by Kris Norris
She pushed the questions away, concentrating on the seemingly endless surge of undead hurtling toward them as she fired off more arrows. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about who these guys were or where they’d come from. They had a solution. A way out. That’s all that mattered.
Harper schooled her features, nodding at the guy as she notched her last arrow, hitting her target between the eyes. Nothing but blades left in her arsenal. She swung her bow over her shoulder and drew a long knife, holding it against her arm when movement caught her eye. She glanced over her shoulder just as Lelin lunged at the man standing beside her, snatching a knife from his belt. The guy spun, gaze accessing the situation even as it unfolded.
Harper dove at the guy, knocking him out of the way as Lelin swung both arms over his head, burying the blade in her right shoulder instead of the man’s chest. Pain flared across her torso, dropping her to the ground, nothing but the hilt visible above her shirt. Footsteps pounded the dirt, gradually fading into an odd silence.
“Fuck! Sully, get over here.”
The man behind her fell to his knees, apparently relying on his friends to kill the last few stragglers. He cupped her head, bending over her as he stared at the weapon embedded in her flesh. “You didn’t have to do that. He was aiming at me. Christ, he could have killed you.”
She blinked through the pain, giving him a small smile. “Trust me. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d tried.”
He frowned, pulling the edges of fabric apart. “It’s deep.”
“No, shit.” She snorted, trying to think against the ringing in her head. She gazed around, but only his crew stood close. “Damn it. Get him!”
The man grimaced, glancing at his friends before shaking his head. “He took off. Straight through the bloody brush. There’s too many of them. He won’t last long.”
She grunted, using the pain to ground herself. “I know. That’s why you have to get him before they do.”
“So you don’t want him dead? But why…”
She sighed as his voice trailed off. Great. The longer he sat there trying to understand her, the more distance Lelin put between them. She clenched her jaw, sticking her good arm out to the other brown-haired guy—Sully she’d heard him called.
Sully eyed her, looking as if he’d never seen a woman’s hand before, when she glared at him. He set his jaw, grabbing her wrist and elbow as he levered her up. Black dots swirled across her vision, nearly dropping her back down as the blade shifted between her bones. She closed her eyes against the rush of vertigo, gasping when the man pulled her into his chest, twisting so his body didn’t connect with the knife as he shouldered her weight, his arms wrapped firmly around her. His heart thrummed against her cheek, the strong rhythm like music in the eerie stillness. It soothed her, and for the first time in over a year, she felt human.
He raised one hand to the back of her head, his fingers gently stroking her hair. “You okay?”
She eased away, inwardly cursing her body’s reaction to the loss of contact. Her skin beaded with goose bumps as her breath heaved in her chest. She glanced around, reality slamming back with painful clarity. “I’m fine. But we have to catch Lelin before he disappears.” She held up her good arm when he opened his mouth. “Just trust me. The man’s insane, but he’s the key.”
“The key? To what?”
“Salvation. Now are you with me or not?”
She took a few shaky steps backwards, bumping into the only blond guy in the group. The man was as massive as the others, his strong hands catching her around the waist before she fell. He braced her weight, allowing her to lean against him as she fought to get her equilibrium.
He leaned forward, his chest brushing against her spine as he cupped her hips. “You can barely stand up. Wouldn’t it be wiser to get you back to the Hummer? In case you haven’t noticed, you have a fairly impressive knife sticking out of your shoulder.”
She resisted rolling her eyes. At least the men still had a sense of humor. “Believe me. It’s not easily forgotten. But if we pull it out, I’ll bleed. And I’d rather save that until we’re somewhere relatively safe. A place you might actually be able to try and stop it. So until then, it stays where it is. As for Lelin… I didn’t guard his ass for the past few years only to let him ditch me. He can’t go that fast. The man’s a complete nut-job. He get’s confused. Half the time he’s barely aware of his surroundings. Even with a healthy head start, we should be able to follow his trail…catch up to him fairly quickly.” She allowed her gaze to capture each of them in turn. “Unless you boys are all show.”
The guy huffed. “You’re actually trying to taunt us into going? Smooth, love.” He looked at the other two men. “Fine. We’ll hunt him. But only as long as it’s in both our interests to continue. If he bypasses the Hummer by too much, all bets are off.”
“All bets were off when dead people started eating us.” She moved out of his embrace, finally getting the scenery to stop flip-flopping. “Lead on.”
Blondie sighed but took off, heading in what she assumed was Lelin’s last direction. God, how had she been so damn careless? She knew what the man was like. Had spent what felt like forever glued to his ass, yet three strangers show up and she forgets a decade’s worth of training. She should have been three steps ahead of Lelin. Visualized every last option he’d had before he’d even realized any were there. But instead, she’d let her guard down. Relied on men she didn’t even know.
A gamut of scenarios played in her head as she followed the men through the underbrush. Pain jolted through her body as each step further shifted the knife, narrowing her thoughts until they were shaded in black and blue. She tried to focus, but finally had to admit that simply staying conscious was about as much as she could hope for.
The trees thinned as they neared a slight rise. The blond slowed, making signals with his hand as he crept up the embankment, disappearing over the top. Sully followed after him, waving her and their leader up. She glanced at the rise, willing her feet to move when the guy trailing behind her wrapped an arm around her waist. He didn’t speak, just helped support her weight, half carrying her up the incline and over the edge. A swath of land stretched out on either side of them, railway tracks gleaming in the sun.
She forced herself to breathe, doing her best to ignore the burning sensation in her lungs with every rasp of air. The pain had spread, no longer centered in her shoulder, but spiraling outward in an ever-increasing wave. She cupped her right elbow, holding her head high when the men stared at her. She’d worked through worse. Now wasn’t the time to get soft.
Their gazes lingered then the blond pointed down the tracks. “There are fresh footprints following the rails. While I guess it could be another infected, that figure up ahead isn’t moving like one…even these anomalies. I’d bet money it’s your guy.”
She turned, squinting at the horizon. Something bobbed along the edge of the open track bordering the trees, its gait too fluid to be a zombie. A smug smile curled her lips. Damn, blondie was right. Even encased in shadows she knew it was Lelin. The bastard wasn’t going to get away from her that easily. And when they caught his ass, he was going to tell the men everything he knew. Explain how he’d single-handedly destroyed the human race. Allow her to finally share the burden.
She glanced at them. “Well?”
Blondie glanced at their unnamed leader. “Cogan? It’s in the opposite direction.”
The guy—Cogan—clenched his jaw, studying her face as if she were some complicated puzzle he needed to figure out. Or maybe he was gaging how far gone she was and whether she had the strength to argue with them. Either way, it didn’t look as if he wanted to chase Lelin down.
She bit back a curse when the scenery spun, somehow remaining on her feet. Heat billowed up from her legs, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she passed out. She looked at Lelin again, judging the distance when a hand closed around her arm. She fought the urge to react, aware that tossing one of the
m on the ground wouldn’t gain her any favors. Instead, she shifted her focus, instantly pinned by a set of deep-brown eyes.
Her breath caught. How long had it been since she’d seen eyes that rich? Since a man had looked at her without contempt or fear in his gaze? And why hadn’t she noticed the depth of color before?
His brow crinkled as his mouth pursed slightly. “We’ll try to run him down, but if he darts into the forest…”
She nodded, not trusting her voice as another wave of dizziness dimmed her vision. Cogan paused a moment, seemingly measuring her up then motioned to the others. The blond moved to her side as Cogan and Sully sprinted off, their boots kicking up dirt.
She took a step to follow when the guy beside her snagged her arm, his grip firm.
“I realize you’re a badass, but even I can tell you’re barely staying upright.” He allowed his gaze to run the length of her body. “Let Cogan and Sully bring that jerk back…though I still don’t understand what the hell you’re talking about. But either way, you need to save your strength. God forbid you pass out on us before we get to the Hummer. I know you’d hate having one of us carry you.”
She snorted, not sure when she’d started leaning on him for balance. “Smartass.”
“Jake.”
She smiled then frowned as grunts and growls echoed up the railway. Jake’s body stiffened against hers, and she shifted her gaze down the tracks again. Cogan and Sully were only fifty yards away from Lelin as a group of infected breeched the open space, racing at the men with deadly speed.
She gave Jake a shove. “Go! I’ve got your back.”
He hesitated then took off, moving faster than she’d thought a guy his size could run, not that the others were slow. She just hadn’t expected the impressive burst of speed. She checked behind them, making her way toward the men, keeping her arm tight to her side to minimize the impact. But she hadn’t gotten halfway before the pain reached a threshold, slowing her pace.
She bit the inside of her cheek. This wasn’t like her. She’d dragged her ass through more than a few missions injured. Bleeding. Why the hell was one stab wound making her so damn weak? Especially with the blade still in place?
She glanced at her shirt, hissing out a short breath. Bright red stained the front, the fabric soaked through.
So much for not bleeding out with the knife still lodged inside. And judging by the amount, she wasn’t far off from going into hemorrhagic shock.
Harper clenched her jaw, mentally telling herself to suck it up when Jake appeared beside her, blood splattered across his shirt. He didn’t pause long enough to talk as he scooped her into his arms, juggling her close as he picked up his pace again. The sudden shift jammed the knife sideways, and she couldn’t crush the whimper that bubbled free.
Jake grimaced, giving her a squeeze. “Sorry, love. But we don’t have a large margin of time here. And Sully and Cogan are too busy with your partner.”
She tried to glance over his shoulder, but the passing scenery made her stomach heave in protest. She concentrated on not throwing up until her stomach settled a bit. “I can walk.”
He chuckled. “No doubt you can. But I’m not so sure about running.”
“Watch me.”
“Next time.” He huffed when she glared at him. “Humor me, would ya? I didn’t spend over ten years as a firefighter without learning how to shoulder some extra weight. And you’re pretty damn light. Makes me think you haven’t eaten much for a while. We’ll get that straightened out along with your shoulder. So just relax.”
A fireman. Great. Of all the vocations he could have cited, it had to be that one. It meant he was honorable. A damn everyday hero. Just like the one… She clenched her jaw, thinking of something to say to ease the sudden pounding of her heart, but it took all her strength just to keep her eyes open. Footsteps sounded behind them, the rasp of heaving breathing thickening the air. Sully and Cogan moved into view. Sully had Lelin slung over his shoulders, fireman style, while Cogan scanned the area, apparently keeping watch. The man gave a nod then sprinted ahead, dodging left when they reached a gravel road. Jake followed, his pace never slowing. A large dark shape wavered near a bend in the path, shadows from the towering evergreens masking its presence.
Cogan reached it first, opening the rear hatch. Sully disappeared behind the vehicle next, the sound of Lelin’s body hitting the rear storage area strangely loud. Harper squinted when Jake finally slowed to a stop, his chest grazing hers with every deep breath. She grabbed the edge of the Hummer as he placed her on her feet, waiting for her to nod that she’d gained her balance. Then he rounded the SUV, opening the driver’s side before jumping in. She blinked back the spots that clouded her vision, her thoughts starting to grow fuzzy.
Sully muttered something to Cogan, the uncertainty in his voice drawing her attention. She forced her legs to move, bracing her arm on the rear quarter panel as she closed the distance. They’d spread Lelin across the back, blood dripping down his neck. Harper tilted her head, staring at the wound until the truth finally scratched its way to the surface. She drew a harsh breath, stepping away as the two men turned to look at her.
She shook her head, her throat suddenly dry. “Oh my god. He was bitten?” Her gaze searched each man, daring them to deny what was staring her in the face.
Cogan moved forward, hands once again raised palms up. “Easy. I know what you’re thinking, but we have a serum. A way of preventing the parasites from taking control. We’ve already given it to him. Kace says that as long as you get to someone within several minutes, they’ll be fine. We’ll patch his wound and bind him for safety, but I think we got to him in time. Even if we didn’t, the injection should buy us a day or two. Time for you to explain why he’s so important. Maybe get what you need from him.”
“Serum? What…”
Her voice trailed off as Lelin rose from within the vehicle, teeth bared, skin bleeding into a deathly shade of gray. He lunged at Cogan, grabbing the man by the collar and dragging him backwards. Time slowed, her instincts kicking in before she could utter a word as she grabbed the hilt of the knife in her shoulder and yanked it free. She flipped it over in her fingers, holding the blade before tossing it across the small distance. It struck Lelin between the eyes, a loud cracking noise filling the air. The bastard’s head recoiled, dropping him into the hatchback with a dull thud. Blood pooled beneath his skull, the dark color mocking Cogan’s words.
Sully reached for his friend, pulling the man free. They took a frenzied step backwards, surprise arching their brows as they turned toward her again, mouths slightly open. She blinked twice, a wash of blood warming her skin. Her gaze fell to her shoulder, the absence of the hilt strangely foreign, before her legs buckled.
Strong hands encircled her body, preventing her from hitting the ground. They lifted her up, and she realized they’d entered the vehicle. Her head fell against a wall of male flesh, the heat from his body seeping through their clothes and into her. Images flip-flopped across her vision as voices sounded around her.
“Just drive. I can stem the bleeding with some QuickClot, but she’s already lost a lot of blood.” Cogan’s face blurred into sight. “Hold on. We’re taking you back to the compound. You’ll be fine as long as you just stay with me.”
She smiled at the thought, inhaling his spicy scent. It was a mixture of musk and pine trees, the combination surprisingly arousing. Heat pooled low in her belly, spreading through her veins until it flushed her cheeks. Cogan frowned above her, one hand brushing across her forehead.
“Damn it, Jake. She’s burning up.”
A huff sounded from far away. “I’m pushing it as fast as I can without actually losing control. But we’re not exactly close.”
Cogan grimaced, his gaze meeting hers again. “Stay with me…”
She chuckled. “Harper.”
A smile kissed his lips. “Harper. That suits you. In case you hadn’t figured it out, I’m Cogan. That’s Sully and Jake.”
&nb
sp; She nodded, feeling herself fade when Cogan gave her a firm shake.
“Hey, sweetheart. You need to stay awake. Keep talking to me. Give me a chance to thank you for what you did, though it was a fucked up plan if I do say so. You should have waited…left that damn knife in place. Sully would have gotten me free.”
“Not before…before…” Her words slurred over her tongue, morphing into a moan as pain rolled through her.
Cogan increased the pressure on her shoulder, his lips brushing across her forehead. “Easy. I’m not going to let you die. Promise.”
Patches of gray edged her vision, making the interior seem smaller. She focused all her energy on Cogan’s face, admiring the firm line of his jaw and the delightful pout of his lips. She leaned her head against his shoulder, content to simply fade in his arms. “Kiss me.”
His brow furrowed. “What?”
“In case…”
The lines on his forehead deepened, but he leaned forward, touching his mouth to hers. A heady flavor filled her senses and she drifted off, the play of his lips on hers her last coherent thought.
Chapter Three
Harper rolled her head to the side, blinking the fuzzy images into focus. Metal walls glared back at her, the silver color shining in the artificial light. She glanced at the ceiling, confused by the row of florescent bulbs lining the room. Hadn’t she left the facility months ago?
She leaned forward, her breath catching as pain flared through her shoulder, stealing what little air she’d managed to inhale. Her head dropped back on the thin pillow, and she closed her eyes as nausea roiled through her.
She concentrated on taking short, quick breaths, finally relaxing as the sick feeling dissipated, allowing her to gaze at her surroundings again. This wasn’t the facility, and the pain meant she gotten herself and Lelin into trouble. She moved her legs. At least she hadn’t been restrained, though that didn’t mean she hadn’t been locked up somewhere.
The thought made her smile. She had yet to encounter a place she couldn’t break out of, and with the world and its technology in the crapper, she doubted she’d meet with much resistance. Pain edged her vision with swirls of black as she levered up, cradling her elbow as best she could as she swung her legs off the gurney, staring at her toes as they dangled above the floor. More confusion clouded her thoughts. What the hell had she done to her shoulder? Where was she? She hadn’t seen a room this well stocked outside of the facility, and even that place had eventually fallen.
