Afflicted

And any time I wasted could be the difference between life and death for Katy and Reese. The military had already taken out the bridges to contain the contamination, there was no telling what steps they might take next. They could even decide to drop bombs on the worst affected towns. I couldn't risk getting there too late. Which meant I had to run for it.

I eased my pack off of my shoulders and unzipped it. I'd always had a bit of a bad reputation for improvisation that had led to me carrying some slightly unorthodox things in my pack. I smiled as I remembered the many times I'd been disciplined for doing the kind of thing I was about to do. But it had always served me well before.

I glanced back around the corner to see the herd of deer advancing slowly. They were looking all around, in a way that was too methodical to seem natural.

I ducked back out of sight and flicked my lighter open, sending a flame dancing to life. I held the tiny firework above the flickering flame until the fuse lit.

I swung my arm back and tossed it to the far side of the trail, watching the pinprick of fire as it raced through the air and landed in the undergrowth. I shoved my pack back on and waited to run, my muscles coiled in anticipation.

Five, four, three, two, one, bang,

The deer scattered and I took off. All thoughts of reserving my energy disappeared as I sprinted flat out along the muddy path.

My toes caught on roots that crisscrossed the trail, threatening to trip me again and again.

I raced on, not daring to slow as I tried to put as much distance as I could between myself and the herd of deer.

A noise like thunder started up behind me, the power of it rumbling through the ground beneath my feet.

It wasn't thunder though. I glanced over my shoulder, unable to keep my back to the threat that was chasing me down. The herd raced through the trees, leaping fallen logs and gaining on me faster than I could even have imagined.

My heart leapt as adrenaline spiked through my limbs, pushing me faster but it wasn't going to be enough. The bridge wasn't close enough. I couldn't make it.

The trail swung right but I stayed straight, weaving between the trees as vines whipped at my face.

A fallen tree loomed ahead of me and I vaulted over it, my hand digging into the rotting bark as I propelled myself over.

Movement flashed out of the corners of my eyes as some of the deer started to overtake me.

I let out a yell of defiance as I managed a further burst of speed. Somehow, it worked; I started to pull away from them again just as the light ahead of me grew brighter.

The clouds must have been lifting, giving me more light when I needed it most.

I sprinted between two trees just as the sound of pursuit abruptly stopped.

My feet powered on but instead of hitting the hard-packed mud, I was suddenly falling through thin air.

I spun madly as I tried to grab hold of anything to stop my fall but my fingers grasped at nothing. I opened my mouth to yell out as I fell backwards.

Freezing water crashed around me, sucking me down and filling my mouth as I was tossed beneath a heaving current.

I kicked and grasped at everything and nothing as I was tossed back and forth, not knowing which way was up.

My lungs burned for oxygen and my heartbeat thundered in my ears.

The river had me in its grasp and wasn't letting go.

Black spots danced before my eyes as I fought the urge to take a breath which would mean death. The current had me at its mercy and nothing I tried would release me. The darkness closed in further, curtaining my vision so that I could make out nothing around me apart from swirling green water.

I was going to die.

I could feel my brain shutting down and I knew as soon as I passed out, my body would take the breath that would kill me. I should have been terrified, worrying about what death would really mean. But in the final moments before I lost consciousness my thoughts were only of one person and her name flooded through my mind like an accusation. I'd failed her. And I'd broken my promise.

Darkness flooded through me and I had no choice but to surrender to it.

Katy.

Chapter Twenty Four