I caught him and yanked him around a corner just as a pair of rough-looking men came down the hall, laughing and swearing at each other. The raiders continued into the main room, where the echo of the crowd could still be heard through the open doors. I wondered what Jackal was doing and hoped he didn’t have any more “entertainment” planned for the night.
Zeke was leaning with his back against the wall, but, as I approached, he slid down until he was sitting in the corner, gazing straight ahead at nothing. For a few heartbeats, he stayed like that, his expression glazed and dead. Then a shudder racked his frame, and he slowly hunched over, bending his head to his knees, as he sobbed quietly into his hands.
I watched him silently, my own throat suspiciously tight. I wished I knew what to say, the right words to comfort him, but sympathy was never my strong suit, and besides, anything I said would probably end up sounding forced. Especially after the horrible scene we’d just witnessed.
Guessing he wanted a moment alone, I drew back and left him at the back of the hall, letting him mourn the death of his friend. Truthfully, I needed a few minutes by myself, as well.
My eyes stung, and I let a bloody tear slide down my cheek before swiping it away. First Dorothy and now Darren. Darren, who had joked around with me, who had stood up for me, even to Zeke. Who had been a good hunter, a companion, maybe even a friend. I would miss his company, I realized. He hadn’t deserved that death, to come so far only to be torn apart by a rabid in the end. I clenched my fists, feeling the nails bite into my palms. Jackal would pay for this. He would pay for everything.
I turned and walked back to Zeke, trying to formulate some kind of plan, hoping he was clearheaded enough to help me out. He was still sitting in the corner, staring at the wall, but his face and eyes were clear.
I crouched beside him. “You okay?” Not the most brilliant or comforting question ever, but there was nothing else I could think of.
He shook his head. “We have to find the rest of them,” he whispered, struggling to his feet. Leaning against the wall again, he took a deep breath and looked at me, his voice growing stronger. “Where do you think Jackal is keeping everyone?”
“I have no idea,” I muttered. “But I’m guessing it’s nearby. With everything underwater, it’s probably not easy to transport prisoners back and forth. He’ll want to keep them close.”
“We should search the building,” Zeke said, nodding, “once everyone has cleared out—”
A cheer from the open doors to the main hall drew our attention. Either Jackal was on a roll, or someone else was being torn apart. I shuddered and hoped it wasn’t the latter.
Zeke and I glanced at each other, thinking the same thing. There was no time. For every minute we waited, another person could die, shoved into a cage and ripped apart for the crowd’s entertainment. Jackal was ruthless, and I had no doubt he would sacrifice Caleb or even Bethany to get what he wanted. We had to find our people now.
“Backstage,” Zeke whispered, his eyes hard. “They brought Jeb and Darren out through the curtain. Maybe they’re keeping the others back there, as well.”
I nodded. “Makes sense. It’s a good place to start looking anyway.”
But there were two hundred raiders and thirty feet of water between us and the stage, not to mention Jackal himself. I had no clue how powerful the raider king was and no desire to find out. “There has to be a back door,” I muttered. “A way to get in from behind.”
“There are plenty of windows,” Zeke pointed out.
“Yeah,” I said, turning away. “I hope you’re up for a swim.”
*
IN THE SHADOWS of the outside wall, we made our way through the black, grimy water, easing around the side of the building. I wasn’t the best swimmer, not like Zeke, but there were plenty of handholds as we clung to the side of the wall. And of course, I didn’t have to worry about drowning. Every so often, my leg would brush something beneath the surface of the water, a branch or a pole or the roof of a car, making me wonder what else was down there. Hopefully nothing alive. Or, if it was alive, hopefully nothing that wanted to eat us. I imagined huge rabid fish, gliding silently through the black waters, circling our legs, and decided not to voice that worry to Zeke.
“There,” I said, pointing to a rusty metal staircase against the wall. Twisted and bent, it zigzagged up the outside wall to a platform on the top floor. Maneuvering around rubble, pipes and rusty beams, I made my way through the murky black water until I could grab the lowest rung. Heaving myself up, I turned to help Zeke, grabbing his arm as he pulled himself onto the first step. He was shivering, teeth clacking together, and I was reminded that he was only human. The water here was colder than the river had been, far colder. It didn’t bother me, but Zeke was in danger of freezing to death if we weren’t careful.
“You all right?” I asked as he crossed his arms, shivering in the wind. His pale hair lay plastered to his forehead, and his shirt clung to his chest, emphasizing his leanness. His face was tight. “Do you need to wait here? I can go on alone, if you want.”