Reliance Sky: A post-apocalyptic survival adventure

Part 3.1

Sky scented blood. "Alex!"

He wasn't where he was supposed to be—at the perimeter. She sprinted straight through the middle of the pit and bounded over the fire. Plowing through the bushes, she weaved through the trees, following the coppery aroma. Thirty yards ahead, a teenage girl slumped up against a tree with her hands pressed to her stomach. It was the brunette that had been with Alex. Blood was seeping through her fingers.

Sky darted to the girl, skidded to a stop, and kneeled. She ripped off her sleeve and pressed it to the teen's wound. The laceration wasn't too deep, but Sky had seen enough injuries to know that if they didn't have someone around that could administer proper first aid, the infection would likely get her in the end.

"What happened?" Sky asked.

Tears leaked from her hazel eyes. "The—the canners came out of nowhere and..." the girl moaned. "They killed him."

Terror stole Sky's breath away. "Who?"

"Roger." She sobbed.

Sky clenched her machete hilt so tightly the leather creaked. "What about Alex?"

"They took them. Alex tried to stop them, but they knocked him out and took him and Chris. They tried to take me too, but I fought and got away." Tears streamed over her cheeks. "I'm gonna die, aren't I?"

"It'll be fine." Sky squeezed her eyes shut, willing the pounding pain in her skull to subside. She needed a clear head to concentrate. Alex was still alive, and she would get him back at any cost!

Footsteps thundered toward them. Sky backed away from the girl, holding her hands up in surrender in case they perceived her as a threat, and directed her gaze downwards in search of footprints before they were all trampled. She fixated on the girl's dragging tracks and followed them.

"What's going on?" John yelled, sliding in next to the teen. "What happened?"

Maven stampeded in next. "Grace! Oh God. Sam, hurry!"

Wally, Beady, and a few others arrived and crowded around Grace.

Sam charged up. "Let me through!"

Danny arrived with a woman. "Dad, what happened to Gracie?"

Sam whipped around and roared at the woman, "Take Danny back to my tent and stay there with him!" The crowd moved back, and Sam darted in and squatted, dropping a red first aid bag next to Grace.

Sky circled an area a few yards away. This was where it had happened. Fresh blood splattered the dead leaves littering the forest floor. She bent and slid the leaves aside, pinpointing Grace's footprints and that of a man's, she assumed, from the size, who had sliced the teen. She followed his retreat, but then the prints disappeared. Those damn canners had wiped their tracks and well too. Dammit! She needed to know how many had attacked. It would take time to circle the area and count all the different footprints. Time she didn't have. And her nose was picking up too many variations and smells to be of any help. She inhaled deeply and caught Alex's scent. He wasn't bleeding much, which meant he was alive for now, but his scent was moving away, quickly. She had to move fast. The only weapon she had was her machete, but it would have to be enough. She whirled around toward Alex and launched forward, but a hand caught her arm, pulling her back.

"Where are you going?" John demanded.

"After my brother!" She yanked herself free.

"You don't even know in which direction or how many."

"I can track them!" But now that he'd stopped her, it was better to take a moment to find out their numbers, so she wasn't going in blind. She darted around John and hustled back to Sam.

Sam rifled through his bag and pulled out a bottle of clear liquid and uncapped it. The reek of alcohol flooded Sky's senses, and she hissed. Shit. That was going to hinder her nose for a little while.

"Gracie, where are the others?" Sam asked, peeking under the red soaked make-shift bandage.

"I'm sorry. We snuck away. We asked little Jess and Benji to distract Roger. Then when we were almost at the watering hole, Roger caught up and they—they attacked." Grace sobbed. "They killed Roger and took Chris and Alex."

Sam froze. Then his muscles shook. "Fan out! See if we can—"

"I found the tracks. How many were there?" Sky asked, trying to remain calm, but the tension in her torso seeped into her tone, making her words more of a growl.

Grace glanced at her with wide eyes full of fear. "I dunno, seven, eight. I'm so sorry. We shouldn't have gone," she whimpered.

"Stop moving, Gracie. I need to treat you. Then we're gonna get them back, okay?" Sam pushed Grace's shoulder back into the tree. "This is going to hurt, but you need to be brave."

Sky jumped up, clenching and unclenching her fists. "I need any knives or daggers you can spare. I'm going after them. Now!"

"You're crazy," said Beady.

John's gaze hardened. "If you're going, you'll need backup."

Sky sized him up. The glint in his eyes she'd recognized earlier was back. He had kills under his belt—many by the coolness in his voice.

"Here." Sam tossed a hunting knife and a dagger at her feet. "John, take a few with you. See if you can track them, but don't do anything stupid. The rest of you double the watch!"

She scooped up the weapons and slid them into loops in her pants.

"Shit. Are those pants made to hold weapons?" Beady rounded her with his mouth hanging.

She ignored the idiot and met John's eyes. "If you're coming, don't slow me down, and don't get in my way."

John nodded.

She spun and took off.

"Mave, Wally. Let's go!" John ordered.

"I'm coming too!" Beady said.

Four sets of footsteps stampeded behind her. She ground her teeth, hoping that they wouldn't need to exercise any stealth.

"Shit, she's fast!" Beady shouted.

"Beady, shut the fuck up," said Maven.

They were too noisy and screwing with her senses, so she increased her pace, pulling farther ahead. She didn't care if they thought her speed was abnormal. Alex's life was on the line. She couldn't even think about losing him too. After everything they'd been through, and everyone they'd just left. She couldn't hold back. Alex's scent was getting fainter. Moving faster still, she tried to close the gap. If she didn't, she'd lose them.

Sky heard the river and cursed. Her boots splashed into the cool waters, and she stopped. She'd lost the scent. Fuck! She scanned the opposite bank and couldn't see any tracks.

Maven arrived first, then John, Wally, and Beady. Beady buckled over, panting. The others breathed hard but remained upright.

"Search the banks for tracks," Sky ordered, pacing up and down.

Everyone but Beady spread out.