Ma peered in through the entrance. Her huge grin was back, and it looked as though she might explode with delight. Leah half expected Ma to climb under the blankets with her. She felt no small amount of relief when the woman tapped her chest and then pointed to the other shelter.
Leah smiled and nodded. Ma disappeared.
“Sleep good,” said Sanya.
Leah wasn’t sure she would, but she nodded anyway. “Thank you.”
And then Sanya was gone too.
Leah pulled the heavy furs closer around her. They smelled old and musty, but they were warm. In fact, the shelter was surprisingly comfortable.
She’d expected the Wild Ones to spend the night drinking and shouting, with maybe a bit of fighting thrown in. Instead, they sat around, talking and eating. Occasionally a raucous laugh would disturb the peace, but for the most part, the camp was quiet. A couple of small groups left the camp—off scavenging, rifles slung over the shoulders.
Leah huddled beneath the furs, listening to the chatter slowly die down as the evening wore on. Eventually, the multitude of voices turned to just a few, then to a couple, then to none, and Leah was left alone with her thoughts.
The last couple of days’ events had worn her down, but despite her tiredness, Leah’s mind wouldn’t let her sleep. Images of Katherine, the Transport trucks and her father leaning against the rock, dying, kept filling her mind. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d missed her chance. She should have gone after Katherine while they were at the inn.
Now the opportunity was gone. She was left with the knowledge both that the woman who’d murdered her father was still alive and where she’d be, but no ability to do anything about it. No way to get revenge.
Leah blinked away tears of frustration and loss. Part of her clung to the idea that she could still find a way to get to Oakdale and kill Katherine. But Sanya had said it was guarded. Even if Leah could get in, find Katherine and kill her, she’d never get back out alive. Then again, maybe that was okay. Leah shook her head. No, she wasn’t that sort of person.
Somewhere outside, the trees rustled. Leah’s heart quickened. Branches cracked. There was a soft huff—the sound of breathing—from somewhere near the back of Leah’s shelter. She suddenly became very aware that there was no door between her and whatever creature was lurking just outside. A shadow passed across the entrance to the shelter. She pulled the furs closer around her.
A woman walked past the shelter. She had a large black dog with her, wolf-like and hungry looking. Its head swung from side to side as it walked. Leah tensed until she saw the woman was wearing fur like the other Wild Ones. She listened to the woman’s footsteps fade away, then closed her eyes.
The guard didn’t ease Leah’s concerns. Sanya had seemed friendly, at least so far, but Leah wasn’t sure of her motives. To Leah, the Wild Ones had always meant danger. The last time she’d gone out scavenging, a group of them had almost killed her. Sanya might allow Leah to leave in the morning, but she might not.
Leah frowned. The uncertainty was almost unbearable. She needed someone to talk to—her father or Isaac. Without them, she was lost.
There was a rough bark from somewhere across the camp. Either the wolf-dog or some forest creature. Leah shuddered. She couldn’t leave now, it would be too dangerous, but as soon as the sun began to rise, then she’d make a break for it.
11
Three hours later, Leah was lying on her stomach at the front of the shelter. She had slept fitfully, half-awake as she waited for the sun to reappear. It was just beginning to peek over the horizon, dyeing the few scattered streaks of cloud orange.
The woman with the wolf-dog was standing on the other side of the clearing. Leah could see the red glow of a cigarette in her lips.
The woman had been there for what felt like hours. Leah wanted to wait, but with the sun rising, the Wild Ones would be returning to camp soon. If she waited too much longer, it would be too late. Leah’s shelter was at the edge of the forest. If she could just get behind it and crawl into the undergrowth, then she’d have the cover she needed to run.
Barely daring to breathe, Leah crawled out of the shelter. Her backpack rustled as she moved, and the noise seemed extraordinarily loud in the still morning air. She inched her way across the ground. The grass beneath her was damp, and the moisture quickly seeped into her clothes. Her hand sank into something wet and putrid. Leah gagged. Trying to ignore the foul-smelling goo stuck to her palm, Leah pressed on. Somewhere off to her left, a branch snapped. She bit back a cry of fear.
By the time she got to the edge of the clearing, her heart was pounding, her arms shaking. Whether it was from the exertion of dragging herself across the ground or fear of being caught, she couldn’t tell. She hauled herself the last couple of feet through a wall of tangled underbrush.
At the last second, her backpack snagged on one of the branches, and she was convinced she was trapped there, wriggling like one of Ma’s rabbits caught in a snare. Then the branch snapped, and she was free. Leah peered back through the bushes toward the woman and her wolf-dog. Her breath caught in her throat. They were gone.
Leah scanned the camp, desperately trying to find the guard. Shadows moved inside a couple of the shelters, but otherwise it was empty. She pushed herself up into a crouch. Maybe she could lose them in the trees. Then the woman appeared again. She walked out of the forest at the opposite end of the clearing. The wolf-dog trotted along behind her. There was no sign that the woman had seen her, no sense of urgency in her movements.
Leah let out a slow breath. Her plan was to move away from the camp as quickly as she could, in whatever direction was convenient. Once she was out of sight of the Wild Ones, she’d find the river. Following it upstream would take her back to the road. From there she could backtrack to the TRACE farm. If she was lucky, she’d get there before nightfall.
The snapping of branches shattered Leah’s thoughts. She whirled around. A dark shape loomed up in front of her. Without thinking, she swung at it. Her fists cut through open air. She readied to attack again, but then her panic turned to confusion as she realized it was Ma standing in front of her.
The old woman grinned and put her fists up like some sort of prizefighter. Leah couldn’t help but smile at her as she ducked and bobbed. Then Ma’s eyes flickered to something over Leah’s shoulder. She lowered her fists and pressed one finger against her lips. Leah remembered where she was and tensed.
Footsteps passed by their hiding place, Ma’s eyes watching the progress of whoever they belonged to. Once the sounds had faded, Ma lowered her finger. She immediately began rummaging around in her furs, patting them down and plunging her hands inside them with a confused look on her face.
Eventually she found what she looking for—a grease-stained brown paper bag. She held it out to Leah. Hesitantly, she took it. Inside were ten or fifteen chunks of the spiced rabbit.
“Thank you,” said Leah. She wasn’t sure whether Ma was helping her escape or just helping her on her way, but she was grateful anyway.
“Do you know which way the river is?”
Ma rolled her eyes and pointed diagonally away from the camp. Now she knew where to look, Leah thought she could see the glitter of water through the trees.
“Thank you.”
Ma smiled and nodded. Then her face turned stern. She jabbed a finger at Leah, then made a T-shape with her hands before finishing off with a sharp shake of her head.
“You want me to keep away from Transport?”
Ma nodded. Her eyes had narrowed, and the intensity in them made Leah uncomfortable. She swallowed.
“I…” Her voice trailed off. She didn’t want to lie. “I can’t promise, but I’ll try.”
Ma’s face softened as though she’d expected that response. She took Leah’s hands in hers and gave them a hard squeeze. Then she pointed through the forest toward the river and began shooing Leah away.
“Thank you,” said Leah, smiling, and then set off between the trees.
* * *
It was late afternoon by the time Leah found the TRACE farmhouse. The river and the inn had been easy enough, but as she retraced her steps around the forest, she’d begun to doubt herself.
Had she walked past the trail she’d followed from the farmhouse? She’d thought she could remember what it looked like, but the roads and tracks blurred together until she’d become almost convinced she’d missed it. She’d wandered for what felt like hours, snacking on the rabbit Ma had given her. Eventually, she found what she thought was the right track. She followed as it wound across the hills, but she grew less certain she was on the right track with every step. She’d been considering turning back when she finally spotted the farmhouse at the bottom of a valley. She was on the wrong side of the hills and could easily have missed it.
Leah walked toward the buildings slowly and with her hands raised. Just as before, there was no sign of life from the outside, but she had no doubt TRACE would have people watching from windows inside the farmhouse. She relaxed a little when Alice appeared around the corner of the barn. The feeling vanished when she saw the concerned look on Alice’s face.
“Leah! What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you.”
Alice looked over Leah’s shoulder, back up the hill. “Are you sure you weren’t followed?”
Leah felt uncomfortable. She hadn’t even thought about that.
“I-I don’t think so.”
Alice rubbed her hand across her face. “Leah, there’s a lot of Transport patrols out there.”
“I know, I saw one this morning. That’s why I’m here, I—”
“Whereabouts did you see them?”
“At an abandoned building, The New Inn, but they’ve gone now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I heard them talking; they were on their way to Oakdale.”
Alice frowned. “Oakdale?”
Leah nodded.
Mitchell walked around the corner. When he saw Leah he stopped and called Alice over. They talked in hushed tones. The man’s manner was completely different from the last time Leah had been there—he was quiet and efficient. When the conversation was finished, Mitchell turned and disappeared back around the barn.
“We need to talk to Captain Anderson,” said Alice. “Come on.”
The courtyard was filled with activity again. Both trucks were parked near the farmhouse. TRACE soldiers were moving supplies from the buildings into the back of the vehicles. Their movements were hurried, and there was a tension in the air that even Leah could detect.
“What’s going on?” said Leah.
“Transport knows where we are.”
The farmhouse was no less hectic, and when they reached Captain Anderson’s office, she was standing in front of the map, talking animatedly with a young man.
As soon as she saw Alice and Leah, she frowned. “You changed your mind?”
Her tone surprised Leah. Anderson didn’t seem pleased to see her.
“She has information on a Transport patrol.”
Anderson nodded to the young man, and he immediately left.
As soon as the door clicked closed, Anderson nodded to Leah. “What have you got for us?”
Leah swallowed, nervous. “It was a few hours after I left here. I was sheltering from the rain in an abandoned building, and they just turned up.”
“Where were you?”
“Somewhere called The New Inn.”
Anderson nodded as though she’d heard of it, but she was frowning. “That’s a bit too close for comfort. How many vehicles?”
“Three. A truck and two Jeeps.”
“And they were heading this way?”
“No, they went in the opposite direction. I heard them talking about going to Oakdale.”
“Did you see any prisoners?” said Anderson.
Leah shook her head.
“Did they see you?”
“Yes. I was sleeping in a shed when they arrived, and they found me.”
“So how did you get away?” said Anderson. Her eyes had narrowed. Leah felt the atmosphere in the room cool.
“One of them told her I was a Wild One, and she let me go.”
“A Wild One?” said Anderson. “Why would they say that?”
Leah hesitated, then shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“And they just let you go?” said Anderson.
Leah nodded.
Anderson shook her head. She had a thoughtful look on her face.
It took Leah a moment to realize what she was thinking. “I’m telling the truth, I promise.”
“It’s a hell of a coincidence. A young girl without a Transfer ID turns up at our camp. She turns down a safe place to rest and insists on leaving. A few hours later, Transport knows where we are.”
“But why would I come back?” said Leah. “I don’t want to be here when Transport starts killing everyone.”
“I don’t know; there’s something I’m missing.”
Anderson was about to say something else when the office door crashed open, and the young man ran in, a harried look on his face.
“Captain,” he said, breathless. “Transport is here.”
12
“Get to the trucks!” shouted Alice.
She hurried Leah out of the office. Staccato gunfire sounded outside. Leah flinched. Memories of bullets ricocheting down a tunnel came flooding back. She pushed them down, forcing herself to focus on the here and now.
Both trucks already had their engines running when they got outside. Three TRACE soldiers stood at the corner of the barn. They took turns poking their heads around the corner and firing off a few rounds from their automatic rifles. Return fire peppered the side of the barn.
Alice pointed toward the nearest truck. “Get in the back; keep your head down.”
Leah ran across the courtyard toward the truck. There was a man in the back already. He was moving supplies around to make space for passengers. There was the thump of an explosion behind Leah. Two of the farmhouse windows exploded. Leah ducked instinctively as broken glass and wood scattered across the courtyard.
The man grabbed Leah’s hand and hauled her into the truck. “I’m Ben; you must be Leah.”
“Yes.”
“It’s okay,” he said, “we’re just making sure we’re not leaving behind anything Transport can use to find us. Not that they seem to have any trouble anyway.”
Leah nodded, but she was more focused on the unfolding chaos. Captain Anderson ran from the farmhouse, shouting orders as she made her way across the courtyard. Leah couldn’t see Alice.
Another explosion, this one muffled by the buildings, shook the ground. A TRACE soldier, a stern-faced black woman, climbed nimbly up into the truck. She looked surprised to see Leah, but a burst of gunfire dragged her attention back to the courtyard. The woman knelt down and aimed her rifle out across the courtyard. Two men in the familiar Transport uniforms appeared around the corner of the farmhouse.
The woman let off a burst of gunfire at the men. One of them went down clutching his stomach. The other returned fire. Bullets pinged off the side of the truck, and a tear appeared in the canvas roof. The woman cursed.
There was another explosion, and someone in the distance shouted, “Jackson’s down!”
Anderson charged across the courtyard, firing her rifle as she ran. Leah let out a squeal as more bullets clanged against the truck. Two more explosions, these ones much closer, drowned out the gunfire.
“Move out!” shouted Anderson.
The truck’s engine revved, and the vehicle lurched forward. Ben joined the woman at the back of the truck, and the two began laying down covering fire as a group of three TRACE soldiers ran from the barn.
Leah’s truck rolled past the second vehicle. It wasn’t moving, but the engine was running. Bullet holes riddled the canvas sides, and a body lay on the ground near the open driver’s door. The cab beyond was empty.
Anderson sprinted toward the truc
k. She’d dropped her rifle at some point and was unarmed. A Transport soldier stepped from a nearby building. He raised a pistol to fire at her. Then his body jerked, and he collapsed, brought down by gunfire from a source Leah couldn’t see. Anderson threw herself into the truck and closed the door as more bullets slammed into it, shattering the windshield.
Leah’s truck swerved right. There was a thud as it hit something, and then it lurched forward again. Gunfire raked the back of the truck. A bullet whirred past Leah’s cheek and punctured the canvas behind her. The black woman screamed and fell back, clutching her neck. Red blood poured from between her fingers.
“Tia!” shouted Ben.
He moved to help the fallen woman. She let out a wet, guttural cry and reached toward him. Leah scrambled backward, away from the stricken soldier. She felt sick, her stomach threatening to spill its contents at any moment.
The pitch of the truck’s engine dropped and then rose again as the driver accelerated. The other truck was moving now. Anderson had knocked a hole in the damaged windshield. Leah could see her in the driver’s seat, her face twisted into a grimace as she fought with the wheel.
Leah’s truck jolted, and she was thrown sideways into a metal crate. Ben had made it to Tia and was kneeling beside her. He had his hands pressed against her neck, trying to stop the bleeding. Tia wasn’t moving. Her glassy eyes stared toward the roof of the truck.
There was a thud. Hands appeared at the edge of the tailgate. A man pulled himself up and into the truck. The Transport insignia flashed silver on his chest. Leah shouted as he dived at Ben, a knife in his hand.
It was just enough warning. Ben turned, blocking the swing of the knife. The two fell back onto the truck bed. Ben’s pistol fell from his grip and bounced away. The Transport soldier was on top. He drove his elbow into Ben’s face, then twisted his knife hand free.
Without thinking, Leah dived at him. She grabbed clumsily at his arm in a desperate effort to knock the knife free. The man backhanded her across the face. She went sprawling across the truck. Blackness washed across her vision.
The Girl in the Wilderness (Leah King Book 2) Page 6
