Slow breaths don’t help much, and I can feel the bile rising in the back of my throat. I turn and run from the room before I puke, gasping for the sweet, fresh air. Todd pulls the door shut firmly behind him. “This is pointless. We’re not going to find anything useful.”
“We’re almost done,” I say, spotting Madison and Reese on the walkway above us. “Let’s just speed through this last one and then we can grab something to eat and get some much needed rest. We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”
We come to the final door on the ground floor. The word “office” hangs on the door in bronze letters. The door is ajar, and I nudge it open with the toe of my boot. It creaks, alerting anything inside to our presence. We wait for a second, listening for signs of any movement within. When nothing comes to greet us, we step carefully into the room.
Light spills in from the one tiny window in the corner of the room, highlighting a wooden desk with an overturned office chair. Papers are scattered all over the floor like a blanket of snow, and they crinkle under our steps. Immediately, we check all four corners of the room, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
I kick some books to the side and freeze when something thumps off to our left. Todd halts beside me. “What was that?”
“I don’t know,” I breathe quietly. “But it came from over there,” I say, jerking my hand over to our other side. There’s a door nearby that is closed. It probably leads to a private bathroom for the manager to use late at night.
“The door is closed,” Todd says.
“So?”
“Zombies can’t open doors. Let’s just leave it and go on to the next room. It can’t harm us. Somebody probably locked it in there.”
“And what if it’s another survivor?” I ask. “We can’t just walk away. It could be a kid.”
“And it could be a serial killer,” he whispers fiercely.
“All the more reason to check. If we leave them in there, they could sneak out later and steal our truck, or they could kill us for our supplies. You guys have experience with bandits,” I point out. “You want to risk letting Madison get taken?”
His jaw sets firmly. “I’m not gonna be the first one through that door. Be my guest.”
Rolling my eyes, I edge closer to the door. My gun is at the ready, and I double check to make sure it’s ready to fire. Todd comes up beside me, standing off to one side. His hand is on the knob, and when he yanks that door open, he’ll be safely hidden behind it while I’m waiting to take care of whatever lurks inside this bathroom.
He lifts an eyebrow and I nod. He wrenches the door open. A blur rushes at my head and I scream, dropping to the ground instinctively. The bird shoots overhead, beating my head with its wings. It caws angrily, and Todd rushes forward, trying to swat it away before it can do any real damage to my face or eyes with its beak or talons.
They rip into my skin, tearing through the flesh easily. The bird isn’t huge, but it isn’t a hummingbird either. It’s all back like a crow, with razor sharp claws. I drop my gun and use my arms to try and protect my face as the burning pain continues. Its beak digs into my forearms, tearing through the skin like butter. I can feel blood dripping down my arm, hot and sticky. I shouldn’t have rolled up my sleeves while searching these rooms.
Something slams into the bird, sending it flying across the room. It hits the desk with an angry caw. Glancing up through my arms, I see Todd towering over me with a thick book in his hands. His eyes are wide and he looks at a loss for words, like he can’t believe what just happened.
The crow caws again, and I spin around, waiting for another attack. Todd steps in front of me. The crow studies us with a black, beady eye. He hops to the edge of the table, opens his beak, and caws shrilly again. Todd lobs the book across the room. The book clips the crow, and it takes to the air, flying back into the bathroom and out an open window, disappearing into the night.
Todd and I are both breathing harshly. He looks over at me. I’m leaning against the desk, hunched over and struggling to calm my racing heart. Blood trickles down my cheeks and neck, along with several tiny incisions on my arms. My hands are shaking at what just happened, and I can’t get them to stop. Even though the attack is over as fast as it started, my mind is still struggling to process what just happened.
I slump to the ground, and Todd crouches down to my level, concern written all over his face. “This is not good. There’s no telling what that bird had on its claws. We need to get those scratches cleaned and bandaged. Until they heal, you have to be extra careful. Any zombie blood that gets in the wounds could turn you.”
I sigh, finally regaining my voice. “There’s a first aid kit in the truck. Daisy can patch me up.”
Todd offers me his hand and I take it. He pulls me up to my feet, holding on just long enough to make sure I don’t collapse. When he’s convinced I won’t freak out or fall over, he picks up our weapons and takes the lead. I follow along behind him meekly. As I shuffle along behind him, my thoughts are running wild.
These scratches could be disastrous. Zombie blood isn’t the only thing I have to worry about. Even a plain old blood infection could be the end of me. There aren’t any doctors around to prescribe antibiotics. I’ll have to make do with Neosporin and a bandage, and that might not be enough. Will it even keep out zombie blood? Or will I be forced to go back to the useless, helpless girl I was before? Will I have to stand off to one side and watch all my friends and family do my fighting for me?
Chapter Five
We rejoin the group by the vehicles. Ryder is still standing guard on top of the truck, always vigilant and aware of anything going on around us. For a minute, all I can do is stand at the back of the parking lot with Todd and stare at Ryder. He’s made it possible for us to feel as safe as humanly possible while out on the road, and he takes all of the faith we have in him seriously.
He’ll never let us down…
He turns and spots us. The corner of his lips twitch, and I know it’s as close to a smile I’ll get while he’s on guard duty. That almost smile falters as his eyes roam over my body, and I know the exact instant he sees the wounds on my face and arms. His gun drops to his side and he jumps off the roof of the truck to the bed and hops over the tailgate, hitting the pavement with a loud thump.
He heads over to us with long, purposeful strides. I can tell how furious he is from the way he clenches his hands until the knuckle are white and the way his nostrils flare. He reaches out and caresses the side of my face, holding me close as he looks me up and down. His fingertips brush my cheek, tracing the cuts as lightly as a feather. He’s surprisingly gentle considering how angry I know he is, but even at his angriest I know he would never hurt me.
Why is he so angry? It’s not his fault…
As his gaze switches over to Todd, his eyes narrow just a fraction, and it finally clicks that his fury isn’t directed at me, or even at himself. He blames Todd for the shape I’m in, even though it would be fairer to blame me.
“What happened?” he asks, still cradling my face gently. His words are far harsher than his touch, and if looks could kill, Todd would be dead and buried six feet under already.
“It’s my fault,” I say before Todd can even open his mouth. He’s a known smartass, and I don’t want to even give him the chance to say something that makes Ryder want to pummel him into the ground. “I heard a noise in one of the rooms, and Todd told me to leave it alone, but I thought there was a chance it might be another survivor, and I knew we couldn’t take the chance of just leaving them there if they meant us harm. What if they stole our truck or tried to take us captive?”
“So you opened the door and then what?”
“A crow flew out and attacked me.”
Ryder’s eyes widen just a bit, and I can’t be positive, but I get the feeling that he doesn’t believe me. Or maybe it’s not that he doesn’t believe me, but that he doesn’t believe something that stupid could actually happen. Either way, he seems to be at
a loss for words.
“A crow?” he repeats slowly, as if he isn’t sure he heard me right.
“Yeah, a big one,” Todd says tightly. He can sense Ryder’s anger towards him, which only pisses Todd off, too. “It flew in through the open bathroom door and knocked something over. We thought it might be another survivor, and when she opened the door, it flew out and attacked her. I hit it with a book, twice, and it took off out through the open bathroom window again.”
Ryder sighs, eyeing the scratches again. “This couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Out here on the road, there’s no telling what might happen. Those scratches could get infected so easily.”
I feel the weight of his words settle on my shoulders. “I’m sorry, Ryder. I know how bad this is.”
“It’s not your fault. Or anyone’s,” he adds before Todd can get defensive again. “Just ill-timed bad luck.”
He slings his arm around my shoulder, leading me back over to the cars. Madison and Reese have already rejoined the group, and she gasps as she takes in my face, neck, and arms. Before she can even ask me what happened, I shush her and turn to Daisy. “There’s a first-aid kit in the glove box in the truck. Can you grab it real fast?”
She rushes off without a word, rummages around through the glove box, and comes back. In one hand is the first-aid kit, and in the other is a flashlight. The sun is going down and the natural light is fading quickly. “We should get to our rooms now that our stuff is unpacked,” she says. “We should get the food and weapons safely inside before someone sees what we have and decides they want it.”
“Too late,” Aaron says gravely.
Instantly, Ryder steps in front of me, raising his gun. I don’t see or hear anything, but Aaron and Ryder are staring off at the far end of the parking lot. Ryder shouts, “Show yourself or we’ll shoot!”
Nothing.
“One!”
There’s nothing but the sound of Ryder’s voice and my frantic heartbeat.
“Two!”
I hold my breath, waiting for things to unfold.
“Last chance!”
Maybe they’re wrong…
“Three—”
“Wait!” a voice shouts. “Don’t shoot, please. We’ll come out.”
I exhale, realizing that I’ve been holding my breath. Shadows move at the opposite end of the parking lot, and a grizzly man steps out from behind a parked car. He’s tall, probably six foot five—if not taller—and his shoulders are so broad it would honestly be a shock if he could make it through an open doorway without having to turn. A thick, gray beard covers the lower half of his face. He wears an old leather vest that has several colorful patches on it, but I can’t make out what they say from here. Underneath is a thick, woolen sweater.
A pair of dark sunglasses obscures his face, so I can’t tell if his eyes are friendly or not. His hands are up in a harmless gesture, but I can see the gun strapped in a holster across his chest. There’s no telling how quickly he can draw it and fire.
And he’s not alone.
Three more people step out from behind him one after the next. One more man all dressed in leather, and two women. One of the women is not much taller or older than me, but the other has to be near six feet tall. She has long, curly black hair that falls past her shoulders, and her skin has a dark, natural tan color, possibly hinting at a Hispanic heritage. Her eyes are large and dark brown in color, with long dark lashes.
She goes to stand with the grizzly biker, and she frowns. “How about you put your weapons down?” she asks with a sneer. “We can be civil here.”
“Sorry,” Ryder says, obviously not sorry at all. He even lifts his gun a little higher, directly at her chest. “We gave you a chance to do this the civil way, and you waited to the last possible second before reluctantly coming out. Now, put your hands up like your buddy next to you while we figure out what to do next.”
“Or what?” she challenges.
“Or I’ll shoot you,” Ryder says coldly, in a matter-of-fact way that sends shivers up my spine. “The safety of my people is worth far more to me than the life of one mouthy stranger. So if you think I won’t do it, you’re mistaken,” Ryder growls, sounding very serious and very dangerous. His tone makes the tall Hispanic woman stop in her tracks, and she slowly brings her hands up, which is smart of her.
The grizzly man dares to take a couple of steps closer, drawing Ryder’s attention. I briefly wonder if moving the gun from the Hispanic woman to himself was intentional or not. I almost smile at the thought, because that is definitely something Ryder or Aaron would do for any of us in the group. It’s the sign of a leader, and a good one.
“Bear,” she warns.
Bear stops and smiles. “Its okay, Carla. They’re just trying to stay safe. They don’t know if they can trust us yet or not.”
“Just because they’re trying to stay safe doesn’t mean you need to move any closer.”
Bear looks at Ryder again. Before he can speak, Todd interrupts. “What kind of name is ‘Bear’?” he asks with a snort.
“Watch your attitude,” Carla says with a glare that could stop a wild animal in its tracks.
“Is it because he’s as large as a bear?” I ask, eyeing him with interest.
“No, it’s because of his cuddly disposition,” Carla snaps, eyes narrowing. “He’s a real teddy bear,” she adds sarcastically. Her beautiful face is turned up in a sneer and it isn’t so beautiful anymore.
“Hey!” Ryder shouts. “Zip that lip, Bitch.”
She stiffens and turns her glare on him at the word, but he doesn’t look fazed. She bristles, her lip pulling back into a sneer that looks more like a vicious snarl. “What did you just say to me?”
Ryder doesn’t look nearly as intimidated as I feel. I can feel myself withering under her gaze. “I called you a bitch. And you’re in no position to be getting so angry. Why don’t you calm down before you do something stupid.” It’s a command and not a suggestion, and I wonder if she’ll be smart enough to follow it, or if she’ll pick a fight over his impolite language.
“Carla, step back,” Bear orders, never taking his eyes off of Ryder. “You’ll have to excuse her. I think she was never very polite, even before.”
“Not very good at assessing how dangerous a situation is either,” Ryder says flatly.
“All part of her charm,” Bear promises with a chuckle.
“I’ll have to take your word for it,” Ryder says, as if he can’t possibly believe Carla has one ounce of charm.
Bear’s smile vanishes, and I know things are about to get serious. “We didn’t know this place was being occupied. We’re sorry for trespassing. We were just looking for a place to rest for the night.”
“Where are your vehicles?” Ryder asks, scanning the parking lot.
“We left them closer to the road. The bikes aren’t too loud, but they have attracted zombies in the past, so we don’t like to let them run anywhere near where we stay for the night.”
“Don’t you worry about leaving your vehicles on the road?” Reese asks. “Anyone could take them. Or at least search them and take your supplies.”
“We don’t exactly have supplies to take at the moment,” Bear says, sounding suddenly exhausted. “We finished off the last of our supplies the day before yesterday. “We’ve managed to find river water, but we haven’t had much luck with food.”
“No,” Ryder whispers, his lips barely moving.
“Ryder—”
“Don’t even think about it,” he says. “We don’t have the supplies to spare. Not if we’re going to finish this plan of Madison’s.”
“They’ll starve!”
“They’ll be fine. There are stores all over the place. And if those have all been picked clean, there are literally thousands of abandoned houses for them to scavenge through.”
“Not tonight. It’s too dark for them to find anything now. We can spare a can of soup and some fruit.”
“Sam—”
&
nbsp; “If we turn away other survivors, what does that make us?” I challenge. “We could be killing these people. If they haven’t eaten in two days, they could be too weak to fight. They aren’t a threat to us. And even if they are, we still outnumber them, and we out-gun them. We can always take their weapons for the night in exchange for food.”
He sighs. “Sam, we can’t help everyone. You’re too trusting for someone who went through what we did,” he says patiently.
“I’ve seen the worst in people, but I’ve also seen the best. Carla is a bitch, but Bear seems honest. They’re scared, Ryder. Fear makes people lash out. We can feed them for tonight and then send them Tuyen’s way tomorrow, if they’re willing to go.”
“She’s right,” Madison says, stepping closer to me. “We can’t ever turn people away, not if we want humanity to survive. We have to band together and take care of one another, even if some of them might not be too friendly,” Madison says, eyeing Carla with obvious distaste.
“What if they’re just pretending to be weak so we let our guard down?” Reese says. “We can’t be too careful.”
“So we just don’t let our guards down,” I say matter-of-factly. “We never do any other time, so why would we start now? Someone was going to be on watch all night anyways.”
“I don’t like this,” Naomi says, crossing her arms over her chest. “It would be one thing if they were outwardly friendly, but that Carla sounds really untrustworthy. And these guys are bikers. When has a group of bikers ever been a good thing?”
I shake my head. “Naomi, bikers are not all bad. These people need help, and we agreed to help Tuyen. We can kill two birds with one stone here. Everyone wins. We’ll spend the night evaluating them, and in the morning, if we decide they’re friendly, we’ll suggest they head into the city to find her.”
She chews her lower lip while mulling it over. “I don’t know, Sam. I think we should send these people on their way. I know you want to help everyone you can, but it’s not worth our safety.”
I turn to Todd and Daisy, who have remained quiet for the most part. “What do you guys think?”
Zombie World (Zombie Apocalypse #3) Page 7
