Lost World (6 page)

“What’s going on with you and Hadley?” I ask Axl.

He glances over his shoulder at me and frowns, the scar on his chin puckering slightly. “Don’t know what you mean.”

“She was pretty pissed off this morning when I mentioned you.”

“She wants to leave right away so they can get meds, but we told her to wait. She didn’t take it well,” Winston says.

“Jake needs them.”

It comes out harder than I meant it to, but I don’t apologize. I don’t know why I’m so upset, but I am. It’s not like I think Axl and Winston plan on letting Jake die. They just like to be prepared. But Hadley being so upset has gotten to me, and I don’t like her thinking I’m against her. I’m not. We’ve been through so much together, and I want her to know I still have her back. I always will.

“We just want to think it through,” Axl says. “They run off without plannin’ and we’ll never see them again.”

Something just doesn’t add up, but I’m not sure what. “I’ve never seen her that mad. There has to be more to it.”

“Emotions are running high,” Winston says. “I think the close quarters are starting to get to people. Maybe Hadley sees this as way to get some alone time, too. Fresh air, so to speak.”

He makes a good point. Maybe that’s all it is. Hadley needing some time away from the group. Being overly sensitive. It’s not like I can blame her for that.

The stairs come into view, and right away I catch sight of Hadley standing near the bottom. She’s geared up, backpack and all, and looks like she’s ready to head out. Axl swears. He’s going to have to let it go, though. Hadley is a big girl, and he can’t tell her what to do. Plus, she isn’t reckless.

“What’s with all the pop?” Hadley asks as I gingerly follow the others down the stairs. She has her arms crossed, and her green eyes snap back and forth between the four of us. She acts like she’s waiting for us to attack and tie her down so she can’t leave.

“Need the cans.” Axl’s tone is short, and he brushes by Hadley without even looking her way. Not that she’s looking at him, either.

There has to be more to the story than Axl is letting on. Hadley’s pissed over something that has nothing to do with running off to find medicine. What the hell happened between Axl and Hadley?

“We’re setting up a security system,” I tell Hadley. “Like we’ve done before. We don’t have enough empty cans, so we figured the kids could drink some soda.”

Hadley nods and follows me to the fire. Her expression is softer than it was before, but now she looks uncomfortable. I wish I knew what was going on.

Jon is sitting on the bench tying his boots, and just like Hadley, Parvarti is loaded down with weapons. Her arms are crossed and her expression is as emotionless as always. Lately, she acts like nothing bothers her, which is a huge contrast from how she was when we first met. I can still remember how freaked out she was when we raided an abandoned car for supplies. She acted like a child back then. Now, though, she seems more like a robot.

Axl sets his cans down and crosses his arms. “Still think y’all should wait.”

“We’re not waiting,” Hadley snaps. She sets her jaw and glares, but her eyes are focused on the ground. Not him. It’s an expression I haven’t seen on her face since the Monte Carlo.

“What are you so worried about?” I ask Axl, trying to smooth things over. Maybe if I can talk some sense into him, Hadley will stop being so angry. “Jake needs the meds and we can’t all go. This is something that has to be done.”

“Just think we should send more people,” he says, his lips puckering up in a way that reminds me of his brother. I hate when he gets that look on his face.

“We are.” Angus comes out of the tent, and his gray eyes move toward Darla. “The four of us are gonna head out. Should be back by dark if we leave soon.”

Axl’s arms drop to his side. “You’re goin’?”

“Yup. Hollywood asked me to go and I’m runnin’ low on dip. Figured it was a good time to make a run.” Angus shoves his gun in his waistband and spits.

It’s a bold-faced lie. Angus has plenty of dip. He loaded up on it the last time we went out since it was pretty much the only thing the store had left, other than gum and cigarettes. He got some of those, too.

Axl doesn’t call his brother out on his bullshit, though. “Alright. Y’all know where you’re headed? Got a plan?”

Angus nods, but he’s still looking at Darla. “Yup.”

“I’m gonna grab my gear,” Darla says. “Come with you folks. The hot springs are nice, but I’m feeling boxed in. Need some air.”

She jogs toward the tent, and Hadley lifts her head and gives Axl a smug look. I don’t have a clue what’s up with those two, but hopefully some time away will help them both cool down.

Darla’s ready in less than five minutes, and the five of them head for the stairs. Axl pats his brother on the back as he walks by but doesn’t look at Hadley once. I follow the group up the trail, feeling like I need to apologize for Axl or something.

“Hey,” I say, grabbing Hadley’s arm when we’re only halfway up to the truck. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why Axl’s being so difficult, but you know his intentions are good. Right?”

Hadley doesn’t look me in the eye, and she shrugs like she isn’t sure what’s going on. “Whatever. I’m tired of taking orders from a redneck. What qualifies him to tell us what to do?”

My hand falls away from her arm and I step back, staring at her with my mouth open for ten seconds before I manage to find my voice. “That’s a shitty thing to say.”

Hadley shrugs again, then turns away from me. Following the others up the trail. “Sometimes the truth sucks. You of all people should know that.”

I don’t say anything and I don’t follow her, but I do watch her until she disappears around the bend. Right before she turns, she glances back at me, and I swear there are tears in her eyes.

Maybe Hadley’s having a tougher time than I thought she was.

5

WHEN THE NISSAN’S ENGINE ROARS to life, I’m able to relax for the first time all day. I need a break from the group. There’s no privacy. No time to think. It’s starting to get to me.

Jon rests his arm on the seat behind me, and the hair on my neck prickles. His arm isn’t quite
around
me, but it’s close. Too close. I swear, he acts like we’re two fourteen-year-olds who are going steady. It’s irritating as hell. I don’t know how he managed to maneuver his way in between me and Parv when we got into the car, but I wish she’d ended up in the middle.

“How far away is this town?” I ask, leaning forward so I can’t feel Jon’s body heat on the back of my neck.

“‘Bout forty miles.” Angus’s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. “You anxious to kill some of them bastards, Hollywood?”

“No. Just want to get there and look for the meds. It’s important, despite what your dumbass brother thinks.”

Angus’s lips get all puckered up, and he looks like he’s going to spit at me. He narrows his eyes, but I narrow mine right back at him. I’m tired of being bossed around like I don’t have a fucking brain of my own.

“Axl’s just looking out for the group, that’s all. Don’t you be too mad at him, sweetie.” Darla smiles at me and pats Angus’s leg.

I roll my eyes.

That woman makes my skin crawl. I’m not sure I ever wanted to scratch someone’s eyes out as much as I do hers, especially when she tries to talk to Vivian. Bitch doesn’t know how to leave well enough alone.

Of course, she’s right and I know it. I’m just mad. Mad at the shit we’re going through and mad at myself for making it worse by being a dumbass bitch who’s too damaged to play nice. Pissed at Axl for trying to insert himself into every inch of my life. Like he’s omniscient and will somehow be able to stop the worst from happening. He can’t though, and that’s what pisses me off the most.

Jon puts his hand on my back, and I jerk away. I glare at him out of the corner of my eye, and he sighs. That sigh is even worse than him trying to act like we’re boyfriend and girlfriend. It sounds so weak and pathetic. Why the hell doesn’t he stick up for himself? Tell me to stop being a bitch or remind me I was the one who started this whole thing to begin with. Just show some balls for a change if nothing else.

Be more like Axl.

“Well, the sooner we get there the better,” I say, scooting forward until my ass is half off the seat. “Hit the gas, Angus. We don’t have speed limits anymore.”

Angus puckers his lips, then slams his foot on the gas. I close my eyes and pretend we’re headed for a brick wall.

He doesn’t slow until we reach the outskirts of town. It isn’t big. One main street and a couple side streets lined with small houses. The paint is chipped on most of them and the roofs are saggy. The place is a shithole. I’m honestly surprised there are any businesses in this town at all. Still, it’s bigger than the one we went to yesterday, and they have a pharmacy.

The roads are clear. No zombies, no dead bodies, no people. No sign anything ever lived in this place to begin with. It reminds me of a movie set, the way it’s all perfectly laid out to look like a struggling town, but totally devoid of any life. Plus, it’s eerie as hell.

Angus pulls up right in front of the pharmacy and throws the car in park. “Looks like we’re gonna get lucky.”

Looks like he’s right. The pharmacy windows are intact, and even from here I can tell the store hasn’t been ransacked the way most of the other ones we’ve passed have been. Why this little corner of the world has been saved from looting is beyond me, but I’m glad. It’s about time something went our way.

“People must have just passed right by this place,” Jon says.

Angus nods and throws his door open. “Let’s get a move on. We don’t wanna be here too long, even if it does look empty.” He spits out onto the pavement before hopping down.

We all climb out and pause to check our weapons. It’s second nature now. Making sure my gun is loaded and I have ammo. Securing the knife to my belt. I’d feel badass if the situation wasn’t so shitty it made me want to cry.

“Everybody armed?” Parv calls out.

“We’re all good, Rambo.” Angus spits again, and even though the nickname he’s given Parv is slightly mocking, he grins. Sometimes when he looks at her he almost looks proud. Like she’s his kid and he taught her everything he knows. It’s hard to tell what he’s thinking though, and I have even less patience for figuring out Angus than I have for figuring out myself.

My hand rests on my knife as I turn and head for the store. “Then let’s go.”

I try the doorknob even though I’m certain it’s going to be locked, and surprisingly, it turns easily. A bell chimes when the door creaks open, and every single one of us turns to look over our shoulders. I almost laugh. It would be ironic if the sound of that bell drew the dead. Like ringing the dinner bell, so to speak. But nothing comes charging, so I head inside. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can head back to our group.

“Smells clear,” I say, sniffing the air. The store is stale and stuffy, but there’s no hint of decay.

I shove the door open the rest of the way so everyone else can come in too, then pull out my flashlight. The others are right behind me. One by one their lights come on as I pan mine around, trying to get a lay of the land. It looks like a typical small-town pharmacy. The front has a few displays with cough drops and cold remedies. Some first aid and personal hygiene stuff. Family planning. Behind the counter there are rows of pills, all neatly lined up like they’re waiting for the pharmacist to come back and fill a prescription that will cure the world of the zombie virus.

No such luck, pills.

Parv walks by me, holding the list Joshua gave her. “Let’s get moving.”

I turn to follow and bump right into Jon.

“Sorry,” I mumble, jumping back so fast you’d think his touch burns me.

He sighs, and I swear my hand jerks forward like it’s going to hit him. I make a fist at my side and swallow, trying to hold in my irritation. My emotions are starting to get the better of me and it’s got to stop soon. I don’t feel like I’m in control of myself anymore. Like what I said to Vivian before I left. That was bullshit, and I don’t even know where it came from. Axl’s a good leader and we’re lucky to have him.

I don’t acknowledge Jon or the awkwardness before turning to follow Parv to the back. Angus is busy loading every box of condoms into his pack, but I can’t even be annoyed. We sure as hell need them.

The front of the store is illuminated by the sun shining through the windows, but the further back I go, the darker it gets. The rows of pills are cloaked in shadows, making it tough to read the labels.

“Hold the flashlight for me,” Parv says over her shoulder. She’s squinting at the tiny print on a pill bottle.

I aim the beam toward the shelves and she gets busy reading the labels. Joshua gave us quite a list, but most of it isn’t even for Jake. It’s for later, when something like this happens again. So we’re prepared.

As if we can ever really be prepared.

“You doing okay?” Parv asks, not taking her eyes off the shelf.

“Oh yeah. I feel like every day is Christmas.”

She nods, keeping her eyes on the pills. “Okay.”

I almost smile. Parv is the person I can stand being around the most lately. She’s toughened up and really put effort into helping the group, but she’s so quiet most of the time that I tend to forget she’s around. I’m not sure if she was always this quiet or if it’s because she lost Trey, but it’s a nice change. There are people in our group—like Darla—who never shut the hell up, but it’s people like Axl and Vivian who make me really squirm. They don’t always talk. Don’t always ask how I’m doing. But they are always watching.

It makes me feel like I live under a microscope.

Jon comes up behind us, and the second he gets within six inches of me, my back stiffens. “Need any help?”

Parv shakes her head. “This isn’t really a three person job.”

Jon doesn’t leave. I shuffle from foot to foot. Wait for him to take the hint. He doesn’t. I swear, he’s lucky he’s good-looking, because he’s as dumb as a rock sometimes.

After a few seconds, I can’t stand still any longer. “I’m going to run across the street. Check out that convenience store real quick.”

Before Jon or Parv has a chance to tell me not to, I take off. Practically running to the front of the store. Angus and Darla are busy making out like they’re considering using one of those condoms right here. Just to be sure they work.

Angus pulls his tongue out of Darla’s mouth long enough to say, “Where you headed?”

“Across the street. See if there’s any food in that store.”

“Watch your ass, Hollywood.”

I pull out my gun and stop at the door, taking a peek through the window to make sure it’s still clear. “Always do. Before all this started, I actually had my ass insured. Since I’m pretty sure the company isn’t around anymore, it’s my job to keep it safe now.”

Angus chuckles as I shove the door open.

The bright sun makes me squint, but the air is cool and crisp. Clear. I close my eyes for a second and take a deep breath, feeling like I can finally breathe. Then the door opens behind me, and that feeling evaporates. I don’t have to look to know it’s Jon.

“You shouldn’t go alone,” he says, coming up beside me.

I don’t even pause long enough to look over my shoulder. “It’s fine.”

Jon doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t go back into the pharmacy either. Dammit. I really wanted to be alone. To think and have time to pull myself together. I’m slowly starting to unravel, and the fact that I can’t get three seconds to myself isn’t helping.

I reach the convenience store and turn the knob, and just like the pharmacy, it’s unlocked. When I step inside, I pause for a second to look the place over. The shelves don’t look like they’ve been touched, and they’re fully stocked like they’re waiting for the former inhabitants of this town to come back. There’s a thin layer of dust on the merchandise. Just like the rest of this town, the store is clear of the dead and the living and any sign of normalcy.

“This is weird,” Jon says, stepping into the store behind me. “It’s like everyone in town was sucked up by a UFO. There should be bodies walking around or blood or something. But we haven’t seen a damn thing. It’s kind of freaking me out.”

He may annoy the hell out of me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t agree with him. “I hear you. We should get some stuff together and get out of this town. Fast.”

The door clicks shut behind us just as I flip my flashlight on and pan it around. I’d feel like we hit the jackpot if I wasn’t waiting for it all to blow up in my face. Something about this whole situation has my stomach in knots.

I’ve only taken one step forward when a boom echoes through the air, shaking the entire building. There’s a flash of light, and the inside of the store is suddenly three times brighter. Jon shoves me to the ground, landing on top of me. My heart pounds so hard that for a few seconds I can’t figure out what’s happening.

Then it hits me. It was an explosion. But what blew up?

I shove Jon off me and roll over, lifting myself high enough to get a good look out the window. In the street, a fire is blazing, but before I can figure out where it’s coming from, Jon’s pulling me back. I try to shove him off again, but he won’t let me go.