Alive Like Us Read online

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  The fact that they had bathed him made Kai even more nervous. He’d awoken to gruff hands plunging him into the lukewarm water near a blazing fire. They were all men. Soldiers in ski masks. They’d washed and dressed him—even bandaged his shoulder. He spotted no women or children as they dragged him across the camp and shoved him into Cerise’s trailer.

  Now Kai sat in the center, the stench of the guards behind him mingling with the pungent odor of cloves and eucalyptus. Small windows, two on either side, spilled amber sunlight onto the jewel-toned carpets covering the narrow space. A single candle glowed at the trailer’s far end, casting its anemic light on the sheaves of dried plants hanging from the ceiling and the wicker baskets piled high in each corner.

  Cerise was known for her natural medicines, in addition to her bogus cure. Her clan was large and prosperous, roaming the Deadlands selling her potions and foraging for ingredients. Kai hadn’t seen anyone when he was hauled in. Perhaps they were out foraging for ingredients. Or something more sinister.

  He spotted his pack next to a heap of others and refused to wonder what had happened to their owners.

  Time stretched to eternity. The lush carpets and pillows felt luxurious to his tired bones. Beads clicked together and his eyelids cracked open to a large belly poking through a shimmering curtain to the left. Pudgy hands reached into the room and swept back the strands, revealing a corpulent woman swathed in expensive, glittering fabrics. A belt of interlocking silver rings encircled her bulging waist.

  “Well, I’ll be. If it isn’t Kai Merrick,” The corners of the woman’s kohl-rimmed eyes crinkled—the only visible part of her face, the rest hidden behind a gauzy, glittering veil. “I couldn’t believe it when Jake told me the news. Tell me, is that darling little sister of yours still with us?”

  “Yes, no thanks to you.”

  “Now, that wasn’t my fault. You stole that medicine before it was finished.” Cerise waddled over and grabbed a bushel of dried plants hanging above him. Kai held his breath, his eyes watering at their spicy scent.

  “Your reputation for hospitality is a bit...exaggerated,” Kai said, hoping to avoid the topic of Esme altogether. Cerise was probably still enraged by the theft. The woman was hardly known for her magnanimity.

  She flopped back onto the pillows, her fat, booted ankles bobbing in the air. “Yes, well, you’re on the wrong end of things, aren’t you, Merrick? If you were truly my guest, you would be practically drowning in hospitality.”

  “There’s cash sewn into the backpack. And there’s more where that came from too,” Kai lied.

  “Hmm,” she stroked her chin, the many rings on her fingers glimmering, “that is tempting but...I’m afraid I don’t make deals like that anymore.”

  “Why not?”

  “Jake must have told you already. We are blessed with a new leader. Someone who can actually cure the infection, instead of just suppress it. All he asks for is a few sacrifices.”

  “Let me guess, you’ve never seen him, but you heard his voice one day. He made the Infected do something unusual, and now you’re certain he’s a god and are willing to do whatever he asks.”

  “Many have met him. The women. The children.”

  “And where are they now? Can’t you see he’s using you? He’s a monster.”

  Cerise picked up a dried flower stem and pulled it through her pinched fingers. A flurry of seeds floated down into the bowl.

  Kai shot up, furious. In the far corner, metal scraped as a guard unsheathed his sword. “You won’t get away with this. You can’t murder this many people without New Hope noticing.”

  Cerise snapped her fingers, and the guard surged forward. Kai swiveled and ducked the blow meant for his head but caught one to his stomach. He gasped and sputtered on the floor like a landed fish.

  “I am kind, you know,” Cerise said as she loomed over Kai, her eyes glowing with rage. “I’ve given herbs to anyone who meets him to dull the pain. But I think it would do you good to suffer.” Kai bit back a cry as Cerise dug her finger into his shoulder wound. “It might teach you some manners.”

  She nodded to the guard, who grabbed hold of Kai’s collar and dragged him out, tossing him down the stairs. He fell hard, gripping his arm, and rolled onto his back. The cloudless sky stretched above him, the same color as Sanna’s eyes.

  God, he hoped she was okay.

  Hands wedged under Kai’s armpits and lifted him as Cerise’s door opened.

  “We’ve found our next sacrifice!” she shouted to the sound of male cheers.

  A smelly rag covered Kai’s nose and mouth. He struggled, thrashing against the hand.

  “Don’t,” one of the guards growled. “She may not like it, but it’s better this way.”

  Kai’s eyelids sank as if pulled by weights. His body felt leaden. He should be fighting back. He should be trying to escape. Around him the voices became louder, morphing into bloodcurdling screams. The acrid scent of burning hair filled his nostrils. Broken Creek...

  Maybe Cerise was right. Maybe he did deserve this.

  He was glad that Sanna wouldn’t be here to see it. He hoped she was still alive, somehow, safe and warm and far, far away.

  He was dragged across the snowy encampment, past a roaring bonfire, through a dense crowd of celebrants, and then dumped outside another trailer. There his tormentor—Jake, was it?—stood, swinging a piece of coarse rope in his hands. He’d taken off his ski mask, revealing a broad forehead, large hooked nose, and a chin that receded so much it reminded Kai of a turkey’s wattle.

  You’re terribly sweet for a member of the Inferno. Sanna’s words drifted through his unspooling thoughts.

  Kai’s mouth lifted at the corners. He had to be losing it. That was the only logical reason he could be smiling right now, just at the memory of her words.

  Jake the Chinless bound his wrists and dragged him back into his dark prison.

  SANNA AWOKE WITH A gasp. She was lying in the snow. The Infected swarmed around her, ravenous, and a shadowy figure that she knew was the voice watched, smirking.

  Something cold and wet pressed her cheek. She jerked, ready to lash out, but stopped. It was Frankie.

  She wasn’t outside. She was in a cave, on a pile of dried leaves and pine needles. She shifted into sitting position; her muscles stiff. The leaves rustled as Frankie plopped down beside her, whining. A small, dwindling fire glowed nearby, its orangey light splashing onto the stone walls. She looked down at her stomach. There was a blackened hole in her clothes and the fabric was stiff with dried blood. The wound had healed.

  Kai must’ve gotten free, killed the man with the gun, and brought her here. She searched the cave for him and noticed a nest of blankets tucked against the opposite cave wall, ending in a dirty black hood. Wait—was this the kid who’d stolen from them?

  After all the trouble that brat had put them through, Kai had deigned to let him stay? She wasn’t surprised. He might come off as aloof and distant sometimes, but it was all an act. Especially when someone reminded him of his sister.

  She searched the cave for Kai. No luck. The sun was setting behind the dark silhouettes of the pines, painting the sky with streaks of rose and gold. Perhaps he’d gone out hunting.

  A spider’s web of string spread across the cave’s entrance, threaded with bits of metal and utensils. It was enough to cause a ruckus if anything happened to stumble through. Clever. Kai had never done that before. They usually took turns keeping watch, but maybe they both needed rest. The day before—the skirmish with those strange, brutal men, had certainly taken more out of her than she realized.

  She replayed yesterday’s events in her mind. Had she really made Murray turn? Or was it a lucky coincidence? Iris would know, and she’d meet her soon.

  Her foot caught on something and she fell forward, catching herself on the cave wall. A butcher’s knife sailed past her nose and clanged against the stone. Frankie ducked behind her, cowering.

&
nbsp; Booby traps? That was a new one, too.

  The boy lurched from the covers with a high-pitched scream, slashing the air with his pocket knife. He spotted her and immediately adjusted the scarf over his face. She caught the barest glimpse of it. His skin seemed dark and rough, as if he was burned. One of his shoulders was also higher than the other.

  “I didn’t mean to startle you,” Sanna said carefully. “That trap nearly took off my nose.”

  “It should have killed you.”

  She blinked, stunned by the kid’s fury.

  “You have to protect yourself when you’re sleeping. People can kill you if your guard isn’t up.”

  “I guess that makes sense,” Sanna moved out of his way as he reset the trap. “What’s your name?”

  “Twig.” The boy was quick with his hands, and soon the knife was well hidden in the cave’s wall. He turned to Sanna but kept his head bent. “Where were you going—when those people attacked.”

  “I—we—are meeting a friend.”

  “Why?”

  “I guess,” Sanna hesitated, considering her words. “I’m...hoping she can help me understand what I’ve been going through lately. I’m Sanna, by the way.”

  “This friend—is she like you?” A sharp keenness flashed in his eyes when Sanna nodded. “What’s her name?”

  “Iris.”

  “Iris,” Twig savored the word. “Where does she live? Is she close?”

  Sanna shrugged. “I don’t know. Kai’s the only one who’s seen her before. I wonder when he’ll be back...”

  “He won’t.”

  Sanna turned to the strange boy, dread prickling her skin. “What are you talking about?”

  The boy shrugged. “They took him.”

  “When?” Sanna gripped the boy’s shoulders. “Tell me.”

  “Don’t touch me! I don’t like to be touched!” the boy shrieked, ripping free. His hood slid down to his shoulders. Patches of coppery hair covered his skull. “Yesterday. The bad men left you behind, so I waited and brought you here. I saved you. Without me, the bullet would have poisoned you.”

  Sanna gasped. Kai was taken? How much time had passed? She’d already wasted so much of it. She lurched towards the cave’s entrance. “I have to go.”

  “We should keep going.” Twig followed after her. “Meet this...Iris person.”

  “I never agreed to take you anywhere.”

  “You can’t leave me,” the boy whined. “I saved you.”

  Sanna gritted her teeth. Twig’s voice grated on her nerves. She reached the mouth of the cave. Night had fallen, and the trees were an army of giant shadows waiting in the dark. “He’s the only one who knows where Iris lives.”

  “So we...need him?”

  “Yes.”

  “Fine.” He inhaled a deep breath and squared his small shoulders. “I’ll take you to the camp. Hopefully they haven’t killed him already.”

  “If you just tell me what direction you can stay h—” Sanna began, but the boy took off. He was fast and agile, like a fawn bolting through the forest.

  Sanna followed, her stomach oddly hollow. She told herself it was her lack of weapons that made her uneasy. Not the glimpse of the boy’s strange, patchwork skull. Or that he hadn’t even asked about her wound.

  KAI PROWLED THE CONFINES of his metal prison. The place was empty except for an unlit cast iron stove. Port-hole windows ran along the walls, but they were too high for him to reach, and too small to fit through even if he could.

  And then there was the hatch above him. Wide enough to be sure—but it might as well be on Mars.

  Especially since his hands were still bound.

  Kai sat down near the entrance, his head still throbbing from the drugged rag. As far as he could tell, there was one way out of this coffin, and it was that single locked door. If he could get his hands free, then maybe—just maybe—he’d have a chance to overpower whoever came through it.

  He wrestled against his bonds. The skin on his wrists was already raw with his previous attempts. Sweat slid down his neck. He stopped trying when he felt the wound on his shoulder reopen and blood trickle, wet and warm, down his bicep.

  Dammit! Who would guessed Cerise’s goons would be so good at tying knots?

  Somewhere outside, a gong rang. Kai stiffened. Had the ceremony begun? Had his time already run out? God, how the minutes flew when one was the main course.

  A key rattled the door and it swung open. The same man who’d dragged him through the forest entered. Jake. That’s what Cerise had called him.

  Loathing burned inside Kai’s chest.

  “Ah, I see you’re awake,” Jake grinned, his weak chin melting. “What a pity—for you.”

  Kai looked away.

  Jake barked a laugh as the door whined shut. “You know, you could be nicer to me. Might do you some good.” He stalked towards him, armed with a pistol.

  An idea flashed in Kai’s mind. He stayed on the ground, waiting until Jake’s snowboots stopped in front of him. “Did you go back for Sanna? Was she there?”

  “The girl? She’s dead. The new boss got to her and had some fun, I guess.” Jake squatted down to Kai’s level, tutting. “A shame isn’t it? I would’ve liked some time with her as well...”

  Was he telling the truth? Had the voice—whatever it was—finally caught her? Scenes of Sanna replayed in Kai’s mind: the determined gleam in her eyes whenever she entered a fight and her easy grin when she won. How could someone so strong, so brave, so vital be gone? And who could have done it?

  He glared into Jake’s leering, ugly face and knew the answer. Him.

  Kai moved fast, kicking Jake’s balls with as much force as he could muster. The man paled, his mouth gaping as he clutched his crotch and flopped to the side. Kai didn’t waste a moment. He kicked the gun out of Jake’s hand and landed another one to his nose. Blood spurted from the broken, reddened mess of tissue.

  Kai awkwardly reached for the knife attached to Jake’s belt. As his fingertips brushed the bone handle, Jake’s hands wrapped around his throat from behind and squeezed.

  “Idiot.” Jake sputtered. Flecks of spit and blood sprayed Kai’s ear. “You’ll never get out.”

  Kai rocked his head back, hard, hitting the guy's mouth. Black spots peppered his vision, but the arm around his throat loosened. He slipped the knife out of its sheath and flipped it up, sawing at the rope. The bonds loosened and slipped off.

  A thousand needles pricked his skin as the blood flowed back to his hands.

  Jake groaned and sat up, wincing as he touched his nose. Kai grabbed the pistol and pointed it at him.

  “If you shoot me, everyone will hear. You’ll have the whole militia on you.”

  “Worth it.”

  “S-so what are you gonna do, then?” Jake kicked his feet against the floor, scooting away. “K-kill everyone? I’ve only g-got three bullets in there.”

  “Get up.”

  The gong rang again, startling Kai. Silver flashed in the dark. Jake lunged for him; a second knife clutched in his hand. Kai squeezed the trigger. Sparks flared and the bullet knocked Jake backward, into the wall. He slid down, leaving a smear of blood.

  Kai stared at the ragged hole in the man’s chest. He hadn’t meant to kill him, but then he attacked...

  He shook off the thought and checked the man’s pockets for cartridges. None. He grabbed the knife Jake had dropped and stuffed it into his boot before heading for the door.

  A cold numbness radiated through Kai, preparing him for the horror ahead. He wasn’t sorry he killed Jake. Far from it. And yet, it didn’t change the fact that Sanna was dead. No amount of bloodshed would.

  He flung open the door, relishing the blast of frigid air on his bare skin. The sun had sunk low on the horizon, radiating a muted rainbow of color across the indigo sky.

  Sanna had held his hand yesterday. She’d been warm. Alive. He sensed that she cared for him. Maybe one day she could’ve loved him. Now she was dead. Gone.


  He looked out onto the encampment. Cerise had already sacrificed most of her people, but those who remained would likely be zealots and scrambling for their weapons. They’d come for him, one after another, until he was dead.

  Kai drank in the icy winter air, and let the rage fill him again.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  THE BOY WAS RIGHT. They were close. Soon after they began their trek, Sanna caught the scent of Kai’s blood in the air, mingled with the overripe stink of Cerise’s soldiers. The amount of blood worried her.

  She pressed on, so fast that the boy and Frankie fell behind. She didn’t need the child to lead her anymore. She could follow Kai’s scent to the ends of the earth if she had to. She only hoped he’d be alive when she found him.

  The world around her grew more brilliant the closer she got to the camp; a multicolored jewel caught in the sun. Her senses were sharpening, preparing for whatever monster lurked ahead. Maybe she could sneak in and rescue Kai without the voice noticing her, but she feared it might already be too late for that.

  A gong rang. Twig yanked her behind a bush, while Frankie bounded onward, oblivious.

  He peered between the snow-covered branches. “They must be starting the sacrifice.”

  “Then we’re running out of time.” She surged up, then fell back down. Footsteps.

  Someone was coming. She sniffed the air. A man with the same overripe scent as Murray. He materialized a few yards behind them, dressed in white and gray fatigues. She sank further into the ditch. Her boot nudged a rock loose under the snow. Twig watched her with vague interest as she grabbed it and prepared to strike.

  The footsteps grew louder, then faded as the man passed. She relaxed. They hadn’t been spotted. Yet.

  Frankie trotted through the bushes in front of her, a limp squirrel in his jaws. He dropped it on her chest, his black lips spreading into a doggy grin. She shook it off, revolted. Frankie picked it up, pressing it into the side of her head. She pushed him away, but her touch made him even more wiggly and eager.