Thicker than Blood Page 14

  “Lei,” Alex muttered against my mouth. His hands cupping my cheeks, he pulled away from me.

  My eyes fluttered open, seeing him for the first time since before we’d kissed. I stared up at him, staring into the deep depths of his dark eyes, watching the firelight bounce within. And he stared down at me, searching my features. Searching for what, I didn’t know; I was only aware of my racing heart and my ragged breathing.

  “Alex,” I whispered tearfully as the stirrings of warmth began to recede. Releasing my grip on him, my hands fell to his chest, fisting in his shirt. I couldn’t lose this moment, I wasn’t ready to go back to the cold, to the fear and the guilt. To my memories. More than anything I wanted right now, just for this one moment, to have a worthwhile right now.

  He must have found whatever it was he’d been looking for. Still holding my face, he then lowered his head to mine and covered my mouth with his once more.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Evelyn

  It was light out when I awoke, the sun squeezing into the cabin through the small cracks in the boarded-up windows, casting crazy illuminated shapes on the wall by my head. Blinking away any residual sleep, I rolled onto my back, watching as the dust motes floated about in the chilly air.

  My chest felt heavy, full of burden and dislike for myself. I didn’t want to be anything less than human, like the infected were, or the lunatics in Covey, but neither did I know any other way. Other than Leisel, and maybe Alex, everyone else was expendable. That was how I’d survived, the only way I knew how to survive.

  Reaching out beside me, I felt around for Leisel, needing her to ground me, to make me feel less wretched. Confused when my hand didn’t find her, I turned over on my side and found the bed empty. Sitting up abruptly, my hand curling around the handle of my blade, I hurriedly glanced around the cabin.

  And then I smiled.

  Seated up against the wall near the stove, Leisel was wrapped in Alex’s arms. Pressed against his chest, her features were slack in a peaceful sleep, while Alex was curled around her, his posture relaxed, his scowl gone, making him appear younger, like a man his age should look. I stared at them both, looking so at ease, that for a moment I forgot. Forgot where we were, forgot what happened to the world around us, forgot the pain and the torture and the ever-mounting guilt.

  It was a beautiful thing to see, two people released of their burdens, if only temporarily. And for a moment, seeing them released me of mine.

  Leaning back against the wall, letting my blade fall away, I continued watching them sleep, imagining a life for them. A softer life, with chocolate Christmas cakes and backyard barbeques.

  Time passed slowly, the soft, soothing sound of their heavy breathing comforting me to the point that I began to drift off again. Still thinking of better days, I closed my eyes, envisioning the four of us—Leisel and Alex, me and Jami—at the beach, laying out in the sun, cold beers in our hands. There’s a live band playing off in the distance, the sound of music floating on the summer breeze. Maybe there are even children playing beside us. Their tiny voices, and innocent, tinkling laughter. I’d always wanted children. Shawn and I had planned to have at least two.

  But then I saw Shawn as I’d last seen him, infected and dying, begging me to kill him before he ended up hurting me.

  Gritting my teeth, I quickly shook away the image of Shawn’s face, replacing it with Jami’s. Picturing our children with my strawberry-blonde coloring and his impish smile.

  He’d kissed me good-bye.

  A sob lodged in my throat, choking me out of my daydream and back into reality, into this harsh, ugly reality where Leisel, Alex, and I were inside a boarded-up ramshackle cabin where only a day ago a little girl had died.

  Rubbing my eyes, I moved to sit up straighter when a growling sort of groan sounded from just outside the cabin. Immediately I jumped out of bed, once again clutching my blade.

  The sound of my feet hitting the floor woke Alex, his eyes instantly alert and his body rigid. Leisel’s eyes were now open as well, wide and unblinking, and focused on the door.

  Another growl sounded, this time followed by a thump-thump on the wall, causing the door and windows to rattle.

  “Think we’ve been spotted?” I whispered dryly, already moving toward the boarded-up window.

  “It’s the blood,” Alex whispered back. He and Leisel had gotten to their feet and were quietly creeping toward me.

  I cursed quietly, silently berating myself for not remembering the trail of blood that little girl had left in her wake. It was probably all through the forest, leading the infected straight to us. I should have covered it, attempted to mask it somehow.

  “Shit,” I muttered, peeking through the boards. “This is bad.”

  I counted six infected, and that was only what I could readily see through the small gaps between the boards. There could be many more, and probably were. Worse, they clearly knew we were inside, and once they had their sights set on something or someone, nothing could divert their attention.

  As Alex joined me at the window, I moved aside, allowing him room to bend down and take a look for himself. He said nothing as he stared through the small space, though his hands curled into fists, his knuckles turning white.

  Running his hands through his hair, worry etched on his features, Alex moved away from the window and back to Leisel’s side, his body language fiercely protective. “We’re going to have to run for it.”

  “Run for it?” Leisel exclaimed softly, stepping around Alex. “But how many are there?”

  Rising up on her tiptoes, she peered through one of the cracks, her breath hitching. Backing slowly away, her shoulders trembling, she looked from me to Alex. “Are you kidding me?” she said shrilly, her eyes as round as saucers. “We can’t make it through that many. They’ll charge the door the second we open it!”

  At the sound of her voice, another thump-thump sounded on the wall of the cabin, followed by another and another.

  “Leisel!” Alex growled, glaring at her. “Keep your voice down.”

  Pulling my hands through my hair, I began to pace the room. They became noisier, more agitated, and the louder they became, the more attention they were going to attract. Soon we’d be blocked in by any and all nearby infected, and who knew how many that was. Fifty? A hundred?

  “Shit, what are we going to do?” I whispered frantically.

  “I told you,” Alex said. “We’re going to run for it.”

  Heading past me, Alex looked at the ceiling, probably for any sign of an alternative escape route. Shaking his head and muttering to himself, he moved toward the back wall, where he gently rapped his knuckles against the slatted wood. The answering sound was a hollow one, especially against the backdrop of all the noise the infected were making.

  “Alex?” Leisel whispered. “What are you doing?”

  “We make as much noise as we can on this wall,” he said, pointing. “We attract as many of them as possible to the back of the cabin, and then we make a run for it through the door.” Turning, he looked at us both, his expression determined. “It’s the only way out of here.”

  Leisel looked terrified, and though I refused to show it, I felt much the same. It was a shitty plan, yet it was the only plan we had.

  “Let’s do it,” I said, then lifted the makeshift bag of items we’d packed the night before and strapped it tightly to my back. Gripping my blade in one hand, I handed Leisel the hammer we’d found.

  “Leisel,” Alex said. “Be ready to open the door when I say to.”

  Holding the hammer like one would a baseball bat, she swallowed hard and nodded. Creeping slowly toward the door, she placed one hand on the lock, ready to flip it open when Alex told her to do so.

  Jerking his chin toward the wall, Alex began to bang on the wood, signaling for me to do the same. As his large fists repeatedly bashed against the wall, I both slapped and kicked at it, making as much noise as I could.

  “It’s working,” Leisel whi
spered loudly. “They’re moving, not all of them, but some are moving away.”

  We doubled our efforts, banging against the wall even harder and more enthusiastically than before, until eventually a thin sheen of sweat lined my forehead. I found myself envious of Alex’s strength; he wasn’t even remotely winded by the physical exertion, whereas I was quickly tiring. More determined than ever, I gritted my teeth and pounded harder. I would survive this world; Leisel and I would both survive this world.

  Soon, we weren’t the only ones pounding on the back wall. The infected were on the other side, their fists pounding in answer to ours, the growls and groans even louder than before.

  Looking over his shoulder, Alex glanced at Leisel. “How’s it look?”

  “There’s three that I can see,” she whispered back.

  Still banging on the wall, he glanced back to me. “On three, we run.” He waited for us both to nod in agreement before beginning to count, “One, two…three. Open the door!”

  We grabbed our weapons, Alex pausing to pick up a nearby chair as Leisel popped the lock open on the door.

  The door swung open, revealing three infected. They were older ones, their skin sunken in and blackened from exposure, their limbs little more than skin covering bone. They were missing their eyes, the reason they hadn’t followed the others, yet their ears seemed just fine as they growled ferociously in our direction, already bumbling toward the noise we’d made by simply opening the door.

  Using the chair, Alex shoved them backward and onto their backs, and then he grabbed Leisel’s hand and yanked her out of the cabin. We ran blindly through the clearing, not bothering to see if the other infected had spotted us.

  The trees were a blur as we ran, our footsteps loud and clumsy in the underbrush. Branches snagged my hair as I sped by but I never slowed, not even when my lungs burned and my muscles ached. Not even when sweat was slipping down my face and burning my eyes.

  Outside the clearing, the trees were denser, making it difficult to see where we were or where we were going. Yet we didn’t stop, not until we came to a steep bank that dropped to a wide river, another bank just as steep on the opposite side.

  Dizzy, I dropped to my knees and bent forward, my hands digging in the dirt as I tried to catch my breath. Leisel slumped to the ground beside me, her pale skin reddened from exertion, her dark hair slick with sweat. Together, we sucked in air at a rapid pace.

  “We…need…” Alex gasped, taking a moment to steady his breathing. “We need to…get across this.”

  Wiping her sleeve across her forehead, Leisel glanced up at him. “Why can’t we go around?” she asked, still breathless.

  “You don’t normally go around rivers,” he told her. “They could go on for miles.”

  “So, over?” she asked. “Or through it?”

  “Too dangerous to go through it,” Alex said, frowning as he surveyed the water below us. “If the current is strong enough, we’ll be pulled away.” Looking frustrated, he shook his head. “There are too many variables to consider.”

  Getting to my feet, my entire body protesting any sort of movement, I placed my hands on my hips and sighed noisily. “Then we go around,” I said pointedly, annoyed at our indecision. “There’s no point in just standing here talking about it.”

  About to offer my hand to Leisel, I found that Alex was already doing so. Taking her hand in his, he pulled her easily to her feet. For a moment the two of them just stood there, him looking down at her, her looking up at him, leaving me feeling incredibly awkward.

  Clearing my throat, I turned away, purposely letting my steps fall heavier than usual. Soon, I heard the two of them walking behind me and I slowed, allowing them to catch up.

  As we walked on in silence, constantly on guard, I couldn’t help but think how fortunate it was that we’d woken up as early as we had. We were going to need as much daylight as possible in order to find a safe place to spend the night.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Leisel

  “What do you miss the most, Eve?” I asked, slowing my pace until we walked side by side. We hadn’t seen an infected for hours, something that wasn’t surprising considering how deep in the woods we were. The trees were unbelievably thick here, proving to be formidable obstacles in some places, and the ground wholly uneven, all of it making for a tiresome journey. Still, it was beautiful to look at. The normally green leaves, having begun to succumb to the changing seasons, were turning vibrant shades of amber, crimson, and violet. It had been so long since I’d had the peace of mind to simply enjoy nature in its true glory.

  Peace of mind aside, by mid-afternoon, the sun high in the sky, I was growing weary and in desperate need of a distraction, something to keep my mind from dwelling on my mounting aches and pains.

  “That’s a silly question,” Evelyn said, wrinkling her nose at me. “You know what I miss the most. Who I miss the most.”

  “No.” I hurried to fix my mistake. “I didn’t mean it like that. I meant what stupid and insignificant things do you miss? Not from Fredericksville, but from…before?”

  I was taking a risk by bringing up the past yet again; Evelyn never talked about it. But after our heart-to-heart she seemed more open to it, finally willing to remember what life had been like before the virus had taken a foothold in our lives. At least, until the incident back at the cabin.

  “Oh.” She pursed her lips. “Hmm, you mean other than Starbucks and cold beer and bikinis?” She smirked at me. “I miss ice.” Sighing happily, she said, “I miss ice and ice cream and popsicles and frozen margaritas. I miss anything that isn’t room temperature.” She shrugged her shoulders and sighed again. “What do you miss the most, Lei?”

  “Hot showers that don’t require boiling water,” I offered. “And shaving. God, I really miss shaving. Oh, and Butterfingers, water that doesn’t taste tinny… Oh! And I really miss my slipper boots, you remember the ones, right? Pink with—”

  “How could I forget them?” Evelyn interrupted, making a face. “They looked like giant fuzzy pink marshmallows.”

  “They were really comfortable.”

  “No, Lei, they were really ugly.”

  I stuck my tongue out at her before sparing a quick glance down at my baggy outfit. Letting out a little huff, I said, “I miss my clothes too.”

  “You have never cared about your clothes!” Evelyn protested. “I had to practically drag you to the mall with me.”

  “I didn’t care much about my clothes,” I said, correcting her. “But the difference is they were my clothes, and I happened to like them very much.” I gestured down at my ridiculous ensemble. “This,” I said pointedly, “I dislike very much.”

  Evelyn slowed her pace, leveling me with a look of disbelief. “Are you the one wearing a skintight pink nightie, Lei? With hearts and stars on it?”

  Ahead of us, Alex barked out a harsh-sounding laugh, startling me. Evelyn and I looked at each other, our eyes wide with surprise. Had Alex just…laughed?

  Readjusting her makeshift sack, Evelyn brought a hand to her face, cupping her mouth. “I think that’s the first time Alex has ever laughed,” she whispered. “Ever.”

  “I agree,” I whispered back. “It did sound a little rusty.”

  “I can hear you,” Alex muttered, not bothering to spare us a glance. “And I think you both sound like spoiled little girls. Your clothes are clean and dry—it shouldn’t matter what the hell they look like.”

  Evelyn turned to me, her eyes wide with amusement. You both sound like spoiled little girls, she mouthed mockingly.

  Looking away, I clapped my hand over my mouth, swallowing back my threatening laughter. Yet Evelyn continued to mimic Alex, even going as far as to imitate the way he was walking, his shoulders squared, his back ramrod straight. All in all, he had a sort of marching quality about him.

  “By the way,” Evelyn whispered again, and I felt a soft pinch on my arm. “Did you kiss him last night?”

  My eyes widened, and I
dropped my gaze to the forest floor. Feeling my face grow warm, I bit my bottom lip and continued walking, studiously ignoring her. I felt another pinch, and another, and then Evelyn began poking me, over and over again. It didn’t matter how fast I walked, her legs were longer and quicker than mine. Each time I tried speeding up, she was still right there, still poking me in the arm. Only once did Alex glance over his shoulder, seeing what we were doing, acting like ridiculous children. He’d rolled his eyes and quickly looked away.

  “Yes!” I suddenly hissed, unable to take another second of her incessant poking. “I kissed him!” Coming to an abrupt stop, I spun on her, pointing an accusatory finger. But when I found her smiling, grinning actually, I couldn’t stay mad. I just couldn’t. Not with her.

  The news seem to thrill Evelyn, who proceeded to let out a small squeak of excitement. Looping her arm through mine, she pulled me close, and together we started walking again.

  “Hurry up,” Alex called out. “You’re falling behind.”

  “I hope he’s more fun to kiss than he is to travel with,” Evelyn whispered.

  “Shh!” I admonished softly. “Shut your mouth!”

  “I can still hear you,” Alex called out, his tone dry, yet with a hint of amusement. “Loud and clear.”

  Feeling a startling amount of contentment, I pressed my lips together and cast my gaze downward, smiling to myself. I couldn’t recall the last time I’d felt so…okay.

  I couldn’t lie and say that I was happy, not with the infected as well as the living an ever-present threat. Not when there was no way of knowing how or when we were going to get our next meal, let alone find a safe place to spend the night.

  But at the very least, in that singular moment, I felt better than I could remember feeling in a long time. Freer, and more like myself than I had been in years.