Page 128 of Crocodile Tears

“Do it!” he yelled to Liz. “Do it now!”

He held off the scavs to give her an opportunity, but no gunshot came. Whirling around, he saw her hesitate as she held the gun to her head, and then it was too late. The scavs overwhelmed her, and she disappeared from view.

His ribs ached, but he didn’t stop fighting. He was easily bigger than his assailants; he felt like some huge beast being consumed by a swarm of insects.

Managing to shake them off, he tried punching his way to Liz’s side, but a scav jumped on his back, and another grabbed his legs, bringing him down. He hit the ground with a thud and knew it was over. He just hoped they’d kill him quickly.

The scavs surrounded him, and he doubled up as they began kicking him. He wrapped his arms around his head, expecting to feel the blade of a knife plunging into his back. Or maybe he’d be on the receiving end of the last bullet left in Liz’s stolen gun.

Just as he’d given up hope he heard a loud roaring sound, and a jeep appeared out of nowhere, its bright headlamps searing his vision, blinding him.

The staccato shots of a machine gun rang out, and the scavs scattered, melting back into the trees. Then everything went quiet. He saw Liz lying on the ground, framed in the vehicle’s headlamps.

“Liz – are you okay?” He crawled over to her.

“I’m fine… just bruised. What happened?” she asked.

Pulling her to her feet, he placed his body in front of hers as the jeep’s door opened and someone got out.

“Not another step, or I’ll smash your face in,” he warned.

“Don’t do that, Joe. I like my face the way it is, and I rather think you do, too,” a genial voice replied.

He almost fell down in relief. “Peter? For fuck’s sake! Peter!”

His captain moved into the light, grinning. “Did you think I’d sit around in Geneva drinking tea and playing Frisbee with Hattie after I delivered the convoy? I borrowed a jeep and came straight out to look for you.”

“Peter!” Liz ran into his arms, and he hugged her warmly, gazing at Josiah over her shoulder.

After getting into the jeep and locking the doors, they high-tailed it out of the forest towards Hanover. Josiah sat on the back seat with an excited Hattie, who was so pleased to see him that she licked his face and squeaked repeatedly for the next half an hour.

They reached the city just before dawn, Liz’s directions leading them to a small, pretty house.

Jumping out of the jeep, she ran over and knocked on the door. A man opened it, staring at her in shock, and then wrapped his arms around her, saying her name over and over again, tears falling down his face. Josiah buried his face in Hattie’s neck and kept it there for a good ten minutes, much to Peter’s amusement.

They spent most of the day with Liz and her uncle Simon. He was a gentle, artistic man with a pragmatic edge, and Hanover was a fairly stable place. Josiah felt reassured that she would be safe with him.

When it was time to leave, Liz wrapped Peter in a hug and whispered something in a low, urgent voice into his ear. Then she turned to Josiah.

He held out his hand, but she laughed and pushed it aside. She stood on tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck instead.

“Idiot,” she whispered into his ear. “As if I’d let you go without a hug.”

“There’s something I want to ask,” he said when she finallyreleased him. “Why didn’t you use the gun, Liz? Back in the forest, when the scavs were swarming all over us – why didn’t you pull the trigger?”

She drew back, shaking her head. “I don’t know. I suppose I just wanted to live, Joe, however shitty living is. I still want to live.”

“It’s a good thing you didn’t do it, considering Captain Last-Minute Rescue here showed up in the nick of time.” He gestured over his shoulder at Peter with his thumb. “I don’t know how I’d have explained your dead body to him.”

She laughed. “I suppose it’s a lesson to never give up before the end – a knight in shining armour might still come charging over the hill to rescue you.”

“You’re bonkers.” He grinned down at her affectionately. “But I’m going to miss you. Take care of yourself.”

“What did she say to you?” he asked Peter as they drove away. “She whispered something to you – what was it?”

“She told me to take care of you.” Peter grinned. “For some reason, she thinks you need looking after.”

Josiah snorted and rolled his eyes.

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