Strain of Vengeance (Bixby Series Book 3), Page 2

  “We better haul ass to the safe house while we still can,” Luke says. “Bix, can you move on your own?”

  Sam takes control. “I got this,” he says as he places an arm around my shoulder. As much as I appreciate the help, I can’t ignore the nagging voice in my head telling me it’s not the help I want right now.

  Chapter Two

  “Fuck,” Luke mutters, kicking the mangled radio across the floor of our safe house. It skitters along the chipped tiles and lands amongst the pile of broken supplies and empty boxes. Someone’s been here. The pale glow from the lantern Robyn holds above her head highlights the damage. The trespassers have picked it over. What they hadn’t taken, they’d eaten or destroyed. Nothing is intact.

  “Ravagers or crazies, you think?” Dom asks as he pokes at a pile of brown mush in the corner with the toe of his boot, a look of disgust painted on his face. I turn away. My stomach is already queasy enough from the smack to the head. I don’t want to know what it is he’s poking at.

  “Does it matter?” Gordo’s eyes are big with worry. “They took everything and destroyed the radio. Now, we have no way of contacting the farm to see if everyone made it there okay.”

  I get where he’s coming from. We sent the remaining survivors of the Grand off to the farm the same day we set out. After what happened there, no one wanted to stay in what had been our home for the past eight years. Too many reminders of all that we’d lost. It felt soiled, for lack of a better term. And with us being the only remaining hunters, we had our hands full with tracking down our people. We couldn’t provide for or protect the ones left behind. Kip, the crazy-ass leader of the farm gang, gave us the answer. With no hesitation, she agreed to take on our people and let them join hers at the farm. In her words, “The more the merrier.”

  With Kelly, Cal, and Mrs. D leading the way, they set off to meet up with Kip’s people, but they still had to travel through the city alone for a few days. Now with the radio busted, we had no way of checking on them. No way of knowing if they made it to the farm or not. Just another worry to add to the thousand already floating around in my head. Despite my own fears, I send a reassuring smile Gordo’s way.

  “Don’t worry, kid. You know Evie’s safe with Scruff looking out for her. Mrs. D and Kelly will keep her and everyone else safe. They’ll make it there,” I say.

  Gordo allows a bit of hope to shine through. “You really believe that, Bix?”

  “Yeah. You know Mrs. D is a hybrid with her hawk eyes and dog’s sense of hearing. She always caught us when we were up to no good, right? No one would have been able to sneak up on them without her knowing.”

  He nods. “True. We never could pull anything over on her.” His teeth gleam at me through the gloom. “Especially you. Remember that time you and Sam found that wolf pup and thought it was a husky dog and snuck it in through the back?”

  Sam’s laughter from the other side of the room sounds so out of place, considering the shit we’re in right now up to our eyeballs. I can’t stop the smile that sneaks up on me.

  “I remember that as clear as if it were yesterday,” Sam says as his gaze locks with mine from across the room.

  “Mrs. D was furious, especially when she found out you guys fed it your rations,” Gordon laughs. “Oh, and how about that time—”

  “Enough with the reminiscing,” Luke interrupts, scowling at me like Gordo’s rambling is my fault. “We don’t have time for this. Gordo, how about you spend less time with ‘remember when’ and more time helping Badger and Mike search for something to eat in that pile of garbage over there. We only have a couple of hours to eat and rest before we head out again.”

  Gordon shuts up and scurries away to help Mike and Badger scavenge through the discarded tins. I start to follow, but Luke’s hand lands on my arm, holding me back.

  “Not you. You sit. I need to look at your head.”

  “My head is fine.” I sigh at him. “It’s just a bump.”

  “Yeah, a bump the size of a goose egg,” he mutters. “Now sit.”

  He pushes me down on an overturned milk crate and tilts my head down. His fingers are gentle as they start moving through my hair, looking for the injury. I hold in my gasp of pain as he finds it.

  “Not that bad. Probably could use a stitch or two, but not much we can do about that right now. Robyn, hand me that.”

  “Hand you what?” I say, trying to twist my neck to see.

  “Don’t move,” Luke growls. Tightening his hold on my neck, he pours something wet over my head, and I jerk in response. It stings like a sonofabitch.

  “Christ, could you have at least given me some warning, Whitman?” I grumble as he lets go of my neck, and I raise my eyes to glare at him.

  “Would have stung, warning or not.” He shrugs as he stands up, ignoring my scowl. He stares down at me, studying me. “Usually, the proper procedure is not to go to sleep after a bump to the head, but your head’s pretty tough. Rest up. We’re only going to stay a few hours. Try to get some sleep.”

  “Yeah, that ain’t gonna happen,” I mutter to myself, but he overhears and squats down eye level.

  “Bix, you need to rest. You’re getting sloppy. That leech never should have taken you down. It was a damn close call.” His voice is low and gentle.

  “What I need is to find those fucking monsters and save our people. I won’t rest… I don’t deserve rest until that happens.” I blink hard, trying to keep the wetness in my eyes from leaking out. Dammit. I don’t need Luke’s concern right now. I don’t deserve that, either.

  He sighs and glances around like he’s trying to find the right words to say. Finally, that chocolate gaze locks with mine. “I’m only going to say this once. Stop punishing yourself. This is not your fault. You did not bring this down on the Grand. You are not responsible for the deaths of our people or whatever kind of craziness you’re telling yourself in that head of yours. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me for leaving Wentworth behind. Without him, they wouldn’t have found the Grand or gained access. That shit all happened because our world is fucked up right now. The people in it are fucked up. And if we stand any chance of getting our people back, then you gotta keep your head in the game. I can’t have you being sloppy or giving up. And yeah, I know you gave up with that leech back there. Don’t you ever do that again, you hear? You have to be strong, for Amy and Cookie, and for everyone else.”

  The wetness wins out. I glance away in embarrassment as a tear leaks out and trickles down my cheek. Before I can wipe it away, Luke gently erases it with his thumb. I hold my breath at his touch, my eyes locking with his, pulling me in with their intensity. For a moment, it feels like old times. I find myself eagerly waiting to hear him say those three little words that used to annoy me so much before. I want him to say it. I need to hear it. My heart slams into my chest when his lips begin to move.

  “Get some sleep.”

  The moment is broken, and my gut flipflops in disappointment. I flash a fake grin at him and nod, trying to cover my disappointment.

  By now the others have realized there’s no food worth saving, so supper consists of packs of foil-wrapped jerky. Our last resort rations. I bite off a hunk, staring off into space and chewing mechanically. I think about Luke and Sam’s words. About how I’m not responsible for this whole debacle. They’re wrong. But Luke is right about one thing. I can’t give up so easily. I need to stay alive. At least until Amy and everyone else are safe and those damn ravagers lay destroyed at my feet.

  If we find any of them still alive.

  I tell the damn voice in my head to shut up and fuck off. It does as I ask, but I know it’ll be back. It always comes back.

  My appetite lost, I rewrap the rest of my jerky and stick it in my pocket. Maybe Luke is right. Maybe sleep is exactly what I need.

  The hand over my mouth jerks me awake. My eyes open wide, and I instinctively reach for the knife at my hip, but it’s Luke’s face hovering above mine. He whispers in my ear, “Something’s
outside.”

  I relax, and he takes his hand off my mouth. I sit up, cocking my head. Sure enough, the slight sounds beyond the door separating the room we’re in from the rest of the building is proof we’re no longer alone.

  Gordo sits up beside me, groggy and disoriented. “Wha…?”

  I raise my finger to my lips. He rolls over and reaches for Robyn, shaking her gently as I wake Sam on my other side.

  “Intruder,” I whisper in Sam’s ear. His eyes meet mine and I stare intently, hoping he gets my burning question. He does. He shakes his head and whispers, “Not them.”

  I sigh a little in relief. At least it’s no queen leech tracking us. No one else makes a sound as they get to their feet, weapons already in their hands.

  Luke is at the door, listening. I join him, Badger on the other side of me.

  “I don’t think they know we’re here,” Luke murmurs. “They haven’t tried to get into the room.”

  “Maybe we should just stay quiet then.” Badger leans past me, so Luke can hear. “Let whoever it is move on.”

  “No,” I protest. “We need to see who it is. Could be a ravager, or one of our people that escaped, or someone who’s seen them. We need to take them alive.”

  Luke nods, agreeing with me. We wait in silence, straining to hear any sound outside the door. A thump off in the distance is the confirmation we need that whoever is out there isn’t waiting to ambush us on the other side. Or it could just be a ruse to lure us out.

  “Once I open the door, split up. Bix, Gordo, Badger, follow me to the right to cover the exit. The rest of you to the left. Circle around. Once we know the intruders’ position, you guys hit him with the flashlights and we’ll take him down.” Luke doesn’t wait for approval. He inches the door open.

  I hold my breath as tight as I hold my knives, praying the door doesn’t squeak. For once my prayers are answered. It opens without a sound, and nothing jumps into the room at us. Luke creeps out, me on his heels.

  The other room is just as dark as the one we come out of. I stand for a moment, trying to adjust my eyes and peer through the blackness. The only source of light is a slice of moonlight squeezing through a missing window on the other side of the room. As I focus, I see a shadow move across the sliver of light. Our prey.

  The flashlights aim, and the room explodes with brightness. A shriek slices the air as the intruder is blinded. All I manage to see is a filth covered hand go up in defense before the shadow leaps in the direction of the exit. Whoever it is, they’re fast, but Luke is faster. I hear another shriek and a thump as the big man takes the intruder down. I flip my own flashlight on, searching the outstretched hands of the stranger for any sort of weapon. I don’t see anything. I don’t see a face. Hell, I don’t even see a body. Luke’s frame covers the entirety of the poor bastard underneath him. All I can see are the two arms sticking out on either side like the coyote from the Roadrunner cartoon after being smushed by the anvil.

  Nimbly, Luke leaps to his feet, pulling the intruder up with him. A scream of pain echoes in my ears as he yanks the poor sod’s arms behind his back. Her back. I aim my flashlight onto the dirty, scared face of a young woman.

  “Get off me! Get off me, you flesh eating bastards.” She screams and bucks, trying to pull her arms out of Luke’s grip. Her eyes roll wildly in her head and spittle flies from her mouth.

  “Hey. Hey. Calm down.” I hold my hand out in a pacifying manner. “We’re not ravagers. We’re not going to hurt you.”

  My words don’t seem to get through. She bucks again, slamming her head into Luke’s chin. He mutters a curse and yanks on her arm, making her scream more.

  “Shut her up,” Robyn hisses and steps toward her, gun raised as if she’s about to pistol-whip her.

  “No.” I block Robyn. “We’re not going to hurt her.”

  The girl finally stops yelling and stares at me in hatred, breathing heavy.

  “I’m telling the truth here. We won’t hurt you.”

  She’s thin to the point of gaunt, the jumpsuit she’s wearing bagging off her skinny shoulders. Haunted eyes study me in suspicion.

  “Are you hungry? We have food. We’ll give you some if you promise to stop yelling.”

  The promise of food seems to work. She stops yanking on her arms and focuses on me. I pull the rest of my uneaten jerky from my back pocket.

  “You promise not to scream or try to run away, and I’ll give you this.” I open the jerky, and I know she smells it by the way her eyes open wide, coveting the meat stick in my hand. She licks her lips.

  “We only want to ask you a few questions,” I say. “Do you understand? If you don’t scream or run away, he’ll let you go. Do you promise?”

  She jerks her head, and I motion to Luke. He slowly releases her, and she yanks her arms away from him. Holding my palm up in reassurance, I hold out the jerky in my other hand. She snatches it from me, managing to cram the whole thing in her mouth in one shot.

  “Easy there,” I warn, hoping she doesn’t choke before we can question her.

  While we wait, Luke orders Badger and Gordo to go keep watch. We don’t need anyone else sneaking up on us. I study her as she eats. Nineteen or twenty possibly, but hard to tell under all the filth. The coveralls she wears were probably a light gray at one point, but they’re so coated in grime I can’t even read the logo stitched to the right shoulder. One of the sewer dwellers more than likely. What we called “city crazies.”

  “We have more, and we’ll give it to you if you answer our questions. Okay?”

  She nods again, still licking her lips and savoring any remaining morsel.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Tina.” Her voice is hesitant, like she’s not quite sure about talking to me.

  “Tina. I’m Bixby.”

  Her eyes remain wide and full of fear. I try again.

  “Are you alone?”

  Her gaze flits around the room.

  “I swear we aren’t going to hurt you. We’re not flesh eaters. You have my word you can trust us.

  A tiny sob escapes her, and she nods in answer to my question.

  “Where are your people? You must have others.”

  “Gone. Taken. Dead. Just like you all will be soon.”

  “Hmmm, I can see she has a great set of social skills,’ Dom mutters behind my back, but I ignore him.

  “I’m sorry,” I say to the girl and I mean it. “Our people, too. Ravagers?”

  “If you mean flesh eaters, yes.”

  “When?” I ask. “How long ago did this happen?” She stares at me. I can almost see what she’s thinking. Should she trust us? She glances around, like she’s trying to find a way out. Gordo gets the smart idea to pull out another chunk of jerky, and she eyes it greedily as she talks again.

  “Few days now. Maybe three. We were out scavenging, me and my group, and got spotted by their scouts. Normally, we could hide from them no problem, but there were so damn many of them. We never seen that many together before. We ran, but I… I think that I was the only one to get away. I saw most of my people being taken.”

  I feel for the girl, but my heart skips a beat in excitement. She saw them. We must be on the right track.

  “The ones that took your people, did you see anything else? Did you see if they had a bunch of prisoners with them?”

  She nods again. “Yeah, I followed ‘em. They threw my people in with a whole bunch of other men and women. All tied together so they can’t get away. I hung around at first. Thought I could help them. But I ran when they picked one to eat. I… couldn’t stand the screaming.”

  The hope in my chest turns to nausea as the jerky threatens to make a reappearance.

  “Those are our people. We want to get them back— yours, too, if you’ll help us. Do you know which way they went?”

  The girl looks at me as if I have two heads.

  “You crazy? There are dozens of them. More than I’m used to seeing. I’ve never seen so many flesh eate
rs all in one spot. It’s like all the pockets of ‘em came together to make one.”

  “Maybe they did.” Luke speaks for the first time. “We know the ones that invaded the Grand aren’t from the city, so they must have had help to stay hidden from us all this time. Their city brethren must be helping them. Probably in exchange for goods.”

  Goods. He means flesh. Meat. People. Our people. I shake my head to clear the awful images gathering.

  “Can you tell us which way they took out of the city?” I ask the girl, and her dirty face turns back to me.

  “I can do better than that. I can show you exactly where they are. They haven’t left the city. They’re down in the subways. I checked yesterday. They’re still here.”

  Chapter Three

  “Luke, you sure we can trust her?”

  The predawn sky is lit enough to follow the girl as she guides us through the remains of what was once the downtown district, stepping over debris and boulders with an ease I envied. Robyn and Gordo keep pace with her, as Luke and Sam and I lag, watching everyone’s backs. Although I’m eyeballing my surroundings for any sign of trouble, I still catch Luke’s sideways glance of irritation.

  “Do we have a choice? This is our first clue to those bastard’s whereabouts. The subway tunnels make sense as to why we haven’t caught sight of them. Do I trust her? No. Do I believe her? Yes.”

  “Whitman’s right.” Sam agrees. “She’s our best option.”

  They’re both right. It does make sense. But knowing they’re in the subway doesn’t make me feel any better. There was a reason, in all of our years scavenging, that we avoided going underground. The old subway tunnels were a death trap. Pockets of hibernating leeches lurk in the abandoned subway cars, awaiting the smell of fresh blood to awaken them. Gangs of crazies, like the girl we found, hiding in offshoots, believing that being underground would keep them safe from the mad world above. And now according to the girl, ravagers could be added to the list. Ravagers coexisting with the leeches and crazies in the confined subway, making it the number one top vacation spot. Not.