“I’m not leaving you behind,” Jason said, “but you’re right. Tera, Kayla, go on ahead with Russ. Help him clear our way. Samantha, was it?”
I nodded.
“Do you still have that Ruger I gave you?” Jason asked.
I looked at him quizzically. I had no idea what a Ruger was.
“Do you still have the gun I gave you?” he asked, barely concealing his annoyance.
I nodded and held up the gun.
“I’m not leaving you,” Kayla cut in, looking scared at the suggestion.
“You have to,” he said, as we exited through the bay doors.
Tera didn’t argue with him. She grabbed Kayla and pulled her toward the sound of Russ’s gun. Reluctantly, Kayla let go of me. When she turned toward Russ, she didn’t look back.
Jason pulled me to a stop behind a row of dumpsters to allow me a breather, and so that he could check my bandages. The smell of blood would attract any stragglers not caught up in the horde.
“You don’t have to do this,” I told him.
Despite the situation, I couldn’t help but look down to where he was kneeling in front of me and wrapping more gauze around my pants leg.
“I know I don’t. But I choose to. There aren’t many of us left…the uninfected I mean. If I left even one person alone to die, I’d be helping them kill us off. You’ll live if I can get you stitched up.”
“That’s a big if. Too big of one for you to risk your life. Go. Leave me. The place my sister and I were staying at isn’t but a few blocks that way.” I pointed in the opposite direction of where Jason and his people were going.
“You can keep telling me to go, but I’m not leaving you. Now, is that too tight?” Jason asked, patting the inside thigh of the leg he’d just wrapped.
“No.”
“Can you move forward for a bit? I think the others have moved the horde further south. We should be able to make it nearly to Shore Haven without much trouble if we go now.”
“Shore Haven? I’m not going to Shore Haven. They say that’s where all this shit started. Where the virus started. Why would you want to go there?”
“This didn’t start at Shore Haven. I don’t know who created the virus, but it wasn’t my uncle.”
“Your uncle?”
“Never mind that for now. We have to move.”
I reached out and grabbed his hand. I was shaking—more scared of going to that monstrosity of a complex than facing the horde.
“Jason,” I said, letting my fear seep into my words. “Are you sure it’s safe?”
He reached up with his free hand, cupped my face as a lover would, and said, “I’m sure. I helped design it. Now run.”
The second the words were out of his mouth, one of the infected rounded the corner of the building, seeming to sniff the air. Jason gripped the hand I was holding a bit tighter, and we took off in the best example of a run I could manage.
We made it one block from one of the complex’s many entrances where we could see Kayla standing with a door open, picking off those that were in our way when a group ambushed us. I was able to make two kill shots before one tackled me to the ground. My head hit the concrete with a crack, and I was out, thanking God for the quick death or at the least unconsciousness so that I wouldn’t feel the bite or suffer through the change.
Also, by Jennifer Reynolds
Novels:
Alone
Shifter, Supernaturals Book 1
Resistant
HIM
Outcast, Supernaturals Book 2
Captive, Supernaturals Book 3
Shore Haven
Novellas
Saying Goodbye
Marked, Valeterra Series, Book 1
Short Stories:
Charles Wallace’s Favorite Toy
In The Dark
Leaving Liberty: A Shore Haven Short Story
Hostage: A Shore Haven Short Story
Coming Soon:
Awake
Tera: A Shore Have Short Story
Sweet 16: An Awake Short Story
Fated, Valeterra Series, Book 2
Released: An Awake Novella
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank all the fans of Shore Haven. Without you, I wouldn’t have wanted to keep the story going with these short stories.
A big shout out Kathryn for editing this story days before giving birth. I hope you and little man are enjoying mommy and me time before you go back to work.
Another huge thank you to Rose Holub for joining my staff. I loved having betas, but with how quickly I’ve been releasing this year I decided, not only did I need a second developmental editor—kisses LaPriel—I also needed a copy editor/proofreader. Rose happily agreed to work with me when I asked.
Finally, big hugs and smooches to Lynn Lamp for the awesome cover. I’ve been driving her crazy this summer with all the covers, and she hasn’t cussed me once. At least not to my face.
These ladies are amazing, and I love having them by my side through the chaos that is publishing world.
About the Author
Jennifer Reynolds is a native of North Alabama. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree from National University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Alabama.
She is a multi-genre author who focuses mostly on post-apocalyptic novels with plagues and zombies as their source of destruction and paranormal romances, especially shifters, werewolves, and ghosts. She does occasionally dabble in other genres such as general fiction, horror, and suspense thrillers.
When she’s not writing, she’s a full-time caregiver of her mother-in-law, an avid reader, and the mother to two kitties, Lilith and Midnight.
If you’d like to know more about me, Author Jennifer Reynolds, then check out this informational brochure or one of my many social media sites.
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Shore Haven (Short Story 3): Nowhere Page 5