Find Me (Life After the Outbreak, Book 2) (24 page)

We came across quite a few flesh eaters over the next few hours. For a little while, we were just taking out one after another, and they weren't old, slow ones. Those were fresh and quicker. Dan took out every one of the young ones, even though I insisted I could handle it. The truth was, I was grateful that he did. Janet insisted I use that kid-zombie target dummy for practice until she was certain I could do it for real. I cursed her under my breath for it, but she was right to do it. Even Will would have made me take on some of the kids. He was a lot like Janet in that way.
 

Dan was different. He wanted to protect me. It was sweet, and I appreciated him looking out for me, but I wasn't going to let him put his life at risk while I played the helpless girl. After everything Janet did to train me, I owed it to her memory to fight and be the person she could be proud of.

"They are finally starting to ease up a bit. I was starting to think they were never going to stop," Dan said.

I leaned against a large oak tree and rested my arms. It took a lot of strength to engage a crossbow, and even though I was considerably stronger than a couple months ago, there was only so much I could take.
 

"My arms are burning."

"Yeah, I bet. You should let me take the lead for a while and rest up. You don't want them cramping up at the wrong time."

"I'll just switch to the knife. It doesn't take much strength." I hooked the bow onto my pack so it was still within easy reach and pulled the knife out of my belt.

Dan took the knife out of my hand and stuffed it back into its holster. "It's okay to take a break. It's not like we are getting hit with a dozen at a time. I can handle it."

I rolled my eyes and pushed his hand off the knife. "I know you can handle it, but so can I. I'm not helpless. I was trained by the best."

"Sweetheart, I know you're not helpless. I just couldn't live with myself if something happened to you. The bow is one thing, but using the knife brings you too close. There's no reason to risk it."

"Dan, I'll be fine. We can take a break for a while, and you won't have to worry. We've made good time thanks to your speed walking back there. What the hell was up with that anyway?"

He took a few step away. "I don't have any idea what you are talking about."
 

"You certainly do. Instead of your usual meander, you were practically jogging. Are you mad at me?"

"Mad?" His eyes widened. "Are you joking?"

"No. I am not joking. The way you acted back there and then you hardly speak to me. Not to mention the jogging."

"I was not jogging, and I was hardly speaking because I've been a little busy making sure we don't become anyone's lunch." Dan pulled a water bottle from his bag and took a long pull from it. "What exactly did you expect me to say anyway? You want to discuss where you want to be buried too?"

I knew it was the talk of me not being around that got him into a huff, whether it made sense or not. "Look, I'm sorry if I upset you, but it's not like it wasn't the truth. I would be really sad if something happened to you too, but I have to face reality and accept that the chances of that aren't exactly slim."

"It's not … the same, Andi."

"What do you mean it's not the same. How isn't it?"

Dan closed the distance between us and leaned his hand on the tree an inch from my head. He was staring at me and breathing in shallow, quick breaths. "The way I feel about you … is not the same. Losing you … would not be the same."
 

He brought his other hand up to my face and pushed my hair back. His fingers trailed down the side of my cheek. He leaned closer, his lips close to mine. My heart thumped so hard in my chest, I was sure he could hear it. I thought for sure he was about to kiss me and, for a split second, I almost wanted him to.
 

He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and clamped down with his teeth.
 

"Dan …” I wasn't even sure what to say at that point, but the word was out of my mouth anyway.

He took a deep breath, kissed the middle of my forehead, then pushed off the tree and walked a few feet away. "I'm sorry." The words were just above a whisper.

"What for?" I wanted to go to him, force him to look at me, but I knew what would happen if I did.

He grabbed his backpack off the ground and slung it over his shoulder. "We should get back on the road."
 

"Maybe we should talk more," I said, though really I wasn't sure that was the best idea, especially since a small piece of me was hoping he actually would kiss me.
 

Guilt bubbled up, and I knew my feelings for Dan were wrong. We were out there looking for my boyfriend, who could have been dead, or worse, and I was thinking about kissing someone else. I was a horrible person and the worst girlfriend ever.

 
Dan closed his eyes and shook his head. "You certainly don't make this easy."

"Huh?"

He laughed. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for me not to scoop you into my arms and kiss you until your lips are sore?"
 

He looked over me as if I should answer so I shook my head. Words refused to make their way up my throat.

"You stand there and look at me with those sad, innocent eyes, and I wanna do anything in my power to keep you safe. I know part of that sadness is because Will is missing and I know you love him. But then you look at me like that, and I swear you actually want me to kiss you." He took a step closer and bit down on his lip once more. "Is that it? You want me to kiss you?"

There was a small bit in the back of my head that wanted to scream out and be heard, but I pushed her down. I couldn't think like that.

"I …”

Dan kicked a tree stump and dropped his hands to his sides. "Let's go, Andi. We are done talking. We have to find Will."

Dan had been quiet earlier, but after our little
talk
, he was downright silent. The only time he opened his mouth was to point out oncoming flesh eaters, and those were getting more and more sparse. We still came across the bodies, but there weren't too many still hobbling around.
 

"Are you going to talk to me at all? You're never this quiet." I grabbed his arm to slow him down a bit. I was starting to get tired, and we had a few more hours to go for the day.

 
His arm stiffened, then relaxed. “Actually, sweetheart, I usually am this quiet. You just bring out the blabbermouth in me."

"I like listening to you talk." I nudged him with my elbow and tried to be playful. The mood definitely needed to lighten.

He looped his arm through mine and relaxed a bit more. "It's the accent, isn't it?"
 

"Totally. If I sounded like you, I'd never shut up."

Dan laughed. "You hardly shut up now."

I jabbed my elbow into his ribs. "Hey!"

The loud crack of a branch nearby caught our attention, and Dan brought his finger up to his lips. He raised his bow and scanned the area. There was no tell-tale moaning or growling, though that didn't necessarily mean it wasn't a flesh eater.

We took a few steps forward. Dan pushed me behind him, but I didn't let down my guard either. We were almost up to a clearing if the wooded area. We would have to go across a highway and past some shops, including a Pizza Playground that I once went to for a classmate's birthday party. The clown was drunk and puked all over one of the birthday presents. I never went back.

"It could have been nothing," I whispered.

"Is that what Janet taught you?"

He knew it wasn't. Janet was more vigilant and hyper alert than a vet with severe PTSD. She assumed the worst in every situation, never giving up until she found the danger, or got her group to safety.
 

But Janet was dead.
 

We were almost past the wooded area when I head steps behind me. I spun around, bow ready, and nearly knocked Dan over in the process. He caught himself and turned to see what got my attention. We both stood there still, silent. I could see a green jacket peeking out from behind a tree less than ten feet away.
 

Zombies didn't hide, so we were didn't quite know what we were dealing with. Clearly it was human, but whether it was friendly or hostile had yet to be determined.

Dan again stepped in front of me. "Come on out," he called over to our visitor.
 

Slowly, a young girl about eleven or twelve stepped out from behind the tree with her hands up. She wasn't armed and looked harmless enough, but that didn't mean she actually was.
 

"Stay here." Dan walked over to the girl and looked around. "You alone?" he asked the girl.
 

She shook her head and looked around behind her.
 

Dan looked back at me, or behind me really, and the color drained from his face. I turned to see what he was looking at and nearly lost my balance at the shock.

It was Will.

I wanted to run to him, jump in his arms, touch him to make sure he was real, but I was frozen in place. No part of me would move.
 

"Andi?" Realization registered on Will's face. His confusion faded, and one side of his mouth curved up into the most magnificent crooked smile.
 

That smile was all I needed to unglue myself from where I stood and close the distance between us. He met me halfway and lifted me into his arms for a crushing hug.

"I thought you were dead."
 

Will loosened his grip enough for me to take a breath. "Almost was a few times. What are you doing out here?"

“Looking for you, of course.” Tears fell down my cheeks and onto his chest. “I thought you were dead.”
 

He swiped his hand across my face to wipe the tears. "Then you should be back at the base where you’re safe. I would have made it back. I promised you, didn't I?"

"Yes, but …”

"You didn't believe me?"

Dan and the girl walked closer, but kept just enough distance not to interrupt the reunion.
 

"Of course I did, but you had no right promising that. You didn’t make it back, and your ring did.
 
I was worried."

"I know. I'm sorry you had to worry about me. Wait, what do you mean my ring did?”

I pulled the chain up from around my neck where the ring dangled against my chest. “This made it back without you. What happened?”

Will held up a bandaged finger. “Broke it. I had to take the ring off and didn’t realize I lost it until a couple days ago. I can’t believe you ended up with it. Who had it?”

“Hadley.”

“Hadley? How the hell did she get it?”

I shook my head and shrugged. “One of the soldiers. She didn’t know who”.
 

“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter now. I’m just glad it’s with you and not lost in the woods.” He dropped the ring back down my shirt and glanced around. “So, where's Janet? I know she didn’t let you come out here on your own. I have some shit to give her, too."

I leaned my head against his chest and let more tears fall. Somehow, telling Will that Janet was gone made it so much worse.

“Hey, now, don't cry. What happened? Is she giving you crap again?" Will tried to lift my chin up to look at him, but I couldn't bring myself to allow it. Looking into those eyes when I told him she was gone would wreck me.

Dan took a few steps closer and put his hand on my shoulder. "Will … Janet, she didn't …” He took a deep breath and swallowed hard. "She didn't make it."
 

Will tensed, but didn't respond.

"It was before Andi and I met up, while they were looking for you," Dan said and gave Will a moment to process the news.
 

“What exactly do you mean, she didn’t make it?” His chest was rising and falling quickly, and his breaths came out in sharp bursts.
 

I laid my head against him and released the sobs that burned in the back of my throat. As much as I hurt for my own loss, I hurt for Will’s even more.
 

Dan swallowed hard and continued. “She died, Will.”
 

Dan wasn’t quite as close to Janet as Will, but it wasn’t too far off. Her death hurt him too, but he held it together on the surface so much better than I did.
 

Will’s grip on me tightened to the point of pain, but I remained still in his arms while the news sunk in. A single fat tear dropped onto my head before Will wiped it away and took a long, slow breath and released it in one quick exhale. “When?”

Dan let his hand drop from my shoulder and stepped back. “A few days ago.”

I should have been the one answering his questions, but just trying to control my sobbing was all I could handle.
 

Will lifted my tear-stained face up. His beautiful eyes welled with tears, but he held them back. "I'm so sorry, baby."

I didn't know what kind of response I expected, but that wasn't it.
 

I choked back the lump in my throat and pushed back from him a bit. "I'm the one who's sorry, Will. I know how close you and Janet were. She cared more about you than anyone."

"Janet and I were close, but she talked about you all the time. She thought of you like a little sister, though she did make me promise not to tell you she said that." Will wiped both thumbs over my face, swiping any excess tears away, and smiled.
 

The young girl took a step forward and grabbed Will’s hand. She looked up at him with wide eyes, then glanced over me with curiosity.

Will cleared his throat and released me to wrap his arm over the girl’s shoulder and smile down at her as if to say everything was all right. "You okay, Iz?"

She glanced around, then settled her eyes back on Will and nodded.

“Izzy, these are my good friends, Andi and Dan.”
 

She stepped forward and gave me a curious look with her head tilted to the side. I smiled at her, not sure what else to do. Dan walked closer and held out a hand to the girl.