by Max Lockwood
“My face!” she cried. “It hurts so much!”
Thomas yanked open the door and gasped. In the side of her face, she had at least thirty tiny pieces of glass sticking into her skin.
“Let me see the medical kit,” Thomas said sternly, yanking it toward him when Will reluctantly gave it up.
“Help me,” she cried.
“I will,” he said gently. He got out a pair of plastic tweezers and began carefully picking out tiny slivers of glass.
“What happened?”
“We got into a car accident,” Thomas repeated. “Will and I were fine, but the rest of you got knocked out for a little bit. Will started taking care of your cuts and scrapes. Try to take it easy,” he said, addressing the whole group now.
“I don’t understand,” Alec said. “I didn’t see anyone coming toward us.”
“No one did,” Will answered. “That’s what was so weird about it. I really thought we were the only people out here.”
“Who hit us?”
Thomas continued picking glass out of Melissa’s face as he spoke. “I went over to talk to her. It was a girl named Bethany. I’d guess she was in her late teens or early twenties. She was alone. I told her to stay where she was while I went to check on you all, but by the time I went back, she was gone. I really don’t know what happened to her.”
Alec furrowed his brow. “Where did she have to go?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Thomas said. He wiped an alcohol swab over Melissa’s cheek as she whimpered.
“So she abandoned her truck?” Alec asked.
“Yes.”
“Scavenge it,” Alec said. “If it’s up for grabs, let’s get everything we need.”
Will nodded and grabbed his flashlight and a gun and made his way toward the other truck.
“I think we should hurry,” Thomas said with worry in his voice. “We’ve been out here for a while. I don’t want to attract attention.”
“Is our truck okay?” Elaina asked.
“I don’t know yet.” Thomas frowned. “We’ve only had time to take care of you guys.”
Derek gingerly got out of the truck and opened up the hood of the truck, studying any damage to the engine. Alec also crawled out, shaking off the broken glass as he went. Then, he helped Elaina get out. She stretched her limbs, checking for injuries.
“Are you hurt?” Alec asked her.
“My shoulder is killing me,” she said. “And my head is still a little foggy.”
“Mine too,” he said, standing a little closer to her. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Me too.”
Thomas cleared his throat. He felt awkward interrupting their moment, but he needed to speak to them quickly.
“I have something I want to talk to you two about,” Thomas said nervously. “I think there’s something wrong with Will.”
“How so?” Alec asked, as if he already knew where the conversation was headed.
“He was saying some disturbing stuff while you guys were knocked out. I thought he was going to kill Melissa.”
“He wouldn’t do that,” Alec said quickly. “Will? I’ve gotten to know him over the past month or so. He’s gone through a lot of bad stuff, but he would never kill anyone.”
Thomas wrung his hands. “He straight up told me that he thought Melissa was a danger to us all and that he wanted to abandon her here and go on without her while she was still unconscious.”
Elaina’s eyes widened. “That doesn’t really seem like him.”
“I wouldn’t make this up. I would prefer it if everyone could get along. I thought a new group of people would make this whole situation better for me. I’m starting to think that everyone has lost their minds.”
Alec looked toward the direction Will went, then looked back at Thomas.
“Listen, Will has been with Elaina and me for a while now. He’s going through a hard time. He is not dangerous in any way.”
“And Melissa is?”
“I didn’t say that. Give him some space and give him a chance. He’s suffered a lot of trauma. We all have. Let’s just try to work together and get out of here. We’re so close to the border. Let’s try to keep it together until then, okay?”
Thomas clenched his teeth. He didn’t feel like his concerns were being taken seriously. He saw the crazy look in Will’s eyes and felt like he was capable of harming Melissa.
But Thomas didn’t want to rock the boat. Things were already tense and he didn’t want to add any more drama to the situation. Besides, once they got back in the car and left, there was nothing Will could do.
“Okay,” Thomas reluctantly replied. “I just wanted to let you guys know what was going on. I’d appreciate if you didn’t tell him about this conversation.”
“Noted,” Alec said, rubbing his head. “Now, let’s see if we can get this truck running again.”
Will returned shortly after, carrying a bag full of snacks. He seemed like his normal self again, but Thomas didn’t know if he could take Alec’s word for it. He had seen firsthand what could happen when tensions run high. Thomas just figured that Alec would remember that too, seeing as the last time a group of people got ahead of themselves, they almost executed him.
Chapter Four
Derek slammed his flashlight on the cracked windshield in frustration. Alec hung his head and sighed. A few feet back, Thomas shook his head at Elaina, who had been awaiting news about their truck.
“We’re absolutely screwed,” Derek said. “This thing needs a new engine. Even if we managed to put a new one in, there are so many other little things that would go wrong on the way that I don’t think we’d ever make it. If I found the person who did this to us, I think I’d have some harsh words for her. There are now two perfectly good trucks that have been ruined.”
“I don’t think we’ll ever find her,” Thomas said. “Maybe that’s why she split—she knew that she would be attacked with pitchforks and torches if she took the responsibility for destroying that truck.”
“It’s probably better that way,” Elaina said softly. “What are our options?”
Will sat down on the ground and pulled his knees to his chest. “I don’t think we have a lot of choices,” he said. “We can try to walk into town and find another car. Otherwise, we’re on foot again.”
“We can’t walk the rest of the way,” Melissa said. “That’s suicide.”
“How far do you think the town is from here?” Thomas asked.
“Miles,” Derek said. “Honestly, I’m wondering if it’s even worth trying. We’re right on the edge of the forest. I think I’d rather just hike down and take our time. We can continue to head south, but I think it’s safer to be out in the wilderness right now.”
Thomas nodded. “Bethany did say that Colorado was infected. “I’m not sure if we could walk through these towns without running into some bad stuff.”
“Bethany,” Will scoffed.
“Is everyone feeling up to walking?” Alec asked skeptically. “I mean, we were just in a pretty bad car crash.”
Elaina shrugged. “Besides my shoulder, I feel okay.”
“Me too,” Derek said.
Even Melissa gave a noncommittal shrug.
“Do we have the supplies we need?” Alec asked.
Elaina opened the gate on the bed of the truck and peered in. “I think we have enough supplies to hide underground for a few weeks.”
Alec could almost see the smile forming on Derek’s face at that assessment. It was all the ex-military man wanted to do—live in the woods like a hermit.
“If that’s what everyone wants to do, we can hike until we find a new vehicle,” Alec relented. He seemed to be the only one who remembered how dangerous the woods could be. He was surprised that Will wasn’t more hesitant, seeing as the new army had kidnapped him from a secluded spot.
Everyone grabbed a bag and made their way toward the trail. Alec and Derek took the lead, eager to blaze the trail and scope ou
t any hidden dangers. Elaina trailed close behind them, listening to the men’s discussion about navigation. Melissa trailed a little bit behind the oldest three. She was clearly in pain from her multiple lacerations and a little out of it from the painkiller Thomas gave her. Thomas wanted her to forge ahead, though, because Will was sulkily taking up the rear, and he didn’t want her to get too close to him. So, Thomas placed himself behind Melissa so there was at least one body between the two at all times.
Thomas tried to match her pace, speeding up when she sped up and slowing down when she slowed down, but it was hard to do while remaining inconspicuous. Plus, it didn’t help that Thomas had to look behind him every couple of minutes to make sure that Will wasn’t going to push her off a cliff or anything like that.
For the most part, Will seemed to be in his own little world. He didn’t really feel like talking to anyone, even Alec and Elaina, whom he felt a certain amount of kinship toward. He had experienced what could happen when he got too close to someone. He couldn’t tolerate the pain of having another friend ripped away from him.
Staying quiet was hard for Will. As someone who rarely stopped talking, he felt like he had all of these thoughts in his mind that he needed to let out. He wanted to talk about how weird it was that the girl that crashed into them had mysteriously disappeared. He wanted to talk about how Melissa was a weak link and couldn’t be trusted. Finally, he wanted to share stories about Natalia and how important she had been to the group’s success early on.
Once, Thomas and Will locked eyes while Thomas was checking up on him. Will didn’t look angry that Thomas was keeping close watch on him. Instead, his expression was one of pure grief and exhaustion. Thomas could relate.
His empathy for the other boy didn’t erase the fact that he was harboring violent thoughts. While the others were courteous to him, Thomas felt like Melissa paid the most attention to him and treated him with the most warmth. He didn’t want to lose her.
Eventually, Melissa caught on to Thomas’s strange behavior. She had seen him look over his shoulder too many times and noticed how his pace changed in relation to hers. To test her suspicions, she purposefully changed her pace just to see how he would react. Something wasn’t right.
“Hey,” she whispered to him as she slowed down a little to walk beside him. “Is something wrong?”
“Huh?” he asked, caught off guard by her questioning. He sped up a little, giving himself equal space between Elaina and Will. “No, nothing’s wrong.”
“Can we talk?”
“Sure.”
She took a deep breath. She didn’t want to seem paranoid and she didn’t want to stir the pot. But she sensed that Thomas was treating her differently than he had before the crash.
“Are you mad at me? You keep trying to get away from me, and whenever I look at you, you’re looking as far away from me as possible. Did I do something to upset you?”
“Not at all,” Thomas answered quickly.
“Then what is it?”
Thomas quickly looked around to make sure that no one was paying attention to the fact that they were speaking. He didn’t want Will to know that he was snitching on him and he didn’t want Alec and Elaina to know that he hadn’t magically started trusting Will again.
“I didn’t want to bring it up to you, but Will’s upset with you,” Thomas whispered.
Melissa laughed nervously. “Thomas, that’s the most obvious statement I’ve ever heard. He doesn’t try to hide his open disdain for me. I’m just trying to ignore it now. There’s nothing I can do to make things better.”
“But it wasn’t really your fault. You don’t deserve it.”
“Try telling that to him. Is that all you wanted to tell me—that Will hates my guts?”
Thomas bit his lip. “I didn’t want to tell you this, but I think Will might be dangerous.”
“What makes you say that? He’s been a bit of an ass, but I don’t think that makes him dangerous.”
He looked at the ground. “He was acting kind of weird after the crash. He was saying something about how you were a liability and he thought we should abandon you there. I don’t know how far he would go to get back at you, but I’m worried he’s going to hurt you.”
Her face fell. “It’s not enough that I have to run from infected people and faux military members,” she said. “Now I have to watch out for one of my own group members?”
“I told Alec and Elaina about this, but they just sort of waved me off. They don’t think he’s capable of doing something to hurt you. I’m not so sure. They didn’t see and hear him after the wreck.”
Melissa looked as though she were about to cry. She blinked rapidly and sniffed a few times.
“Hey,” Thomas said gently. “I’ll make sure nothing happens to you. You can trust me.”
“That’s sweet of you, but it’s not enough. I’m clearly a big source of conflict within this group. Maybe I should just go.”
Thomas grabbed her wrist. “You can’t go.”
“Why not?”
“You shouldn’t have to. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
She bit her lip. “I’m starting to think that I made a mistake by shooting Natalia. I mean, Elaina did have a cure.”
“Come on. There wasn’t any choice. You had to do what you had to do. I heard what happened.”
“That doesn’t change how people in this group feel about me. If I left, then I wouldn’t have to worry about being attacked in my sleep by Will. I also wouldn’t have to cause the others to suffer my presence.”
“You probably wouldn’t make it on your own,” Thomas said.
“No? I’ve done it before. I’m closer to the border than I’ve ever been. I’ve survived this long. Who’s to say that I couldn’t make it another month?”
Thomas shrugged. He had yet to be completely on his own. It wasn’t always ideal, but he had always had the benefit of being attached to a few people who could watch out for him.
“I don’t doubt that you can take care of yourself,” he spluttered. “I just don’t want you to go. I want you to stick around for a little while longer. Can you do that for me?”
She looked at him, a curious smile on her face. “For you, I’ll try to get along with everyone—as long as you have my back,” she added.
He returned her smile. “I can do that.”
She sped up, a little energy restored from their conversation. She had an ally she could count on. That was enough to keep her from branching off right away. She hoped that eventually, it would be safe enough to split away from the others. But when that time came, she hoped Thomas would stay by her side.
Once Will noticed that Thomas was no longer speaking to Melissa, he quickened his pace until he was in line with Thomas. Thomas, upon seeing Will next to him, flinched.
“What were you guys talking about?” Will asked.
“Oh, nothing. I was just asking how her face felt,” Thomas lied.
“You weren’t saying anything about me, were you?”
“Nope. I think that would only cause more tension.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right about that. Has she said anything about me?”
Thomas shook his head. “No, but I think she knows that you don’t like her very much.”
“Yeah, I suppose I’m not hiding that very well.”
Thomas looked up at Melissa. She seemed to be doing a little better. He hoped that Will wouldn’t ruin this rare moment of levity.
“Do you think it’s possible to just drop it?” Thomas said. “I never got to meet Natalia, but I heard she was a great girl.”
“She was. You would get to see how great she was if we could have gotten her to Elaina. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I think if we could have deprived her of her senses after she turned, she wouldn’t have lashed out. It would only take a blindfold, ear muffs, and some restraints for safety, and she would have been okay.”
“In hindsight, sure. In reality, we didn’t know these things.
We can’t change the past.”
“That’s what everyone keeps telling me.”
Will kicked a loose rock with his shoe. Thomas watched as it tumbled down the side of the mountain.
“I had to shoot an infected family member,” Thomas said plainly after a long silence. “It was the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life. If I knew then what I know now, I would have just placed everyone in isolation and waited until Elaina was able to release her cure. Even if that didn’t happen, I’d rather them die from illness with a little dignity than having to put the bullet in their heads. But at the time, it was my only option. I think it was the right one too.”
Will cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I had a similar experience too.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we all did something we didn’t want to do but had no choice,” Thomas said. “As far as you know, maybe Melissa really liked Natalia. I know Natalia’s death has been really hard on her.”
Will grimaced. “Can we stop talking about this?”
“Okay,” Thomas said. “Can you promise me that you’re not going to do something to harm Melissa?”
Will’s mouth was clamped shut. His eyes turned upward as they walked through the canopy of trees.
“Dude,” Thomas said, frustration mounting. “I don’t want to have another incident like we did after the crash. I’m willing to put this bad blood between us in the past if you can just promise me that you’re not going to kill a healthy person for no good reason.”
Will looked back at Thomas. “Fine,” he said. “Just know that this doesn’t mean I trust her. I’m not going to let my guard down around her, and I suggest you don’t try to get too close to her either. I’m not going to hurt her if she doesn’t do anything to hurt any of us. But the second she screws up, I’m not going to be very nice to her.”
It wasn’t quite the answer Thomas was looking for, but it was better than nothing.
“Yeah, all right,” he responded, ready to be done with the uncomfortable conversation.
A weight must have been lifted off Will’s shoulders because he seemed to perk up a bit. He jogged ahead a little to catch up with Derek and Alec, leaving Thomas in the back of the pack.
