by Angel Lawson
Jude is a wild card. He’s hankering for a fight and he may be willing to go down with Erwin and the Army. He’s young and full of anger. Plus, Erwin still has an arsenal full of toys that we won’t have access to on our journey north. Oh, and that Goddamned motorcycle. He’s not going to want to leave that piece of junk behind, even though I can already tell him it won’t fit into my plan.
I have no assumptions that Paul will do anything but go with us. He and Alexandra are tight and I’ve noticed he’s seemed lonely with her gone, but as I walk up to the gate and see the others dressed with their packs loaded and weapons strapped to every available part of their body, I notice that he’s empty handed.
I nod to the others, more relieved to see them than I expected, and turn to Paul. “What’s going on?”
“Obviously,” he holds up his empty hands, “I’ve decided to stay.”
“What?” Parker exclaims. “No!”
He smiles at her. “I’m going to miss you. Actually, I think I’ll miss all of you. But I have some things to deal with here. I want to stay and help Erwin fight.”
“It’s suicide, man” Jude says, giving us a peek into his own reasons for coming. “Don’t be crazy.”
“I’m not. Cole gave Wyatt some valuable information about why I’m like this. If anyone can outlast the Hybrid invasion, it’s me. I want to stay. Maybe, if anything, I can help you guys get a head start.”
I shake my head, because this guy, this skinny, sick, Asian kid we found dying in an evacuation center closet is probably the bravest of all of us. No wonder Alex loves him so much. I offer him my hand. “Good luck. Come find us if you can.”
He shakes my hand with his superior strength, nearly cracking my fingers. “I will. Thank you for teaching me so much.”
I wait while the others say their goodbyes. Parker wipes her nose and Davis murmurs something in his ear. I’ve done this before; leaving people behind during a war. Sometimes it’s nothing more than getting assigned different missions. Paul has his and we have ours; in the end, it’s all we can do.
We walk up to the horses we took from the Hybrids the day before. It’s a smart method of travel and they’ll help us get to our first destination quickly. Even so, I eye the large, brown animal warily. I remind myself that it’s a new world and to survive, I have to adapt.
“Wait,” Parker says, eyeing me suspiciously. She’s already in the saddle. “You’re afraid of horses.”
“I’m not afraid.” I scowl at her. At the horse. “It’s just, you know, different.”
“You so are,” Jude joins in, stroking the mane of his new friend before giving the animal a kiss on the snout. All the good feelings I had moments ago have evaporated.
Paul laughs and waves to the guards to open the gate. The metal rattles and I steady myself on the giant beast. The others pass me, laughing and smiling wide. Paul slaps the butt of my horse and offers me a final thumbs up, as my horse starts to trot faster than I’m comfortable with.
More laughter echoes though the breaking daylight.
With a grimace, I follow my team. At least I can provide them with a small dose of humor, because God knows what else I’m leading them into.
*Alexandra*
Catlettsburg, Kentucky
Late Winter
White blankets the streets and rooftops, giving everything a fresh, clean feel. It makes the silence sharper—forcing even the usually chatty winter birds inside. I stare out my bedroom window at the snow-heavy branches and the little town of Catlettsburg just down the block from my house. The overnight snow pushed even the most active members of the community inside.
The room I’ve been given once belonged to a girl. Her name was Veronica—she carved it into the bed post and someone, probably her mother, painted it in bold, pink, block letters on the wall. The rest of her belongings were removed before I got here but these little reminders keep me off balance. It’s hard to get settled in a dead girl’s bed.
Even so, I’ve managed to make this my home. For the first time in months and months, I rest. It’s nice to sleep on a mattress with a bedframe. It’s even better because I feel safe enough to take my shoes off. It helps my weary mind to have a place to hang my clothes and a room to call my own. But even from my spot by the window I can see my backpack by the door. It’s packed and ready.
Catlettsburg pre-crisis was home to less than two thousand people. Now it’s closer to a thousand. Avi picked the little town where he grew up (and left seeking big city academia) to save, working hard with the local government to protect it since the early days of the Crisis. Barricades and fencing went up on the three sides of town not protected by the river. A preemptive quarantine was set up just outside the gates. The first barricades were simple but quickly turned to sturdy fencing. Now it’s all reinforced with sheet metal walls used along highways. Due to Avi’s diligence, the well-prepared area protected the citizens and allowed in productive neighbors. The town monitored and distributed supplies carefully.
Once she developed the first successful vaccine, Jane sent it up to Avi via Fighters. He inoculated the town and set firm rules about bringing in new people. Once the vaccines were given, no new members were invited into the community. This made our arrival even more jarring. These people hadn’t seen an outsider in nearly a year when we showed up, exhausted and bloody after the fight with Butch and the Winchesters. Walker, Jackson, Green, and I were only given a pass because Jane was an exception.
Our presence was a culture shock. The citizens were wary and I didn’t blame them. Jackson had to be carried in by three men—all looking terrified of the unconscious man. Avi warned us that they didn’t know about the severity of the Eaters or the war down south. It became clear quickly that they certainly didn’t know about the Hybrids, including Avi.
When the Crisis happened to the citizens of Catlettsburg, life just got smaller. A little colder and harder.
I haven’t decided how I feel about their ignorance, even after all this time. Uneasy is the first word that comes to mind. Jealous is the next.
I head down the stairs, passing the faded, floral-wallpapered walls, stopping just out of view of the kitchen where I hear Jane and Avi in conversation. I’m not eager to interrupt them. Unfortunately, my foot creaks on the hundred-year-old staircase, giving me away.
“Alex?”
I sigh and step into the kitchen, plastering a smile on my face. “Hey guys.”
“Good morning.” Avi’s smile is sincere and it’s hard not to like him. “Hope you were warm enough last night. It got pretty cold.”
“I was fine, thank you.”
I mean, here’s the thing, I do like Avi. He’s smart. He built this amazing community. He is very forward thinking and has provided the people of this town with a safe, stable place to live. He’s the answer to a million prayers.
But there’s a problem. Jane told him the truth about everything that happened down South and his reaction was less than comforting. He’s stubborn as hell and refuses to believe what may come banging down our door one day. And my sister is willing to let him and everyone else that lives here exist in that fantasy.
I can’t forget the things I’ve seen and I refuse to let my guard down. Jane says I’m paranoid. Walker says realistic. I sort of just think I’m going stir crazy.
“Would you like some breakfast?” Jane asks. A loaf of homemade bread is on the table, along with a cheese spread.
I’ve learned to never decline food, so I grab a slice and slather a thin layer over the top. Through a mouthful I ask, “Have you seen Walker?”
“Michelle went out about thirty minutes ago.” Avi really likes us to use first names. I didn’t even know Walker had a first name until we got here. I mean, I knew, but I guess I didn’t care. Places like Catlettsburg are dangerous like that. Caring is a liability post-Crisis. They haven’t figured that out yet. “Not sure where—everything should be closed. It’s too cold to stay out long.”
He’s right, but I grab my
scarf and the heavy winter coat I found in Veronica’s closet. I slip on the fleece-lined, water resistant boots and grab my gloves. The boots are a size too big but I just wear triple socks. “See you later,” I say, escaping out the back door.
Even though I suspect I know where she went, I follow Walker’s footprints in the snow. I walk down the middle of the road, taking careful steps not to bust my ass on the frozen cement. Without cars and man-made movement the snow and ice are slow to melt. I pass the little shops and the antique store, both open two days a week, but not today. I head out of town, noticing the arched, carved church doors are shut—keeping out the cold.
Avi reopened the school once the walls were secure. The school, along with most everything else, moved closer to town. Two hundred children, ages five to sixteen, attend every other day in a massive house off Oak Street. It has the most fireplaces and the biggest porch. Members of the town built a playground on the lawn out back. As I walk by, I see the school is closed, too. We don’t have the wood and supplies to keep the building heated on a day like this.
Everything is very efficient. I like it. I mean, what’s not to like?
I pass my favorite building—the library. I spend a couple hours there every week, picking through the biographies and history books. Something one of Erwin’s commanders said to me before the battle at the Vaccine Center stuck in my head. He mentioned that today’s wars will be fought like those in the past—the ones before modern society. I needed to learn about those battles. The ancient ones and then others fought on American soil. The Civil and Revolutionary Wars.
Walker’s footprints veer to the right, down toward the waterfront. The wind picks up when I get on the road headed that direction. The crunch of footsteps catches my attention and I turn, spotting a bundled-up body running my way. The short, stocky build tips me off that it’s Green, even covered head to toe—with only a small slit between his scarf and hat for his eyes.
“Hey,” he says, slipping on the ice and scrambling for balance. He manages not to fall and I can’t help but laugh. “Not funny. I could break my neck out here.”
“Then maybe don’t run on the ice, dummy.”
We walk the rest of the way in silence, focusing on getting to the looming building ahead. Jackson found this spot after his recovery in the Catlettsburg infirmary. His nurse told him he should get some fresh air. He combed the streets and found an abandoned gym away from the town. It’s rustic—old school. Nothing but barbells, punching bags and a boxing ring in the middle. It’s perfect.
Two sets of footsteps lead up to the building. With this wind they’ll be gone by the time we leave, covered like we were never here. Green bangs on the metal door and we wait, shaking in our boots until Jackson unbolts it from the inside.
“Morning,” he says with a smile.
“Hey man,” Green says once we’re inside. “Thought you were waiting on me.”
“I didn’t know you planned on taking an hour to get ready.”
“It wasn’t an hour. And you know how long it takes to boil water.”
While they bicker, I start the process of removing all these layers. The men shared an attic apartment a few doors down from our house. From what I’ve gathered, their living situation is very Odd Couple-y. I hang my coat and scarf. I swap my boots for a pair of sneakers I leave in the gym so they’ll stay dry. I carry them over to where Walker is in the middle of a set of push-ups on a faded red mat on the floor.
“Hey,” I say, sitting next to her.
“Ug.” She grunts.
“I would have been here earlier but I got cornered by Jane and Avi in the kitchen.”
She counts off four more push-ups and takes a break, shifting from her palms to her knees. She pushes her damp red hair off her forehead. “Yeah, I heard them and went out the front door.”
“Smart move.”
She nods at the guys who are still going back and forth by the room. “What’s that about?”
“Same old stuff. They fight more than any two men I’ve ever seen.”
She snorts and shakes her head.
“What do you want to work on today?” she asks.
“Cardio,” I tell her. “With a little jiu-jitsu, don’t you think?”
She nods. “Sounds perfect.”
I’d say Walker and I were lucky getting out of the Fort with Green and Jackson, but there had to be reasons Jane picked them in the first place. She would have surrounded herself with the best, particularly for an escape.
Both men are capable and well-trained. They’re nice and even fun to be around. It took several weeks for them to recover from the dehydration and wounds they suffered at the Winchester compound, but once they were better they were quick to get back to training.
I’d stumbled on them one cold morning. The snow was just slush at that point—the result of a few warmer than normal days. I saw Green and Jackson slip into the warehouse and I followed.
Through a small dusty window I watched them spar, using moves I had no idea existed outside an action movie. Sure, I knew these guys were good fighters. I’d seen them in action, but killing Eaters was more about getting the sharp object in the right place. What I watched that day was physical poetry.
I’d asked Jackson to teach me. He was the expert, having practiced Brazilian jiu-jitsu for the last ten years. Walker found out and joined in. It was tough. Bruising. But during the cold winter months while the rest of the town hibernated, we trained. Hard. I felt the change in my body. I was more agile on my feet, my muscles leaner. Regular food helped—natural food that wasn’t totally processed. Catlettsburg had crops and livestock that Avi encouraged them to preserve from the beginning.
“You ladies ready to stop arguing and ready to fight?” Walker yells at the men, leaning into the stretchy bands surrounding the ring. Jackson turns with an arched eyebrow in her direction. There’s chemistry between those two. More than once, I’ve wondered if something is going on.
“Yeah, we’re coming,” he replies, jogging over to the ring and slipping through the bands. Green follows and the lesson begins.
The next three hours will be spent refining our skills, because the four of us know what the others in this town don’t. This is simply the quiet before the storm. Something bad is on the horizon—there always is and there always will be.
This time, I think, dodging a jab at my face and swiping my foot at Walker, topping her for the first time in weeks, I’ll be prepared.
Chapter 12
In late March the snow melts.
From my window I watch the ice drip from trees and rivers of water rush toward the banks of the Ohio. The streets fill with dirty sludge, the yards turn muddy.
Tiny buds appear on the tips of branches. Green shoots from the dark earth and for once I can step outside without my cheeks cracking from the dry wind blowing off the river.
I’m at a crossroads. I know this. My paranoia has waned over time. I no longer sleep with a gun under my pillow. The fences around the town remain strong and my body grows firm and efficient. The more I prepare, the less I think it’s necessary. Maybe, like Avi has drilled into my head, I really am safe here. The idea leads me to consider beyond the next moment. The next mission.
Before college, I had a laser-like focus on valedictorian and pre-med at Duke. From there I would pick a specialty in science. Maybe epidemiology like my father or sister.
Then all that ended and college evaporated into nothing more than a dream. I became a foot soldier. First in my sister’s army. Then in someone else’s. Sure I had my Resistance, but I was never anything more than a pawn in someone else’s game.
But now, up here in this place of snow and peace, this place where I no longer feel like I have to fight for every breath I take, I feel the urge to declare myself. Find something I want to do. Today will be a test of that future. We’re headed out on a new mission outside the gates of Catlettsburg. I’m eager to see what the future holds.
I pick up my pack from where I keep
it by the door and move to my spying spot in the stairwell, although it’s unnecessary. Jane and Avi have been fighting loudly for hours. Weeks, really. Ever since he announced casually over dinner that he’d shared the vaccine with a small community outside the fence line.
“When did you do this?” she asked that night over dinner. Her tone was sharper than it had been in months. “How long ago?”
“Months before you arrived. We had extra and this is a farming community we often trade with. It seemed like a good idea.”
She shook her head. “You shouldn’t have.”
He frowns, his forehead creasing. “You don’t think I should have helped people in need, if I had the opportunity?”
“It was a risk. A stupid one.” Walker and I sat on opposite sides of the table, watching their exchange like a tennis match. It was obvious from my sister’s tone of her voice she was worried about something. “It’s dangerous to tell anyone that there’s a vaccine. In this world it’s more valuable than gold. Second, all inoculations of the EVI-1 vaccine should be monitored.”
Avi pushed his glasses up his nose and stabbed his fork into the cured ham we shared for dinner. He ate a bite and chewed slowly. Jane waited for his response, eyes growing wider with each passing second.
“They’re an outlier community. Fringe even before all of this. It’s why I befriended them. They’re Mennonites and keep to themselves and we last traded with them before Christmas. The weather since then has made it impossible to visit or monitor for any vaccination problems.” He points to the pork on our plate. “You’re eating their food right now.”