The Withered Series (Book 1): Wither Read online

  “Too bulky.”

  Motioning for me to follow, one gun held at the ready, I weave around corners, down halls and past countless doors that all look the same to me. I don't know how he doesn’t get lost. Cable marches forward, his posture tense yet confident.

  Explosions rock the building. The lights flicker overhead. “What’s happening?”

  I duck low as another explosion hits further down the hall. A wall collapses in and we are forced to backtrack.

  “Cable?” I struggle to breathe as I jog. What little energy I gained from my time spent prisoner in my white room is rapidly fading.

  “You want the long version or the synopsis?

  He grabs me by the arm and I slam into his chest. His arms curl around me, his body a shield against a collapsing ceiling less than ten feet in front of us. When the dust settles he draws back up. “I think short!”

  Brick and drywall dusts his hair gray but it doesn’t dampen his smile. “It’s an old fashioned mutiny!”

  “Mutiny?” The word is torn from my lips as he tugs me toward a door. He slams through it and pulls me into a hall almost identical to the last, but this one is decorated in beige tones. Bodies dot this hall but none appear to be moving. The hallway lights flicker overhead, some damaged by the shootout. A spray of bullet holes lead past us and around the corner but I hear nothing in that direction.

  Cable releases my hand and sprints ahead, pausing at an intersection and for the first time he looks lost. I spy a red glowing exit sign to my right. “Over there!”

  He turns back and shakes his head. “We aren’t going out there.”

  The desire to turn tail and race for that door is nearly unbearable. Exit means freedom. I watch as Cable turns a corner up ahead and bite down on my lower lip.

  Can I really trust him? Should I?

  “Avery,” he hisses down the hall toward me. I look up to see his head poking around the corner. “This way.”

  I hesitate a second longer before making my decision. “Shit.”

  My bare feet slap against the cold floor as I rush to catch up. I’m only distantly aware of the fact that my side no longer aches. My ribs are bound tightly but the bruising must have begun to heal. How long have I been here?

  Cable waits for me at the end of a dark hall. “Watch your step,” he calls out just before I spy a pile of glass from the light overhead.

  “Where is everyone?”

  “This building was on strict lock down from all non-essential personnel. Only the doctors and scientists come here at night to check on patients. Once the battle began they took off. They’re not here to fight but to research. Most of them have never seen a day of combat.”

  “Lucky them,” I mutter. Another explosion rocks the building. A crack forms in the wall beside me and I rush ahead, not wanting to stick around for the next blast. “Friends of yours?”

  “Something like that.” He takes my hand and raises his foot, booting the door before him open. Darkness and a frigid cold reside on the other side.

  “Where are we?”

  “Shh.” His fingers tighten around mine as he leads me into the room. He pauses a few feet in. There is a clattering of metal then silence as he pulls me forward. The echo of the door closing behind me feels out of place as he leads me through the dark. I hear shouting now. Gunfire covers the sound of sirens in the distance

  The floor feels like ice beneath my feet. A chill rises up through my legs and it doesn't take long for my teeth to begin to chatter. I hear an odd click and sense movement before me.

  “Here. Grab hold.” Cable places my hand on something cold and metal. I stiffen as his hands slide down my waist and he hoists me up. “Buckle up.”

  It is only when I feel the material of the seat and jerk at the sound of the door closing behind me that I fully realize that I’m in a vehicle. I wait in the dark as Cable feels his way around the front of the car and hauls himself into the driver’s seat.

  “How can you see?”

  When the headlights flick on I find myself staring at the contraption on Cable’s head. They look like a set of binoculars, but not nearly the same. “Night vision,” he grins and tosses them into the floorboard.

  The throaty growl of the engine vibrates in my chest. Cable taps the steering wheel, peering out into the light. “What are we waiting for?”

  He doesn’t respond but instead watches the dark intently. I wrap my arms around myself, rubbing to keep warm. A couple minutes pass before a rectangle of light appears in the far corner of the room. Two dark shapes slip inside before darkness prevails once more.

  “Who is that?”

  A moment later the back door opens and I see a familiar face rise into the vehicle. “No way! I’m not going anywhere with her!”

  Natalia’s eyes widen as she looks between me and Cable. He grits his teeth before meeting my glare. “She helped save your life. She’s coming too.”

  “She experimented on me!”

  “No.” I turn fully in the seat to look at her. “I had nothing to do with that. I told you the truth. I was merely a liaison.”

  “I remember you.”

  “Of course you do,” Cable says, hiking his thumb over his shoulder for her to get in. “She watched over you during your recovery.”

  I refuse to look away as Natalia buckles her seat belt. I don’t care what he says. I can smell a rat when I see one and she is all kinds of rotten.

  Another man climbs in after her. He has baby smooth cheeks, clear blue eyes, and a grin as broad as his shoulders. He holds out his hand to me. “Eric Phelan. Heard a lot about you.”

  “Sit down and shut up,” Cable growls as he shoves the vehicle into gear. I’m thrown back as he slams on the accelerator. Eric cries out as he tumbles to the floor, flailing to grab hold of the seat.

  “Are you insane? You couldn’t give him another minute to strap in?” I press my hands to the dashboard as the tires squeal and we barrel toward a wall.

  Glancing at the green glow of the clock on the dashboard, he shakes his head. “Not unless you want to stick around for the barbeque.”

  I brace myself as we crash headlong through the hangar doors. They crumple away, peeled back like the lid of a sardine can. My head ricochets off the headrest. The Humvee rattles and shakes as Cable fights for control of his wild skid.

  A huge dark shape looms ahead of us. “Look out!”

  Cable swerves to miss the dangling propellers of a copter, only to take out a collection of gasoline barrels. They spiral across the tarmac, spilling fuel.

  “Haul ass, Cable!” Eric’s hands grip the seat behind me. His face looks pale as he leans between us, shouting out directions. I grab onto the door and hold on. Natalia buries her head in her arms. A scream escapes her lips from time to time.

  As we race between two hangars, my head whips around at the sight of a large yellow vehicle. “A school bus?” I turn on Cable. “So it’s true? The military really were stealing kids?”

  “Now is not the time,” Cable says through gritted teeth. He spins the wheel and I’m thrown against the door.

  I watch as he glances frequently from the road to the clock and pray that whatever is supposed to happen hurries up. Soldiers pour from the buildings. A heavy gunfight rages all around. I don’t know how on earth they know who is good and who is bad when they are all wearing the same uniform!

  Lights on the guard towers sweep the grounds, zeroing in on us. A twenty foot high concrete wall looms before us, filling the windshield. I glance at Cable, noting the lack of color in his knuckles as he grips the steering wheel and guns the accelerator. “Cable?”

  “Wait for it. Wait for it!” From the corner of my eye I see something large emerging from the shadows. I spy the long barrel as it swivels and takes aim.

  Boom.

  The windows rattle as a fireball erupts before us. Smoke and dust roll over the window. Debris rains from above, denting the roof of the Humvee. Natalia wails as we burst through the wall and into t
he night. Our headlights illuminate trees and an overgrown path as we bounce and skid to a halt.

  “You have a tank?” I gasp, clutching my chest.

  “Sure do.” Eric lets out a whoop as another blast echoes from behind us. I imagine the tank must be securing our departure.

  Cable breathes hard as he reaches out for me. “You ok?”

  “Pretty sure I just wet myself, but yeah. I’m good.”

  Eric laughs and pounds Cable on the arm. “Nice moves, dude. You were right. You are the better driver.”

  “I’ll collect on that bet later.”

  I tense at the hard line in Cable’s voice. As the last of the smoke clears I see a bright light lock onto to us from above. I lean forward to see a chopper in the air.

  “Stand down.” A voice calls over a loudspeaker. “Turn your engine off and evacuate the vehicle. We have been authorized to use force if you resist.

  Natalia huddles low in her seat. Her hair is a disheveled mess. Her pristine clothes rumpled and dark with sweat. The sound of her whimpering fills the vehicle.

  “What do we do?” I turn to find Cable glancing back at Eric.

  The baby-faced soldier pulls up his sleeve to reveal a watch and shakes his head. “We gotta delay.”

  “Is this thing bulletproof?” I ask, staring at the large manned gun above.

  “Not like you’d hope it would be.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I grab onto the door as he spins the wheel, gunning the gas as he steers the vehicle off the road. Bullets ping against the hull. Several deep dents appear in the side. Natalia screams but I ignore her as I try to keep my eye on the chopper.

  “It means we are armored but only to a point. Keep your head down!” he shouts back as he spins the wheel again.

  The spotting light is blinding from above as the chopper banks to pursue us. Cable cuts the headlights and drives under a cluster low hanging branches of a large maple tree. The tires skids to a stop, the engine settles into a deep rumble. The patch of trees won't give us cover for long. “You seriously think they can’t see us here?” I gawk.

  Cable ignores my comment and keeps his eye trained to the broken light overhead. Bits of bark tumble down as another round of gunfire strikes the tree. A loud ping of gunfire behind me makes me cower against the door. I hear a cry of pain and look back. Natalia clutches her shoulder.

  “Shit.” Eric reaches over and presses his hand to her arm. “She’s hit, Cable.”

  “We all will be soon if we don’t get out of here.” Cable puts the car in reverse and sneaks between two trees. “Eric?”

  “One minute!”

  I spot other vehicles barreling toward us from the outside of the wall. Their headlights bounce as they hit deep ruts. The chopper overhead circles once more. Dust bursts up from the ground as I watch the trail of bullets approaching from directly ahead of us.

  “Now?”

  I turn to see Eric staring intently as his watch. His lips part and mime counting. Three. Two. One.

  The sky behind us erupts with fire. The ground rumbles as half of the base goes up in flames. The outer wall crumbles and collapses. I watch out my side window as the pursuing vehicles swerve to miss the falling debris. A large chunk of the wall smashes into the hood of the front car. Its back end flies up into the air. The second car brakes too late and slams headlong into the underside of the lead vehicle. Both erupt into flames. I watch in horror as flaming bodies thrust themselves out of the vehicle and writhe on the ground.

  “Oh, god!” I grasp my stomach as I turn away. I wanted to escape but not like this. Those men were probably just following orders.

  The chopper veers off. Cable punches the accelerator and guns for the forest in sheer darkness, lit only by the scattered light of the moon peering behind clouds overhead. My head rocks from side to side as we navigate the uneven terrain. The ride is rough, but I feel safer than I have in weeks.

  “Get us out of here,” Eric says, pointing away from the path before us. “No main roads. We have to find somewhere to lie low.”

  “What about that chopper? Won’t more come back around for us?” I glance over my shoulder but the skies seem clear apart from the huge plume of smoke from the fire.

  Eric grins. “Nah. We just blew up all of their big shiny toys. It’ll take them a few minutes to regroup.”

  I turn forward as Cable reengages the headlights. “Now what?

  Cable takes his eyes off the road only for a moment to look at me. “We run and don’t look back.”

  NINE

  I stare at the black radio handset in my hand, listening to the static. I have tried every channel, even ones I know the military would be scanning, but I had no choice. I gave Alex my promise that I would find a way to reach them, no matter what.

  “This is Avery calling for Alex. Do you read me?”

  Static fills the cab of the Humvee. I call again several times, switching through the stations. “I promised I would call you. I’m sorry I couldn’t get back to you. I was...I was delayed, but I’m waiting for you now,” I say, leaning my head against the window. I feel stiff and cold from sitting so long.

  “If you hear this message, please leave the city. We are located thirty miles east of your last position. We have to leave soon.” I release the button and press my hand to my lips to still their trembling. The cold is brutal today.

  “Alex…come find me.”

  The door to the barn opens and I raise my hand to shield my eyes from the light. I spy Cable’s elongated mask first as he slips into the dark, leaving the door open to the outside.

  “You’ve been out here all day. Any luck?” Cable slings himself up into the driver’s seat beside me and removes his gas mask only once secured inside. His face is clean, his hair freshly washed. A shadow of stubble darkens his square jaw. He looks refreshed despite spending a night tossing and turning in his sleep. I heard him cry out in the dark. Nightmares from the past plague him. I wonder what it is that he dreams of.

  “It’s been three days and I’m no closer to finding them than I was.”

  Cable nods, lowering his head. I sigh, resigned to trying again later. I turn off the ignition and hand him the keys.

  “You know we can’t stay much longer.” He fiddles the keys between his fingers. “Sooner or later someone is going to hear that message and figure out where we are.”

  “I know.” I flex my fingers then clasp them before me, wishing for the hundredth time that I had a pair of gloves. The abandoned farm house we crashed in the night we escaped from the military base smelled of old people and moth balls, but it had basic supplies. Sweaters that were a bit too snug on the men. Floral blouses that I would rather die than wear, but Natalia didn't seem to care. Come to think of it, she hasn’t cared about much since we arrived.

  At first I thought it was some sort of posttraumatic stress. Cable said that it’s possible. People handle death and climatic situations differently. Eric has stayed by her side since we arrived. He leaves her unattended only long enough to pop open a can of soup and returns to spoon-feed her.

  Cable and I searched the attic and found trunks of old clothes, photo albums and keepsakes but no trace of winter outer wear. I tucked all of the floral shirts aside for Natalia and grabbed a fluffy sweater. It’s way too big on me and has a tendency to billow in the wind, but as long as I keep my white shirt tucked into my pants, it works fairly well.

  Shoes are one area that I lucked out in. I guess me and the grandma who lived here share a size 8. I found a pair of brand new tennis shoes hidden in the back of a downstairs closet and enough hand knitted wool socks to keep my feet toasty for a long time.

  Cable thinks the old folks probably left when the world went down the crapper. There are tire tracks in the yard. The barn doors were left wide open. Even some of the cabinets were emptied. I hope he’s right.

  “Do you think maybe you should let it go?” Cable asks after several moments of silence.

  “I can’t.” I
stare out the grimy windshield. The sun is bright today, breaking through the cloud cover for the first time in what feels like months. I long to feel it on my face but it’s too dangerous to go out during the day. We are still too close to the military base. From time to time we hear the choppers as they work in a grid, searching. Eric seems to think they have bigger problems than hunting for us, but I have my doubts.

  It’s the way Natalia looks at me when she thinks I don’t see. Piercing. Searching.

  I’ve yet to find out exactly what it is that she did for the military. Whatever her relationship was with them, there is one thing that is certain...Eric is far too fond of her. I suspect that’s the reason Cable let her hitch a ride out, not because of anything to do with me.

  “I have to know,” I whisper, turning away from the sunlight that ends just at the edge of the barn we are parked inside. “Eva needed me and I left her. I can’t do that again.”

  Cable taps his fingers against the steering wheel, deep in thought. He does that a lot. At first it was a bit off-putting, making me wonder what secrets he might be trying to worm his way around revealing. The more time I spend with him I realize it’s just his way. He’s a thinker.

  “You know their chances of survival were slim. That entire section of the city was overrun two days after I found you. If they didn’t get out before that then they are lost.”

  I close my eyes and press my forehead against the window. The cold glass bites my skin but I ignore it. I told Cable all about Eva, about the group and my promise. He has actively supported my decision to remain behind, until now. I know we can’t wait any more but I can’t willingly leave either. I just don’t know how to make him understand.

  “Eva couldn’t have been moved,” he whispers, running his finger along the curve of the mask.

  “I know.” Exhaustion and remorse fall over me. I have so many things to be thankful for. Shelter. Food. Protection. People. Why isn’t that enough? Why can’t I adapt to this new world of loss and pain, to let go of the things that would seek to hold me back? “I knew better than to let myself care.”