A/N: While technically a sequel to my other story, Backwards Immunity, this can be read without reading that (think of it as the Left Behind equivalent to this story).
It was supposed to be about getting the guns. Just a simple delivery, a not exactly close drop off, and then back to collect double the reward.
Except the cargo was a kid, and the people at the drop off where all dead. Lying in a pool of their own blood, each person had been shot to death.
"Now what?" was the biggest question hanging over their heads.
It should have been. It wasn't.
The bite of Joel's arm had been hidden under his sleeve. That should've been Tess's first clue. Joel didn't roll down his sleeves in the summer.
"What did I say, Tess?" He spoke in a heavy voice, one sleeve rolled up, "Sooner or later, out luck was gonna run out."
The surrounding skin of the bite looked blotched, fungus infused tissue already showing how long the infection had to sit in.
It was such bullshit.
"This is bullshit, why didn't you tell me when it happened?"
"I figured I still had enough time to make it here. To make sure the both of you made it here."
Her eyes felt irritated. Tess blinked it away, trying to process the situation. Her jeans stuck uncomfortably against her skin, the socks in her boots weighed with dirty water from the flooded street outside. She was sweaty, and ready to head home, and on edge because she knew she wasn't headed there.
"And what now?" Tess said, arms opened wide in an exaggerated gesture. "Everyone's dead, Joel."
"We"—he choked, they weren't a we anymore—"I…"
Tires over water and engines cut their talk short.
Joel was over to the window in seconds. "Goddamnit," He said, catching sight of the military vehicles. "Alright."
He was approaching her and Tess stared at his face, already knowing it would be the last time she would get to see it.
"You both need to get outta here."
"What?" The cargo, the kid, had a face of frightened anger. Joel looked over to her, his mouth opened but silent. Tess couldn't imagine what he was going to say. Apparently, he couldn't either. His mouth shut, and his eyes returned to her.
"Tess…" He said her name, waiting for her to get it. He was steel and fire. Someone she could count on. But Tess could already feel herself moving, heading over to the kid, dragging her by the arm, "C'mon, Riley, we gotta move," until Riley started walking with her, pulling from her grip but still on her heels.
"What? We can't just leave—"
"Yes we can!"
Tess knew not to look back. She did it anyway. Joel was scratching the back on his head, his lips were pressed together, and the tension in his forehead was gone. He was infected. He was going to die.
Tess wanted to go back and risk kissing him one last time. Instead she headed into the next room, looking back after she stepped through the threshold.
"Oh man." Riley said. Joel was still looking their way, a lone man in the middle of a large room.
There was no more time to waste.
Tess closed the door.
A/N: A short beginning to a long journey. This is going to take forever to write.
