They’d seen a few of The Unholy but managed to go by unnoticed. It was when they saw a small group of three Unholy that Kate remembered the noise that The Unholy version of Jet had made when he’d been threatened.
It was a terrible noise that had called others to come to its aid. And more importantly, it was a noise Kate hoped she’d never hear again.
Before they’d left Kate and Ethan had looked through the bags. It hadn’t been much — a few bottles of water, a lighter and several boxes of prepackaged food.
“When can we stop to eat? I really need to eat something,” Sullivan said, practically whining as he dragged his feet.
Kate looked up at the cloud scattered blue sky. She’d wanted to wait until closer to noon before taking a break.
“Kate,” Ethan said softly. “They aren’t used to all this walking.”
“Neither am I,” Kate responded without looking in his direction.
Ethan lightly touched Kate’s arm. “At some point, we’re going to have to come up with a plan. We can’t just wander around aimlessly.”
“We’ll find something,” Kate muttered.
“Something? What does that mean?” Ethan said glancing over his shoulder as the others fell even further behind.
“A place to stay or something,” Kate said pressing her fingers to her temples. “This is why I didn’t want to do this. I don’t have the answers. I don’t know what to do!”
The others all looked at her, and it felt as though their eyes were penetrating her skin like sharp needles. Kate’s hands were balled up at her sides.
“I’m sorry you guys are all stuck with me,” Kate said shaking her head. “This isn’t what any of us want I’m sure. I’m not a leader. I never was.” Kate exhaled loudly. “I’m not any different from any of you. I’m just as lost.”
“Oh my God we’re all going to die out here,” Emily cried out.
Ethan had taken the time to teach Kate all the names of those that would be joining them. She already knew Nikki and Jasper, who could have stayed behind with Lincoln but had chosen to come along, just as Garrett had. Then there was Sullivan who was hungry, Claire who’d been awfully quiet, and Emily who was shouting out her dread much too loudly. And of course, Ned and Will.
“Maybe,” Kate said with a stiff shrug. “You’ll make it even more likely if you’re loud.”
“You don’t need to scare them more than they already are,” Ethan muttered.
Kate opened her mouth, but she didn’t say what she felt like saying. Her shoulders relaxed, and she crossed her arms, as she looked around at the others. “Sorry.”
Kate knew she had to pull it together. She had to find herself again, but it felt like an impossible task. Kate felt as though she was on a treadmill set at a steep incline and she couldn’t get off.
Will placed his hand on Kate’s shoulder, setting his lips near her ear. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Kate said forcing a smile, but she could tell by the look on Will’s face that he didn’t believe her. “I just didn’t sleep well last night.”
Will rubbed Kate’s shoulder and smiled at her. She could feel Ethan’s eyes on them.
“We’ll stop here for a break,” Ethan said glancing at Kate. He was looking for a sign of approval of his intervening on the leadership she didn’t even want. She gave him a single nod. “We’ll find something better before nightfall.”
“Good,” Emily said leaning against a tree.
Ned hobbled over to join her at the tree but stopped. He leaned forward slightly and placed his hand on his chest. Ned drew in several slow breaths before continuing at an even slower pace to the tree.
Sullivan was at Kate’s side looking at the bag slung over her shoulder. He was rubbing his hands together roughly.
“If I don’t get something soon, I’m going to pass out,” Sullivan said raising both brows as he offered Kate a sweet smile.
Kate slid the bag off her shoulder and held it out toward Sullivan. “Help yourself.”
Before Sullivan could take it, Ethan swooped in and grabbed the bag. He nodded with his head toward the tree.
“We’ll ration what we have,” Ethan said, and Sullivan slight smile faded.
“Yeah, of course,” Sullivan said with his eyes on the bag.
Ethan reached inside the bag and pulled out a box of some kind of nut bar. He eyed Sullivan before handing him the box.
“Give one to each person,” Ethan said, and Sullivan took a bar out of the box. He ripped it open and took a bite before walking over to Ned.
Kate stood there with her arms crossed staring out at the horizon. It looked as though the trees and weeds were growing before her eyes. Everything was soggy and green, and if she stayed in one place too long, it would swallow her whole.
“Kate?” Sullivan said stepping in front of her view.
“Hmm?”
“Did you want one?” he said holding out one of the bars.
Kate smiled and shook her head. “Maybe later.”
“You got it,” Sullivan said waving the bar before tucking it back inside the box.
Kate watched over her shoulder as he walked over to the tree by Ned. They started talking, but Kate couldn’t hear their conversation.
“You should eat one,” Will said swallowing down a small bite from the bar.
“I will, later. My stomach is…,” Kate said with a sigh, “not ready.”
Will smiled, but there was a softness in his eyes she hadn’t seen before. “Okay but if you don’t eat something soon, I’m going to start to worry.”
“Of course, you will,” Kate said with a smile.
Will placed his hand on her shoulder and leaned closer. “Because if you don’t, everyone is going to find out my big secret.”
“Your big secret?”
“I’ll have to reveal that I’m a nurse and I really don’t want to have to do that,” Will said, his eyes darting over to Ethan.
Kate raised her brow. “Even if he found out he wouldn’t believe it anyway.”
“That’s probably true,” Will said chuckling.
Ethan walked up behind them and stuck his face between them. “What’s so funny?”
Kate jumped and clutched her chest. “Jesus, Ethan, don’t do that!”
“Sorry,” Ethan said trying to hide his laugh. He maneuvered his way between them. “What are you two whispering about over here?”
“Nothing,” Kate said turning to the side. The three of them stood shoulder to shoulder looking at the others as they paced around or leaned against the tree.
Jasper and Nikki were standing close together as they watched the surroundings. Nikki clutched her necklace, twisting it between her fingers.
“Nothing important anyway,” Kate said narrowing her eyes. Sullivan was standing near Ned, mostly hidden behind him opening a package. “Well, that’s weird.”
“What’s weird?” Ethan asked following Kate’s gaze.
“I thought he already had one,” Kate said bringing her thumbnail to her mouth. She chewed her nail as Sullivan took a small bite of the bar. He lowered the bar behind his thigh and shifted his eyes upward. For a split-second, his eyes connected with Kate’s but he instantly looked away, pretending that he hadn’t seen her watching him.
Ethan took a step forward. “He did.”
“Wait,” Kate said grabbing Ethan’s arm to stop him from charging over to Sullivan.
“For what?” he asked.
“I want to see what he does next.”
Kate, Ethan, and Will pretended not to be paying any attention to Sullivan. After a few moments, his eye darted up and around. Kate wasn’t at all surprised to see him take another bite before hiding the bar against his leg again.
“I’m going to confront him,” Ethan said keeping his fiery eyes set on Kate.
“I don’t know if it’s worth it,” Kate said. “It’s just one bar.”
“We need to set the rules and keep them in line,” Ethan said his voice rough.
/> Kate’s head moved slowly side to side. Before she could say anything, Ethan had turned on his heel and started marching to Sullivan.
“Hey! Sullivan!” Ethan shouted, and Sullivan tucked his hands behind his back as he pasted a toothy smile on his face.
Ethan roughly grabbed his arms and pulled them forward. The bar dropped down to the ground, and the smile fell off of Sullivan’s face.
“Not cool, man!” Sullivan said puffing out his shoulders.
Sullivan and Ethan were complete opposites. Ethan was broad-shouldered and muscular, and Sullivan had a slightly rounded middle. There was no doubt in Kate’s mind that Ethan would wipe the floor with him, and she was sure Sullivan knew it too.
“Where did you get that?” Ethan asked.
Sullivan pulled his arms free and stepped back. He looked into Ethan’s eyes, and then Kate’s before bending down and picked the bar off of the spongy ground.
“God dammit,” Sullivan said picking off bits of dirt and grass. “Limited food and what do you do? Waste it. Smart. Really smart.”
Ethan took a sharp step forward. And Kate knew with the steam coming out of his ears she needed to stop this before things went too far.
“It was just one bar,” Kate said attempting to catch Ethan’s gaze. She needed to cool the blood bubbling in his veins.
“Just one bar that could make the difference between life and death,” Ethan growled. “It wasn’t yours.”
“I’m sorry,” Sullivan said. “I didn’t think it would be a big deal, and she didn’t want it.”
Kate’s cheeks warmed. “That didn’t mean you could have it.”
Sullivan blinked several times. The expressions on his face seemed to change with each rapid movement.
“Shit,” Sullivan finally said running his hands through his hair. “I didn’t mean to cause any problems. I’m really sorry.”
The veins in Ethan’s neck still jutted outward. He stared at him so hard Kate was afraid he was about to ignite.
“Really. I’m sorry. It’s just that I was so hungry. I wasn’t thinking.” Sullivan looked into Ethan’s eyes. “It won’t happen again. Promise.”
“You’re right. It won’t,” Ethan said almost roaring the words. “Let’s get moving!”
Ethan stepped away and waved his hand vigorously in the air. Kate glanced at Sullivan who truly looked apologetic before turning to catch up with Ethan.
“Don’t say it, Kate,” Ethan said holding up his hand.
“Say what?” she said with a grimace.
“Whatever you were going to say. I don’t want to hear it.” Ethan stopped and turned to Kate. His eyes darted over his shoulder back at Sullivan for a split second before settling back on Kate. He leaned closer. “We can’t trust someone that would do that.”
Kate shook her head. “It was an honest mistake.”
“There is no such thing,” Ethan said stepping away. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 12
The group hadn’t made much progress since their last break. Everyone was far too hungry and exhausted, and their pace suffered.
Kate and Ethan had agreed to look for a place to set up camp for the night, but they weren’t finding a lot of options. There had been a rusted car with a broken off hood. Someone had painted a skull and crossbones on the door in black, but it had been there awhile and was already fading away.
The only other thing around them were trees. Lots and lots of trees. Some of which were dead, some were dying, and others with bumpy trunks looked as though they were trying to smother the others with moss and twisted branches.
Kate sucked in a deep breath almost choking on the faint scent of rot in the air. It was a smell she’d known well but wished she wouldn’t have. The horrid, putrid stench of The Unholy black blood wasn’t a smell Kate would ever be able to forget.
“I smell them,” Kate said wrapping her arms around her middle.
The gray clouds in the sky thickened with each passing moment making the air crisper. It chilled Kate’s bones.
“I do too,” Ethan said scrunching up his nose.
A breeze picked up, and everyone in the group winced. It wasn’t something only those familiar could smell, it was something so intense it was overwhelming all of them.
“What is that?” Emily said holding the back of her tattooed hand to her nose. Nikki stepped up next to her and started whispering. Kate could tell by Emily’s shifting expressions that Nikki was telling her what was causing the smell.
Emily must have kept herself far away from the burn pit to be unfamiliar with the scent. Simon had tried to keep a lot from his followers. It wasn’t surprising that Emily hadn’t known.
“It’s disgusting,” Emily said.
Nikki clutched her necklace. “You get used to it.”
Kate shook her head. It wasn’t something she’d ever get used to.
Ethan led the group into a thick scattering of moss-covered trees. The leaves hung down like talons trying to pluck them out one by one and devour them.
It was even colder inside the trees. And the scent seemed even stronger.
“Maybe we should have gone around,” Kate said only loud enough for Ethan to hear.
“Maybe,” Ethan said peering between the trees in front of him. “We should move faster.”
“Everyone is tired.” Kate looked over her shoulder.
Ethan let out a heavy sigh as he ducked under a low-hanging branch. “Motivate them.”
“If only I knew how to do that.”
“Let’s pick up the pace,” Ethan called out over his shoulder. Groans filled the air. “The quicker we move, the quicker we find somewhere to rest.”
Even though they grumbled, their pace increased. Kate’s feet squished into the earth that looked as though it hadn’t seen sunlight in years. Leaves and moss carpeted the ground hiding any footprints they might be leaving behind.
Nikki and Jasper were at the back of the group with the others tucked in between. Just in front of Nikki and Jasper, Will was walking with Ned. It was clear that Ned was struggling to keep up, but Will was doing what he could to help the older man.
“I can see a clearing up ahead,” Ethan said.
Ethan started walking fast, and as Kate tried to match his pace, the ground seemed to suck her feet in deeper. She watched him as he pushed the hanging leaves and branches out of his way.
“Ethan, slow down!” she called, but if he heard her, he ignored her.
Kate looked over her shoulder, and the others had noticed that he was moving ahead of the group. Emily’s eyes darted around the area frantically.
“What’s he doing?” she squeaked. “Is he leaving us?”
“Of course not,” Kate said over her shoulder. When she turned back to face forward, she stepped into Ethan.
His arms flopped and waved back as he tried to regain his balance. He reached up and grabbed onto a branch catching himself before he fell forward.
Kate’s eyes shifted down and almost bulged out of their sockets. “Jesus!”
They were standing at the top of a steep incline that was only twenty feet or so above a pool of slaughtered Unholy. Kate clapped her hand over her nose and mouth.
Ethan turned and held his hands over his head to stop the others. One by one they stopped and gasped as they looked down the cliff.
“Guess we found the source of the smell,” Will said wedging himself between Kate and Emily.
“It’s terrible,” Emily whined.
Claire was next to Emily staring down at The Unholy. She lifted her hand to her mouth and sucked on the end of an inhaler.
“Are they dead?” Claire asked. “Or whatever you call things that die for the second time.”
“Yeah, they’ve been eradicated,” Ethan said. “But by who or what I don’t even have a guess.”
Jasper was next to Ethan with his arms crossed. “Why would anyone do this… leave them piled up like this?”
“Maybe they don’t know to burn them,” Ethan sa
id with a heavy sniff.
“We do,” Jasper said.
Ethan nodded. He jerked his chin to the right. “We’ll go around that way, but we’ll skip the fire.”
“You sure?” Jasper asked.
“Don’t want to set the whole forest on fire,” Ethan said.
“Sure about that?” Jasper asked raising his brow.
Ethan nodded and gestured as he turned to lead the way around the heap of Unholy. Kate followed Ethan along the edge unable to take in a breath of air that wasn’t contaminated with their stench.
At the far end of the cliff, the hill was much less steep. The trees to the other side, however, were thicker.
“What was that?” Emily asked grabbing Kate’s arm.
“What was what?” Kate asked.
Emily’s eyes were rounded globes. “That noise… what was that noise?”
“I didn’t hear anything,” Kate said, bringing her hand near her hip.
Ethan glanced back, and when he turned forward, a single Unholy stepped out from between two trees. It reached out its slender black-veined arms and gripped his knotted fingers around Ethan’s shirt.
The Unholy opened its mouth at the same moment Ethan rammed the sharp tip of his stained blade into the side of The Unholy’s head. As he yanked out his knife, Claire released a scream that curdled Kate’s blood.
“Help!” Claire said waving her arms as she tried to bat at The Unholy that was inching toward her. “Oh my God, please!”
The tip of Kate’s shoe dug into the earth as she pushed her way between the others to get to Claire. Jasper had his back to her as he pushed Nikki behind him. His leg launched forward as he kicked another Unholy back.
“There’s more,” Jasper said sucking in a sharp breath. “We have to get out of here!”
Kate grabbed The Unholy and pulled it back away from Claire. It had been inches away from sinking its teeth into her flesh.
“Oh my God, oh my God,” Claire repeated between rapid breaths. She stepped back as Kate extinguished The Unholy and tossed its lifeless body over the cliff’s edge. “I can’t breathe!”
Will grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along as the group ran down the sloping hill. Kate looked over her shoulder to make sure Jasper and Nikki were keeping up, but what she saw set a fear inside her she hadn’t felt since the first days.
Falling Darkness Series - A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller - Books 1-3 Page 40
