The End is Near

Chapter Twenty-Seven

~Keith's POV~

     "Wyatt, I'm worried about the girls, they seem different." I say as I watch the girls sluggishly move around. They seem like they're in pain, sometimes groaning and moaning as they move, their faces scrunched up.

     "Me too, they don't seem too well." He says, watching them as well. I sigh, Cassie would know what to do.

     "Do you think we're ever going to find her?" I sigh, looking over at him. "It's been two weeks and we've checked every town we've gone through and she hasn't been there." He looks over at me.

     "Keith, we've only been through two towns, the girls have slowed us down a lot. We'll find her, Keith, don't worry." I nod, taking a deep breath and exhaling heavily.

     "What if she didn't make it?" I whisper, almost scared to say it too loudly. Wyatt inhales sharply.

     "Don't even think like that. It's Cassie we're talking about, she's strong, she's smart, she made it. I know she did." He says, sounding like he's trying to convince himself. I nod, trying to push the thoughts from my head. We'll find her, we have to.

     "What are we going to do about the girls? They're slowing us down too much. They all seem so sick, it's weird, they were fine a couple days ago." I say, looking out at them. They're all sitting down, leaning on each other, moaning in pain, their faces scrunched up and pale.

     "I don't know, but we can't stop. But we don't want anyone else getting sick. We'll all put them in the same car, that way, they'll all be together and won't get anyone sick." He says, nodding to the group. I nod, making my way in front of everyone.

     "Ok, it's time to get moving. All those who are sick will be traveling in the same car, we don't want anyone else being infected with whatever they have." I say, nodding to the group of girls that are slowly getting up. Everyone gets into their cars, leaving the sick the suburban. I get into my truck with Wyatt, Cody, and Walter and pull onto the road. "Where do you think Blake and Karson went?" I ask, thinking. They disappeared the night Cassie left, no warning, no anything. He disappeared just after we had our fight. I sigh, thinking back to that night.

     "I don't know, but I have the feeling they aren't doing anything good. Why would Karson just leave like that? And with someone no one trusts? That's just stupid." He says, looking out the window. I nod, staring hard at the road in front of me. 

      "I don't know why he would do that. We met Blake a long time ago, and neither of us liked him, he's trying to hurt Cassie somehow, I don't know how though." I say, frustration sweeping through me.

     "Then we need to find Cassie, fast, before they do." He says, looking at me briefly. I nod, sighing

      "I know, I just don't know where she is." I sigh, shaking my head. As I do, I see the car taking up the rear swerve and go off road, crashing into a tree. I jerk to a stop, everyone behind me as I jump out of the truck and run to the crashed car. Just as I reach for the handle of a door, I hear a voice behind me. 

     "I wouldn't do that if I were you." I spin around as Cassie walks through the trees, looking exhausted. I run to her, forgetting about her comment for the moment as I pick her up, holding her tightly to me. I sigh into her neck as she buries her face in my chest. She pulls back a moment later, smiling up at me. "I really missed you, but I've got to deal with this first." She walks over to the car as Cody reaches for the handle. "Didn't I already say not to do that?" She snaps, stopping him. He stops, looking back at her, raising his hands in surrender. She shakes her head, walking up to the car. She hits the window and something crashes against the window. We all jump, everyone except her, of course. She sighs. "That's what I was afraid of." She mumbles, staring into the car sadly. I walk up to her and put my arm around her.

     "What's going on, Cass?" I ask, making her sigh again. She turns to me, sadness bright in her eyes.

     "Blake. He and Karson were chasing me. I managed to get away from them and circle back here, but I learned some stuff first. It's nothing good. This is all the governments fault." She says, motioning to the car. "They were trying to create some type of weapon that was unstoppable, so they made this virus, it was supposed to bring the dead back to create more like it, but they would be able to control them. It all went wrong, obviously. It infected all the women, only the women, and they started biting more people, until the world was overcome with them. Blake is part of the government, he was sent out here to find the cure. He found it." She whispers the last part, her voice cracking.

     "What's the cure?" I ask, almost scared of the answer. She closes her eyes, exhaling a ragged breath. She's starting to scare me, she's never shown fear, weakness like this.

     "Me. I have to die for the world to live." She whispers, tears filling her eyes. Everyone gasps, horror and shock filling their eyes, accompanying sadness. I pull her to me, holding her tightly as she buries her face in my shoulder. 

     "Not happening. I won't let them take you, I don't care if I have to live in this world, I'm not letting them take you from me." I say forcefully, tightening her grip on me. She nods against my neck, tightening her hold around my waist. Murmurs of agreement rise from the group, and I'm thankful they feel the same way I do. "I won't let anything happen to you." I whisper to her, pulling her chin up. She looks at me with tear-filled eyes that break my heart and I pull her to me, pushing my lips to her quickly. She nods, taking a deep breath.

     "Thank you."