The Withered Series (Book 1): Wither

by Miles, Amy

  Pushing back from him, I crawl away. “Where are you going?”

  “I’ll be right back.” I count the aisles, trying to remember where I saw the first aid section. There isn’t much. A few packets of pills which I stuff into my pocket. Some temporary bandages and a first aid kit. I grab the kit and tear off the packaging, tossing it aside. I rummage through it until my fingers grasp what I’m looking forward.

  Tucking the thermometer between my teeth, I crawl toward a row of dark doors at the back. The scent of rotting food from the refrigerator beyond hits me as I grab a bottle and crawl back to Cable’s side. “Open up.”

  “Does it really matter?”

  “Yes.” I insist and grab his chin. He relents and closes his mouth over the thermometer. A minute passes before it beeps. I glance down at the illuminated screen. “103.5”

  He grunts and pushes my hand away. “I’m fine.”

  “You’re not.” I tear open two packages of pain pills and force them into his hand. “Take these.”

  “I don’t have the flu, Avery. I doubt it will help.”

  I twist the cap of the bottle and the scent of soda makes my mouth water. How long has it been since I had a taste? Holding out the bottle, I grasp his hand. “I need you lucid if we are going to get out of here. Alex is messed up over Victoria, and I don’t know what I’m doing.”

  “Yes you do.” He winces at the burn of the soda as I force the bottle between his lips and tilt his head back. He swallows and pushes my hand away. “I saw what you did to that guy.”

  The bottle falls from my hands. Cable reaches for me, not caring that soda spills over the floor before us. “It’s hard, the first time,” he says with deep, knowing compassion. Cable had his first kill too, but that had been a mission on a battlefield. Probably with a gun from a distance. He may have seen the guy drop but he didn't feel the man’s blood splatter his face as he beat him senseless.

  I swallow hard and draw my knees into my chest. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “You need to.”

  “Why?”

  His grip on my shoulder tightens. “Because you don’t have time to internalize it. If we are going to make it out of here, you’re going to have to kill again. Maybe more than once. You have to be prepared for it.”

  “Is that even possible?” I scoff and clamp my eyes shut against the memory. That man’s blood still taints me. I can’t be free of it, not without exposing myself to go into the bathroom to clean up. My palms feel clammy as a cold sweat breaks out. “It was awful,” I whisper.

  “I know.” He strokes my hair. “But you did what you had to.”

  I bite down on my lower lip, giving a hesitant nod. “I guess I didn’t think it would be so...so messy.”

  The feel of his calloused hands on my cheek pulls me back as he lifts my chin to look at him. In the dim light of the moon spilling through the windows overhead I know he can see my fear. His face is dark, but the warmth of his smile shines through as he slowly lowers his head and kisses me.

  It does not hold the same passion or intensity of the last time our lips met. This is soft, a gentle unspoken promise. When he draws back he places a final kiss on my nose. “Next time will be easier.”

  I nuzzle into his side, for the moment content to just be. He leans his cheek against my head and after a moment his breathing slows and he leans on me for support. I hold him, allowing him a rare moment of rest. He’s going to need it.

  Sometime later I start at the sound of crashing glass. Cable leaps to his feet, slightly wobbly but alert. “Is that them?”

  “No.” He shakes his head and grabs my arm. “I don’t think so.”

  I follow his lead back through the store, keeping low to make a smaller target. I have no idea how skilled those men are with guns. Anyone can hit a target at close range and Alex just happened to be a pretty good one earlier.

  “Alex,” I hiss when we discover him missing from beside Victoria. I stare at her body, wondering if she will come back. I didn’t express my concerns with Cable, didn’t have the heart to, but it’s a legitimate question. Nothing about the Withered Ones have been textbook zombie. Not the way we thought they would be. Up until now I haven't remained near any dead bodies to see if they will rise again.

  “He’s down here.” I look up to see that Cable has moved to the far end of the shop. He stands upright, his hands planted on his hips. I don’t have to hear the disapproval in his voice to know he’s not happy.

  I hurry down the final three aisles and stop short when I see Alex sprawled out on the floor. “Well, I guess that accounts for the broken glass,” I mutter, staring down at the collection of empty beer bottles around him.

  Alex’s head rolls to the side. Chip and cookie crumbles line his shirt, some sticking to the expanding stain of blood that has soaked through his bandage. “He’s trashed.”

  “I am not,” he slurs. “I’m wasted. Big difference.”

  I roll my eyes and glance back at the doors. No sign of movement outside but there will be soon enough. I’m sure of it. “Was this really the best time to do this?”

  Kneeling down beside him, I grab one arm and Cable the other. We lift him into a seated position. The stench of alcohol on him turns my stomach. “Imminent death is the best time, in my honest opinion.”

  Alex burps and giggles. I stare at Cable in open amazement. There is an ugly twist of scorn on his lips. He releases his hold on Alex and crosses his arms, thrusting out his chest. “He’s a damned fool.”

  I can’t help but agree but I don’t say it aloud. “Everyone deals with loss in their own way.”

  “You’re making excuses for this sorry piece of shit?”

  I place a hand on his arm. “He’s hurting.”

  Cable grinds his teeth. I can see that he’s trying to rein in his anger, but it’s a battle. One that I don’t entirely blame him for. Alex is a fool. If he didn’t have a death wish before, he’s got one signed and sealed now. He’ll be lucky to make it to the back door.

  “What do we do?”

  Uncrossing his arms, Cable slides to the floor and rubs the back of his neck. He is silent for several moments. What once caused me frustration now brings me hope. An introspective Cable is far more reassuring than a hell bent one.

  “How did you know that they were going to attack?” He shifts, tilting his body toward me. He casts a glance at Alex but the man’s snores force him to look away again. “You yelled right before they struck.”

  I grasp my knees, feeling comfort in their pressure against my chest. I adopted this pose first as a young child every time I feel like the world is spinning out of control. That seems to happen on a near daily basis now. “I didn’t see it at first. Thought they were just Moaners, but they felt...off. I watched each of them. They were good, Cable. I nearly didn’t see in time. They moved in unison. They didn’t blink, hardly seemed to breath. Even their appearance was near enough that they could pass for a Moaner.”

  He scoots closer, his knee brushing mine. “So what gave them away?”

  There is a heaviness pressing on my chest as I pinch the bridge of my nose. “They weren’t moving south.”

  Cable leans back, his arm resting atop his knee. The other is tucked beneath him, the laces of his boot soaking up the spilled alcohol. “But that’s just a theory, completely unproven and invalidated.”

  “It worked didn’t it?”

  “This time,” he agrees with hesitation. He turns and looks toward the front door. I stiffen at the sight of a brief movement, a foot drawn out of view at the last second. They are coming.

  “Did you see—” I turn to see Cable holding out the knife to me.

  “Take it. You’ll need it more than me.” He reaches into his back and pulls out a silver pistol. It looks like something a cowboy would use in an old Western. “I’ve got three rounds left but I lost the ax out there in the parking lot.”

  “Where’d you get that gun?”

  He jerks his head toward
the door. “I didn’t go down without a fight.”

  “What about him?” I look to Alex. He breathes heavily, locked into a deep sleep. “Can we wake him?”

  Cable reaches over and punches Alex in the shoulder, right over the entry wound. It takes two more hard hits before Alex rears up, eyes bloodshot and filled with pain. “What the hell did you do that for?”

  I clamp my hand down on his mouth to still his shout. “They’re back.”

  He falls still and I lower my hand. He trembles as he looks toward the door. I wrinkle my nose at the scent of urine and pull back. “Alex—”

  “Don’t,” he waves me off. “I’ll be embarrassed about it later.”

  Fear sobers him fast. I help him to his feet, keeping my hand on his head to keep him below the height of the windows. His steps are unsteady, his gaze still glazed over, but he’s on his feet. That’s an improvement.

  Cable is gone, slipped out of sight while I take care of Alex. He rustles around in the back and I lead Alex down the dark hallway toward him.

  “We should have buried her,” Alex mutters, glancing at Victoria.

  “You know we couldn’t.”

  “I know.” He sounds deflated, lost. He tugs back against my arm and I release him. “Alex, we have to keep moving.”

  “Just give me a minute. Go find Cable.”

  Torn with indecision, I don't move until I hear a grunt from up ahead. I rush forward, leaving Alex behind. The instant I hit the start of the windows I dive to my knees and crawl forward.

  I hear Cable clearly now. He has gone through the door to the repair shop. The door remains cracked open and cold air seeps through. I press on the door and rear back as he appears, his arms loaded down with two large canisters.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Help me with these.” I grab hold of the bottom and help ease them to the floor. He groans as the weight shifts to the floor. He sinks to his knee, breathing hard. “I can’t do this alone.”

  “I’ll help.” I hear sloshing inside the can. The scent of oil burns in my nose. “Alex is in the hallway. You work back here and then grab him. I’ll take the front.”

  “No.”

  I grab a canister and rise. “Now’s not the time to argue over who’s stronger or faster. I can do this. You need to let me.”

  Putting distance between us, just in case he tries to reach out and stop me, I shoot him a smile and dart away.

  The canister is every bit as heavy as it looked when Cable carried it. Being forced to hunch over to avoid detection makes my arms quiver and my lower back ache.

  I pass Alex in the hall, nearly clocking him in the head in the dark. I call back over my shoulder that he needs to find Cable and hope like heck that he listens. Re-adjusting my grip, I waddle down the hall, thankful to be able to stand fully upright, even if only for a minute.

  The hall has never felt so long before. By the time I reach the end, I’m forced to drag the canister behind me. The screeching sound of metal against concrete is loud, certainly loud enough to be heard outside.

  Peering out the front window, I see three men approaching. They walk forward with extreme caution, their knees slightly bent, their guns raised. “Shit!”

  Tugging the canister, I work my way down the back aisle, past the soda and beer fridges. I pause only a second beside Victoria, remorse weighing me down. I’m sorry.

  “Avery.” I turn at the hushed call and see Cable crouching at the entrance of the hall. His gaze sweeps back and forth between me and the window. I can see the men clearly now. They are less than twenty feet from the front door. “It’s too late. Dump it and run.”

  “Not yet,” I grunt and remove the cap. I turn my face away from the potent oil scent as I dump the contents over Victoria. Funeral by fire. It was once good enough for Kings. It’s the best I can do for you.

  “Avery!” I glance up and see a man testing the front door. The chains rattle against the glass. I hold my breath as he calls back over his shoulder. More men approach, each one heavily armed. “Get your ass over here!”

  The oil spreads out before me, but not nearly fast enough. It will do some damage but I want more than that. I want revenge.

  I crawl forward, ignoring Cable’s desperate pleas. Two aisles up ahead, I turn and lower to my belly, inching forward. It’s a straight shot to the front door from here. With one swipe of a flashlight I’d be discovered.

  Grabbing a couple small metal canisters off the shelves, I bite into the cap and spit it aside. I shove them to down the aisle, toward the door, listening to the fluid spill over the floor. I reach to grab another one and pause as my hand hits a long cylinder. I yank it off the shelf and hold it up before my eyes.

  “I’ll be damned.” I tear into the packaging and release the long handled kitchen lighter. The scent of lighter fluid mingles with the oil in my nose, making me a bit lightheaded. Grabbing two more canisters, I back down the aisle. When I reach the end I see Cable crawling toward me.

  “Get back!” I wave him off. He hesitates then notices the canisters in my hand.

  “Avery, that’s not a good idea.”

  “Trust me. It’ll work.”

  A crash of glass sends one canister spiraling from my hand. Loud shouts are followed by another pane of glass exploding. I bite down on the canister and chuck it behind me. With trembling hands, I flick the lighter.

  “Rapid start my ass!” I click it again and again.

  “Avery,” Cable hisses.

  I hear the sound of glass crunching underfoot. Their movements are slow as then enter the room. “Luke, you smell something funny?”

  The footsteps pause. I click the lighter again and it flares to life.

  “What is that?” a man’s voice echoes through the shop as I touch the lighter to the fluid. Blue flames race away from me, curling around the corner and heading straight for the front door.

  “Run!” Cable motions for me to race toward him.

  I push to my feet as gunfire slams into the glass overhead. I dive, curling my arms over my head as the shards slice my arms and cheeks. The scent of burnt hair is strong in my nose.

  “Dammit.” Cable beats at my hair, snuffing out the flames as I roll to my side, coughing over the rising smoke. “That fire won’t last long.”

  “I know,” I choke out. Blood trails down my face. There are lacerations in more places that I care to count. I hurt all over, but I ignore the pain. I shove the lighter into Cable’s hand and point to Victoria. “Light her up.”

  He looks stricken for a second but another round of gunfire gets him moving. I crawl behind him, shredding my hands and knees on the glass. My teeth burrow into my lower lip as I fight through the pain, moving as fast as I can.

  The instant I move past Cable, he flicks on the lighter and tosses it onto Victoria. The blast of heat is suffocating. I kick back with my feet, scooting across the floor as fast as I can toward the hall. The instant I’m clear, Cable grabs me around the waist and hauls me to my feet.

  “Don’t look back.”

  But I do. Half a dozen faces are illuminated in the windows. Each one staring right at us.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Cable’s pressure around my waist increases as I hesitate, lost to the terror threatening to overwhelm me as I stare into the rabid gaze of the men waiting outside for us. I sense their rage, see the crazy in their eyes. Their companions flail near the front doors, their clothes set alight.

  The store before me is a blazing inferno. Blistering heat licks at the ends of my hair. The scent of burnt hair mingles with the billowing smoke, but I feel none of it.

  “Avery!” I turn away from the window in a daze. Cable’s face appears before me. His shouts feel like white noise as I blink, trapped in slow motion. “Avery, snap out of it!”

  “We’ll never make it,” I mutter.

  I glance down at Victoria’s body, at the sizzling flesh that was once a person. A person I knew. Maybe we didn’t always get along, maybe we would have co
ntinued to butt heads in the days to come, but I will never know. I pushed to come here, to ignore the danger, to keep Cable safe and look what has happened.

  I killed them.

  “Yes we will.” Cable’s grip on my arms becomes painful and I tear my gaze away from Victoria’s funeral pyre. “I’m not going to die tonight and neither are you.”

  With every fiber of my being I want to believe him, to have faith in some entity that maybe, just maybe, watches over me. Heck, at this point I’d even settle for dumb luck.

  “Do you trust me?” Adrenaline sends a spike of energy through my body as I nod. I’ve already entrusted him with far more than just my life. “Then come with me.”

  I follow after him, knowing that I would go to the ends of the earth if he asked me to, simply because he asked, because he would be with me. I know letting myself fall for him is wrong, is setting myself up for loss. Cable is sick and I have no idea how much longer he has, but as I twine my fingers through his and run behind him, I vow to make every second count.

  He pulls me to a stop at the far end of the hallway and tucks me behind him. With a flick of his thumb he ignites a lighter and chucks it onto the oil slick. “Run!”

  Strong hands yank me from Cable’s grasp and I crash into Alex’s side. He wraps his good arm around me and pulls me toward the back door that leads to the mechanical shop. The room ignites around us. The floor warms with a searing heat that rises through the soles of my shoes, making each step painful. Covering my mouth with my shirt, I stumble forward with Alex beside me and Cable pushing from behind through the smoke.

  A terrible crash comes from the front of the shop. Glass shatters and shouts rise around the crackling roar of the flames. We burst through the door and into the blissful cool of the night. My arms and cheeks feel burned. My eyebrows singed.

  Alex releases me and I drop to my knees as a racking cough seizes me. “No...time,” Cable chokes beside me. He wraps his arm under mine and hauls me to my feet.