Zombie Island
Page 15
When Ryder’s breathing has slowed a little, he looks over at me and frowns. “Are you alright?”
I nod, trying to calm my racing heart. “I don’t think I’ve ever come this close to being eaten. Even the ambush as the gas station wasn’t this bad, right?”
“Yeah, this was pretty bad. I can’t believe I was stupid enough to drop my weapon. That’s one of the first things I learned: never drop your weapon, or you risk dying or getting others killed. I dropped my bow, and we both almost died because of it.”
“Don’t only blame yourself. I dropped my gun, too. And if I hadn’t screamed, you might not have gotten so distracted. So, if you wanna blame anyone, blame me. I’m the reason we’re stuck up in a tree with no food, one bottle of water, and no weapons.”
He sighs. “Thank you.”
“You’re supposed to blame me, not thank me,” I say, looking at him.
“Thank you for saving me. That was quick thinking with the shoe. If you hadn’t thrown it when you did, I’d probably be the main course of a zombie luncheon.”
I laugh shakily; it seems like a better option than crying. “Nothing like laughing in the face of death, huh?” He snorts, and then leans his head back against the tree. He’s on a branch lower than me, but it doesn’t look like it’ll support his weight for long. “Um, Ryder, my branch is a lot thicker than yours. I think you should join me.”
The branch I’m sitting on isn’t particularly wide, but it grew right next to another one. They two separate limbs are the same thickness, and they’re almost touching, creating a wide, flat space to sit across. It should be sturdy enough for the two of us.
He looks down at the branch he’s perched on, and winces. “I think you’re right.” When he goes to stand, the branch bends under his weight, and I swear I hear it creak. I give him my hand and help him climb up to my branch, which is more than twice as large, and I scoot over to give him enough room to sit. He wraps his arm around my shoulder, and sighs. “Well, we might be here for a while. What should we do to pass the time?”
“We could talk about why you were such a dick to me yesterday morning. All I did was wear a dress and you snapped at me, and told me I was stupid. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t deserve that.”
He sighs, and runs his hand nervously through his shaggy dark hair. “No, you’re right. You didn’t deserve that. I’m sorry I said what I did.” He hesitates for a second, before adding, “You looked pretty in that dress; you shouldn’t have taken it off.”
For some reason, that really angers me. “Why the hell couldn’t you have just told me that when I actually had the dress on? Do you have any idea how bad I felt about myself after you said what you did? I ripped the dress and shoes off and threw them so hard they dented the wall. I cried, Ryder.”
He flinches, and I continue.
“I cried. Not because of a zombie attack. Not because some creeps tried to barter for time with me. I cried because of something you said. Simple as that.”
“I’m sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or anything,” he says, looking away from my accusing stare. I get the feeling that this conversation is making Ryder very uncomfortable, and I think it might have something to do with the fact that he’s almost thirty, and I’m barely an adult.
Too bad if he is uncomfortable. He’s gonna suck this up and talk to me, because I’m not going to spend one more minute feeling sorry for myself.
“Ryder, I care about you. More than I ever have before about someone. More than I probably should, especially considering the situation we’re in, but I can’t help it. I can’t explain why I don’t feel the same way about Reese as I do about you. I can’t explain why I’m drawn to you the way I am. It’s just the way I feel.”
“Sam, Reese is my little brother, and I know he likes you. I can’t hurt him. I have a problem with being into a girl that he likes.”
“You know, you didn’t seem to have a problem with it last night when you asked me to dance! You almost kissed me, and you would have if Reese hadn’t interrupted.”
He frowns again. “I shouldn’t have; I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. But don’t worry, because it won’t happen again. We need to keep our heads clear, and we need to focus on surviving, not stupid feelings that’ll probably go away in a few days or so.”
I flinch, and turn away from him so he won’t see how upset he’s making me. I’ve come to terms with how I feel about Ryder, and now he’s telling me that it isn’t possible, that we need to focus more on what’s happening around us. I can’t believe that of everyone I could possibly have as my first “love”, I’m stuck with someone like Ryder.
He’s confrontational, angry, and even an outright dick sometimes. It just figures that he’s the one for me. Do I fall for his mild mannered, sweet, caring brother who’s actually closer to my age? Nope. I fall for his older brother, who’s almost ten years my senior, and I’m gonna get my heart trampled because of it.
Ryder starts talking again, even though I just want him to shut up and leave me alone. “And, it’s not like these feelings can go anywhere. We’ve known each other for about a week. You can’t fall in love with someone in a week. It’s just not possible. These feelings will pass.”
Is he trying to convince me, or himself?
“I think you’re wrong.”
He looks at me. “What? What am I wrong about?”
“Yeah, we’ve only known each other for a week, but that shouldn’t matter. Ryder, look at all the stuff we’ve been through together. You saved me on that rooftop, you saved me from that dog, and you bandaged me up and carried me back to the others when I got separated.”
“Sam–”
“You stood up for me when those creeps wanted to take me for an hour, you saved me from the zombie in the water, and you felt horrible about forcing me to witness that creep blow his own brains out. You didn’t make fun of me, and you didn’t pity me. You just took care of me, like someone does for a person they care about.
“Yeah, we’ve only known each other for a week,” I say again. “But it’s been one hell of a week. Most people go out for coffee or a movie; they don’t kill zombies and face constant terror and life-threatening situations. That forces people together, and gives them a bond that can’t be denied or ignored.”
“Sam, none of that changes the fact that we’ve only known each other for a week. You’re a nice person, but I’m not going to risk my relationship with my little brother just for some girl.”
Some girl? Is that all I am to him? After everything we’ve been through in the past week?
I can feel my lip begin to quiver, and there’s a familiar burning behind my eyes, and I know that any second, I’m going to start crying. I try to fight it, to force the tears back, but they spill over anyways. I sniff, and wipe my face with the back of my hand, hoping that Ryder doesn’t laugh at me for being such a stupid girl.
“Sam–” he says, reaching out for me.
I slap his hand away, and pull as far away from him as I can without sliding off the branch. I’ve gone as far as I can, and I’m still only about a foot and a half away from him, but that’ll have to do. As long as I’m not touching him, and I don’t have to listen to him, I’ll be alright.
I look down at the ground, where the zombies are still crowding around the base of the tree. Their moans are loud, and I’m sure they’re letting any other nearby zombies that we’re here, and they’ve got fresh meat. Soon enough, this place will be crowded with zombies, and each one will be trying to rip into us for their next meal.
I just hope zombies don’t figure out how to climb trees. If they do, we’re screwed…
Ryder and I spend the next few hours sitting in the tree, waiting either for help to arrive, or for the zombies to leave. Neither of those things happens, and we’re still up in the tree when night falls. Ryder and I have drained the bottle of water we had, and we’re both hungry, thirsty, and in serious need of a bathroom.
I do as he says, and realize I don’t like the feeling of not being able to move my legs. But if it keeps me safely in the tree instead of on the ground with the zombies and a broken back, I’m not going to complain. So, after securing my belt, I close my eyes, lean back against the tree trunk, and try to get some sleep.
Even before I open my eyes in the morning, I know that Ryder is watching me. I try to keep my breathing as even as possible, hoping to keep him thinking I’m still asleep. I don’t know why he’s watching me, or what he’s thinking, but I definitely don’t want to talk about it. So, if I have to pretend to be asleep until help comes, I’ll do it.
Finally, I can’t take it anymore, and I open my eyes. Ryder looks away quickly, but not before I notice an embarrassed look on his face. He tries to pretend he wasn’t just watching me, but doesn’t quite pull it off. He’s too nervous and fidgety.
I look down at the ground, and count six zombies. Thankfully there aren’t a lot more than there were when I went to sleep. Maybe this area is cleaner than I thought, or maybe they just don’t want to share. I try to banish that thought, because that would imply that zombies still have thinking or reasoning capabilities, and they can’t. Because if they do, what does that make them?
I shake off those thoughts. Being trapped in a tree with someone I might despise as much as I like with half a dozen moaning zombies beneath us is not the best place to have a philosophical inner debate about zombies.
Ryder shakes the empty bottle of water, and frowns. “We can’t stay up here forever. Eventually we’re gonna have to try and make a run for it. That’ll probably be easier to do if we’re not half-dead from dehydration.”
I look at him, then at the zombies on the ground, and then back at him. “If you wanna be the first one down, be my guest. But I think I’ll take my chances right here. Reese and Tobe have to be looking for us, and I bet they find us any time.” He snorts, but doesn’t say anything else. He just leans back against the tree, looking incredibly tired. “You didn’t sleep last night, did you?”
He shakes his head. “Of course not. Someone had to stay awake and keep watch. What if Reese or Tobe were to come through here looking for us, and we were asleep and couldn’t answer them?” he says, looking at me like I’m stupid for thinking he’d actually consider sleeping.
“Why don’t you try to get some rest now, and I’ll keep watch for Tobe and Reese?” I offer.
He shakes his head. “No thanks, I’ll be alright.”
We both recline against the trunk of the tree, and neither of us speaks again. We just wait impatiently for Reese and Tobe to hopefully find us. I really hope that they do, because I don’t want to risk making a run for it. I know if we climb down and try to run, both of us are going to die, and I don’t want that.
Even if Ryder is kind of being a jerk.
I close my eyes and try to block out the sounds of the zombie groans beneath us. It’s really amazing that I actually managed to sleep with them moaning all night long. I guess I was just too tired to care.
“Sam! Ryder!”
Ryder straightens on his branch. “Reese!”
“Ryder! Where are you?”
“Up a tree. We’re pinned down by six zombies!”
There’s a sound of rustling, and Reese comes crashing into view. He’s armed with one of the assault rifles, and he takes aim. He pulls the trigger four times, and four of the six zombies instantly drop. His fifth shot goes wide and blasts off part of the tree’s bark, but his sixth hits right between the eyes. His eighth shot takes out the remaining zombie’s ear, and his final shot blows out the back of its head.
With all of the zombie’s dead, it’s safe for Ryder and I to both climb down. The second I join Reese on the ground, he hands me a bottle of water, and I chug half of it before remembering that Ryder needs some too. I hand him the bottle, and he downs the rest of it. “Oh, I needed that,” he says, sighing.
“You need to rest,” I say, looking at the circles under his eyes.
He ignores me, and nods to Reese. “Come on, let’s get going.”
Chapter Sixteen
Tobe prepares breakfast for everyone while Ryder and I head to our rooms to wash zombie blood and sweat off our bodies. I change into newer, clean clothes, and toss the dirty ones in the corner. Tobe and I will probably clean them later, but for now they’re fine right there.
When I’m clean and dressed, I head back out into the kitchen, and take a plate of eggs and bacon from Tobe. She smiles at me. “You got to spend the entire night in a tree, cuddling with Ryder. How did that go for you?”
“It didn’t. We fought a lot last night. He told me that he didn’t wanna risk his relationship with his little brother for some girl. He thinks that because we’ve only known each other for a week, these feelings will pass.”
“Well, I think he’s stupid. You guys have been through so much. I mean, look at all the times he’s saved you.”
“I know! That’s what I said. I told him that being in this kind of situation forces people together. It speeds up those feelings. People can start to fall in love in a week; it’s not that farfetched when you stop and think about it, or even just take a look at the world around us.”
Tobe shakes her head. “He’ll realize what he’s missing eventually. It’ll just probably be too late by then.”
Shaking my head, I take my plate of eggs and pass by the dining room table. Ryder and Reese are sitting there eating their breakfast, and I don’t think I can manage civil conversation with Ryder right now. So I take a seat on the living room couch, kick my feet up on the coffee table, and enjoy my breakfast in silence.
Tobe sits out in the dining room with the boys, and I can hear her talking. She doesn’t sound happy, and I’m sure they’ve both figured out why. I’m surprised she hasn’t yelled at Ryder yet for being so stupid. If Reese doesn’t have a problem with the two of us liking each other, he shouldn’t either, and Tobe knows that too.
Tobe clears away the dishes, and Reese walks over. “I’m gonna try fishing again. Wanna come with me?”
I sigh. “Sure, why not. It’s not like there’s a lot else to do around here.”
Reese grabs the two fishing poles from the garage, and the remaining worms, and we head back out to our little shaded spot. Reese and I sit side-by-side in the grass, bait our hooks, and sit back and wait for the fish to hopefully come biting. While we wait, neither of us says anything. We just spend our time lounging in the shade, or looking around.
When Reese finally speaks, he sounds happy. “It looks like it’s gonna rain. That’ll be great, because we’re almost out of bottled water. We’re down to like two bottles I think. I told Ryder and Tobe to set out some large buckets while we were gone. Hopefully we can strain it, boil it, and rebottle it.”
I nod. “Rain is awesome.”
We sit in silence for a few more minutes, watching the rain clouds darken and quickly approach. It’ll probably start raining any minute, and I’m tempted to walk back to the house before then, because I don’t have anything clean to put on if these get wet.
“Reese, I think we should–”
“Shush!”
I stop talking and instinctively pull farther back into the shade of our tree. I can hear it the same as Reese: the engine of a boat. It’s getting louder, which means it’s coming closer, and that’s probably not a good sign. We don’t know who these people are. They might be perfectly nice people, or they might be raiders, interested in getting supplies and taking out any competition.
Reese pulls me farther out of the light, and we watch as a speedboat sails past. When I see who’s standing in the boat, holding rifle, my stomach clenches painfully.
It’s Frank Schultz, the leader of the Warriors. I don’t kn
ow how he managed to find us, but he has. Now that he’s here, the four of us are in serious trouble. We’re going to have to leave, or risk being kidnapped, tortured, or killed. And leaving is just what Reese has in mind.
He nudges me when the boat is safely out of view. “Hurry. Get back to the house. We have to warn the others. If Frank finds them first, they’ll be totally outgunned and outnumbered.”
We leave behind our fishing gear and race along the beach, making our way up to the house without being seen. We have to stop twice to let two more boats by, and I start to really worry. There has to be at least ten people with Frank, and they’ll all have weapons and training. Tobe’s even more useless with a weapon than I am, and Ryder and Reese alone can’t take on Frank’s team.
When we finally reach the house, I almost jump for joy, but I remember the danger we’re in, and just run faster. Reese throws open the front door and shouts for Ryder. I just keep going, and head to the room I share with Tobe. She’s lying on the bed with a book and a glass of wine, and she frowns. “Sam, what’s–”
“Frank and the Warriors are here. I don’t know how they found us, but they have. There are at least ten of them, and they’re all gonna be armed and dangerous. We can’t stay here.”
She immediately sets the wine glass down, tosses her book away, and reaches for her bags. She starts throwing all of our clothes in, and I head back into the living room. Ryder and Reese are in the kitchen, and they’re throwing cans of food and MRE’s into bags.
I have my gun in my hand, and I’m keeping watch out the window for Frank or any of his Warriors. Everything is happening like someone pushed the fast-forward button, but they don’t seem to be moving fast enough. I have a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I just know that we’re not going to get away from this unscathed.