Thicker than Blood Read online

  Alex, unlike Leisel, seemed grateful for my distraction. Sighing, he glanced toward the barn. “I’m not sure we should risk it.”

  I realized then that he was anxious, if not downright nervous at the idea of us taking on so many infected. I’d become accustomed to his gruff and usually no-nonsense demeanor, that hearing him sound so apprehensive made me suddenly feel unsure about attempting to clear this place.

  “Maybe we could draw them away somehow?” Leisel suggested with a sigh, though she still looked annoyed and more than a little put out.

  “There’s too many now,” Alex said, shaking his head. “Way more than there were earlier.”

  I raised an eyebrow but didn’t voice my annoyance. After all, I had suggested we stop earlier when we’d first passed by. “They aren’t fresh,” I offered instead. “They won’t be quick. I think we can clear them.”

  Dragging a hand through his short beard, Alex pressed his lips into a thin line. His eyes were darker than normal, his uncertainty spilling over into his features.

  “Anything goes wrong, you run,” he said, his gaze landing on Leisel. “Got it? You goddamn run.” He looked at me than, and I found myself grateful that I hadn’t been overlooked, that he’d wanted me safe as well, even if it was merely because he knew Leisel wouldn’t survive on her own. It gave me back some sense of purpose.

  Leisel’s eyes narrowed in response, but instead of coming back at him with another smartass remark, she simply nodded her head in acceptance. Glancing at me, she gave a slight shake of her head, and I knew there was no chance in hell she’d run, not without me, at least. I was her best friend, her only family left, and she’d never leave me anywhere, just as I wouldn’t leave her.

  Alex had somehow gotten absorbed into our family as well, though his place in it was still somewhat uncertain to me. I trusted him, I respected him even, as well as Leisel’s feelings toward him, but if it came down to it, I would choose Leisel over him. And I hoped she would do the same for me.

  “Then let’s do this,” Alex said, pulling a tire iron from his belt loop. Though he still carried his rifle, there were no bullets, the weapon more for show than anything else.

  As I gripped my blade and Leisel her hammer, the three of us started forward. The closer we drew to the barn, the more aware the infected became of us, and slowly they began to stumble in our direction. A rush of adrenaline burned low in my belly, making my entire body quiver with nerves. I glanced at Leisel, wondering at her well-being, but found her looking far more determined than I felt.

  “Split up!” Alex shouted, and jogged off to the side as the first infected closed in. It was an ugly-looking thing, its gender no longer distinguishable in the mass of rotting skin and jutting bones. Alex, having circled it, sent the sharp end of his iron into the back of its skull, killing it before it had the chance to turn fully around and face him. Yanking the weapon out quickly, Alex sent the infected crumpling to the ground, and then he swung left, sending the iron straight into the face of another approaching infected, tearing off its cheek and causing it to stumble to the side.

  That was the last I saw of him, as I was suddenly faced with my own battle. Two infected rapidly approached me, and as I shouted a warning to Leisel, I found that she was no longer beside me but running in a wide arc around the two coming at me, headed straight for a third that was gaining on us. My heartbeat spiked with worry for her, but there was nothing I could do, not with the two still coming at me.

  Avoiding its gnashing teeth, I shoved the first of them, pushing it backward. It staggered, bumping into the second, though it didn’t fall like I’d hoped. I was forced to run a circle around it, slamming my blade into the skull of the second, leaving me very little time to pull my weapon free before the first managed to bring itself fully around.

  Shouting, I ripped my blade free from its head, shoving the prone body of the second infected into the first, thankfully with enough force that I managed to topple it over. About to bend down and put it out of its misery, I paused as something sharp grazed my arm, and I whipped around to come face-to-face with yet another one. I slashed out wildly, the tip of my blade shredding the remaining skin on its throat into ribbons of leathery flesh, causing thick black gunk to well out from within. The wounds I created did nothing to divert its attention from me.

  As it continued to come at me, I hurried backward, not watching where I was going, and ended up snagging the back of my foot on something. I glanced down, only for a second, though long enough to realize I’d stumbled on the two previous infected, one dead and the other still alive beneath it.

  It was only a matter of seconds, the time I spent looking down, righting my balance in order to avoid the teeth of the pinned infected, but it was enough time for the approaching one to reach me, to wrap its decaying hand around my wrist and lurch forward. Screaming, I shoved at its chest, desperate to avoid its teeth. It nearly bit me, its chin grazing my forearm as I struggled to free myself from its grasp. I felt a tug on my pant leg and then another, and when I spared a glance downward, I found the pinned infected had managed to somewhat free itself, and with chomping teeth was about to take a bite out of my leg.

  Still screaming, I gripped the throat of the infected, its skin dry and yet rubbery beneath my fingers. I pulled and sent us both sprawling to the right, where we fell in a heap of tangled limbs. The thing writhed on top of me, and just when I thought it was hopeless, its mangled face mere inches from my own, there was a flurry of movement, a crack and a thump, and though its body remained on top of me, its head was suddenly gone.

  Above me stood Leisel, holding her hammer in a two-handed grip. She was covered in sweat, but her brown eyes were gleaming. “You okay?” she asked, breathless.

  Shoving the headless body off of me, I rolled over and jumped to my feet. I gave Leisel a winded whisper of thanks, then scoured the area for Alex, finding him surrounded by six infected, with several more on their way toward him.

  “Let’s go!” I shouted, taking off across the field.

  What used to be a woman shambled into our path, its tattered dress swaying over its bony body. It growled loudly, sounding pained, and the sound sent shivers down my spine. Running behind it, I slammed my blade into the base of its neck, and though it fell to the ground, it continued to twitch and groan. From behind me, Leisel came forward swinging and sent her hammer into the infected’s temple, crushing it like a watermelon. Black sludge poured out amid the shattered bits of its skull, and a toxic foul smell was released.

  More growls erupted to our left from a small group making their way toward us. Waving frantically at Leisel, I motioned for her to help Alex while I took off running into the oncoming fray.

  As I was running, I ducked and wrapped my arm around the waist of the first infected in the group. With a grunt, I shoved it into the ones behind it and they all fell like bowling pins, one by one, leaving them all piled on top of one another.

  After wiping the sweat from my eyes, I bent down and took out the first of the pile, sending my blade into its eye and twisting. After that, it was easy pickings. Over and over again, I slammed my blade into each of their heads and finished them off quickly.

  Turning, I found Alex and Leisel down to two remaining infected, a walker and a crawler. Leisel was bent down in the tall grass, her hammer lifted high above her head, waiting as it crawled closer toward her before sending the blunt end down onto the top of its head, shattering what remained of its skull.

  Alex was wrestling with the walker that used to be a man, tall and large, and not nearly as decayed as the others. There wasn’t enough room between them to manage a good swing with the iron. Grunting, Alex sent his fist into the base of its jaw, knocking it back a few steps, and giving him the space he needed to lift the tire iron over his head and send the lug end of it directly onto the top of the infected’s head. Skin split and rotten blood, both black and red, sprayed out from the wound, a sign that this infected had been recently turned. With a shout, Alex lift
ed his arm, shielding his face from the splatter.

  Unfazed, and despite the blood running down its face, the infected kept coming for him. Just as I was beginning to worry, my stomach sinking as it quickly gained on Alex, Leisel appeared behind it, sending her hammer into its side.

  It turned to face her, reaching for her just as Alex righted himself and again brought the tire iron down on its head. This time, its skull split wide open, and after swaying for a moment, its large body folded and crumpled to the ground.

  Without the growling and moaning from the infected, it was suddenly eerily quiet as the three of us made our way toward one another. Sweating, all of us breathing hard, we came together in an awkward hug, Leisel sandwiched between Alex and me.

  Leisel was grinning, her eyes lit with an excitement I was positive I’d never seen on her before, while Alex was staring down at her in a stupor. I mirrored his feelings, completely taken aback by how well she’d fought, how determined she’d been, and how it had been her alone who’d saved us both.

  “We did it!” she exclaimed, and I could tell she was more proud of herself than either of us.

  “We did,” I said, smiling at her.

  “And you were right, Eve,” she said, still smiling. “That was fucking awesome!”

  I choked on a laugh. Leisel almost never cursed, and to hear her do so was yet more evidence of how far she had come and how much she had changed. The timid Leisel I knew was slowly disappearing as a stronger, more independent woman appeared before my eyes, and I was proud to witness it.

  Alex pulled away from us, his gaze lifting over my head and beyond. “There’s still the barn, and whatever is inside it.”

  Across the way, the barn loomed ominously over us, the setting sun in the distance causing the dilapidated structure to cast a large shadow over the field. An answering shiver rippled up my spine.

  “Do you think there are people inside?” Leisel asked.

  “If there are,” Alex said, his gaze fixed on the barn, “then they’re assholes for not helping us.”

  “They could have been bitten. Maybe they turned?” Leisel suggested innocently.

  “Only one way to find out,” I said. Threading my fingers through hers, I clutched her hand tightly. “Ready?”

  • • •

  Placing an ear against the barn’s large double doors, Alex listened intently for any sound coming from within while Leisel and I waited in silence behind him. Seeming satisfied, he attempted pulling at the doors, only to find them locked from the inside. Glancing over his shoulder, he grimaced. “Someone is in there,” he said, his voice low. “Or some…thing is in there.”

  Curling his hand into a fist, he brought it up to the door and hammered at the wood. “You can come out!” he shouted. “It’s safe now!”

  Alex backed quickly away, his tire iron ready to swing, then gestured for us to follow him. Seconds ticked by as we waited for any sort of sound, yet nothing came.

  Grinding his teeth together, Alex stormed forward and again banged on the doors. Glancing up at the waning sunlight, his scowl only deepened.

  I knew how he felt. We were tired, hungry, beyond thirsty, needing more than anything a safe place to set our aching bodies down for just a moment.

  “I’m going to count to three!” Alex shouted. “And then I’m breaking in! One! T—”

  The doors rattled, the sound cutting him off. Immediately he took a step back, his body shielding us from whatever might be inside. Another sound rang out, much like that of chains clanking together, and then one of the doors slowly opened, revealing the pale, dirty face of a teenage boy. A man appeared behind him, older, in his midforties, with long dark hair streaked with gray and an equally long beard.

  They were both frowning, looking less than pleased to see us. Worry coursed through my body, and I clutched tighter to Leisel’s hand. If they had guns…

  As if only now noticing Leisel and me, the older man’s frown lifted into a smile. “Well, well, well,” he said, stepping out from behind the boy as his eyes raked us over from head to toe. “Mighty fine of you pretty ladies to come and save our sorry asses.”

  His eyes flickered back to Alex, and his smile disappeared. “I’m Bryce,” he continued, holding out his hand. “This here is Mike.”

  Warily, Alex took his hand, giving it a firm shake before quickly releasing it. “Alex,” he grunted.

  “Are they yours?” Mike asked, looking around Bryce to Leisel and me. “Or are they up for grabs?”

  Beside me, Leisel sucked in a breath, her fingernails digging into the skin on my hand. Remembering what Alex had told us—that women were currency—my chest suddenly tightened as my heart began to hammer painfully inside it.

  “They’re both mine,” Alex growled. The hand gripping his tire iron began to twitch, his knuckles turning white as his entire body tensed.

  “Forgive the boy,” Bryce said, giving Mike a shove backward. “He ain’t got no damn manners. Damn shame, though.” Sucking in his bottom lip behind yellowing teeth, Bryce grinned at me. “This one looks right up my alley.”

  Despite myself, I scowled at him, only succeeding in earning myself a small chuckle from both Bryce and Mike.

  “How did you get stuck in there?” Alex gritted out.

  Bryce shrugged. “We were scavenging for supplies when Mike here tripped and cut his damn leg open. Before we knew it, we had goddamn rotters coming at us from every direction. Couldn’t find anywhere to stop and bandage the wound, not until we got here, but by then we had a whole mess of ’em following us.”

  “So you locked yourself inside,” I said dryly. “How smart of you.”

  Bryce looked back at me with an appraising grin. “That we did, sweetheart. Wasn’t too sure how we were gonna get outta here, neither. Speaking of, we should all get inside.”

  Shoving Mike backward, Bryce headed back inside the barn, gesturing for us to follow him. The three of us shared a wary glance, but having few other options, we eventually followed.

  It was murky inside, dark, and just plain filthy, dust and grime clinging to everything. A small tractor sat on the left, moldy bales of hay stacked on the right, and above us was a second-story loft, the ladder leading up to it hanging splintered and broken.

  “There’s a barrel of rainwater over there, ladies,” Bryce said, pointing off into the dark depths of the barn. “Something to clean up with, at least, while us men have ourselves a little chat.”

  Even in the fading light, I could see him grinning, and I had to bite my tongue so as not to respond with something biting in return. Tugging on Leisel’s arm, I pulled her off into the darkness, leaving Alex behind.

  The barrel was old, the water inside it smelled awful, but it was water and we were filthy. Glancing behind me, ensuring that no one could see us, I lifted my top over my head and dunked it inside the barrel, using it to clean my face and torso. Although hot and sticky, the water was surprisingly cool and refreshing. Following my lead, Leisel pulled the top of her dress down to her waist then proceeded to bring up handfuls of water to pour over her bare chest.

  “Do you think this is safe?” she whispered as she slipped back into her dress.

  “I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “But it’s safer than being outside.”

  “And when we sleep?” she bit out, making it clear that she didn’t approve of us staying, didn’t trust these men, and that if the shit hit the fan, Alex and I would be to blame.

  “Sleep with one eye open,” I quipped back, purposely avoiding her glare.

  Eventually Alex joined us, taking the space between Leisel and me, and quickly removed his T-shirt. He dunked it into the water and brought the soaking material up to his chest, squeezing it and sending water cascading down his body. Leisel, her worry suddenly forgotten, openly gawked at him, watching with wide eyes as his biceps flexed with his every movement. Water poured down over his rippled abdomen, and I worried she might start drooling at any moment.

  Though I wanted t
o laugh at her expression, I didn’t blame her. Alex was an attractive man, young and muscular with sharp, distinctive features. Back in Fredericksville I’d never given him a second glance; he’d always seemed too clean-cut for my taste. But now, having gotten to know him, I’d since begun to appreciate him.

  The beard had definitely helped.

  “I think they’re okay,” he whispered, turning his gaze back on us. “They said they have a large camp not far from here, where we can load up with supplies.”

  My eyes widened at the revelation. “A camp? Do you trust them?”

  “I don’t trust anyone,” he said with a shrug. “But they seem harmless.”

  “Harmless?” Leisel whispered angrily. “Did you see the way they were looking at us? We need to keep going. I don’t trust them.”

  “I tried to tell you,” Alex hissed, sounding equally as angry as Leisel. “The world is broken. I’ve seen places worse than Fredericksville, women being traded like food. But it doesn’t change the fact that we need gas and food and weapons and clothes…” His hands gripping the edge of the barrel, he glanced between us, his features twisted in frustration, his nostrils flaring as he tried and failed to compose himself. “Shit!” he whispered. “We need everything!”

  I felt sympathy for him, because as a man in this world he held a great advantage over women, and though I truly hated that concept, I had no choice but to accept that this was the way things were now. But that advantage also weighed heavily on him. Every option we had could potentially be a dangerous one, a burden he had to carry all on his own.

  Reaching across the barrel, I placed my hand on Leisel’s arm. “Let’s just see how we feel in the morning. Alex is right—we need so much, and right now we won’t make it much longer without supplies.” Glancing up at Alex, then back to Leisel, I gave her a pointed look. “I trust Alex’s opinion,” I said, “so let’s just see how this plays out.”

  Leisel outright glared at me, as if I’d just gone and broken the number-one girl code of honor by siding with a man over her. Undeterred, I held my gaze with hers, staring back at her until she sighed and rolled her eyes.