What Remains_Mutation

by Kris Norris

  Jake sheltered Harper in his arms. Though he knew she could quite easily kick his ass, he couldn’t get the haunting look in her eyes out of his head. He’d had friends who’d been in fires, and despite her training, her level of intelligence, he knew that kind of soul-deep fear could get the better of anyone. He’d witnessed trained firefighters lose it under extreme conditions. And as he peered into the other room, he knew this was going to be harder than she thought.

  Flames engulfed the small space, licking at the ceiling panels as smoke poured out through the vent. Bits of burning remains littered the place, creating individual fire pockets across the floor. At least the infected in the adjoining hallway had backed away from the glass, the flames seemingly having the same effect as they had on the ones outside. Though Jake didn’t doubt they’d still attack, their small measure of retreat meant they’d be able to toss a couple more bombs into the corridor without having to beat the fuckers back first.

  Cogan tugged on Jake’s arm as he bent beside him. “We have to go. We don’t have much time.”

  “On your six, buddy.”

  Cogan spared Harper a quick glance then straightened, going to the door again. He mumbled something to Sully as they readied to leave.

  Jake helped Harper to her feet, making eye contact before leaning in closer. “Remember. The suit will protect you from the flames, but we have to keep moving. If you get disoriented from the smoke, just hold onto the rope tying us together. It should help ground you.”

  “I’m good.”

  She looked at him, but he could tell she was lying. There was more white than usual showing in her eyes and her breathing had already increased. Beads of sweat dotted her skin and her cheeks lacked their usual pink hue.

  He gave her a reassuring smile, knowing there wasn’t much else he could do short of knocking her out and carrying through the building. But with infected still trapped inside with them, he couldn’t take that chance. If things got bad, they’d need her fighting skills.

  Cogan glanced back at him, motioning to the other side of the doorway. “Don’t want this thing to backdraft and kill us on the spot. We’ll go once everything equalizes.”

  Jake nodded, keeping Harper close as Sully opened the door. A rush of air and flames shot through, skipping across the roof and floor, engulfing half the room before tapering off as the pressure equalized. Cogan signaled the others, leading the way through the flames. Sully went next then Jake, his hand wrapped around Harper’s wrist. He’d have to let go once they were in the hallway, but he wanted her to know he was there. That he wasn’t leaving without her.

  She kept pace, stopping when the other two men opened the next door, throwing more bombs into the hallway. Another explosion rocked the room, creating a similar scene outside the glass.

  Sweat trickled along Jake’s jaw as the temperature increased, waves of heat shimmering off every surface. Sully shot the remaining corpses in the corridor, their bodies already engulfed in flames. They fell in heaps on the floor, skin charred black.

  Then they were moving, shuffling down the hallway, using the walls to help guide them as smoke and fire reduced the visibility to near zero. The line between Jake and Harper stayed taut but not binding as she followed behind him, occasionally motioning which direction they needed to take. They kept moving, nothing but the steady rustle of their feet sounding above the roar of the fire.

  They stopped at the next doorway, looking through the small window. The adjoining corridor was already filled with smoke, the ceiling gleaming a bright orange. Sully used more signals. Jake glanced at Harper, nodding as she motioned left. He relayed the message to Sully, praying Harper was leading them back the way they’d come through the ducts. They needed to exit close to the Hummer or the truck or simply making it out of the building wouldn’t save them. Of course, there was no guarantee they’d be able to access either vehicle, but…

  He pushed the thought away, concentrating on navigating the hallways in the smoke. He understood why Harper had insisted on coming. There were more corridors in this place than a damn funhouse. But Harper seemed confident as they wove their way through the upper floor, killing several more infected before finally stopping at a stairwell.

  Cogan leaned in, raising his voice. “Once we go down four floors, is the exit right there?”

  Harper shook her head. “One more long hallway. The door at the far end should be the service exit near the Hummer. I have no idea what the grounds will be like, but we can reassess the situation once we get there.”

  “Got it.” Cogan opened the door, cursing when billows of smoke rushed out. “Shit. That failsafe must have shut down the fans, destroying the positive pressure in the stairs. They’ll be tricky. Stay together and let’s hope they aren’t crawling with infected, though they still seem to have difficulty opening doors, especially heavy metal fire ones.”

  Jake slammed his hand on the wall as they went through. There was a reason the new fire codes had ensured stairways would remain free of smoke. They were harder than hell to navigate in zero visibility. And with the small space spiraling upwards, it acted like a giant funnel.

  He moved slowly, planting each foot securely before taking the next step. Harper placed a palm on his shoulder, keeping it there as if using him as a reference. He smiled, giving her hand a pat as he continued down, each floor one closer to the outside. The route seemed to take forever before Sully stopped beside another closed door.

  Sully waited until they were gathered at the bottom before pointing at the door. “God only knows what’s behind this. And we all know the first floor is going to be the hottest. You guys ready?”

  Though he’d addressed the group, Jake knew he was directing the question at Harper. Her face had paled on the journey down the stairs, but she nodded, lips nothing more than a thin pink line behind the mask. Sully gave her a wink, motioning to Cogan. The man readied his gun as Sully swung the door open, bracing his arm against the sudden blast of heat.

  Jake gawked. The entire corridor was writhing in orange, the flames taking on a life of their own. He shook his head, knowing they didn’t have much time before the ceiling tiles collapsed on top of them.

  Cogan waved at them then took off at a healthy trot, gun still poised. Sully followed, looking back to make sure Jake was behind him. Jake grabbed Harper’s hand, leading her down the hallway when the ceiling cracked overhead. He reacted on instinct, lunging back at her and taking her to the floor, her body huddled beneath his. A section of the roof crashed to the ground in front of them, the hiss of the flames echoing in his head.

  Harper screamed, her body rigid beneath him as he pushed up, surveying the damage. A beam filled half the hallway, leaning up from the floor at a forty-five degree angle. Jake could see Sully and Cogan on the other side, waving at them through the small space still visible between the beam and the wall. He rolled to his feet, taking a step when the rope pulled tight, yanking him back. He glanced at Harper. She had her arms wrapped around her legs as she rocked back and forth, eyes closed, breathing erratic.

  He returned to her side, bending down to her level as he cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Harper. We have to go.”

  She shook her head. Violently. As if he were asking her to do something horrible. She looked at the flames and her shaking increased.

  Jake went to one knee, holding her chin steady until she finally made direct eye contact. “I won’t let anything hurt you. I promise. But you have to trust me. I know you’re scared but we can do this. Just hold my hand, love. I won’t let go. No matter what.”

  She swallowed, coughing in the process. “No. I can’t. There’re too many flames. We won’t make it.”

  “We will. Trust me.”

  Her gaze locked on his and he could see her internal turmoil. She wanted to trust him but the fear was obviously screaming other thoughts in her head. Tears streamed down her cheeks before she finally nodded, squeezing his hand when he took hers in his.

  He gave he
r a wide smile. “That’s my girl. Just look at me. Keep those beautiful eyes locked on me.” He inched backward, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to judge his path. “That’s it. We’re nearly there. This part’s the hardest. You’ll feel the heat, but the suit’s going to protect you.”

  “Jake!”

  “It’s okay. Keep crawling. We’re nearly through.”

  A muffled sob tore at his heart, and he could see her biting at her lip. But she kept moving, hands and knees scraping across the floor as they crawled beneath the debris, finally making it to the other side. Sully didn’t waste any time. He grabbed the cord holding Harper and Jake together, cutting it loose. Then the man lifted her up, hoisting her on his shoulder as Cogan pulled Jake to his feet. They headed for the exit, more of the ceiling crashing down behind them. Cogan stopped short of the door, hands braced on his knees as he seemed to catch his breath. Sully placed Harper on her feet, holding on until he knew she had her balance. She seemed less than thrilled about being carried but didn’t say anything when Sully raised a brow.

  Cogan peered out the small window in the door, his hand fisted against the frame. “Most of them are still hovering around the truck. The Hummer’s about a hundred yards off to the left. It’s our best bet.”

  Jake nodded. Either way, they couldn’t stay inside. The heat was too much, even for him. “We’ll cook if we wait any longer.”

  Harper motioned to Cogan. “Give me the gun. I’m a better shot.”

  Cogan sighed. “Harper. Give yourself time to get your head straight.”

  “I’m not afraid of the bloody infected. And I am a better shot. Now give me the damn gun.”

  He muttered under his breath but handed it over. “We’ll lose the tanks. They’ll only slow us down.”

  Jake slipped the tank off his back, helping Harper out of hers then nodded when Cogan palmed the handle. The man counted to three then flung open the door, sprinting across the pavement toward the Hummer. Sully ran after him, feet flying, the sound of their footsteps solid against the asphalt. Jake took off with Harper, keeping her at his side as they raced toward the vehicle. Grunts and growls sounded above the other noises and Jake spared a quick look back. A line of infected ran toward them, their increased speed more than noticeable.

  Harper seemed to judge the distance between them and the vehicle, and the closing mass of undead, slowing just enough to pop off half a dozen rounds, killing the frontrunners and slowing the ones trailing behind as some of them tripped over the bodies.

  She picked up her pace again, head bowed slightly as she pushed harder. Sully opened the back passenger door then his as he and Cogan jumped inside, the hum of the motor sparking to life. Jake shoved Harper in ahead of him, ducking into the SUV and slamming the door shut. Sully revved the engine, popped the vehicle into gear and lurched forward. A smear of hands blurred across the tinted windows, leaving streaks of blood on the glass as Sully hit the accelerator, screeching the tires as the Hummer leaped ahead, a plume of smoke billowing out from the rubber.

  Jake collapsed against the seat, heart thrashing, skin beaded with sweat. He half expected to open his eyes and discover he’d only been dreaming. That they were still camped out in the damn bunker, trying to find a way inside. The echoed rasp of Harper’s breath next to him soothed the raw feeling clawing at him, and he turned and stared at her. Smudges of dirt and soot covered her face and her hair sat in a tousled mass of waves across her shoulders. She looked radiant.

  Her gaze locked on his, and she smiled the way that made his heart flutter in his chest as his breath left him on a sigh. She removed the small case with the vials from inside her jacket and placed it on the floor between them. Then she leaned over, laying her head in his lap as she closed her eyes, emotions he wasn’t quite sure of shaping her features. He drew his fingers through her hair, smiling when the simple act seemed to calm her before glancing out the window at the scene behind them. The building shone in the background, a blaze of orange and black as more flames engulfed the structure, a large cloud of smoke marking its end. He turned away. It was over. Done. And it seemed only fitting they’d used what had defined them as men to destroy the creatures mankind had become. He closed his eyes. They’d worry about where they went from here later. For now, he was going to enjoy the feel of Harper next to him as the miles droned by.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Harper pressed her back against the wood siding, listening for movement in the building beyond. An owl hooted in the distance followed by the lone cry of a coyote. The simple beauty of the familiar sounds eased the unsettled feelings still twisting her gut into knots, and she took a soothing breath, inching the door open then darting inside. It looked like it had several weeks ago when she’d hidden out in it with Lelin. Only this time, she wasn’t worried the guy next to her would stab her in the back, though the three tagging along behind her might do well with being tied up. Given a little lesson in how to tame some of those alpha tendencies inside them. Even if the spanking they’d given her had been the hottest damn sexual experience she’d ever had.

  She cleared the lower level, waving them over. They hadn’t been happy when she’d suggested they stop for the night. Not risk the road back by traveling after dark. But they’d had to navigate around more than a few pockets of infected, and each time the damn things had nearly swarmed the SUV before Sully had found a route and gotten the Hummer clear.

  She took another deep breath. Truth be told, she wasn’t ready to return to the compound just yet. After her experience inside the facility… She still couldn’t breathe without it feeling as if her lungs were on fire. But what made it worse—she knew it was all in her head. The gear and the mask had protected her exactly as Jake had promised. And other than needing to wash some grime off her face, she’d come out the entire experience unscathed.

  Right. Except for the part where she’d frozen. Actually frozen. If Jake hadn’t been there, she wouldn’t have made it out. She would have curled into a ball and died.

  The realization sat like a damn brick in her stomach. And while she stood by the fact that traveling at night was dangerous, it didn’t hurt that it’d give her time to gather back her composure. Salvage what was left of her pride. That’s if there was anything left.

  Sully stopped beside her, scanning the area. Brow furrowed. Scowl shaping his magnificent lips. “Are you seriously going to tell me staying…” He waved at the immediate area. “Here is safer than driving the last few hours back?”

  Harper let the annoyed tone in his voice go unchallenged. She couldn’t blame them for questioning her. In fact, she had a feeling she’d be questioning all her decisions for the foreseeable future. “And when the next group’s too large for the Hummer to simply muscle out of? Or we run into a highway full of them we can’t see until it’s too late? Besides, we aren’t staying down here.”

  She moved over to where a rope hung tied to a large hook, releasing it and giving the length a firm tug. A ladder clattered to the floor close to the men, kicking up bits of hay and dust as it impacted the floor. Cogan eyed the contraption, but she ignored the odd expression on his face and began climbing. She’d clear the upper level then they could all get some rest.

  Nothing moved as she scanned the large loft, waving the men up. Their boots made a hollow thud against the wooden rungs as one after the other scaled the ladder, each finding a place to shuck their supplies and settle into. She waited until they seemed comfortable before pulling the ladder back up, once again locking it in place. Then she slipped her bow off her shoulder, angling it against one of the walls. She hadn’t realized until she’d done the last mission without it, how ingrained the weapon had become in her survival. She’d missed the easy weight of it. The feel of the arrow notched in the stringer as she held it in position. The whisper of air when she released the tension. Not that she planned on giving up her pistol. But having her bow with her made her feel better. More like her old self. The one who didn’t freeze at the worst possible mom
ent.

  She cringed inwardly at the thought as an uncomfortable silence shrouded them, making the air feel thicker than usual. She didn’t know if it was fatigue or the obvious ‘elephant in the room’, but it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge. As if she were waiting for one of them to say what she knew had been on their minds since the facility.

  Jake cleared his throat, kicking off his boots as he made a show of relaxing. “So. You’ve obviously stayed here before.”

  It wasn’t a question. Not really, but at least it’d broken the heavy silence. “About a month after leaving that place. Lelin and I spent a week here. Until the bastard got so damn violent I had to tie him up every night to ensure he didn’t stab me in the back.” She shrugged. “Once that happened, it was easier just to keep moving. That way I never really let my guard down.”

  Jake nodded, though it didn’t look as if he’d been all that interested in the answer. “Have to tell you, we all wondered why the man’s hands were tied when we first spotted you. Can’t imagine what it was like to spend all that time with him, afraid he’d get loose and kill you.”

  She studied Jake. The man was shrewder than she’d given him credit. He’d breeched the subject of fear without stating the obvious. He impressed her. But two could play at that game.