Page 17 of Savagely Yours
Only those who move survive.
The minute I made it to the first stair landing, the ground shook. Caught off guard, I grabbed onto the nearby railing. Dez secured Bethany, and never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine one day being jealous of a gun. It wasn’t as if I was well-versed in surviving apocalypse events. I still needed his freakin’ help.
“Bombs!” Someone screamed from the hallway. “They’re dropping bombs! Oh, heavenly Father…”
CHAPTER FOUR
DEZ
“Tapley, I said keep your head down.”
“And just what do you think I’m doing? By the way, barking at me every ten seconds is doing wonders for my anxiety, in the dark, while we try to hide from a Reaper drone. Wonders.”
I peered around the corner of the building, military-grade Quad-NODs on my face. Given the way D.C. was structured, there were certain areas where it would make the most sense to erect a barrier, especially if the objective was to keep people inside the city. It was also equally possible they’d set up roadblocks to funnel people, among others, in a specific direction. However, high-powered assault rifles and groups of friendlies mixed with hostiles didn’t sit well with me. It all spelled mass annihilation.
A military truck was parked at the end of the street behind a “Road Closed” sign and what appeared to be standard orange and white plastic barriers. They’d tossed in a few cones, which felt like overkill considering the uniformed armed personnel stationed in front of the truck.
That meant this wasn’t the main checkpoint.
Unfortunately, my life was the only one I was willing to bet that the main checkpoint was our only way out of the city. If rules of engagement were already in place, it would be shoot on sight, regardless of infected status.
We reversed our steps.
I heard voices and started to nudge Larke into a nearby pharmacy retail store, but she was way ahead of me. If there was one thing I could never accuse her of being, it was unaware. Survival instinct alone would keep her alive, with or without me.
The pharmacy was empty and nearly pitch black, the dark made worse by the paper-covered windows. Despite the unlocked doors, it was still fairly well-stocked, no doubt because of the military’s presence. Unlike me and my companion, most people were probably watching the uniforms from the “safety” of their living rooms. Most people had no idea what was about to come. On the other hand, I was familiar with levels of “extreme measures” most wouldn’t be able to stomach.
Larke, hair covered by a dark scarf with a knot at her nape, pushed the fabric off her forehead and fanned her face with both hands. It was cool out, so I knew it was more than likely anxiety-fanning rather than overheating.
I searched the store, plucked a bottle of water from a thirty-two pack, and returned to where she stood. There was no sense in tapping into the provisions we had just yet.
“Drink,” I said, handing it over.
She snatched the bottle from my hand. “Don’t talk to me like I’m a puppy.”
I bit back a grin. “Just drink.”
“‘Just drink.’”She unscrewed the cap and took the bottle to the head. Then, she stopped mid-swig. “You know, I should probably sip this. The last thing I need is to have to pee when there’s no bathroom anywhere to be found. And are you sure youonly have one pair of…what are your night-vision goggley things called again?”
“Quads, Tapley. Quad-NODs. Night Observation Device.”
“They look creepy.”
“They’re not supposed to be pretty, and yes, I only have these. Just drink whatever you need. We’ve covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time. If it bothers you that much, there’s probably a bathroom in here somewhere. If not, or it’s locked, just squat in a corner.”
I waited for her comeback.
She gave me a thumbs-up and continued to drink.
Two shadows appeared in front of the pharmacy’s papered-over windows, and judging from their silhouettes, they were armed military personnel.
[Unknown Soldier 1]: “What do they have us out here for?”
[Unknown Soldier 2]: “Man, I don’t know. I haven’t seen one of those things yet. I kinda don’t want to.”
[Unknown Soldier 1]: “You really think they expect us to shoot civilians?”
[Unknown Soldier 2]: “You got the same orders I did, didn’t you?”
