The Hunger (Book 4): Ruined

by Brant, Jason

  One of the men who ran past Brandon called, “They gonna shoot us if we just run up on their front door? I don’t wanna die tired, n’at!”

  “They know we’re coming!” Charlie huffed from carrying some of Brandon’s weight. “They’ll protect us if we get close enough!”

  Both kids bawled, though their cries were barely audible over the din of the damned. Lance’s boy had shrunk down, burrowing his face into his dad’s neck. His tiny arms clung onto Lance for dear life.

  Bill hopped from the van, chased after the group. “They’re right on our ass!”

  Just as Bill reached him, Brandon forced himself to glance back. He spotted a handful of demons reaching the barricade. They paused on top of the vehicles and roared at the sky, a signal to the others that they’d reached their prey.

  Lance saw them, too.

  He stopped.

  Pried his kid away from his neck.

  The boy kicked and screamed as he tried to hold on to his father.

  Lance held him out to his wife. “Take him!”

  “No, we’re all—”

  “There’s no time! Get him safe!”

  The blonde woman glanced from the demons to Lance and back again. She handed him the rifle and took the boy, who continued to wriggle and squirm. “Come back to us.”

  “I will.” Lance spun around and dropped to a knee as Bill did the same. “Now run!”

  They fired at the horde closing in.

  45

  Cass pulled Lincoln tight against her chest, grimacing at the thudding ache in her back. She tried to run down the street, but it was more of a hobble than a sprint. Lincoln kicked against her stomach, babbling for his father.

  If she weren’t consumed by panic, Lincoln’s pleas would have broken her heart. Leaving Lance behind was the last thing she ever wanted to do again, but they’d both agreed long ago that they would do whatever possible to keep their son alive. If that meant sacrificing the other, then so be it.

  But that was easier said than done. It was simple to say she’d leave her significant other behind, but something else entirely to go through with it when the time came. The gunfire behind them made Cass want to turn around and fight.

  Instead, she pushed on, moving as fast as she could.

  Megan broke away from Emmett and shoved him ahead. “Go! I’ll catch up!”

  “No!” Emmett stopped, holding Finn in one of his arms, reaching back for his wife. “I won’t leave you!”

  “Two guns won’t keep them back,” Megan screamed, her voice barely audible over the gunfire and approaching vampires. “Get Finn out of here!”

  Emmett looked to Cass for help.

  “Run, damn you,” she shouted at him.

  Finn reached over Emmett’s shoulder for Megan as she stalked away from them. She raised her rifle. Emmett watched her moving away for several seconds before turning and running after Cass.

  “We’ll come back for them,” Cass said. Lincoln finally stopped kicking at her stomach, but he continued to sob into her ear and clutch her neck. That was fine for now as his grip took some of the weight off her fatigued arm.

  She held the axe in the clenched fingers of her other hand.

  Her legs were exhausted with a bone-deep ache, her left foot starting to drag again. She pushed on, needing to get to the building with the stupid name. After she dropped Lincoln off, she would grab someone’s gun and run, or shamble was more like it, back to Lance and pull his ass out of the fire.

  Lilith and Greg moved a hair faster than Cass, slowly passing by. Wobbly legs made Lilith’s gate unsteady, most of her weight held up by Greg. He whispered to her as they stumbled along, though Cass doubted Lilith could hear anything he said through her sobs. Her entire body shook with grief as they headed toward the soft glow ahead of them.

  Innumerable wails surrounded them from all directions. The overwhelming pounding in their ears grew more painful with every second. Cass didn’t want to guess at how many vampires closed in on them from alleys and through buildings. The darkness kept them hidden for now, though it wouldn’t be long before they leapt from the shadows.

  Cass gripped the axe handle tighter, knowing she would have to use it soon. Craning her neck to see over her shoulder, she spotted Lance, Bill, and Megan retreating as they continued firing. Throngs of Vladdies cleared the barricade behind them. Dozens of thrashing bodies littered the street, bleeding and bleating, many still crawling forward.

  Ahead of her, Cass watched as Paul and Liz pulled away from the rest of them. Neither carried anything or had suffered any wounds. A flash of anger burst through Cass at the sight.

  She wanted them to be safe, knew Paul would come back for them.

  But she desperately needed to get Lincoln to safety, and seeing others do what she couldn’t had her boiling. She gritted her teeth and moved faster, ignoring the grinding sensation in her back, the way her foot dragged a little more with each step.

  Paul skidded to a stop, his hand snaking out to grab Liz by the arm. She yanked herself free and hollered something unintelligible at him. He grabbed her again with both hands this time, then pulled her back to him.

  Cass saw what had stopped him in his tracks.

  A Vladdie stood in the middle of the street.

  It reared back and roared at the sky, thumping its chest like a silverback gorilla.

  The entire group halted at the cry before them.

  Cass stopped beside Emmett, watching as the beast fell to all fours. It stayed in place, tilting its head sideways and sniffing at the air. When it slammed its hands down on the street, the monstrosity shrieked again, this time straight at them.

  Paul backed up, towing Liz with him.

  This time, she didn’t protest.

  Another Vladdie leapt from the window of a second-story apartment. It landed in the street beside the first. This one stood taller than the other, its chest and shoulders thicker. It was barely more than a shadow, but Cass could tell this one was more aggressive by its movement. It took two bounding steps forward and stopped, howling at its next meal.

  Cass decided to ruin its dinnertime.

  She moved to Emmett. “Take him.”

  “What?” he asked, bewildered, barely able to pry his gaze from the horrors ahead.

  “Take Lincoln.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Kill those fuckers.”

  “How?”

  Cass held the axe up between them.

  “You can’t take two on with just an axe!”

  “Watch me.” Cass tried to pry Lincoln’s grip from her neck, but couldn’t manage it with just one hand.

  The boy’s cries intensified when he felt what she was trying to do. “No! No, Momma, no!”

  Cass leaned forward and pushed Lincoln into Emmet’s chest, forcing him to reach out and take hold of her son. “Hurry up, before they decide Paul looks like a tasty appetizer.”

  The Vladdie took another step in Paul and Liz’s direction.

  Behind them, Lance and Megan were reloading, still retreating backward toward the group. They didn’t have an angle to shoot in front of the others to take out the Vladdies that blocked their escape. Their attention remained in the other direction anyway. Even if they knew of the danger ahead, slowing the encroaching hordes from the rear was more important at the moment.

  Emmett reluctantly took hold of Lincoln. Helped pull him away. A tear spilling down her cheek, Cass stood on her toes and kissed her wonderful boy. He reached out for her just as she swung around, his little hands grasping at the air.

  She staggered ahead, dragging her leg along. The axe swayed in front of her, held in both hands by her waist. Her sweaty hair dangled in her eyes, swishing from side-to-side as she glowered at the vampires through it.

  Anyone seeing her for the first time would have assumed she was a feral, insane woman with a death wish. They might have been right on a few of those counts just then.

  “Watch out,” Cass hollered as she stalke
d past Greg and Lilith.

  Paul continued backing away, propelling Liz along with him as he shielded her from the Vladdie with his body. They hadn’t married in a small ceremony on the island the way Cass and Lance or Megan and Emmett had, but they’d lived together the entire time as a couple.

  They fought constantly, whether in private or in front of the others. Cass and Lance had often wondered if they actually liked each other or were just together because no one else was around.

  A true last-man-on-earth situation.

  Seeing Paul protect her in such a way made Cass question her perception of them. Maybe the Wildman of Monroeville and Lance’s annoying ex-wife actually had a relationship with a bit more romance than she thought. Or maybe he was just running on instinct.

  Cass yelled at them to back up. Paul briefly cut his gaze to her, not wanting to take his eyes off the advancing vampire. He angled to the left, giving Cass a straight shot at the beast. That worked for her. Having to walk even three extra steps with her bum leg would have slowed her too much.

  When she got in front of them, she stopped and raised the axe in front of her chest. “Come and get it, bitch.”

  The Vladdie paused, sniffing at its new adversary.

  It hissed.

  Sprang forward.

  Cass anticipated the attack, knowing that most of them pounced on their prey, intent on overpowering them with their corded muscles so they could slice away with their talons. She stepped to the right and swung the axe over her shoulder.

  The Vladdie’s momentum sent it past her, just as she’d hoped.

  It squawked as the axe embedded in its shoulder, the arm attached to the joint falling instantly slack. The beast staggered away, its hand dragging across the street, and fell against a sign that read No Parking.

  Cass took a step toward it, but the Vladdie got up and slinked around the sign, shambling toward a building on the other side of the street, taking the axe with it.

  The remaining vampire wailed at her.

  Half a dozen more leapt from windows and emerged from the shadows of doorways, stepping into the road. Ten more followed them, emptying from alleys and drainage grates. They piled onto the sidewalks and into the four-lane highway.

  Cass watched as the wounded vampire disappeared inside what used to be a pawnshop, the axe still embedded in its shoulder. She turned and hollered for Lance, hoping he could help, but saw the horde behind them had moved dangerously close to her husband. They would be on him in seconds.

  The Vladdies weren’t just spilling over the cars behind them, but springing atop the buildings and scampering across the walls. The entire city descended upon Cass’ motley crew.

  Lance’s gun clicked empty.

  He turned, caught Cass’ gaze.

  The sorrow in his eyes told her it was all over.

  “Everyone down,” a voice boomed from ahead.

  Blinding lights switched on in the street, coming from behind the Vladdies that had cut off their escape route. The brightness overwhelmed Cass, blinding her. The entire street had lit up like it was high noon.

  “Down,” the voice bellowed again. “Open fire!”

  Flailing her arms around, Cass managed to grab hold of Emmett, heaving him down to the concrete.

  The Vladdies yowled under the lights in pain. Cass caught shadows moving across her vision as her eyes adjusted, the vampires fleeing for the darkness.

  A thunderous torrent of gunfire erupted at the end of the street, bullets flying overhead. The vampires before them jittered and danced as rounds Swiss-cheesed their bodies. Blood misted the air, coated the ground.

  “Duck,” Cass screamed as she positioned herself in front of the children. “Get down!”

  Most of the others stood stock-still, shocked by the dazzling light and gunfire.

  She didn’t know if the others heard her or if they ducked because of the enormous amount of lead flying by, but they all finally dove to ground. A bullet whizzed past Cass’ ear, close enough to tussle her hair. The boys cried against Emmett as he hugged them close, shielding their tiny bodies with his own.

  Lance sprawled on the street beside Eifort.

  The horde behind them attempted to retreat, but were cut down in a hail of gunfire. Their flesh burned under the glaring lights trained on them. They bleated and ran, bled and died. Bullets cut through the cars comprising the barricade, smashed out windows, and chipped away at the brick exteriors of the surrounding buildings.

  Cass turned back to the mouth of the street, saw Paul grimacing as he held a hand to his arm, blood seeping from between his fingers. Cass assumed he’d caught a stray round. She widened her frame as much as possible, attempting to help shield the boys from any errant bullets.

  The gunfire eased, then stopped, the last shots reverberating through the city. Smoke billowed from the end of the street, clouding the area between the lights and Cass.

  “Let’s move,” the voice shouted. “They’ll be back with reinforcements!”

  Lance was already up, sprinting toward Cass. He bent, hauled Emmett to his feet, then swooped Cass up. He looped an arm around her back, grasping the waistband of her pants beside her hip. After tossing his empty rifle to the ground, he took Lincoln from Emmett. “Daddy’s gotcha, buddy.”

  They hustled as quickly as they could for the lights. Bodies of dead and wounded Vladdies covered the pavement. Lance guided them through the maze as the others rose around them. Liz helped Paul, while Charlie assisted Brandon.

  Megan joined Emmett as they ran ahead of others, neither having suffered any wounds.

  Bill charged down the street. Practically shoved Charlie aside. He pulled one of the kid’s arms over his shoulders and grabbed the back of his pants, nearly pulling him off his feet. “I got him. Run!”

  A gibbering sound came from Brandon’s mouth as Bill manhandled him.

  The group surged forward, some moving faster than others.

  Shrieks followed them from a distance, though their volume seemed to have softened only a bit. Once they regrouped, Cass had no doubt they would overwhelm whatever force had fought them back. They’d suffered from a surprise attack, but wouldn’t fall for it again.

  The lights ahead stayed on, though they’d moved away. The man with the booming voice continued shouting for them to run faster. Cass ignored him, focusing on maintaining her gait as much as possible. Her leg dragged more with each step, the pain in her back numbing somewhat from adrenaline, but the damage there kept her limb from functioning correctly.

  A stench almost strong enough to gag on wafted from the dead bodies. They stank of spoiled milk and pennies. Spent gunpowder fought to overcome the funk, but paled in comparison to the dead beasts.

  Shadows moved in front of the lights as people reloaded their guns, following the orders of the loud man. Cass could make out more details as they drew nearer, seeing at least twenty men, all armed to the teeth, in a shoulder-to-shoulder line by the lights. They wore regular clothing, not the uniforms Cass had expected for some reason.

  Their age ranged from fifteen all the way to a silver-bearded man of at least sixty. They were a motley crew of fighters who had fought back an army of the infected in the middle of a city, even if only for a few moments.

  Several of the fighters clutched metal stands that sat atop casters, which held massive spotlights. To Cass, the lights resembled the ones Commissioner Gordon used to signal Batman. Only these didn’t have a bat symbol on them. The men wheeled the contraption backward, heading in the direction of the glow Cass had seen earlier.

  “This way,” the loud guy shouted. “They’re coming back!”

  Cass glanced around, spotted a Vladdie dashing across a rooftop behind them. The vampires would no doubt stay in the shadows until they were close enough to spring down on them this time.

  Turning the corner at the end of the block with Lance and Lincoln, she spotted an immense building lit up like a Christmas tree. The tall structure illuminated the entire surrounding area, ca
sting a welcoming glow onto buildings and streets stretching in all directions. Defensive structures jutted from the sidewalk around it, constructed out of sharpened construction beams and rebar molded into points.

  “Whoa.” Cass stopped for a moment to stare at the spectacle, nearly falling over as Lance kept moving, hauling her with him.

  The building stood at least a hundred yards away, a distance that would have been impossible for them to cross if not for the incredible brilliance flooding the space between the group and the safe haven. The Vladdies would have overcome them if the lights weren’t there to repel them.

  “On me!” A short bald man, who sounded like the voice that had ordered them to duck, waved for everyone to fall in line behind him. “We’ll have covering fire if we can get close to The Light!”

  Though Cass still thought the name of the building was dumb, she could at least appreciate why they called it that now.

  Bill half carried Brandon ahead of them, moving at a surprising pace considering the kid’s feet were dragging across the pavement. The others followed him, shuffling as quickly as they could. Vladdies wailed from the rooftops and shadows, their cries drawing ever closer.

  Lincoln held onto Lance’s neck for dear life.

  They crossed ten yards, twenty-five.

  The men hauling the lights brought up the rear, keeping the beams pointed at the buildings behind them. Vladdies danced in and out of the light, their pale skin flashing by.

  When they’d reached the midway point to the building, guns fired from the main entrance. Cass saw another twenty or thirty people standing by the open front doors, popping off rounds at the oncoming Vladdies.

  She didn’t look back, afraid of what she’d see.

  The chorus of cries behind them inched closer.

  They reached the front door, Lance nearly dragging her past the guards, and plunged over the threshold. A massive lobby stretched before them, metal-reinforced windows comprising most of the walls. Guns and tools stood in the corners. Lined the edges of the granite floor. Several elevators stood ahead.

  Lance eased her to the floor before handing Lincoln to her. “Stay here.”