Whoever the person was, she wanted him to know she was armed, that she was willing to fight. She wouldn’t allow herself to be victimized.
She wouldn’t be shot down like her mother.
The man had made it into the crawl space. She saw the shadow turn and survey the attic. The person was holding a rifle. Her hands quivered. If it were her companion, he would’ve called out to her by now. She was sure of it.
Caddy held her breath as the man turned on a flashlight. The beam splayed from left to right, illuminating the raw boards of the ceiling. She watched as it played off the cardboard boxes. The man was still winded, his breath coming in short gasps. She could see his outline in the backlight. It wasn’t Noah, but a man several years younger.
The young man—boy—had blonde shaggy hair and a thin frame, and his eyes swayed nervously from left to right.
Caddy covered her mouth with her hand. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected their attackers to look like, but she certainly hadn’t expected this. The boy searching for her could’ve been one of her neighbors or one of her younger classmates in school. In fact, although she didn’t recognize him, he looked familiar, as though she might’ve seen him before.
Perhaps he’d eaten at her diner; maybe he’d even played for an opposing sports team in one of the neighboring towns.
And now he was trying to kill her.
Caddy had trouble processing the thought. How could the events of the new world have changed this young man so much? Had he always been troubled? A part of her thought about calling out to him, about trying to reason with him. Could he really kill her in cold blood? She didn’t see how that was possible.
Even if she’d wanted to speak, fear had a firm hold on her tongue, and she knew she should remain quiet. There was no telling what this kid might do.
The flashlight swiveled closer.
Caddy buried her head in her arms, as if she could make herself invisible. The knife wobbled in her grip. She had the brief and unreasonable thought that if she couldn’t see him, he couldn’t see her. Why couldn’t it work that way? Please don’t let him see me…
She held the position for several seconds.
She peeked over her forearm just as the light stopped its search.
The young man was staring at her.
He remained quiet, studying her in the bright beam. Because of the light, she could no longer see his face, and his silence filled her with terror. Should she get up and run? Should she lunge at him? The young man was between her and the entrance. There was no getting around him.
She remained in place, contemplating her next move, if there was even one to make. Whatever she did next could determine the duration of her short life. Before she could act, the young man spoke.
“I see you,” he said simply.
His voice was monotone, devoid of emotion. As if Caddy were of no more interest to him than the boxes or the ceiling. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words.
Noise rang out below her, and she strained to see past the flashlight. Despite her efforts, everything behind him was a glare.
“Stay away from me,” she managed. She could hear shouting from downstairs, the scuff of boots in the hallway. Her voice grew frantic. “Get out of my house.”
“I can’t do that,” the young man said. “My father died because of you.”
He lowered the flashlight and started to advance.
24
“Did you hear me?” the man yelled through the door.
Noah didn’t answer. Instead, he let the words sink in, certain the man was lying to him. Even if he gave himself up, there was no way this man would let Caddy live.
Things had gone too far.
The world had succumbed to lawlessness and disorder. There were no more rules, no more accountability. Once Noah was dead, these men would do what they wanted, regardless of the promises they’d made.
He was uncertain of most things, but Noah was sure of this.
He pictured the men’s faces as they’d beaten him down, the bob of Theresa’s head as she’d fallen forward in the car. In all likelihood, the man was standing clear of the door, out of harm’s way. But Noah would test that theory.
He gritted his teeth and fired off a round.
The bullet slammed into the door, cracking the wood. He heard the rustle of movement, but heard no indication that he’d hit the man on the other side. He adjusted his aim.
Giving up wasn’t an option.
He just hoped he could ward them off long enough to keep his companion safe.
A gunshot exploded from the hallway, impacting the other side of the bed. Noah ducked down, grateful the bullet had missed. He’d keep them at bay as long as he could.
He glanced behind him at the window. The shade was drawn, but he could see moonlight creeping around the edges. For a split second he pictured himself jumping through it. But he was on the second floor. The fall was sure to injure him, and besides, he couldn’t strand Caddy.
He couldn’t leave her here. Not with these men.
He crept to the edge of the bed and peered around. To his surprise, the door had creaked open, allowing a partial view of the hallway. The last bullet must’ve knocked it loose. There was no one in sight. He steadied his rifle and aimed it around the side of the mattress just as something struck him in the head.
Noah’s face bounced off the wood floor. He was immediately hit with a wave of dizziness, and he lost his grip on the rifle.
“You mother fucker!” a voice yelled.
He struggled to see in the darkness. A man was standing over him, pinning him down with his boot. Deafened by the gunfire, Noah must not have heard him enter.
The man had gotten the jump on him, and now he was going to pay the price.
The man brought his rifle down on Noah’s forehead. Noah was immediately overwhelmed with pain. His vision blurred; he struggled to maintain consciousness.
He’d failed himself. He’d failed Caddy.
Hands dragged him across the room. He tried to struggle, tried to fight back, but his fingers clawed at the air, useless and without direction. Blood dripped from his forehead into his eyes, dulling his senses even further.
The man pulled him toward the doorway. Noah’s eyes fluttered. In the hallway, he could make out a dozen shapes, shadowy figures trudging toward him. There were more of the men than he’d thought. Even if he’d managed to outlast his attacker, the man had a small army behind him. There was no way he could’ve won.
The thought brought Noah little relief.
His last conscious thought was of Caddy.
I’m sorry I failed you…
When Noah awoke, gunfire was all around him. He was lying on the floor of the bedroom, and his head was throbbing. He had no idea how long he’d been out. He tried to crawl, but his strength was sapped.
The man who’d hit him was firing at something in the hallway. He’d dropped the flashlight he’d been holding, and it turned on and rolled back and forth on the floor, illuminating bits and pieces of the room.
What was happening? Who was he shooting?
It took him a second to recognize the shapes in front of him. What he’d thought was a small army of men was actually a cluster of creatures. He was able to decipher it now, though he was still disoriented.
The house had been flooded with the infected.
They must’ve heard the gunshots and been drawn from the surrounding area. When they’d entered the house, the men must’ve left something open. A window. A door. Whatever it was didn’t matter anymore. What mattered was that there was no longer one threat, but two.
Noah had to get to safety.
He pulled himself along with his elbows, ignoring the pain in his skull. He needed to get underneath the bed. He cou
ld see his attacker in his peripheral vision, but the man was preoccupied. It looked like he’d pulled a knife and was using it to stab the things in front of him. Noah slid along the floor, his T-shirt bunching up against him, until he’d reached the bedframe.
The man cried out behind him. For a second Noah thought he’d been spotted. It took him a second to realize the man was screaming in pain. Noah kept his eyes in front of him, kept crawling. Soon he was sliding underneath the bed frame, his skin chafed from the effort. He pivoted with his hands until he was facing the doorway.
The house was a chorus of noise. Groaning. Crashes. The sickening sound of metal against flesh. And through it all, the infernal ringing in his ears.
Noah heard the man grunt. Had he been hurt? Bitten? The bed skirt was blocking his vision, and he knew better than to peer out. If he looked, he’d expose his position. He couldn’t afford the risk.
He wiped the blood from his eyes, smearing it across his forehead. His head was wet with sweat; he could smell the scent of his own blood in the air. The odor hit him with a new fear—even if his attacker were to be overtaken, the creatures would smell him.
Where was Caddy? He clenched his hands, feeling powerless. More than anything, he wanted to help her, but he couldn’t reveal himself, not without condemning himself to death.
The bed had become his shield, a temporary respite from the chaos around him. Sooner or later he’d be discovered, but for now all he could was wait and pray.
For both himself and Caddy.
25
The gunshots were never ending. Cries and commotion filled the air, overloading Caddy’s senses, threatening her focus.
The young man with the rifle continued to crawl toward her.
Every few seconds she caught a glimpse of his face, an emotionless mask with eyes, a nose, and a mouth. The person coming toward her seemed oblivious to the chaos around him, a shell of a man whose sole purpose was to rend her limb from limb. In truth, she wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but one thing was for certain: she couldn’t wait around to find out.
Caddy broke free of her trance and scurried across the beams, veering to avoid his path. After a few feet of crawling, she realized the blade in her hand was hampering her movement, and she transferred it to her mouth. The taste of metal was cold and bitter, but she bit down as hard as she could, terrified she’d drop it.
The young man scrambled forward on his knees.
She feinted left, then right, but in each case he compensated, doing his best to get in the way. Finally, with ten feet between them, he stopped and pointed his rifle.
“Enough!” he shouted.
She retrieved the knife from her mouth, holding it up with a shaking hand.
“Let me go,” she whispered. “I’ve done nothing to you.”
The young man didn’t answer; he only grinned. She stared into his eyes, barely more than pupils in the dim lighting. She wondered if he’d gone insane. Perhaps the violence and bloodshed of the past week had permanently scarred him, stripping away his emotion.
Perhaps he’d never had any to begin with.
The young man held his rifle on her as he balanced on one of the beams. In his other hand he held the flashlight.
“Drop the knife or I’ll shoot,” he said.
Although he had her outmatched, she couldn’t give up.
Rather than casting the knife aside, she placed it on the beam in front of her, still within reach. The young man watched her with intensity. He motioned with his rifle for her to come to him.
A loud gunshot broke their concentration. Caddy heard thumping on the stairs, a parade of bodies stampeding through the house. What was going on? Were there more of these men below? It wasn’t until she heard a chorus of groans that she realized what was going on.
The house had been breached by the undead.
The young man across from her glanced at the entrance. This was her chance, her only chance.
If she didn’t react now, she’d never have another one.
Caddy scooped up the knife and ran across the beams, lunging at the boy before she lost her balance. At the last second he raised his rifle, but he was too late. She knocked him from his perch, plunging the two of them into the insulation.
The young man sank through the fibers. His weapon discharged. The flashlight pitched into the darkness, clattering into a distant corner.
All that Caddy could see was the boy’s writhing silhouette, and she stuck the knife into the mass, hoping to incapacitate him. The young man cried out in pain and struck her with his fist, catching her in the nose. She tasted blood in her mouth, but she kept on. Stabbed him again. The blade stuck in his side.
The floor caved.
The young man disappeared from beneath her, plummeting through the insulation and into the hallway below. Caddy flung her arms out for a handhold—somewhere, anywhere—and found purchase on a beam. She dangled in the air, legs kicking beneath her, and struggled to pull herself back up.
She heard shrieks of pain below her. Hands grabbed at her shoes and ankles. The infected. Caddy kicked them away, their fingers sliding across her skin. She strained and pulled with all her might, working against the weight of her body, knowing if she fell it would be over.
The creatures let go of her. Apparently, they’d found something else to occupy their time. She listened as they ripped and tore at the young man who’d been threatening her.
If she didn’t pull herself up, she’d be next.
Come on, Caddy. Just like gym class.
She’d never been much of a gymnast, but she could certainly do a pull-up. Right? She had to try. There was no other way. She kicked and flailed until finally her feet caught hold of the wall, and she used the momentum to force herself upwards.
The creatures groaned.
Caddy boosted herself over the beam and out of reach of the infected, flopping onto one of the beams. The landing knocked the wind out of her. She crawled away from the opening, doing her best to distance herself from the grisly scene below.
Her knife was gone. The rifle was gone.
But so was her attacker.
She expelled a short breath. Even with the man dead, she knew she wasn’t safe. The things had overtaken the house. She was still trapped.
And on top of that, she had no idea where Noah had gone. Caddy held still, listening for her companion, but all she could hear was the slapping of bloodied gums below her.
26
Noah lay under the bed, listening to the pounding of feet on the floor and the ululations of hungry creatures. The gunshots had ceased, and the infected were in a frenzy. Had they overtaken the man? It certainly appeared that way. In fact, it looked like they were gorging on two figures. The sounds of ripping and tearing reverberated through the house, filling his stomach with dread. It was a sound he’d heard too many times over the past week.
It would be the sound of his demise, too, unless he could find a way out.
Noah peered out from underneath the bed skirt. By the looks of it, the creatures were occupied with their meal; he didn’t see any in the room. He emerged from underneath the bed, fearing something would take hold of him the second he was in the open, but he made it out unhindered.
He forced himself to his feet.
The hallway was filled with the things. There’d be no going out the way he came in. Where was Caddy? He needed to find her, but he couldn’t compromise his position. The last thing he needed was for the creatures to notice him.
He glanced left and right, assessing his situation. Next to the open door was Caddy’s bureau. He needed to secure the room. He darted to the door, slammed it shut. The wooden center was filled with bullet holes. It wouldn’t hold for long. He dashed over to the end of the bureau and pushed.
Something crashed against the d
oor. The creatures must’ve heard him. He heaved with all his strength, sliding the piece of furniture in place just as a hand burst through the fractured door. The creature clawed at the opening, trying to tear into him, but Noah was already out of reach.
The barricade wouldn’t last long. He needed to reinforce it somehow.
He also needed to find his companion.
“Caddy!” he yelled.
His voice wavered, drowned out by the increasing moans of the creatures. One by one, they were gathering by the other side of the door.
The flashlight was still on the floor. He scooped it up and looked around the dark room. The only other piece of furniture was the bed. Could he remove the mattress? He tore at the sheets, trying to get ahold of it. He located a handle on the side of the mattress and tugged until he’d slid it off the box spring.
Once the mattress was on the floor, he slid it across the hardwood with his feet, then shoved his fingers underneath and hefted it onto the bureau. The mattress wobbled.
Even if he were able to stand it up, it would topple over easily.
This isn’t going to work. The creatures pounded on the other side of the door; another hand wedged its way through the crack.
The wood was splintering. It was only a matter of time before it caved.
“Caddy!” Noah screamed.
Was she still in the attic? Had she gotten out? He ran to the window and peered outside. The yard was dark and ominous, though he could see several creatures trudging across the lawn. There was no sign of Caddy.
The door creaked under the weight of the creatures. Dammit. No. Noah raced to the closet and threw it open, hoping to find something he could use to brace the door. He was probably too late already. In seconds the creatures would be inside the room, and then he’d be overtaken, eaten, and killed.
He rummaged through the closet. There was nothing but clothes and shoeboxes inside, nothing large enough to make a difference. Nothing that could—
Contamination Box Set [Books 0-7] Page 71
