“Bullocks, I’m sorry. I led the wrong way,” Emma said, putting a hand on John’s shoulder.
John held his nose with both hands. “That would be following.”
“That makes sense,” Emma said.
“I think we are good for today,” John replied, grateful it hadn’t been a larger-caliber rifle.
Chapter VI
Hit the Fan
Mick rocked back and forth in his cell, covering his eyes. His eyes were lying to him. He wouldn’t let them lie to him. He’d hide them. No monsters could lurk in shadows if he couldn’t see them. He’d hide.
Anquan sat with his back to everyone, slowly breathing and wasting no energy. Yuzuki kept a standing vigil at the corner of the four cells.
Jem squatted and scratched at his forearm. His face and body were completely covered in bruises and gashes. There was no inch of his body that could be traveled without finding some form of damage. His nails dug into a gash on his forearm.
“Something is in there. Something’s in there. Need to get it out,” Jem said as the wound opened.
Mick took his hands away from his eyes. He watched Jem dig into his own arm. The thought crossed his mind that there might be something in his arm too. He ran his nail over his skin and began to dig.
“Stop it,” Yuzuki shouted while reaching through the cages and grabbing both their wrists. Mick didn’t want to anger a witch so he ended his dig, but Jem did not.
Yuzuki pulled Jem face-first into the cage bars. He stopped cutting at his arm and looked around the room with a puzzled expression, like it was the first time he had ever seen it.
As the drugs claimed Mick’s mind, he hoped for his and Jem’s sake they would be executed soon. There was no telling how much longer he could go without revealing any information.
* * *
Kade never fell asleep as he lay next to Tiny. Between the pain in his body and the thoughts on his mind, he could hardly even close his eyes. He knew he had to let her run the mission but was worried about not being by her side. She was the strongest person he had ever met, and if he had to put his faith in anyone it would be her. He was glad to have spent most of the day laying with her as they waited for the cover of night to approach.
Zack approached them, already suited up for war in his ACU loaded with a sidearm and holding his rifle across his chest. Kade hugged himself against Tiny, then rolled away from her body.
“Can—”
Kade held his finger up to his lips, shushing Zack. Using his feet like rakes, Kade moved the leaf debris around until he struck a stick that was a few feet long. He loved Tiny, but waking her up was a dangerous task.
He poked her in the kidney with the stick.
As if he had pushed a self-destruct button, she thrashed over, snagged the stick in her left hand, and broke it with her right. She glared at him as she took deep breaths.
“Wakey, wakey,” Kade said.
Tiny took a few more controlled breaths.
Zack clapped Kade on the shoulder. “Thanks for not letting me put my hand in the bear trap.”
“Assholes,” Tiny said through gritted teeth.
“Game time,” Zack said to Tiny.
“Just give me a minute to get dressed for the ball,” Tiny replied.
A half hour later, the five of them stood with the vehicles. Tiny and Zack reviewed the plan for everyone, but it was simple for Kade and X. All they had to do was get in the truck and drive home.
The short briefing ended, and X went to feed the horses. Number Five climbed into the back of the Hummer, waiting for the other two.
Zack gave Kade a nod. “Remember your promise.”
“You too,” Kade replied.
Zack climbed into the passenger seat, leaving Tiny alone with Kade.
“What was that about?” she asked.
“Guy stuff. Be careful, okay?”
“I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.” Tiny hugged him tightly and kissed him before he could initiate. When their lips separated, she averted her eyes. With a final pat on his chest, she left for her ride.
Kade watched until he could no longer see the Hummer in the distance. He wished she would have looked back just once, but like she said, he’d see her in two days.
“Ready to ride?” X called from the driver’s side of the truck.
He wasn’t. He would rather have stood there watching and hoping that his walkie would chime, saying they needed him. That wasn’t going to happen, and he might not like it, but he had to accept it. Sunset was upon them, and soon the other half of the group would be running the rescue mission.
Kade turned and marched back to the truck. He climbed in and tossed his stuff in the back with the rest of the supplies, which included the weapons they’d gathered from their earlier attackers.
“My mom used to always say hay is for horses whenever I said hey instead of hello. I didn’t see anything else in the trailer to feed them. So, horses do eat hay?” X asked.
“Does a bear shit in the woods?” Kade responded.
“Speaking of shit. Holy gigantic crap—the floor is covered.”
Kade didn’t know much about horses. Animals had never been his thing. Most people expected to outlive their pets; it wasn’t a luxury Kade had as a kid. However, he doubted that they would enjoy a long drive standing in their own fecal matter.
“I wouldn’t want to stand in my shit for that long. Give me a minute,” Kade said, climbing out of the truck and going to the trailer.
He unlatched the back of the trailer and stared at the back ends of two large horses. Kade was amazed by the size of the creatures. One horse, which was pure brown, turned his head far enough for Kade to see one of its gigantic eyes. The animal looked miserable.
Kade spotted a snow shovel hanging from the side of the trailer and retrieved it. He did his best to scoop up the majority of their feces, but he also made sure to keep his distance from the animals since he didn’t want to spook them. With the thickness of their hooves, he figured it would hurt a little more than his rubber knuckles.
He hung the shovel up and walked around to the driver’s side, where X was smoking a cigar. X took a few puffs, then rolled the cigar around his fingers. “I never saw the appeal of these, but never knock it until you try it.”
Kade pointed to the cigar burn on his throat that had been given to him during his fight with the Tribe a few months back. “They remind me of Sarge.”
“You mean the time you kicked ass and saved the day? Horrible memory,” X said.
“Think we can walk the horses?” Kade asked.
X’s brow creased. “Like a dog?”
“They just seem really unhappy.”
“Don’t think that has anything to do with us killing their owners?”
Kade rubbed his neck. “That could be part of it, but they aren’t meant to be in a cage.”
“They could run off.”
“It’s not like we know what to do with them once we get them back.”
“Why not try?” X said, giving in and getting out of the truck.
The process didn’t go smoothly. They found it was far more complicated than just attaching a leash to a collar. At one point the brown horse ran away from them, and after a half hour of trying to catch it, the animal came back to the trailer on its own. The other horse, which was black and white, seemed much more content to just stand around than to walk with them, and neither X nor Kade wanted to try that hard to force the huge animal to move.
* * *
The George Washington Parkway had been a scenic drive, so it had remained relatively undamaged when the guardsmen waged their war on the surrounding area. It provided an easy enough drive, with plenty of cover to allow Number Five, Zack, and Tiny to feel safe. Despite Number Five telling them that the bridge would be heavily guarded, they didn’t have much of an option other than to drive the entire way around to the other side of the city. They would get close enough to recon the entrance, then decide the best diversion to run.
Zack was confident he and Tiny could manage a way in. They disembarked about a half mile away from the bridge and proceeded silently through the night. The forest was entirely different from the desert they had stalked together, yet it felt almost normal to have Tiny with him.
It broke his heart to know he would have to wait years if he wanted another shot with Tiny. From the day he had met her, he knew about her feelings for Kade, who had been just a name to him. Back then she didn’t think there was ever a chance she would end up with him, which gave Zack the window he needed to make a move on the most awesome woman he had ever met.
What he thought was the start of a strong emotional connection had been for her the equivalent of taking out the trash. They slept together on and off during their tour, but it was always on her terms. He kept hoping that their relationship might develop into something, but it never did. Now that she had her knight in shining armor, he knew his time would most likely never come. The only thing he had going for him was that Kade wouldn’t live a full lifetime, so there was a small, tiny, minuscule sliver of hope that he might have another chance.
They came to the edge of the woods near the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. Toward the near side of the bridge was a barrier fully staffed with soldiers underneath generator-powered floodlights. The island beyond the bridge was clamoring with noise even in the night.
“Any ideas?” Zack asked, trying to think of a way past the guards that didn’t involve swimming.
“There’s no way we can get close without being seen,” Tiny said, keeping her rifle tucked into her shoulder.
“That is a ton of light. They’re making themselves night-blind,” Zack replied.
Tiny looked at him with wide eyes. “If that was us, what would we have?”
Before he could answer with night vision snipers, two shots rang out in the night. Zack’s arm burned as a bullet grazed him. He dropped to the ground as the second shot slammed into Tiny’s chest. She smashed back into the tree behind her, then toppled forward. Her head sounded like a watermelon as it cracked off of the edge of the pavement.
Zack scurried forward and scooped her up. He threw her over his shoulder and took off into the woods as more shots rang out. Jostling her about without knowing her injuries was a concern, but he had to get enough distance between them before he could do anything to help her. Keeping her steady, he pulled the walkie from his belt and called Number Five for a pickup. He sprinted, trying to cover as much ground as he could by the time she reached him.
With the headlights coming toward him, Zack moved into the road to get Number Five’s attention. She swung the vehicle around so it was ready to leave. Zack threw open the back door and gently laid Tiny across the backseat. Her head was bleeding from the impact with the road, but she hadn’t been shot. The bullet was imbedded in her sidearm.
“Go. Try to catch Kade. I’ll make sure you aren’t followed,” Zack said, slamming the door and heading back the way he came.
* * *
The better part of an hour went by before X and Kade finally got both horses situated in the trailer and were ready to drive again. By now Kade figured the mission was underway since nighttime was upon them.
X took a puff from the stub of his cigar, the cherry lighting up in the night. “Remind me to save some of these for myself.”
Kade reached into one of the packs sitting in the back and pulled out two protein bars. He tossed one to X and saved one for himself.
“I miss real food,” X said as he tore into the bar.
“We’ll be farming before you know it,” Kade replied.
“I’m not saying I want to work for food. I miss being able to walk into a grocery store, put a real fine steak down my shirt, go home, and toss it on the grill,” X replied.
“You don’t call that work?”
“Hey, man, that was fun.”
“Hay is for horses.”
X punched Kade in the shoulder.
“Shall we get moving? Your pissed-off sister is waiting for me when we get back,” X said.
Kade gave him a nod. This was how it had to be.
X stepped down on the gas pedal as the walkie on the dash blared static mixed with what Kade thought was a frantic voice. He couldn’t make out any words. Then, just like that, silence. Kade and X shared a confused look.
“Kade,” Number Five’s voice chimed through the walkie. “Kade, are you in range?”
His body reacted faster than his brain as he snagged the walkie. “What happened?”
“Come”—crackle—“meet”—crackle—“motion.”
“On our way.”
* * *
The book on agriculture couldn’t be much more boring. John had nodded off three times in the cozy beanbag chair. He usually did his studying in the library, but with fewer bodies around these days, he was trying to act more like Kade would and stay in the dorm whenever possible. There were more distractions in the common room than before, but overall the book doomed itself.
Kade wanted them to move into an agricultural society as soon as possible. The issue was that none of them had any background in farming. John was trying to be a useful member of the cohort by spending most of his study hours on that project.
His mind kept recalling how he’d felt when Emma’s hand had been on him, which wasn’t helping his cause any. He was more confused now than he had been when he’d just had Grace on his plate. Grace was still the person he wanted to be with, but there was a voice in the back of his head telling him it was never going to happen. Emma might not have been Grace, but she wasn’t no one either.
“You alive?” Wright said, waving a hand in front of John’s eyes. He hadn’t even seen the man arrive in front of him.
“Sorry. Just a lot on my mind. I usually talk to Kade when I have problems,” John said.
Wright waved him along. “Step into my office.”
John debated for a moment, but knowing he wasn’t going to make any more progress on the cycle of beans, he gave up his seat and followed Wright into his room. The amount of work Wright had put into his room in such a short time impressed John. The bed was neatly made, with Wright’s PhD hanging on the wall. A desk had been arranged with two cushioned chairs across from it. There were two photos on the desk. One was of two children, a boy and a girl, in sports gear. The other was a much younger but still powerful-looking Wright with a woman in a wedding dress.
“Did any of your family make it?” John asked as he took a seat opposite the desk.
Wright shook his head. “When I got home from work, my wife was the only one left alive. The kids had been torn to pieces. She had turned into a foamer. I don’t know if the kids were or weren’t before she killed them. I wish I understood how the vaccine does this to people.”
“You could ask Damian,” John said, and immediately bit his tongue. He wasn’t supposed to tell the newcomers about Damian’s role in the Feline Flu vaccine.
Wright’s eyebrows rose. “What can he tell me?”
“I’m not sure. Don’t know what he knows. But he’s been doing some research on the foamers,” John said.
Wright gave him a half smile. “Thanks, but I am more interested in the vaccine. So, tell me what happened.”
“While I was teaching Emma to shoot, she sorta, kinda, touched me, in a way—”
“In a physical way. How did you feel about that?” Wright straightened his vest as he sat tall.
“I was scared.”
“This is a new experience for you?”
“Yeah. And I was worried that Grace would find out.”
“John, are you and Grace in a relationship?”
“No.”
“Are you attracted to Emma?”
“Yes.”
“Perhaps you should change your target. In months Grace hasn’t done anything to show interest in you, but within days Emma has. You can’t put Grace on a pedestal.” Wright tapped a pen on a notepad.
John leaned in his chair, staring at the ceili
ng. “But she’s so amazing, and tough, and beautiful.”
“I’m sure you’ll find just as many things to love about Emma if you look closely.”
“I think I already blew that chance.”
“You might need to create the window this time.”
“How do I do that?”
“Just be yourself.”
John crossed his arms. “I’ve been myself for months, and that hasn’t worked with Grace.”
“Make eye contact when you are talking. Watch her lips when she is talking. Make small physical contact whenever possible. The window will open in no time.”
John pondered the words. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to give up on Grace, but Emma did seem interested. He cared so much for Grace. She had been the recipient of all his energies since he met her. The hope that she would come around to him in time had been keeping him waiting, but maybe she never would. Maybe he would spend forever waiting for her.
Emma wouldn’t make him wait forever. She seemed interested in him now, and it wasn’t like she was undesirable. If anything, he was just as physically attracted to her as he was to Grace. He’d be lucky to have either, but he could only have one.
“Something you said after the funeral has been sticking with me. I was wondering why Kade is trying to learn about the foamers,” Wright said.
“His brother is trying to figure out how to fix them, and it’s Kade’s way of helping,” John said.
“What exactly is Damian fixing?”
John’s daydreams of which woman to choose came to a halt. Kade had asked John not to reveal his brother’s part in the vaccine, but John didn’t know how to answer the question without giving away too much. He tried to think of a way to tell a version of the truth without breaking Kade’s trust.
“Damian was a medical researcher. He’s trying to reverse the effects of the vaccine,” John said.
“How do they know it was the vaccine that caused the foamers in the first place?” Wright asked.
John froze. He’d never even considered that this wouldn’t be a survivor-wide concept. His group was partial to that knowledge because of Damian.
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