Broken World (Book 3): Mad World (24 page)

He walks up to the truck and nothing happens. The man in front of him loads his box and turns away. Angus kneels and lays his on the ground. He’s tying his shoe! What the hell is he doing tying his shoe at a time like this?

“What does he have?” Anne asks.

“I don’t know, I can’t tell!” My heart pounds so hard it’s all I can hear.

We both move closer. Angus fumbles with something, then there’s a little spark. It catches and a small flame goes up. He looks around, then kicks the box under the truck before getting to his feet and walking away.

“Is it a bomb?” I say, almost to myself.

Anne shakes her head and turns to the rest of the group. “Hold on! There’s going to be an explosion,” she hisses.

When the truck explodes, I can feel the rush of heat on my face. A fireball bursts through the air and the men go crazy. The two closest to the truck catch fire. They scream and run as flames lick at their clothes.

I’m frozen until Anne shoves me toward the door. “Go!”

I rip the door open and stumble to the right. One step, two, three. Falling to my knees, I dig like crazy. I scoop the sand aside as fast as I can while it collects under my nails. I don’t feel anything. The sand runs through my fingers and I dig faster. Where is it? I move my hands deeper, but come up empty. Maybe Angus took bigger steps than I did. I move my hands forward a few inches and plow through the sand. My hand brushes against something solid. Plastic. Wrapping my fingers around it, I pull it from the sand and jump to my feet.

The fire is still raging when I take off toward the fence with the can clutched in my hand. The key clangs around inside. The sound is louder than the gunfire or the screams. I run past the Nissan, and the fence comes into view. The hole the guys cut is straight ahead.

A man runs out in front of me, and I raise my gun, pulling the trigger before he even notices me. He falls, and I leap over him, pushing my way through the fence. The newly-cut metal slices my bare arms, but I keep moving.

I finally rip the can open when I get to the back of the truck. My hands shake as I unlock the door, and twice I almost drop it. Somehow, I manage to get the lock undone and slide the door open.

Spinning around, I scan the area, looking for Anne and the others while keeping an eye out for any danger. Zombies or otherwise. The truck is still burning on the other side of the fence, and gunshots ring through the dark night. There are no zombies in sight, though. They must all be gravitating toward the burning truck.

Joshua comes running through the darkness, supporting Al. I rush forward and hold the fence aside so he can get through. Darla is right behind him, pulling two of the kids with her. More and more people rush toward me. One by one, they squeeze through the fence.

Anne comes through last, sweating and breathing heavily. “That’s everyone.”

“Let’s get the door shut and get out of here.”

We run to the back of the truck just as Parvarti pulls herself up.

I have to jump up so I can grab the strap and pull the door down. “Everyone hold on. We’re getting someplace safe.”

When the door is shut, Anne and I run to the front of the truck. I pull myself up, but just before I duck into the driver’s seat, I pause and look back toward the fighting. Where is Axl right now? I want to see him, just one time before I drive away. Just in case.

But I can’t see anything other than the fire and a few faceless men running around. And I can’t wait. Everyone is counting on me.

I have to think of their safety first.

I climb in and slam the door. “Hold on,” I say as the engine roars to life.

24
Axl

SOON AS THE TRUCK EXPLODES, I MOVE. I run out from behind the Nissan and head toward the fire, keepin’ low to the ground. Two men are on fire, runnin’ ‘round in circles while the flames trail behind them. There are more men chasin’ ‘em—probably tryin’ to get them to roll on the ground—and a few more lookin’ for us.

I raise my gun as I move and fire two quick shots. One man goes down, but I miss the second one and he turns toward me, firin’ in my direction. He’s a lousy shot. It misses me by a mile. But now the other men know I’m here, and more turn my way. They fire and I duck, throwin’ myself behind the sedan.

Angus comes outta nowhere, sinkin’ down next to me. “You see that truck?” he says, leanin’ down so he can look under the car.

I ignore him and inch forward, lookin’ ‘round the back of the sedan. Three, maybe four guys. And then there are the zombies. The fire is attractin’ ‘em like crazy.

“How long we gonna wait?” Angus asks. He’s layin’ on his stomach, slowly inchin’ under the car.

“Just ‘til that truck drives away,” I say, copyin’ him. The sand scratches my arms, and sweat drips in my eyes. “Where’re the others?”

Angus grunts and fires two quick shots. What the hell is he firin’ at? I can’t see a damn thing.

“Over by the other car,” he says, firin’ again. This time two zombies fall down.

“Stop wastin’ bullets,” I mutter.

A man runs out in front of me, and I fire. He falls to the ground but don’t die. He’s screamin’ and twistin’ ‘round on the ground. I swear and shoot again. He stops movin’ this time.

Axl pulls the trigger again. “I’m just firin’ so they stay where they are. They won’t come lookin’ for us if they think they’re gonna get shot.”

Damn. Sometimes Angus surprises even me. You wouldn’t think he had a lick of sense by talkin’ to him, but he’s smart.

The roar of the truck’s engine cuts through the air, and I jump, hittin’ my head on the bottom of the car. Damn.

Angus laughs and fires two more times. “Guess Blondie’s good. We gonna haul ass now?”

“Let’s get the hell outta here,” I say, inchin’ back.

The fire’s still roarin’, but I can’t see a single livin’ person. Just zombies. Dozens of ‘em. They’re stumblin’ in from the desert like they’re headed to a buffet.

“We got incomin’,” I say when Angus is standin’ next to me. “We better get movin’.”

We head toward the other cars, and I search for our people while we move. There’s firin’ somewhere, so they gotta be in the area. Angus keeps shootin’ as we head to the truck, and I let him. I gotta find the others so we can get the hell outta here.

I finally spot them crouched down next to the Cadillac. Winston waves at me and I turn to get Angus just as he swears and runs off, firin’ and cussin’ like a madman.

“Angus!” I yell, but he don’t listen.

He keeps runnin’, shootin’ as he goes. A few men are visible on the other side of the fence, kneelin’ in front of a vehicle that ain’t burnin’. Angus is runnin’ toward them, and they’re shootin’ at him. He’s out in the open. Totally exposed! What the hell is that dumbass doin’?

Then I see Mitchell cowerin’ behind a car. That’s gotta be who Angus is goin’ for. No way I’m gonna be able to get him to come back now. Not with that asshole standin’ there.

I run after Angus, yellin’ over my shoulder to the others, “Cover us!”

They start firin’ at the men, who duck behind the car. Mitchell looks up. He must see Angus comin’ for him, because he takes off runnin’. Right into the desert. Not sure where that idiot thinks he’s goin’, though. There are zombies everywhere. Mitchell’s armed, but he ain’t even tryin’ to shoot. He’s just runnin’.

Angus runs past the truck where the other men are hidin’ and barely pauses, firin’ twice before takin’ off after Mitchell again. I’m pantin’ and sweatin’, but I keep goin’. When I reach the car, the two men that was hidin’ there are dead.

Angus tackles Mitchell, and they roll to the ground right in front of a zombie. They don’t even seem to notice. Mitchell squirms, tryin’ to break away, but Angus rolls him over and starts beatin’ the shit outta him. The dead bastard is right on top of them, leanin’ down with his mouth open. Ready to take a big ol’ bite outta Angus. I fire, and his head pops like a balloon, rainin’ black ooze all over Angus and Mitchell.

One down, but there are more comin’. I don’t wanna waste bullets, so I put my gun away and pull out my knife, standin’ over Angus while he pounds Mitchell over and over again with his fists. Mitchell ain’t even conscious anymore.

“Angus,” I yell as I slam my blade into a zombie’s eye. “Just kill him so we can go! There’re zombies everywhere!”

Angus gets up and wipes the sweat off his forehead, pullin’ out his gun. “Shoulda done this the first time,” he says, pushin’ his gun against Mitchell’s forehead.

I hold my breath while I wait for him to pull the trigger, but he don’t. After a few seconds he puckers his lips and shoves his gun back in his waistband.

“Angus!” I yell. “We gotta go!”

“Bullet’s too good for this bastard,” Angus mutters.

He grabs Mitchell by his collar and hauls him up. The bastard’s face is covered in blood. His eyes are swollen, his lip split. All the cuts from a few days ago are open, and there are new cuts on top of those. He barely looks human.

I take a step closer. “Forget him!”

Angus slaps Mitchell a few times. “Wake up, you prick.”

Mitchell groans, and his right eye opens a crack. Angus’s mouth curls up into a sadistic smile. He drags the bastard closer to the advancin’ dead. Mitchell’s conscious, but just barely, and his arms flap at his sides. My feet are rooted to the ground as I watch.

“This is what you deserve,” Angus says when he stops.

Mitchell’s eyes open wide—or as wide as they can—and he shakes his head. The zombies are close when Angus hurls Mitchell across the desert. The bastard screams when he hits the ground at their feet. He rolls onto his side and tries to crawl away, but a zombie grabs him by the foot before he can get two inches. Angus don’t move, and neither do I. It’s like the rest of the world has disappeared, and all I can do is stand there and watch a dead man take that first big bite outta Mitchell’s leg.

Angus stands there grinnin’ while the zombies converge on Mitchell. The prick is screamin’ and thrashin’, tryin’ to get away. They’ve got him surrounded now, rippin’ him to shreds.

He was a bastard, but I still can’t stand to watch. I finally get my legs to move and jog over to where Angus is standin’. I grab his arm and pull him toward the gate. The Nissan is comin’ our way.

“We gotta go!”

Mitchell’s still screamin’ when I spin ‘round. A man steps outta nowhere and swings a bat at Angus’s head. It hits him right in the temple, and Angus grunts. He drops to the ground, and I duck when the man swings again. I recognize him right away. The boss.

He swings a third time, and I charge, just like I did back in my high school football days, tacklin’ him. We tumble to the ground and he loses his bat, but I lose my knife too. Don’t matter. I start punchin’ him, and all I can think ‘bout is Vivian and all them other girls at the Monte Carlo. How sick this dude is. How I wanna gut him. My fist slams into his nose, and he screams when the bone snaps. Blood pours out. I swing again, hittin’ him with my already broken fist. Pain shoots through my hand and up my arm and I scream, but I swing again anyways.

The Nissan pulls up next to me and the doors fly open, but I don’t stop. I’m aware of Winston haulin’ Angus to his feet, but I still don’t let up. Then Winston’s standin’ over me, pullin’ on my arms. I fight against him, tryin’ to punch the bastard more. All I can see is red.

“Axl! We have to go!”

Gunshots bring me back, and I blink. Zombies are closin’ in on us. Nathan and Jon are firin’ at them. My hands and knuckles are red, and the man underneath me is sputterin’ and spittin’ up blood.

“Let’s go!” Winston calls again.

I nod and stumble to my feet, grabbin’ my knife off the ground. The man’s eyes follow me. I ain’t leavin’ him alive. No way in hell. I kneel down and put my blade to his neck, then press in just enough to puncture the skin. His eyes get huge, and he sputters even more, tryin’ to talk through the blood. Don’t matter what he has to say, though. Not to me.

“Should leave you for the zombies,” I say. He shakes and his lips move. “But I wanna watch you bleed out.”

I slide my blade across his neck, and it opens wide. Blood pours out like a fountain. The man grabs at it, tryin’ to hold himself together. His eyes are wide and his lips keep movin’, but no sounds come out. It only takes a few seconds. Then his hands drop, and I wipe my blade on his shirt and get up.

Winston is waitin’ by the car, firin’ at the zombies headed our way.

“Let’s go!” I yell, joggin’ up to meet him.

He nods. Jon and Nathan are already climbin’ back in. Angus is passed out on the seat, and there’s blood runnin’ down the side of his head.

“Shit,” I mutter, starin’ at my brother. Hope he don’t got a concussion or nothin’.

There’s a gunshot.

Flames shoots through my shoulder, and a million stars burst behind my eyes before everything goes black.

25
Vivian

BY THE TIME I PULL UP to the base of the mountain, my hands ache from gripping the steering wheel. I’ve never driven a truck this big, so the drive was bumpy and difficult. Anne’s been gripping the
oh shit
bar most of the ride. The truck stops with a jerk, and we lurch forward. My chest bangs against the steering wheel, and I bite down on my lip. That’s what I get for not wearing a seatbelt.

“You see anyone behind us?” Anne asks, looking in the side view mirror.

I squeeze the steering wheel tighter even though my palms already hurt. If I don’t, my whole body will start to shake. “No one.”

“Then we’re not being followed.”

She’s right. I have to look on the bright side here. Not the side that says Axl isn’t driving toward us and he may very well be dead. That won’t help anyone, least of all me.

“Let’s make sure the coast is clear, then check on everyone,” I say, pushing the door open and hopping out.

My bare feet hit the sand, and I yelp when a sharp rock digs into the bottom of my foot. The air is cold, and the wind howls, blowing sand into my face and whipping my hair around. But it’s fresh air. No hint of death or smoke from the fire that’s still burning in the distance. It’s clear.

At least for now.

Anne is already sliding the door open when I get to the back of the truck. Someone inside screams, and one of the kids starts to cry.

“It’s just us! We’re safe now,” she calls out.

Hopefully she’s right. So far, it’s clear. But nothing else has gone our way. Why should this be any different?

My stomach tenses as I turn my back to the truck. Watching the flickering light of the fire in the distance. The sky above it is blacker than everywhere else thanks to the giant pillar of smoke. I can’t stand being so far away. Not knowing what’s going on.

“What now?” Hadley asks, coming up to stand next to me.

She shivers and crosses her arms over her chest. The gesture must be catching like a yawn, because as soon as she does it, my body copies hers. Goose bumps pop up on every inch of my flesh. I’m wearing nothing but one of those ridiculously skimpy dresses and a thong.

“We just have to wait,” I say, and my teeth chatter.

I’m shivering within seconds. People start moving around inside the truck. Even though I don’t want to turn away from the shelter, I do. They have flashlights and lanterns on, and for the first time, I get a really good look at everyone. Pajamas and bare feet. Hadley isn’t wearing pants, just a long T-shirt. No one is dressed, and there’s nothing we can do about it. Our extra clothes are gone. Lost along with all our personal belongings. We have the supplies in the truck. Food and weapons, hunting and fishing gear, camping stuff. The men didn’t think to pack clothes, though. We’re in trouble.

My eyes meet Joshua’s when he hops down. His skin is painted red.

“How’s Al?”

Joshua runs his hand through his hair—it’s stained with Al’s blood—and sighs. “In pain. I can’t give him anything or we won’t know if he’s going to turn.”

Hadley winces, but I nod. “I know.” I still don’t like it, but they’re right.

“What do you think is taking them so long?” Anne asks.

I press my lips together and resist the urge to snap at her. “I don’t know,” I say through clenched teeth.

Hadley shivers, and I put my arm around her shoulders. She’s been almost nonexistent through this whole thing. I miss the strong Hadley.

“How are you?” I whisper.

She swallows. When she shivers, I don’t think it’s from the cold. “I’ll be okay.”

Her lips are pursed, and it makes me think of Axl. God, please let him be okay. Let us all get out of this alive. Haven’t we been through enough?

“You want to know something?” she says. “I’m mad that I shot him in the back of the head.”

It takes me a second to realize she’s talking about the man who raped her. My mind is all Axl right now.

“Why?”

She lets out a bitter laugh. “I wish I’d been able to cut his throat and watch him struggle for air.”

“Don’t worry. He’s in hell now.” I squeeze her shoulder tighter.

“Is he? I was kind of thinking this was hell. Maybe we’re the ones who died from the virus, and this is the hell that’s been chosen for us.”

My stomach sinks, and I can’t think of a single thing to say. There are moments when I can’t imagine hell being worse than this.

Hadley sighs and turns away. She heads back toward the truck, but she doesn’t climb in. She just leans against it like she can’t stand on her own.

Darla jumps down, and everything inside me tightens even more, twisting around until all my organs and muscles are one giant knot. She made it. Of course she did. Now that I have some perspective on the whole thing, I guess I’m grateful. It’s not like we’ve had time to deal with the past.

“You gonna tell me to take a hike?” she asks.

I shake my head, and she almost smiles. One corner of her mouth pulls up. I’m not really sure what the look means.

“I was real glad we got you out,” she says. “I know you don’t think much of me, but I’m still your mama. I never forgot about you. There were even times when I regretted leaving. Not him.” She spits and her mouth twists into a grimace. “But I did wonder about you.”

Give me a break. “How sweet.”

“You know if he survived all this?”

My lips press together, and for a full twenty seconds, I can’t make them move. Then I say, “No idea. I left the day I turned eighteen and haven’t seen him since.”

She smiles for real now. “You ran out on your daddy?”

“Guess I learned something from you.”

Darla’s hair blows across her face, and she brushes it away. My whole body shivers. The air feels colder all the sudden. Maybe it’s just the company.

“Gotta say, ever since this zombie thing started I’ve been hoping that he survived the virus. It’d be nice to think that he got ripped apart by one of these guys. Don’t you think?”

She grins and I want to disagree with her, but I can’t. Of course, if I was being honest, I’d tell her there were moments when I’d wished that about her. I won’t be honest, though. Not now. Not when I have other things to focus on.

We lapse into silence, and I shuffle my feet. She doesn’t leave. I wish she would. She’s a distraction, but not a good one. Her presence just makes all this more painful.

“Are those lights?” Anne calls out.

My heart leaps, and I step forward, like the six inches of space I just covered will get Axl to me sooner. Like if I can just run fast enough, I’ll find him and we’ll be together and I’ll be able to prove Hadley wrong. This
isn’t
hell. It can’t be. Not as long as I have Axl with me.

Joshua pulls his gun out and checks to make sure it’s loaded. “You’re right. We better be ready just in case.”

My heart pounds as the two little balls of light get closer and closer. They bounce over the uneven ground, moving slower than a snail. Jessica and Parvarti come out with weapons. Darla is still by my side, and even she has a gun. Someone pulls the door shut, leaving Moira and Lila inside with the kids and Al. Nobody moves while the lights approach, getting so close I can’t look at them anymore without putting a hand over my eyes.

We should move. If it’s the men from Vegas, we’ll be easy to pick off. Standing here in the open like this. Part of me doesn’t care, though. If it isn’t Axl, I don’t want to walk away from this. Not just to go back to Vegas. I know Hadley doesn’t either.

The car slows and stops four feet in front of me. It’s the Nissan. I can tell even before the lights turn off. Even though I know I shouldn’t, I run forward, stumbling over the sand and rocks. My gun is up, but my hand shakes so hard I would never be able to hit a thing. All I want is Axl to be here with me. To be okay.

The passenger door opens, and Jon jumps out. Winston is in the driver’s seat. Nathan and Angus climb out of the back. A trail of blood runs down the side of Angus’s head and he’s cursing, yelling for Joshua. He’s
actually
calling him Joshua. He’s never done that before. It’s always been doc.

No one else gets out, and the ball of tension inside me explodes. Hadley was right. This is hell.

“No!” I scream, throwing myself at Angus. “Where is he? Where’s Axl?”

My voice shakes, and tears fall from my eyes. I’m not even sure anyone can understand me. I’m a blubbering idiot, but I can’t do anything other than ask for Axl. He’s all I want.

Angus grabs my arms, but he doesn’t push me away. He just holds onto me. Is he hugging me?

Joshua runs up, and then Hadley is next to me, pulling me back. Jon and Winston drag Axl out of the Nissan. He isn’t wearing a shirt, and there’s blood everywhere. On his shoulder. His chest. Running down his arm in little droplets that look like black ink against the desert sand.

“What happened?” My voice shakes as much as my body, and Hadley is still holding me, but no one answers.

“Up in the truck!” Joshua yells. “Get as many lights and lanterns as you can. And the medical equipment. Get everything!”

He stares at his hands. Then looks at Axl. “Shit, shit.”

“What?” I scream.

“I have Al’s blood all over me. This isn’t going to be sterile.”

My fingers dig into Haley’s arm, and I just stare at Joshua. What’s he talking about? My mind won’t focus, and I can’t figure out what he means. Then it hits me like a punch in the gut. Surgery. That’s what he’s talking about. Axl’s been shot. Joshua needs to get the bullet out. Infection. We’re in the desert. Sitting on a pile of dirt. Joshua has to do surgery with dirty hands, dirty instruments. Axl could die.

Everything feels fuzzy. Joshua is in the truck now, and Axl’s lying on the floor. Angus and Jon are still turning lights on. Thank God we have so many. Axl’s body jerks. Is he conscious?

“I want to be with him,” I whisper, pulling away from Hadley.

She doesn’t try to stop me. Not that she could have.

I pull myself into the truck where Axl is lying on his stomach. The gunshot wound is on his left shoulder blade. Joshua’s digging in it. Axl groans, and my insides quiver. I step forward, but someone pulls me back.

“Give him some space, Blondie,” Angus whispers.

He keeps his arm around me and steps back until he’s leaning against the wall. He
is
hugging me. I look up. His lips purse and his eyebrows pull down. His gray eyes shimmer. There are actually tears in Angus’s eyes.

“He’s gonna pull through,” he says. I don’t think he’s talking to me. “He’s a strong son of a bitch. Been through worse than this.”

Axl grunts, and my entire body jerks. Angus hold onto me tighter, and all I can do is stare at Axl’s body lying on the floor, his fists clenched. I can just make out the side of his face. There are little beads of sweat on his forehead.

“Didn’t Joshua give him anything for the pain?”

Angus shakes his head. “Axl told him not to. Said to save it.”

Axl jerks again, and without thinking, I bury my face in Angus’s chest. He rubs my back. Where did this guy come from? Oh, yeah. Axl is hurt. He’s the only person Angus really cares about. This might be the only thing that could actually bring out the human in Angus.

After what feels like days, Angus relaxes his hold on me, and I look up. Joshua sits back and pours rubbing alcohol over Axl’s shoulder.

“I know you wanna do it, so just go,” Angus whispers, dropping his arms.

He’s letting me go for Axl’s benefit, not mine, but I don’t care. I stumble the short distance across the truck, practically falling next to Axl. Joshua covers the wound with gauze. Axl’s jaw is so tight. His eyes are closed, but he opens them when I touch his face.

“I thought you were dead,” I whisper.

He grabs my hand and presses it to his lips. “Told you I wasn’t gonna let them bastards kill me.” His voice sounds rough.

“Why didn’t you take some morphine? We have it.”

He grunts, and his jaw tightens even more. “Gotta save it. Something worse could happen.”

“Worse than getting shot?” My throat tightens as soon as the words are out.

Yes. Something worse than getting shot could happen. Look at Al.

Axl just squeezes my hand.

“That’s all I can do,” Joshua says.

Angus stands at Axl’s feet like he’s afraid to get any closer. “How bad is it?”

Joshua runs his hand through his hair. His hands are even redder now. “We’ll just have to wait and see. Hopefully he doesn’t get an infection, but we won’t really know the full extent of the injury until it’s healed. He may have some permanent damage, but it’s hard to say.”

Axl moves like he’s trying to sit up, but I put my hand on his back. “What are you doing?”

“We gotta figure out what we’re gonna do,” he says, letting go of my hand and pushing himself up with his good arm. His face tenses and he swears, but he manages to get up. He takes a few deep breaths before saying, “Can’t stay here.”