Don't Look Back (Warders of Earth) (30 page)

Curled into a tight ball I slammed onto the roadway and tumbled.

Heaving to my feet, I ran across the footpath and jumped the fence. I crept along the fence-line, hiding in the shadows. My blood pumped furiously through my veins in unison with my pounding heart. My breathing was way too loud. A deaf man would hear me, if I didn’t calm down. Concentrating I focused on controlling my adrenaline rush and strained my senses as sounds of vehicles, shooting and furious men faded into the night.

No one had stopped to give chase.

A quick look around and I recognised my location. I jumped back over the front fence, crossed the road and began to circumnavigate my way toward where both Alex and I suspected the Mundos Novos Force had made their headquarters.

***

Outside the seventy-year old courthouse built from convict bricks and surrounded by almost equally old elm trees, I crouched behind an overflowing skip bin. I breathed through my mouth, one hand pressed against my protesting stomach.

The stench was unbelievable.

The sight of nine trucks lining the street confirmed Alex’s guess. This had to be where the command unit was holed up. Somewhere inside, the vaccines and hopefully, the antidotes, should be stored.

So far, so good. By clambering over residential fences, I’d managed to avoid being spotted. But how much longer my luck would hold, I had no idea.

Now that I’d stopped moving, my skinned elbows and various bruises and cuts were making themselves known. The leather jacket my mother had given me had been a good idea. It had cushioned my fall from the car and limited the gravel rash to one side of my thighs where my jeans had ripped.

I took another peek around the side of the skip.

The moonlight revealed that apart from two guards standing on the front porch of the building, the road was empty of soldiers. At least what I could see. The shadows were fairly impenetrable beneath the old trees and around the far sides of the trucks. But I couldn’t hear the murmur of any voices either. In the distance came the crack of rifle fire.

Where was Alex?

Were the soldiers still chasing my family?
Mum, Dan. Be safe.

Paper rustled.

My heart seized in my chest for a moment before skittering on.

A little gecko scurried out from beneath the skip bin, paused, its tiny nose sniffing the air then skittered across the cracked pavement to disappear under a straggling grevillea bush.

Straightening, I prepared to step forward only to have someone grab a fistful of my jacket and jerk me backwards. An arm locked me in place, while a hand stifled my sharp intake of breath.

“Jeeze, Tara. Quiet or they’ll hear us,” whispered Alex close to my ear.

My sudden terror settled and despite the situation, I couldn’t help leaning into his warmth and enjoying the feel of his hard, virile body pressing against me.

“Okay?”

I nodded and Alex slowly removed his hand from my mouth. Turning me around by the shoulders to face him, he bit out, “You could be jeopardising the safety of millions if you’re caught.”

“I know but I’m not prepared for people I know to be written off as collateral damage.”

Alex shifted and moonlight bathed his set face. “This won’t be easy.”

“I know the risks, Alex. My family and friends are not going to catch this disease. I won’t lose them,” I said firmly and keeping my gaze glued to his. “Even if I manage to speak with the aliens what guarantees do we have they will cease the attack? None.”

“I know it’s a leap of faith for you, me, all of us.”

“It doesn’t mean I’m not going to try. But first I intend to make sure my family and my friends have the best possible chance for survival.”

“I’ll go for the vaccines while you wait here.”

I shook my head.

“Shit.” He rasped a hand along his jaw, looking suddenly older. “Then we do this together. I’ll be able to keep an eye on you this way. But you have to promise to obey me without question. Is that a deal?”

“Yes.” I touched his bottom lip with a trembling finger. “Alex, I abandoned my father. I did nothing to save him. I can’t and I won’t run when I may be able to help what’s left of my family. Do you understand? I don't want to put you in danger but I’m so glad you’re here with me.”

“Where else where I be?” he muttered. Then rolling his shoulders he smiled, his teeth glinting palely in the moonlight. “Yeah, I get it. I didn’t want to leave our friends and your family behind with no insurance either. Come on, let’s do this. Marnie must be close to running out of time.”

“Thank you.”  I pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

As if he couldn't help himself he kissed me back until breathless, I slid my lips from his. “What are we going to do? Another diversion?”

“No. My guess there'll be limited guards here anyway and the security will be lax. I think these guys have underestimated us. They’re devoted to their cause but blind to the motivation of others. From the amount of weapon fire we can hear about the town, I figure they're busy clearing the streets of any infected. We'll go in the back. Follow me and keep your head down.”

Turning around, he slipped past the skip bin and after a quick glance behind him to ensure I followed, Alex ran along the side of the building.

As soon as he reached the back, he paused and took a moment to scan the paved courtyard that spread as far as the rear fence.

“All clear,” he murmured over his shoulder.

As silent as a ghost he slipped around the side of the building and trod toward a narrow porch. I was as close as his shadow.

The first step Alex took onto the old timbers, had them creaking loudly. He froze but no shouts were heard from inside the building.

Wouldn’t it be a stroke of luck if this place were empty? We could do with something going our way for a change.

Alex tried the handle but it was locked. About to force the door with his shoulder, I squeezed his hand quickly. I whispered, “Wait. I think someone’s coming.”

Alex grabbed my wrist and jumped off the porch, pulling me along behind him. We raced across the paved courtyard to press ourselves in the deepest shadows behind a garden shed. I half expected to feel the slam of a bullet in my back.

Footsteps tramped along the side of the building, coming closer.

My nerves taut, sickness churning in my belly, I longed for invisibility.
Hey, that would have been a nifty trick to have, instead of an ability to talk the talk with aliens.
Not daring to move in case I dislodged pebbles and betrayed our presence I plastered myself against the shed wall.

Alex released my hand. His arm brushed against mine and I heard the infinitesimal slide of metal against leather as he gently eased his gun from its holster.

Tramp.

Tramp.

Closer.

My heart became thunderclaps in my ears. I waited.

They were close, mere feet away. One complained about the food he’d been given that night. The footsteps stopped.

I held my breath.

With a rusty grind, the door to the shed rumbled open. The men grunted as if lifting something or moving something heavy. Then a dull thud as a box hit the ground.

The door rattled shut. Footsteps and voices faded as the men disappeared down the driveway of the courthouse.

“Stay here.” Alex edged past me and checked the soldiers had gone. “I’ve got a hunch.” His teeth gleamed as he grinned then strode quickly to the shed door.

I tiptoed to his side, straining my eyes searching the darkness but as far as I could tell, we were alone in the courtyard. When I turned around, Alex had already begun to slide the door along its tracks. Inch by careful inch, excruciatingly slowly, the door slid open wide enough to enable one of us to enter.

Alex flicked on a penlight he’d fished from his shirt pocket. Its thin beam swept over the interior revealing stacks of metal boxes of varying sizes.

Bingo.

“That’s them. The vaccines, I mean. At least, they look like the same boxes,” I squeaked excitedly, my fingers digging into Alex’s arm.

“We have to make sure.” Alex handed over the torch. “Here, hold this please.”

While I kept the light shining on the closest box, he used his knife to break the flimsy lock. Sweat beaded on my forehead. Any second now and those soldiers could come marching back and we’d be trapped inside the shed.

“Got it.” Alex replaced his knife into its sheath and opened the lid.

Inside were numerous tiny vials of a clear liquid. Taped to the inside of the lid were packets of syringes. The vials all had either a small green or red sticker.

“This has to be it.”

“If all these boxes contain the vaccines, there’d be enough to vaccinate an entire city. I’m going with green for vaccine and red for antidote,” I said.

Alex snorted. “That’s a bit of leap.”

“Not really. It says it here. And it mentions deadline when the antidote won’t work. Nine hours. We’ve got fifty minutes to get this to Marnie.” I waved the sheet of paper that had fallen from the case when Alex opened the lid.

“Good one. You know, Tara, maybe that’s their plan. Hold a city to ransom and gain control of the populace by offering salvation from the virus.”

“We have to take as many as we can carry.”

“That’s not going to be very many. I have a better idea.” Alex hefted up the closest box and handed it to me. “Not too heavy?”

“I can manage.” I beat back my gasp as the weight dragged at my arms.

Alex indicated the door. “Go across the courtyard, along the side of the building and place the box behind the skip bin. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Okay.” I stepped over the door track, checked the coast was clear and hurried back the way we’d come until I reached the bin where I lowered the box to the ground. Alex was right behind me. He placed two larger containers next to mine.

“Now we do it all over again,” Alex said.

Two super-fast trips later we had nine boxes and I felt as if my arms had been wrenched from their sockets.

“Now what?” Rubbing my aching muscles, I looked up and down the dark street.

“We wait.”

“But Marnie…”

“Don’t worry, Shay will be here soon.”

Alex pulled me back against his chest and wrapped his arms around me. Sagging, I closed my eyes, nestling in, glad to be given a moment’s rest.

I don’t understand.

I’ve sent for him. He’ll park a block away and meet us here.

But Mum, Dan, Mrs Tolini? They may get caught.

Don’t worry. He’s left them somewhere safe.
He hugged me closer and I snuggled into his warmth.

A long ten minutes later, Alex stiffened and stared down the road to the left.

He’s here.

Then Shay stepped out of the shadows beside us. Without speaking he lifted two containers and set off into the night.

I stared after him.
He’s telepathic too. This is so cool.

Yeah.

Then I had a horrifying thought.
Wonderful. Someone else that can look inside my mind.

No, Tara. You and I are linked and I’m linked separately with Shay.

Whew. That’s a relief.
I certainly didn’t want anyone else privy to my secret fantasies where Alex was concerned. I looked around to find Alex had picked up two containers. Sighing, I crouched down to scoop up a box before hurrying off behind him.

Further down the street came a low muttering and shuffling feet.

What the hell is that?

Shit. Hurry, Tara
. Alex broke into a jog.