While We Fall (The Eva Series #2)

Chapter Twenty

“STOP!” I yelled, slamming my hands onto the table. Everyone went quiet, hearing the vibrations just as I had.
Elliot lowered his gun, picked up the beeper and headed down the hallway.
“Truce. Our war against them is more important than our war against each other.” He said, nodding at Wyatt and Ben, who cautiously nodded in return. “I’ll get the weapons. Wyatt, Ben, you two meet me out front in three minutes.” He called before slamming his bedroom door shut behind him.

As soon as Elliot was gone, I ran up to Wyatt and hugged him tight. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine.” He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration.
“Let’s just leave!” Jo whispered, standing up from the table.
“We can’t.” Said Ben. “We don’t know how many of them there are. And Elliot’s got all the weapons.”
“We’ll have to go with him to fight.” Wyatt sighed.
“That’s crazy! He just tried to kill you!” I said.
“We don’t have a choice.”
“Well, what are we supposed to do?” I asked, gesturing to Jo and myself.
“Stay here,” said Wyatt.
“I will not. I’m just as good a fighter as you two are, maybe even better!” I argued.
“No, Eva, please,” Said Jo, her eyes wide in fear. “Don’t leave me alone up here. Please.”

As much as I wanted to help Wyatt and Ben, the thought of leaving Jo all alone with no protection and utterly terrified made my heart ache. I had to stay.
“Ok, Jo. We’ll stay here with Dixon. We’ll be okay.”
Wyatt nodded in agreement and held my shoulders tight. “Ben and I need to do something about Elliot. We’re not safe around him anymore, maybe we never were. I see that now.”
“What are we gonna do?” Asked Ben.
Wyatt thought for a moment. “We’ll tell him we need to get in his jeep and drive around the perimeter, kill the zombies faster. He’ll love that. I’ll drive, and once we take care of the zombies I’ll just keep driving. We’ll take his weapons and dump him in the most infested part of town. He won’t stand a chance.”
“Do you really think you could kill your own brother?” I whispered, trying to be quiet so Elliot couldn’t hear.
“He’s not my brother anymore, Eva. My brother died a long time ago. I see that now, too.” He held me close, kissing me passionately before stepping back. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” I replied, holding back tears.
“Take care of Jo.” Ben whispered as he hugged me goodbye.
“See you soon.” Wyatt said before running out the front door with Ben right behind him. A few minutes later, Elliot met them out the front of the house, handing them both machetes.
The three of them jumped into the car, with Wyatt at the wheel, just as he had planned.

Jo and I stood at the window, watching as they sped away.
“Elliot really is crazy, isn’t he?” She asked, staring out over the trees.
I nodded, silently cursing myself for not listening to my gut. “I should’ve done something,” I said. “I knew we weren’t safe here as long as he was around. I just wanted this to be the paradise we dreamt it was on the way up here. It was our only chance.” A rogue tear fell onto my cheek and I quickly wiped it away, knowing I had to be strong. But I was so tired of being strong. I wondered how much more I could take before I couldn’t handle this new life anymore.
“It’s okay, Eva.” Said Jo, hugging me. “We all wanted to believe this was paradise. We haven’t missed our chance. Elliot is gone now. We can start again.”
I closed my eyes, hoping desperately that she was right.
I hoped that this would all be over soon, and that all this evil wouldn’t poison my soul so much that I could never live a normal life again.

Hours passed, and Wyatt and Ben still hadn’t returned. Jo and I had spent most of the day on the roof, watching for any sign of them, or worse; zombies.
“It’s too hot up here.” Said Jo, fanning herself with her hand. “I’m going downstairs to have a cold shower.”
“Okay. I’ll be down in a sec. I’ll make us something to eat soon.” I said, scanning the trees carefully. We hadn’t seen any zombies since this morning, when we lost Nikki. Elliot, Wyatt and Ben must have taken them all down before they got too far up the mountain.