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Peering over the shoulder of the undead man in my grasp, I see the wolves charging down the hill.
A whimper slips past my throat. I need to get into the woods. The high pitched howl pierces my ears. It sounds close and comes from somewhere back in the compound.
Panic buttons have been pressed and my distraction worked to get their attention, but I’m not meant to still be caught in the chaos.
A blinding light flashes over the land, followed by an earth-shattering boom of thunder. I shudder as the sound shakes me to the core. And as if it weren’t raining hard enough before, now the heavens split open and fall unrelentingly heavy, blurring my vision. Rain drums incessantly on the trees and grounds, dinging furiously as it hits the metal fence behind me.
I push the damn zombie to get moving as it attempts to turn around, but I won’t let go of him. Pushing my shoulder into his back, I drive him toward the woods as I keep concealing myself from the wolves, praying they haven’t seen me. Its moans of protest are lost beneath the storm ripping away all noises.
Suddenly, the stupid zombie trips and falls sideways, taking me with it. I cry out and fall.
I’m soaking, and the wolves are almost upon me, leaping down the hill, one of them sliding over and crashing into a tree. I’d love to laugh, but I’m too busy trying not to die. I clamber to my feet and dart right the last couple of steps into the woods just as a wall of Shadow Monsters emerge. There are dozens of them, careening right for the dead deer, some already reeling to where I tossed the leg. They hustle against me, driving me back at first.
Hell!I burst into the mass, fighting their shoving and shoulders knocking into me or them stamping on my feet. But I push my hands against them and carve a path for my escape.
I stumble into the woods from where more emerge, and I want to kiss them for just saving my ass.
All right, that’s a bit much. I will never lay my lips on these disgusting things. Freeing myself from the tangle of putrid bodies, elbowing and thrusting past me, I search for the wolves.
Growls flitter somewhere in the distance. I start making my way up the hill from within the woods. The back entry into the settlement is my goal.
A bloodcurdling cry shatters the silence, and I quiver, missing a step.
I keep going up the hill but can’t stop looking back to where a wolf is engulfed by the creatures, while the three other wolves lunge at the monsters.
Bang. Bang.
The shots start again, and the war I’ve unleashed is in full throttle.
I can’t think about anything but using this time to get inside the compound. I planned a distraction, and fuck, I got one hell of a commotion.
Running up the hill, my thighs ache, as do my lungs. I grab on to low-hanging trees to pull myself up over the steeper sections. My feet keep slipping out from under me, and my heart beats like it’s intending to burst out of my ribcage.
I look back and catch enough of a glimpse of the battle, but if the wolves survived, it’s too difficult to tell.
Farther behind me, there are three or four Shadow Monsters following me… hard to tell how many in truth with the shadows and rain. They aren’t moving in a mad rush for food at me, either, which makes me think they are confused. The rain washes away scents easily, I guess.
The battle grows in the background as I make my way swiftly to the rear of the compound.
I stop for a moment and steady my racing heart as I suck in shaky breaths.
Thunder cracks overhead, the trees whipping in every direction around me, the wind pushing against me when I finally emerge from the woods into a clearing at the back of the settlement. I’m huffing and puffing. I need a few seconds to just calm down or speaking with the guard will be impossible when I attempt to convince him to let me in.
The mental pictures of my three wolves hurt and on death’s door pushes me to keep going. Chills flare over my skin while bile rises in my throat that I might lose any of them. I almost want to laugh at how easily I call them ‘my wolves’ when there is still so much I want to learn about them.
But it sure as hell isn’t going to happen if I’m daydreaming about them, either.
I race alongside the fence, for any kind of protection from the ravenous weather beating into me. Ten feet away, the narrow gate comes into view, and when I look up, the guard from earlier is gone.
Crap. I run my hand over my face in the rain, but it’s useless as more water is coating me, yet I can’t stop doing it.
Standing around won’t help me get this done fast.
I hurry toward the gate, my gaze constantly drifting higher along the fence in case a guard pops up and mistakes me for an undead. Panic makes anyone trigger happy.
The gate is made of solid metal with no windows, and I knock on it, then instantly feel stupid. I doubt anyone can hear it, so I call out, “Hello!”
Again nothing.
