Page 100 of After the Burn

“How did you—” Beck began.

“Get the fuck through!” Lucas barked as he shot another infected attempting to grab Finley.

“Put me down,” Harper slapped Finley’s chest. “Now! Help them get Rory through!”

Finley set her on her feet and helped Beck shove Rory through to Wren first. Then we squeezed through one by one as Beck stood guard, only attempting to go through after we’d all made it.

“Fuck, I don’t know if I’m going to fit.” He grunted in desperation.

Lucas stuck his gun through the fence and fired another shot. “Come on, Beck! A large group is heading this way, and I can’t stop them all!”

I reached down, grabbed Beck’s arm, and, using every bit of my enhanced strength, pulled him through.

Beck stood, then grabbed my face with his huge hands and kissed me fiercely. “You are one sexy badass.”

“Yes, she is, but we need to get the fuck out of here.” Lucas grabbed my hand.

What?

“We’ve got to find a clinic of some kind,” Finley growled. “I have an idea based on my research.”

“There’s a vet clinic a couple of miles away, in Linkirk,” Wren said, pointing in the opposite direction we needed to go to reach the farm.

“What about Lila?” I asked, torn in two directions.

“We can’t look for her right now,” Finley snarled. “Harper’s time is limited.”

I looked over and saw the devastation on Harper’s face as she held Rory with her unbitten arm. That poor little girl was going to have to face this shit show without the most important person in her life to help her.

Adrian stared at him intently. “We’ll help you with Harper. Then you’ll tell us everything you know about Gideon’s operation.”

It wasn’t a question.

“Absolutely,” Finley agreed. “But we need to go now!”

Adrian stared a few moments longer, then nodded.

He turned to Wren. “Take us there.”

Wren looked at the stuffed chicken in her arms. “Lead the way, Mojo.” Then she took off running, the arm holding the chicken stretched out in front of her.

We all looked at each other in disbelief. Were we really going to follow a woman who thought I was her long-lost sister while a one-eyed stuffed chicken took point?

Beck shrugged and jogged off behind her, and the rest of us followed.

I guess I had my answer.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

TARYN

We jogged beside the road, sticking to the edge of the woods.

Finley was carrying Harper again, and Beck had Rory.

We’d been traveling fast for about thirty minutes when I heard a whimper.

“Stop!” Finley yelled as he slid to his knees.