Cries of pain, and grunts of discomfort greeted me once I returned to myself. Scout fired at some of the creatures who remained, but most had gone. He turned, staring at me, an unmistakable look of fear on his face.
“What happened?” he asked softly. I’d almost say he was nervous to ask, but the man didn’t appear the nervous type.
I looked around: corpses of the monsters surrounded me, and I was almost completely covered in their blood. The smell finally hit me, and I gagged. Bending to the ground, I heaved.
No one approached me, but I could sense their eyes on me. I must have been quite the sight. A young girl covered in the blood of her enemies, formerly fearless in battle, now unable to handle the aftermath. Tears burned in my eyes, but I blinked furiously. They would not fall. I wouldn’t risk these people any more.
I stared at the creatures around me. No one deserved this fate.
The only sound was my harsh breathing, until… “Zero!”
I looked up, nearly sobbing in relief. “Rex. Jake. Thank goodness.” Behind them, Shanti skulked. A gun held lightly in her hand and a look of rage on her face.
“You… ah… look like you could use a bath, Z,” Rex said, a slight smirk on his face.
I chuckled, holding my arms out. “You think?”
He held his hand up, fingers held in a pinch. “Just a bit.”
Jake was less humored. His shotgun held toward Scout’s group. To their credit, none of them moved to stop us. “You okay, Z?” he asked. “Any injuries?”
I shrugged. The adrenaline had yet to fade enough to tell for sure if there was pain anywhere. “Not that I can tell. Probably be easier once I clean up a bit.”
“A lot,” Rex interjected with a laugh.
I finally looked up at him, and noticed that despite his lighthearted reactions, he too was holding a gun up to Scout’s people.
“I’m good, guys,” I assured them. “Scout was going to let me go, but we got ambushed.”
“Wouldn’t have been an issue if he’d left you alone,” Jake argued. “What are your intentions, Scout? Do we have to keep watching our backs? Or are you going to move along?”
Scout had a strangely wide-eyed look that he moved from me to Jake slowly. “She’s… she—”
“Saved all your butts, is what she did,” Rex snapped.
I sighed, knowing what had happened. “The horde took over,” I said softly. “I lost myself in the fight. This,” I gestured at the carnage surrounding us, “wasn’t how I normally am. Their hive-mind took over for a bit.”
That might have been an understatement, but it could have been much worse. “I was being driven to cause bloodshed and destruction. I’m just glad I was aimed at the creatures, and not at your people,” I told Scout with a sigh.
Jake glanced at me, concern shining in his eyes before his gaze hardened and he looked at Scout. “You got your answer, now how ‘bout answering me.”
“You’ve got nothing to fear from me or my people. I won’t deliver a kid to be used as a weapon.” He hesitated for a moment before adding, “We could help you. I used to work on the border, so I know some areas that are less guarded. We could help each other. All we want is to get out of this death trap.”
Jake didn’t soften, but he looked at me. “Give us a day to consider. Zero needs to get cleaned up. You and your people have some cleanup to do here. We’ll meet you here tomorrow morning if we decide to work with you.”
I thought it seemed like Scout wanted to protest, but he swallowed his pride and nodded.
“Hope to see you tomorrow, then. Keep that girl safe,” he ordered.
I stared at Scout in confusion as Jake and Rex ushered me away. He’d kidnapped me to turn me over to the people who’d started the outbreak. So why was he being so protective now?
Chapter Fifteen
“How can you even consider this?” Rex shouted. “The man kidnapped you, Zero! How do you know he won’t stab us in the back the second he has the chance?”
The others were watching the argument with wide-eyes that moved warily from Rex to me.
I gave a deep sigh. “I guess I don’t,” I admitted. “Not for sure, anyway.”
“Then why—?”
“I have a feeling,” I interrupted. “Scout doesn’t want to hurt anyone, he just wants to get his people out of here safely—what’s left of them, anyway,” I added, thinking of the unfortunate man Scout had to kill. “You have to admit, travelling with several more armed adults would make life safer.”
“Until they decide to turn those arms on us,” Rex argued.
I wanted to be able to express why I believed Scout wasn’t a threat, but I couldn’t figure it out myself. Based on his final words, I just figured he wouldn’t be.
Jake interrupted our argument with a huff. “I can see this going either way. Zero, you could be right. He might be more of a help than a threat. To be honest, though, I’m not sure we can take the chance. Several adults with weapons, versus several of us with weapons, may not be a fair fight if they do go against us.”
I threw up my arms. “Then we have no way of knowing where they are or what they’re doing.”
“Explain,” Rex ordered, arms crossed over his chest. His gaze was unflinching.
“If they’re with us, then we have all of us to keep an eye on them. Everyone can overhear at least parts of what they say. We can monitor to make sure they aren’t planning to betray us. But if we send them away, there’s nothing stopping them from following us anyway.”
“And taking you again, if that’s their goal,” Jake added with a nod. He sighed again. “Fine. If the others agree, I’m with you, Z.”
Some of the others nodded hesitantly, but a couple watched for Rex’s response.
He continued staring at me thoughtfully. I hated having this argument in front of everyone. We’d always tried to remain united, so the others would have no doubts that we were doing what was in the group’s best interest. Now, there would always be a question.
A few tense minutes passed in silence as Rex took his own sweet time to share his final opinion. My piece said, I could do nothing more than wait for his response.
“I’m trusting you, Z,” he finally answered softly. “We’ll travel with them, but don’t ask me to even pretend to trust them.”
I tried to smile confidently. Showing doubt now would help no one. “Thank you, Rex. We’ll join them later.”
When we’d rejoined the others, I’d been able to wash my face with a rag I then burned in the fire, and had bathed in a stream that was near the path. It felt amazing to wash off the sticky blood from my body and dress in clean clothing. My sword had also been wiped down, the sharp edge now gleaming in the sunlight.
I absently rubbed a cloth across the blade again. Rex put a lot of trust in me. The rest put their trust in Jake, Rex, and me almost equally. The three of us having a public disagreement could be hard on morale. Worse would be if Rex was correct in his distrust of Scout and his people.
Rex nodded tersely and walked away, obviously still unhappy with the outcome of our argument. Jake eyed him warily.
“He’ll be fine, I think,” the older man assured me. “He does trust you, and I trust your judgment. You spent more time with these people than any of us. So, if you believe they can be of help, we’ll go along with it.”
My mouth twitched into a small smile. “Thanks, Jake. I really do think they’ll be helpful. I also think Scout knows something, and I’m hoping he’ll share.”
Jake cocked his head slightly. “What do you think he knows?”
I shrugged. “Not sure. But I think he might know something about the people who started all this.”
Chapter Sixteen
Joining Scout’s group was easier than I’d anticipated. The other kids were happy to share the duties of pulling the loaded cart. After the initial quiet when the adults joined us, the kids seemed to relax. It was almost imperceptible, but they carried themselves a bit differently, and were less attach
ed to their weapons.
It was as if—after everything—they’d forgotten the risks. They’d decided that the adults could step in and protect them. Not exactly what I was going for, but a little less stress was a good thing. Right?
The only ones who remained fully vigilant were Rex, Jake, me, and—the surprising one—Shanti.
With the clear distrust she had in me, I was surprised to notice that she had drifted closer to me, and was eyeing the newcomers with obvious concern. I’d already caught her gaze flickering toward me several times, as if wondering what I’d been thinking, allowing new people into our group.
Considering our experience with them had consisted of fighting and Scout kidnapping me, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
Maybe the truly surprising thing was the rest of the kids being so relaxed around Scout’s people. They’d distrusted others since they’d joined me, so why would they trust these armed and dangerous people so easily?
Jake approached, smiling slightly as if he knew what I was thinking. “They trust you, Z. So, they feel safer travelling with people you say you trust. That’s all.”
“So, you, Rex, and Shanti don’t?” I asked, only half-way joking.
“We trust you,” he refuted. “But we also want to make sure they are worth your trust. We don’t all have the luxury of letting the ‘adults’ do the work.”
“Besides,” he added, “You haven’t relaxed one iota since we joined them.”
I shrugged. “Can’t help it. We may have more experienced people with us now, but I am still the only one who can tell when the creatures are about to get to us. I’m in charge. And if anything goes wrong…”
The older man nodded. “Yeah.”
I huffed. “Yeah. I was the one who convinced everyone to accept these people.”
My gaze drifted toward the adult nearest to us. “If I was wrong… no. I can’t relax. Not until I’m sure I made the right call.”
An indecipherable look crossed Jake’s face, and he let out a small sigh. “You’re still a kid, Z. You shouldn’t have to feel so much pressure. You aren’t alone at the top. Don’t forget that Rex and I are in your corner too.”
I smiled, but shook my head. “You went off my recommendation. Rex only reluctantly agreed. If something goes wrong, I’m worried he won’t forgive me.”
“Ah, kiddo,” Jake said, slinging an arm around my shoulders and leaning toward me. “He likes you. He may not like the situation, but he will forgive you. No. Matter. What.”
The emphasis put a genuine smile on my face. As one of the most important people in my life, the idea that Rex could end up hating me had hurt. Jake, the other most important person, had put my mind at ease. Mostly. “You’re sure?” I asked softly.
He gave my shoulder a little squeeze. “Absolutely. You guys are inseparable. This won’t change that. Not for long, anyway.”
A glance at Rex’s tense shoulders caused a seed of doubt. The seed withered as Rex turned toward me with a smile. Jake was right. While Rex was apparently still upset, he’d already begun to forgive me.
Jake suddenly pulled away, gun raised defensively. The rest of the adults dropped to their knees. Weapons were held at the ready.
“What’s happening?” Prati cried out from her spot in the center of the group.
Her plaintive cry echoed what I wanted to know.
I watched Scout expectantly. He had been at the front of the group, but made his way to me and Jake. “We’re being hunted,” he explained softly.
“By whom?” Jake asked. He glanced toward me in confusion, but I shook my head. For once I was getting nothing. No sign of the creatures who continually attacked us.
A scowl marred Scout’s face, and I almost flinched back from his angry look. “My former coworkers, most likely,” he finally answered.
Chapter Seventeen
If I’d thought Scout’s anger was frightening, it was nothing compared to the fury on Jake’s face at Scout’s admission.
Before Scout could react, Jake had spun him so the two men were face to face. Clasped tightly in Jake’s hand was a knife—He moved so quickly, I could hardly tell where he’d pulled it from—which he held to Scout’s throat.
“Explain,” Jake hissed. “NOW!”
Scout cringed, clearly unhappy with the situation. “I used to work as a perimeter guard,” he admitted.
“It’s how I knew you were wanted. Posters of all the most wanted are at every guard post. You’d never get through. You’re wanted number one. You’re the one they blame for the outbreak.”
Jake shook his head incredulously. “How could they possibly pin the entire outbreak on a thirteen-year-old kid?”
Scout balked at the question.
“Answer him, Scout. And explain quickly why we’re being hunted now,” I ordered, taking on the leadership role once again.
“You aren’t the only one,” he admitted quietly. “You’re patient zero, like I said the other day, but there are others. Other people who were blamed for the outbreak. Now that I’ve met you, I believe they are as much victims of the true perpetrators as you are.”
The shock I felt was also clear on Jake’s face. “I’m not… I’m not the only person with a connection to this?” I waved my hand around to indicate the outbreak.
“There are four others. All but one are older, but not by much. Late teens mostly,” the former guard explained. “We’re being hunted, because one of my people sent a message to the guards to let them know we’d be there with you at a specific time. Once I changed my mind, it was too late to call off the meeting.”
“So, they’re not overly happy with all of you, huh?” Jake asked, moving the knife away from Scout’s throat.
“That would be putting it mildly,” Scout agreed. “I left my post under questionable circumstances, so they aren’t likely to look favorably on me. It’s why I’m stuck on this side of the fence.”
“But no one has attacked,” I argued. “How do you know they’re here?”
Indeed, the wooded area where we now sat crouched was quiet. No yelling, no gunfire, no footsteps.
“Because it’s quiet,” he answered. “Listen closer.”
I looked around, trying to figure out what he meant.
Jake figured it out first. “The animal sounds,” he said. “They’re quiet. But it could have been due to our presence.”
Scout shook his head. “Up until a couple minutes ago, there were birds.”
His eyes drifted to the sky over the trees. “There,” he pointed.
A flock of black birds flew past quickly. “They were rustled out by the people hunting us. We need to find cover.”
“Where? We’re in the middle of the woods. All we have as cover are trees,” I said, throwing my hands up in the air.
“Hemey, Reyes, and Keiley: stay here and cover us. We’re going to move and try to put some distance between us,” Scout ordered.
“Zero, you need to get your people moving,” he added urgently. “They’re getting closer, and they can’t get their hands on you.”
Three of Scout’s people stepped past us to take positions behind some trees and cover our escape.
“We need to move, guys,” I said, rising from the crouch I’d found myself in. “Let’s get going.”
Jake and I gave a quick nod of thanks to the three who would be covering us, and we began to move. After rounding a bend in the path, we lost sight of the people Scout had left behind, but within minutes, we heard the clapping of gunfire.
“Quickly!” Scout urged all of us.
Jake, Scout, and I stayed behind the others to keep an eye out for problems from the back. Rex and Shanti led the group, going from their memories of the maps we’d studied extensively.
My heart pounded, the sound almost echoing in my ears. Having human beings chasing me was worse than the creatures. At least if the inhuman enemy came upon us, I had slight control over what they would do. The human element was difficult to predict, and all I could do was
fight. No control, only reaction.
The adults seemed less than thrilled about being stuck running at the same speeds as the kids. Scout simply gave a look, and they swallowed any complaint and kept running.
Where we were running to, I had no idea. No one else seemed to know either, but it didn’t stop us from running.
“We need a plan,” I huffed out.
My chest was heaving and my legs were starting to burn from running, and we still didn’t have an actual plan.
Scout, who was maddeningly even breathed, simply shrugged.
“Getting away seemed like the best bet,” he answered as we veered left at a fork in the trail.
The next break in the trees came quickly, and we continued down the center. With this many people, random choice wouldn’t matter. Any pursuers would be able to follow our tracks. There was pretty much no chance of actually getting away from anyone behind us.
“Not gonna happen,” Jake answered as he met my doubtful gaze. “We’re leaving too much of a trail.”
“True, but we’ve put some distance between us now. We could probably slow down and try to cover our tracks a bit,” Scout suggested.
“Or hide and set up an ambush while the younger kids get away,” I suggested, slowing to a stop.
Jake opened his mouth, most likely to argue the aggressive plan, but I cut him off.
“They’re expecting us to run. They know we have kids with us, so they won’t expect us to attack.”
Scout gave a quick nod. “She could be right. Before I saw this little girl take out ten of the creatures, I would never have considered her a true threat.”
I snorted, and looked up at him doubtfully. “Right, because you let me get the best of you when we first ran into you. My sword at your throat was your clever plan to beat us.”
The man had the good sense to give me a sheepish smile. “Fine. Maybe not you. You’re definitely a threat. But I’ll say the other guards won’t know that.”
Jake huffed. “These kids have survived the outbreak so far. How dumb are these guards?”
Ground Zero (Patient Zero Book 1) Page 6