The Girl Who Punched Back (Death Fields 2)

“About thirty minutes ago—must have been right after you left.”

“Huh,” Wyatt says. “This puts me in an awkward position. I report directly to the commander. I don’t think she’d want me to abort this mission.”

“Who’s your commander?” Taylor asks. Everything about him is calm and collected except I spot one thing; a tiny, erratic twitch next to his left eye.

Wyatt hesitates before he answers, because what comes next is a full lie. One that could have blowback and not just on us. “Walker.”

“Walker doesn’t have ranking over this one. You’ll need to turn back.” Taylor gives him a hard stare. He lifts his arm and rests his hand on the door of the cab. That’s when I see them. Purple stripes, like an officer would wear, on his shoulder.

Fear washes over me and I glance at the other soldiers and try to see if they have them, too. Ugh. Crap.

I use my close proximity to Wyatt to pinch him, hard, on the thigh as he negotiates with Taylor.

Taylor, the hybrid-Eater/human soldier.

Wyatt inhales sharply but doesn’t even look my way. Fine. I can handle this. In one quick move, I pull my gun out of my boot, cock the trigger and lean over Wyatt.

The instant the bullet explodes out of the chamber Taylor’s face and demeanor transforms. His reflexes are fast, and he dodges out of the way. Wyatt swears, shocked by the excruciating sound so close to his head, while revving the engine. I shoot at Taylor again as gunfire erupts from the back of the truck. I miss.

“Go! Go!” I scream, but hybrids swarm our way from the checkpoint. I guess I thought I understood what Jane had created—at least in my mind, but seeing it, God. The apocalypse just got a whole lot worse.

They truly are half human-half eater. Dark eyes and veiny necks. Rage vibrates off their bodies but they’re in control of their movements. They can wield weapons. They’re fast, agile, and strong.

The passenger door rips open, the hinges creaking from the force, and I watch Parker being wrenched from the vehicle.

“No!” Jude shouts, jumping from the back of the truck, firing his gun at her attacker. He gets the drop on him, a dark hole marking his successful shot as the Hybrid falls to the ground. Before either can react, they’re surrounded.

“Lock the doors and get in the driver’s seat,” Wyatt commands, jumping out of his door, slamming it behind him.

I lean over to secure the passenger door, catching a glimpse of Cole back to back with Wyatt, circled by a group of Hybrids. I grab the door handle but the spring hinges are busted.

“Are you kidding?” I mutter to myself, but look up to see the feral face of a female Hybrid, as big as any man, pressing against the window, growling. Dropping my gun on the seat, I hold on to the door handle with both hands, but it’s no use, the metal is ripped from my hands, nearly taking my fingers with it. I watch, slack-jawed, as the door flies behind her like a metal Frisbee.

Without hesitation she lunges into the cab, grabbing me by the ankles. I fight back, struggling to land a substantial blow. I kick her stomach and push against her chest, my gun jabbing me painfully and uselessly in the back. I kick again, missing her body, making contact with her own gun hanging from a holster at her side. She’d have to let go of me to get it. One shot at this proximity would be the end of either of us.

“Who are you?” I snap. “Super Eater Woman?”

She uses her monster strength to flip me over and my arms get loose. I use the opportunity to wiggle like a worm beneath her legs and escape.

“Oh, no you don’t,” the woman says in a bizarre high-pitched voice. She pounces on me like a football. Gravel scrapes across my chin and she lands like a ton of bricks, quickly planting a knee firmly in my back. She grapples with my wrists, cutting my knuckles on the ground, and that’s when it connects.

She’s not trying to kill me.

She’s trying to capture me.

F-ing Jane.

Once my hands are bound, I’m out of the game. I hear Jude’s voice followed by the hard thud on the pavement. I crane my neck and find him in a similar position to my own, lip busted and bleeding on the road.

With every last bit of energy I can muster I nod at Jude and struggle to my knees, hands bound tight behind my back. Once upright, I run.

Just run.

If they survive, Wyatt and Cole can track me. They’ve done it before, but I’m not letting Jane take me back in. No chance. She may not kill me, but whatever is waiting for me will be worse.

The chaos of the battle leaves me unguarded, passing downed Hybrid bodies littering the edge of the road. The woods aren’t far away and I don’t dare look back. I race forward, headed for the tree line, the sound of fighting growing distant. The ground gives way from grass to pine needles. I step under the branches, the air cooler here, and keep going—that is until I run straight into something sharp and taut.

I pull back, my shirt snagging on the jagged edges of a wire fence.