Lost in Ash (The Phoenix Experiment - Book 1)

CHAPTER SEVEN

         Alva had barely taken five strides across the cement and wire bridge before she felt a heavy weight taking her to the ground. The echoes of the scream rang in her ears, and she struggled against the weight that tried to hold her in place. Her eyes were trained on the other side of the bridge, searching the tops of the hills for Six's small figure.

"Frosty! Chill!"

Lev's voice broke through the haze of panic. Alva was starting to get too familiar with the feeling, something she knew had to be bad for her long term. Out here though, she felt like there was nothing else to do but panic. Yet, she was quickly having her eyes opened to the fact that not everyone else fell prey to the sensation.

A chuckle above her made her freeze, "Huh, that's kinda funny! Saying 'chill' to the Ice Queen."

Another laugh out of Lev's mouth had Alva pushing the tree of a man off her. Lev relented, rolling onto the concrete before springing up to his feet. Alva, on the other hand, was slow getting up. Her body now registering the impact of being tackled by someone so much larger than her.

"This isn't funny!" Alva snapped, as she began to move once again across the bridge.

She didn't make it far before Lev's coarse hand reached out and caught her arm. Holding her in place, she tried to pull her arm free, but he held strong. "I don't think it's funny," Lev told her seriously. "Well, I do think what I said was funny, but that's not the point."

"Then what is the point?" Alva barked, "Because someone needs me."

"The screams a code."

"Excuse me?" Alva asked looking at Lev in utter disbelief.

Lev flashed her a crooked, goofy grin and nodded, "Listen."

Alva gave him a skeptical look, the frown on her face tugged her lips down enough that she could feel it. She opened her mouth with a heavy sigh when she heard it. It was high-pitched and eerie, but it didn't have the melody of hysteria that accompanied something like fear. This was steady. Her face immediately contorted into one of surprise, her eyes frantically flicking up to meet Lev's.

She was pissed to see him smiling.

"It's bouncing," Lev told her with an excited glint in his eye. Alva wasn't sure what that meant, but his delight was concerning to her.

Before she could ask what, he meant, the man was on the move. Releasing his hold on her arm and beginning to prowl forward. Alva followed behind him, silently looking on as the man moved gracefully across the bridge. He moved so comfortably and confidentially through the wreckage that was now considered a bridge.

She hadn't noticed how in disrepair the structure had been. Now that the scream-induced frenzy was over, Alva was able to take it all in. Large sections of the bridge were clasping into the slow-moving waters below. It left wire rods exposed, that were starting to rust. At certain parts of the bridge, there were scorch marks or even some signs of melting both from something physical and chemical. Alva didn't want to think too much about what that implied.

You already know.

Her mouth went dry at the sound of the mocking voice.

"Oh, hot damn, Frosty!" Lev's excited call pulled Alva away from the chill she was starting to feel.

"It's Alva," She reminded as she picked up her pace. "Isn't yelling counterproductive? People could hear!"

"So?"