The Withered Series (Book 1): Wither (9 page)

“Won’t
be long now,” I whisper in her ear as I ease her to the floor.
 I gave her my thin mattress during the night to try to help
ease the ache in her back.  It didn’t help much, but it’s
all I could do.  

“We
should tell Devon,” Eva says, her head lolling to the side. I
mop her brow with the back of my hand.  Sweat clings to her rosy
cheeks.  Her eyes are glossy, her lips pale.  

“No.”
I shake my head.  “Let Alex take care of him while I look
after you.”

A
ghost of a smile touches her lips as she closes her eyes.  “I’m
glad you’re here.”

My
throat clenches as she closes her eyes.  I clasp her hand in
mine, allowing her to rest for the remaining two minutes she has left
before the pain builds once more.

All
too soon her breath hitches and her fingers clamp down on my hand. I
ride through the pain with her, drawing inward to ignore the loss of
circulation. I vow, no matter what I will stay by her side as my
mother never did for me.

“That’s
it,” I whisper as her grip slowly loosens.  A breath of
pain slips past her lips as her body relaxes once more.

“Laziness,
that’s what it is.”  I look up to see Victoria
pacing nearby.  Her hands flutter before her, as they have been
prone to do of late.  Her gaze seems unfocused, her recent bout
of insomnia starting to take its toll on her.  

“Do
you ever shut up?” The woman just never stops.

“Nothing
wrong with stating a fact, dear,” she responds with a syrupy
sweet tone that makes me want to throttle her.  “The truth
never hurt anyone.”

“It
will when I rearrange your face,” I mutter under my breath,
eliciting a soft chuckle from Eva.  I wink at her and then watch
as Alex frowns and crosses to exit through the door.  I wait to
hear the tell-tale click of the lock but it doesn’t come.  His
preoccupation was the first mistake I’ve seen him make.

“I’ll
be right back.” I pat Eva’s hand and rise, heading
straight after him.

“Wait!”
Victoria shouts, bustling up behind me.  “Where are you
going?”

“In
there.”

“You
can’t!  You’re not permitted.”  Her hand
feels cold and wet when it lands upon my arm.  The gas burner
isn't wasted on scrubbing water for the vegetables.    

“Don’t
touch me.”  I shove her off and place my hand on the
doorknob to open it but jump back when Devon appears in the doorway,
his broad frame filling the space.

“What’s
going on out here?”  His gaze falls on me, standing less
than a palm’s width from his chest.  “Well?”

I
step back, not the least bit intimidated by him, but his limited
bathing opportunities has left him with a funky smell.  “Eva
is going to need supplies.  It’s time.”

His
jaw tightens as he looks beyond me to see Eva curled up in the
corner.  A soft moan escapes her and another wave of pain has
begun to build.  “No.  We can’t risk it.  Sal
said he saw men on the streets below.  Those gangs have moved
into the area.  If they find out we are here, we’re all
done for.”

From
the corner of my eye I see Victoria nodding in agreement. His callous
words leave a bitter tang in my mouth as I step forward once more.
 “Eva is about to have a baby and that means things are
going to get pretty nasty around here.  Blood.  Slime. And
God knows what else is going to be coming.  I don’t have a
clue how to deliver a baby, and I’m betting you don’t
either.  The least we can do is to find some clean towels, boil
more water, scavenge blankets, diapers, food, and heck, even a doctor
if we can find one.”

Devon’s
eyes narrow.  “Those are all luxuries that we can no
longer afford.”

“Luxuries?”
My anger tips dangerously close to the edge. My pulse pounds in my
ears as I rise up to meet him as close to eye to eye as my shorter
height allows.  “That baby and Eva may die without them.”

When
his shoulders begin to rise into a shrug I snap.  I slam my fist
into his jaw hard enough to crack my knuckle.  Pain radiates
through my hand.

“You
bitch!” He staggers back, his shoulder taking the brunt of the
doorframe.

His
livid glare doesn’t still my anger as I jab him in the chest.
 “Have you no empathy? No emotion?  How can you call
yourself any better than the beasts that walk these streets if you
feel nothing for that poor girl?  A girl who you’re
supposed to protect!”

“There’s
no need to overreact—” Victoria says. but cuts off when I
turn to glare at her.  

“Overreact?
 You’re too blind to even notice that she’s been in
labor for hours!  All you care about are your stupid potatoes.”
 I’m sure that my shouts can be heard to the far reaches
of the building but I don’t care.  Maybe someone with some
common sense might hear me and come to our aid.

I
round on Sal as he steps into the doorway behind Devon.  His
frame is smaller, his shoulders not nearly so broad or strong.  He
stands a couple of inches taller than me, and in the gap I see that
he is not alone.  Alex follows my gaze as I shift past him to
the two people sitting on the floor off to the side.

“Who
the hell is that?”  I storm forward, brushing Sal aside.

Sal
recovers and shoves the paunch of his stomach into me, forcing me to
back away.  Alex quickly steps up behind him and together they
walk me backward so they can close the door.  “None of
your concern.”

“There
is a man and woman in there.  I saw them.”  Their
faces were pale, their eyes wide with terror.  They looked
filthy, hair matted, clothes several days worn.  I glimpsed
enough in that brief moment to know that they are not here by choice.

Devon
tugs on his shirt, visibly pulling himself together. His shoulders
square as he pushes back off from the wall.  Alex gives him a
brief nod and I see his countenance change.  Gone are the laugh
lines I’ve come to know when Alex tells stories of distant
places to Eva late at night.  Gone is the friendly smile.  He
is all business now.

I
cross my arms over my chest and scowl, standing my ground.  Victoria
begins her staccato pacing and I have to force myself not to scream
at her.  “I want to know what is going on in that room.”

Devon
exchanges a loaded glance with Alex, who nods and approaches, taking
the lead.  “Those people in there are no one.  Just a
couple of stragglers we picked up a couple days before you came.
 They were sick so we kept them separated.  That’s
all.”

“They
didn’t look sick.  They looked terrified,” I
counter.

“Looks
can be deceiving,” Devon says in a deep baritone voice. I watch
his muscles flex as he crosses his arms over his chest to match my
combative stance.  He’s a heck of a lot more imposing in
this position.  I was right to not underestimate him.

That’s
when I notice a dot of blood on the inner flesh of the crook of his
arm for the first time. It is barely noticeable against his dark skin
but the shine of moisture catches in the light.

“Oh,
God.”  I step back, sickened as the truth sinks in.
 “You’re no better than those people on the
streets!”

Alex
holds up his hands as I begin to back away.  The bruising
scattered along his forearm is suddenly a stark contrast from the
pale flesh of his inner arm.  “Now hold on just a minute.
 It’s not what you think.”

“No?”
Hysteria rises in my voice.  “You gonna stand there and
tell me that you’re not stealing blood from them?  That
you haven’t created your own mini blood bank?  How did you
even know to do that?  Was it Eva’s radio?  Were you
spying on the military?”

Devon
stiffens as Victoria’s head snaps around.  “You
never told me that’s why those people were in there.”

“Oh,
come off it, Victoria.” I yank at my hair, feeling as if
madness is only a step ahead of me.  “Are you really that
dense?  Did you not hear their screams or did you just not want
to?”

She
steps back, her face blanching at my attack.  Her hand flutters
at her throat before she turns and sinks onto a chair, beginning to
rock slowly.

“You
all act like you have a freakin’ clue what is happening out
there, but the truth is, you don’t. None of us do.”

“Isn’t
that the point?”  I turn to look at Alex.  “We
don’t know how this thing spreads.  We don’t know
how to stop it or protect ourselves against it.  So we do what
we can with the little knowledge we possess.”

“That
message was cryptic. You don’t even know what or if blood has
anything to do with a cure or prevention.  The message was cut
off before they could say why or even how it could be used. How can
you allow yourselves to jump to such extremes without the facts to
back it up?”

“Because
we want to live,” Sal says without emotion.

“And
what about them?”  I point to the closed door. “Don’t
they have that same right? “I retreat as Devon and Sal
approach, shifting backward until my spine is pressed against the
door on the opposite side of the room.  The one door that leads
to the stairs and the factory beyond.  The one Victoria came
through only a short while ago with her bucket of vegetables.  
Please
let it still be unlocked.  That rotten woman has a terrible
memory.

As
Devon and Victoria’s voices begin to rise in a dance of angry
accusations, I grip the door handle and test it. I nearly cry in
relief when it gives way.    

“Enough!”
Alex’s shout echoes off the walls.  Eva moans and curls in
on herself.  My grip on the door wavers at the sound of her
pain.  
I
can’t just leave her with these people.  

“Now
that I have your attention,” Alex says, smoothing his hair back
from his face, “I think it’s time we all had a chat about
reality.”

He
motions for me to move away from the door and sit down.  The
urge to throw open the door and bolt is so strong I nearly give in,
but another moan rises from Eva.  Her back arches and I know
that I have no choice.  I can’t turn my back on her. If I
do she’s as good as dead.

I
sink down beside her, placing a hand on her arm.  The muscles in
her neck cord, her teeth gritted against the pain.  Her screams
build deep within in her throat.  It’s only a matter of
time before she lets go.

“I
realize this may come as a bit of a shock to you,” Alex begins,
waiting for me to turn and look at him, “but bad things happen
to good people, including those two in that room.  Reality tells
us that not everyone is going to survive.  I, for one, am not
willing to just roll over and die.  Are you?”

He
stares at me long and hard but I fight to show no emotion beyond the
flaring of my nostrils in repressed anger.  Devon nods in
agreement when Alex glances at him and for the first time I realize
that I was mistaken.  Devon isn’t the one in charge. Alex
is.

When
the pilot turns to look at Victoria I almost feel sorry for the ashen
woman.  She looks faint and trembly.  I can almost see the
moral dilemma waging in her eyes but she cowers under Alex’s
stern gaze and nods.

“What
we do is for the good of the group.  You all need food and
water.  A safe place to sleep.  How can we provide that for
you if we become infected?  If Eva needs blood and we can’t
give it to her, then what? We just let her die because we didn’t
prepare?”

Bile
rises in my throat at the sound of Alex’s justification.  “You
think that makes it ok?”

“Yes.”
 I flinch as Devon closes the gap between us. His button down
dress shirt is soiled and the pocket torn away.  His pants are
filthy, as if he has been rolling in the mud.  I can’t
help but wonder what he’s been up to behind that closed door.
 “You know those gangs are stealing blood.  Why?
Because it’s the only way to survive. If that’s what it
takes, then so be it.  I can sleep at night knowing that I did
what it took.”

“We
aren’t stealing their blood, Avery,” Alex says in a
softer tone.  “We’re borrowing it.”

“Borrow?”
 I snort and shake my head.  “How exactly are you
planning on giving back to those people?”

“By
allowing them to live.”  

The
cold insensitivity of his statement sends chills down my spine.  “And
Eva?  What if she has complications beyond her need for blood?
 Will you just let her die for the betterment of everyone?”

Alex’s
adams apple bobs as Devon looks to him with indecision.  “She
is part of the group.”

“So
are they.”  I point toward the closed door.

“No.
They are outsiders.”

I
am rocked by Alex’s blatant callousness. Maybe I didn’t
know him as well as I thought.  I rise to my feet.  “So
am I.”

“Not
anymore.”

“Why
not?” I press, stepping forward.  “Isn’t that
why you brought me here? To use me as a blood donor, too?”

His
hesitation doesn’t go unnoticed by everyone in the room. Even
Eva has rolled onto her side to listen as she pants between
contractions.  I want to go to her, to ease her fears but this
needs to be dealt with.

“I’m
right, aren’t I?  You grabbed me off the street in the
hopes that I could be a match for someone here.”  I whirl
around, looking each person in the eye.  “Well, who is it
then? I must be a match otherwise I wouldn’t be here right
now.”

Alex
averts his gaze.  Devon remains stony faced.  Victoria
looks bewildered.  A look of hurt betrayal tints her grimace.
 She may be an idiot but at least of this crime she’s
innocent.

“You’re
a universal donor,” Sal speaks up from the back of the room
where he lounges against the wall.  

“I
see.”  Lifting my finger, I run my thumb over the healing
slit that I noticed when I first woke.  “You tested my
blood while I was unconscious.  Clever.  I’ll give
you that much.”

“It’s
not like that--” Alex starts but falters under my damning
glare.