The Deepest Red (42 page)

“Lonnie!”

Jay’s yell is muffled by the airplane’s metal walls but the urgency is undeniable.  My heart races as a thought of Connor enters my mind. The idea of danger and those I love being hurt, sends a boost of adrenaline through my bloodstream.  I’m in motion and out the aircraft’s underbelly before I realize Connor isn’t even here. He’s safe, tucked behind the prison’s walls. The idea delivers a second of relief before the thought is quickly erased. In front of me, one of my many nightmares is coming to life.

At first, I don’t see Daniel behind the crow masked man but when the stranger lands lying face first into the ever welcoming kudzu, I understand. They had come for us, not the infected but something far worse, the cloaked figures that have haunted my dreams for the last two months. I recognize the sharp leather beak and goggled eyes, the materials worn and aged by time. Fear spreads. I rip my weapons from their sheaths- their crimson coloring giving a sharp contrast to my pale skin.

From above the plane, come heavy footsteps running toward me. I look up just in time to see a man launch himself into the air and onto Lonnie’s back. He isn’t wearing a cloak or even a mask but his face shows an expression of hard hatred. A thin blade gleams in his hand. Immediately, I slice into his skin resulting in his painful scream. The stranger’s knife drops to the ground lost forever in the tangle of vines and leaves. For a brief moment I’m surprised at my reflex, having never drew blood from an actual person.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Lonnie counters the guy sending him falling swiftly down. A loud noise proceeds when his body smashes hard on to the ground. The filthy stranger’s eyes widen in shock, the edge of loathing lost. I realize why when blood slowly soaks the front of his shirt. I bend down, adrenaline still coursing and rip at the shirt. The weak material tears, revealing the tiniest of silver points. He had fell on his own knife.

“Watch out!” Lonnie shouts and lunges.

I turn around to discover a skinnier man bearing down on me. I stand, swinging the narrow point of my axe into the man’s gut. He falls upon it, not realizing his mistake in time. I feel his body tumble over my shoulder, releasing my weapon. Spinning, I use the weight of my body to drive my knee into his chest. The sound of ribs cracking stops me from giving the final plow. I stand and scurry away from the two bodies lying in a heap on the ground.
What did I just do?

Bryan appears at my side, his arm locking around my shoulder- a trickle of blood runs down his forehead.

“It’s okay,” he says as I half heartedly try to break away.

I observe terror- stricken as Lonnie circles around another stranger. This man is different than the others. I don’t see the same hatred in his eyes as the dead men had displayed. Instead, he is calm and the void of all emotions. He watches Lonnie’s movements, sizing him up. He is confident, experienced. A thin smile appears on his mouth as he makes a rapid advance forward, blade raised. Lonnie adjusts his position to defend himself but it ends too quickly. An arrow slices through the stranger’s head with a sick sound. His body lands among the green kudzu, feet twitching- eyes staring vacant. Blood pours from the wound onto the vines and into the earth.

“They’re retreating,” Jay shouts.

He extends his arm behind himself and pulls another arrow from his quiver. He holds it ready to make another shot.

“Are you alright?” I stutter, still in shock.

Lonnie doesn’t answer right away. He stares at the man with the arrow piercing his head.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

I am faintly aware of Bryan’s arms around me as Lonnie backs away from the body, shakened. He glances at his brother.

“How many did you kill?” he inquires.

“Not enough,” Jay says, voice laced with sadness, “and I don’t have many arrows left.”

I straighten in Bryan’s strong hold. As if he suddenly realizes he’s embracing me, he lets go.

“Sorry,” he mumbles. “I wanted you to stay safe.”

His kind expression changes to one of concern.

“No worries,” I reply as I step up to the others and push down the thoughts of the life I had taken. “When we saw their camp last night, they were nowhere near this area.” I briefly shift my gaze between the twins. “How did they know we were here?” I finish.

Lonnie rubs his shaking hands over his eyes slowly.

“I’m not sure,” he says. “I don’t think they did know we were here or there would’ve been more. I can’t be sure.” He stretches out his fingers, clutching them and releasing- a nervous tick he has had from childhood.

“Maybe they found the plane and knew someone would come?” I say, giving Lonnie time to relax.

“So they’ve been watching the crash site ever since?” Jay questions.

“It’s just a theory.” I say and shake my head as if the motion would clear the frightening images resting there. 

My eyes focus on the greenery covering my feet. Specks of blood now decorate the ground’s covering. I avoid peering at the nearby strangers’ vacant faces.

“We need to get home as soon as possible,” I say, picturing Connor and his mocking smile. “Let's fill the empty bags and make a mad rush home. I liked Jay’s idea of traveling through the night.”

Panic laces my last few words. I want my Dad. I want to warn our community. I want Connor by my side if I’m to fight against the cult.

“If we do, we will put ourselves at even more risk. We don’t have just these lunatics to worry about,” Jay says, lowering his bow to face us.

“The infected.” Bryan whispers as he steps closer.

“There is a house we can reach by nightfall. I cleared the home myself a few weeks ago. It isn’t far from the main road,” Jay states.

My mind begins racing.

“No, Connor said houses were too easy to show differences in. Think of Bryan and how easy it is to tell someone is living in the church,” I blurt out remembering our night at the tree house.

“Connor isn’t here and Bryan has been at the church for months,” Lonnie spits out, annoyed.

“So?” I say as I tuck a strand of hair back underneath my beret. “Houses are the first places people check. If the infected were the only ones after us it would be different.” 

A flash of movement and color catches my eye. I tilt my head to get a better view. My heart abruptly stops when I spot a crow mask staring back through the branches. A deep blue cloak shrouds the figure- a heavy hood encasing the worn leather mask.

“Jay, behind you!” I squeal when the man disappears from sight.

Fast on his reaction, Jay spins back toward the trees, weapon ready to fire.

“Where, Millie?” His eyes search among the branches looking for the threat.

“In the scrubs beside the dogwood tree,” I say, voice shaken.

I wonder about the handful of cult members who attacked us. They were unprepared, sloppy even. They should have easily took us out if the ambush had been planned. I peer into the woods searching for the ominous stranger and come up empty. Jay realizes the same as me.

“He’s gone.” I maintain a firm grip on my weapons. “They weren’t expecting us. If they had we would be dead,” Jay curses quietly.

“We need to go,” I remark. 

“Jay! Lonnie!”

Daniel’s voice calls out from behind the crashed plane. We all race toward his voice when he appears out from behind the aircraft’s broken wing. He trips on the vines of kudzu, only to right himself against the plane. His shirt is torn with blood seeping from his wounds.

“They took him!”

He struggles to breath and clutches his injured side. The hand comes away with the shine of new blood.

“What?” Bryan mutters as the terror tickles my cold skin.

“Carter. They took him.” He exhales a large gust of air. “I followed after,” he pants “but I lost them when two infected attacked me,” Daniel explains, taking a deep controlling breath. “The infected, I killed them but when I looked back up Carter was gone.”

Lonnie’s skin turns pale as Jay performs a string of curses that would make any other girl’s mouth drop. He kicks the side of the plane with his large boot causing a small indention.

“Damn Carter. Probably didn’t even put up a fight.”

Jay turns away from us withdrawing back into silence. I fidget, waiting for Lonnie to say anything. He remains quiet.

“Well?” I address the group as Bryan reaches into the back of his bag and pulls out a strip of torn clothing.

He approaches Bryan mumbling a few words of concern and begins to wrap the material around his waist.

“We going after them?” I continue.

Silence follows. I try to look into their faces but they’re downcast. Daniel nods a thanks to Bryan even as red begins to splotch the new bandage.

“Wait.” I feel sick to my stomach. “You’re just going to let those crazy idiots take him?”

Panic saturates my voice as the quiet grows thick. A small bird sings from a branch nearby. A sweet song describing a beautiful winter day. I shove Lonnie’s shoulder. He steps back still avoiding my glare. I never thought of Lonnie as a coward before but with his inactiveness I begin to doubt his leadership all together. We trained to survive out in the red zone and protect ourselves from the infected, never had we had other living, breathing people take one of our own.

“I’m glad to know if someone took me, y’all would come to my rescue,” I say and sarcastically wave my hand in the air, accenting my point.

“Millie, stop.” Lonnie finally glances up into my stunned expression. “What can we do? You saw how many fires were lit last night. Do you honestly think we can do anything about it?”

Misery settles heavy on his features.

“Maybe we can’t. Maybe it's too late but how could I live with myself if I walk away? How can you?” I question.

Lonnie bows his head again.

“Coward,” I spit at him and gather up my supply bag.

“His life isn’t the only thing to be concerned about,” Jay says as I stare at his sweat soaked shirt.

“What else, then?” I sneer, letting my anger ride on each word.

“Carter will break,” he says calmly. “They couldn’t have picked a better hostage. He will tell them anything they want.”

Daniel straightens.

“That’s not fair Jay and you know it.”

Jay spins around on the scout full of hostility, “I told Emerson not to let him come. He isn’t ready. He wasn’t made for this.” He raises his hand toward the sky in a pissed off gesture. “Now he’ll be dead before we ever reach him and the cult will probably know all the inner workings of the prison.” Jay gazes helplessly into the trees.

“I’m with Millie,” Daniel whispers. “Carter is a scout, ready or not. Most of all, he’s my friend.” Jay makes a sound of disbelief. “We at least try,” Daniel continues.

“Daniel and I are going after them. You can’t be certain they’ll kill him or he will talk,” I remark, attempting to control my anger and fear.

“I’m certain you aren’t going after them, especially with Daniel- you might as well be going by yourself,” Jay says as his sight travels down to the supply bag I hold.

Daniel stiffens.

“What just a minute-” he starts to say but I cut him off, “What will you say to Clover when she finds out you just left a comrade out in the red zone?” I pause.

It is dirty trick to mention her but Jay has been fond of the young girl ever since she came to live inside the prison. I saw the hidden smiles he gave when he thought no one was looking.

“I’m going after Carter. You can’t and won’t stop me,” I say.

His face darkens at my last statement but he continues to stand as if a statue, observing my reactions.

I face him straight forward and repeat at a whisper,“What will Clover say when she finds out you left me in the red zone?”

When his eyes widen, I know I’ve won. Jay lets out a strangled curse.

“We might not make it back either way, Millie.” Jay comments and steps closer.

I drop my supply bag and pull out my axe. I hold the smooth metal in front, clutching the handle like the bat all those weeks ago when the infected stood outside Tom’s door. I don’t want to hurt Jay but I won’t be forced into doing anything I don’t want to do either- so I wait. After a long moment, a small smile forms on his lips but fades quickly leaving only soften eyes.

“I can track.”

Bryan’s timid voice sounds from behind me. I turn to look at him. His speckled hair is messy but his always present calm penetrates through.

“If you want,” he continues. “They will expect us to go back the way we came and fast. They might even have others already there to intercept us.”

Lonnie nods his head letting out a weary sigh.

“Let’s go,” he says as he steps between Jay and I. “Millie is right. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t at least attempt to save him.” He gives Daniel an encouraging nod as he passes. “Bryan, lead the way,” Lonnie says as he picks up his supply bag.