Once she was gone, Nick finally let go of Dave.
The bus driver hopped up, brushing twigs and dry leaves from of his knees. “You fool! I was doing what needed to be done. I wasn’t going to let her take a bite out of me or anyone else. Now she’s running around in the wilderness, ready to become a monster. The people she kills will be on your hands.”
“You’re out of your freaking mind,” Eve shouted at him.
Pauline was shaking her head. She looked disgusted. “This isn’t how people behave. We don’t murder people just because they show signs of a cold.”
“We do now,” said Dave, spitting at the ground furiously. “If we want to stay alive.”
There was silence as that last sentence seemed to hang in the air between them all. It was quite possibly true; but that didn’t mean it was a truth any of them wanted to accept.
Eventually, Jan shrugged his shoulders and gave Nick a look which suggested they all just get over it. “Can’t change it now, brother. For better or worse, we should just get going.”
“What? And just leave her out here alone?” said Pauline.
“We’ll alert the authorities when we can,” Dave said. “You can even tell them what I did. I’ll stand by it, don’t you worry.”
There was more silence. You could almost bump into the atmosphere, it was so thick. Nick was utterly shocked by Dave’s actions and by the rage that had suddenly taken over the man. He had read him all wrong. He thought Dave was a rescuer, but he wasn’t. The man was something else entirely.
Nick crossed his arms and started walking. “Fine, let’s just get moving, then. Quicker we find help, the quicker we can contact Kathryn’s family and tell them you just tried to smash her brains in.”
“It was more like he was trying to bash them out to be honest,” said Dash, giggling.
Nick ignored the bad joke and picked up speed, leaving the rest of the group several yards behind. After a couple dozen paces Eve appeared beside him and kept pace. He wasn’t about to admit it, but he was glad she was with him.
chapter nine
“So what do you think we’re going to find?” Eve asked Nick as they trudged through the woods together. The rest of the group were trailing a few steps behind them. They all seemed to be following Dave’s lead for the most part, sticking close to him. Regardless of whether or not they condoned the man’s actions, his willingness to take charge had seemingly cemented his place of authority. Nick didn’t care about that; he just didn’t want to see anybody else get hurt. He hated to think of poor Kathryn out there in the woods, alone, injured, and afraid.
“I don’t know what we’re going to find,” he said honestly. “I hope we can find somewhere with a nice big gate and a police sniper on the roof, but I’m not sure we’ll get it.”
Eve laughed. “I’m just wishing for some place with a shower.”
Nick looked at her. “You’re not still bothered about being mucky, are you? Not after what happened to Kath-”
“Hey,” Eve cut him off. “Don’t give me grief. I’m just trying to focus my mind on the small things. Creature comforts, you know?”
“Sorry. I’m just angry about what happened back there.”
“Me too. But none of us know each other, at the end of the day. We should just give each other a wide berth until we get through this. We have no power over the actions of other. Nobody here is boss.”
Nick huffed. “I’m not sure Dave would agree with you, there. I would have stopped him if I knew what he was going to do.”
“I know you would have. But you didn’t and you can’t, so forgive yourself. At least Kathryn’s still alive. She wouldn’t be if you hadn’t stepped in.”
Nick remained silent, but he took what Eve said on board. There was no point ruminating on things he couldn’t change. It would just distract him. And, right now, a lapse in concentration could mean a death sentence.