Once Ian was done, I laid out all of our blankets, straightening them until there was not a wrinkle left. That was my way of keeping things together. He steadied my hands and pulled me into his lap.
“No fire tonight.” He said. “Let’s go to bed so we can get up sooner.”
I nodded against his chest.
He held me there for a long time, the embrace meaning more than support. He understood the pain running through me because it mirrored in himself. I had almost lost James tonight and now I could lose Azami forever.
“Let’s get you under the covers. It’s already getting chilly out.”
I might have grumbled a response to him as he lifted me off his lap and onto the blankets next to me. A surge of panic coursed through me, thinking he was leaving me, so I grabbed for him before he could move away.
“Whoa. Easy, Lil. I have to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” I slowly released the death grip I had on his shirt and he kissed my nose.
“Okay.” I whispered.
What was only a couple of minutes seemed like hours. When he finally returned, I was wide awake again. I couldn’t handle the thought that he may not come back. I couldn’t lose him again, not after everything else.
“How are you doing?” He asked softly, searching my eyes for the truth.
“I’m keeping it together, but just barely.” My lower lip quivered.
He laid down, tucking me in under his chin. “I’m so sorry I didn’t make it back sooner. We ran into trouble. I’m sure you know about the Infected that attacked us. I didn’t think I was going to make it out of there. If it hadn’t been for the group of people who saved me, I’d be dead.” He took a deep breath, kissing the top of my head, not liking the idea any more than I did.
“What people?”
“Another group of survivors saved me. They are good people. I’m gonna go back and get them after we get Azami.” His expression stormed. “She’ll be alright.” He reassured me as much as himself.
I didn’t say anything There was nothing to say.
~~~~~~
“Wake up, sleeping beauty.” Ian whispered against my lips. “Time to get moving, the sun is rising.”
Before the last word left his mouth, I was already up and ready to take the tent down. Morning had come faster than anticipated. I didn’t think I was going to be able to sleep a wink, but exhaustion had won out. I was grateful for the extra strength sleeping provided ‘cause I was going to need it to get our angel back. All the unknown began running through my mind, playing tricks on me and pulling every horrible thought to the forefront.
After I hurriedly shoved the tent in its bag, I followed Luke over to where he was relocating the tracks. We set off as the sun rose higher in the sky, eating a few power bars to keep us going and our energy up. We tracked their footprints and broken twigs for hours until Luke suddenly stopped.
“What? What’s wrong?” I could see he was thinking intently, and it didn’t seem good.
“Nothing.” He glanced at me, but I could tell it wasn’t nothing.
“God, no.” I whispered.
Mason said, “Lil, it’s okay. His tracks are heavier than last night, but that means he’s carrying her.”
“But the look on his face―” I whispered.
“Are you alright?” Ian hovered over Mason’s shoulder, a possessive expression on his face that had mine written all over it.
“She’s alright.” He confirmed.
“I’m alright.” I said at the same time. “Luke lost her tracks and I immediately thought the worst. Luke, what are the tracks telling you?”
“It took me a few minutes because the ground is harder here, but Mason’s right. He’s definitely carrying her now.” Luke pulled me over to where he was looking. “You see here? Her tracks disappear.” I cringed at the words. “But here,” He pointed at some bigger and more defined tracks, “After hers are gone, his get deeper and more defined. This would indicate more weight. My guess is that this is where she fell asleep or couldn’t walk anymore.”
Even though we had spent the night outside, we hadn’t walked far. They had much more of a head start than us. We were only about ten miles outside of camp now, and they would have traveled all or most of that distance last night.
“Where do you think they finally stopped for rest? Don’t you hunt this area?” I asked.
They exchanged glances, a knowing expression in their eyes. Michael didn’t meet my gaze when he said, “Jeff usually did the hunting in this area.” Shit! “We’ve been out here before though, so we do know the way around. I just want you to know that he does too.”
He was preparing me. What. The. Fuck. No. “Do not do that!” I growled, causing them all to jump. “She is going to be fine.” I turned and followed the deep tracks without another word until they hit a rockier area, forcing me to slow down and wait for Luke to take the lead.
Michael gently touched my arm, his expression guilty. “I didn’t mean anything by that, Lil.”
Now he made me feel like shit. “I know, and I’m sorry. Thank you for helping.” I glanced his way.
He smiled tightly. “Always.” He rubbed my arm again, letting Ian take his place.
“You alright?” He slid his hand into mine.
“Yes. To say I’m freaking out is an understatement.” I took a deep breath.
“You have every right.” He stroked my palm with his thumb.
We trudged on, only stopping to use the bathroom. We had been walking for hours now, and still Jeff kept going, obviously not stopping for anything it appeared. Mason did say his tracks had slowed to smaller strides now. If he was carrying Azami, and he had been doing so for hours now, then he couldn’t hold out much longer. That was something that I knew from experience.
Chapter 17
My patience was wearing thin. In only a couple of hours the sun would set again and Jeff’s tracks were only slowing, not stopping. This guy must be in damn good shape. I kept asking myself, was she scared? Was she crying for me? I couldn’t let my mind drift in that direction.
As dusk hit and everything began to blur together, Luke held up his arm in a stopping position and put his finger to his lips in a quieting gesture. Immediately we stopped in our tracks, trying to pick up on any sound. As our breathing evened out and I tuned out everything around me, the sweetest sound of my life reached my ears; my angels little voice. I couldn’t quite understand what they were saying, but by the tone of Jeff’s reply, she was working on his last nerve. Oddly he didn’t sound mad, just exasperated. Silent tears of joy ran down my cheeks. She was alive.
We huddled together, going over a plan. Michael, Mason, and Luke were going to draw Jeff’s attention to them, while Ian swooped in and snagged Azami. I was to wait in the brush for him to bring her to me, this way Ian could go back and help if they needed him. Who knew what crazy shit Jeff was going to try and pull. If everything went as planned, I would have my baby in my arms in a few minutes. My adrenaline was pumping like a runaway train.
We never discussed what we were going to do with Jeff after we had Azami back, but I suspected the guys had something up their sleeves. Ian had a gun tucked into a holster on his back, prepared for anything.
Slowly we approached where they were sitting; a small fire was glowing in front of them. I could finally make out their words. Azami was asking questions on rapid fire mode, not even pausing for the answers before asking another.
“Come on, kid.” Jeff’s voice traveled to me in the wind. “You only have an hour to get some sleep until we have to move again. Don’t you want to sleep?” His voice was annoyed… and caring? This surprised me. How could he beat me, almost rape me, almost kill James, and then treat Azami in an agitated, yet kindly way.
“Betuuuuuz,” She said in her little girl voice. “You tan tawy me. I don’t wike walking so much.” She shook her head, her eyes growing sad. “I want my mommy and daddy.” She whispered.
My heart sank. I wanted to hold her, breathe her
in, have her as close to me as possible, and then it hit me that she said Mommy and Daddy. Ian was her father but no one knew that except us. Mason was the one who had spent so much time with her lately. He helped take care of her when I was depressed. I knew who she was talking about.
I glanced at Ian. His face was stone. He knew she wasn’t talking about him either. I found my gaze sliding to Mason, who was watching me, pride shining in his eyes. My heart strings pulled. He meant so much to her and I was grateful for everything he had done for us.
Ian didn’t look at me when he spoke, “Let’s go.”
The small rejection stung. He didn’t know what it was like when he was gone and how much Mason helped us.
Mason whispered to me as he walked by. “He’ll be alright.”
Everyone moved to their positions, surrounding the camp, waiting for the right moment when Jeff settled down. Patience was not my strongest suit. Anxious energy had me searching Jeff and his surroundings.
Observing him, I could see red splotches, similar to the ones I noticed on Becky. What the hell? Suddenly my brash thought of Becky being Infected was right on because now Jeff exhibited the exact same symptoms. Subconsciously, I knew what they were becoming and that’s why I reported it to Dane, but I don’t think the idea of it solidified until now. People were becoming Infected again. One of the worst times of the Flash was set to repeat itself.
He turned his head, scanning the area and that’s when I noticed the growth on the side of his neck. How could I not have saw the signs sooner? I just thought that he and Becky were assholes. People didn’t immediately go insane from the disease. They transformed from normal everyday people, to losing themselves slowly, until they became murderous and crazed.
I wanted to warn the guys but they were already set to go across the camp. If I moved, there was a chance that Jeff would see me and I would blow our cover completely. The Infected were stronger and faster than most humans. Jeff would have an advantage against them.
I waited anxiously for them to signal their go, bouncing from one foot to the other. I could see now why Jeff’s bizarre and irrational behavior began and if he was Infected, then so was Becky. The idea of Becky being back at camp, moments away from becoming a full-blown Infected scared the living daylights out of me. James was completely defenseless. Hopefully Dane heeded my warning and kept an eye on her.
The sound of Jeff’s voice brought me back from my thoughts. “Honey, close your eyes and get some sleep. We’ll see your mommy tomorrow.” He lied. Honey? This is what I didn’t understand. One moment he was vicious and intimidating, and the next he seemed completely normal.
Azami finally leaned back against a rock and closed her eyes. I crossed my fingers, knowing they would strike soon, repeating, please, please, please, in my mind. My anxiety level was filling the entire area with tension. My empty fingers could almost feel her in my grasp, and then it finally happened.
Luke, Mason, and Michael broke through the bushes at the same time, pouncing on Jeff. While they distracted him, Ian grabbed Azami and hightailed it into the bushes.
I watched the others wrestled around with Jeff. Fists were flying, curses were thrown, and I was leaning so far into the bush that I almost fell. Even though he was outnumbered, Jeff was overpowering them, slamming a fist into Michael’s jaw, knocking him to the ground, even kicking Luke off of him and into a large bolder next to them, rendering him motionless for a moment.
A loud crack to my left had me jumping back from the brush. Ian was circling around to me and my fingers flexed, anticipating my daughters little body in my arms. Finally, I could see a figure coming toward me, holding a squirming bundle.
“Mommy!”
I took her in my arms, squeezing her against me and putting my finger to her lips. “Shh. We have to be quiet, okay.” Azami learned at a young age that when I said we needed to be quiet, I meant it.
A gun shot went off and zipped past us. I hit the ground, tucking Azami under me protectively. I peered through the brush to watch as Jeff took aim again, but this time at Mason.
Before I could yell and warn him, the shot was echoing off the hills. I saw Mason stumble and fall, slumping motionless to the ground. Jeff took off in the opposite direction with Luke hot on his tail. Michael had apparently been knocked out at some point, the commotion bringing him back to consciousness.
“No!” I yelled jumping to my feet.
Ian caught my arm before I could make it two feet. “You can’t go out there.” He pleaded.
“I have to.” I handed him Azami and broke through the trees. “Mason!” I yelled, falling to my knees next to him.
Mason remained on the ground, holding his side. Blood was pooling in his hand as he put pressure on the wound. He moaned in pain as Michael dropped next to us, out of breath.
“Move your hand.” Michael commanded.
Mason complied, removing his hand while hissing out a few curse words in the process. Michael lifted his shirt and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, cleaning the wound with a little water. I held onto Mason’s hand for support.
“I’m alright, Lil.” He assured.
“You were just shot, you idiot. You are not okay.” Panic ran unchecked through my voice.
Michael finished looking him over. “He’s right. He’s fine.” He turned to his brother and said, “Get up you pansy. He only grazed you.” Michael was trying to lighten the mood, but the ashen look on his face told me he was just as worried as I had been.
Luke took that moment to barrel through the brush, stopping short of tripping over us in his haste. Breathing heavily he bent, hands on his knees. “He got away.” He grunted, extremely pissed off. “Shit! I’m sorry, Lil.” He raked his hand through his hair.
“What do you mean, he got away?” We have to find him or he’ll come back.” I couldn’t blame Luke.
Everyone in the group glanced around nervously.
Ian handed Azami back to me. “I’m going to look around the perimeter to make sure he’s not circling back around.”
Luke shook his head, looking at the ground. He continued speaking as if he hadn’t heard Ian. “I don’t know. I was climbing to my feet when he knocked Michael down. Then he pulled out a gun and shot at you, then Mason. I was chasing him and he was right there in front of me. I heard you yell so I glanced back for a second… A goddamned second! Out of nowhere, he disappeared.” For some reason he was staring at me as if he had to explain it to me.
“Luke...” I closed the distance between us. “I don’t blame you. You know that, right?” I touched his arm for support, to let him know I truly didn’t blame him in any way.
“I know, Lil, but he was right there. I had him.” His voice was beginning to growl again. “After what he did to you, to James, and fucking taking Azami like that!”
“I understand. I want him gone too but we got the most important thing back. You helped save my daughter’s life and that is something I will owe you for the rest of my life.” I met his eyes and then everyone else’s. “All of you.”
Ian stepped out from the bushes. “He’s gone. I found his tracks. He jumped off a cliff about fifty yards from here.” He shook his head. “It’s a long jump, but there’s a river at the bottom. He could have survived. Should we go look for him?” There was no doubt in my mind Ian was up for a manhunt.
“No.” Mason answered. “We don’t have the supplies or equipment for a search like that. Also, we need to get the girls home safely before we do that. We’ll have to start posting a guard at the caves. I wouldn’t put it past him to come back again.”
“I agree.” Ian stated, looking at Azami, and then to me.
I pulled Azami harder against me, doing exactly what I wanted to do earlier by squeezing and smelling her, making sure I wasn’t hallucinating and she was really in my arms.
“I wuv you, too, Mommy” She patted my head just like James did, as if I were her dog. Her smile grew wider when she spotted Mason. She wiggled down from my arms and ra
n over to him. “Daddy!” She squealed with as much excitement as she did for me.
“Hey, baby girl. Are you okay?” He picked her up, even though I could see the pinch of pain on his face.
“Yes.” She nodded and patted his cheek.
“Azami, you shouldn’t jump on Mason right now. He’s not feeling well.” I walked over to get her.
“She’s good, Lil. I’ll walk with her for a little bit.” The smile on his face matched Azami’s identically.
I smiled at them as he set her down and took her hand. They began heading back in the direction of home. Luke and Michael followed after them, still on guard, watching their surroundings.
Ian came up next to me and took my hand. “Should we head home?”
“Yes, please,” I couldn’t wait to get back home and see James. Now that Azami was safe, my thoughts drifted to James and how he was recovering.
We’d been walking for about a mile before Ian said, “This is going to suck, watching her call someone else daddy.”
“I know.” He was handling the whole Mason-Daddy thing a lot better than I thought he would. “Have you noticed she doesn’t seem traumatized?”
“She didn’t seem to be afraid of him. She hasn’t even said anything about him, or what just happened. We’ll have to ask her about everything when we get home.” He brought my hand to his mouth and kissed my fingers. “Come on. We need to get home and come up with a security plan for the caves. If Jeff is out there, we need to have someone keeping watch at all times.”
I nodded, agreeing completely and picked up my pace. I wanted to make sure we made it home before anything else could happen. James still needed me and I couldn’t wait another second to get to him.
Chapter 18
Once we returned home the next morning, new developments were already in the making. Becky, as I feared, started to deteriorate. Dane said that he had been keeping an eye on her, hoping we were mistaken and she only had the flu. Unfortunately, she had become more confused and agitated over small tasks. Then yesterday, out of nowhere, she began screaming at Jen for watering one area in the garden too long. She threw dirt and her gardening tools at Jen, all while advancing on her.
Flash Series (Book 1): Infected Page 20
