Alive Like Us

by Hallows, Quinn

  Frankie yawned and rolled onto his back, exposing his fluffy white belly. He hadn’t left his spot on the hearth since this morning. His pink tongue lolled out the side of his mouth in complete abandon.

  “What if all of this is a sign?” Theo wondered, tossing down his pen. “What if the pandemic is finally winding down? It’s been almost two hundred years. Our population is nearing extinction.”

  “Don’t sound too excited now,” Kai unbuckled his pack. “Quacks like you have been saying that for years.”

  “It’s basic epidemiology. Once the host population gets below a critical number, the virus won’t be able to spread effectively. It will either have to mutate or die out.”

  “Like when we all thought the stage twos were turning into humans again because their eyes healed but they became Alphas instead?” Kai took out the items one by one: rope, waterproof tarp, flint, compass. Sadly, his axe and bedroll were missing. Thieving bastards. “A lot of people were turned because of that mistake.”

  “Uh-huh,” Theo flipped through pages, already lost in thought.

  Kai squeezed the side pockets of his pack. The money he’d sewn in there crunched. Between them and Haven’s bracelets, he could easily afford to replace what was stolen. He checked over his bow and wondered if he could scrounge up a few arrows before leaving.

  Haven burst in from the hallway. Her brilliant smile was at odds with the red splattered over her apron. “Rory—the blacksmith apprentice—had a bit of a gory accident. I nearly called you.” She crossed over to the hearth, stepping over Frankie, and poured herself a cup of tea. “The poor girl was practically green when I stitched her. I thought she was going to fall flat any minute.”

  Theo scowled. “You should have gotten me.”

  “It was nothing I couldn’t handle,” Haven said as she pulled her dark hair free from its ponytail. “Besides, I didn’t want to interrupt your important work.”

  “Interrupt what?” Theo shook his head, Haven’s sarcasm flying right over him. “What could we possibly have to talk about that’s more important than the safety of a patient?”

  Haven’s grin faded the moment her gaze landed on Kai. “I thought you guys would be gone by now.”

  “Sleeping Beauty just woke up,” Theo said, looking up from the four books spread across his desk. “You should really measure your sedatives better.”

  “Sanna hasn’t been back? At all?”

  Theo blinked. “No.”

  “I think she’s in trouble—” Kai said.

  “Of course, she’s in trouble.” Haven untied her apron and jammed it into a laundry basket. “Theo, why didn’t you go look for her?”

  “Well someone had to keep an eye on our little murderer.” Theo glared at Kai. A siren blared, jolting all of them.

  “What was that?” Kai asked.

  “The horde,” Haven said, throwing on her coat. “It’s back. We have to find Sanna now.”

  “I’m coming too. C’mon Frankie.” Kai hurried to grab his coat from the other room before she could object. There was no way he was staying behind. He met Haven by the front door. She jammed a scarf in his direction.

  “Cover your face, at least. We’ll split up. I’ll search our house; you check the wall. Especially the watchtowers. That’s her usual post.”

  Kai nodded tersely. He wrapped the scarf around the lower half of his face and dragged a hat over his head. Theo staggered into the front yard as they left the clinic, his face ashen.

  “I don’t think you’re leaving anytime soon, Kai. None of us are.”

  “What are you talking about?” Haven snapped.

  “I just looked through the clinic gate. The horde isn’t just back... it's doubled. There’s even an Alpha circling. Female.”

  Kai froze. The alpha who’d nearly killed him was finally here.

  The siren wailed again, a bone-chilling sound that reminded Kai of the screams to come. He started for the gate, his palms sweating. The Alpha and the horde had come for Sanna, and they wouldn’t stop until it killed her.

  Which meant he had to find her first.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  The siren’s moan jerked Sanna awake. The horde must have returned.

  She thrashed, fighting the chain that held her. Her shoulders ached. Her arms were asleep. It felt like a lifetime had passed since this morning, when Kelsey and Simon had caught her like a rabbit in a snare.

  The siren blared again, warning everyone to either join the wall or take cover in their homes.

  Why had no one come up to this watchtower? Maybe she was the one assigned to it today, and Kelsey or Simon checked her in.

  If the horde’s moving, the Alpha will be here any minute.

  Sanna squeezed her eyes shut. Kelsey was right. This was what she deserved. She could’ve done more to save her friends last summer. Even though she was certain she couldn’t control the Infected, she could have made better choices. Listened to Lia when she’d begged to leave. Maybe then they could’ve avoided the chain of events that left Sanna walking home with just their memories. And Tess. Or what was left of her, anyway.

  I’ll do the right thing this time. She’d wait. She’d pay the price, spare her people. It would be an honorable end.

  But it’s still an end. She had no doubt that the Alpha would either kill her or infect her. Even now, she could feel the heat of hatred rolling off the horde outside the Kill Zone. Meeting the Alpha up here, alone, would be suicide. She’d never see her grandparents again. Or laugh with Haven. And Kai...the sight of him meeting the sun this morning with arms wide, and a grin on his bruised, broken face was something she’d never forget.

  A spark lit inside her.

  After everything Kai had been through, he still wanted to live. And so did she. Even a lifetime exiled in the Deadlands was better than dying here. Her friends were gone, and she missed them, but she was more than a sacrificial lamb. She was a fighter, and she wouldn’t give up now. No matter how many people told her she should.

  She stood with newfound strength and studied the beam supporting her handcuffs. It was thick as her two thighs put together and impossible to break—she’d already tried hours earlier in a state of panic. There were smaller beams perpendicular to the rafter, attaching it to the ceiling. Those might work.

  She leaned back, forming an inverted plank with her body. Her feet were planted on the floor, her head hovering a few inches above the ground. She focused on the smaller, weaker beam and sawed the chain against it, creating a small, slight dent.

  Success.

  She kept going, working the chain back and forth. Faster. Faster. Sweat beaded across her brow, her muscles burned. The wind howled through the broken window, carrying with it the faint voices of her old friends encouraging her.

  The beam was half eaten now. Good enough. She flipped over, facing the floor, and forced her hands down, her muscles bulging. Wood cracked. She hit the ground hard and pawed at her gag with numb, tingly fingers.

  She was free, almost. Her hands were still bound, but the chain between them was generous enough to allow some movement.

  She hurried over to the broken window and spotted the horde. It was bigger—at least twice the size of the one that had chased her and Kai three days ago. Their eyes glowed with malice, piercing through the haze of snow and ice whipped up by the blustery wind. Some were standing on two legs, others crawling like crabs, their bodies broken and twisted by the infection. Scattered amongst them were upright, skeletal creatures with dark, crusted holes where their eyes should be. Stage twos.

  There are so many. Erling’s walls would be useless if they got close enough to scrabble on top of one another. The Alpha was probably hidden amongst them, its leathery wings tucked to avoid detection while coordinating the attack.

  Down below, the world had devolved into organized chaos. Even without the gag, no one would hear her above the din of the militia preparing for battle. Soldiers fought over weapons, pulled on whatever scraps of armor they coul
d find and scurried up and down ladders to take their assigned positions.

  It wouldn’t matter.

  Alphas struck from above, fast as lightning. She could pick them off one by one before they realized what was happening.

  Sanna had to warn them to take cover.

  She tried the trap door. The padlock jangled, holding firm. She prowled the room, searching for anything that might help her get down. The walls and floor were bare, except for the tiny red stain of Kelsey’s blood. She looked to the ceiling. Thick dust draped over the exposed rafters like long strings of yarn. She might as well be in a coffin.

  She crossed over to the window and peered down. The drop was at least sixty feet. The watchtower’s frame provided a slight lip—less than an inch. Beneath it, soldiers were scattered like dark pebbles tossed by a giant hand.

  Her vision blurred. Nausea squeezed her stomach. She leaned back and forced her breath into a steady, even rhythm. I can do this.

  If she hung from the window’s ledge, she could drop down to the lip at the bottom and swing over to the ladder. Maybe.

  Not exactly the best odds, but she was out of options. The Alpha could zoom over the wall any minute. She kicked out the rest of the glass.

  I’m coming for you, Sanna. And I’m bringing a friend. The voice seeped into her thoughts. She ignored it. Distraction was the last thing she needed. Her gaze caught on Erling’s thick, sturdy walls. Perhaps she could make her own—a mental one. She squeezed her eyes shut and imagined a great, steel structure surrounding her thoughts. Protecting them.

  She kept the structure in her mind as she swung her legs over the windowsill, the movement awkward and precarious thanks to her handcuffs. She faced the building and dangled, stretching until the tip of her boot caught on the narrow ledge of the watchtower’s base.

  Oh, God. Was she really doing this?

  The wind blasted. One hand slipped free. She cried out, imagining herself as a red, pulpy mess at the foot of the watchtower. Her breath was shallow. Quick. She let go, the air rushing past her. Her fingers caught the bottom ledge and she jerked to a stop. Her hair whipped across her face. She peered through the strands, focusing on the rickety ladder that descended from the watchtower’s belly.

  It was now, or never.

  She swung her legs forward once. Twice. And released.

  Her wrists hit a rung. She grasped it, her feet scrabbling for purchase. Her chin collided with the wood. The taste of copper flooded her mouth. But at least she wasn’t falling.

  She hurried down and glanced up when she reached the ground. The distance between the ladder and the bottom edge of the watchtower seemed impossibly long. No human could make it. Had her strange blood made it possible?

  She shook her head, banishing the thought, then spun towards the walkway, searching for someone in charge. The area was vacant. Silent. The soldiers must have already settled into position and were awaiting orders. As it should be.

  A familiar boy jogged by, holding a flaming torch. Sanna caught his elbow. “Hey—have you seen the Lieutenant?”

  The boy jerked out of her grasp and kept moving, shouting over his shoulder. “I don’t know, but Ivan and Raj hauled someone to the church. Word on the street it’s a traitor.”

  It was a waste of precious time to search every cubby and hidey-hole for the Lieutenant. Her best bet was to head to the church and warn her father an Alpha was coming so he could announce it to the soldiers.

  A horn blasted. The horde must be moving. Sanna sprinted down the narrow walkway, hurdling over empty weapons barrels. She turned onto the main road and skidded to a stop, nearly running into her grandmother.

  “Sanna,” Anne gasped, her dark, silver-streaked hair whipping across her face. “Where were you? I’ve been looking everywhere. I was so worried. Is that Outsider with you?”

  Sanna flashed her handcuffs. “Kelsey and Simon locked me in the observation tower. I think they’ve made some pact with whatever is controlling the horde.”

  “A pact?” Anne recoiled. “With an Infected? How is that even possible?”

  “That’s precisely what I want to ask her. She also said there’s an Alpha coming. People should take cover.”

  “Kelsey was caught trying to unlock the main gate. Your father’s interrogating her right now in the church. Wait—"

  Sanna took off for the church. The siren cried again, drowning out Anne’s pleas. The buildings on either side of her were dark and shuttered, as if the whole town was holding its breath. She only hoped it wouldn’t be their last.

  SHE WAS ALIVE.

  The sight of Sanna disappearing into that damn church filled Kai with sudden, heady relief. For a moment, not even the horde about to scrabble up Erling’s walls mattered. Then he noticed who she was with and all his would-be happiness shriveled.

  Anne Larson had gotten to her first.

  Damn his luck. Kai dove into the church alley, pulling Frankie along with him. The last thing he needed was to become a prisoner. Again. But he also had to get Sanna out of Erling. If they could sneak out during the siege, maybe that would buy them a few precious hours to make their escape.

  He really couldn’t ask for a better distraction.

  Kai shrugged off his pack, hiding it in the shadows, and ignored the worry in Frankie’s liquid brown eyes. “Stay,” he ordered. Frankie whimpered, and he patted the dog’s silken head. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”

  He mounted the church’s steps, doing his best to ignore the ache in his ribs, and opened the front door as quietly as possible.

  He spotted Sanna and her mother gliding through the darkened sanctuary. Kai followed them, slipping through the shadows. They were headed towards the stone altar at the base of an arched stain glass window.

  Kai waited for a moment, then inched closer. He peered around the corner. The setting sun lit up the window, sending a kaleidoscope of jewel-toned light spilling onto the floor. A young, brown-haired girl sat in the center of it, her knees drawn up to her chin.

  “What were you thinking? Trying to open the gates with a horde outside?” The girl flinched as Raj shouted over her, the veins popping in his neck. “Are you trying to get everyone killed?”

  Kai muttered a curse. Of course, Raj had to be here too, all two hundred plus pounds of him. There was no telling what that lunatic would do if he caught him.

  “You could be executed for this, Kelsey,” Ivan warned from the front pew. He hunched over with a sigh, bracing his elbows on his thighs. Exhaustion lined his craggy face. “Just think what that would do to your poor parents. Losing two daughters in a year.”

  The girl—Kelsey—lifted her chin. “I did what I had to do to protect Erling.”

  “Protect Erling?” Ivan scoffed. “Did you fall on your head, girl?”

  “I did what he told me to do.”

  “He’s lying,” Sanna announced, stepping forward. Kelsey’s face blanched. “He won’t spare anyone. “He hates humans.”

  “What are you talking about?” Ivan’s gaze fell on Sanna’s handcuffs and widened. “What’s going on here?”

  “Kelsey and Simon locked Sanna in the watchtower for hours as some kind of sacrifice,” Anne said, her boots clicking as she crossed over to them. “She tried to have Sanna killed!”

  “What have you done?” Kelsey glared at Sanna. “You’re supposed to be in the tower.”

  Ivan fished out a key from his pocket and tossed it to Sanna. “This day is getting weirder and weirder.”

  Sanna unlocked the cuffs and rubbed her wrists. Kelsey lurched up and barreled towards her. Sanna deflected, grabbing Kelsey by the arms and used her momentum to send her sprawling onto the floor.

  “It’s not fair!” Kelsey cried, pounding the floor with her fist. “We’re all going to die because of her. Just like Tess. It’s all her fault!”

  “I didn’t kill your sister, the Infected did,” Sanna walked over to the girl. “She fought hard to get us out of that place, and I’ve realized the best way to hon
or that—to honor all of them—is to keep fighting. What about you?”

  Sanna offered her a hand. Kelsey knocked it away just as the stained-glass window exploded above them.

  Kai lunged for Sanna as the shards rained down, tackling her to the floor. They rolled, crunching on glass. He tucked her beneath him and zeroed in on the busted window.

  A frigid wind blasted through the opening, extinguishing the torches and plunging the room into sudden darkness. Muffled war cries and the rumble of a thousand feet spilled into the church. The siege had begun.

  “Kai? Is that you?” Sanna asked.

  “C’mon,” he dragged her up. They had to get out of here. Now.

  “Did you see anything?”

  “No. And I don’t want to stick around to find out.”

  “Sanna?” Anne whispered. “Where are you?”

  “Here—I’m okay.”

  Flint sparked. A torch flamed to life and light spilled onto Ivan Iron Tooth’s craggy visage. “Annie? Are you hurt?”

  “Stop them—they’re getting away!” Kelsey shrieked.

  Kai pulled Sanna towards the front door, hoping he’d get her out before they noticed. He had no such luck.

  “Freeze, Outsider,” Raj bellowed.

  “Raj no,” Anne pleaded as Ivan helped her stand. “You could hit Sanna.”

  “Consider it payback,” he growled. “That was a cheap fight, girl—"

  “She’s here,” Sanna whispered, staring at the rafters.

  Kai’s skin prickled, icy terror creeping down his spine as a pregnant hush settled over the church. Another torch was relit and held high, but the flickering light did little to dispel the shadows that seemed to expand around them. The sanctuary was dark as oblivion.

  Wood groaned and creaked above them. Kai jumped as something massive thudded to the ground. Glass crunched beneath its feet. It paused and drew in a long, rattling breath.

  Sanna found Kai’s hand and squeezed.