“Oh, man, that was awful,” Nadia said with a groan. “I’m glad it’s over.”
Logan flexed his stiff shoulders. “You and me both, sunshine.”
The radio came to life with the voice of Martin. “That took longer than expected. We’ve lost a lot of time.”
“So what’s our plan of action?” Logan asked.
“We carry on for as long as we can, then we find a secluded spot to camp for the night before we hit Colesberg. That way we’ll be fresh tomorrow when we hit the populated areas again. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Logan replied. It was a smart suggestion. The road ahead was known for being quiet with just a few scattered hamlets in between. They’d be able to camp in peace out there. “Ready?”
Nadia lay her head against his shoulder. “Wake me when we get there.”
He looked down at her face and felt a surge of affection well up inside his chest. Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe. No matter what.
Chapter 15 - Nadia
That night, they set up camp in a clearing by the side of the road. Logan’s old can alarm system had been strung around while one of them stood guard at all times. Currently, it was Josh’s turn.
Stunted brush and trees dotted the flat, dusty expanse that stretched as far as the eye could see, lit by a moon that was close to full. The orb seemed to stare down at them with cold indifference, and Nadia shivered under its baleful influence.
The moon wasn’t the only cold thing in the area. Donya made a point of fixing her with a glare every time their eyes met which seemed to happen every five seconds.
Then there was Caleb. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. Despite his earlier assertion that her infection changed nothing, she had to wonder. He’d yet to say a word to her and appeared to be avoiding all contact. Has reality set in? Has he decided I’m a freak, after all?
Nadia watched as he fixed his bedroll next to Donya’s and sat down with graceful ease. The other girl leaned over and whispered something to him. This prompted a smile from him, and a surge of jealousy caught Nadia by surprise. Miserably, she folded her arms around her legs and tried not to notice the way the flames gleamed on his blue-black hair and cast his mouth into sharp relief.
“You okay?” Logan asked.
“I’m cool,” she replied with studied indifference.
“You sure? You seem a little off.”
“No, I’m good. It’s been a long day, that’s all.” A giggle from Donya cut her to the quick, and she pressed her lips together. It’s none of your business, Nadia. He can talk to whomever he likes.
She shifted in her spot and eased her folded legs out straight. They’d gone numb and now prickled as the blood circulation returned in a rush. Her fingers curled around the hot cup of coffee Logan passed her, and she drew comfort from it.
“So where to tomorrow?” she asked in a bid to distract herself from the duo across the fire which seemed intent on destroying her peace.
He leaned over the pot on the fire and scooped out a ladleful of stew. After jabbing in a fork, he handed it to her. “That depends.”
“On what?” She blew on the hot food before taking a tentative bite. It tasted like shit, but Logan had never been much of a cook, and she was used to it.
“On what we encounter along the way,” Logan said. “There might be any number of problems on the roads.”
“Yeah, I know, but what’s next?” she persisted.
“From here it’s a straight shot to Bloemfontein. After that, Welkom. We’re about halfway, I’d say.”
“Why do I sense there’s a but coming?”
“We don’t know if we can make it through Bloemfontein,” Martin said. “It’s big.”
“So it’s bound to be nasty,” Jed finished with a dry look in her direction.
“How big?” Donya asked. “I don’t know much about that area.”
“Quarter of a million give or take.”
Donya opened her mouth but closed it again after a second. Her shocked expression matched that of Caleb’s, and Nadia was sure, her own. She focussed on her plate and swallowed, sobered by the thought. A quarter of a million zombies? That’s crazy. “What if we can’t go through it?”
“Then we go around. It’ll take much longer, though, and I don’t want us to be out in the open for too long,” Martin said. He rinsed his plate before packing it into a box next to the fire. “Get some sleep, all of you. Tomorrow will be a long day.”
“New rule,” Jed said. “If we’re out another night, I’m cooking.” He pulled a face. “No offense, Logan, but this is awful.”
Martin barked out a laugh. “Who’d have thought beans and corned beef could taste like mud?”
Logan grinned. “It’s my signature dish. Enjoy.”
Nadia snorted. “You should try his spaghetti. Holy crap.”
Caleb shot her a faint smile, and despite herself, warmth stirred in her breast. It didn’t override the anger, though, when he graciously took and washed Donya’s plate along with his. The other girl’s eyes glittered when she spotted Nadia’s unhappiness, a triumphant smirk twisting her lips. Screw you, Donya.
Nadia finished eating and took Martin’s advice to go to bed. She lay with her back to the fire and stared out into the night, wondering what the day would bring. Her body was too tired to entertain such thoughts for long, however, and soon she fell asleep.
***
A rough hand shook her awake, and she sat upright with a gasp. “What? Who?”
“Shh, it’s me, Jed.”
Nadia dragged a hand through her mussed hair. “Yeah?”
“It’s your watch; I’m turning in.”
“Oh, okay.” She pushed back the bedroll covering her. “It’s three already?”
“Yup.”
She fumbled around for her things before getting to her feet. “Thanks, Jed.”
“See you in the morning.”
He turned away, and she took up her post at the edge of the camp. After the deep sleep she’d had, it took awhile to wake up properly. She yawned and stretched before staring into the night with one hand resting on her trusty screwdriver.
The sky was patterned with millions of stars, a veritable carpet of twinkling silver lights. This time of night, even the nocturnal animals had gone to rest with only a few faint rustles and murmurs to disturb her watch.
Behind her, the fire crackled as a log settled into the flames and faint snores emanated from Josh’s sleeping bag. It was cold outside her warm blankets, and she rubbed her arms while she stared into the darkness. “Man, this sucks.”
Her voice sounded loud in the quiet air, and she regretted it the moment she spoke. A faint rustle caused the hair on her arms to rise. She cocked her head. It came from the right and slightly behind her. Nadia whirled in a tight circle and raised her hand in readiness to strike.
“Whoa, there. It’s just me.”
Caleb’s whisper reached her ears, and she relaxed with a sigh of exasperation. “Caleb? What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk to you.” His figure materialized out of the deep, and she regarded him with a mixture of joy, fear, and anger.
She suppressed her emotions with an effort. “You couldn’t wait until morning?”
“With your bodyguard around?” He snorted. “No way.”
She allowed herself a small smile and turned back to her watch. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Us.”
He moved closer until he stood next to her. Their shoulders brushed, and she sucked in a breath at his nearness. “There’s no us, Caleb.”
“Isn’t there?” His voice was as calm as if he were discussing the weather. “Are you still fighting it?”
“Fighting what? There’s nothing between us.” She ground her teeth until her jaw ached. “Besides, shouldn’t you rather be talking to Donya?”
“Donya? What for?” He sounded surprised, and she dared a quick glance at him. He seemed perplexed, but she wasn’t about to be molli
fied so quickly. “You seemed pretty cozy earlier.”
Caleb chuckled. “Oh, that? That was nothing.”
“It didn’t look like nothing.”
“Are you jealous?” He turned to her with an infuriating smile.
“No, of course not.” Her hands balled into fists, and she longed to punch him.
“Relax. You’ve got no reason to be jealous of her.”
“I’m not jealous!” Her voice had risen to a furious whisper, and he laid a finger across her lips.
“Let me explain.”
She glared at him through narrowed eyes. “You’ve got five seconds before I stick you through the eyeball like a zom.”
“I like the new you. Or is it the old you? I always thought you were holding back.” He leaned so close to her that his breath washed over her face raising goosebumps on her arms. “Guess what? I like the real Nadia more. She’s strong, brave, and sexy.”
She rolled her eyes. “Two seconds.”
He turned away from her and looked into the brush. “Donya is planning something.”
“Planning?” Nadia echoed.
“She’s got it in for you, and I know she’s got something up her sleeve. I’m trying to gain her trust so I can prevent whatever it is from happening.”
“You are?” Nadia cursed herself for sounding like a puppet. “I mean, why should I believe you?”
“You didn’t believe her story, did you? About looking for her family?” He shot her a sharp look. “Even if she had family near there once, what are the chances of them surviving this long? It’s a wild goose chase.”
“Maybe, but why do you care?”
“That’s a stupid question, Nadia. You know how I feel about you, about us.”
“How can there be an us?” She shook her head. “Don’t you understand what I am?”
“I understand, and I already told you it changes nothing.”
Anger overwhelmed her at his obtuseness, and she stamped her foot. “I’m infected, don’t you get that? If you come near me, I’ll kill you. We can never kiss, never make out, never…”
“Never make love,” he finished when she hesitated. “Yeah, I got that.”
She blushed when he uttered the words, a wave of hot blood flooding her skin until she felt as if her body were on fire. “Yes, that.”
He smiled, the flash of his teeth white in the glow of the fire. “You’re cute when you blush.”
“I’m not blushing…how did you know? You can’t possibly see,” she protested.
“I know. I always know.” He reached out his hand, and she started like a frightened deer when he gripped her fingers. “Don’t you get it, Nadia?”
“Get what?” The words came out in a strangled whisper.
“It doesn’t matter what you are, what you can do, what we can never do. I don’t care about any of that. As long as I’m with you, that’s all I need.”
Nadia allowed him to weave his fingers through hers. His touch was warm. It reminded her how long it had been since she’d been held by someone, loved by someone. Too long.
She looked up at him. “You mean that?”
“You know, I do.” He reached out with his other hand and brushed her cheek. “Let me in.”
“I’m scared,” she confessed. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You could never hurt me. Just give a chance, you’ll see.”
“I…I don’t know if I can. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you, Caleb.”
He sighed and pulled her close. Nadia resisted for a second before allowing him to fold her into his arms. She pressed her face into his neck and breathed in his scent. It felt so right, she wanted to cry. “Just think about it, okay?”
Against her better judgment, she nodded. “Okay.”
Chapter 16 - Mpho
Mpho moved between the men feasting at the table with fearful caution. In her hands, she carried a jug of fermented beer, the traditional drink of her people. With it, she topped up empty glasses and tried to avoid the grasping hands that clutched at her flesh with such persistence.
She bit her bottom lip when one set of hands, in particular, took hold of her waist. The fingers massaged the flat expanse of her stomach before moving upward to pinch her breasts with cruel indifference. Carlito.
Mpho hated him with a fervor that burned hotter than the fires of hell. All the girls did. He was cruel and vicious, the kind of man who relished in the suffering of others and excelled at torture. It was no wonder Ke Tau liked him so much.
She swallowed a whimper when he pulled her onto his lap. “Come here, sweetheart. It’s been awhile since you and I played.”
Mpho managed an insincere smile for the inebriated man. “Too long, Sir.”
He leered at her as his hands continued to explore her body with painful precision until his lips twisted into a sneer. “Whore. So eager to throw yourself at me. It’s disgusting.”
She cringed at his outburst. “No, I…it’s not…I’m not…”
“Don’t play coy with me. You women are all the same. Sluts one and all.” He bared his teeth and bit down on her shoulder. Fiery pain shot through her arm, and warm blood welled up beneath his lips.
Mpho cast desperate eyes around for an escape route and encountered the dead gaze of Hiran, Ke Tau’s right-hand man. He watched her for a second before saying, “Carlito, leave the girl alone. We have matters to discuss.”
Carlito growled like a dog and shook his head. “No.”
“I said, let her go.” Hiran’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“No.” Carlito sat upright, no longer drunk as he reached for the fearsome knife he carried.
“What’s this?” Ke Tau said, leaning forward. “Are my two best men fighting over a girl?”
“There’s no quarrel,” Hiran said with calm composure.
“Indeed not,” Carlito sneered. “He’s too much of a pussy to challenge me. The girl is mine.”
Hiran’s face took on a dangerous cast made more pronounced by his exotic features. “What did you say?”
“You heard me.”
“Now, now. Let’s not fall out over something as simple as a mere woman,” Ke Tau intervened. “You can share.”
Mpho shivered at his words, though she remained hopeful Hiran would save her. He was a cold and brutal man, but he held great respect for her grandmother, Rebecca, and treated them well as a consequence.
Before Carlito could reply, a hue and cry were raised at the entrance. A boy stumbled in, short and skinny, his eyes rolling in his face. Two guards flanked him on either side, and Mpho gasped as she recognized him. Kabelo!
Ke Tau raised a hand. “What’s the meaning of this? Who disturbs my meal?”
“He says he’s one of us,” one of the guards said as he nudged Kabelo forward. “Says he was captured that day on the road.”
Ke Tau sat back. “Is this true?”
Kabelo bobbed his head. “Yes, Sir. They kept me there all this time.”
“That’s pleasant. Did you have a good time? Did they feed you? Clothe you? Bathe you?”
The atmosphere changed as Ke Tau’s mocking questions rang out and the mood in the room sobered. Each man sat upright; their eyes were fixed on the shivering victim. Like sharks in the ocean, they smelled blood, and it drew them from miles around.
“Y…yes, Sir,” Kabelo mumbled as he plucked at his too clean shirt. “But I escaped as soon as I could.”
“I see. How good of you.” Ke Tau cocked his head. “Do you bring me anything useful? A head, perhaps?”
“I…I have information,” Kabelo said as sweat beaded his forehead.
Ke Tau smiled, and his face twisted as the scar pulled it awry. “So let’s hear it. Go on.”
Kabelo stuttered something in garbled sentences, his words barely audible, while the rest watched him in silence. Carlito shoved Mpho aside, his predatory instincts awakened, and flicked his knife. She took the opportunity to scramble away and hide in the corner with the other gi
rls.
“Don’t mumble,” Ke Tau said. “Speak up, boy, so we can all hear you.”
Kabelo cleared his throat and in a slightly louder tone of voice, relayed what he knew. The camp’s numbers, leaders, fighters, and the layout, all of it.
“But I already know most of that. We’ve been watching them for months, after all,” Ke Tau said. “Is that it?”
Kabelo nodded, his expression miserable. “Yes, Sir.”
Ke Tau drummed his fingers on the table as he appeared to consider Kabelo’s words. “Well, I suppose it’s better than nothing.”
Kabelo ducked his head, a hopeful expression crossing his features.
“What do you think, Hiran?” Ke Tau asked.
“He looks pathetic, but at least he’s loyal.”
“True.”
Kabelo swallowed his fear and nodded with vigor. “Yes, Sir.”
“How did you get away? Tell us. It must be a marvelous tale of courage and bravery.” Ke Tau’s voice had now changed, becoming much like that of a father speaking to a favored son.
Taking heart, Kabelo told the tale of how he stabbed Joanna and ran away under cover of the storm while his guard, Lisa, was occupied elsewhere.
Ke Tau bared his teeth. “Your guard this entire time was a woman? And it took you a month to escape by stabbing an old lady?”
Too late, Kabelo realized his mistake. Tears filled his eyes as he uttered garbled pleas and explanations.
Ke Tau’s expression changed to one of disgust. “You shame me. Carlito, get rid of him.”
“Yes, Sir.” Carlito fingered the tip of his blade with apparent relish.
“Feed him to our guests, the infected. They won’t mind if the meat’s tainted with cowardice.”
Carlito grinned. “With pleasure.”
“No, please, no. Not that,” Kabelo cried, falling to his knees.
Carlito grabbed him by the nape of the neck like a puppy about to be drowned. Kabelo shook his head to no avail, tears streaming down his face. “No, no, no, please.”
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