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I let out a shaky breath, the puff of air becoming visible in the cold weather. I hugged my arms to my chest, pulling the thin fabric of Grace's sweater closer to my body.
I didn't know how long I'd been out, but I'd awoken about a couple hours ago. My legs still hurt from the stress I'd put on them, and my bullet wound still ached. The blood had long since dried and made the material of my shirt stiffen. But other than the obvious pain I was feeling, I was alive and more determined than ever.
"Evan," I finally managed, my teeth chattering.
For the first time since I'd awoken, I saw his body shift.
"Evan!" I said again, my voice more hopeful.
A grunt came from deep down in his throat and his eyes opened.
"I'm not dead...yet," he mummbled.
A smile broke on my face. "Thank god you're alive. What are we going to do?" I asked.
If it wasn't clear before, it sure was evident now- we needed a plan. We wouldn't make it much farther- not with the weather below freezing and the both of us injured.
Evan grunted again as he forced himself up into a sitting position.
"We need to make it to the hotel," he said
I paused for a moment. "I'm sorry, what hotel?" I asked. Not once had he said anything about this hotel and I most certainly had not seen one while running to escape Grace.
Evan shook his head. "Cassie and I decided on the hotel as a rendezvous point. If she's anywhere, she's there."
My heart stopped. "Wait, you've known this the whole time and you didn't care to tell me?" I asked, exasperated.
From what he'd said earlier at the base, Zombie was with Cassie. And if Evan knew where Cassie might be, that meant he knew where Zombie might be.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't want to give you false hope of returning to your friends."
I pursed my lips. "Where is it? The hotel?" I asked.
"It's not that far away," he said. "I could make it there in ten minutes- tops."
"Well then, let's go." I started to get up, pressing my palms against the ground to push myself to my feet.
"No," Evan said, putting his hand out to stop me. "I'll go. I'll come back and get you if it's safe."
I shook my head in frustration. "No," I said. "We'll both go. Neither of us are strong enough to go on our own."
Evan seemed to weigh my words for a moment before standing up. "You might be right," he said. "But if the hotel was taken over by Others, it's not safe for you. I can at least-"
I nodded, waving my hand as if to dismiss what was about to come out of his mouth. "I get it," I said.
Evan nodded, satisfied. "I'll be back," he said. "Until then, take this-" he took off his jacket and gave it to me "-stay under the overpass and don't freeze to death."
