Razor Girl

by Marianne Mancusi

  Molly scrambled to her feet, screaming. Chris grabbed her and pulled her into a strong embrace, shushing her. “It’s okay,” he said. “It’s dead.”

  “You don’t understand! That was Erin. That was Erin!”

  “You’re right. It was Erin,” he said. His eyes looked glassy. “But it wasn’t just Erin anymore. And you know that.”

  “I don’t understand! How is this happening?” Molly babbled against his shoulder. It was too much. Just too much.

  “I don’t know,” Chris muttered. “But it’s only going to get worse. I think we need to start putting our escape plan into action.” He released her from his hold and grabbed her hand. “Come on,” he said. “We’ll get you home to your father where at least it’s safe.”

  Molly nodded stiffly, staring at the corpse of her former friend.

  Safe? Ha. Nowhere was ever going to be safe again.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  “He did it! He did it!” Molly whooped along with the crowd, throwing her arms around Helga and jumping up and down in glee. “He kicked that Other’s ass!”

  “Your man is very brave,” Helga shouted over the din. Her face was alight with admiration. “I am very surprised he won. Toro—well, Toro has killed many, many men. I thought your boyfriend would be one of them.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend,” Molly said automatically, but wishing now that he were. He’d been so brave out there. So amazing.

  “Yeah, yeah, so you keep telling me.” Helga didn’t sound convinced. “But come on, let’s go bribe my buddy and get him out.”

  They wove through the crowd and back to the jail. Everyone seemed more intent on the next fight, getting drunk or collecting money to pay the two girls much notice. Helga led Huggie into the back room and came out fifteen minutes later. Molly didn’t want to know what she’d done to win Chase’s freedom, and she really hoped it just involved the drugs. In any event, she was thankful the girl had chosen to do it.

  “You remember your promise,” Helga said as she returned. “You’re going to take me with you. I want to get the hell out of this crazy place.”

  Molly nodded. “Of course. We’ll be happy to have you along.” What was one more, anyway? Hell, it’d be nice to have a third adult around to help with the kids. And Helga had more than earned the right to come.

  “Okay, Huggie said to go around back and he’d leave Chase there.”

  The two girls walked out of the jail and circled to the back. Sure enough, a tied-up Chase had been left there in the dirt, on his knees, covered in bruises and cuts. Molly intended to spend the night taking care of those, making sure none of them got infected.

  “Chase!” she cried, not able to wait a moment longer.

  He looked at her. His beautiful green eyes were almost hidden behind all the swelling on his face.

  “You came for me,” he croaked, his voice hoarse.

  “Of course I did,” she said, kneeling in front of him. It was all she could do not to throw her arms around him and squeeze like there was no tomorrow. But he was hurt. Exhausted. Affection would have to wait.

  “How did you…?”

  “Helga helped me. She knew what her boyfriend had done to you and wanted to get you free. She has been an amazing help, and we’re going to take her along with us.”

  Chase looked a little nervous but nodded to Helga. At first Molly wondered why. Then she remembered. The drugs. He was probably wondering if Helga had ratted him out.

  As happy as she was to have him back, they’d definitely need to have a serious talk.

  “We’d better get out of here before the next match is over,” Helga said. “We don’t want to be caught out and about. Chase isn’t exactly unrecognizable now that he’s taken down Toro. And the Society isn’t going to be pleased at losing their new champion.”

  “Right.” Molly nodded. “Let’s go.”

  “Wait,” Chase gasped as she helped him to his feet.

  She cocked her head in question. “What?”

  He looked sheepish. “Before we go, I have to…grab something. I left it back at your place, Helga. You think Luke is at the match?”

  “He’s never missed one. But what do you need?” Helga asked.

  “Yeah, Chase, what do you need?” Molly demanded, narrowing her eyes, though she knew the gesture was lost behind her implants. Though why she bothered asking she didn’t know. It was obvious what he needed, what he was going back for, and it infuriated her to no end: the drugs that had gotten him into this mess to begin with. Unbelievable!

  The tenderness she’d felt for him just moments before evaporated, and it was replaced by fury. Stupid, weak bastard. After all he’d been through, still all he could think of was self-medicating?

  “Um, I can’t say,” he stammered, at least having the decency to look embarrassed. “But it’s important. You have to trust me.”

  Anger burned in her gut and swam in front of her eyes. She wanted to grab him by the hair and drag him back to camp and slap him around until he begged for mercy. After all they’d been through—after he’d almost been eaten by that monster—he still hadn’t learned.

  He was hopeless. Worse than her mother, even. And she was sick of saving his sorry ass. Thank God they’d never gotten involved. It would hurt too much now. It already hurt too much, to be totally honest. But at least she could manage to walk away. For good, if necessary.

  “We’re going back to the kids,” she said flatly. “We’ve left them far too long and I hope they’re safe. You can meet us at the camp after you do your…errand. We leave first thing in the morning, with or without you.”

  He looked hurt, and she fought the urge to feel cruel. After all, he should be the one feeling guilty, him and his pathetic addiction.

  “Fine,” he said at last. “I’ll see you soon.” And he took off, stumbling a bit, down the alley, presumably toward Helga’s.

  “Come on, let’s go,” Molly growled at the blonde, who was giving her a questioning look. She couldn’t blame the woman. All this work to save Chase, and then he took off? But what could Molly say? She could only do so much. “We’ll go find the kids. We’re traveling with eight of them, and they’ve been on their own all this time.”

  Helga looked surprised, but then she nodded and the two of them headed for her scooter.

  As they puttered up the on-ramp to the expressway, leaving Paradise and the Thunderdome behind, Molly glanced back at the seemingly peaceful town and the lights that still shone from the stadium. It seemed almost normal, compared to everywhere else. And yet the plague had changed these people terribly, made them into bloodthirsty savages dressed in Armani.

  What a strange world now existed. Was there really any way anyone could ever expect it would go back, be rebuilt? Her father had always said the plague would, at the very least, get rid of humanity’s worst elements, give everyone a chance to start over. But what would they be starting with? And who was starting what, and where? Molly didn’t have much hope.

  But then, she reminded herself, there were people like Helga. People willing to risk their lives to save a stranger. People who still held out hope for a better tomorrow. Maybe all was not lost after all.

  “Where’s Chase? Where’s Chase?” cried the kids as the scooter pulled up to the camp in the courtyard of the Motel 6. Torn stood in front of them all, looking protective—he clearly hadn’t recognized the bike. The kids moved from the bonfire they’d built to crowd around the two women, anxious faces surrounding Molly. “Is he okay? Who’s this? What happened?” The questions came fast and furious.

  “He’s okay. He’ll be here shortly,” Molly assured them, feeling all the while like her heart would tear in two. They loved the stupid idiot with all their hearts. And he was just letting them down. If only they knew how little he deserved their affection. “And this is Helga. She’s going to be traveling with us from now on.”

  The two women got off the bike and the children surrounded Helga, asking her a billion questions, w
hich she laughingly answered as best she could. Molly walked to the fire and sat down. This should have been a moment of triumph. Instead it felt empty, knowing Chase had once more traded his safety and the safety of them all for a quick fix.

  Not ten minutes later, Chase zoomed into the camp on his own presumably stolen scooter, triumphantly carrying a big plastic bag of goods. The kids cheered and hugged him as he got off the bike. He laughed and pushed them off, protesting his injured body and promising them candy in exchange for breathing room. Then he poured out the sack like some post-apocalyptic Santa Claus. They dived for the pile of sweets, not caring that the chocolate was way past its “Best If Used By” date.

  He walked over to Molly, who had stayed by the fire, and looked down at her. She saw confusion in his eyes, which made her all the more furious. He really thought he was going to get away with this? He didn’t know why she was angry?

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  She kicked a stone, wanting to strangle him. “We have to talk,” she said.

  He looked nervous, but nodded. “Okay. Talk.”

  Molly looked at the kids, who were chomping happily away at the candy. “Not here. Away from them.”

  “Just how private do you want? Do you want to go into one of the rooms?” he asked, waving a hand at the motel. “I can grab a key from the front desk.”

  “Fine.” Molly turned to Helga. “Do you mind watching the kids for a few?”

  The blonde looked scared for a moment then smiled. “Yeah. No problem.”

  “Sorry, don’t mean to put you on babysitting duty the second you get here.”

  “Don’t worry.” The woman laughed. “I’m just grateful to be here. I’m prepared to earn my keep.”

  Molly rose to her feet, realizing she was still wearing the silky dress. She’d have to change back when she had a chance; this wasn’t exactly a prime travel outfit. But she supposed it was good enough for a conversation about drug abuse. A conversation she really didn’t want to have.

  She walked toward the motel, her legs feeling like they weighed a ton. She so didn’t want to have this conversation. But she had no choice. Chase was an addict, and he’d already endangered their mission on several occasions because of it. And him going back just now was the last straw. He cared more for the substances than he did for safety. And that wasn’t acceptable. Molly had tolerated it too long with her mother.

  Chase had taken a piece of wood from the fire and he now carried it as a torch. He also carried a bag. The key he’d collected opened one of the doors, but not before he pounded on it and pushed Molly behind him. Then he burst inside and looked around. It was empty. They could talk here.

  They stepped inside. The room was musty and dank. It obviously hadn’t been used in a while. Two sunken double beds took up most of the space. On the dresser sat an unplugged Smart TV.

  “I know why you got caught,” Molly began. “Helga told me.”

  Chase raked a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. “I figured she might have.”

  “What the hell were you thinking?”

  “I don’t know.” He stared down at his feet. “I guess I’m an addict, okay? But I’m done. This time I’m really done.” He looked up, his eyes sad. “I swear to God, Molly. I’ll be a man and I’ll take care of you and the kids like I’m supposed to, and I won’t let you down. I won’t take another pill again as long as I live.”

  It was all too much. She couldn’t believe he was standing there, looking her in the eyes and lying through his teeth. “Don’t lie to me!” she cried. “Don’t you fucking lie!”

  He stared at her, his face anguished, not even having the decency to look ashamed. “How am I lying?” he asked. “Can’t you trust me?”

  She shook her head. “Come on. I’m not stupid. I know about your little errand just now. Even after all we went through—even though you almost died in that godforsaken town—you still saw fit to go back to the lion’s den to retrieve your precious drugs!”

  He shook his head, his face a mixture of horror and shock. “Is that what you think?” he asked. “Is that really, honest to God, what you think?” He slammed his fist into the wall and the old plaster crumbled. His torch smoked. “Fucking hell, Molly, you think I’m that stupid?”

  She didn’t know how to answer that.

  He sighed. “Evidently so.” Reaching into the bag he’d brought with him, he pulled out a small colorful box. “I went back for this,” he said, tossing it down on a bed. It bounced once then settled, and she realized what it was: a music box.

  “I wanted you to have something special. To show you how much I care about you. To show how grateful I am that you believe in me, that you still care about me enough to come save my life.” He shook his head. “You’re right, I guess. I must be fucking stupid.” And with that, he stalked out of the room.

  Molly stared down at the music box, her world crashing around her. This was what he’d gone back for—not drugs, but a gift for her? She reached down and gingerly picked up the music box, reaching around to wind it before opening its lid. A beautiful Sleeping Beauty twirled in a perfect pirouette, and “It’s a Small World” tinkled through the air.

  Her gut wrenched. Her head spun. She set down the box and ran outside to find Chase.

  On the far side of the bonfire, he was grabbing a backpack and stuffing things into it. Ready to leave forever? It couldn’t be. Where would he go? Would he take the kids? They had become a little family, and she didn’t want to give that up. He’d made mistakes, but she would forgive him as long as he started paying attention to what was right and what was wrong. She had made mistakes in her past as well. They could forgive each other. But he couldn’t go. He was hers. He’d always been hers, from before the end of time.

  “Chase!” she said, running to him.

  He looked up, his eyes stormy, not even pretending to hide his fury. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest. At first he was stiff as a board, unyielding and stubborn, but she refused to let go.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I’m an idiot.”

  “Yes,” he said at last. “But so am I. And I’m an asshole, too. But I’m not going to be either thing anymore.”

  She looked up at him, into those beautiful green eyes of his, and sought some sort of forgiveness in their depths. She wasn’t sure if she found it. Then she kissed him, crushing her lips against his. This, it seemed, he could not resist, and he kissed her back with such passion he took her breath away.

  His arms wrapped around her, crushing her against him. His fingers dug into the small of her back. Their mouths moved against one another, seeking, finding, their tongues enjoying a complicated dance of unspoken passion.

  It had been too long. They’d been so stubborn. So stupid. Hanging on to past hurts and past regrets. But that was over now. The world had ended, sure. But their relationship was just beginning. A real relationship.

  “Oh, Chase.” She sighed against his mouth. “I’m so sorry.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said. “I’m the one who’s proved time and again to be untrustworthy, and I completely understand why you didn’t believe me. Hell, you’re smart not to. But I swear to you, Molly, I’m done. I’ve been thinking about this non stop since that jail cell. I’m done being that guy. I want to be better. For the children. And especially for you.”

  His words sent chills down her spine that had nothing to do with the physical sensation of him running his hands through her hair. “It will be hard,” she said. “You may go through withdrawal.”

  “I don’t care,” he replied. “It’ll be worth it.”

  “Well, I’ll help in any way that I can.”

  He grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her again with a ferocity once reserved for overly dramatic Hollywood movies.

  “Get a room!” called out Torn.

  They broke from the kiss, laughing a bit. “You’re just jealous,” Chase called back to
him. “ ’Cause I got the girl.”

  “Whatever, dude.” Torn slung an arm around Starr.

  Chase turned to Molly. “Sorry about these clowns,” he said with a laugh.

  “It’s okay.” She smiled. “I love them, too.” And she did, she realized. They really had become a little family. They all needed each other. And not just to survive, she realized, thinking back to the perversion of Paradise, but to keep alive the things about them that were good and right and human. And that was the reason they were staying alive.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  “Dad, Dad!” Molly burst into Ian Anderson’s workshop, not caring about protocol or pissing him off. She was surprised the door hadn’t been locked, and she found him at his computer, typing furiously. Just seeing him there, calm, normal, not a monster, filled her with an overwhelming relief. She sank down into a nearby chair, head in her hands. “Oh God, Dad, it was so terrible!”

  Her father rose from his computer, his expression grave. “What is it, Molly?” he asked.

  “Monsters,” she blubbered, rising to her feet. “Like the one at the hospital. I didn’t imagine that one, because there are more. We were out at a party and—”

  Her father took her by the shoulders and pushed her back so he could look her in the eye. His face was wild with anger and she retreated, almost frightened. So much for him being calm and normal. “Didn’t I tell you to stay in?” he demanded. His fingernails dug into her arms and she winced in pain. “Are you deaf or just plain stupid?”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice quavering. “But you’ve got to listen to me. There were monsters. Like…zombies or something. And they were attacking people. They were…” She trailed off, unable to voice what she had seen. “It was awful,” she finally said.

  Her father released her. “Yes, I can imagine,” he said, sounding distracted. He wandered back to his computer, staring down at the monitor as if it held the answers to all life’s questions. Maybe he thought it really did.