Feeding Frenzy

Chapter 45

What was Ford thinking? He tried to rush forward, but he staggered in the dark. The pitch-black surroundings consumed him. His hands were stretched out in front of him, and his heart was pounding. What was in front of him? How was he going to find Evey? He could not even see his hands in front of him.

Ford shook his head as he went further down the subway tunnel. Where did the tunnel divide? He cursed himself out for not having some kind of light. He was so upset at the thought of Gomez dragging Evey away from the group that he could not think straight. He needed to kill Gomez. He could never forgive himself if anything happened to Evey.

There was a scream. It did not sound like an Infected. It was not a shrill shriek. It was a cry of pain. The sound was female, and Ford gritted his teeth. He tightened his grip on the knife and hurried forward.

The girl's cries echoed through the tunnel. Ford's heart was beating so hard that he could hear it pounding in his ears. His mouth had grown dry. A picture of Evey dying on the ground filled his mind, causing his stomach to twist into a knot.

There was another scream, but this one was deeper. It was a man's cries. Was Evey fighting back? He knew she would. She was outrageously stubborn and a fighter.

The screeching of Infected filled the tunnel. Evey and Gomez's cries were attracting people overtaken by Thyestean. If they did not kill each other, they would be torn apart by Infected.

A beam of brightness came into sight. The light bounced as someone ran down the tunnel. Was it Evey or Gomez? Who won the fight? He could not see who was behind the light, so he held his knife out. The shrieking grew louder. How many Infected was the light attracting?

"Kalen," a familiar voice said.

A smile grew across Ford's lips. He could not see her, but he knew it had to be Evey. Lowering his knife, he ran toward the light. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled him close to his chest. She hissed in pain when he touched her shoulder. His palm was covered in something wet. He angled his hand in the light of the flashlight to see it was blood.

"What happened? Are you okay?" he asked. "Was it Gomez? I'm going to kill him."

"I already did," Evey said.

Careful not to touch her wounded shoulder, Ford slid his arm around her. She rested her head against his chest. Listening to his steady heartbeat, she closed her eyes. Ford pressed his lips against her temple. Feeling her warmth and knowing she was alive made some tension leave his muscles.

Their moment of bliss was ruined when an Infected shriek rang through the tunnel. Bringing them back into reality, Evey took a step away from Ford. Her arm was cradled to her chest. Her skin was pale, making her freckles stand out more. Her eyes were red. Ford's chest ached to see Evey hurt.

He was glad that Gomez was dead, but he wished he was the one to kill the fucker.

"We have to go," Ford said.

"Where are the others?" Evey asked.

"They should be at the hospital."

There was another screech. This one was louder. They were getting closer.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Evey said.

Evey pointed the light forward. Ford wanted to grab her hand but could not because of her injury. He kept his arm around her waist to avoid losing her again.

"Quick," he said as he pulled her forward.

Evey struggled to keep up with Ford's quick pace. Every step caused a jolt of pain to run up her shoulder and into her neck. How much damage did Gomez do? Would they be able to fix it when they got to the hospital? The uncertainty of their future was terrifying.

Ford struggled not to drag Evey forward. She could barely keep up with his pace when chased off the highway. Now that she was wounded, she was too slow. They were going to be attacked.

"Let me carry you," Ford said.

"Not happening," Evey said.

"We're going to die."

Evey gritted her teeth to push through the pain and move faster. Ford sighed and shook his head. Why did Evey have to be so stubborn?

There was a collection of screams. It was a mixture of human and Infected cries. Evey held her breath and stopped. Ford was terrified that she would freeze and get them killed. She turned off the light, and they were surrounded by darkness.

"What are you doing?" Ford asked.

"They're near," she said. "We need to go in the dark."

"How will we find the others?"

There was another scream. There was the sound of a child whining and fussing.

"They're found," Evey said.

Ford bit down on his lip. The rest were under attack. It would soon only be him and Evey left to make it to the hospital.

"We have to make it," Evey said. "If we don't, this would have all been for nothing."

"We'll make it," he said. "For Josie and Lila."

Only a few days ago, Evey was crying about her little sister. The guilt of killing Lila weighed heavily on his mind. After Josie went missing, he could see Evey's heart break even more. He felt responsible for it all.

"Hey!" a voice in the distance shouted. From the accent, Ford could tell that it was Anjo. "Hey! Follow me!"

A light was far down the tunnel. Ford grabbed Evey's arm and pulled her to the side. He kept his arm outstretched until he felt the side of the tunnel. They stumbled over the tracks in the dark.

"What are you doing?" Evey asked.

"Saving our asses," Ford said. "Don't say a word. Keep the light out."

The light became wider and brighter as it approached. Evey tried to rip her arm free from Ford's grasp. He tightened his hold. Reaching forward, he grabbed the flashlight to prevent her from turning it on. He knew that he would try to save Anjo.

Evey's breathing grew heavy and shaky. She was going to cry at any moment. Ford could not predict what she would do, so he covered her mouth with his hand and pulled her close to his body.

"Not a word," he growled into her ear.

Evey's warm tears rolled onto his hand. She was silent, but her heart was breaking even further.

Anjo ran past them with the light. Ford and Evey were far off to the side, so they were not seen by the light. The sound of Infected screeching and their feet pounding against the ground as they ran filled the air. How many were chasing him?

The Infected ran past them. Ford pulled Evey as tight as he could against his chest while he pressed himself against the wall. He kept Evey's injury in mind, not wanting to hurt her further and cause her to scream. Her blood soaked through the front of his shirt.

They stayed still until the Infected finished running by. Ford watched as Anjo's light disappeared down the tunnel. How long would it take for the Infected to catch up to Anjo? Ford had to get Evey out of the tunnel before she could hear them tear Anjo apart.

"Let's go," Ford whispered into Evey's ear.

He turned on the light and handed it to her. Her hands were trembling when she grabbed the flashlight. She took in a sharp breath to stop herself from crying.

"It's okay," Ford said. "We may almost be there."

Ford prayed that they were close. The group was getting thinner. If they spent much longer down in this tunnel, they would not survive.