“Jason?”
Matt’s brother faces me, grief settles over his features.
“Get out of here, Alex,” he says clutching a long knife between his hands.
“Are you okay? Do you need help? Where’s Liza?” The questions tumble out.
“Go. Run. Let me take care of this.”
“Alex?” I hear from across the yard. We both look toward the voice but when I turn back he’s gone. Having little other choice, I run, furious with myself that I’ve brought my mother here.
“Mom?” She comes running from the dark.
“What’s happening?”
I glance up one last time and see that same shadow hovering just inside the room. Matt and Olivia are gone. I had to assume Liza was as well.
“They’re gone.”
“Who? Liza’s family? I heard a scream.”
“That was just me—I’m just upset.” That wasn’t a lie. Tears piled up behind my eyes and I walked through the backyard back to the woods.
“Maybe they got to the emergency shelter.”
We step into the darkness, hands shaking. How close had I become to being Jason—killing my friends and loved ones. Exposing myself. Running was the cowards way out, but it was the only way to survive. I lead my mother into the woods and once again say goodbye to that life. For real this time.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
~Now~
They introduce themselves as Cole and Chloe. Twins, it seems, right down to the way their lips turn up at the edges of their mouths and their slow moving gait. You’d think they hadn’t just annihilated two dozen Eaters’ and saved our lives.
“That move with the fire was pretty cool,” Chloe says as an opening. Guessing, I’d say they’re a little older than Wyatt. She has pretty long blonde curly hair, tied at the back of her neck. Their eyes are identical, clear blue. Cole wears his hair short and wavy, curling over his ears and at the nape of his neck. They’re an attractive pair. From the way Wyatt’s eyes keep roaming over Chloe’s body I assume he agrees. A different feeling bubbles in my stomach and this one doesn’t feel as nice.
“It worked until they started running toward us like moving torches. Nothing stops these guys until they’re dead,” Wyatt says thoughtfully. “Did you notice that? Even set on fire their anger and rage toward didn’t stop.”
I nod, unable to find my voice around the new people. It’s stupid since I’m the one that pushed waiting for them. Cole kneels on the ground, wiping brain and guts off the tips of a handful of arrows in the dirt. An impressive bow—compound, I assume is strapped to his back. His sister has a matching one.
“How long were you guys up there?” Cole asks. His intent eyes are on me. I have no choice but to reply.
“About twenty-four hours. We got a little cornered. Thanks for helping us out of that jam.”
“It’s getting harder and harder to find people outside the containment areas, well, at least those that aren’t sick.” Chloe frowns, eyes on Wyatt’s seeping wound. “You aren’t, are you?”
“No,” Wyatt says in a tone that ends the conversation. He glances at me. “I think we should get moving.”
“Want me to check it?” Cole asks.
“Cole is—well, was—an EMT,” Chloe says.
“Not now,” Wyatt replies.
The twins give each other a look. I’m assuming wondering about the wound. They can trust us or not, I don’t care. “Ready?” I ask Wyatt.
Cole nods at me. “Where are you headed?
“South,” I reply vaguely.