Lost World (7 page)

“Get off!” I grunt, trying to break free of his grasp.

“Hadley, you need—”

Gunfire erupts in the street, and the words die on Jon’s lips. My heart skips a few beats and I try to move toward the door, but Jon pulls me to my feet. Toward the back of the store. I grope for my gun, and all I can think about is Parv and Angus and Darla, but Jon won’t stop pulling me away from our friends.

“We have to help them!” I cry, trying to head in the opposite direction. His fingers dig into my arm and he won’t let go.

“We need to hide!” Jon hisses.

It’s on my lips to tell him he’s being a coward, but then Vegas and all the shit I went through comes screaming back. Suddenly, all I can feel is that asshole on top of me, holding me down. It makes my whole body shake and my grip tighten on my gun. No. That will
not
happen again.

I yank my arm out of Jon’s grasp and run past him to the rear of the store. He stumbles behind me and swears, and I look back long enough to see that he tripped over a rug. But I keep moving. He didn’t fall. He caught himself and he’s still coming, and I need to get out of here. Away from whoever is firing in the streets and whatever plans they have for us. I will die if someone gets their hands on me again.

I reach the back door and almost jerk it open, but my brain is working just enough to tell me to stop. We need to check to be sure the coast is clear first. There’s only one tiny window, and it’s so high I have to stand on the tips of my toes to look out. My eyes scan the area while my heart pounds so hard I can’t even tell for sure if there’s still gunfire. I catch sight of a figure as it darts through the shadows lining the building then ducks behind a dumpster. A second one follows.

“Shit!” I pull back just as Jon stops beside me.

“What?”

“They’re out there. Coming this way. There’s no way out!”

My body is shaking. I can’t control it. I squeeze my gun tighter, my finger poised over the trigger. I’ll end it before I let them take me.

Jon grabs my arm and pulls me back the way we came. “There’s a cellar. Come on!”

I allow him to lead me away from the door even though his words haven’t really sunk in yet. The trembling that started when I thought about Vegas has only gotten worse, and the feeling of being trapped in here makes me want to scream.

Jon stops in front of the rug he tripped over, kicking it aside to reveal a cellar door. He yanks it open and flicks his flashlight on, illuminating a set of filthy wooden stairs. The room below us is pitch black, but I don’t hesitate. I charge down the stairs, and Jon is right behind me. He holds the flashlight in his mouth, then works on getting the rug back over the door as he lowers it. My heart is pounding as he eases it shut, and even when he’s joined me at the bottom of the stairs, it doesn’t let up. He clicks the flashlight off, plunging us into a darkness so thick it feels like it’s going to swallow us whole.

“Is the door covered?” I whisper.

“As best as I could tell from down here.”

I nod even though he can’t see me, and neither one of us moves. It takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the pure darkness of the cellar. When they do, I can just make out the stairs and a tiny window on the other side of the room. It’s covered by a small curtain or something, blocking out the bright sunshine from the street above.

We’re still standing in the same position when something thumps above us. I hold my breath and have to swallow down a scream when footsteps pound against the floor. They pass over us, then move further into the building. Whoever’s above us talks, but the voices are too muffled to make out the words. Then the people walk back the way they came.

Jon’s hand wraps around my arm and he pulls me toward him. He shoves his face against mine so his mouth is next to my ear. “Under the stairs!”

I move without hesitation, putting my hands out in front of me so I can feel my way through the darkness. When I reach the steps, I get down on my hands and knees and crawl. Cobwebs and dust tickle my face and neck. My nose tingles, and I have to sniff back a sneeze. Jon scoots in behind me until I’m wedged so far under the stairs I feel like I’m being crushed. Then we wait.

6

THE KIDS SPEND THE DAY on a sugar high. They splash in the water, drink Coke. We even find a couple packages of Oreos and some chips. It’s like they’re having a slumber party. All we need is a movie screen and some popcorn to make the day complete.

As they empty the cans, the adults string them together. We have about twenty feet already, but we need at least twice that much to cover the area surrounding the hot spring. There are more than enough cans, but with as wild as the kids are being, I’m not sure how much more we want to give them.

“Wait until they crash,” Sophia says, smiling. “Then it will all be worth it.”

Anne nods as she hands me a couple more empty cans. “They’re going to sleep well tonight.”

That’s a guarantee. With the way they’re running around, having fun for the first time in weeks, they should sleep like the dead.

Or how the dead used to sleep, anyway.

By late afternoon the cans are all set up, and Axl heads out to hunt. I can hardly sit still while he’s gone, I’m so nervous about him being out in the woods by himself. He usually has Angus or Parvarti to back him up. With the way things have been going for us, no one should be off by themselves. Trying to tell Axl that is pointless, though. If someone else tried to go off alone, he’d have a fit, but he doesn’t see it as a problem for himself. Like he’s all powerful and will somehow be able to keep himself safe.

By the time he gets back, the sun has disappeared behind the trees. Axl has two squirrels, which won’t go far, but it’s better than nothing. The others haven’t returned, and even though it makes me jumpy, I’m not worried about it yet. The town was a good distance away, and if they’re being careful, they won’t rush. They’ll be back before long.

The sky above us gets darker, turning from midnight blue to black. Angus and the others still haven’t returned, and the more time that goes by, the more anxious Axl gets.

“They oughta be back by now,” he says, pacing in front of the fire.

“We’ll go out in the morning if they’re not back.” Winston’s voice is calm, as always. “But you realize it will mean taking the whole group, right?”

“Ain’t just gonna write ‘em off!” Axl clenches his jaw, and the words have to hiss their way through his teeth. I’ve never heard him sound so much like his brother.

“I’m not saying that, and you know it. I’m only pointing out who we have left here. You can’t go by yourself, and if you and Viv go, it leaves the rest of us pretty vulnerable. Not to mention the fact that the two of you out there on your own is not great odds. Plus, you’ll have to take the truck. We don’t have another vehicle.”

Winston’s right. We can’t leave the group so exposed and without a way to escape.

“We’ll have to pack up and leave the hot spring,” I mumble.

Silence settles over the group. Even the kids seem to understand the gravity of the situation. Their big eyes stare back and forth between the adults, the flickering flames of the fire reflecting in them. Things today were almost good. Yesterday, too. Even with Hadley’s outburst and the stress of Darla trying to work out our issues, I’ve been more relaxed than I have since our first day at the shelter. The thought of leaving sucks.

Jessica lets out a big sigh and gets to her feet. “Okay, kids. I think it’s about time to head to bed for the night.”

Max groans, but Dylan gets up without even blinking. He looks half asleep as it is. Ava and Liz, too. Jake, on the other hand, just looks bad. Pale and sweaty. His legs shake when Anne gets him up. Moira follows their lead like she’s been programmed to do it.

Jessica pauses next to her dad, giving him a kiss on the forehead. “See you in the morning, old man,” she says with a small smile.

Winston returns the smile, his face lighting up in a way that doesn’t happen very often in this world. “Have a good night,” he says, patting his daughter’s hand.

His eyes stay on her until she’s disappeared into the tent. These days every time someone walks away, it feels like we’re saying a final goodbye.

“I think we’re going to turn in too,” Al says. He fakes a yawn as he gets to his feet, but he’s grinning.

“Yeah, yeah,” Axl mutters and waves the teens toward the tent. “You don’t gotta keep braggin’.”

Al grins, and Lila giggles as she pulls him toward the tent.

The others head off, leaving Winston, Joshua, Axl, and me alone. I settle in against Axl, laying my head on his shoulder. He’s still tense, and the mood around the fire is serious. The quiet giggles of the kids helps the atmosphere, but only slightly. Jessica shushes them, and finally their chatter dies down. After that the night is mostly silent. Occasionally, over the crackling of the fire, I catch a sound from the tent Lila and Al retreated to. But it’s faint. At least they’re trying to be quiet.

“You two going to take the first watch again?” Winston asks, his voice low.

“Yup. I wanna be up when they get back.”

Of course Axl doesn’t say
if
. He has a lot of trust in his brother. Sometimes his faith in Angus is misplaced, but in this instance, Axl may be right. Angus will get them back in one piece.

Joshua glances toward the tent, then leans forward. “I don’t want to alarm anyone, but I have to be honest. If we don’t get antibiotics soon, I don’t know if Jake is going to make it. I think he has pneumonia.”

“Shit,” Axl mutters.

Joshua sits back, and once again silence falls over us. This time, the sounds coming from Al and Lila’s tent are unmistakable. I’d be embarrassed for them if I didn’t think what Al said yesterday was right. We
do
need to celebrate the fact that we’re alive. There’s no guarantee we’ll still be here tomorrow.

After a couple minutes of silence, Winston gets to his feet. “I’m going to turn in. Get some rest so I can take watch in a few hours, since we’re short on people.” He gives Axl a sympathetic smile, then turns to head to the tent.

He’s only taken two steps when the sound of cans clanging together breaks through the silent night. Winston freezes and Axl bolts up. I grab for my knife, meeting Joshua’s gaze. His eyes are so wide they look like they’re about to pop out of his head. None of us moves while we listen, waiting to see what will happen next.

The night is terrifyingly silent.

“Coulda been an animal,” Axl whispers.

Winston nods, but doesn’t say a thing. Still, we don’t move.

Cans clatter together once again, and I swear my heart stops beating. The sound of Lila’s giggle is cut off, and Al curses. There’s movement in the tent, but the rest of us are still frozen in place.

The zipper comes down, and Al sticks his head out of the tent. “Guys?”

Axl takes a step toward Al just as more cans clatter in the distance. This time, more follow. Then more, echoing through the forest and making my heart beat so hard it threatens to explode. The clanging doesn’t stop. If anything, it gets worse. Louder and more violent.

Al scrambles from the tent, zipping his pants in the process. My eyes go back and forth between the forest in the distance and the tent the kids are sleeping in, then over to the small shelters. Branches rustle together, but I can’t tell if it’s from the wind or something else. To my right, Winston is already rushing toward the tent where his daughter sleeps. Someone needs to alert Anne and Moira, so I take off toward the shelter. I haven’t even made it halfway there when the first zombie breaks through the trees. He stumbles forward, growling and moving faster when he catches sight of us. His feet slip on the rocks and he tumbles down, landing only three feet from me. The thing lurches for me as I scramble for the door, slipping on the smooth, rocky ground.

“Shit!”

I slide forward, banging into the shelter door as the dead man pulls himself toward me. He doesn’t stand up, and I don’t know if it’s because he broke something on his way down the hill or if he’s just too busy thinking about sinking his teeth into me to register that he can walk. I don’t even care. All I want is to get everyone out of this safely.

My fist pounds against the wood three times before the door flies open and Anne steps out, her gun already clutched in her hand. She spins to face the zombie crawling our way, aiming her gun at the dead man. Before I can stop her, she pulls the trigger. The gunshot rips through the silence, and behind me the cries of the kids ring out.

Zombies pour from the trees. Moaning and growling as they move our way. The kids scream again, and I spin around to find more of the dead coming from the trees behind me. I’m armed with nothing but my knife. Why the hell didn’t I have my gun ready?

“Get Jake!” I scream at Anne as the dead move toward us.

Anne rushes back into the shelter just as Moira steps outside, turning to face the advancing dead with an expression so blank it sends a shiver shooting through my body. She doesn’t even try to run. Anne comes back out, shoving Liz and Jake forward. Jake’s coughing. Dragging his feet. Anne tries to pick him up, but he’s too big. She’ll never make it.

Liz sees her mom and rushes toward her, tears stream down the little girl’s face. “Mommy!”

Moira doesn’t even glance toward her daughter, and she doesn’t move. The zombies charge, but she just stands there. Staring at them like she doesn’t realize they’re dangerous. Or, just maybe, she wants them to get her. With the way she’s been acting, it wouldn’t surprise me.

The zombies close in on us but all I have is my knife. I scan the area, and my eyes land on Anne’s gun. Without thinking, I rip it out of her belt and shove her and Jake behind me.

“Run!” I scream, aiming the gun at the advancing dead.

Only there’s nowhere for us to go, and we all know it.

I squeeze the trigger, firing into the mass of dead coming our way. One falls, then another. Then a third. But more come and Moira still hasn’t moved.

“Moira!” I shout as I scoop Liz up with my free arm.

Moira doesn’t budge, so I step in front of her and shove her back. Trying to push the shell-shocked woman toward the rest of our group. Still, she doesn’t move. In the distance, people scramble around the campsite. The flickering flames of the fire dance across the scene, reminding me of a horror movie. At my back, the zombies snarl like rabid dogs, and Moira is frozen in place. There’s no one but me to help her. The dead have swarmed our little camp. Winston and Axl are busy firing. Even Al and Lila have guns. Anne has Jake, and I spot Sophia with Ava and Max. But Jessica and Dylan are nowhere to be seen and the dead are everywhere. Closing in on us.