The Girl Who Punched Back (Death Fields 2)

“Already?” We didn’t buy any time at all. I stumble over a tree root but Cole grabs my pack and yanks me upward before I fall. I shoot him a relieved smile, before turning back to Wyatt and asking, “How?”

Without looking at me he says, “Because we let them know.”

*

We emerge from the forest and Wyatt leads us directly to Hayes, who’s waiting next to a tarp-covered lump on the side of the road. The dogs are nearby, making all of us move faster than normal but the veteran Fighters move extra fast, revealing a military grade truck and then helping Paul and Cole into the back.

“Get under that,” Davis says, pointing to a heavy olive green tarp.

“What about the others?” Paul asks before he’s covered. It’s as though he just realized we left the other school survivors behind.

When no one else replies I say, “They’ll buy us some time.”

The expression on his face tells me exactly how insensitive he thinks I am for saying that, but God knows if that’s even the truth. Wyatt tipped off the Fighters we were escaping. The dogs are close enough that I can hear their feet on the fallen leaves covering the forest floor. There’s no time to hash it out, though. Wyatt is quietly giving out orders and there’s nothing to do but follow them.

“You two—get in the front,” he yells.

“Good luck,” Hayes says, disappearing into the woods. I’m not sure how he’ll escape the dogs on foot, but I can’t worry about that right now.

Parker and I squeezed into the cab while Davis and Jude took point in the back, trying desperately not to step on anyone. The first dogs, of all breeds and sizes, emerge from the forest just as Wyatt shifts the truck into gear and peels out into the road.

“That was close,” Parker says, craning her head to look out the window.

“Too freaking close,” I agree. “They’ll follow us, right? Or is that what you wanted all along? I don’t get what’s happening here, Wyatt. Care to enlighten us?”

His hands grip the wheel and his foot is mashed on the gas. The road we’re on is some sort of back road, nothing but trees and the occasional building. The compound can’t be far away geographically—I just don’t know what’s going on, and my head aches from the stress.

“Seriously? You’re not going to answer any of that?” I ask.

“I’m driving, Alex—trying to get us in the clear. I don’t have time to talk you through this right now. I am trying not to get everyone back at that base killed. If they thought we were still on the compound, they’d blow the whole thing, including civilians and the other Fighters to hell and back!”

“I thought maybe we were going to approach this as a team—you know, since I brought you most of the Intel—,“ Wyatt takes an approaching curve without slowing. I’m shocked into silence as I cling to the seat to stay upright. Parker’s hips crash into mine. “So don’t treat me like a—, “The words catch in my throat a second time and Parker grabs my arm, pointing out the window.

Wyatt lets off the gas and mutters a curse under his breath.

That army we’re running from?

They’ve formed a wall in front of us and are blocking the entire two-way street.

Chapter 25

I don’t know how many there are, but it’s definitely more than the seven of us. They’ve created a barricade—a check point, it looks like, between overturned vehicles. The soldiers I can see have on a similar Fighter uniform, but they have on hat—sort of like a baseball cap.

One walks in our direction. His weapon is drawn but there’s no signal he’s nervous. Why would he be? We’re sitting ducks.

Wyatt rolls down his window as the soldier approaches. Under his breath he says, “Let me talk. Stay quiet.”

The closer the soldier gets, the more I’m convinced that maybe he’s one of the good guys. He looks like all the other men that have been processed through The Fort. A little thin, but healthy enough. There’s no anger on his middle-aged face. Just the same lines we’ve all formed over the last year.

“Morning,” he says, lowering his weapon slightly at the sight of Wyatt’s raised hands. The name Taylor is stitched over his heart. “Where are you headed?”

“Salvage run,” Wyatt replies. “My commander got word there’s a distribution plant about thirty minutes south. We’re going to check it out.”

/> He peers into the truck and then leans back to get an eyeful of Davis and Jude, both sitting calmly on the tailgate. During all of this, I notice four other soldiers have flanked us, guns at the hip. Again no one seems flustered, just cautious. Maybe Wyatt can talk us through.

“This area just went under lockdown. We’ve been given orders not to let anyone in or out.”

Wyatt’s jaw tenses. “When did this happen?”