Outbreak

Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Marlowe

My head is covered when I hear Avi scream. I call out to her, but there is only silence.

I feel a plastic zip tie being tightened around my wrists. It's too tight and I can already feel the side scraping my skin.

We trudge trough long grass. It scratches at my uncovered legs.

Of course this happens when I am wearing a dress. Just my luck.

I can't see and I clumsily trip over everything, including my own feet.

I lean too far to the right and bump into a body.

"Avi?"

"Keep your mouth shut." I expect the deep raspy voice, but this one is young and bold, almost like Easton's.

Almost.

I miss him.

They probably killed him.

I think they shot Toni anyways.

My shins ache from constantly bumping into rocks and what seems to be stumps. Still, and I am shoved on.

After what feels like an eternity, I drop to my knees, exhausted.

"Get up! Keep walking!" The young voice commands. I can feel his hot breath on my neck.

"I can't."

I feel something hard pressed into the back of my head.

"Walk or die." A gruff voice says this time.

"Pfft." I almost laugh. I am so dehydrated. I'm going insane. "what're you going to do, shoot me?"

"Fine by me. If you hadn't noticed, we still have your friend." The young voice responds.

Avi groans. She sounds hurt.

My brain takes over before I can and thinks up a strategy.

"Well that would be threatening if she knew anything. But she doesn't. Her radio died before she could get the final coordinate." I lie. "I was going to tell them it but then you dumb shits showed up. Right now, I'm about the closest you've got to the cure. Now are you going to shoot me?"

I receive a painful blow to my rib cage. I lay on my side. I can hardly breathe.

Someone grabs my hair and pulls me back to my knees. My ribs grimace in pain.

"One chance, sister." the gruff voice threatens. "what're the coordinates, or we shoot your friend." His hot onion breath stings my nose.

"Nice try. She's not my friend." This is risky. "That guy you hit with the pipe back there? That was my boyfriend. Then this whore goes and sleeps with him." I lie again. This is getting harder to keep up. "If you shoot her, atleast let me watch her beg for her life."

The bag is ripped off my head. The sun is blinding for a moment, then my eyes adjust.

I sneer for effect when I focus on Avi. She is slumped over, completely out of it.

I almost let a worried look cross my face when they pull out gun.

I screwed up

"Last chance." The one with the gruff voice says. He's fat and has a disgusting beard.

He holds the gun to Avis head. She is still slumped over.

"1..."

I cock my head slightly and narrow my eyes, still sneering. have to keep up the act.

"2..."

"Stop!" I deep, southern voice shouts from beside me. This one is clean shaven, and studies my face. I glare at him. If only I could burn holes in his forehead.

"She's not lying. I saw this same look in my momma's eyes when she turned over my pop for the reward money."

He smiles slightly at me.

"Take this one to my room. Then tie the other up at the stockades."