The Last Legacy (Season 1): Episodes 1-10 (19 page)

I shoved it further into his head, ending him. He collapsed in a pile of flesh at my feet.
 

“Lana!” Jim yelled from near the back of the car. I ran to him, past another eater, spinning to get away from its needy fingers, until I was at Jim’s side.
 

“Where’s Scarlet?” My head darted around, searching. She climbed over the back seats, still in the back of the truck. She jumped out the trunk, her knife and gun out and ready. Jim spun me around and put a bag over my back, then did the same to Scarlet. When he was ready, he nodded.

Jim grabbed my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine, and I grabbed Scarlet’s. We ran. For some reason, at a completely inappropriate time, I smiled. We had each other, and it felt right—meant to be. We didn’t know each other, but I would’ve rather been with these two than anyone else.
 

Jim pulled us to the left towards what I thought was the main highway. During his driving, he tried to stay as parallel with the highway as he could. Of course, it wasn’t always possible, but I knew we were close.
 

The trees of the woods provided a good cover. Fallen branches, rocks, and stumps made navigating the unknown woods difficult. We weren’t able to run anymore. We slowed to a jog as we all stared down at the ground. I tried to predict my steps, focusing on what was a few feet ahead so I was more prepared.
 

A jerk pulled me to the left. Scarlet fell, something hanging onto her leg. Since I held her hand, she dragged me down with her. Jim’s hold on me broke as our fingers ripped apart from each other.
 

My head slammed against something hard on the ground. My vision spotted then went black. Excruciating pain boomeranged around my head like a pingpong ball. Jim grumbled, but it was like I listened through water. His voice was distorted, my head fuzzy.
 

I turned so that I was on my stomach. With my eyes still unfocused, I tried to get up so the eater wouldn’t kill me. My fingers dug into thick mud, and I stared down at my hand. Multicolored leaves surrounded me as the fog enveloped me. Arms tugged me up until I was on my feet. Jim turned me against him. He moved my arm so that it was over his shoulder and helped me walk.
 

“Where’s Scar?” I said through a fog.
 

I couldn’t remember what Jim said in response. Out of nowhere, my feet clonked against hard ground instead of leaves. Pavement. My knees buckled at the change.
 

We were back on a road, not in the woods. A light blue tinted the sky instead of just darkness. My heart picked up as my fingers shook. My head throbbed with each step, my focus wavering. We were walking towards the sun, instead of away from it, so that was at least something that told us direction.

“Sit down,” Jim instructed me. I sat, but wasn’t prepared to fall. I caught myself with my hand, rubble from the pavement digging into my palm. My head bounced, the wound igniting with pain.
 

Jim lifted me back up and dragged me by my armpits. He let go as my back pressed against something hard. I lay against it, my head against a cool metal. I smiled up at Jim. Here he was, saving me again.
 

“Where are we?” I asked.

“I have to get Scarlet. Can you just stay here for a fucking second? Please,” he begged as he crouched in front of me. “Just don’t go anywhere. Hold this up and first person that’s not me, just shoot. Okay?” I nodded even though I didn’t want him to leave me alone. Fear bubbled to the surface, and my eyes filled with tears. I turned so he couldn’t see me.
 

His heavy boots retreated into the forest in the direction we had come from. Rejection settled over me like the warm mist. His steps soon faded completely away. I bit the inside of my cheek but hardly felt a thing. I did what Jim said, holding the gun straight up. My eyes weighed a ton.
 

 
It really was a beautiful sight—the sun. I watched each second tick by, and each second, the sky changed a little bit. First just blues painted the darker areas. Then a bit of pink splashed. White clouds emerged and floated by, the fog lifting. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect morning.

I could see better now, my sight sharpening. The hardness of the pavement numbed my butt, though I didn’t dare move. Cars littered the highway, some piled onto each other. I looked over my back at the red Honda I leaned against.
 

Highways should’ve been safer than driving through towns. Though, we did witness the man get eaten alive a few miles back. But if we assumed most people stayed in their homes, the highways would be clear. Or at least those on them would’ve run by now.
 

A car alarm screamed not too far away. My ears rang as I covered them with my hands. Shit. Eaters were going to hear it and come for me. I was about to put the gun on my lap and stand when someone appeared in front of me. I glanced left and right. I hadn’t even seen him coming, but I sat on the ground so I couldn’t see much.

Listening to Jim, I pulled the gun up in front of me, aimed at the man who was cast in a shadow from the sun behind him, and pressed the trigger. The gun was stronger than me. I had forgotten about the recoil.
 

My arm jerked back. The gun flew from my hands onto the ground. My heart leapt into my throat as I choked on air. I had nothing to defend myself. The man reached for the gun faster than I did. I tried to get it, but he stood straight up, looming over me.
 

I tried to sit, but my head spun. Appalled, I realized that this man couldn’t have been an eater. He reached for the gun. He moved faster than they did. Holy shit. I just shot a man. I wasn’t sure if I hit him or not. Panic made my head spin again, my eyes fluttered shut.
 

When I re-opened my eyes, I was ready to plead my case. I just had to distract him long enough for Jim to come back and find me. The man had the gun pointed at my face, but I looked up anyway.
 

His chocolate eyes rang with familiarity. But not in a good way. I pushed back against the car, forcing distance between us.
 

“Are you still with Jim?” It was the driver during my kidnapping. I couldn’t formulate words, so I just nodded. “Where is he?” he asked next. His words were clipped and angry. I pointed to the woods as the man continued to hold the gun pointed at my nose. “Are you mute?” I had to fight back a laugh.
 

“No,” I shakily answered.

“Shit, your head’s bleeding.” He reached towards my forehead, but I flinched back, nearly knocking myself out as I fell against the tire of a car beside me. I pulled my knees to my chest and circled my arms around them. My entire body shook with fear as I tried to focus on the man’s face.
 

“Put the gun away,” Jim’s voice was like angels singing. I saw him perfectly in the yellow-tinted morning, his frame glowing. He stopped beside me.
 

“She shot at me. This is her gun,” the man said. The man put his hands up with the gun in one. Slowly, he bent down and placed the gun facing towards him on the pavement. He stood back up, his arms raised, palms out. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
 

“What do you want then?” Jim asked as he stepped in front of me. He never took his eyes off the man as he reached down for me and lifted me.
 

Scarlet ran to me, tugging me against her chest. She stood behind Jim like he was a shield. I held onto her, using her for balance as nausea ran through my stomach. I swallowed, fighting the urge to lean over and retch. I pressed my hand to my forehead, trying to stop the ache.
 

“I was hiding in that car.” He pointed a few cars down. “After the fire, we all got split up. I’ve been alone for days. I saw her, recognized her, and figured I’d see if she knew where you went. I swear, dude. You know me.” The man shook his head, his eyes pleading as his hands prayed.
 

“You were with them, so I don’t know what to trust.”

“You were with them, too!” Silence vibrated between us all.

“You’re alone?” Jim asked. From behind, I saw him turn his head, searching all around us. The brightening light helped.
 

“Yes.” The man nodded.

“You won’t hurt them?” Jim hiked his thumb back towards us.
 

“No.” The man shook his head vehemently. “I just don’t want to be alone anymore.”
 

Jim turned and looked at Scarlet, his eyes flicking over me. I could feel her nod her head. Jim was going to betray everything he’d done for me and let this rapist join us. What the fuck was going on here? Scarlet’s arm tightened around me.

“You can stay with us. But anything shady and you’re gone.”

“I’ll find my own food and weapons. I won’t bring you down. I promise, James. Really. I just can’t be alone anymore. I’m going crazy, man.” I peered around Jim. The man cocked his head to the side, shaking it. He ran his hand down the side of his scruffy face and smiled at Jim, nodding.
 

“It’s fine, Kev.”

“Where are you all staying?” Kev asked as he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against a large moving truck.

“We lost our car to a group of eaters. So, nowhere.” His voice trailed off.

“I’ve got a working car.”

“Lead the way,” Jim said.
 

Jim reached back towards me and lifted me in his arms, stealing me away from Scarlet. He cradled me like a baby as we walked up route 91. I couldn’t believe this many people tried to flee Connecticut. Where were they going?

Next thing I knew, we were stopping in front of a Jeep Cherokee. Scarlet got the back door and Jim laid me in the back seat. I didn’t like being treated like an invalid. It made me feel inferior, weak, and childish.
 

“Push back so your head is on the other side,” Scarlet said, pushing against my feet. Someone opened the other door, the click of the lock startling. Fingers probed the back of my head and my forehead. I flinched with each movement.

“She needs stitches,” Jim grumbled from behind me. I lifted my head and peeked at him, but his eyes were drawn together and shut. He pinched the bridge of his nose and then looked down at me, his eyes flashing anger. He quickly turned away. “Do you have a first aid kit in here?”

“One of these cars has to,” Kev said from the front of the car. “I’ll go look around.”

“I can help you,” Scarlet offered, her voice light.

“Be careful,” Jim said. His fingers found my scalp again as he pressed random parts of my skull and pulled my hair off the matted part in the back. I winced as he pushed the spots that hurt the most. I had no idea what he did—only that I wanted him to stop already. “You doing okay?”

“I guess so.” I stared up at the gray carpeted roof of the jeep, counting in my head to get through the pain. I pressed my lips together hard enough that it hurt. My entire head felt like it was in a vice, being closed in by the second. I needed a distraction. My body felt numb from the neck down, the pain so visceral it was more than just a feeling.
 

“You scared the shit out of me.” Jim sighed and brushed the hair from my forehead.

“Thought you’d gotten rid of me, huh?” I joked, faking a smile as my forehead wrinkled with pain. “Ow!” I yelped as he poked my head. I clutched the leather seat with my hands, digging my fingers into it.
 

“Something like that,” he mumbled as his calloused fingers rubbed my forehead, petting me like a dog.

“You can’t lose me that easily,” I said like a promise.

“Good to know.” He chuckled from behind me. I wished I could see his face. See a real smile. It would suit him to be less intense.
 

“Am I going to be okay?” I laced my fingers together over my stomach as I played with the fabric of my shirt. His hand stilled, stopping its inspection of me, and I let out a sigh. I took in long breaths to calm my rapid heart.

“Yes. I promised you, didn’t I?”

“Normally, you want to point it towards someone’s middle,” Kev said. He demonstrated with Scarlet. His fingers lightly held onto her upper arm as he jabbed an imaginary knife towards her belly button. A wide smile graced her face.