by Maira Dawn
"Aww, we're real sorry about that." Wade's voice was as casual and friendly as if the two groups had met at the neighborhood bar. "We didn't know this was 'owned' by anyone. We just reckoned this bounty was for everybody. How did it come to be yours?"
"We live here now, so it's ours. It's all ours."
"I understand." Wade laughed. "Kinda the American way,." He scratched his head. "Thing is, we could use some of this stuff. How about we trade for what we got in the trucks? This is a store, so we'll buy what we took. Whaddya want for it?"
Gregory laughed. "What do we want? We want all our stuff back. We want to not sell it to you. In fact, because we now have to haul it all back in there, we are going to keep your vehicles as payment for the extra work we have to do."
Dylan and the others brought the guns that had drifted downward back up at Gregory's words. His people did the same.
"Whoa, Gregory!" Wade put his hands up. "Your gonna want to stop right there. You see my brother, Dylan, here? He's gettin angry. And while Dylan in full rage is a glorious thing to see, you’re not gonna want it coming at ya. Now, his girlfriend here says it ain't healthy. But I gotta say, it sure is entertaining, if you're not on the receivin end of it. So, before that happens, let's get back to talking. This isn't very neighborly of you. Here we are tryin to strike up a bargain, and you go saying that. Come on, let's make a deal."
"Oh, I'm a lot more neighborly than some groups. I see you got a woman with you. Do you know those are getting rather scarce? Women die quicker now than men, bit rough out here for a lot of 'em. I could be asking for her."
Relief flooded Skye over Gregory’s lack of interest in her. Regardless of the man's lack of attention, Dylan reached his arm back and pushed Skye directly behind him, his jaw tightening.
"And the kid, too. Kids are almost as scarce. A lot died when there was no one to take care of them. The world needs kids. I was kinda hoping they wouldn't die out, so life could, you know, go on."
Skye wrapped her arm tighter around Jesse as Gregory paused for dramatic effect. "So yeah, I could ask a lot more from you all. So the deal is this; you get to live if you leave within the next two minutes. Or you can die. It's up to you." As he spoke, his men slid the safeties off their guns.
Dylan's men tensed, readying themselves for the fight. Even Jesse’s grip tightened around the knife at his belt. The pressure was palpable, it would take little to set it off.
Skye examined Gregory, then the rest of his group. The man to the right of Gregory had a tremor so bad his gun shook like the tail of a rattlesnake. That was at least two sick in his group.
Skye knew what people wanted. Hope was the cornerstone of life. It always had been. Hope a child would make it to adulthood. Hope one found a mate. Hope together they could live a happy life, maybe produce healthy children. And the cycle went round again.
These men had none of that. There were mateless, childless, and dying. They needed what everyone else had -- something to believe in.
Maybe they hadn’t heard yet.
Skye stepped around Dylan. "Excuse me."
"Darlin', shut up." Dylan's resigned words told her while she often did the unexpected, now was not the time. He pushed her back again.
"No, please, let the lady speak."
Skye ignored the stress pouring from Dylan. "I can't help but notice some of you are infected."
"Why yes, you get a gold star. We are all, in fact, infected. Some of us have full-on sickness. Not a nice condition, let me tell you."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure it's not. We aren't sure that our boy, Jesse, has been exposed. Do you mind if I put a mask on him? To protect him?"
"If it makes you feel better, go right ahead. But I'm thinking no one here will live that long anyway."
"Well, just in case." Skye's hand shook at Gregory's comment as she pulled a mask out of her pocket. "And he's not going to die because you're not going to kill us. We will leave here with or without the stuff, that part has not been determined, but you're not going to kill us."
"Well, little lady, I was talking about the sickness taking us. It takes everyone sooner or later."
This is what Skye had waited for. "I know it seems like that, but some people do live through it. Wade, Dylan and I all had it to some degree and got better. Maybe you will too."
Shock covered the faces of the rival group. Clearly, they had been unaware of anyone's survival. The news did what Skye had hoped it would. It changed the focus from her group to something else.
When Gregory's men dropped their weapons and started to murmur amongst themselves, it seemed to have worked.
Thirty-Three
White Coats
"That's what them White Coats said," one of Gregory's men said. "They were right!"
White Coats?
"No, they weren't right." Gregory's voice was full of disdain. "And neither is she. You know what you've seen. It isn't true."
"But what if it is?" The men's murmurs grew louder as more of them joined in the discussion.
Gregory raised his voice. "She's lying! Now quiet down."
Skye took a step closer only to have Dylan grab her arm. "I'm not lying to you. Some people are surviving."
Gregory's men debated amongst themselves. "The White Coats offered a ton of money, jewelry, and ammo if we brought them some lab rats."
"Money ain't worth anything now, ya idiot."
"They said it would be. Everything would be the same again, once the scientists created a cure."
The word caught Skye's ear. "A cure?"
"Yeah," Gregory said, "They're looking for people who claim to survive it. People like you. Don't suppose you want to volunteer to help out the human race, do ya?"
Dylan scoffed. "What are they offering you money for, if it's volunteers they want?"
"Just to help escort you there." Gregory's innocent act wasn't convincing anyone.
"Yeah, right," Dylan growled.
Skye, though, was still curious. "Where are these people located?"
"We don't care," Dylan said in a flat tone.
Skye glance back at him. "Dylan."
"We don't care."
Dylan stood there every bit as tough as the men before him, his steely gaze taking in every movement of the enemy. A muscle worked in his jaw. It pulsed a couple of times before Skye understood Dylan picked up on something she missed. So she repeated his words, "We don't care."
Gregory gave a bark of a laugh. "Well, we do. They need some lab rats. It looks to me as if we've got some."
Skye's stomach turned. "You just said that you didn't believe any of this."
"Well yeah, but just in case. Besides, the stuff the White Coats are offering."
Skye clenched her fists. Gregory wasn't after the stuff, he was after the 'just in case.' She had ignited a hope, but she only had words. These White Coats may actually have a cure. Her wish of getting her people out of there got slimmer by the minute.
Wade spoke up. "Ya have a whole store full of stuff, buddy. How about you just let us go in peace?"
"Sorry, buddy, but I don't think I can do that." Gregory signaled his men. Their guns returned to their shoulders.
A cold finger traced its way through Skye. Her hand sought Jesse's as Dylan pulled her back behind him. "Go!"
Gregory's men would need to go through Dylan's to get to Skye and Jesse. It gave them a small window of opportunity. Skye turned and flew the few steps to her blue Jeep, yanked the door open and pushed Jesse inside. She ducked and uselessly covered her head when the deafening roar of gunfire erupted. The bullets tore into her car.
The shots flattened tires and shattered windows. When the shower of debris stopped, Skye gasped for what little air her pounding heart allowed.
"Jesse!"
Skye raised her head to find Jesse already scrambling back to her. By some miracle, he was not hurt. Skye wrapped an arm around his waist and jerked him back out of the car, onto the ground.
Gregory yelled, "Don't kill t
hem, you idiots! They aren't worth anything dead."
One last bullet passed them like an angry bee, shaving a small piece of metal from the body of the Jeep and hurling it deep into Skye's arm. She groaned as it burned its way through her flesh.
A band of iron encircled her other arm and dragged her to the front of the Jeep. Dylan pushed Skye and Jesse to the ground. Skye covered Jesse, and Dylan covered Skye as he searched the parking lot.
The trail of blood running down her arm splashed small ruby droplets to the pavement below.
Dylan winced. "You're hurt."
"I'm fine. It's nothing." When Dylan yanked up her sleeve, looking uncertain, Skye assured him. "I promise. It's nothing."
He nodded and ran a quick hand over Skye's hair as he continued to eye Gregory's men. Two of the enemy lay motionless on the pavement while the other four sought cover behind empty vehicles.
Dylan's six people had made it through the initial gunfire. They crouched behind cars themselves.
Dylan let out an exasperated groan. "They've shot up all our cars. I'm not sure any of them will start now. We can't have you wasting time trying. I want you out of firing range. You and Jesse are going to have to run for it."
"Run?" Skye looked over the vast, sparse parking lot. "Where?"
"The tree line." Dylan nodded the way he intended as he shoved a small gun into her hand. "Lose yourself in the woods, you know how."
Skye drew in a breath. "Okay." The trees seemed so far away.
"We'll give you cover."
"And then you'll follow, right?"
"We'll try."
"Dylan."
Dylan nodded to Wade so his brother would keep a lookout for him. He put a gentle hand on Skye's face. His eyes softened as he drank in every one of her features. "You're lovely." His thumb stroked her cheek, just once. But Skye felt every slight movement of his calloused hand against her soft skin.
"You go to the overlook. If that doesn't seem safe, go farther. I'll find you."
"I know."
"You worry about you and the boy. I'll worry about me. Got it?"
"Yes." Skye brought her free hand up and on laid it on his. She bit her lips together, afraid she would cry.
Dylan pulled her towards him and kissed her forehead. His gaze sought hers again and locked, holding hers. "If this crazy, horrible, wonderful feeling is love. Then I love ya, darlin'."
Skye pulled in a breath and held it. For a moment, everything was still. She forgot where she was, what was happening. A hawk screeched above them. Dylan's rough hand moved against her, his resolved, beautiful face filled her vision. This time it was Skye who couldn't speak.
Skye started to move toward him, but before she could, Dylan whispered, "Now go." He stood, lifting her up with him.
"Dylan."
"I know." He smiled and gave her a little push in the direction he wanted her to go.
Thirty-Four
The Bad Guys
The second Skye and Jesse left safety, Dylan and the others laid down a protective layer of bullets. Gregory's men did not even peek around their shields to try anything.
The gunfire rang through her skull and reverberated through her body. But the sound which normally put her on edge now brought her comfort as she and Jesse sped across the broad swath of bare pavement.
However as soon as there was a break in the gunfire, Gregory sent two of his men after Skye and Jesse. Skye glanced their way and urged Jesse to run faster. The two men fired, their bullets hitting the concrete behind her and Jesse.
Skye turned at the sound of a cry. Curt was on the ground clenching his leg. Dylan pulled him back to safety as Wade returned fire.
Skye tripped over a crack in the pavement.
"Mom!" Jesse helped her up. "They're closer, Mom!"
Skye fired a couple of rounds behind her. It was unlikely she would hit anything, but the men slowed anyway.
Skye picked up speed, going as fast as Jesse could handle. Her gaze ran up and down the broken pavement, frantically searching for someplace to hide. The few scattered vehicles lay too far away to be of help. She and Jesse needed to make it to the trees. They had to.
Skye threw a glance over her shoulder. Gregory's men were gaining on them with each step. She could hear the slap of their shoes on the asphalt.
Skye and Jesse refused to give up. Breath labored, hearts pounding, they raced on.
"We'll make it, Jesse!" Skye huffed. The boy nodded, but their odds were low, and he wasn't the fool he pretended to be.
The men shot at Skye and Jesse's feet. A bullet to a leg was less likely to be fatal. But their own erratic movements along with those of their targets kept their aim from hitting anything vital.
They taunted Skye and Jesse. "You can't win. Just stop. Quit. Everyone else will be dead soon. Do you really think some woman and kid will get away from us?"
Skye clamped her jaw. "We've gotten away before by ourselves, and we'll do it again," she told Jesse. If they could make it to the tree line, they'd have cover. She and Jesse could use what Dylan taught them. They just needed the trees.
Instead of slowing Skye and Jesse, the men's words fueled them. Skye's spirits lifted when they were within yards of the woods. They were almost there, just a few steps, a few seconds, and they would be safe.
They were so close now they could almost touch the multi-colored leaves on the trees.
When the shots rang out, Skye jerked. Gregory's men thudded to the ground. Skye and Jesse turned expecting to see Dylan and Wade. But there was no one behind them.
Skye's gaze traveled to where she'd left him. Dylan's men were in hand to hand combat with Gregory's remaining men.
There was a stir in the woods. Skye whipped back toward it.
Through the thick line of trees stepped Calvin, Pete, and Tony. Skye's whole body clenched, and her mind spun. When she thought the nightmare couldn't get worse, Frankie came into view.
Skye started to pant, unable to draw a breath. She put a hand out to Jesse and took an unsteady step backward. Whatever Gregory's men had in store for them would be a picnic next to what these men had planned.
She whirled, pulling Jesse with her. She needed to get back to Dylan.
"Oh no, you don't. We finally found you, rebels. It's time you learned your place."
Thirty-Five
I Will If I Have To
Skye reluctantly turned back to the men, pushing Jesse behind her and raising her gun.
Calvin laughed. "You don't want to do that, girl."
Resolve firmed Skye's shaky muscles as she took a stance. "No, I don't, but I will if I have to."
Rage covered Calvin's face. "When will you learn?" He raised his own gun. Skye fired, but Calvin ducked.
Calvin returned fire. Skye's bones seemed to rattle out of their sockets as Calvin's bullet slammed into her gun. Her weapon dropped and skittered along the pavement. She looked down at her throbbing hands and saw a small chunk of flesh gone. Blood dripped from her hand.
Skye put her unsteady arms around Jesse. "Please, just don't hurt Jesse."
Tony laughed as he took one limping step toward them. Revenge for his injury was his only purpose.
"Dad!" Jesse gaze swung to his father, his voice breaking as he called out to him. "Dad, you don't want to be like this."
"You’re fine, Son," Frankie assured him, ignoring Tony's fiery glance, "You'll be fine."
"And Skye too?"
"Skye -- I can't do nothin about."
Skye stared at Frankie. Was it possible to believe him? She wanted to assume he would save his son from any hurt, even as her stomach dropped at his refusal to help her. Skye had no plan. There was none to have. There was no choice but to trust Frankie would at least not allow them to kill Jesse.
"Jesse," Skye kissed the top of his head and murmured, "go to your father."
"No."
Skye was not a stranger to the obstinate tone in Jesse's voice. He could be one stubborn child, but please, not now. She glanced
at the men and saw they were in no hurry. In fact, they were enjoying themselves. Their eyes lit up as Skye squirmed, and they laughed at her realization that she had no choice but to surrender. They didn't want to rush this.
Skye dropped to her knees in front of Jesse and smoothed back his dark hair with her good hand. "Baby, I want you to survive. Your father will at least give that to you."
"I know. But if I go to Dad, the others will come for you."
Skye closed her eyes for a moment, then gazed at Jesse. "Honey, they will come after me no matter what you do. So please, go to your father."
"No."
Tears welled in Skye's eyes. This boy was aware of what he was putting on the line for her, and he was ready to do it.
"If we stall long enough," Jesse whispered, "Dylan will get here."
Skye threw a look over her shoulder. Dylan was by the cars throwing punches, blood over his face and upper body. She laid her head against Jesse. "We'll be long gone before he gets here."
"Dad," Jesse called out, "I've never asked for much, you never let me. But I'm askin that you let us go. Don't let them hurt Skye."
"Son, I'm not in charge here. I couldn't help her if I wanted to."
"Well, I gotta say," Calvin said, "I'm impressed by the kid. Putting himself on the line like that for her. Who would've guessed a whelp of yours would have it in him, Frankie?" He clapped. "This is turning into quite the show. Any more pleading? I'm really enjoying this."
Skye ignored him, keeping her focus on the boy. "Jesse." All her love and concern poured into his name.
Jesse put his hand to her hair and smoothed it, as she had done to him so many times before. "I'm not leavin ya, Dylan wouldn't leave you, and I won't either."
Skye took in Jesse's stubborn stance. Only the very young were able to be this reckless and still think everything would be fine. But there was no sense in arguing with him now.
"Okay, act like we're still talking about this while I take a look around." Over Jesse's shoulder, Skye searched the pavement and the tall grass growing along it for something, anything she could use as a weapon.