by Roman Shepp
However, while she was thinking about all this she was lost in her own mind. With her attention drifting away, she was distracted, and this allowed Frank to make a move on her gun. Despite appearing old, Frank was deceptively quick and moved toward her. His hands reached out like a hungry kid yearning for chocolate, and he managed to pull the gun free.
“Rosa!” Phil yelled, but Rosa already was aware of what was happening. Snapped back into reality, anger flowed through her muscles and she quickly chopped her hands down on Frank's. He yelped in pain and the gun fell to the ground.
“I told you not to move,” Rosa grunted as she fired a fist at his mouth, making his head snap back.
He staggered a few paces back, looking groggy. Rosa pressed her advantage. She kicked him in the stomach and then grabbed his neck and belt, throwing him to the ground. He sprawled out, coughing up dirt. Phil stood over him, the knife pointing threateningly at Frank. Rosa picked up the gun, angry at herself for letting herself get distracted. It would not happen again.
“We have to keep a close eye on him,” she said. Phil nodded. For a moment, Rosa considered what to do about their problem. Frank was turning into a liability. For every moment they spent watching him, it was one less moment they were watching their surroundings, thus making themselves vulnerable. Once again Rosa was sorry they ever had rescued him in the first place.
“I guess we always could kill him,” she said, half-joking. Frank glowered at her, wiping some grass from his mouth and dusting off his clothes. Phil seemed to take it as a joke, but if Frank tried anything else she would end him. He already had blood on his hands and it only would be justice if he paid for his crimes.
“Right,” Rosa said, “here's what I think we should do,” but at that moment there was an almighty gasp. The three of them turned around to see that Jane had recovered her senses, and she was terrified.
Chapter Sixteen
Jane emerged from the darkness with a scream. The last thing she remembered clearly was facing that maniac. Other fragments of thoughts tumbled around in her mind. Panicked screams. Being supported. Moving from the darkness to the light. But the pervading one was that monster. He had reached out with his powerful hand. His musky smell had enveloped her and made her want to retch. Helpless, she could do nothing as he grabbed her. There was a loud crack, and then nothing.
Now she was outside. The first thing she saw was Frank, sitting on the ground. It was his fault. All this was his fault. If he hadn't encouraged Don to go outside, then none of this would have happened, and what's more, is all the things he had said to her. How dare he try to blame her for all that had happened. He was the monster here, not her.
Launching herself forward without any regard for what else was around her, she was in a fury as she attacked Frank. Ignoring the pain in her head and body, she flailed her arms wildly and struck out with everything she had. Frank curled up into a ball, trying to shield himself from her attack. Jane wasn't going to stop until he had been dealt with. It was time to end this once and for all. For too long had she been in his thrall. He shouldn't be here anyway. He should be dead, left in that alley. How had he survived? No longer. It was time for Frank to die.
She slammed her fists down on his head, raining blows all over his body. The attack was so furious and so unexpected that he didn't have any chance to fight back. Jane screamed loudly, letting out all the frustration and anger she felt toward him. Her nails clawed at his face. She wanted him to bleed, wanted him to cry out in pain so he felt something like all the hurt he had caused others over the years. Her thighs pinned him down and, even though he struggled, she still had the upper hand. That is, until she felt another pair of hands dragging her away, taking her away from him.
“No! Let me at him!” she cried as she flung out her arms, trying to reach him again. Frank pushed himself back as she was being dragged away, so there was soon a chasm between them. Groaning, Jane blew the hair away from her face and wrestled herself out of Rosa's grip.
“Don't stop me!” she said and went to attack Frank again. This time he raised his fists in defense, but she never made it there, for Rosa stopped her yet again, pulling her back by her waist, sending her down to the ground like a misbehaving child. Jane was furious, and she glared at Rosa.
“Don't you dare protect him. You know what he's done to me!” she yelled, and pushed herself up, but Rosa stood in between her and Frank.
“Stand down. You don't know what the hell you're doing. You want to bring the whole forest to us? This isn't the time or the place for this,” she said, but Jane didn't listen.
She tried pushing past Rosa again, so focused on Frank that she lost sight of everything else. Rosa brought her hand back and slapped Jane across the face, causing her neck to twist sharply. The pain stung and was so shocking it brought Jane down to Earth.
“What was that for?” she said tersely, wishing her eyes were not watering.
“To try knocking some sense into you. Stop being hysterical. This isn't going to get us anywhere.”
Jane was about to protest and deny she was being hysterical when she became aware of her surroundings.
“What are we doing out here?” she said, turning around, trying to look for the bunker. “Where is everyone?”
“They escaped,” Phil said gently, nodding to Rosa to stand down. The solider went to stand by Frank, who was keeping his distance, and for the time being he was keeping his mouth shut as well.
“The man knocked you unconscious. Tony said we had to get you out of there,” Phil continued.
Jane remembered that much, but everything else still was a jumble. The memories all were there, but they were out of order, like someone had broken up a jigsaw puzzle and thrown all the pieces into a big pile. Not being able to trust her own memories was scary for Jane, as she always had been able to remain focused. So, she tried to think about others. There were plenty of other people to worry about other than herself.
“Wait, no, where is he? And Tara? Saeed?”
“They're gone, Jane. Saeed took Tara and the two women out with him first. We haven't seen them yet, but I'm sure they're out here somewhere.”
Jane noticed how he wasn't saying anything about Tony.
“Where's Tony?” she said defiantly. Phil glanced toward the floor.
“Oh my God,” Jane gasped. The pain of the slap had faded, replaced by something even deeper.
“What happened, Phil? Why did you leave him?”
“He wanted us to leave, okay? He wanted us to save you and Frank. We had to get you out of there and then...then we had to stay here.” He glanced at Rosa.
“It was my call,” the soldier said. “I knew one of us couldn't handle the two of you if you woke up. Tony made his call, and if we went back for him we'd be betraying his sacrifice. You should be grateful for him.”
“We need to get back in the bunker. Where are we?” Jane asked.
“We can't do that. It's too dangerous. We have to go. Tony made his choice. The only thing we can do is respect that.”
“You might be able to, but I'm not a heartless bitch. I can't just let him die in there.”
“He's probably already dead,” Rosa said. Jane felt a tight knot rise in her stomach. She glared at Rosa and then looked beyond them. This part of the forest looked the same as every other part of the forest.
“Which way is the bunker?” Jane asked.
She repeated the question more firmly when nobody gave her an answer. Eventually, Phil raised his arm and pointed. Jane snapped her heels and strode past Rosa and Frank toward the bunker. Tony was a fool, but she wasn't going to let him risk his life for her again. If there was even still a chance that he was alive, then Jane had to help him, and she couldn't believe the others weren't thinking the same. Frank opened his mouth as she passed him, but she raised her hand to silence him before he spoke.
All she wanted was to see Tony. Then they could go find Saeed and the others and be together again. Maybe they couldn't stay in the b
unker anymore, but at least they would be together. Striding through the trees, Jane soon broke out into a run and saw the entrance to the bunker, but instantly her heart fell.
It was closed. Don's body still remained there, but there was no sign of anything else. Jane ran up to the door and clawed at it, tears streaming down her face. The others came up behind her.
“I'm sorry, Jane. But it's what he wanted,” Phil said.
“No, he can't still be in there. He must have escaped. He can't be...he can't be...” she couldn't bring herself to say what she knew to be true.
“We have to go, before the man inside comes out again,” Rosa said.
“You don't know that Tony didn't live. He might be in there, hurt, waiting for us. We have to find a way in. There has to be another way in,” she said, between heaving breaths, feeling the salty tears run across her lips.
“There is no other way,” Rosa said.
“Jane, we have to go,” Frank said in a commanding tone. Jane's face darkened. She turned and rose to face him.
“Don't you dare give me orders like that. Don't even speak to me. This is all your fault and I've just about had enough of you. I don't know why you're still here. You should be in there,” she said, pointing to the bunker.
“Tony was a good man, and now he's dead. You don't deserve to be alive,” her words were laced with venom.
“We need to go, Jane. It's too dangerous to stay here,” Phil pleaded, speaking before Frank had a chance.
“I'm not going anywhere with him,” Jane said petulantly.
“That's fine then. You stay here and us three will go off and live happily ever after. You're such a child sometimes, Jane. This is why you never were wife material,” Frank said. Jane shot daggers at him with her eyes. How she wished looks could kill, for Frank would be dead a hundred times over.
“Jane,” Phil said, moving closer to her, speaking softly. “You know what's going on here. Behind that door is a maniac. Maybe Tony managed to hurt him. Maybe they killed each other. But you know he'd want you to move on and live. That's what's important now. Tony wanted us all to survive and Rosa's right, we have to respect his sacrifice. I don't like it any more than you do, but he made his choice, and we wouldn't be showing him any respect if we didn't make sure his choice meant something.”
“I can deal with that. But that doesn't change my mind. I'm not going anywhere with him.”
“What's the alternative, Jane? I'm not going to let you go off on your own, especially not given the state you're in, and do you really want to leave Frank alone with just one person? Do you even want him to walk off on his own, so he can find some other group to harass? I know it's not what any of us want, but I think for now it's better that we stick together. We have to keep moving.”
Frank had a few suggestions. He piped up with some of them, but the other three ignored him.
“Where do you think we should go?” Jane asked in a small voice.
The more she thought about it the more she knew Phil was speaking sense, but it didn't make it any more palatable. It was horrible to think that beyond the bunker Tony was there, probably dead, having sacrificed himself so she and the others could live. She turned her head away to wipe the tears from her eyes.
“I think I remember some of the safe zones on the map. I should be able to lead us there,” he said.
“Sounds as good a plan as any to me,” Rosa said. Jane nodded, and with a sad feeling permeating her heart the four of them walked away.
Phil and Jane were at the front. Frank was in the middle, and Rosa took up the rear, not wanting to take her eyes off Frank.
“I'm sorry about what happened. I know it's not what any of us wanted. The door wasn't shut when we left. I thought there would be a chance to go back and save him,” Phil said.
“All I wanted was a chance to say thank you. Tony did so much for me. I just...I can't believe he's gone.”
“All we can do now is try living life and make his sacrifice mean something,” Phil said.
Jane wasn't sure she could do that. Tony had made the ultimate sacrifice for her, and that was a lot of pressure to live up to. How was she supposed to make a good life for herself when she had no idea what constituted a good life? It wasn't as though she could go and raise a family or do charitable work. The shock of it hadn't quite settled in yet. Probably because she hadn't seen him die, although she knew it to be true. As much as she liked Tony she knew there was no chance of him killing the masked man. He was a beast and would have made short work of Tony. It was a miracle any of them had escaped there alive, although the victory was indeed bitter.
She followed Phil's lead, her feet crushing leaves underfoot. Behind her she was aware of Frank. It was just like it had been when he had been chasing her through the city on that first night. She was beginning to think she never would be able to escape him. Her body felt hollow, and she didn't feel quite alive. It was as though someone had punched her in the gut and the pain still was reverberating throughout her body. The thought of Tony being dead was surreal. In all the sadness and despair of the world she had counted on her new friends, but even that had proven to be a forlorn thing. The longer she lived the more pain she would have to endure. Looking at Phil, she was sure that even he would die soon. Probably the only one left would be Frank.
That man would be with her until the day she died.
Crystal tears began trickling down her cheeks as she thought about Tony and all he had done for her, and how now he wouldn't be able to do anything again.
Chapter Seventeen
Saeed held the map in his hands, not entirely sure if he was following it correctly. Sweat beaded on his temples, and not just from the act of walking so quickly. He wanted to put as much distance between himself and the bunker as soon as possible so there was no chance of the masked man finding them. He just hoped they would find a way back to the others, even if they went far. Martha and Belinda walked together, slightly behind Saeed and Tara. Tara was the only one who walked without fear. She looked around at the world with the wide-eyed curiosity she had been getting used to, and she was filled with questions. Saeed barely had time to worry about anything since he was either looking at the map or answering her questions, which was how he liked it. The less time he had to think, the less time he had to worry and doubt himself.
But the map was daunting. It was covered with lines and scribbles. He tried to remember what the others had said. It all seemed so easy for them, especially Phil, but it may as well have been written in another language. Nothing looked the same for him. Continually glancing at the map and then the land around him, he tried finding the common areas, but he had to admit to himself he was risking their survival on fortune.
While Tara babbled away, Saeed had to focus in order not to snap at her. His mind was filled with anguish. He was trying his best to lead them to salvation, and he'd almost forgotten how loud and distracting children could be. Tara talked about the sun and the sky, the trees and the animals, and then suddenly she wasn't talking at all. Saeed had been engrossed in the map, trying to figure out if the river on the map was the same one he knew, or if it was somewhere else, when he noticed that Tara was quiet.
“Are you okay?” he asked, and when there was no response he took his eyes away from the map. To his horror Tara wasn't standing behind him. The map fluttered as he spun around quickly and searched the surrounding area. Tara was nowhere to be seen.
“Where did she go?” Saeed demanded. Martha and Belinda looked just as shocked as he did.
“Sorry, we didn't see,” they said. Saeed grunted and walked back, calling out Tara's name. He didn't care if it drew attention to them. He wasn't going to lose another child. Dammit! How did this happen? He'd told himself she was going to be safe. Not again. He wasn't going to lose her like he had lost Aaminah.
His throat was raw from shouting so much and so loudly. His eyes searched the woods, looking for the girl and the colors of the clothes she was wearing; pale blue.
“Don't do that again, please. Please don't wander off. You should know better by now. The woods are big, and I don't want to risk losing you.”
“I'm sorry. I just saw a pretty butterfly,” she said, as though that was a reason to justify anything.
Saeed smiled, his heart starting to slow. “Okay, well, next time how about you tell me, and we'll go and look at it together,” he said. Tara nodded. Saeed took her hand again, not intending to let it go this time, even though it made it more difficult to hold the map.
Martha and Belinda looked relieved too, although Saeed was angry at them for not having noticed Tara was gone. He was angry at himself too, but at least he had the excuse that he was trying to look at the map. Martha and Belinda seemed more locked in the past than even he had been. The two of them were like ghosts, drifting through the world with hollow looks in their eyes. Something about them unnerved Saeed, but he was stuck with them and responsible for their safety. He figured he might as well try to get to know them.
“So, what made you go live in the community in the first place?” he asked.
It was Martha who answered. Belinda barely spoke.
“I chose to go there when I was young. Belinda was born there,” Martha said. Their eyes always were darting around the forest, even more than Saeed's were, convinced that something would leap out of the forest to kill them.