Ryder leads the way to the front door, and Madison and her group split off to join Dr. Richards in the control room to supervise the collection. We wait for Dr. Richards to open the gate, and I nearly shiver. There’s a fresh layer of fallen snow on the ground that crunches under my boots, and I pull my coat tighter around myself, trying to stay warm. I hope my gloves don’t interfere with my ability to pull the trigger of my weapon, but I can’t leave them off and risk letting my fingers go numb and totally unresponsive.
While we wait for the gate to open, we all do a quick check of our weapons while Ryder ascertains the situation outside the gate. Unfortunately, things look like they won’t be as easy for us as they were for Madison’s group after all. There are no zombies milling around the fence like the other day, meaning we’ll have to go into the trees and away from the safety of the laboratory to find one. But Dr. Richards needs his new test subject now, and that means we can’t wait for one to come stumbling by.
When the gate creaks open, we rush out in a tight group. Ryder takes the lead as usual, and Reese hangs towards the back, keeping a watch on our backs so nothing can sneak up behind us. I stick close to Naomi in case she needs any help, but she seems to have fully recovered from her ordeal in the river, and she looks determined and fierce. She easily keeps pace with Ryder as we head into the trees.
The area darkens as the trees swallow us, refusing to let much light touch the ground. We slow our pace and bring our weapons up, looking for any sign of a suitable female test subject. The woods are deserted though, and the only movement comes from our group as we make our way further and further from the laboratory. Already the gate is long gone and out of our line of sight, and I begin to feel nervous about heading this far away from the lab. Ryder shows no signs of slowing or stopping though, so I keep my mouth shut.
The woods are eerily silent, and I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck begin to raise as goose bumps dot my arms. After being in the warmth and safety of the lab, being outside in the cold is like a shock of freezing water to the face. It’s enough to disorient me, and it almost feels like a dream. Everything moves so slowly, and my senses feel more heightened, like something is about to happen and my body is preparing itself for it.
Ryder raises his hand, motioning for us all to stop in our tracks. We brace ourselves, waiting for any sign of movement that doesn’t belong to us. I listen to the woods around us, and hear crunching coming from our left, just past a row of trees. Ryder motions with his hands and Reese ducks away to scout out the area while we hold down the fort. Minutes pass by in near total silence, and when Reese returns, he looks calm and easy.
“Single roamer. Missing an arm so it was no good to us. I took it out with my knife. Nothing else in the area, for once.”
Ryder nods, and we continue on our trek through the woods. I’m beginning to worry that we won’t find any zombies until we hit the river, and by then we’ll be so far away from the lab that we’ll be in danger if something goes wrong. But this needs to be done, and I know that even if I voice my concerns, it won’t matter. Ryder won’t want to go back, and honestly, neither will I even though being so far away scares me. We both know how important this is and we won’t let our fears get the better of us.
We walk for another few minutes, and I realize that we’re probably way beyond the reach of the lab’s cameras. If something does go wrong, they won’t know it, and they won’t be able to offer us any help either. We’re completely on our own out here in the cold wilderness, actively searching for a zombie to catch and bring back to the lab. It sounds so crazy that I almost laugh, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop once I start. So I keep my lips sealed and focus on Ryder’s back in front of me.
We hear movement in front of us, and Ryder lifts two fingers—a sign he taught us before Madison and her group joined us. Instantly we split off into two teams, me with Reese and Ryder with Naomi. We head off into the trees, coming up and around the zombies ahead of us so we can annihilate them from both sides. I step closer to Reese, raising my gun a little more. We reach the edge of the trees, and find a small pack of zombies. There are a dozen or so, and we quietly hang back and look them over, trying to decide which one will please Dr. Richards the most.
I see a few with missing limbs that I rule out right away, as well as a woman missing an eye, along with the rest of the left side of her face. But behind her, there’s a female zombie with short hair, bright green eyes, and a slim build. She looks disturbingly young, like she’s barely a teenager.
The only thing wrong with her that I can see are two missing fingers on her right hand, but that’s a pretty minor thing compared to many of the other injured zombies around her. I point her out to Ryder, and he nods, having come to the same conclusion as I did. A quick count reveals ten other zombies surrounding her, and only four of us. These odds aren’t terrible—we’ve had worse in the past for sure—but we can never be too careful. But both Ryder and Reese being such good shots eases my worries enough to click off the safety of my weapon when Ryder gives the signal.
I see Naomi set the pole against a nearby tree, freeing both hands to steady her gun. When everyone is ready, Ryder nods. His first shot takes out the eye of the woman with the missing face, and she drops to the ground, taking another zombie with her. While it slowly gets back up, I take aim at the one nearest to me, and squeeze the trigger. My hand jerks with the force of the shot, and a man crumples to the ground, quiet and unmoving.
Reese expertly takes out two in rapid succession, proving once again that he’s an amazing sniper. Naomi and I follow him up. She takes down a hulking man that lumbers towards her, and it drops to the snow at her feet. My next shot grazes the scalp of my target, but the second shot lodges in his forehead, and he sways before collapsing. Ryder takes out another, his aim dead on. Reese puts a bullet between the eyes of a woman, and Naomi gets another at close range, blowing out part of his skull.
We all head for the girl zombie, and Ryder takes out the last one in our way, bashing him in the nose with the butt of his gun. It drops to the ground, and he stomps its head with his thick, heavy boots. On the third kick, the head pops and the brains gush out beneath his boots. Now the girl zombie is the only one left, and Naomi quickly grabs the pole while we try to figure out the best way to go about this.
I’ve handled young zombies in the past, and as much as it bothers me, there’s always a small part of me that’s secretly glad for them because they’re even smaller than me sometimes, and they’re not as much of a threat. They don’t have the same brute force that the larger ones do, and that will make her easier to deal with now. Ryder or Reese could hold her at arm’s length like in a cartoon, and all she could do is swing her arms and try to reach them.
Naomi joins us with the pole. Her eyes are wide and she’s breathing a little fast. “How are we going to do this? Is someone gonna act as bait and draw her attention while I sneak up from behind?”
Reese looks at her. “I can do the snagging if you want,” he offers.
Naomi thrusts the pole at him so quickly it catches him off guard and he fumbles the pole. He traps it between his legs before it hits the ground while we try not to laugh, and Naomi grins sheepishly. “Thanks. I really didn’t wanna be the one to do it…”
“I understand,” Reese says. He grips the pole tightly and nods to me. “Sam, get in front of her and clap your hands or something. Anything that will get her attention. Blood would work best, but that’s not gonna work. Your scratches are mostly healed, and none of us are injured. So noise will have to do.”
I nod. “If you’re happy and you know it…”
Naomi smiles. “Be careful, Sam.”
“I will,” I say, smiling back. “We’ve got this.”
I hope I sound more confident than I feel. My knees are weak and my mouth has gone paper dry at the thought of offering myself up as bait, but I know that with the others here, I’m in no real danger. So I take my spot across from the others, click on t
he safety of my gun, and slide it into the holster on my thigh. When Ryder gives me the signal, I bring my hands together, clapping as loudly as I can.
Even though there is three of her prey in front of her, they’re silent and unmoving. When she hears me making noise behind her, she turns slowly, facing me and advancing steadily. Her movements are more fluid than a lot of zombies we’ve faced, which means she probably hasn’t been a zombie for too long. Her skin is a deathly shade of white, but it’s still clear and in one piece. She’s not rotting yet, which makes her an even better candidate, despite her two missing fingers.
I slowly clap, keeping her attention focused solely on me. With her back turned to them, Reese finally moves. Ryder has his weapon aimed directly at her head in case something does go wrong, but I’m confident that everything will go smoothly. She’s a young girl, and Reese is a grown man with a tool that will keep her further than arm’s length away from us at all times. I feel safer knowing that he’ll be the one in charge of guiding the zombie girl back to the lab, even if it means we won’t have him to act as a lookout for the trip back.
Reese comes up behind the zombie girl, his hands twisting the pole nervously. I keep clapping, trying to force her attention to stay on me. She gets closer to me, and just as she’s about to reach out for me, Reese loops the wire around her neck and pulls it tight. If she were human, she’d be choking and out like a light in a few minutes, but since she doesn’t need air to function, all it does it help us anchor her in place and keep her from biting at any of us. I relax as Reese forces her to the ground easily.
We all take a quick second to catch our breath and settle our nerves, but all too soon Ryder is motioning for us to get ready to head back. “We fired off enough shots to draw some more zombies to this area. I want us all safely back to the lab before they arrive. Just because the woods were empty on the way here doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way for long. Now let’s get going.”
Reese forces the zombie girl back to her feet, and he steers her towards the way we came. He accidentally walks her right into a tree, and he winces. “Oops. Sorry about that.”
Naomi gives Reese a disapproving look. “I know you did not just apologize to a zombie.”
His cheeks turn redder than the cold has already made them. “Well, she might be human again in a little bit. I don’t want her to think I’m a jerk.”
I almost laugh, but Ryder motions for us to start moving. Reese takes the lead, guiding her back to the lab, careful to avoid slamming her into any more trees. Dr. Richards won’t be happy if his new test subject comes back with a busted face or a broken skull. Ryder walks a ways behind us, trying to keep watch for any sign of movement. But as we head back to the lab, it becomes apparent that the only sounds we’re able to hear are coming from our captive zombie. She groans loudly non-stop and her movements are so clumsy and noisy that it’s impossible to hear around us.
We’re practically sitting ducks out here…I think to myself. I almost say it out loud, but Naomi looks visibly shaken as she walks along beside me, and I don’t want to scare her anymore than she already is. I know exactly how she’s feeling right now, because I’m feeling it, too. This walk back almost makes me feel like a blind man running through the woods. I have no guidance and no sense of my surroundings.
“Sam?” Naomi asks quietly.
“Yeah?”
“I—I’m glad we came here. Even if Dr. Richards is a bit of a creep, I’m glad we took the risks we have. I want the world to change, for us, and for my brothers. The thought that I may get to see any of my loved ones again some day is enough to keep me going, even when I’m scared. And if it weren’t for you pushing so hard for this cure, I might not have ever gotten this chance.”
I put my arm around her, pulling her closer. Naomi and I have been through a lot together. We survived Frank’s tents, we survived the journey to our cabin in the woods, and we survived this search for the cure. We’ve gotten on each others nerves in the past for sure, but we share an unbreakable bond that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. Even though she’s a couple of years younger than me, I feel a connection with her, and I know she feels the same way.
“Everything is gonna be alright,” I tell her.
Naomi opens her mouth to answer and screams as a pair of blood-covered hands latch onto her, pulling her away from me. Broken, jagged teeth sink into her shoulder before I can even bring my weapon up, tearing easily through her flesh. She screams again, and I grab her hand and get close, putting my gun against the zombie’s face. I pull the trigger and the back of his head explodes out, showering a nearby tree with blood and bits of brain. Naomi crumples to the ground, her shoulder bleeding profusely. Already, her coat is soaked, and it shows no signs of stopping.
Ryder and Reese stare at us in stunned silence. I never saw it coming, and they didn’t either. That zombie just came out of nowhere and pulled Naomi away before any of us could react. But once it stops moving, the spell is broken, and I holster my weapon and kneel to the ground beside her, moving her coat aside to look at the wound. Ryder joins us while Reese grapples with the zombie girl, who is struggling wildly now that she’s got the scent of blood, looking on from a safe distance.
Naomi’s hand is pressed against her shoulder, trying to staunch the flow of blood. But I can see it seeping through her fingers, dripping down her hand to stain the snow below her. “Let me see it!” I scream, pulling her hand away. I’m too terrified to be sensitive or calm right now.
She’s crying so hard I’m surprised she can breathe, and when I see the wound in her neck, the air gets driven from my lungs like I just got punched in the chest. There’s a jagged chunk of flesh missing from the skin between her shoulder and neck. It’s deep, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop bleeding any time soon. I disentangle her hand from mine and force it to her neck. “Keep pressure on it. We’ll get you help when we get back to the lab.”
“We have to go, now!” Ryder says, bringing up his weapon.
I look over my shoulder, and my heart stops as a pack of zombies comes out of the trees behind us. I can hear more off in the trees, but they’ll be here soon enough, and we won’t be able to fight them all, especially with Naomi in such poor shape. She’s of no use in a fight, and she’ll be dead weight all the way back to the lab, but we’re going to be fine. I grab her free hand and haul her to her feet, forcing her to lean on me for support. I take my gun out of its holster with my free hand and click off the safety, though I’m not sure how good my aim will be while I’m half-carrying and half-dragging Naomi.
Ryder shoves us forward harshly, and Naomi nearly stumbles to the ground. Her free hand is still pressed to her neck, but it’s not doing much good and I can already tell that she’s losing a dangerous amount of blood. Her face is rapidly losing its natural brown coloring, and she puts more and more of her weight on my shoulders with each step. But we’re making progress, slowly but surely. I can hear Ryder behind us firing off shots, taking a few seconds to reload when necessary, but I don’t dare look back.
If I do, I’ll lose my grip on Naomi. So even though I’m terrified for Ryder’s safety, my focus has to be on Naomi. Ryder can take care of himself—he’s proven it time and time again and now isn’t the time to start doubting him. So I heave Naomi higher on my shoulder and force her to keep going, even though my back and my legs are screaming at me from the added weight. This is just like one of my most recurring nightmares, the one where I’m trying to drag someone to safety but I’m too weak to do it. Usually it’s Ryder, and I never thought for one second that it would be Naomi.
We follow Reese as closely as we can while he forces the zombie girl forward. Naomi says something, but her voice is so soft I can’t hear it over the sound of the gunshots behind me. I lean my head closer to hers, trying to hear what she’s saying. Her voice is so soft it’s like a gentle breeze, but I make out her words this time.
“I’m sorry,” she says.
“Don’t be,�
�� I say, pausing to lift her higher on my shoulder again. She keeps slipping down further and further as my arms weaken. “We’re gonna get you back to the lab, and Dr. Richards will fix you up until he can perfect the cure.”
She gasps for air, her lungs making a horribly wet rattling sound, and I’m afraid she’s about to start coughing up blood. “I’m not gonna make it…”
“Don’t say that!” I snap. “You’re gonna be fine. I promise.” My voice breaks.
She looks up at me with half closed eyes. “I’m sorry,” she says again.
She slips from my grasp and drops to the ground. I grab a fistful of her coat, trying to haul her back to her feet, but she’s entirely dead weight, and I’m not strong enough. “Ryder!” I scream. Tears burn at the backs of my eyes and cloud my vision, but I can see him running to me. I manage to get Naomi on her feet, but she sways dangerously, and I grab her hand and put my arm around her waist to steady her, expecting Ryder to take her other side. “Help me carry her!”
A zombie grabs her coat and pulls her closer. I plant my feet on the ground and pull, refusing to let her go without a fight. I’m losing ground, and there are several more zombies coming for her. There’s so much blood in these woods that even I can smell it, and I’m not a predator like them. They’re being drawn to Naomi like bugs to a porch light, and I can’t fight them all off. There’s too many of them, and not enough of us. The zombie holding onto Naomi’s coat leans forward and sinks his teeth into her throat, silencing Naomi’s whimpers. I scream and pull harder, refusing to let go of her.
Dr. Richards can save her. She’ll be fine; we just have to get her back and everything will be alright, just like I promised…
Ryder rushes to my side, whipping a zombie in the head with his weapon and sending it crashing to the ground. Instead of helping me, his arm slips around my waist, and he lifts me off the ground. I cling to Naomi with everything I have, but I can feel her being pulled away from me as more zombies latch on to her. Naomi’s hand slides from my grasp, and it falls limply to the ground. I fight Ryder tooth and nail, struggling and beating on him, but he carries me effortlessly away from Naomi kicking and screaming.
Zombie World (Zombie Apocalypse #3) Page 21
