Nine

His shoulders heaved with each angry breath as he stalked toward me.  I shook with fear, unable to tear my gaze from the pink bedazzled sunglasses he wore.  When he stood before me, he leaned down until his eyes were level with mine.

“Arm fall off.”

The deep, quiet words turned my fear to confusion.

“W-what?”

He reached out and stroked one finger along my bruised elbow.  The same arm Jack had just been tugging on.

“Get down!” Charles bellowed from somewhere behind me.

Drav roared in my face, put his shoulder to my stomach, and hoisted me into the air.  An arm around my thighs anchored me.  As he turned, I braced my arms on his back and lifted my head. Charles stood by the door, rifle poised and ready to fire.  Our eyes met.  His hopeless, sad expression ratcheted my panic higher, and I struggled in Drav’s hold.

A large hand came down on my ass with a loud crack.  I forgot to struggle as I choked on a pained squeal.  Drav took off running.

“Sorry, kid,” Charles said.

A moment later, a loud bang filled the air.  Stunned, I stared at Charles as he took aim again.  He’d actually pulled the trigger.  I cried out and tucked myself close to Drav’s torso, wrapping my arms around his waist as he ran.

Another shot rang out.  My heart wanted to pound its way out through my throat. Drav jerked but didn’t slow.  Blacktop, interspersed with flashes of green, continued to pass underneath me at an alarming rate.  My hair whipped around my head.  Even when the shots stopped, Drav didn’t.

I loosened my hold on his waist and lifted my head.  His arm tightened on the backs of my thighs and a hand settled on my sore butt cheek.  That was all the warning I needed to resume my clinging position.

What I’d glimpsed had been enough.  Infected trailed behind us, attracted by the sound of the shots and Drav’s running.  Although he outpaced them, I didn’t want to know if one came close or if their numbers grew.  If Drav wanted me to hold still so he could run, I would.  And, I wouldn’t think about what would happen when he stopped running or about the way he’d roared in my face.  Nope.  I’d cling to him like a second skin and think of how I would make it home and how we’d all go somewhere safe.

Charles had said they’d evacuated people to a location somewhere north of the city.  I regretted not asking where and tried to focus on the positive bits of information I knew.  An evacuation had occurred.  People were safely flown away to a fenced in location.  Fences had to be good.  Especially if they were military.  So, if my family was there—wherever there might be—they would be safe.  I had to believe that.  But, first, I needed to make sure they had actually been evacuated and weren’t with the stragglers Charles had mentioned.

Drav jumped, startling me from my thoughts, and I looked down to see a fence pass under us.  Another fenced in yard, proving my thought that fences were good.  I heard the wood crack as he broke in through the back door.  Finally, he set me on my feet.

For a moment, I wobbled unsteadily as the blood rushed from my head.  Drav set his sunglasses on the counter then gently touched my shoulder.  I fearfully met his gaze.

Before I could ponder what he would do to me, a whisper of noise came from our left.  Drav spun toward the sound and crouched low in front of me. A man, his eyes lifelessly cloudy, rushed toward us.

I gasped and my fight or flight instinct surged.  I would have run, but to where?  A stupid fenced in backyard?  I was a fish in a barrel.

Drav waited until the man came close, then lashed out, ripping the head clear from the body in one powerful swing.  Dark, clotted blood spattered the wall behind the man.  I gagged and closed my eyes.

“Mya.”

The sound of my name made me wince.

“Mya.  Eyes.  Look me.”

I opened my eyes and found him standing before me once more.  The decapitated infected lay on the floor behind him.  Would I be next?  Was that why he’d come after me and killed the rest of Charles’s group?

Nerves pushed too far, I trembled uncontrollably and numbly stared up at Drav.  His gaze swept over my face as if he was checking for something.  What, I had no idea.  The heavy exhale he released made me jump.  The way he reached around me to grab the back of my head made my heart hammer.  I closed my eyes, waiting for the end.  Instead, his forehead pressed against mine and his breath fanned my face.

Surprised, I opened my eyes.  The up-close view of his eyes startled me less than the feel of his fingers gently massaging my scalp.

He stayed like that for a moment before slowly straightening.  His gaze held mine as he lightly ran his fingers along my hair.  When his fingers reached the ends, he brought the long strands to his nose.  With growing nervousness, I watched him inhale deeply.  He killed a lot.  People.  Hellhounds.  Infected.  But not me.  And, the potential reason why terrified me.

Releasing my hair, he turned to look at the fallen body.  He grunted at it, as if annoyed, then reached down to pick it and the head up.

“Mya, no go back outside.”

I nodded slightly.

He stepped around me, and I watched him carry the infected to the back of the fence then chuck both the body and the head over.  The early morning sun caught on the face as the head tumbled down.  Was this my life?  Death and hiding and fear?

Drav turned, and his watery gaze never left mine as he stalked back across the yard.  I stepped aside, hoping he would pass me, but he shadowed my move, crowding into my space.

“I’m sorry, Mya.”

Was he just repeating Charles’ words or was he really sorry for stealing me?

He glanced at the dark hallway then nudged me in that direction. This time, the doors weren’t closed. The sight of the first clean, cozy bed reminded me how very little sleep I had gotten.  Until now, adrenaline had kept my exhaustion away.  However, that was fading fast.

When I saw a bathroom, I stopped.

“Mya.”  Drav’s tone held a note of warning.

“I want to pee,” I said.  I didn’t.  Not really.  I wanted to climb my ass out that big window and see if I could run my way back to Charles or some other humans.

He grunted and nudged me toward the bathroom.  When I stepped in and tried to close the door, he blocked it.

“No.”

“I’m not peeing with you watching me.”

He turned and looked at the mirror.

“Not helpful.  Leave,” I said.

“No.  Mya leave.”  He looked at the window, and I swallowed hard.

“Out the window?” I said, feigning disbelief.  “I would never fit.”

“You would fit,” he said.

Not sure what to say to that, I went to the sink and turned on the water, unwilling to make it obvious that he’d correctly busted me.  Before I bent to drink, I glanced at myself in the mirror.  A smear of dirt decorated the bridge of my nose and one cheek.  Crusted bits of blood clung to the skin under my nose.

Changing my mind about the drink, I opened the bathroom closet, grabbed a washcloth, and washed my face.  Afterwards, I quenched my thirst and turned off the water.

When I turned toward Drav, I noticed a wet spot on his shirt.

“I think you got a little bit of blood on you,” I said, pointing.

He looked down at the spot on his side and then lifted his shirt.  A gash split his skin just over his lower ribs.

A bullet had grazed him.  I glanced at his shoulder and realized it had been the side on which he’d carried me.  My head would have been about right where that bullet had gotten him.  My eyes widened as I realized Charles had been aiming for me, not Drav.

“Holy shit,” I said softly.

I met Drav’s gaze as the implications settled in my mind.  Whatever Charles had seen on that video had been enough for him to think I would be better off dead by his hand than Drav’s.  The questions I’d tried to avoid thinking forced their way in.  Why was I still alive?  What did Drav plan to do with me?

“D-do you want to clean it?” I asked, instead.

I didn’t wait for an answer but grabbed a new washcloth and wet it.  He still had his shirt up when I turned back to him, so I held out the washcloth.

“No.  You clean it.”

He stared at me unblinkingly, unnerving me further.  With a shaking hand, I bent forward and began to gently clean the blood away.  Drav’s free hand went to my hair, his fingers trailing through the strands.  I didn’t understand his fascination with me, but it had kept me alive so far.

When I finished, I moved away from his inquisitive fingers and grabbed the first aid kit I’d noticed on the shelf.  He held still as I put butterfly bandages on the gash.  Finished, I straightened away from him and he lowered his shirt.

He waited while I washed my hands then nudged me down the hall again.  Instead of sitting on the floor, he steered me toward a small bedroom with closed curtains.  In the dim light, the pink and white frilly decor did nothing to cheer me.

“I don’t want to sleep on a bed.  We can sit in the hallway.”

“No.  You sleep on the bed,” he said, closing the door.

He nudged me toward the bed in question, and my mind raced.  Would I now find out why Charles wanted to shoot me?  Is this why Drav came back for me?

When I didn’t immediately jump onto the bed once we reached it, he picked me up and set me on the soft mattress.

“I don’t want to sit here.”  My voice shook like crazy.  So did my hands.

He placed a palm on my chest, just above my thundering heart, and steadily pushed me down until I lay flat on the bed. With wide-eyed panic, I stared up at him.  He lowered himself beside me, pulled me into his arms, and buried his nose in my hair.  My heart beat so painfully hard and fast that I struggled to breathe.

It took several moments to realize he hadn’t moved.  I held still and tried to quiet my booming heart so I could hear his slow and steady breathing.  Was he really sleeping?

I lifted my head slightly.

“No, Mya.  Sleep,” he said.

He reached up and gently ran his fingers over my face.  When he found my eyes, he swiped over them again and again until I kept them closed.

He grunted and wrapped his arm around me.  Despite everything, his hold began to feel safe, not confining.  I exhaled heavily.

It didn’t take long for my body to agree with him, and I slept.

*    *    *    *

I opened my eyes to a darker version of the room.  Comfortable on my side, I could have easily gone back to sleep for another hour, but the very warm hand cupping my left breast posed a problem.  Behind me, Drav lay close, with the offending arm curled over my side.  We were far too cozy.

Laying still, I listened to his even breathing then carefully pushed at his forearm to remove his hand.  His fingers clutched a little tighter around his prize, and he moved closer, his breath tickling the back of my neck.  A roller coaster started in my stomach and freaked me out.

“Drav, stop.”

He grunted, let go, and sat up.  I quickly sat up, too.  He was right there, in front of me in the dark, not giving me any room to leave.

“Mya, hungry?”

“Yes.”  Anything to get out of bed.

“Yeeessss,” he drew out the word and something about his tone made me think he was smiling.

“Yes, Mya.  Yes, hungry.  Yes, home.  Yes.”  He stepped back, giving me some room.

“Uh…okay.”  I stood and let him guide me to the kitchen.  The back yard light shone through the window and illuminated the space well enough to see.

This time he searched for the cans while I checked the fridge.  I found a pizza box containing four slices.

“You can stop looking.  We can eat this,” I said.

I took a slice and set the box on the counter.  He watched me take a bite then grabbed a slice and brought it to his mouth.  He bit into the pizza, chewed, then spit it onto the floor.

I laughed before I caught myself.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.  “It’s cold, but it’s not bad.  Don’t you like it?”

“No.”  He went back to searching cupboards and produced a can of spaghetti sauce.

“You sure you want to eat that?” I asked, when he started looking through the drawers.  He paused and stared at me.

“It’s spaghetti sauce.  It’s close to the red stuff on the pizza you just spit out.”

He grunted, set the can opener on the counter, and went back to the cupboards.  Each can he found, he held up to me until I identified it.  When he’d emptied the cupboards, he said my name and pointed to the cans.

“You want me to pick?”

“Yes.”

I lifted the can of chicken and the can of fruit cocktail.  “If you like meat, eat this one.  If you like fruit, like we had last time, eat this one.”

He took both from me, and I watched him pick up the can opener and open the cans without hesitation.  Using his fingers, he picked out some chicken and some fruit and popped both into his mouth at once.  He seemed to enjoy it.  I took another bite of my pizza and watched as he ate it all and drank the juice left in the fruit can.

I took a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water, drinking three glasses before setting it down.  My stomach felt tight, but I didn’t know when I’d get food or water next.  Drav picked up my glass and proceeded to turn the tap on and off without filling anything.

“While you’re doing that, I’m going to use the bathroom.”

He looked at me without blinking.

“Pee?” I said.

“Don’t leave, Mya.”

The progression of his speech and understanding continued to unnerve me.

“I won’t leave.  Please don’t watch me.  It’s weird.”

He didn’t try to follow, and I hesitated at the bathroom door.  He still watched me.

“I’m going to close the door,” I said.

“No.”  He took a step toward me.

“Fine.  I’ll leave it open if you promise to stay right there.”

He stopped moving.  Taking that as an agreement, I turned and quickly stepped into the bathroom.  Although the window tempted me, the darkness beyond did not.  I decided I would wait and try to find a way to slip from Drav once the sun rose.

Finished using the bathroom, I stepped back into the hall and found Drav in the same spot by the kitchen sink.  As soon as he saw me, he turned his attention back to the faucet.  Had he really stared at the hallway, listening the whole time?  My cheeks grew hot.  Too busy getting a drink for himself, he thankfully didn’t notice.