by SM Olivier
He was too close! I put the blade of the one of my sais along my forearm as a shield as I drove my other sai into the closest infected’s eye. I cried out in horror as I felt the soft tissue give way too effortlessly under the blunt edge of the point. The popping sound made me flinch in disgust.
I tried to pull my sai back, but it refused to give way. I brought up my foot, giving the man a push kick to remove him from my weapon. He fell back with an audible crunch as his head made contact with the concrete.
I felt my stomach revolt, but I had no time to get sick right now. I had to get to my friend. I looked up to assess the situation once more. There were too many infected. I vaguely heard gunshots in the distance as I witnessed Sylvia slashing away at the infected.
“The brain, Sylvia!” I screamed at her as I whirled to take on my next attacker. “Aim for their eyes and temples.” Her cheap blade was less than six inches long. I didn’t think it would be adequate anywhere else.
I engaged in battle after battle for what seemed like endless hours. I heard the gunshots getting closer. I felt the sweat trickling down my face and back. I smelled the putrid, coppery smell the infected emanated. My breathing was coming in a ragged gasp, but I noticed that Sylvia had rescued the toddler and another smaller bundle.
I vaguely comprehended that BJ had taken a position at my back and was engaged in his own battles. We moved in circles like a well-oiled unit, eliminating infected after infected. The only sounds from us were our rasping breaths and the occasional grunt or snarl.
I felt like I was going to pass out any moment. Usually, I could literally run five miles and barely feel winded. I could spar six women in a row with scarcely a break in between matches and still be raring to go. I knew not much time could have lapsed, but it felt like I had been doing this for entirely too long. My mind was screaming for me to take flight, while my body was engaged in a fight.
“Harrison,” I heard my name being barked out as I whirled around, looking for the next opponent, only to see BJ’s blinding smile. Skeins of my long dark hair adhered to my sweaty face, and my chest heaved up and down as I gasped for oxygen to enter my lungs. I felt like a feral animal, cornered, as my primal instincts emerged. Surviving was the principal thought in my mind.
“Hallelujah,” BJ cried out in triumph. “Thanks for helping us.”
I still felt separated from the whole situation. Reality hadn’t entered the haze clouding my cognizant thoughts.
“Avery, it’s okay,” BJ murmured, taking my shoulders in both his hands and gently shaking me. “We’re safe.”
I hazily registered the fact that Axel Tacka and three other JOpS stood before me. They were dressed and equipped, nearly identical, in their black t-shirts, khaki cargo pants, and black combat boots. They carried 9MMs−or pistols similar to them−attached to their left thighs and one in each shoulder holster. Knives were on each of their ankles, ammo was affixed to their belts, and they held M-4’s at the low and ready. That was just the weapons I could see. I imagined they had more than that on them.
“Are you bleeding?” Axel asked gruffly as his eyes roamed up and down my body.
I looked down and noticed what state I was in. I was covered in blood splatter− or the equivalent of the infected’s blood. It was a dark red, almost black, coagulated matter. It wasn’t anything like what normally exited our bodies. My tank top was covered, and my jean shorts were no longer a faded light wash but a disturbing brown, black, and red color. Nearly every exposed piece of my skin had their blood on it.
“Get it off, get it off!” I freaked as I began to rip off my clothing.
In my panicked, wild thoughts, I imagined the saliva of the infected soaking into my skin. I needed to get it off as soon as possible, or it was going to turn me. Slowly but surely, my frantic thoughts were replaced by the reality surrounding me.
I vaguely heard an appreciative sound from a male's throat quickly followed by the gnashing of teeth.
“Clean this up, clear the lane,” I heard Axel bark out.
“I’ll be right back,” BJ murmured. “I’m getting you a change of clothes and a couple of towels, Avery,” BJ said more loudly as he tried to force me to look into his eyes, but I was too preoccupied with my surroundings.
I looked at the pile of dead bodies on the ground, and this time I was helpless to stop my lunch from coming back up. I held my hand over my mouth. I stumbled over the bodies and limbs, to the nearest patch of grass I could find. I fell to my knees just in time.
The acidity of my vomit stung the back of my throat, and tears rushed to my eyes. I lost the meager contents left in my stomach. My body shook as the rush of adrenaline left me.
Nothing but bile was coming up now, but I was unable to stop. My brain was catching up to my actions, and I felt the implications of all I had done. I was a murderer. Countless lives died at my hands without any misgivings from me as I committed the act over and over again.
I felt large gentle hands sweep the hair off my face.
“They’re no longer human,” a voice as rough as sandpaper proclaimed, reading my thoughts. “Tests have been done. Whoever they were before the infection, isn’t there anymore. They have no feelings, no emotions, only the primal urge to eat and spread the infection. They have no qualms eating their friends, husbands, wives, children. They must be stopped. You did really good today. More than good, little warrior.”
I blinked up into Axel’s eyes as he handed me a wet wipe. I wiped it across my face. The baby powder scent helped soothe me some and helped mask the smell of my vomit and… death.
I didn’t question how he knew all that. I had lived with my dad long enough to know some things were better off not examined. Once you started following the rabbit, you were bound to fall down the hole.
“Were you cut, bitten?” a man’s voice asked from behind us.
I looked up and noticed a handful of people around the JOpS and BJ. I met Sylvia’s gaze, and there were tears in her eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” she cried. “I should have never left the vehicle. I−”
I cut her off and stood up. “The child was innocent. We couldn’t leave him for infected food. You were behaving as any normal human being would.”
The words not spoken hung in the air. Even with Axel’s reassurances, I didn’t feel human anymore. I’d lost my humanity the moment I slipped into that dark place that could kill over a dozen infected systematically. There were no thoughts in my actions, just a savage urge to survive.
I felt cold liquid being poured over my arms and noticed Axel was pouring a jug of water over them. The smell of alcohol hung in the air. I would have customarily protested the temperature of the water, but today I welcomed it. Call it my penance, I thought.
“Were you cut or bitten?” he asked once more as he rubbed my arms down with a towel.
I numbly watched as my skin was wiped clean.
I shook my head. “I don’t think so,” I muttered, shaking my head.
“I’m washing you down, just to make sure. Let me know if you want me to stop,” Axel spoke quietly, as if he were soothing a frightened animal or child. I had heard him talk more in the last twenty minutes or so than yesterday afternoon.
His voice was pleasant. It was dark and rich, like a cup of strong coffee or smooth chocolate. I felt the tension wracking my body slowly dissipate by his dulcet tones.
“We put a splash of rubbing alcohol in the water,” he continued talking to me. “It’s not ideal, but we don’t have anything else on-hand that kills germs effectively. We’ve been told their salvia can infect us, but only if they break the skin or if their blood comes in contact with open wounds, but I much rather be safe than sorry.”
“I got you more clothes, Ave,” BJ said quietly as he held up another pair of jean cut-offs and a black tank top. He had already changed, and I saw no blood on him. My eyes quickly assessed that he was unharmed. I sighed in relief.
“Thanks,” I murmured to both of them.
&nb
sp; “I’m going to put them right here.” BJ placed them on top of a duffle bag I hadn’t even seen next to Axel. “I’m going to help clear this out,” he informed Axel. “Unless you want me to help her?”
I could see the discomfort in BJ’s eyes. I nearly laughed at him before I realized I was dressed in my Wonder Woman bra and matching boy shorts. Yeah, I had a thing for character underwear. I loved my silk and lace sometimes, but my go-to undergarments were my simple cotton, somewhat quirky underwear.
I imagined my brother was relieved not to have to talk me down from this freak out in just my underwear. Granted, I showed just as much skin when we went swimming, but it wasn’t like he was touching me in those conditions.
“I got this,” Axel clipped out, his jaw tensing. “Go help my guys.”
Axel continued his ministrations, and I tried to ignore the way my body was aware of his touch. How long had it been since I desired a man when I was sober? I quickly shut down my thoughts, realizing how inappropriate they were. Now was neither the time nor place for me to feel this pull towards him.
When he was done, he patted me dry with a towel. I tried not to notice how his hands seemed to linger on my hips, or how his long tan fingers came in contact with my skin at times. He slipped my shirt over my head, and then, as if I were a toddler, he helped me into my new shorts. I gently pushed his hands away before he could zip them up and fasten them. It felt too… intimate.
“Thank you,” I said softly, then cleared my throat. “How’d you find us?” I finally asked, realizing it was too much of a coincidence.
I pulled a hair tie off my wrist, I had an obsession with collecting them there, and grimaced at the gunk on them. There was no way I could use them again. I ripped them off and watched them scatter to the ground. I then twisted my hair up and weaved it into a bun. It wouldn’t stay put if I had to move a lot, but it would do for now.
“Your phones,” he replied in an enigmatic tone. “Eden was able to use your stepmom’s phone to get your location.”
He reached into his cargo pocket and pulled out a hair tie and attempted a grateful grin. I surmised he knew the struggles with long hair too.
“Stephanie’s okay?” I asked in relief. I knew she would be, with Wyatt watching over her, but it was like I needed to hear it verbally to feel better.
Axel nodded. “Let’s get going,” he said abruptly.
I looked around and started walking toward the small group that were on the side of the road. BJ, Sylvia, and three JOpS remained, murmuring among themselves as they hovered between a large black SUV and my white Dodge Ram.
The bodies were nowhere to be found, and the cars that had been blocking the path were pushed off into the ditch. Either I had lost a lot of time, or the JOpS and those who helped eliminate the infected had worked quickly.
I stilled, noticing Sylvia was now standing with a baby cradled to her chest. I blinked in confusion.
“They don’t have anyone,” she said in a small voice, noticing me. “I looked, Avery. I even went through their mother’s phone. She just turned eighteen, and her oldest is three.” She indicated the truck. “Both dads don’t seem to be in the picture, and the last few messages she got from her stepmom made me believe she didn’t have any family support. They’re all alone. They need us.”
I could see Mikey and Miller sitting in the front seat of my truck now, with the toddler sitting in between them.
Why was she behaving as if I would protest? She knew I had a softness towards children and animals. She even knew how much I loved my Pediatrics and Labor and Delivery rotation in clinical. Admittedly, I hadn’t been able to touch a baby or hold them, but I knew I would get over that mental block eventually.
“Do they have their car seats?” I asked after a brief second of contemplation.
She let out a relieved sigh. “Chad put them in their SUV.” She indicated the black Tahoe that was parked behind the truck. “I’m going to ride with them.”
I noticed a man hunched over in the back seat of the SUV installing the carseats. I assumed he was Chad.
“I’m going to ride with you,” Axel stated beside me, looking at me briefly before he addressed BJ.
Had I been more mentally present, I would have asked him if he was asking me or telling me. His overbearing attitude would have made me very snarky a few hours ago. When Dad was upset, or when Coach barked at me, those was their roles. I’d just met this guy. Who was he to command me around?
“We need to get off this road,” he continued. “There’s a rest stop about thirty minutes away. We’ll stop there, compare our routes, and regroup. Maybe have a late lunch. Ready?”
Everyone nodded, and we started heading to my truck.
“Mind if I drive?” Axel looked over at BJ.
BJ started to laugh and shook his head. “Ask her,” he said, climbing into the back seat of my truck.
“Go for it,” I responded before opening my passenger door.
Maybe I had hit my head and not realized it. First I was following orders without questioning them. Now I was allowing a near-perfect stranger to drive my truck.
I was usually quite particular about who drove my truck. In fact, no one had driven it other than me until yesterday. But I was also realistic. There was no way I was in any condition to drive and was reminded more so as I stared at the young faces looking back at me.
“Get in the back boys,” I told Miller and Mikey, ruffling their hair.
Miller pretended to grumble, but Mikey smiled up at me.
The toddler Sylvia had rescued, remained in the middle, and he peered over at me suspiciously before giving me a large smile, too.
I held my hands out to the adorable curly-haired, redheaded, freckle-faced toddler. He smiled at me as his tiny arms reached out. “Hey, handsome,” I crooned to him. “Ready to go?”
He was so trusting and open as he hugged me. Toddlers were okay. But babies? They made me break out in cold sweats, made my hands shake, and caused me to panick. It hadn’t always been that way, and I prayed I would get over it soon.
“Mama go?” he asked hopefully.
I closed my eyes, willing the tears at bay. “No, buddy.” I swallowed. I remembered Sylvia holding a baby dressed in yellow. Did he love his brother or sister as I had at that age? It was hard to tell whether Sylvia had been holding a boy or girl. “Wanna go with your…?” I looked over and noticed one of the JOpS standing by with his arms extended. I assumed he was there to collect the toddler and put him in the other vehicle.
“Sister. She’s Jenny, and that tot you’re holding is Phillip,” the man explained with a sympathetic smile. “Come on, Phil. Jenny needs her big brother.” He produced a blue stuffed dog that Phillip cried out happily for as he reached for it.
I handed him off to the JOpS and watched them walk away. He was cute, and there was something seriously sexy about a man and a baby, but I felt… nothing.
So what made me desire the silent, strong man that sat in my driver’s seat?
Chapter 6
We were pleasantly surprised to find the rest stop nearly empty. We found a spot in the back left-hand corner near the restrooms. BJ immediately pulled out some trays of food from the back of the truck and laid out the hard-boiled eggs, cheese, pepperoni, crackers, sliced apples, grapes, and nuts.
We found a couple of picnic tables under the trees surrounding the rest stop. It didn’t take us long to get settled in.
I didn’t feel like eating. I couldn’t eat. Images of the infected dying by my hands were playing on repeat in my head.
“I grabbed some of this on impulse,” BJ explained. “We should probably eat it up before it goes bad.”
I examined the guys as they sat across from me, three of them I hadn’t formally been introduced to. The man who had taken little Phillip from me was about my height, muscular, with dark hair, and eyes that were a startling blue against his tanned skin.
The man next to him was currently rocking the tiny infant, Jenny, in his
arms. She looked so small and pale against his large, dark hands. He was built like a linebacker and was almost as tall as Axel but twice as big width-wise. His head was shaved bald, and he had warm dark eyes. There were lines around his mouth and eyes that suggested he smiled a lot.
Beside him was male who looked to be Filipino. He was shorter than me but built like a bulldog. His dark hair was cut in the typical military fashion, and his brown eyes seemed alert and intelligent as he regularly surveyed our surroundings.
Sylvia came over with paper plates, which made me wonder just what else had we gotten today. I hadn’t paid much attention to what we had loaded up when we were done shopping. I knew I had dry goods, and Sylvia had bought the clothing, but what had BJ grabbed exactly?
“Food is food. Thanks, man, we’re starving.” The man holding Jenny smiled as he shifted Jenny to one shoulder while grabbing some food.
“No thanks needed, Chad,” BJ said with a smile. “If you guys hadn’t come along, well…” He shrugged, leaving the words hanging in the air.
The Filipino guy snorted good-naturedly. “You’re kidding, right? You guys had it more than handled. You’re pretty sick with those sais, but your girl here was a beast.”
Sylvia laughed as she handed Phillip a piece of apple. The toddler was safely ensconced in her lap, seemingly content to be held and eating. The way he was eating made me wonder when the last time he’d eaten a decent meal. “That’s her nickname on the mats,” she said. “And by the way, B and Ave are siblings, not a couple.”
I felt Axel shift beside me and saw an indecipherable look cross his features.
“You’re the martial artist that kicked Natalie’s ass, aren’t you?” Mr. Blue-eyes inquired in wonder as he assessed me.
“She doesn’t look like much, but she really is a beast.” BJ smiled at me as he bumped my shoulder with his own. He took no offense with the Filipino’s observation. He preferred Judo or wrestling to Tae Kwon Do or weapons, although he was pretty sick with the bo staff.
