“What?” Cole asks through gritted teeth, and I’m just as irritated as he is.
“Oh. Sorry, dude, but I need to talk to you.”
“Can you give us ten?” I ask, my voice coming out harder than intended.
“Sorry, but this can’t wait,” Bruno says, ducking his head back out of the hut.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I say to Cole. “We can’t leave it like this. You have to tell me whatever it is you’re afraid to.”
“Not today,” Cole says, his expression dark.
“Get your asses out here, lovebirds,” Bruno says.
I step toward Cole, attempting to grab his arm, but when I do, he pulls out of my reach. “Cole,” I plead.
He shakes his head and then walks away from me.
“What’s so important that it couldn’t wait?” Cole asks.
I snake my hands through my knotted hair and pull it back before going out. I shake as my emotions range from wanting to wrap Cole in my arms, to wanting to punch him in the face. I don’t even understand what the hell just happened.
“We gotta get out of here,” Bruno says, Grace at his side.
“That’s it?” Cole asks.
“Yeah, dude, that’s it.” Bruno flicks his eyes between Cole and me and then cracks a knowing smile. “Did I cock block you, is that why you’re mad?”
“Stop it,” Grace says, smacking Bruno’s arm.
“I totally did, didn’t I?” He shakes his head, and Cole’s face smolders. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.”
Grace punches him in the arm this time, her face reddening. Bruno turns to her quickly and then back to us. “What? This place is dirty, diseased, and crawling with all kinds of insects and rodents. Just think of it as a favor, dude. My gift to both of you. And, you’re welcome.”
“So why the rush to leave the hut last night then?” Cole sounds annoyed.
“We can still have fun with our clothes on,” he says. “And anyway, I’m dying of thirst, and I’ve got an idea.”
Grace looks like she is waiting for the ground to open and swallow her up.
I’m so flustered I can barely speak. Stringy hairs hang in my face, and I straighten my shirt. I want to give Bruno a piece of my mind, but his smile is already gone. He stares upward, his gaze fixated elsewhere.
Screams echo above our heads, and I glance up at the sky. Turkey vultures circle around, six of them, like they’re waiting to feed on us. Their bodies are dark against a sky sponged with silver and gray clouds. I run my tongue over my cracked lips just thinking about rain, but I know it’s not coming. The artist in me longs to paint this scene. The fighter in me thinks it’s a bad omen.
“Bruno, I’m thinking you’re right. We should probably go. Even though I’d like to punch you right about now,” Cole says. His voice breaks my fixation on the hungry scavengers. He’s intense and broody.
Grace looks in my direction, but I refuse to meet her gaze. I don’t want her to see the tension between Cole and me. And yet, maybe she’s exactly the person I should talk to about it, since Bruno was also a guard. But now isn’t the time.
Turning away from me, Grace asks, “Where are we headed?”
“The underground,” Bruno says.
“Are you sure it’s still there?” I ask.
“For our sake, I sure as hell hope so,” Bruno says.
“And what exactly is down there?” Grace asks. She looks pale as she puts her hand against Bruno to steady herself.
“Supplies, I hope. It’s the only place that might have what we need,” Bruno says.
I nod my head, biting the inside of my cheek just thinking about it. The underground where Keegan trained me is full of dark passages and hidden entrances. It could be crawling with guards and completely booby-trapped by now. I lock eyes with Cole, and he furrows his brow, his lips sealing into a thin line. Despite our feelings toward each other at the moment, we both know we could be encountering a shitstorm walking in there, especially with the limited resources we have. But we don’t have any other options left. Either we find water, food, ammo, and medical supplies, or we die out here.
“Bruno, can you take point?” Cole asks. “I’m running out of ammo.” We’re all running out of ammo, but there’s something else going on with Cole.
“Yeah, sure … that’s why you want me to lead,” Bruno says with sarcasm. I roll my eyes. “Let’s send Bruno to the front line, because everyone knows the black guy in the movie always dies first.”
We all laugh. I don’t remember the last time I saw a movie. Watching surveillance cameras with Cole hardly counts as entertainment. It lightens the mood, but only for a moment. Only long enough for me to build up enough courage to follow Bruno into the place where I first connected with my brother.
“Let’s take the route by the hospital, the way the van took us,” Cole offers. “Unless you know of another way to get there?”
“I’m afraid not,” Bruno says.