Page 29 of The Pale Rider
“Shut up. It gets cold in these cars at night, and you’ll get sick.”
“Don’t tell me to shut up. You always act like you’re repulsed when you have to touch me. Now, you want to snuggle?”
“I’m keeping you warm. That’s all.”
Keeping me warm, my ass. This was the second time he held me like this while we slept, and he had his face buried in my neck like he was enjoying this. I could feel something pressing into my back like he was definitely enjoying this.
Was it fucked up that I liked it too? There was so much about Aeron I didn’t know, and I wasn’t all that sure I could trust him with that crazy horse, his mysterious sword, and all his secrets. But it was nice to be held. I felt safe like this. How fucked up. I wasn’t sure if I could trust Aeron and his plot to kill the president, but I felt totally safe with him holding me at night.
And I wanted him to do it again. We fought all the time, and we just had a kindergarten teacher try to mediate for us, but this just worked.
I’d fight with him until I found out the truth, but I wouldn’t mind sleeping like this every night.
Chapter 17
I
don’t know how I slept through this. I woke up when Aeron started shaking me. I bolted awake and heard the sound of wails and hundreds of fingernails scrabbling against the side of the car. How did we both sleep through this?
“We’re surrounded, Ariel. I have a plan. Can you run and carry a bag? If we leave these behind, we will be without food and water, and we must make a supply run. Most of the stores from here to the next stop are picked dry, and wehaveto have water.”
I felt my heart beating in my throat. Shit just got real. I could hear them out there. It sounded like there were hundreds of them surrounding all sides of our car. How were we going to get out of this?
“I can carry whatever the fuck you want me to if you get us out of here.”
“Good. Grab that bag and follow me.”
I grabbed the bag, and I would do whatever the fuck he wanted me to as long as I didn’t get eaten. Aeron put his finger over this lip like he wanted me to be quiet. He pointed upwards towards the roof, and I saw a hatch up at the top. He pulled some crates over so he could climb up and get the hatch open.
“Come here. I’ll give you a boost and throw the bags up.”
Aeron was a lot gentler with me as he gave me a boost through the hatch. I was not prepared for what I saw when I climbed on the roof of the car. I think every single zombie in this town was surrounding us, and they all wanted to eat us alive. They were wailing, and the sounds of their nails against the car were like nails on a chalkboard.
Aeron tossed the bags up, and I pulled them next to me. Aeron hauled himself to the roof of the car. He saw the look I was giving him. I’d never seen this many Rage Heads in one place before. I don’t think we even brought this many down on Scooter’s gang. Aeron pulled me into a massive hug like he was a huggy person. It surprised me, but I really needed a hug right now.
“Follow me, and I’ll get you out of this alive, Ariel.”
I didn’t know much about Aeron. I had a bunch of weird theories about him and his horse, but there was one fact about Aeron I knew. He always kept me safe. Aeron could get us out of this or die trying.
“I know, Aeron.”
“This is the plan. We will run along the top of the roofs and jump across until we get to the caboose. Meremoth will wait for us.”
“Won’t they chase us?”
Aeron whipped off his shirt. I had no idea why, but I got an eyeful.
“They hunt by smell and sound. I’m giving us a head start.”
Aeron pulled a pocket knife from his back pocket and sliced his forearm. He rubbed his blood all over the shirt and tossed it into the rabid herd of Rage Heads.
“Run, now!” he hissed.
We took off running, flying over train cars. A few Rage Heads followed us, but most of them were still fighting over his bloody shirt. Don’t ask me how that horse got the memo to be waiting by the caboose, but there he was, just like Aeron said he would be.
I wasn’t even going to ask or question that fucking horse at the moment. I was just grateful it could magically appear where needed. I followed Aeron down the ladder clutching Smurfette. Aeron was on the back of the car, killing the Rage Heads that followed us.
I felt fingers brush my ankle. Oh, fuck no. I didn’t just run across the roof of a train just to die at the end. I let go of the ladder with one hand and bashed its brains in. I hopped on the platform and joined Aeron.
