Dex

by Claflin, Stacy

  His arm, resting against the pillow, grew warm from Lucy’s breathing on it. The soft, rhythmic sound lulled him to sleep.

  Chapter 23

  A bright light woke Dex. His eyes flew open and he sat up, gasping for air. Lucy still slept next to him. He covered his eyes. “What’s going on?”

  The light grew dimmer. “It’s the hospital,” Radley’s voice came from somewhere. “Do you want to see the rabid zombies?”

  “What?”

  “At Silverly. You sounded interested earlier. They’re out now.”

  “What is that bright light?”

  “Oops, sorry.” The light moved to the floor. “It’s my flashlight.”

  “You have flashlights? Why bother with the candles?”

  “To save the batteries. We only use these if really we need them. Want to come?”

  Dex glanced over at Lucy. “I don’t want to wake her.”

  “Zianna’s staying here. Says she’s too tired. You could see if Lucy wants to come.”

  “No, that place gives her anxiety. How long are you going to be gone?”

  “Probably not long. I just like to go and see what’s new—if anything.”

  The door opened and Laiken came in. “You guys coming?”

  “I am.” Radley stepped toward him. “You, Dex?”

  He glanced at Lucy again and fixed her covers and then whispered, “Are you going to stay asleep?”

  She didn’t budge.

  Dex wished he could sleep that soundly, but after all these years fighting for survival, being a light sleeper was ingrained in him. It actually kind of bothered him that he hadn’t heard Radley come into the bedroom.

  “Dex?” she asked.

  He hesitated. Lucy was more than likely far safer here in the house with Zianna in the next room than she ever had been at Silverly. “I’m coming.”

  Dex grabbed his bow, followed them into the hallway, and closed the door. “You think she’ll be safe?”

  “We’ve never had a zombie get inside the fence the entire time I’ve lived here,” Laiken said.

  “Okay.” At least Lucy had a knife and gun. He just hoped she wouldn’t wake and worry about where he’d gone.

  “You really care for her,” Radley said.

  The question made him flinch. It was true, though. “Yeah.”

  “It’s amazing how quickly a stranger can come to feel like family,” Radley said. “That’s what it’s like with these guys. I can’t imagine my life without any of them.”

  Dex couldn’t imagine anyone in his life permanently, but he just nodded.

  They made their way through the downstairs and out to the yard. A bright light shone above the trees from the direction of the hospital.

  His pulse quickened at the thought of returning. At least they were only going to look inside. He had no desire to ever return to the grounds.

  The three of them sprinted down the path. A wanderer—a normal, gray skinned, guts-hanging-out-over-its-shredded-suit monster—stepped out in front of them just feet from Dex. Before he had time to grab a weapon, Radley stabbed the thing in the temple, and it crumpled to the ground.

  He reached for an arrow and put it in place, silently scolding himself for not doing that sooner. After only a few hours with a group of people, he was already growing soft. Losing his edge.

  That needed to stop immediately.

  They continued on their way, quickly making it to the hospital. Laiken and Radley turned into the woods. No, it was a tight, nearly-hidden path.

  “Come on,” Radley whispered.

  Sweat broke out along his hairline at the thought of nearing Silverly. Was he being stupid? Were these people leading him like an animal to be slaughtered? He gripped his arrow all the tighter. And he’d left Lucy back in the house.

  She’d trusted him. He’d failed her.

  The trees closed in around him.

  “You okay?” Radley asked.

  “Yeah, of course.” His voice shook. “Just keeping an eye out for more wanderers.”

  “Probably won’t see any,” Laiken said.

  Because they were going to try to kill him, then go back for Lucy?

  “He’s right,” Radley said. “For whatever reason, when they bring out the rabid zombies, the ones out here go silent. It’s weird.”

  Laiken turned to him. “It’s like they can sense them—and they’re afraid.”

  “Afraid?” Dex exclaimed. “They don’t feel anything other than hunger.”

  Radley pushed aside a vine. “Like I said, it’s weird.”

  They came to the tall fence surrounding Silverly.

  “The holes are just over here.” Radley tugged on Dex’s arm.

  Light shone through parts of the fence, making it easy to see where they were. The three of them crept up and pressed their faces against the rough wood.

  Dex closed one eye and focused on the scene before him. To the left, a roving pack of monsters meandered around the side of the building Dex had slept in the night before.

  “They don’t look any different from normal wanderers.”

  “Wait for it.” Radley took a deep breath.

  Dex waited for what had to have been fifteen minutes. Either that, or time was moving especially slowly.

  Growl!

  Snap!

  Hiss!

  Dex jumped and looked behind them.

  “It’s the ones inside,” Laiken said.

  “We couldn’t be safer,” Radley assured him. “Not with being so close to the rabid ones.”

  An icy chill ran down Dex’s spine. Hopefully she was right. He glanced around the woods again just to be safe, and then turned back to the hole in the fence.

  About a dozen wanderers scratched and bit each other, howling and hissing. Some of the ones outside the altercation moved away from the fighters—closer to Dex, Radley, and Laiken.

  Most were frothing at the mouth and had red eyes. Their skin was more yellow than gray, and their expressions were less hollow than the typical monsters. It was almost like they were somewhere in between the vaccinated ones and the natural ones.

  “Like rabid dogs, right?” Laiken asked.

  “It would appear so.” Dex pressed his palms against the fence and tried to get a better view. “What exactly is going on in that hospital?”

  “A whole lot of nothing good,” Radley said. “Not unless they manage to get rid of the zombies altogether.”

  Laiken cleared his throat. “It seems more like they’re interested in testing them than saving humanity.”

  “Yeah,” Dex agreed. “I get that feeling too.”

  Off to the side, the raging creatures continued tearing into each other. One fell to the ground, and the others piled on top of it, ripping its insides out. They ate it, leaving only bones.

  Dex’s mouth dropped open. He’d never seen anything like it.

  “Crazy, right?” Laiken asked.

  Cheering sounded from somewhere.

  Dex stepped back and looked all around.

  “It’s from inside.” Radley gestured toward the fence. “This is like a sport to them. We think the doctors and staff place wagers on which zombies will survive.”

  “It just gets crazier.” Dex shook his head and glanced back inside.

  More creatures fought, tearing into each other and kicking up dust. A wanderer crashed into the fence right next to Dex. White foam flew past the hole and yellow liquid squirted out away from them.

  Dex jumped back, his heart thundering out of control.

  Thud! Thunk! Thwap!

  “Look how close they are!” Laiken actually sounded excited at the prospect.

  “Great,” Dex muttered.

  “They’re right next to us!” Radley was equally thrilled.

  Dex looked through the hole again, this time leaving some distance between him and it. On the other side, just a few feet away, rabid monsters tore into each other.

  “Are you two taking bets also?” Dex asked.

  �
��We’re not here for the sport,” Laiken said.

  “Really?”

  “We’re not,” Radley insisted. “It’s in our best interest to know as much about the different kinds of zombies. That way we can be prepared if we ever run into one.”

  Dex leaned slightly closer to the hole, watching the violent wanderers. “You probably never will if you live somewhere else. Every other place I’ve ever been just has run-of-the-mill monsters. None that look human. None that have rabies.”

  One of the creatures turned and stared at Dex.

  Growl!

  He jumped back.

  The frothing wanderer narrowed its eyes and threw itself at the fence.

  Radley and Laiken both jumped back.

  “Are they supposed to do that?” Dex exclaimed.

  The wanderer kept its gaze on him. It threw itself against the fence again, then clawed at it.

  Scratch! Scratch!

  “It sees something!” The voice came from inside. “Something is out there! Get it!”

  Thud! Crash! Scratch!

  Growl!

  Dex turned to Radley and Laiken. Their expressions matched the terror raging through him.

  “Run!” Laiken ran away.

  Chapter 24

  Dex’s feet wouldn’t cooperate as Radley and Laiken ran past.

  “Come on!” Radley turned and glared at Dex.

  Crash! Smash! Thud!

  Shards of wood flew through the air.

  Scratch! Crash! Crash!

  The fence burst open. A pile of wanderers fell through, piling onto the ground. They snarled and growled, clawing at each other.

  Dex finally gained control of his feet. He burst into a run, quickly catching up with Laiken and Radley.

  “Has that ever happened before?”

  “You think we’d be back if it did?” Laiken exclaimed.

  The shrill bell-like sound from earlier rang through the air.

  Radley swore. “That alarm is going to draw every zombie for miles.”

  They broke free of the trees and stumbled onto the main path. Footsteps thundered around them.

  Growl!

  Snap!

  Hiss!

  “There they are!”

  “Get them!”

  Dex’s stomach twisted in tight knots. He spun around and aimed his arrow at a group of rabid wanderers tripping over each other. They were such a jumbled mess he couldn’t properly aim at any of them.

  Someone grabbed his arm. It was Radley. “We’re not waiting for you!”

  Crash!

  The fence burst even more, sending entire boards flying through the air. Even more of the wanderers piled through.

  Dex turned back around and ran like never before. He passed both Radley and Laiken.

  Three normal wanderers stepped into the path in front of him. He skidded to a stop and shot an arrow into the eye of one.

  Bang!

  A bullet whizzed by Dex, getting another one in the middle of its forehead. The remaining one reached for him and snarled.

  Dex reached for another arrow and took down the last one. Laiken and Radley passed him, huffing and puffing. Dex caught up while setting another arrow into place.

  He glanced back. A pack of white-coats and rabid wanderers followed too close for comfort.

  “We can’t go back to the house.” Dex gasped for air. “They’ll follow us and destroy everything.” Not to mention Lucy and Zianna.

  “This way.” Laiken ducked in between some thorny bushes.

  Dex waited for Radley, then he dove in, scratching his arms and face on the thistles. “Are we going to wait for them to pass?”

  “And possibly go to the house?” Laiken exclaimed. “No way. We’re taking a shortcut and we’ll fight if they try anything.”

  “We’re not far,” Radley said. “Let’s hope the noise wakes Zianna. She can get the big stuff ready.”

  “What big stuff?” Dex demanded.

  “No time to explain.” Laiken pushed through some bushes. “Beware. There’s the poison ivy around here.”

  “Great.” Dex followed the two of them, chopping branches ahead of him with his largest blade as he went. The last thing he needed was itchy welts as he struggled against rabid wanderers.

  Before long, the house came into view. They were behind it.

  “I hope you have a way to get inside from around here,” Dex muttered.

  “Of course,” Radley said. “Laiken, you have the key, right?”

  “Yeah, I have the key.”

  They marched toward the fence, but there was no gate.

  Laiken stopped near the corner of the fence and rustled around. Even close, Dex couldn’t see much. Not in the dark. Besides that, it was too difficult to focus when the sounds of the wanderers grew louder.

  Creak.

  “It’s open,” Laiken said. “Come on.”

  They ran inside and then Radley locked the hidden gate behind them.

  “What now?”

  “We get inside and hope the zombies stay away.” Laiken ran over to the house. “But first we have to get in there.”

  Dex followed them as they pressed against the house and made their way around the building. The hissing and snapping of the monsters continued in the distance, but they didn’t appear to have found the path to the house. Yet.

  The three of them crossed the porch and quickly made it inside.

  Silence hung in the air.

  Dex’s insides melted with worry. Did that mean Lucy was gone? Or just that she and Zianna still slept?

  Laiken and Radley ran over to the kitchen and banged things around. Dex headed up the stairs, moving faster with each step.

  “Good idea,” Radley called to him. “Wake up Zianna.”

  “Sure.” After he first checked on Lucy. Dex made it up to the second level and threw open the door to their room.

  She slept as soundly as she had when he’d left.

  Relief washed through him. He left, closing the door behind him and went into the room he thought Zianna was in. That room was empty.

  Was she already preparing whatever big stuff Radley and Laiken had been talking about?

  He checked two more rooms until he opened a door and heard light snoring.

  “Wake up, Zianna!”

  “Huh? What? What’s going on?” Blankets rustled and then a light shone in his face. “Dex, what happened?”

  He covered his eyes. “Move the flashlight, and I’ll tell you.”

  Zianna lowered the beam of light and climbed out of bed. “Did something happen at Silverly?”

  “Yeah. The rabid wanderers attacked us. They chased us to the main path in the woods.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Would I be here if I weren’t?” Dex exclaimed.

  “Those things actually got out?”

  “Yes! We need your help with some big stuff.”

  “They want me to bring out the grenade launcher?” Zianna opened her closet.

  “You keep grenades in your closet?”

  “They’re not in my closet. I need to get dressed.”

  “I’ll leave you to that. Meet us downstairs.” Dex left the room, his mind reeling from the fact that his hosts had serious weapons.

  Who knew what else they were keeping from him and Lucy? As soon as the rabid monsters and their doctors were taken care of, Dex was taking Lucy and leaving.

  But first, he had to help take down the common enemies. He checked the pistol in his pocket. Four bullets. His quiver had six arrows. That meant he was mostly going to have to rely on his blades unless he could borrow something from Laiken, Radley, or Zianna. If they had a grenade launcher, they probably had plenty of other stuff they hadn’t told him about.

  Downstairs, Radley and Laiken sat in the living room with a pile of weapons between them. They shone their flashlights on the loot.

  Dex’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. He’d never seen so many weapons in one place. “Where did you get all of that?”<
br />
  Laiken picked up a machete. “We’ve been collecting them for years—for a time such as this. Is Zianna up?”

  “She said she’d be right down.” Dex couldn’t take his eyes off the pile. He repeated his question, “Where did you get all that?”

  Radley picked up a switchblade and studied it. “Whenever we do supply runs, we pretty much always end up with more.”

  “Including a grenade launcher?”

  “I found that,” Laiken boasted. “It was a beast to get back here, but it’s going to come in handy if the zombies find us, whether that happens tonight or a year from now.”

  “What about arrows?” Dex asked. “I don’t suppose you have a stash of those?”

  Radley jumped up. “We do, and you’re welcome to them all. Since we don’t have any bows, they’re next to useless for us. Come on over here.”

  Dex followed her to a door Laiken had said led to a garage. Radley shone her flashlight around. One full wall was covered in shelves of canned food. Another had boxes with labels such as clothes, blankets, and matches. Radley moved the beam of light too quickly for him to read more.

  “There they are.” She hurried over to a corner and hefted a box. “We knew these would come in handy at some point.”

  He took the box from her. It was surprisingly heavy. “Is this full of just arrows?”

  “Yep. We save anything that could be useful. You’d be surprised how many we find lying around.”

  “Not really. I’ve probably been forced to leave five times this many in the last ten years or so. I save what I can, but I have to abandon way more than I want.”

  “Oh, I believe it.”

  They returned to the living room. Zianna passed them and headed into the garage.

  “Is that where you keep the launcher?” Dex asked.

  “Yeah. Why don’t you go through those arrows while Laiken and I sharpen those knives?”

  “Sure.” Dex sat and opened the box. Just as he grabbed for a handful, something caught his attention.

  Lucy stood at the front window, staring out.

  “Did you guys wake her?” Dex accused.

  Laiken shook his head. “She said the noise woke her.”

  “What noise?”

  Lucy turned around and pointed outside. “Bad zombies.”

  “You see them?” Dex exclaimed.