The Girl who Saved the World (Death Fields 6)

“What?” I ask, shaking the nostalgia.

“You’ve got a weird look on your face.” Her comment is blunt and has a strange edge—even for the weirdness of our entire circumstances.

“Maybe I’m trying to figure out why, if Hamilton thinks our job is so important, we’re babysitting a kid like you?”

“What are they like?” she asks, ignoring my jab. We’re popping in and out of the shops on Main Street. Seeing them empty and abandoned makes me sad. These people tried so hard to continue life here. To what end? They’re either Mutts wanted by Hamilton or they’ve been absorbed into the city of New Hope.

“What are who like?”

“You know, the freaks we’re looking for.”

I peek down the long shelves at the bookstore. Zoe follows me—weapon down. She’s a terrible guard. “You’ve never seen a Hybrid?”

“Nope. Or one of those nasty Mutts. I’ve heard all about them though.” Her flat affect takes on sudden enthusiasm. And I spot a glint in her green eyes. “That they’re totally insane. Like an Eater but smarter. That they don’t just bite you but they’ll cage you up and cook you for dinner. Piece by piece.”

I wrinkle my nose. “Gross.”

“Is it true they have sharp nails that can slice through skin?”

“They’re not werewolves. They’re mutations—more like super soldiers than X-men. They use weapons and their fists like every other soldier.” That reality earns me a hard stare of disbelief. I have no idea what she’s been told, but I have a little better understanding what Walker meant by them being an urban legend. I do add, “Although like a dog, it’s best if you don’t taunt them.”

She rolls her eyes and watches me check the re

st of the store.

Wyatt is back by the time we get outside and there’s no mistaking the impatience from the tic in his jaw. When Walker appears from a shop he asks, “Are we really going to go through the whole town?”

Walker rubs dust off her hands. “I agree, it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. We’re going to have to come up with a better method.”

Jackson, Jude, and Mary Ellen walk toward us from the south side of town. Jude shrugs and it’s clear they’ve been unsuccessful.

Jackson confirms this, adding, “There’s nothing. I don’t think anyone has been back.”

The whole scene is getting on my nerves. What are we even doing here? After the fights and the battles and everything with Erwin and Chloe over the years, I feel like we’re walking in circles. And for what? To prove we’re with Hamilton and his cause?

A hand touches mine and I look up, well aware of the scowl on my face. “Calm down.”

“I’m not un-calm,” I snap at Wyatt.

To my surprise Jude says, “This whole thing is making me crazy.” I glance down at his hands and notice they’re trembling. I pull my hand from Wyatt’s grip and it only takes a second for the tremor to start up in my own.

“What the hell is that?” Wyatt whispers.

“Jane said side effects were possible. She also said to keep the focus off it we need to do what Hamilton wants.”

Wyatt studies us closely, his lips in a firm line. His eyes flash over to Walker and Jackson and the tension in his neck ratchets up. When he finally speaks he says, “Believe it or not I think Walker is out of her league here. She’ll never find the Hybrids like this. They’re too fast and they’re not going to leave themselves vulnerable.”

I nod in agreement. “Right. So what do we do?”

Without notice, Wyatt walks over to the others. I grip my hatchet to keep my hands steady. “I can find the Hybrids,” he says, interrupting their conversation. “But it won’t happen like this. I tracked them for months down in Georgia with Jude’s help.”

Jude laughs. “Help is an exaggeration, but he showed me how to scout. Back then they had Chloe’s orders pushing them along. Now? They’re alone. They’ll be scattered all over. They won’t come to a place like this—the Mutts either. They don’t have a sense of nostalgia. Their number one motive, all the time, is survival.”

There’s no reason for Walker or Jackson to argue. They know it’s true, they know Wyatt and what he’s capable of doing. She pushes a stray piece of red hair out of her eyes and asks, “Fine, what do you suggest?”

“I imagine right now they’ve all got a heightened adrenaline and are on the run. I don’t think most will stick together—particularly the Hybrids. If they don’t have a leader then they’ll maybe keep in small groups for safety from the Eaters. They’ll scavenge for food, shelter. They’ll kill any survivors they meet along the way—that is programmed in their brain. Humans must be obliterated.”

Zoe’s eyes are wide—she’s absorbing every word. Wyatt has that effect on people—girls in particular. He’s smart, handsome, and totally kick-ass. I have no doubt he’ll have a new fangirl before he finishes speaking.