“Let’s keep going,” Grace says, looking to Bruno to lead.
He treks onward between buildings, mountains of trash, and the searching eyes of the cameras mounted in the streets.
I exhale, attempting to let all the tension out of my body, but it’s no use. Soon we will reach the hospital where I first met Sutton, where Alyssa died, and where I was almost raped.
I’ll never forget riding in the blacked-out van to meet Keegan for the first time since he’d left home. The van was shot to hell by the time we arrived, but the joy and utter excitement of seeing my brother again made it all worth it. This time, there will be no happy reunion. He’s gone forever. Now, the best I can hope for is water. If I allow myself to hope, maybe even food and first-aid supplies.
Bruno leads us down the alley where Cole helped me hop over the ledge so many times before. And just like then, Cole jumps over and reaches out to assist me. His hands tenderly wrap around my waist, pulling me down into his arms. He doesn’t release me until my feet are steady. He lifts my face to his.
“You’re angry with me, I can tell.”
“I’m not mad at you; I’m hurt more than anything,” I say. “You know how I feel about being lied to.”
“We’ll talk soon. Promise.”
“Yeah.”
He touches his forehead to mine and looks into my eyes. “Focus on my voice. We’ve overcome all this; and we’ll do it again.” He kisses my lips, and his are just as chapped as mine.
I nod.
“Okay, you good?”
“I’m good.”
The stench of sewage hits me like yesterday, and no matter how many times I’ve walked through the narrow alley, breathing through my nose still isn’t an option. I hear Grace suck in her breath in front of me. At least I don’t see any rats this time.
The buildings squeeze us into a line. Bruno’s elbows barely clear the high-reaching walls as he stops at the edge of the street across from the hospital. He checks both ways before turning right. Grace disappears around the corner after him.
And then it’s my turn.
We’re here.
The formerly clean fa?ade of the hospital has aged seemingly overnight. The walls crumble in places. The glass is blown out in the majority of the windows. The main entrance is boarded up with wooden planks and red tape.
Zeus nudges me from behind, prodding me to move. I check both ways and glance up at the top of the hospital where the guards used to be stationed, but no one’s there. Here it goes … I sprint around the corner with Zeus on my heels.
I tap Grace’s shoulder when I catch up to her and Bruno. Cole taps mine. We move from building to building and house to house, in the shadows if we can find them, but otherwise, out in the open.
A bicycle lies on its side against a shack. I wonder who used to ride it. From the way it looks, it used to be blue, but the faded color has surrendered to the orange rust creeping up the metal bars.
Bruno stops to catch his breath, so I press my back against a building, and my eyes are drawn to the black entrance of a small house. There are torn yellow curtains hanging idly in the single front window. A weird sound, like a pot banging around inside, suddenly stops. I squint toward the house when I see the small face of a child peeking back at me.
The wide, hazel eyes of the child are striking against her dirt-caked cheeks. She blinks. Her long hair falls over her shoulders. She looks up and down the street and then returns her stare to me. I’m guessing she’s about six years old. She shifts positions. Then she sees Zeus, and her lips part. Her hands cover her mouth in shock. I remember that feeling. Oh please, little girl, please don’t scream.
I slowly raise my hand and wave at her, not wanting her to be afraid of us. She waits a few seconds before waving back. But she doesn’t smile. Her eyes look far too mature for her heart-shaped face. I was starting to wonder if anyone had survived the revolt and lived here anymore.
Zeus’s ears perk up, and a low, guttural growl escapes him. Cole grasps his collar. I don’t want the girl to be afraid of him. I catch eyes with Cole, and sensing my panic, he makes Zeus sit. Then the sound of a car approaching interrupts us. My head snaps up. The little girl holds her pointer finger to her sealed lips. She flicks her head to the left and points in the direction of the car, which sounds like it could be about three blocks away, coming quickly. Its muffler makes a loud rattling noise.
Bruno leads us into the crevice of a building and hunkers down. As I take cover, I look back in the window for the girl, and she nods silently. Then she disappears.