The Oasis (18 page)

Among them, she saw the free man shouting out orders as he scanned the area.

“Release them!” he shouted loud enough for her to hear. Her eyes widened again as she saw the dogs released through the streets. Next she saw the release of the
others
on the leashes. Her heart sank as she turned to head towards Jasper. There wasn’t much time. The dogs would notice the crowd of
others
outside the building and the feral
others
would soon follow.

Turning, she tried to stay low, keeping away from the open views of the windows.

Jasper finally finished preparing the cure and so far everything looked good. He knew now was not the time to test it. He needed to get Lena out of there. This time he was going to kill Eric. That was the only way he knew he could keep Lena safe. Eric would chase them to the ends of the Earth. Even if the cure worked, Eric would still try to kill him. Now it wasn’t just about keeping his title, it was about the principle. Jasper had stepped over Eric’s imaginary line of power and killing Jasper would be the only way he could get that power back. Likewise, the only way for Jasper to stop Eric now was to kill the other man first.

Grabbing the vial, he pushed out of his chair quickly when he saw Lena running in his direction.

“We need to… The free man is out…” Lena breathlessly tried to relay what was going on but couldn’t get a complete sentence out.

“I know. Let’s go.” He grabbed her elbow and turned to head out back the way they came. A growl came from behind them and as they turned they saw the face of No-hand. He was covered with blood from his feeding and he now was stronger because he had fed.

Lena instantly regretted not killing him. Although she had hoped he could be cured, their situation had changed, and now he was nothing but trouble. No-hand turned on them, advancing faster than he had before. The
other
grabbed at Jasper, his teeth gnawing the air, trying to take a bite out of him. Instinct took over and Lena pulled her pistol off her waist and fired once, shooting him directly in the head.

The
other
dropped to the floor instantly, releasing his grip on Jasper.

Jasper stood there, motionless. His eyes went to Lena and he saw the blood drain from her face as she realized what she had done. Then he looked from her face to the open window. Lena’s gaze followed.

Outside, the movement of the
others
had paused and Lena and Jasper could see the free man’s army turn towards the back of the building. In trying to save Jasper from the
other
she had drawn attention to their location. Now, the free man was headed directly to the open window.

“I didn’t mean to…” Lena said, aghast, but Jasper ignored her and grabbed her arm to pull her along.

Jasper’s mind raced. Without the gunshot they might have had a chance of making it back to the motorcycle, but now their chances were slim. He looked down at the vial in his hand. There was enough of the cure to save maybe ten people. He could easily make more, but under the circumstances he was lucky he had made that much.

Racing past the body that now bled all over the floor, he grabbed his pack and pulled Lena out the same door they’d come in. There was no way they could hide, not with Eric’s pack of dogs now combing the area. Lena looked scared and Jasper knew she had every reason to be so.

Chapter Thirteen

Jasper raced through the door. Although he was pulling Lena along, she wasn’t as fast as he was. If he was annoyed that she slowed him down, he never showed it. They were in the back of the building and she knew that it wouldn’t be long before the free man would be on them.

Stopping once they were outside, Jasper pulled open his pack and threw the syringes and the cure into it. All Lena could do was keep her body low to the ground and her eyes on the building. Her heart raced as she expected someone to come at her from around every corner. Jasper aggressively zipped up his pack and shoved it forcefully onto her back.

“Jasper! Ow!” She stumbled as he shoved her away from him.

He jumped to his feet and when she came back to him he shoved her away again.

Unsure of what he wanted her to do, she remained just out of his reach.

“Get away from me!” Jasper shouted, “Go! You can make it. I…” He stopped, unable to go on, emotions choking him. Looking past her, he knew he could draw Eric and his men away from her. He also knew that Lena would not leave him unless he forced her to.

With their odds, the only chance they really had of completing the mission was if he fought. He had never considered himself a hero, only a man on a mission. He could hold off Eric and some of his men if it bought Lena her safety.

“We can’t do this together. Take the cure. I will lead Eric away from you.”

“But…”

He stopped her before she could go on. Jasper looked at Lena with more than just physical hurt in her eyes. Then he turned away and ran to the other end of the building.

Lena could feel the weight of the pack on her back. It felt like the responsibility of the world on her shoulders. She realized that although Jasper had pushed her away, this was the only he could save her. If she fought him, stayed with him, not only would they both die, the cure would be destroyed and his pride would be broken. She loved him enough to know that he needed her to go. This was something he needed to do alone.

Pushing herself up from the ground, Lena bolted in the opposite direction. When she reached the other end of the building, she pressed her back against it and looked back to where Jasper had gone. The wind pushed her hair around her face and she shoved it away as she looked into Jasper’s eyes for the last time.

There were so many things she couldn’t say, that she hoped he saw in her face. She hoped that he would know that she loved him and she would never forget him. Whether her life ended today or in fifty years, she would always remember the love that they shared.

He saw her looking at him and he knew that she was feeling hesitant. Nodding his head, he pulled the guns off his back, turned away from her and opened fire on the approaching
others
. When he looked back one last time, she was gone.

His guns blazed as he opened fire on the army of
others
in front of him. He could see Eric beyond the group of
others
that came rushing him. He blasted away and watched the bodies fall. He was lucky because the
others
didn’t carry any weapons—only the SEALs did. As the
others
slowly came at him, he only needed to aim and fire. He felt the wind of a few rounds go past him and he knew that Eric and the other SEALs had begun their assault on him.

Dodging their fire, he jumped over the bodies that lay before him. When his automatic weapons ran out of ammo, he threw them on his back and used his knife to expertly kill the few
others
that still came at him. Blood rushed from their bodies and sprayed onto him. He barely blinked as he rolled behind roadblocks in the street. He pulled his guns forward again and reached for the ammunition on his belt. As he reloaded, he peeked his head above the roadblock. He only needed to look for a second to see how close the
others
were to him. He was not as concerned about their numbers; his attention instead was drawn to Eric, who had just pointed some of his men in the direction that Lena had gone.

Jasper’s mind raced. He needed to keep their attention on him.

Standing up and revealing himself, he pulled out a vial from his pocket. “I have what you’re looking for, Eric,” he yelled across the street. His voice echoed off the buildings, but Eric heard him clearly. He turned his head towards Jasper.

Jasper kept his eyes on the other SEALs. Their marksmanship was not something to be taken lightly. “This is between you and me. Let her go.”

Jasper saw Eric nod his head and the
others
came at him again. He dodged them and opened fire again. He made a run for an adjoining building and again dodged the shots from the SEALs. Every second that they focused on him was another moment that Lena could run.

Suddenly the guns stopped firing. Jasper propped himself up against the back of another building. Peeking around the corner, he saw some of the
others
attacking the weakened ones that he had shot. He could barely hear Eric’s shouts over their growling.

Most of Eric’s army was wounded. There was no sign of his hunting dogs—either the animal or the human kind. Thinking quickly, Jasper let himself feel a little hopeful. Pulling a grenade off of his chest, he thought he might just have a chance at getting the hell out of there. Peeking around the corner again, he pulled the pin on the grenade. Eric was there, yanking one of the
others
off the dead. As he shouted orders, Jasper threw the grenade.

It exploded in the center of all the chaos.

Rushing out of his hiding spot, he made a run for the open area just to the right of where he’d thrown the grenade.

When he was approached by another group of
others
he pulled the pin on another grenade, throwing it among the masses to cause another distraction. As he turned the corner, his heart got a little lighter. If he could just make it around the corner he had a chance of taking Eric out.

Racing across the road, he crossed behind another building. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he felt a sharp blow to the back of his head, which knocked him to the ground. He stood shakily, then froze. There was a pistol pointed right at his temple.

“I don’t think so.” Eric smiled down at him through the clearing smoke from Jasper’s grenades. Behind Eric stood what was left of his small army.

* * * * *

Lena rushed around the back of the building, gripping the backpack tightly. She knew she needed to get as much distance as possible between herself and the laboratory. Dodging sideways, she avoided the debris on the ground.

An explosion drew her attention back in Jasper’s direction. She stopped and turned to look back. A billow of smoke rose above the building and she couldn’t be sure if the explosion had been caused by Jasper or the free man. Brushing the hair from her face again, she couldn’t let her thoughts go there. Feeling the weight of her pack, she knew that she needed to keep going.
One foot in front of the other
, she told herself as she started running again.

So far she had not been seen by any of the
others
or the free man’s men. Most of them seemed to be headed towards the explosion she’d heard. Lena had been able to avoid everyone, dodging behind debris or ducking behind vehicles.

Her mind tried to stay on the path in front of her, but she couldn’t help but worry about what she carried. She’d never given an injection before. She didn’t even know how to administer the cure, let alone duplicate it. Letting her mind race on to things that it shouldn’t, she started to doubt her ability to go through with it. She kept thinking of Jasper, dying for this cause. She had to get out of there before she decided to turn back and try to save him. She had to keep her thoughts moving forwards, not back.

By now she was far enough away from the laboratory that she could let her guard down a bit. She crossed another street and turned quickly around the corner of a building. She could see the exit of the base now. Pressing her back against the wall, she got ready to bolt to the exit, an area where there were no building or things to hide behind.

As she steeled herself to make a run for it she heard a low growling sound. There, directly across from her, one of the free man’s dogs stood between her and freedom.

It growled and lowered its head to the ground, ready to pounce.

Slowly, she pulled her pistol out of the holster on her leg. There was no way she could outrun the dog, but if it got close enough she could shoot it. As they stared at each other, each waiting for other to make the first move, she saw drool drip down from its jaws. The dog barked low in its throat and growled as it bounded towards her.

Raising the pistol, she waited for the dog to get closer before she fired.

Just as she was getting ready to fire, one of the
others
attacked the dog mid-stride. Lena lowered her gun as she watched the two fighting. She could not believe what she was seeing.

The two fought intensely, both baring their teeth. Blood splattered as they ripped at each other. The dog’s yelps intermingled with the guttural noises coming from the
other
. It wouldn’t be long before they turned back to her.

Re-holstering her gun, she made a run for it. The base gates were no more than a hundred feet away. Her feet raced across the pavement as she kept her eyes on the gate. On the other side there were houses and if she could reach them she could escape. Where there were houses, there were cars. She only needed to be patient and she could get out of there and on her way to freedom. All she needed to do was reach the gate.

As she ran, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning, she prayed that it wasn’t the dogs. She might be able to outrun one of the
others
but there was no way she could outrun an infected dog, no matter how weak from starvation it was.

A man, clad in military gear similar to what Jasper had worn, ran towards her. His pace surpassed her own and she twisted wildly to try to get away from him. Swerving off her original path, she hoped that he would trip somehow. Turning to see exactly what she was running from, she saw the sinister smile of Brett as he chased her.

Quickly she drew her pistol and tried to fire in his direction while she kept running. He maneuvered out of her way and grabbed her arm. They both tumbled to the ground. He reached for her as she tried to scramble back to her feet.

He rolled over to her and grabbed her roughly. She tried in every way possible to get out of his grip, but he overpowered her easily. He gripped both her hands with his and wrenched them behind her back. Lena tried to kick him. In response he twisted her arms tighter, making her cry out from the excruciating pain.

Knowing that she was only wasting her energy, Lena stopped struggling, letting her head fall forwards.

“That’s right, honey.”

Raising her head, she met Brett’s gaze with her own. Then she pulled back and slammed her forehead into his nose.

“Fuck!” Brett grunted and released her hands to grab his now bleeding nose.

Quickly, trying to recover from her own blow, she scrambled away from him. It didn’t take him long to recover and he was able to jump up and grab her again. This time, he held her turned away from him, her back pressed against his front. Over her shoulder she could see him try to wipe away the blood that tricked down his face with his free hand.

She smiled, proud that if this was the last time they would be alone together, she had at least reminded him that she would never be his
honey
.

He pushed her along the road and she stumbled. Her heart began to drop when she realized that Brett wasn’t taking her in the direction of the lab at all. He shoved her towards the back of the closest building and her heart sank.

“N-no!” she stammered.

As she began to fight him again, he leaned down and pressed his mouth against the side of her head. His tongue glided to her ear and she jerked her head away from his invading mouth.

“Oh, don’t worry, honey. You’ve got a hell of a lot more coming to you before I give you back to Freeman.” Bringing his free hand forward, he grabbed aggressively at her breast.

Not this
, Lena thought frantically. Death she thought she could handle, but to be passed around like those women in the free man’s dungeon, she didn’t think she could bear.

“And you’re gonna pay for that little stunt,” Brett said and wiped the blood from his face again. “I’m gonna do things to you that Anderson could never do. When I’m done with you, you’ll be screaming
my
name.” When he placed his hand on her chin to look into her face, she tried to bite him. He laughed as he backhanded her across the cheek.

Pushing her forwards, he continued to grope at her body. Although she struggled against his touch, he continued to press his advances. When they reached the back of the building he shoved her to the ground. Her knees fell to the hard pavement, and the rocks cutting into her knees reminded her that this was in fact not a dream.

As she fell, Brett pulled all her guns out of their holsters and tossed them aside.

A menacing smile slowly crept across his face. “Jasper is going to love this.”

When she tried to turn and get away from him, he grabbed her hair, pulling her back to face him. She cried out in pain as he threw her down. He lowered himself on top of her, looking down at her. Lena gagged as she tried to kick at him once more.

“Do that again and I will break your leg.”

Lifting her chin in defiance, she didn’t stop fighting. “You’re better off killing me now because I will
never
give in to you,” she snarled and spit in his face.

His smile never faltered. “Honey, when I’m done with you, you’ll be begging to give in to me.”

Lena shuddered. Brett scared the shit out of her, but he repulsed her more.

Leaning down, he pressed his mouth to hers. She pushed with all her might to get him off, but couldn’t budge him. He was at least a hundred pounds heavier than she was and much stronger. He straddled her hips, not giving her legs anything to kick at, and his weight kept her hips from twisting and her arms trapped under his chest.

Lifting up slightly, he reached down and pulled a pistol off his waist. Setting it to the side, he licked his lips, making Lena shudder, and looked down at her.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” he said and reached down to unzip his pants.

Lena realized it was now or never. Swiftly reaching over, she grabbed the pistol and shoved it against his head.

He stared at her, his eyes showing fear for the first time.

“People like you don’t deserve to live,” she whispered and pulled the trigger.

Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere. The force of the close-range shot pressed the gun violently against her.

Brett’s body fell heavily on top of Lena. In death he seemed to weigh twice what he had before.

“Oh jeez!” Lena gasped, the pain of his body crushing her, knocking out her breath. Brett’s weapon had been pushed away from her as he fell on top of her. Pushing against his body, she tried with all the strength she had left to get him off her.

As the blood from his shattered head dripped down onto her, she knew she had to think quickly. She couldn’t waste time and the idea of Brett’s brains leaking onto her made her sick again. The blood soaked into her hair and shirt as she pushed his head over her shoulder. She didn’t want to see the dumbfounded expression that had frozen on his face when she shot him.

The pressure on her lungs left little space for her to get much more than shallow gulps of air, making her dizzy. As she lay there, struggling to get this enormous man off her, she couldn’t help but laugh at the situation. She had escaped one death only to possibly succumb to another. Reaching her arm as far as it would stretch, she tried to reach the gun again. Her fingers barely caressed the metal but she couldn’t get enough of it onto her fingers.

Brett’s blood continued to drip down onto her.

Lena held still. She could hear footsteps approaching. She knew that she wasn’t entirely hidden under Brett’s body. Shifting slowly she tried to press her body under his. The shuffling sound stopped and Lena held her breath.

Suddenly Brett’s body was lifted above her head and tossed aside like a sack. Pulling her legs up, Lena quickly tried to protect herself from attack. She was sticky from Brett’s blood, and scrambling to find a weapon, but she could see a man standing over her. He was silhouetted by the sunlight, giving her no chance at all to see his face. He stood there motionless and Lena could feel the fear rising in her chest.

As her eyes adjusted, she realized that the man standing in front of her was an
other
… but not just any
other.
She recognized his face as her initial captor, at the gas station she and Jasper had visited what seemed a lifetime ago. He was the one who had kidnapped her and took her to the free man’s house of torture. He stood there, motionless, just staring at her.

As she relaxed her body, he swiftly reached down and grabbed her shirt. He yanked her off the ground and pulled her up to his chest. As he stared down at her, she realized he seemed to be analyzing who she was. Although many of the
others
had looked at her, this one seemed to be actively thinking while doing so. Grunting, he dropped her to the ground and she felt the wind get pushed out of her again. She coughed and tried to catch her breath, but before she could he grabbed her leg and dragged her across the ground. She struggled and tried desperately to reach her weapons, rolling around trying to grab at anything she could. As she was fighting she realized her pack was left behind, next to Brett’s body. The chances of getting out of there with that cure were slowly escaping her.

Looking back up at the
other
who dragged her along, she knew that there was only one thing left to do.

“Wait, please!” she pleaded, unsure if he even understood what she was saying. He had never really given her reason to believe he could understand her, but something had always seemed different about him. Although he was the one who had caught her, she had wondered if the free man had chosen him to do so
because
he had some comprehension. But the more she screamed at him, the more she began to doubt her own ideas.

“Don’t do this, please!” She pleaded with him, trying to go for his sympathy first. It hadn’t worked before and she didn’t expect it to work this time either, but she had to try everything. The whole world literally depended on this moment.

“Wait!” An idea dawned on her. “I’m normal. I’m not infected. I’m just like the free man.” His steps slowed down slightly and she pressed her luck. “I have the cure.” He stopped mid-step and Lena’s heart pounded in her chest.

He didn’t look at her or release her leg; he merely stopped walking. He set his foot on the ground and just stood there. “I can cure you. The free man is using you. I can help you get better. Please!” She could only hope that somewhere in there, in the place that had made him stop the first time, he could understand what she was saying. She had no idea how much torment this poor man had undergone from the free man.

“They are only using you,” she said, carrying on because the silence had gone on too long. “They will never let you be free.” As she said the last word he dropped her leg to the ground with a thump. She hadn’t expected it and had to pull it up to her chest in pain as it hit the rocky ground a little too roughly.

The
other
turned slowly around and Lena scooted back. She looked up at him and waited for him to do something, anything. As they stood there staring at each other, she realized her opportunity was passing. She stood slowly, watching him watch her. Lena realized she was covered with dirt, blood and rocks. She was a sight to see but she stood tall and stared at the
other.
He remained motionless, watching her.

“I have the cure in my pack,” she said and nodded behind her. He did not respond. Turning, she gave him a shaky smile before she rushed back to her things. She made sure her pistol was ready in case he changed his mind and tried to attack her again.

As she reached the pack, she realized that he hadn’t moved from his spot. There, across the desolate area, he stood. He must be around six foot four and two hundred and fifty pounds. He was a huge man and she could only hope that her assumption that he was once a soldier was true. Grabbing the vial and syringes, she rushed back to him. She knew nothing about the cure. She didn’t even know if it would work.