The Withered Series (Book 1): Wither (14 page)

Boom
.

The
windows rattle as a fireball erupts before us.  Smoke and dust
roll over the window.  Debris rains from above, denting the roof
of the Humvee. Natalia wails as we burst through the wall and into
the night.  Our headlights illuminate trees and an overgrown
path as we bounce and skid to a halt.

“You
have a tank?” I gasp, clutching my chest.

“Sure
do.” Eric lets out a whoop as another blast echoes from behind
us.  I imagine the tank must be securing our departure.

Cable
breathes hard as he reaches out for me. “You ok?”

“Pretty
sure I just wet myself, but yeah.  I’m good.”

Eric
laughs and pounds Cable on the arm.  “Nice moves, dude.
 You were right.  You are the better driver.”

“I’ll
collect on that bet later.”

I
tense at the hard line in Cable’s voice.  As the last of
the smoke clears I see a bright light lock onto to us from above.  I
lean forward to see a chopper in the air.

“Stand
down.”  A voice calls over a loudspeaker.  “Turn
your engine off and evacuate the vehicle.  We have been
authorized to use force if you resist.

Natalia
huddles low in her seat.  Her hair is a disheveled mess.  Her
pristine clothes rumpled and dark with sweat.  The sound of her
whimpering fills the vehicle.

“What
do we do?” I turn to find Cable glancing back at Eric.

The
baby-faced soldier pulls up his sleeve to reveal a watch and shakes
his head. “We gotta delay.”

“Is
this thing bulletproof?” I ask, staring at the large manned gun
above.

“Not
like you’d hope it would be.”  

“What’s
that supposed to mean?” I grab onto the door as he spins the
wheel, gunning the gas as he steers the vehicle off the road.
 Bullets ping against the hull.  Several deep dents appear
in the side.  Natalia screams but I ignore her as I try to keep
my eye on the chopper.

“It
means we are armored but only to a point.  Keep your head down!”
he shouts back as he spins the wheel again.

The
spotting light is blinding from above as the chopper banks to pursue
us. Cable cuts the headlights and drives under a cluster low hanging
branches of a large maple tree.  The tires skids to a stop, the
engine settles into a deep rumble.  The patch of trees won't
give us cover for long.  “You seriously think they can’t
see us here?” I gawk.

Cable
ignores my comment and keeps his eye trained to the broken light
overhead.  Bits of bark tumble down as another round of gunfire
strikes the tree.  A loud ping of gunfire behind me makes me
cower against the door.  I hear a cry of pain and look back.
Natalia clutches her shoulder.

“Shit.”
 Eric reaches over and presses his hand to her arm.  “She’s
hit, Cable.”

“We
all will be soon if we don’t get out of here.”  Cable
puts the car in reverse and sneaks between two trees.  “Eric?”

“One
minute!”

I
spot other vehicles barreling toward us from the outside of the wall.
 Their headlights bounce as they hit deep ruts.  The
chopper overhead circles once more. Dust bursts up from the ground as
I watch the trail of bullets approaching from directly ahead of us.

“Now?”

I
turn to see Eric staring intently as his watch. His lips part and
mime counting.  Three. Two. One.

The
sky behind us erupts with fire. The ground rumbles as half of the
base goes up in flames.  The outer wall crumbles and collapses.
 I watch out my side window as the pursuing vehicles swerve to
miss the falling debris. A large chunk of the wall smashes into the
hood of the front car. Its back end flies up into the air.  The
second car brakes too late and slams headlong into the underside of
the lead vehicle.  Both erupt into flames.  I watch in
horror as flaming bodies thrust themselves out of the vehicle and
writhe on the ground.

“Oh,
god!” I grasp my stomach as I turn away.  I wanted to
escape but not like this.  Those men were probably just
following orders.

The
chopper veers off.  Cable punches the accelerator and guns for
the forest in sheer darkness, lit only by the scattered light of the
moon peering behind clouds overhead. My head rocks from side to side
as we navigate the uneven terrain. The ride is rough, but I feel
safer than I have in weeks.

“Get
us out of here,” Eric says, pointing away from the path before
us. “No main roads. We have to find somewhere to lie low.”

“What
about that chopper? Won’t more come back around for us?”
I glance over my shoulder but the skies seem clear apart from the
huge plume of smoke from the fire.

Eric
grins.  “Nah. We just blew up all of their big shiny toys.
It’ll take them a few minutes to regroup.”

I
turn forward as Cable reengages the headlights.  “Now
what?

Cable
takes his eyes off the road only for a moment to look at me.  “We
run and don’t look back.”

I
stare at the black radio handset in my hand, listening to the static.
 I have tried every channel, even ones I know the military would
be scanning, but I had no choice.  I gave Alex my promise that I
would find a way to reach them, no matter what.

“This
is Avery calling for Alex.  Do you read me?”

Static
fills the cab of the Humvee.  I call again several times,
switching through the stations.  “I promised I would call
you.  I’m sorry I couldn’t get back to you. I
was...I was delayed, but I’m waiting for you now,” I say,
leaning my head against the window.  I feel stiff and cold from
sitting so long.

“If
you hear this message, please leave the city.  We are located
thirty miles east of your last position.  We have to leave
soon.” I release the button and press my hand to my lips to
still their trembling.  The cold is brutal today.

“Alex…come
find me.”

The
door to the barn opens and I raise my hand to shield my eyes from the
light.  I spy Cable’s elongated mask first as he slips
into the dark, leaving the door open to the outside.  

“You’ve
been out here all day.  Any luck?”  Cable slings
himself up into the driver’s seat beside me and removes his gas
mask only once secured inside.  His face is clean, his hair
freshly washed.  A shadow of stubble darkens his square jaw.  He
looks refreshed despite spending a night tossing and turning in his
sleep. I heard him cry out in the dark.  Nightmares from the
past plague him.  I wonder what it is that he dreams of.

“It’s
been three days and I’m no closer to finding them than I was.”

Cable
nods, lowering his head.  I sigh, resigned to trying again
later.  I turn off the ignition and hand him the keys.

“You
know we can’t stay much longer.”  He fiddles the
keys between his fingers.  “Sooner or later someone is
going to hear that message and figure out where we are.”

“I
know.”  I flex my fingers then clasp them before me,
wishing for the hundredth time that I had a pair of gloves.  The
abandoned farm house we crashed in the night we escaped from the
military base smelled of old people and moth balls, but it had basic
supplies.  Sweaters that were a bit too snug on the men.  Floral
blouses that I would rather die than wear, but Natalia didn't seem to
care.  Come to think of it, she hasn’t cared about much
since we arrived.

At
first I thought it was some sort of posttraumatic stress.  Cable
said that it’s possible.  People handle death and climatic
situations differently.  Eric has stayed by her side since we
arrived.  He leaves her unattended only long enough to pop open
a can of soup and returns to spoon-feed her.  

Cable
and I searched the attic and found trunks of old clothes, photo
albums and keepsakes but no trace of winter outer wear. I tucked all
of the floral shirts aside for Natalia and grabbed a fluffy sweater.
 It’s way too big on me and has a tendency to billow in
the wind, but as long as I keep my white shirt tucked into my pants,
it works fairly well.

Shoes
are one area that I lucked out in.  I guess me and the grandma
who lived here share a size 8.  I found a pair of brand new
tennis shoes hidden in the back of a downstairs closet and enough
hand knitted wool socks to keep my feet toasty for a long time.

Cable
thinks the old folks probably left when the world went down the
crapper.  There are tire tracks in the yard.  The barn
doors were left wide open. Even some of the cabinets were emptied.  I
hope he’s right.

“Do
you think maybe you should let it go?” Cable asks after several
moments of silence.

“I
can’t.” I stare out the grimy windshield.  The sun
is bright today, breaking through the cloud cover for the first time
in what feels like months. I long to feel it on my face but it’s
too dangerous to go out during the day.  We are still too close
to the military base. From time to time we hear the choppers as they
work in a grid, searching.  Eric seems to think they have bigger
problems than hunting for us, but I have my doubts.

It’s
the way Natalia looks at me when she thinks I don’t see.
 Piercing. Searching.

I’ve
yet to find out exactly what it is that she did for the military.
 Whatever her relationship was with them, there is one thing
that is certain...Eric is far too fond of her.  I suspect that’s
the reason Cable let her hitch a ride out, not because of anything to
do with me.

“I
have to know,” I whisper, turning away from the sunlight that
ends just at the edge of the barn we are parked inside.  “Eva
needed me and I left her.  I can’t do that again.”

Cable
taps his fingers against the steering wheel, deep in thought. He does
that a lot.  At first it was a bit off-putting, making me wonder
what secrets he might be trying to worm his way around revealing.
 The more time I spend with him I realize it’s just his
way.  He’s a thinker.

“You
know their chances of survival were slim.  That entire section
of the city was overrun two days after I found you.  If they
didn’t get out before that then they are lost.”

I
close my eyes and press my forehead against the window.  The
cold glass bites my skin but I ignore it. I told Cable all about Eva,
about the group and my promise. He has actively supported my decision
to remain behind, until now.  I know we can’t wait any
more but I can’t willingly leave either. I just don’t
know how to make him understand.

“Eva
couldn’t have been moved,” he whispers, running his
finger along the curve of the mask.  

“I
know.”  Exhaustion and remorse fall over me.  I have
so many things to be thankful for. Shelter. Food. Protection. People.
 Why isn’t that enough? Why can’t I adapt to this
new world of loss and pain, to let go of the things that would seek
to hold me back?  “I knew better than to let myself care.”

I
stiffen as Cable grasps my hand.  Lifting my head, I turn to
look at him as tears that I’ve been resisting escape down my
cheeks.  “You’re human.  It’s in our
nature.”

“So
is murder, theft and a million other atrocities.  Is that in me
too, Cable?  Am I going to become someone I don’t even
recognize just to avoid becoming like them?”

I
point out the window and he turns to look at a Moaner shuffling
through the yard.  Several more follow behind, some leaving a
path of entrails in their wake.  

“I
don’t know,” he answers with brutal honesty.  His
gaze is conflicted as he turns to look at me. He tries to offer me a
reassuring smile but it falls flat.   “I hope not.”

I
pull my hand away from him, tucking it into my side.  “I
thought you were like those other soldiers.”

Closing
my eyes, I refuse to see the look of pain that mars his face. Cable
is a good guy, I understand that now, but being a good guy doesn’t
mean I can trust him.

He
shifts in his seat.  I hear him hit the pedals as he turns to
face me.  “I guess I deserve that. If roles were reversed
I’d have a ton of questions too.”

I
open my eyes to see that he is leaning toward me.  The planes of
his face are hard but in a good way.  The new stubble enhances
his good looks. In this confined space I realize just how aware I
have become of him over the past few days.

“I
saw the bus…”

He
swallows hard.  Turning away he places his hands on the steering
wheel and sighs.  “I don't have all of the answers.  I’m
sure that surprises you.” He smirks but I’m in no mood.
“Look, I heard rumors but never saw any kids myself.  They
weren’t where I slept, ate or worked so if there were there,
they were buried deep.”

My
breath hitches as the memory of the base exploding floods back in.
 My hands begin to tremble as I press them to my stomach.  “Did
we kill them?”

“What?”
He twists toward me.  “No. Of course not!”

“How
do you know?  They could have been forgotten in the fire fight.
The tank could have misfired and crushed them.  They could
have--”

“Stop.”
 He grasps my hands and squeezes.  “Worrying about
this will only make you sick.  It’s best to think positive
and trust that they got out.”

I
stare down at his hands, clasped around mine and I’m desperate
to believe him.  To soak up an ounce of his optimism, but I
can’t do it.  “Eva told me that her little sister
was taken by the military.”

Cable
nods.  “Natalia worked with a few kids at a different base
somewhere up north.  Said it was all routine tests. Nothing
weird that she could tell.”

“Do
you trust her?”

“Natalia?”
 He shrugs and releases my hands, sinking back into the seat. He
draws his leg up and rests it against the wheel.  “I don’t
really know her.  Eric vouched for her so that’s good
enough for me.”

“Really?
 It’s that easy for you?”  I cross my arms over
my chest to ward off the cold.  “I think we both know that
I’ve got every reason to have trust issues right now.  You
seem to care about keeping me safe. Eric seems decent too.  If
you want me to play nice with Natalia I’m going to need more
than just a friendly handshake that she’s good.”