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Chapter forty-one
The night before had been colder than Saff expected.
They couldn’t risk starting a fire and drawing attention to where they were, especially after hearing the gunshot. And with the still semi-wet clothing they all wore from the rain that day, it was an effort to keep from shivering all night long, even in the warmth of her sleeping bag, and with Maddie close beside her.
And as they traveled that day, Saff could tell they were all feeling it.
She’d awoken before dawn, hoping that the clouds would clear when the sun rose, but they hadn’t.
The first half of the day had been a struggle, with everyone moving at a slow pace.
Her own body ached from the cold, and she knew the rest of them felt the same, especially with their injuries. But it wasn’t until the wind picked up, whipping against the exposed skin of their faces, that they really slowed down.
It became an effort just to move another fifty feet. And each time they had to climb up and over something, it was an immense task for them all, even her.
It was a good thing she’d gotten the extra asthma medication from Sylvia, because the hike was taking its toll on her lungs, forcing her to use the rest of her inhaler and start on the next one.
Saff scanned their surroundings as they left the tree line, entering a large clearing.
Without the extra cover of the trees as a shield, the wind lashed around them, tugging at her clothes.
She leaned into it, using her body to block Maddie as much as possible as they trudged along through the tall grass, her eyes incessantly watching the trees on the opposite side.
Then she saw it—or—them.
She blinked, squinting as the wind tore into her eyes.
But there they were. Three unmistakable figures, stumbling along through the edge of the forest.
“Three up ahead,” she called out, the words stolen by the loud whooshing of the surrounding trees.
Josh, who stood at the front of the group, threw a questioning glance back at her, his hood pulled tightly around his face.
Then he looked ahead again, turning slowly until he finally stopped, spotting them.
Saff walked Maddie up to James, taking her hand and placing it on his arm.
“I’ll be right back,” she muttered before walking up beside Josh, meeting his gaze before throwing a small nod to the trees.
He followed wordlessly, and they both stalked towards the zombies, who hadn’t noticed them yet.
She pulled the knife out of its holster on her leg, then glanced back at him, making sure he did the same rather than pulling out his handgun.
By the time they were ten feet away, all three of the zombies detected them, instantly turning and letting out vicious groans as they redirected.
Josh jogged forward, limping slightly as he took out the one on the left, while Saff quickly incapacitated the other two, their bodies falling to the damp ground with an easy thud.
But as she wiped the blood off her knife into the grass, she noticed something different about them.
Most zombies they came across now looked worn—dirty. Like they’d been existing in that state for quite some time.
But these were different.
Their clothes were relatively clean, and the only point of blood on them was a pooling trail down each of their chests, starting from their hearts.
She bent over one, then the next, examining the wounds.
“What is it?” Josh asked, coming up beside her.
