottles on the floor before coming across a vial of snake anti-venom. Her hopes lifted. If they’d included anti-venom…

  She scoured the supplies, indifferent to where they landed, sorting through the entire bin before finding a single bottle of Mefloquine lying on its side near the bottom. Tears pooled in her eyes as she stared at the pills, her heart beating a tattoo against her ribs. She grabbed the bottle, finding one more tucked until a layer of cardboard on the bottom of the container along with two bottles of Quinine. Then she rifled through more boxes, taking other supplies she didn’t want to chance running low on and stuffed the material in her backpack. She’d just turned to head for the rear doors when a loud bang sounded overhead.

  She ran to the back, sliding the metal lever off to the side before cracking open the heavy door. It hit the wall with little more than a foot of space between the lip of the roof and the wall. Darcy’s head popped through, his mouth pulled tight, a large cut across his forehead dripping blood down the side of his face.

  She cursed. “What the he
ll happened to your face?”

  “It’s nothing. I hit it on a piece of metal when I had to jump over to avoid getting swarmed. Please tell me you got the drugs?”

  “Everything we need.” She extended her arm. “Ready whenever you are.”

  He feigned a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “This isn’t going exactly as planned. The stairs are overrun, and even I can’t jump from here to that platform.”

  Fear resurfaced, beading her skin with drops of sweat. “Is this the part where you tell me you have a backup plan?”

  “I have a plan. I’m just not sure it’s a sane one.”

  He sighed, and for the first time, she saw a flash of fear in his eyes. She gave him a tight smile, swallowing hard when he looked at her is if he didn’t plan on seeing her again.

  She pushed against the door, wishing she could break through the damn wall. “Darcy. Don’t you dare sacrifice yourself for me or I swear I’ll kill you.”

  “That’s somewhat of a paradox, but thanks anyway.” He pointed at the other door. “And I’d never leave you alone to face this. But you’re going to have to trust me. Is there something in there you can place below here that would be steady enough for you to jump on?”

  She scanned the room. “I could stack a couple of the bins on top of each other.”

  “Do it.”

  She darted over to the containers again, jumping when more shots rang through the air. She moved quickly, layering three of the bins together. “Ready.”

  Two more shots echoed through the room before Darcy dipped his head down again. “Perfect. Now once you’re ready, you need to release the lock on the other door and turn the handle. Then run like hell over here and launch yourself off that platform. I’ll catch you and pull you up. And if we’re lucky, the bastards will fill that damn railcar trying to get to you.”

  “And if we’re not?”

  “Let’s just assume we will be.”

  She looked at the door, judging the distance. Bile crested the back of her throat, but she swallowed it, taking a few deep breaths. She glanced one last time at Darcy then headed for the door. Nails scratched against the metal surface, the tinny sound making her heart race. She tried to ignore how much her hands shook as she eased the bolt open, startling when something banged against the other side. She closed her eyes, gathering her courage before palming the handle and turning the knob.