The Dead Zone (Book One)

Chapter 4

Bryson had always found himself uneasy when girls cried, and blamed his military side for that. But as he saw the tears rolling slowly down Paige’s tanned face, he felt the odd need to comfort her. He hadn’t wanted to release her from his arms when he’d caught her from that barn window, and that scared him. For just a moment, he’d held her close, savoring the feel of her. She was so small in his arms, he feared he might break her. But he knew better. At first he’d pegged her as helpless when he’d saved her from the top of that car; but today, he’d seen a completely different side of her.

She hadn’t even batted an eye as she’d drove her knife through that zombie's skull. The movement had been so precise, there was no way it was the first time she’d done that. He wondered how many roamers she’d had to kill to fight her way out of Portland.

After fleeing the barn, they’d found an abandoned car and decided to drive. They wanted to reach the border of Idaho within in the next few days. Then they’d be one state closer to Colorado, and could disappear into the mountains.

That was the plan, at least he’d thought, until they’d met Paige. She was apart of their group now, but did that mean she’d follow them all the way to their cabin? Colorado was a long way from here. And even if she did, then what? They’d all three live happily ever after? Deep down, he wanted her to join them. He didn’t know why, there was no logical reason behind his desire. But he knew she’d most likely break off from them eventually. And he’d have to be prepared to let her go.

He studied her now in the rearview mirror. She sat motionless in the backseat of the car his brother had hotwired. He hadn’t known his brother’s secret ‘talent’ until after they’d been forced to flee to Colorado. He wondered where his brother had learned to hotwire vehicles, and why. The thought disturbed him but none of that mattered now, did it? He supposed not.

Paige looked peaceful when she slept. He’d watched her the night before, long after she’d drifted to sleep near the fire. Seeing her like that, so innocent and vulnerable, made him want to protect her. Almost as much as he wanted to protect his brother. Not a lot of beautiful things remained in this world they’d been forced to endure, but she was one of them.

He quickly flicked his eyes back to the road as she stirred in her sleep. He wondered if she could feel his eyes on her. They’d decided to drive on the back roads to put some ground between them and Oregon until they were forced back on the highway. Too many cars cluttered the freeways. Everyone had panicked, trying to leave the cities all at once. When they realized they couldn’t escape the roamers in time, they’d abandoned their vehicles and fled. When they did reach the highway, they’d be forced to head out on foot again, and try to avoid any major cities. They were crawling with roamers, something he hoped to avoid.

He’d consulted his map earlier, and figured they could head through the wilderness to avoid population. It would make their trip lengthier, but he knew exactly where to go, and figured this was the safest route.

They drove for a few more hours before he parked the car on the side of the road.

“We have to walk now.”

“Great.” Sarcasm colored Paige’s tone as she got out of the car, stretching her sore muscles. Bryson tried not to stare as her shirt came up, exposing her flat belly. He quickly cleared his throat.

“We’re going to try to avoid the highway. If we head into those trees we’ll be heading southeast, toward Colorado. That a way we can avoid any towns or cities.”

“Avoiding the dead zone. Not a bad idea, sargeant.”

Rolling his eyes at Paige’s remark, he led the way. They trudged through the forest, stopping only to kill the occasional roamer who stumbled at them from the brush.