Unless, she used the cell phone screen light and I kept my hand on her back, and we single-filed it just like we had with Jason last time we were on this mountain at night.
Anubis started barking.
“Anything?” Missy pressed. “He’s getting—”
“Restless. Yeah. Yeah,” I grumbled. “I’m thinking.”
If we single-filed it until we found another spot with a few bars of service we could call Jason again, maybe find out exactly where they are.
I mentally shook my head. It was useless, the odds of getting a hold of him and actually communicating with him was highly unlikely. Even if we had service by another long shot, most likely he would not. He was supposed to be on this mountain too after all.
We could use the flashlight app and the last of the battery looking for a place of shelter. If we find something, we could just sleep there for the remainder of the night and start back up at the crack of dawn. We’d be rested and have sunlight to lead us.
Anubis barked again.
I quickly scratched that idea too. That damn dog wouldn’t sit still long enough for night to pass. Heck, he wouldn’t even rest for five freaking minutes.
We could let him go.
I sighed. Missy would have a conniption, and never allow that to happen. That probably crossed off the option of just trying to head back to the car with fingers crossed the cell phone light would hold out long enough too.
Yet, if we did let him go, we could turn the battery off right now and just find shelter in a tree for the night. Though trying to climb a tree with my hand like this might be harder than it looks, if not impossible.
Ugh. There has to be something we could do.
“Dee!” Missy prompted, anxiously. Anubis continued to bark.
“I know,” I grumbled. “And I promise, I am think—”
“No, Dee!” She yelled, her voice sharp and cracking, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I quickly realized my mistake. Anubis was actually barking…and not because he wanted to keep moving but because something was moving toward us.
Horrified, I realized I couldn’t see what or who for that matter, but I could hear them. More than one. All rushed, hurried footsteps, pounding against the ground, loud enough to startle a few birds from the tree branches near us.
They weren’t quiet predators at all.
“Shut your light!” I shouted, in a desperate attempt to go unnoticed. Perhaps they couldn’t see us in the dark.
“Are you insane?” Missy was shining her light toward my face, as if checking to make sure I hadn’t completely gone bat shit crazy in those thirty seconds since recognition set in.
I caught the faintest outline of a person in the shadows, coming up on her left side.
“Missy to your left! Watch out!”
Swiftly turning, she shone her light in that direction, just as a rabbit burst out of the high weeds, swiftly darting past her legs, weaving back and forth in elongated hops.
She screamed, jumping out of its way, losing her hold on Anubis.
In less than the span of two breaths, a woman was pouncing at them. At least I think it was a woman. The hair was longer than Missy’s, but tangled and matted. The body frame more feminine than stocky.
Anubis dove at her as she was mid-stride, jarring her into a wrestling tumble across the ground. I hollered to Missy to run, in fear she’d try to break them apart, but it seemed common sense was finally kicking in—Or that whole survival instinct.
My best friend didn’t waste a beat; she hurdled a whole row of weeds and kept on going, her and her light high-tailing it out of there, leaving me in the throes of darkness and defeat.
Anubis and his opponent remained but a blur —a terrifying orchestra of hisses and snarls, growling and teeth-snapping.
I had for the moment gone unnoticed. But, I feared the sound of my pounding heart beat would wake the entire mountain. I cringed each time I heard a whimper or a cry, knowing what each would mean for Anubis. His fate was left in the strength of his own courage.
Or, the strength of mine.
I fumbled silently for the keys once again in my back pocket, the movement a mix of excruciating pain and nervous fingers. I ground my teeth together so hard, I wouldn’t be surprised if I chipped them.
Another loud, bone-chilling yowl echoed into the night.
I started, dropping the keys in reflex, my grip already weakened by my injured hand.
Refraining from cursing, I stood still, hoping the sound of them hitting the ground wouldn’t draw attention to me.
I counted out one minute, standing on the end of my toes, preparing for a fast getaway if need be. Unseen, unheard, I exhaled out my nose to limit my exposure, and slowly started to hunch to the ground, fingers stretched, in attempt to grab them again.
I kept my eyes focused forward, my vision only slightly adjusting to the agony of darkness, just a butterfly kiss of light from a half-masked moon to soothe me.
My fingertips were just barely touching the disgusting mud puddle by my shoe, when somewhere hidden in the cloak of shadows my best friend started screaming again.
I froze, my heart stopping, my breath catching in my chest.
Another yelp of pain echoed simultaneously in the night.
Anubis.
A sharp, dull ache began deep below my upper ribs, and my stomach twisted, tangling tighter than ever before with dread. It almost made me start to keel over and cry.
There had been more than one set of footsteps, I suddenly remembered. How could I have forgotten that? How could I have been dumb enough to just assume the other set of footsteps belonged to the rabbit the woman had been chasing and Missy had gotten away unscathed?
A rabbit for crying out loud!
When have you ever heard a rabbit hopping, Dee? Damn it!
I quickly shot back upright—angry at myself and maybe because I was slightly becoming mentally unhinged.
But I’d never forgive myself if Missy died tonight. I couldn’t. It would be my fault. I’d rather die saving her now then go on living without her and the guilt of her death on me forever. She was the closest thing to a sister I would ever have. I was going after her.
A branch snapped in half, and my incidental bravado quickly faltered as an obvious pause between Anubis and the woman followed.
She had officially become aware of my presence.
Gulping, I instinctively started to take a step back. She proceeded to let out a screech, rounding on me. I know because I caught a blurred glimpse of her. She was heading right toward me.
Her screech quickly turned into a holler of pain and then suddenly, she was just stumbling forward, her cry accelerating in volume and duration. I instantly realized her redirected movement was once again constricted by another bite from Anubis.
He was still fighting, still protecting us, injured and all.
Man, he really was a good dog.
Seizing the moment, I considered my best plan of action in record time. I wished I could spare a moment to return the favor to him, but I couldn’t. Missy was still screaming in the distance. I had to save her. Then again, if I just left him here my best friend would never forgive me either. She’d probably kill me for even just considering it. See, I’d die for my best friend. My best friend would die for the dog.
But heck, how was I going to find her and save her, or the dog for that matter, without a light or weapon?
Once again, it seemed my keys were not only my best bet but my only option. I just wasn’t so sure my fist had enough oomph left in it to punch someone again. And how sharp could a key really be? Would it even do damage? Could I really stab someone in the neck with it if need be? While the woman was down, should I stab her now?
I almost went to grasp for them on the ground again, when another branch broke under foot.
Only this time, I hadn’t moved.
Wait, did I actually move last time?
I thought about that, brow furrowing.
If I
didn’t move . . . Two heavy-footed footsteps followed, then suddenly someone was right behind me, their breath blowing across the top of my head.
Shit.
I reacted.
Pulling my left arm free from my backpack strap, I quickly slid the bag down my right arm, snatching the fabric as tight as I was physically capable of without passing out from the pain, and stepped forward, turning, swung the bag with as much momentum as I could muster at whoever it was.
My bag slammed into what looked like a freaking bear, standing on two legs.
Oh fu—the roar that came next, verified it was actually a bear.
I screamed, bolting, dropping my bag onto the ground instantaneously.
It chased after me, apparently extremely unhappy with me.
I hollered Anubis’ name, not sure out of fear for him or if I was hoping he could distract it too, as I ran forward frantically, sprinting through and stumbling over underbrush. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of something odd.
Turning my head, I saw what looked like a flashlight, bouncing up and down in swift movement. I quickly shifted direction toward it, my new screams almost as deafening as my first.
The light became brighter with each step, closing in on me as fast as I was closing in on it. My vision improved with each passing second, but the bear was still hot on my heels.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, a thought lingered about how if you encounter a bear you should never run. But I’m not sure that still implied if you hit it first, and I wasn’t stopping to test that theory.
Anubis was barking, but his barks were dragging behind, as if he was attempting to catch up, but physically couldn’t. I didn’t want to think about what that meant.
I had no idea where the woman was.
Alive?
Dead?
Lying there, almost dying?
Still fighting with him?
Chasing after me too?
My best friend continued to scream, her screams creating a symphony with mine. It dawned on me that whatever was chasing her was now heading right for me too, and I was leading the bear and who knows what else straight for her.
I needed another plan.
I just didn’t have one.
20
I gasped for air. I could no longer scream even if I wanted to. My lungs burned with each labored breath I took.
I was also pretty certain I was on the verge of an asthma attack. Then again, my heart was pounding so fast in my chest it had to be in the red zone. So maybe it wasn’t an asthma attack but really the beginning of a heart attack I was having.
Stress could bring on either, right? What could be more stressful than this—being chased by a pissed off bear and a bunch of cannibals?
My best friend had stopped screaming sooner than I had, but she was still running this way, only noticeably slower now. Or maybe it was me running slower. I wasn’t sure. One (or both) of us was definitely tiring though.
I continued to glance back and forth, struggling to come up with a better plan than my current one which was run full speed to her, but nothing was immediately standing out.
I looked left, desperately searching all around for any kind of solution, when my foot slammed into something solid. My ankle caught, and I went flying, falling in a turning tumble.
I fell hard, with a thud and a loud groan, finally landing in an awkward body twist, my hip and shoulder taking the brunt of the impact.
The little bit of a lead I had was gone instantly. Despite how much pain I was in, I had no choice but to freeze, hold my breath and lie perfectly still.
The bear slowed from a fast run to a gentle, unhurried trot, to no movement at all.
Right. Beside. Me.
Weeds were brushing against my face, irritating my skin. My ankle remained propped at a weird angle against whatever I tripped on, my neck so oddly positioned it was starting to get a kink in it. I was extremely uncomfortable, every limb twitching to move, to at least stretch out. The ground was uneven against my side—damp, mud-like to the touch and stagnant smelling.
The cluster of bugs that scattered when I fell was coming back, buzzing around me. It annoyed me immensely and it took everything in me not to swat them away. I’d really had enough of bugs tonight.
The bear proceeded to paw at the ground around me, sniffing. Bugs were the least of my problems. This thing’s presence may have been the most intimidating thing in the whole world, and it was just inches from my legs.
I kept my eyes drawn to it, only semi-making out what exactly it was doing, scared stiff despite every ounce of me screaming to run.
It chuffed with a weird grunting noise, its nose getting even closer to me, so close I felt hot breath blowing across my skin.
It plodded forward, its head pausing right near the hem of my shorts, exactly where Missy’s frozen icee had spilled all over me.
I gulped nervously.
My heartbeat pounded in my ears, louder than the buzzing bugs.
I wanted to close my eyes, but I wanted to see at the same time. I almost did shut them when my attention caught on incoming footsteps. My first thought was Melissa, but recognition quickly set in that it was coming from the opposite direction.
The bear snorted again, another hot, short span of breath blowing over my thighs and I cringed, realizing I didn’t hear Anubis anymore. When had he stopped barking?
At the sound of leaves crunching, and more broken branches, I wondered if it was him. Had he finally caught up? Or was it her, had she killed him and now was after us? Or worse, was it another one of them?
The bear turned, hunching back onto his hind legs and suddenly grew, displaying his full, terrifying height. A loud menacing growl following.
Goosebumps shot down my spine despite the hot, humid night and this time I did shut my eyes, fighting the immediate reaction to curl my legs up to my chest in a fetal position and sob. Ohmyfreakinggod!
The growl was quickly met with a familiar rabid hiss and my eyes shot open.
It was one of them.
I needed to get away.
I started to shift the position of my leg slowly, while its back was turned to me, getting ready to take the short opportunity I was given as a chance to run away again when all of a sudden the bear puffed up, growing even taller—if possible—and let out another bone-shaking growl.
My limbs froze again mid-move.
For a moment I thought it was yelling at me, as if it knew I was just about to make a bolt for it, but I quickly realized its back was still toward me. It was facing whoever was hissing at it, his heightened anger focusing in on the infected. Not on me. Adrenaline shot through me. It was now or never.
Pushing off the ground, grimacing against the pain that blasted through my forearm, I bolted. My ankle wobbled for a moment in the mushy ground, but I remained stable, trudging through it at a full-blown sprint, my eyes barely glimpsing anything in front of me except the nearing light of my best friend’s phone. I still didn’t have a plan. Well, except surviving. That was a good enough plan for me.
Missy shouted my name, and I hollered back to run to her left.
We met about two minutes later. I almost collided with her. I caught myself on her arm. She was gasping for breath, trying to ask me if I was okay, trying to tell me she had no clue where the infected went, when a gunshot echoed through the woods. We both jumped. Another shot followed. And another.
Immediately I thought of Jason. Could it be him? Were we saved?
Missy gasped, squeezing my arm tight. “Anubis, where is he?” She spun the light around us, her fingers digging deeper into my skin, as she scanned the woods. “Dee, where is he?!”
I still struggled with breathing. “I don’t know. He wasn’t behind me.” Jason. Please be Jason.
Her grip locked even tighter, making me wince. “You just left him. How could you leave him?”
“A freaking bear was chasing me, Missy. I didn’t really have time to think. There’s more important things�
�”
Her hand suddenly dropped my arm. “Do not finish that sentence if you know what’s best for you.”
She started walking away from me.
Damn it. “Where are you going?”
“To find our dog.” Shit.
“Anubis is not our dog. And we can’t go that way there’s—” That’s when I heard it. Loud. Clear. It couldn’t be more than a few football fields away.
Not a gunshot, but a whistle.
The whistle.
“Ohmigod it’s them.” Had they heard us? Or did they hear the gunshots? “Let’s go…hurry, before we lose them again.”
Missy stalled. “We can’t show up without Anubis.”
“Are you kidding me? They are the whole reason we are here. The dog wanted us to save them. Now let’s go before—”
A body bolted from the shadows. Too late.
Missy’s scream synchronized with the familiar hiss as it charged us.
I cursed, and just like that we were on the run again. Downhill. My legs were burning.
The light of the phone bouncing dimly in the shadows. I glanced at the ground. Nothing to throw.
I glanced back at missy’s hand. A thought popped into my head.
Stupidest move ever.
I did it anyway.
Reaching out, I snatched the phone out of her hand. “Keep running,” I shouted.
She went to object in confusion and hysteria, but I shoved her forward, halting, then spinning, waiting for the figure to gain on me.
The light reflected off the dirty face only briefly. Long hair. Pallid, yellowing skin. Dark circles. Blood shot eyes. Snarled lips. She looked hungry.
I braced the phone in my broken hand, clenching my teeth. The girl lunged for me. I stood still, all but my racing heart, and just stalled there, waiting. I had to be smarter than her. I just had to be.
I held my breath, fingers trembling over the cell. If I wasn’t, this wasn’t going to end well.
She was inches from my body. Lifting my hand, I raised the phone to her face, all intentions of shining the light in her eyes. I know it didn’t work last time, but I just needed a second. One distracted second.
Blasting her directly in the pupils, I quickly sidestepped to my right, as she continued to dart forward. She missed me by mere moments as she pounced. The sudden absence of my body had her stumbling down the slope. Upon her descent, I grasped a handful of her hair, yanking her head backward with my good hand. She yowled, snapping her teeth. I continued to whip her head back until I knocked her completely to her back, at an odd twisted angle. Without hesitating, I kicked her square in the jaw—twice— and once in the ribs. She twitched on the ground.
Dead Friends Series (Book 2): Dead Friends Running Page 11