She tried the paper towel dispenser and came up empty. “What’s going on?” She wiped her hands on her jeans, then her gaze roamed over me and sharpened. “Where’s Brynn?”
“In the car. We’ve gotta go.”
The sword rested against the wall beside the sink. Sadie grabbed it, her body wired. “Infected?”
“Six—last I saw. They’re heading for the ute.” I hoped to God I wouldn’t regret putting Brynn in there.
Sadie swept past me and moved to the doorway.
Her breath hitched, and she sent me a fleeting look over her shoulder. “There's eleven now.”
And only two of us.
Fuck.
I joined her, my heart thumping wildly as I surveyed the scene.
Five infected had locked onto the Ranger as their target. In less than a minute, Brynn would be surrounded, with mangled faces pressed against the glass and no one there to shield her from the view.
“Hey!” I clanged the axe against the brick wall, raising enough of a ruckus to have all eleven turning toward me.
Just as I was about to smack the bricks again, Sadie grabbed my jacket in one hand and yanked my face down to hers. With a hard kiss on my mouth, she said breathlessly, “When they come for me, run to Brynn. Get the engine started. I won’t be long.”
My stomach lurched. “No—wait.”
She bolted away from me, sword at her side, one arm pumping as her footsteps ate up the bitumen. I stood frozen for a split second, like my heart had just been ripped out of my fucking chest. A breath wrenched from me, and I considered chasing her down, but she was fast. Faster than them.
If I had to, I could mow the infected down and get to her.
“Watch your back,” I shouted.
She made a shitload of noise, yelling and scraping the tip of her sword over the ground. More than half of them turned and headed for her, their slow, uncoordinated shuffling buying her some time.
I made the dash to my car, boots thumping in time with my pulse. Three infected still loitered near the side of the Ranger, the group tightening as they came my way.
I swung my axe at the first contender, a woman in a paramedic uniform with a tangled ponytail. She collapsed on her side, a halo of red spreading around her broken skull.
The second infected stretched out his arms, work boots dragging across the ground, ginger beard drenched in dried blood. His hair colour reminded me too much of Tim, and I blocked his face from my mind as I took my first swing. He landed beside the woman, and I risked a glance over my shoulder. “How are you doing?”
“On my way.” She’d evaded them so far without too much trouble, but a few had caught on to the activity near me and redirected course. If they all came for the car, we were fucked.
My gaze flicked to the passenger window. I couldn’t see the top of Brynn’s head or hear her crying. With any luck, she was low enough to miss the action.
With another wide arc of my axe, I took out the last of the three, an elderly man who dropped to the ground with a thud.
“Let’s go!” I ran around to the driver’s side and flung open the door. Brynn jolted and dropped the bottle, her mouth turning into a sad little rectangle. As she burst into tears, I slid behind the wheel and slammed the door, tossing the empty bottle in the back. “It’ll be all right in a minute,” I said breathlessly, cupping her head.
I started the engine as Sadie ran for the car, slashing her sword at one of the dead when it moved into her path. She kept running, gaze locked with mine through the passenger window. I planted my foot on the brake and shoved the gear shifter into drive, lifting Brynn from the seat.
My eyes never left Sadie, and I held my breath.
Seconds later, she dived in, dragging the sword in after her.
“Watch the blade,” I said as she rested it beside her thigh.
“I’m good.” She shut the door fast and grabbed Brynn, drawing her onto her lap. “There’s no time to put her in the carrier. Go.”
Brynn hadn’t stopped crying. Combined with the pulse pounding in my ears and the drone of the incoming infected, my senses were on overload.
