“If we don’t drink something soon, we all will be,” I said.
Joshua nodded, determination flashing across his face as he sped up. “Hey, Tyler!”
No reaction.
“Tyler!” Joshua touched his shoulder and Tyler stopped, causing us to almost bump into him. For a moment it looked like he didn’t remember us, but then he rubbed his eyes and recognition settled in them.
“Are you sure we’re heading in the right direction?” I asked.
A small shrug was the answer and my heart sank into my shoes.
“Look, we have to find water first,” said Joshua. “We can find the way to the laboratory later.”
A highway parted the monotone landscape, broken-down cars littering its sides. Shrubs bowed under the sun’s glare. I’d thought there’d be more people, more signs of life on this side of the fence. But it was deserted.
Then, like a mirage rising from the sand, an old farmhouse came into view. Flickering heat smudged the contours of the building. My heart leaped in my chest. Could this really be it? Could this be our chance to finally make contact with people beyond the fence?
“Are you sure this isn’t too dangerous?” Mom asked.
“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing,” Grandpa said.
Mom didn’t look convinced but she sank down on the sofa beside Grandma, who smiled for the first time in days.
Bobby and I sat on the ground beside Grandpa. Dad dimmed the halogen lights before pulling Mia on to his lap.
With a whoosh the flame of the camping stove shot up and bathed the room in an orangey-red light. Grandpa handed each of us a stick with a s’more and we held it over the small fire.
When I closed my eyes against the white walls of the bunker, I could almost imagine we were in a forest, on a camping trip with Grandpa. I missed the sound of leaves rustling in the wind and birds singing their evening song, the smell of spring, full of life and possibilities, the feel of rain on my skin.
As the sweet scent of melting chocolate and marshmallows filled my nose, I allowed myself to pretend that we weren’t imprisoned, that we hadn’t spent the last 49 days in our shelter.
Grandpa played his guitar and began to sing “Country Roads Take me Home”. As we all joined in, our voices filled the small space, carrying away the frustration and worry that had been hanging over us.
Chapter 6
I was barely able to lift my feet off the ground as we trudged over what must have once been a grainfield. As we drew closer, I took in the bleached wooden panels of the buildings, and noticed that their rooves were missing several shingles. I realized with a sinking feeling that the place looked abandoned. The entrance to the farmhouse was secured with a padlock. Driven by thirst, Joshua tried to open it with his knife. When that failed he threw himself against the old wood in a fit of desperation. The door groaned and creaked but didn’t budge.
“Damn it!” Joshua sank to the ground. He looked at Tyler, squinting against the sun’s glare. “How far is it to the lab?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think it’s far from here. I don’t know.” Tyler’s eyes were glassy and unfocused, his tone flat. My heart sank.
“Great. We’re lost in the middle of nowhere without water. The military is probably already searching for us.” Joshua leaned his head against the wooden panels, frustration etched upon his face.
Suddenly something moved in the corner of my eye, a shadow slipping between the tractor and the Dodge. My hand darted to the gun at my waistband. Joshua moved fast – faster than I’d have thought possible in the state we were in. He jumped on the hood and was over the car before I could blink. I ran after him, stars dancing before my eyes.
Joshua was kneeling over a girl around my age, holding a knife to her throat. She struggled beneath him, kicking and yelling, until eventually she calmed. Slowly, Joshua pulled back and got up, keeping the knife at the girl’s throat and gesturing for me to stay behind him. Tyler approached us silently, his eyes cautious. I was glad to see the apathy gone from his face.
“Who are you?” Joshua asked, his voice gravelly from thirst. He removed a gun from a halter around the girl’s waist.
“Alexis,” the girl said as she sat up, her eyes never leaving the weapon in Joshua’s hand.
“What are you doing here?”
“I followed you,” she said with a shrug, as if that was the most normal thing.
I raised my eyebrows. “You’ve been watching us?”
“I wanted to make sure you weren’t infected.”
What the hell? Joshua and I exchanged a look. Why would she think someone on this side was infected?
“What do you mean?” Joshua asked.
Alexis got up and dusted herself off. “I think you know what I mean. That virus they’re testing in the lab around here.”
Joshua’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know about the lab?”
“I could ask you the same question,” she said. The girl eyed us cautiously, but she didn’t look scared at all, despite the knife in Joshua’s hand. “You look like you could use some water. I’ll tell you where to find some if you tell me who you are.”
“We’re from L.A. It’s over-run with Weepers there,” Joshua said.
Her eyes widened. “You live in The Void?”
“The Void?” I asked.
She nodded. “That’s what the media calls the Lost Land, the part contaminated with rabies.” Again that shrug. “So how do you know about the labs?” Suspicion laced her voice.
I glanced at Joshua. He nodded toward Tyler. “Our friend escaped from one. He told us about it,” he said.
Alexis turned to Tyler who rubbed the tattoo on his wrist. “Okay,” she said slowly, as if she was trying to solve a puzzle. She fumbled with a ring around her thumb. It looked like a wedding band. She was definitely too young to be married though. “I want my gun back.”
“You haven’t told us anything about you yet,” Joshua reminded her.
A look of irritation flashed across her face before she answered. “I’m from Austin, Texas. But I haven’t been back there in months.”
So she was from this side.
“What happened?” I asked.
She sighed. “My father was drafted into the army. He wasn’t even on the reserve list but suddenly he got a letter and two days later he left. Lots of men who didn’t have the money to bribe their way out were forced to become soldiers.”
“What about the professional military? Why do they need additional soldiers?”
“Because we’ve got three wars going at the moment.”
“Three?”
“Yeah, over fuel, territorial issues, water.”
“Water?” I asked. How could so much have gone wrong since we went into shelter? I’d thought life beyond the fence would be better.
“We’re running out,” said Alexis, sadness flickering in her eyes. “Life’s nothing like it used to be before the rabies. Everything is rationed. Food, oil, gas. You know, after the rabies, after they built the fence to protect us —”
I opened my mouth to object but Joshua shook his head.
Alexis continued, unaware of our silent exchange. “A few other countries accused us of having spread the virus on purpose to attack them.” She let out a bitter laugh. “They started army-building. That led to more countries doing the same. Nobody wanted to fall back, you know. You remember when we had allies in the other western countries? Well, that time is over. Every country fends for itself. There’s no cooperation, just distrust. Especially with Europe. Global trade has collapsed. We’re at war with the Middle East over oil. There isn’t enough food to fill the shelves in the stores and not enough oil and gas to provide eletricity 24/7. Each family has a monthly budget and if that’s used up within two weeks, bad luck. You’ll have to live without electricity for the rest of the month. That’s how it is.”
My head was spinning. I’d thought the world beyond the fence would be like it used to be. A small part of me had foolishly hope
d to get my other life back one day.
“I haven’t heard from my Dad since he was sent to fight,” Alexis finished.
“What about the rest of your family?” I asked.
“My mom got sick days after my father had left. They took her away and told us she’d died. My sister was old enough to take care of me. But one day when I returned from school she was gone too. A neighbour told me the military had taken her. They would’ve taken me as well, too, but I didn’t go home after that.”
I didn’t want to believe her. “But someone must have noticed that you disappeared. Didn’t they do something?”
“People disappear all the time, especially orphans. I know I can never return home because the military would find out.” She shrugged again as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“So where do you live now? Here?” I looked around the shabby remains of the farmhouse.
“No, I live in Vegas with the Undergrounders. We’re all orphans. We live in the tunnels under the city to hide from the military.”
I’d never thought this side could be scarier than home.
“What are you doing so far from Vegas?” Joshua asked.
“I’m here as a scout. And it’s only a day by foot to Vegas.” Droplets of sweat clung to her brown brows.
“Scout?” he asked dryly. I had to bite back a snort. Maybe I should ask her if she had Girl Scout cookies.
“Every month we send out two people who scout the area for strays like you and to see what the military’s up to. If I hadn’t found you, one of the helicopters would’ve captured you soon. What are you doing here anyway?”
“We’re looking for my brother,” I blurted. She didn’t need to know the truth – yet.
“We found the car he used littered with gun holes beside the fence. There was lots of blood,” Joshua said, not missing a beat. The image twisted my stomach but I kept my face straight.
“They didn’t leave the body there to rot?” she asked.
I shook my head, unable to speak.
“Hm, maybe they’re using the corpse to do tests. But they usually take living people, so he might not be dead yet.”
My heart leaped in my chest. Bobby might not be dead? I didn’t dare believe it.
“What do you know about the tests?” Joshua asked.
“We Undergrounders know lots of stuff.” She scanned our faces. “Why don’t you come with me?”
Tyler sat on the ground, his face propped up on his knees and his eyes closed. It was no use asking him right now.
“Can you give us a minute?” I asked, before taking Joshua’s hand and leading him out of earshot. “I don’t trust her,” I whispered.
Joshua nodded grimly, keeping an eye on Alexis.
“But we have to find the cure and they know this side better than any of us. I think we’re going to need their help. Tyler’s lost it … since Rachel’s …”
“The Undergrounders could tell us lots of stuff Tyler doesn’t know,” agreed Joshua. “It’s our only choice.”
We walked back to Alexis. “Okay. We’ll go with you,” Joshua said, his voice hard.
“Fine.” She nodded. “But first, water.” To my surprise, she walked toward the barn and opened the door. “This is where I spend the nights when I’m out here scouting,” she said, looking over her shoulder.
We stepped inside; the air was stuffy and reeked of old hay. Alexis opened the lid of a huge barrel. It reminded me of the hot tub my family had had in a cabin in the Rocky Mountains many years ago.
“A cystern,” Joshua said.
Alexis nodded and started pulling at a rope. A small bucket filled with water was at the end of it. I stumbled toward the cystern. My throat and mouth were parched. It felt like there wasn’t a drop of fluid left in my body.
“You sure it isn’t contaminated with pesticides or other things.” The way Joshua said “other” made me pause.
Alexis dipped her hand into the bucket and brought it to her lips, swallowing a few gulps of the water. “It’s clean. I’ve been drinking it over the last few days and I haven’t dropped dead yet.”
That was enough for me. I grabbed the bucket and raised it to my mouth, my arms trembling from the effort to lift it. The cool water sloshed into my mouth and down my throat. It felt wonderful. Joshua and Tyler each took the bucket and gulped down the water as greedily as I had.
Now that I wasn’t thirsty anymore I noticed the stench of sour sweat and the grime on my skin. My whole body itched.
“Is there a place where we can clean up or take a shower?” I asked. Alexis wasn’t dirty and she didn’t stink, so there had to be.
“I usually take a bucket outside with me and pour it over my head,” Alexis said. “But you shouldn’t go outside alone. I’ll accompany you.” She began to rise but Joshua got up first, dust falling off his sweat drenched, dirt-caked jeans. “No, I’ll do it.” He turned to Tyler whose eyes had lost their confused flicker since he’d had some water. “You got your gun?”
Tyler nodded. Alexis looked annoyed. “Speaking of which, can I have my gun back now?”
Joshua emptied the gun of its bullets before throwing it into her lap. “You get these once I’m sure you won’t shoot us in the back.”
Then he filled two buckets with water, and we took them outside to a paved spot. A skeletal tree grew nearby, perfect to hang my clothes on once I’d washed them. Joshua set the buckets on the ground close to the barn’s wall. He ran a hand through his hair; suddenly he seemed really uncomfortable “I’ll go over there and wait until you’re done,” he said, walking away.
I watched the muscles in his back through his sweat-drenched shirt and the way his blond hair, bleached by the sun, stuck up at all angles. He leaned against a tree, his back to me. The tattoo between his shoulder blades shone through. I could read ‘Avenger’ as clearly as though he wasn’t wearing a shirt.
I turned my back to Joshua and curled the fingers around the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head. I chanced a look over my shoulder at Joshua before unbuttoning my jeans. His face was still turned away but I could have sworn I saw him move. Part of me wanted him to look. I shrugged out of my jeans and underwear and kicked them away. I positioned the bucket in front of me. It was so heavy; lifting it over my head would be impossible. I ran my fingers through my hair to assess the damage. It felt matted, with sticks, dirt and stones stuck in it. Cleaning myself would be much easier if someone dumped the bucket over my head so my hands were free to scrub the dirt from my skin.
I peered over my shoulder again and this time I was almost certain that Joshua’s head had moved.
“Joshua?”
He looked at me sideways. His eyes travelled the length of my body. It felt like electricity was running through it.
“Could you help me?” My voice came out higher than usual.
He pushed away from the tree and walked toward me, the shirt clinging to his taut stomach. He gazed at me like I was the most fascinating sight he’d ever seen. I could feel a blush creep across my cheeks but I didn’t look away. I smiled at him, feeling bolder than ever before. “I need you to come closer to unknot my hair.”
A grin flitted across his face but it was replaced by something that made my stomach flood with heat. He stepped closer and placed his hands on my shoulders, goose-bumps prickling across my skin. His fingers tenderly massaged my tight muscles, moving up to my neck. We were so close now that his breath tickled my shoulder as he gently untangled my hair. When he was done, he stroked my back with his fingertips. We stood like that, neither of us speaking for a moment.
I cleared my throat. “Could you pour water over my head?”
He raised the bucket with ease. “Ready?” he asked, a smile creeping into his voice.
I nodded. Icy cold water splashed on my hair and poured down my body, making me squeal. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to ignore the way my teeth chattered and my muscles constricted. I rubbed the dirt from my hair and skin while Joshua poured more water over me. Dr
oplets of water clung to my skin and glittered in the sun. I became intensely aware of Joshua’s gaze on me. His breathing deepened and without thinking, I turned around. The surprise was obvious on Joshua’s face. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him, partly because shyness had taken over and partly because I just wanted to be close to him. Joshua wrapped his arms around me. I raised my head, my skin unbearably hot. The look in Joshua’s eyes sent a tingle through my body. Our lips met as I pressed myself against him and his grip tightened.
I wanted to hold on to this kiss; keep it forever. Our time was running out, death was catching up with us. Yet there was still so much I wanted to do.
Joshua stopped kissing me, his lips inches from mine, and resisted when I tried to pull him back to me. That’s when I tasted salt on my lips and realized I was crying. His hands were warm on my cheeks and the heat in his eyes was replaced by something soft and concerned.
“Sorry,” I whispered, feeling stupid for ruining our kiss with crying.
Joshua kissed the tip of my nose. “Don’t be.” He smiled then, a flicker of mischief in his eyes. “Anyway, it’s my turn,” he said as he pulled his shirt over his head. “I don’t mind if you look, you know.”
My cheeks burned. “I hope the water’s still cold,” I said.
He chuckled. “I think you need to rinse off again.” I glanced down and realized he’d left traces of dirt all over me with his embrace.
He raised the bucket over our heads and water splashed over us. I squealed again, causing Joshua to chuckle.
We laughed under our makeshift shower, a slice of happiness, fleeting and precious. It was those moments, the kisses and glances, the gentle touches and loving words that made this life bearable. It was Joshua at my side that gave me hope that we had a chance of a happy ending; of a life beyond this one.
I raked my fingers through the grass, the blades tickling my skin.
Laughter rose around me and above the mooing cows, chirping birds and rustling trees.
“I’m so glad that they have each other. I haven’t seen Emma so happy and carefree in a long time.”