Alone (27 page)

“Calm down,” Hector mutters for the hundredth time.

I’m trying, but it isn’t working. I can’t stop my foot from tapping on the floor of the truck as we wait in a line of vehicles at the city exit. The minutes are ticking by. Back home, Jules is dying, and I’m sitting at a damn checkpoint.

My heart is about to break through my ribcage. I rub the back of my neck and count the trucks in front of us. Two now. We’re almost out, and then I’ll have to somehow get around to the back of the city and find the house Mac is hiding in.

Hopefully, he’s okay. It’s been close to eleven hours since I left him. Anything could’ve happened.

“Can you take me to the back of the wall? I don’t have a lot left to give you, but you can have the rest of my stuff.”

He shakes his head. “Mike took care of it.”

I nod and find myself marveling at how clear my head suddenly is. The pounding headache is almost gone now, my arm doesn’t throb anymore, and the skin around the cut isn’t quite as red.

I’m damn lucky I ran into Mike. I wouldn’t have made it out of the city without him.

“Okay, we’re up,” Hector says. “You have to stop looking so nervous for at least a few minutes. Okay?”

I plant my feet firmly on the ground and grip my hands into tight fists as I work hard at relaxing the muscles in my face. I pretend Rick is in front of me and I want to piss him off, letting some of my old indifference seep back in.

The driver’s side door opens, and a few seconds later an Indian woman sticks her head in. She’s small and young, but her expression is fierce. The red bandana on her head is pulled tight, keeping her hair out of her face and giving me a good look at her eyes. They look like they’ve been ripped out of the head of someone years older than she is.

“Hector,” she says calmly, her gaze moving to me for a split second.

“Parvarti.” Hector nods once, and I hold my breath.

It only takes thirty seconds for her to climb down. The door shuts, and outside, someone shouts. Then, in front of us, the gates start to open. Hector puts the truck in gear, and I hold my breath. All around us, guards in riot gear rush forward, firing at zombies who try to get in as Hector pulls the truck out of the city.

By the time the gates are closed behind us, the bones in my hands ache.

“Alright man, you can relax now.”

I unclench my fists and wiggle my fingers to get the blood flowing. A second longer and they would have turned black.

We don’t talk as Hector drives through the zombie-infested streets. He runs right over them, and I find myself flinching. I’ve never looked at them as people before, but after my conversation with Becca, that’s all I can see. Sick people. People who are missed by their loved ones. People who may be trapped inside the body of a monster.

I take a look in the side view mirror and find a woman whose leg has been crushed by the truck trying to pull herself after us. A lump forms in my throat, and I have a hard time swallowing.

I focus on my surroundings.

I can’t think about all that. I have to find Mac. We have to get to Jules.

Time is running out.

I recognize the part of the wall that I climbed over as soon as I see it. In the light of day, it hits me just how lucky I am to have only one small cut. The cars I climbed are nothing more than rusted piles of metal. Sharp and jagged edges stick out everywhere, and glass from broken windows protrudes from the cars. I could have been seriously injured.

“Stop here. This is where I get out.”

Hector puts on the brakes and looks around. He raises an eyebrow. “You want me to let you out here? Do you have a death wish?”

He’s right. There are just as many zombies here now as there were last night. It’s like every single one that Mac lured away has come back. It makes me think about what Becca said. Maybe they are hanging out here because they’re familiar with the area…

“My friend is a street over waiting for me, but you won’t be able to get there by car. We barely got down the street on our bikes.” I try to keep my voice even, but it shakes. I’m not scared for me. Just for Jules.

“If you say so, man. You’re gonna have to be ready to run when you open that door.”

I pull my knife and sling my pack over my shoulder. The zombies have noticed us and are beginning to converge on the car. If I don’t get out soon, we’re going to have to drive up a little further to distract them.

“I’ll be fine. Thanks for your help.” I offer Hector my hand.

He grips it firmly in his. “Good luck.”

I clench my jaw as I prepare to open the door. I’m going to need luck. “Thanks.”

Before I have a chance to think about it, I push the door open and hop out. The smell hits me like a punch in the face. It’s always overwhelming this close to them. I take a deep breath through my mouth and hold it as I move forward, dodging their outstretched hands. One gets too close, and I slam my blade into his head before ducking under the arms of another. The next one that gets near me gets a knife to the head as well. Before today, I never thought twice about these bodies being actual human beings, but as I jerk my blade out of the zombie’s head, it’s all I can think about.

The zombies aren’t half as fast as I am, and I maneuver easily through the masses as I take off across the street and head down an alley. I just have to pray that I don’t run into a big group of them close together.

Two zombies are hanging out in the alley and more coming in behind me. I slash at the first one and take off the bottom half of his jaw. He barely reacts to the damage, and I have to duck under his hands as they reach out for me. The next one seems disoriented, and I’m able to sink the blade of my knife into his skull easily.

When I step out of the alley, the house is right in front of me and the street is surprisingly clear. There are a few zombies walking around aimlessly, but they aren’t close enough to me to do any real damage.

Once again, luck is on my side.

I charge up the steps to the front porch, but when I try the doorknob, it doesn’t budge. Mac must have barricaded it, which was a good sign. It means he at least made it back to the house after his insane run through the streets.

I bang on the door while looking over my shoulder. A mass of zombies has now flooded out of the alley only fifteen feet behind me. I don’t have a lot of time.

“Mac!” I scream as I bang harder.

The horde gets closer, and I hit the door until my hand aches. My heart beats even harder, and I’m gasping for air. Where the hell is Mac?

The zombies cross the street. They’re moving slowly, but I’m right in their sights. They reach the front yard and head through the overgrown grass. I start kicking the door. I’m about to be trapped.

A ceramic pot catches my eye, and I sweep it off the porch. The long-dead plant falls to the ground as I head for the window. This is my only chance. Hopefully I can get inside and get my bike out the back before the zombies tear their way in.

I’ve only taken one step toward the window when the door bursts open. Mac waves frantically, and I rush past him. Slamming the door behind me the second I’m inside.

“Are you okay? Where have you been?” Mac’s eyes are heavy with sleep, but there’s an edge to his voice.

“I’m fine. I got the vaccine.” I grab his arm and pull him through the house. “We don’t have much time! There’s a big group behind me. They’ll rip this house to shreds!”

We push the bikes toward the back door just as the pounding starts.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Starving

My stomach growls with a hunger I’ve never felt before. It’s overwhelming. Threatening to consume me.

When did I eat last? It wasn’t that long ago, but for some reason my stomach rumbles nonstop. They’re different than the usual hunger pains. The need isn’t just concentrated in my stomach, it’s also deep in my bones and it feels like more of an ache.

Roman
.

If only I were able to tell him goodbye. The pang in my chest is the only thing more intense than the hunger. It’s like I’m being ripped in two.

The end is so close now. Will I still be here? Will I be trapped? Will they kill me before I hurt anyone?

I can’t think about it anymore, so I close my eyes.

Chapter Forty

Sacrifice

It takes the bastards about a minute to break through the front door. I don’t see it, but the sound of the wood splintering as they rip through is unmistakable. Mac is outside when it happens, but I’m still trying to get my damn bike through the door.

“No gun!” I yell as I push harder.

Mac pulls out his own gun and shoots into the kitchen. Right over my head. The whiz of the bullet rings in my ears as it flies past my head, and my heart stutters.

I push my bike harder and manage to make it out unscathed, which is a miracle, considering Mac’s crappy aim.

“Let’s get the hell out of this city!” Mac screams over his shoulder as he jumps on his bike and takes off.

I follow him without even looking behind me. I have no desire to see just how close I came to death.

We weave our way through the streets the same way we came in, and we’re fortunate enough that we only have to dodge the occasional zombie—most seem to have congregated around the walls.

Less than fifteen minutes outside the city, Mac pulls to the side of the road. I’m sure he wants to find out what took so long, but I don’t really have the desire to rehash it now. We need to move.

“We don’t have time to stop,” I call over the roar of my engine. “Less than five hours now! That’s all I’ve got, Mac.”

He reaches over and turns my bike off. The muscles in my neck twitch, and I clench my hand into a tight fist without thinking about it.

I can’t hit Mac. He’s risked so much for me
.

“You’re not going to make it.”

I flinch, and my hand goes slack. His words are like a punch in the gut. No, worse than that. The pain inside is more intense than any punch I’d ever received.

“We can still get there in time.”

Mac shakes his head. “We don’t have enough fuel. We’ll have to stop for gas. It won’t work.”

Why was he torturing me like this? “Mac—”

“That’s why you’re going to take the gas out of my bike and leave me here.”

I blink, but I don’t know how to respond. Won’t leaving him be the same as killing him? Wouldn’t it be kinder to just put a bullet in his head? Make it quick and painless.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” He pulls off his backpack and produces the hose we brought for siphoning gas.

I’m like a statue. Torn. I want to stop him, but I don’t. The decision is like choosing between Mac and Jules—and I don’t want to make that decision. I love Jules. More than I’ve ever loved another person since my mom died. But Mac was my first real friend. I’ve never known anyone else who would risk their life to help me the way he has. And now he wants to sacrifice himself?

I should stop him.

“You can’t do this,” I finally manage to get out. It sounds half-hearted.

Mac doesn’t look up. “I’ll be fine. I’ll head into this neighborhood and either find gas or find stuff to trade for it.”

My throat tightens. I need to stop him. There has to be another way. “I would never ask you to do this. It’s not fair of me to ask you to sacrifice yourself for Jules.”

Mac snorts as he puts the cap back on my gas tank. Is he done already?

“In case no one ever told you, life isn’t fair. Plus, you didn’t ask me to do this.”

“Mac I—”

“Stop it, Roman. It’s done.”

My eyes sting, but I don’t even try to blink away the tears. I don’t give a shit. I hop off my bike and pull Mac in for a hug. Not one of those bullshit, two-pats-on-the-back man hugs. A real hug.

Mac hugs me back, and I hate how final it all feels.

He pulls back and clears his throat. “Um… I want you to take my gun too.”

This is too far. “Mac, seriously? Do you have a death wish or what?”

“I’m better with the knife. The gun would just be a waste on me. But it’s cool. I’m not a virgin anymore, so I’m okay dying.” He smiles as he forces the gun in my hand.

I don’t want to laugh. It isn’t funny. But I can’t help the smile that creeps up. He has that effect on me.

I pull my own backpack off and remove the syringe Mike gave me before shoving the whole thing at him. “Take this. There’s not a lot left, but use it to trade or whatever.”

I need to go, but I can’t bring myself to leave.

Mac’s smile disappears, and he’s suddenly more serious than I’ve ever seen him. It’s unnerving. “Get going. Don’t waste time worrying about me. I’ll be fine.”

Mac is still standing on the side of the road when I drive away, and I’m pretty sure I’m the biggest asshole in the world. I should have argued more. I should have thought of another way.

More than ever before, I know that I can’t fail. I have to save Jules if I want to make Mac’s sacrifice worth it. It has to work out.

But as I speed down the deserted highway, the knowledge that things don’t always work out is hard to shake. Things didn’t work out for our country when the virus was released. They didn’t work out for my mom when she was diagnosed with cancer. They didn’t work out for me when I was left alone with my dad. And they sure as hell didn’t work out for Jules and me when we finally found each other…

Mac’s words ring in my ears, and it’s impossible to push them away. He’s right. Life isn’t fair.

The ride back is agonizingly long, yet quick at the same time. I relive every moment of the past few weeks as I drive. Flipping through every memory and every moment with Jules.

When the gates of Coastal Manor come into view, I have to accept that I may be too late. Jules may be gone, and if she is, I won’t be able to go on. My world will collapse and my body will be useless because the person that lives inside this shell will cease to exist.

I’m forced to slow as I get closer to the gate, which wastes precious seconds. Seconds I don’t have. Seconds I’ll never get back.

“Open the gate!” I yell as soon as I’m close enough. I don’t want to have to come to a complete stop, but there’s nothing else I can do. The gate doesn’t open. I’m out of breath. I jump off the bike and stumble forward. “Open it! I have the vaccine!”

Kyle stands on the other side. Smug asshole. “Your father gave me explicit instructions not to let you in.”

The blood flowing through my veins threatens to reach a boiling point. “Open it,” I say through clenched teeth.

Kyle gives me a wicked smile as he crosses his arms over his chest. “Can’t.”

I bang my fists against the gate and howl with rage. The blood pounds in my ears and I can barely catch my breath. I have to make it to her. To at least give it a shot. Otherwise, all this was for nothing. Almost dying, leaving Mac behind, not being able to tell Jules goodbye. All a waste.

I pull out my gun and point it at Kyle. “Open it or I’ll shoot you.”

Kyle’s smile only grows more sadistic, making my temperature rise higher. “Go ahead, kill me. There’s no one else to open the gate.”

My finger twitches, and the corner of my mouth turns up. “You’re right.”

Alarm flashes in Kyle’s eyes, and he moves his hand toward his gun.

It’s too late.

I pull the trigger.

The bullet hits him in the knee, and the scream he lets out makes every hair on my body stand up. He falls to the ground, grabbing his leg as blood pours from the wound.

“Now open it,” I say calmly.

Kyle glares at me, and he doesn’t move.

“The next time I pull the trigger, I’ll aim for your dick.”

Kyle turns about three shades whiter. “O-okay. Don’t do it, man. I’ll get it open.” He tries to get to his feet, but what little color was left in his face disappears.

His eyes start to roll back in his head, and I fire a second time.

The bullet hits the ground right next to Kyle’s foot, and he yelps. He starts to cry. Sob. Blubber like a baby as he pulls himself across the ground. Tears spill down his cheeks. It’d be funny if I wasn’t so terrified right now.

“S-s-stop. I’m doing it.”

Kyle makes it to the gate and pulls himself up. Beads of sweat break out across his forehead, and his hands shake. I keep the gun on him as he gets the gate unlocked. Backing up. Moving toward my bike. He grips the gate so hard his knuckles turn white as he pushes it open. He’s shaking and his face is covered in tears and snot, and he leaves a trail of blood in his wake.

I shove the gun back into the waistband of my pants and jump on my bike, flying through the gate as soon as it’s wide enough. I barely miss hitting Kyle.

My heart’s pounding. I can’t be too late. I can’t.

Town hall comes into view, and I turn my bike sharply to the right, driving up over the curb and through the front yard. I’m going too fast and can feel the bike tipping under me. I skid across the grass, and a crushing pain courses through my body as my leg gets trapped under the heavy vehicle.

My whole left side aches and my cheek is on fire. I touch the side of my face, and it comes back covered in blood. My head swims, and my eyes start to close against my will. Darkness threatens to take over, but I force myself to stay conscious.

“No!” Adrenaline surges through every vein in my body, and my eyes snap open. I use every ounce of energy left inside me to shove the bike away.

When I’m free, I start moving. I crawl through the yard on my hands and knees and force my muscles to start working again. Somehow, I manage to get to my feet. My left ankle screams, but I ignore it and run for the house, scrambling up the stairs to the porch and shoving the front door open.

“Jules.” I can barely catch my breath. Every inch of my body hurts, but there isn’t a single thought in my head that isn’t focused on getting to Jules. I drag myself toward the room. Dread floods my body, and I start to shake before I even have the door open.

My hand is slippery with sweat and blood when I turn the knob and push the door open. I step inside, shutting the door behind me.

Jules is sitting on the floor with her back to me, staring at the floor. She lifts her head and turns it slowly. My heart thumps harder. I’m too late. I know it. Her blonde hair hangs down, covering most of her face, but even in the dark room, the sickly gray tint to her skin is visible. Her hands claw at her legs. There’s blood under her fingernails and scratches on her arms like she’s clawed at them until they bled.

She tries to get up, but I stop her. Pushing her down with shaky hands as I put my fingers against her neck and hold my breath. Praying.

Dear God, please let there be a pulse.

If her heart is still beating, there’s a chance.

I wait, keeping my fingers against her icy skin as I hold my breath.

Nothing happens.

Tremors move through my body, and even though I want to scream and break something, all I can do is pull out the syringe. I’m too late, but that doesn’t stop me from inserting the needle in her neck and pushing the plunger. The green liquid disappears, and my hand drops to my side. The syringe falls to the ground and shatters on the tile floor.

I stumble back and Jules finally turns her head my way, and just like that, my universe crumbles.

Her eyes are milky white. Her mouth slowly opens as a tortured moan radiates from her vocal cords. My legs give out, and I drop to the ground. My chest tightens, and I claw at the place on my body where my heart used to be.