by Dia Cole
“You’ve got the girl in there.” Darcy wasn’t asking.
Dominic grunted.
Great. Guess I didn’t need to bother hiding.
Darcy let out a heavy sigh. “Why am I not surprised? You know you’re not sup—”
“I hope you didn’t bang on the door to lecture me again.”
“No. I just intercepted Grady trying to make a run for it. He grabbed the pack with the pills and said he was heading back to the safe house.”
“Goddamn it. That fucker would be dead in five minutes without us to watch his ass. Where’s he now?”
Darcy snorted. “I tied him to a chair. I don’t suppose we could leave him.”
“No, as tempting as that may be. He’s on the list and we’re already down five. We’ll be lucky if we can deliver half the list to base at this point.”
Five? I mentally tallied the number of survivors we’d lost from our group: Jared, Trish, Roger, and Eden made four. Who was I missing?
Darcy’s tone lowered. “We can’t stay here much longer. What’s the plan?”
Dominic let out a breath. “I’ll find transportation. Be ready to evacuate when I radio in.”
Crap. Dominic was leaving. No doubt he’d come back with a vehicle within the hour. Then we’d be on our way to the school and there was no way I’d get past the bite check there.
My damn hormones and Darcy’s untimely interruption had just cost me my shot at getting the serum. I wanted to beat my head against the wall in frustration. Dimly, I grew aware that Darcy and Dominic were arguing.
“Just tell me that you’ll stay away from Lee from here on out.”
“You’re out of line, Corporal.”
“Look, I don’t care about the blood on your hands or that you were in prison. You’re my commanding officer and I’ll follow you to hell. But you know we aren’t supposed to get involved with them.”
Prison? I sucked in a surprised breath. Blood on his hands? A knife of fear slid into my chest.
“Silence,” Dominic growled. “Get back to your post. The civvies will be under your protection until I return.”
“Yes, sir,” Darcy said, sounding like she was chewing on broken glass.
The door slammed. It was just Dominic and me in here now.
My mind went haywire imagining what he might have done.
The curtain slid open.
I flinched.
“Sorry about that.”
“Mmm-hmm.” I kept my gaze on his combat boots.
“You’re dressed,” he said, sounding disappointed.
“Yeah. So I should probably go,” I said, starting to inch away. I didn’t know what Dominic did to end up in prison, but it had to be bad. Throwing my naked body at a potentially unstable man didn’t seem like the brightest decision.
Reed and I need to brainstorm a new backup plan ASAP.
Dominic turned around, but didn’t meet my gaze. “I hoped you wouldn’t find out this way. I’m guessing you have questions.”
“You don’t owe me an explanation.”
“The hell I don’t. You won’t even look at me.” He let out a frustrated breath. He turned away. The muscles in his back were drawn bow tight. “I…I went to prison a few years ago.”
“What happened?” The words were out of my mouth before I could help myself.
“It’s a long story.”
“Did you kill people?” I asked in a low voice.
His troubled gaze finally met mine. “Not intentionally.”
I crossed my arms across my chest. “What does that mean?”
He let out a deep sigh. “During my final tour in Afghanistan, I was in charge of escorting convoys back and forth through a combat zone near the Pakistan border.”
I nodded slowly wondering how many tours he’d had.
“During my last mission I received reliable intel that our route would be targeted by insurgents. I shared that information with command and asked to take a different route. They ordered me to stay the course. I ignored the order and chose to take what I thought was a safer road.”
He shook his head as if fighting off memories. “We were ambushed a quarter of the way in. An IED took out the first truck. Then the bastards moved in on foot. We were pinned down exchanging gunfire for hours. By the time reinforcements came, I’d lost my entire squad. I was the sole survivor.” His voice grew tight.
My heart ached for the mountain of guilt he was obviously carrying around. “It wasn’t your fault they died.”
“Of course it was. If I’d followed orders they would still be alive.” He gave a bitter laugh. “I deserved my punishment. After the court-martial, I was sentenced to six years in prison.”
“That seems severe.”
“One of the penalties for disobeying a direct order during combat is death, so I think I made out pretty well under the circumstances.”
Good lord, the military doesn’t mess around. No wonder the guy was all tied up over rules and orders.
Dominic continued, “I was in the middle of serving my sentence when the virus hit. The army needed every soldier they had so they reinstated me on the condition that I never disobey an order again.”
“Okay. Do those orders include staying away from civilians?”
He paused. “Yes.”
“What’s the big deal? Mike and Eden were together.” My chest tightened as I uttered my sister’s name.
Storm clouds gathered on Dominic’s face. “Sergeant Williams showed a serious lack of judgment where your sister was concerned.”
“But—”
He interrupted me. “Violating the order could cost me my freedom. I don’t want to go back to that hellhole. No woman, no matter how smart and beautiful, is worth that.”
I wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or insulted.
He turned and strode to the door.
Realizing I was losing my chance at the vial, I rushed after him and grabbed his arm. “I’d like to continue where we left off. No one has to know.”
Dominic blinked down at me.
I stumbled against his chest as if needing support.
His hard muscles flexed under my fingertips.
I rose up on my toes, lifting my mouth to his.
“No,” he said, but he looked pained and his head lowered toward mine.
With his gaze fixed on my lips, I slid one hand up his stomach and under his vest. Faster than he could take his next breath, I ran my fingers along the inside seams. Just to the left of his ribs, I felt the edge of the vial. Bingo.
Before I could pluck it out, he gently pushed me away. “I can’t.”
Damn it. A hiss of frustration escaped my lips.
I’m so close. There has to be more than just the order standing in the way.
“Is it because of Jen?”
His head snapped up. “What? No.”
Right. And denial isn’t just a river in Egypt.
“I get it. You loved her and you feel guilty about being with someone else.”
Dominic rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t love her.”
“What?” I couldn’t have been more shocked if he’d thrown a toothbrush at my head.
He looked down. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
“It was like…an arranged marriage kind of thing. I didn’t really have a choice.”
“You were married to her?” The world spun as I absorbed this new information.
He stepped closer. “I never had the connection with her that I have with you.” He held up his hand as if feeling the energy pulsing between us.
I stopped breathing for a second. My gaze fell on his tempting mouth.
Anticipation seemed to reverberate in the air around us.
His dark eyes searched mine. “Do you feel it?”
“Yes,” I confessed.
God, did I ever feel it.
He took a step back, cutting the invisible connection between us. “It doesn’t matter. Ross is right.” He motione
d between the two of us. “We can’t be together. From now on we keep our distance.”
Stung, I searched his face trying to understand why his words hurt so much.
He cleared his throat. “Besides, we need to keep our focus on getting out of here before the infected find us.”
The reminder of the Biters had me digging through my pile of dirty clothes for my weapons and holsters. “Right,” I said, slinging back on my leather jacket. With a quickness I’d developed from repeated drills, I snapped my holsters into place. When I glanced up, I caught Dominic watching me slide my knife into my thigh sheath.
“That’s so goddamn sexy.” Then, as if remembering himself, he clamped his mouth shut and strode over to the door. “I’m heading out. Be ready to move when I get back.”
Damn. There went my opportunity to get the serum. But…a crazy plan sprang to my mind. “Let me come with you. You need backup.”
Dominic spun around. “Are you crazy?”
“Travel with backup. Isn’t that rule number eight?”
Dominic didn’t look thrilled to have his own playbook thrown in his face. He shook his head. “Not in this case. You’ll slow me down.”
“My ankle is feeling better.” I wasn’t lying. Numbness had killed the pain, and I walked toward him without a hint of a limp. “Besides I could use more real-world combat experience. Wasn’t that why you made us all come on this mission to begin with?”
His expression didn’t soften. “That was when I felt confident I could keep you and the other civilians safe. My answer is no. Don’t ask again.”
Biting back a groan of frustration, I watched him flip the lock. I was out of compelling arguments and out of time.
He turned the door handle and glanced back at me. “Stay alive. I’ll be back soon.”
“Easier said than done,” I mumbled under my breath. My hand brushed against the butt of my gun. A dark thought entered my mind.
There’s another way to I get what I need.
I rejected the idea almost immediately. I couldn’t do that. Not to Dominic.
At least not yet…
9
Feeling like a failure, I trudged out the bathroom door after Dominic. The sounds of cursing drifted down the hallway.
Seems someone else is having a shitty day too.
Inside the break room, Grady was hog-tied to a chair near the sad-looking Christmas tree. He struggled against the ropes crisscrossing his chest. Catching sight of Dominic, he stilled. “Sergeant, can you cut me loose?”
Dominic folded his arms across his chest. “You’re a danger to yourself and others. You’ll stay there while I determine whether or not to let you return to the safe house.”
Grady’s eyes widened. “I ain’t hurt nobody. I was just trying to get back to my daughter!”
I stepped by Dominic and glared at Grady. “You attacked Reed and me last night.”
A look of confusion flitted across Grady’s fat face. “I swear I didn’t do nothing.”
“Silly me, I guess I just imagined you trying to strangle us both.” I rubbed my throat. “How are your boys doing today?” I nodded at his crotch.
Grady flinched and looked down at his lap. “They hurt like hell. Damn. I won’t piss straight for a week.”
“You’re lucky I didn’t castrate you.”
Dominic stalked over to Grady. He whispered something in his ear.
Whatever he said made the color leech from Grady’s face.
My gray backpack sat near the legs of Grady’s chair. Dominic picked it up and tossed it to me. “Watch over this. Don’t let Grady get his hands on those pills. We can’t have him running off again.”
Grady watched me sling on the pack. He slumped down in his chair. “You know, I quit drinking when Rosie was born. I didn’t wanna to be the drunk asshole that my dad was.”
If he was trying to pull at my heartstrings, he was barking up the wrong tree. “I had a shitty dad too, but you don’t see me going around trying to kill people.”
His eyes glinted with moisture. “Rosie means everything to me. I thought I’d lost my chance to save her. I found booze in one of the desk drawers and…” His gaze caught mine. “Sorry if I hurt you and your friend.”
His regret and sincerity seemed legit. Maybe he wasn’t the biggest asshole in the universe. But that didn’t mean he deserved my sympathy. I had a more important person to worry about.
My attention switched to Reed. He lay under the table in the same position as when I’d left him.
Why didn’t Grady’s theatrics wake him up?
Swallowing down the unease, I went to his side.
“Reed,” I said gently tapping his forehead. It felt cool to the touch. That was odd, but at least there was no fever. He’d thrown on his flannel shirt before going to sleep so I couldn’t see if he was bleeding through his bandages.
I shook my head. Even with a chest wound, his insecurities over his scars had him covering up. I started to unbutton his shirt.
Dominic came over and knelt by my side. “How is he?”
Before I could answer, Darcy appeared in the doorway. “Sarge, dozens of infected are gathering out front.”
Dominic cursed and looked at me. “Stay here.” Then he jumped to his feet. Moving like a flash, he joined Darcy. “Keep this door locked,” he said, before closing the break room door.
My heart pounded against my sternum.
Did the horde follow us here?
I peered through the mini-blinds of the barricaded window. It faced a back courtyard that was wet, but thankfully empty.
At least we have that going for us.
Grady’s face twisted with fear. “Let me go. I can’t be tied up when those things come.”
Ignoring his pleas, I gently touched Reed’s face.
If the worst came to pass, we’ll need to be ready.
“Reed.”
He stirred and his eyes slowly opened. “Is everything okay?”
“No,” I said, in a hushed voice. “Biters are gathering out front. Darcy and Dominic went to check it out.”
His slumberous look faded. “Shit.” He struggled to sit up.
With a little finagling, I got him propped upright against the wall. “How are you feeling?”
Reed looked down at his left shoulder, a confused expression on his face. “Actually, most of the pain is gone.”
“The painkillers Darcy gave you last night must still be working. Good. We may need to run.”
“Cut me loose.” Grady demanded. He thrashed so hard against the rope that his chair toppled over into the Christmas tree. The last few ornaments fell to the ground along with the rest of the tree.
Reed blinked at the loud crash. “What the hell?”
I gave Grady a dismissive wave. “He’s tied up ‘cause he tried to leave with the pills.” Raising my voice so he could hear it, I said, “And he’s going to bring all the Biters here if he doesn’t stop making noise.”
Grady’s eyes bugged out. He stopped struggling.
Dominic’s black duffel bag sat near Reed’s feet. I dug through it looking for ammo. After reloading my Glock, I fished out another handgun. After checking to make sure it was loaded, I handed it to Reed. “Take this.”
He shook his head. “You know I won’t be able to use it.”
I glared at him, “Reed Jarin Marshall, you’ll take the gun and use it to defend your life or so help me, I’ll club you to death with it.”
Reed smiled at my empty threat. He held one hand up in surrender. “Okay, okay. I never could stand up to you when you got all bossy.” As he took the weapon, his hand closed around mine. “Did you get the serum?”
I cast a quick look at Grady, making sure he hadn’t overheard. His head rested on a bed of pine needles. His eyes were closed and it looked like he was praying.
I shook my head and whispered, “Not yet.”
Reed’s eyes shadowed. “What if there is a small window of time after infection? You need to get it soon.”<
br />
Great. Something else to worry about.
I forced a smiled for Reed’s benefit. “I’ll be fine.” I didn’t need him worrying about me when we might have monsters beating down the door.
Where are Dominic and Darcy? They should be back by now.
I couldn’t hear any gunfire.
Is that a good sign or a bad one?
Shit. If the Biters made it past them, we’d be their next stop. Do I barricade the door?
I started to grab one of the chairs and move it to the door.
But what if the soldiers need to make a quick retreat with Biters on their tail?
I might not be able to get a barricaded door open fast enough. I put the chair down.
Frustrated with another damned-if-I-do-damned-if-I-don’t scenario, I studied the poster of two giraffes under an umbrella acacia tree. Kristy and Po, my two best friends in high school, had ended up going to South Africa with the Peace Corps. I hoped they were still alive and weren’t running for their lives from zombie cheetahs or some crap like that.
“Since we might die in the next few minutes, I think I should thank you.”
I looked down at Reed in confusion. “For what?”
His head rested back against the wall as if it took too much strength for him to lift it. “For quitting school and taking care of Eden and me. Your life would’ve been a hell of a lot easier if you hadn’t.”
“And miss all this?” I said, motioning around the room.
He laughed. “No, seriously.”
I shrugged, as if giving up my freedom had been no big deal. “Family first.”
Reed’s eyes crinkled at the edges. “Gran used to say that all the time. I’m glad she isn’t around to see this.” He tapped the gun lying over his thigh.
“Yeah.” Gran, who had actually been a hippie, was as antiviolence as it got. “She probably would’ve offered herself to the first zombie that came for her,” I said with a weak laugh.
Reed shook his dreads down so they hung around his face. He pursed his lips and batted in his eyelashes. “Oh, look how hungry you are, dear. Take my leg. But don’t get any blood on my Afghan rug,” he said, nailing Gran’s hint of a Southern accent.
“Not the rug.” I said, loving the fact that I still had someone who shared my memories of Gran. “Remember how she used to wheeze when she laughed really hard.”
