Ross looks at Mary with a look she can’t interpret. “Do you want me to tell Red you won’t ever wake up?” He asks. Mary looks to the sky and takes a deep breath, allowing the air to calm her muscles and lower her heart rate.
Red hops toward us with an armful of flowers which overwhelm her entire body. She drops them in Charlie’s hole and smiles up at Mary with accomplishment. Mary smiles back and her smile freezes instantaneously. A large branch snaps in the distance and Mary jumps to her feet. Ross does the same.
“It can’t be an animal,” Mary explains.
Ross shakes his head and looks up and around. “Szorians, get into the trees. Now,” he orders. He jumps up one tree with such dexterity that Mary finds herself gaping. “Hand up Red and Bosco.”
Mary grabs Red beneath her armpits and lifts her as high into the luscious tree as possible. Bosco is a different story, as he is far heavier. When Mary hands up Red, Ross tosses her on a much higher branch, but makes sure she is still within reach. “Hang on really tight, baby,” Mary says up to her. Red was so happy only moments ago, but now she looks to be on the brink of tears. Being the trooper she is, she doesn’t shed even one. She simply nods and clutches the branch. Ross turns his attention back to the ground and Mary reaches for Bosco.
He growls at her, baring his yellow teeth and twitching his single brown eye. “Bosco, buddy. Come on.” He doesn’t listen to Mary’s command as he lays beside Charlie’s hole.
“Mary, get up here,” Ross orders. She looks at Bosco with a heavy heart and smiles at the pup who was loyal to only one person—the girl inside that hole.
Mary climbs up the tree and gets as high as possible before pulling Red into her lap. “Don’t make a peep, baby girl,” she instructs.
They sit in the tree silently and Bosco doesn’t so much as look their way. The snapping of branches grows closer until voices accompany them. Mary can’t understand the tongue as hard as she tries. She knows multiple languages due to her photographic memory, but none of the words they say make any sense to her. Most languages share similar formats or cognates, but Mary finds nothing sounds even remotely familiar.
When they are almost close enough to see, growls erupt from another creature alongside them. Mary flinches and turns Red to face her, unsure of what they would soon see. Her eyes finally feast on the creatures and the Szorians below and Mary holds her breath. The beasts are mangy dog-like creatures who have teeth the length of a hand and snouts as large as a human head. They are terrifying and worse than even fictional creatures in movies.
As they pass through to the right of the burial site, they somehow don’t notice Bosco or even Mary in the top of a tree. She is beyond thankful and waits until they are out of earshot to even breath normally. “They should have sensed me,” Ross says in shock.
“We were very lucky. They didn’t even notice Bosco. What were those creatures?” Mary asks. She also wonders how the Szorians could possibly contain something so large and powerful on mere leashes.
“I have no idea,” he admits.
“Whatever they were, we need to find Jo and Hayden to warn them. They were heading in their direction,” Mary says with determination in her tone. Is this her purpose—to be a messenger?
*****
Chapter 8
Jo Leigh
The presumed warrior leads us through the town. Bodies are not cleared fully, as that would surely take weeks to do, but they are removed from the roadways. As we get closer to the warrior’s home, the bodies are nearly completely moved. “I’m sorry about the smell,” the other man alongside the warrior says.
I sniff the air, trying to determine what he means, but I realize rather quickly he means the smell to which we have all grown accustomed—the smell of decomposed bodies. As I begin thinking about it, I realize the smell is as present as ever, but the thought of it makes it almost more potent. “I’ve never been in a city that doesn’t have this reek. This town is mild in comparison to some,” I admit. I don’t know how this human hasn’t died from disease in an area so filthy. Rotting bodies carry quite the influx of bacterium.
“Here we are,” Lee says, pointing to an unkempt house. I’m initially critical until I realize how wise it is to allow a home to blend in with the surroundings while remaining livable. I take comfort in the fact there is at least someone wise living within the house; either that or they are truly utter slobs.
Lee struts inside without hesitation, not so much as welcoming us inside. He shuts the door behind him. “How many people can we expect?” Abdul asks the human who was left behind with us.
“Four, Lee and I included. I’m Alex, by the way. Sorry for all that, but if you help us, you can expect a lot more rudeness from them. They don’t take well to strangers for obvious reasons,” he explains.
“Neither do we,” I reply, scowling. I take it upon myself to walk up the creaking stairs carefully. Jebadyah walks closely behind me.
“There are two of us inside,” he mutters.
“How do you know?”
“We can sense each other,” he explains, staring intensely at the door.
I peel open the filthy, bright red front door and walk in confidently as if I’ve been inside a million times. The décor is homey despite the outside. It’s very well kept and blankets lie on both of the couches in the entrance as if that’s where two people sleep. “It’s nice to meet you,” I hear from behind me. I whip around, hand reaching for my Glock instinctively.
Once I see a smiling face, very similar to Alex’s, I force my hand back to my side. The man extends his long arm in my direction and I watch as his muscles move tightly beneath his shirt. He’s another large man, along with most of the others I have seen since the rains. By the way he speaks and moves, it is evident he is also human. I stare at his extended hand, knowing he intends to give me a formal handshake.
I don’t move a muscle and he pulls back slowly, clearing his throat in the midst of the awkward situation. “I don’t like touching people,” I explain tersely, though my words are not entirely accurate. I don’t know where people have been or what they are capable of these days. I am used to being surrounded by individuals I trust entirely, but as those numbers grow fewer, the number of people able to touch me declines, as well.
“Okay then. What brings you to our home?” he asks. I find it odd how accepting he is of new people.
“To keep it short, the Szorians will be here and they will be here soon. I offered to you and your group to join us, but if not, we are simply here to warn you. Get out of here and run,” I state. I don’t hear the door behind me open, but I feel a presence. I tilt my head enough to see it is Alex. Abdul and Jebadyah wait on the porch, right outside the door.
“How do you know?” he asks, his tone immediately becoming less friendly. This tone sounds more familiar. His voice and demeanor don’t match a friendly tone.
“We were following them and they were heading this direction,” I say. I wonder if my eyes are as hard as my voice. One more man comes around the corner alongside Lee. The whole family stands in the small mudroom, hearing my warning. “Now listen, I’m leaving before the Szorians get here. I’ll put up a fight when I stand a chance, so you can join me and wait or leave on your own. Either way, I’m out of here.”
Alex, who stands behind me, takes a step beside me. “I think she should go on her own, dad,” Alex states, looking in my direction. I knew they looked like they could be related. I don’t meet anyone’s eyes, but I wonder if they realize how lucky they are to have each other.
“We’ll join her,” his dad says. Lee and the other man nods and Alex looks to the ground defeated. Am I missing something?
“Get packed. I’m leaving in ten minutes. I can’t risk being caught here,” I say.
The other Nectorian, the one who hasn’t said a word, leads us to the couch in the sitting room. He moves the blankets to the floor and walks away soundlessly. He isn’t nearly as tall as Lee or as strong-looking in general. I am willing to assu
me he is not a warrior. “This is not a good idea,” Abdul warns. “These people are not good people.”
I tilt my head and look at him. Jebadyah sits beside him and looks at the ground. “They seem normal.” I shrug.
“That’s the ruse, but the amount of hatred inside of Lee and his family is astronomical. I don’t know how they have survived without killing for so long,” Abdul explains. “The vengeance inside Lee has spread to this household and we cannot trust them.”
“I don’t need to trust them. I’m only trying to make sure their blood isn’t on our hands. On top of that, using Lee’s help is a bonus. He is strong and will help us,” I say.
“I think your perspective is biased. I also believe mine is biased, but somehow I am thinking more logically than you and my soul mate died,” Abdul scolds.
“Both of you need to calm down,” Jebadyah says quietly, yet loud enough to reach us. “We don’t want our lives on the line trying to make a dangerous alliance, Jo. Abdul, we don’t want to give up an alliance based on a hunch. Everyone is guarded, but we just need to discover why.”
Nobody speaks after that. Everything we do is a calculated risk, but how much of a risk will it take to become ignorant, and is my idea naive? That is what we need to figure out.
I don’t lose track of time. I notice it’s been ten minutes, and then twenty. I notice when forty-five minutes pass and nobody can meet my eye. I also notice how slow each of them is moving for a family who may be in life-threatening danger. I come to realize that while everyone is attempting to act natural, Alex looks guilty. They called me on my bluff of leaving after ten minutes, but I can’t wait much longer for them.
Finally, Alex sits on the other end of the couch on which I am inhabiting. “I don’t know if you should stay much longer,” Alex pleads.
“Me either, but we can’t leave you alone to defend yourselves,” I say, though the thought has crossed my mind.
Alex leans back, taking a deep breath. “I can’t tell you to leave. I can’t betray my mate’s wishes like that, but I am strongly urging you to go while you still can,” Alex says, peeking over his shoulder. Nobody is there and he noticeably relaxes. “Please,” he whispers before walking away with a bag that looks to be packed.
I turn my attention to Abdul, who has a smug look on his face. “Maybe you were right,” I say with a nonchalant shrug. But in actuality, it kills me that we may have just lost our first lead.
We each stand and begin walking to the door before Lee intercepts us. “We’re almost done,” he assures with the fakest smile I have ever seen.
“You should have been done a half hour ago. We are cutting it close and I am not about to be Szorians lunch. I’m sorry, but you are on your own unless you can leave right now.” I state firmly.
“I was really hoping we could see eye to eye,” Lee says, dropping his smile.
“We’ll wait twenty more minutes. After that, we are gone,” Jebadyah promises, using his typical, goofy tone. It’s hard not to believe his smile, but I can see right through it. He may have just saved us from entering a brawl we wouldn’t win.
“Okay,” Lee replies hesitantly, walking away. I look at Jebadyah in thanks and then at Abdul.
“Alright, what do we do?” I ask him, realizing that he was right.
Abdul’s eyes are hard when he says, “We wait twenty minutes and then we leave.”
But in thirteen minutes on the dot, Abdul and Jebadyah look up and toward the window simultaneously. Lee and the other Nectorian rush down the steps and stare in the same direction. I don’t bother asking what they sense, as I know that if all of them are sensing the same thing, it must be another Nectorian.
Someone found us.
*****
Chapter 9
Hayden
He follows the undeniable evidence and it leads him straight into the path of the Szorians. No matter how hard he looks or how much he hopes, there is no proof of a secondary trail, which tells him all he needs to know. Jo Leigh is with the Szorians and he will be lucky if she is even alive.
Though this thought crosses his mind, he also notes that he feels as normal as ever. When Jo Leigh was shot, his heart accelerated and he felt physically sick as well. He watched it happen, which could have also been the reason, but he was sure he would feel something—anything—if something life threatening were to happen to his Jo Leigh. They were connected so greatly, he can’t imagine not feeling her pain alongside her.
He follows in their path for what feels like years. Everything seems like an eternity without Jo Leigh by his side. He can’t understand why she would leave him in grief. If he were to be so distraught with grief, he would need Jo Leigh by his side, so why would she run? She is safer by his side and he feels sane by hers. In fact, without her there, he could kill without any remorse. He would burn down cities and laugh at the destruction.
He needs her.
He tries to think of a low-risk strategy to find her, but nothing comes to mind. His head is not clear and most ideas are self-destructive. If he dies, who’s to say Jo Leigh will ever be happy again—especially if she witnesses the tragedy.
His pace increases and he knows at this rate, he will reach the Szorians much more quickly. He will determine whether or not she is alive if he finds the Szorians. That is the only solution he can think of and he can’t think about the risk in such a thing. If worst comes to worst and a battle ensues, he can kill a few of them—maybe three of four, but it would be dangerous. Too bad he doesn’t care about the risk involved in doing such a thing.
His quick pace becomes even faster—even more determined than before. They can’t be far, he realizes. He can almost sense the change in the air. The tracks look more recent—some pieces of grass springing from the earth with each passing moment. Judging by the sun, it isn’t late—maybe one in the afternoon. He will have the element of surprise when approaching the Szorians, but not the blanket of night to cover him as he would have hoped.
He very quickly grows so near that he is able to hear their footsteps, loud and unrelenting on the soil beneath their feet. Hayden wonders why they act so invulnerable when there are beings capable and more than willing to kill them. Disregarding the fact that not many people are capable of killing Szorians.
Hayden scans the people in the group, all walking tall and in sync with one another. There are no hostages and no Nectorian, but he can feel that Jo Leigh was in this area recently. He can almost feel her presence as it weighs down on him. She left and evidently doesn’t want to be found, but can he really risk her safety for her wishes?
Hayden carefully makes his way to the left flank where one Szorian stands slightly behind the others, no attention being paid to him. Hayden sweeps in and with speed that he hasn’t used in quite a long time, he drags him backward, keeping the Szorian from rustling leaves or making a ruckus. It takes Hayden no more than twenty seconds to have the man far enough from the group to cause no scene.
“Where is she?” Hayden asks, throwing the man on the ground. Hayden felt him attempting to drain his energy, but he has too much of a life force for an impact to be made by one Szorian.
“Where is who?” The man asks with a conniving grin. He acts as if he knows exactly who Hayden is talking about, but Szorians are terrible creatures and quite excellent when it comes to misleading.
“Do you have her, Szorian? I will not ask a third time,” Hayden scolds. If they are holding any women hostage, he will have his answer. There aren’t enough women left for them to have another captured.
“If you are talking about your mate, the lovely black-haired woman we discovered along our path, you do not want to know the things we did to her—I did to her.” He licks his lips and Hayden snaps, reaching forward and snapping the man’s human neck before he has a chance to change forms. Hayden wonders briefly why the man was not traveling in his true form to begin with.
“She doesn’t have black hair,” Hayden snarls at the man’s unmoving body. He wonders if there rea
lly was a black-haired woman who endured the fate that Hayden hears about.
He makes his way back toward the group of Szorians and stalks them the same way a wolf would hunt a lamb. The only difference in this situation is that Hayden is more likely to be the lamb than the wolf, as he is only as strong as roughly three Szorian, not an entire group of them.
The rest of them are together in a tight-knit group and Hayden follows behind. In a language used only by Szorians, yet somehow similar to the Nectorian tongue, Hayden hears a voice shout something along the lines of: “A member is missing.”
Each of the Szorians become highly alerted and Hayden takes a deep breath, attempting to calm his pounding heart as he falls back. If he is caught he will stand no chance. As they look around rapidly, Hayden does his best to blend into the scenery, but he knows that such a notion is nearly impossible. He sent them into alert mode and it is only a matter of time before they find him and his fight falls short.
He rushes into the middle of them and balls his fists, calling upon his true form to protect him from the Szorians wrath. His veins and the blood within him begins to harden—crystalize even. His skin takes on an ashy color before something inside him snaps in a way that it never has before. The ashy color halts and his skin doesn’t continue hardening for seconds. With great concentration, Hayden’s body continues transforming into the form in which it is most natural.
Hayden’s cold metal brow furrows as he realizes how long the transformation had taken. The Szorians were upon him and taking their time to transform, as well. It should be natural. It was the form his body had adopted for the majority of his life, so why is it so different now. Why is it so difficult for everyone, including the Szorians?
He feels as more hands are placed upon him and he feels the constant draining of the power held inside his core. One Szorian cannot deplete such energy, but a multiple of them can drain him quickly and more efficiently. He is feeling the power as it leaves him steadily, weakening him and taking away the powers which make him human. “Don’t kill him,” he hears in the native English language. He finds himself taking comfort in the tongue that Jo Leigh knows.
Final Impact: A Dystopian Trilogy (BOUND Book 3) Page 4