AN: First off, thank you for not killing me for the way last chapter ended. I appreciate being not dead. Second, holy crap guys, we are crazy close to the finish! Just two more chapters after this and it's all over! Third, I made a cover for the story and despite my complete lack of photo-editing skill, I'm rather proud of how it turned out.
Chapter Twenty-Two
NATHAN
"Dad!"
The pain that shoots through my chest is unlike anything I've ever known. I double over, clutching my chest, and I can't stop the choked sound of agony that breaks through my lips. Distantly I can still hear the sound of fighting, and closer is Audrey's panicked voice, but it all feels oddly disconnected.
Gr. Somehow in that moment, when our eyes connected and I saw the resignation to the end in his gaze, I realised what I feel like I secretly knew all along. Gr is - was - my father. Not just because he's the one who turned me. No, he knew me Before. He raised me. Gruff, ornery Gr was my father.
"Nathan." Audrey is tugging at my arm, her voice desperate and scared. "Nathan, I'm so sorry, but we've got to go."
I look up but I can't see Gr's body through the chaotic mess of Corpses and Boneys. Instead my eyes drift down to my palm, where I'm clutching the badge from Gr's uniform so tightly that it's leaving marks in my skin. Gr. Chief.
"Nathan, please!"
The terror in Audrey's voice shakes me out of my stupor and I finally look up. I didn't think about it at the time, but my shout has attracted Boneys. There are three of them stalking towards us, watching us predatorily. Through her grip on my arm I can feel Audrey shaking.
Pain vanishes and is immediately replaced by determination. Audrey is in danger and no matter what I am experiencing - feeling, I was actually feeling - I have to keep her safe. I tuck Gr's badge into my pocket and take Audrey's hand. "Run."
DWIGHT
We've reached a split in the corridor and I signal to the man behind me, pointing him toward the left path while I go down the right. The distant sounds of shrieks and fighting are echoing off the concrete walls but for all I know they could still be miles off. It doesn't matter though, I'm not looking for the main battle. Vince has me looking for Audrey Parker.
I always knew that girl was going to be trouble, but I never expected this. Running off with a Corpse? Vince told me about her theory that the Corpses are getting better. Wouldn't that be nice? I'm not quite so optimistic though. After all this time it's hard to think that things can get better.
But then, maybe Audrey is on to something; that Corpse with her was pretty convincing. I can't believe I actually let a Corpse walk right passed me without realising. It's only now that I'm thinking about it that I can pick out how awkward his gait was. Should've checked his eyes, you can always tell by the eyes.
Course I also can't believe I let Nathan Wuornos walk passed me without recognising him. I might've only met him a couple times a few years back, but he's something of a legend among the Guard members. The former police detective helped start the Guard and he practically ran it for the first year or so until he ran off in search of his father. I should've recognised him.
I round the corner and immediately fall back as something collides with my head. I hit the ground hard, sprawling across the pavement and sending my gun flying from my hands, and it takes a second to get my breath and my vision back. Once I do my blood runs cold. There's a Skeleton standing at my feet, snarling through its lipless mouth.
Panicked, I look around for my gun but it's ten feet away against a pillar. I draw the knife from my belt but I know that it's not going to do much good against a Skeleton. Sitting up, I prepare myself for the inevitable as the Skeleton lunges for my throat.
At the last second it's suddenly sent flying backward and I almost drop my knife in shock. A Corpse stumbles passed me, hefting a piece of thick board, and swings it against the fallen Skeleton's head. The skull cracks with a sickening noise and spills black, sludge-like material all over the concrete.
The Corpse turns on me and I instinctively flinch backward. Its face is streaked with brown and black blood, and there's bits of flesh caught in its rotting teeth. It staggers forward and I lift my knife defensively. It seems to regard the blade curiously for a second, drops the wooden board - and then it offers out a hand to me.
Perplexed, I stare at the extended hand in shock. Is it - is it actually offering me a hand up? I mean, it technically did just save my life, I suppose. But I had thought it did that so it could be the one to kill me. Territorial behaviour isn't unusual in Corpses. Yet it's standing here, one hand held out expectantly.
Maybe Audrey was right...
I tentatively switch my knife to the other hand and then accept the Corpse's hand. It's cold fingers tighten around my wrist and it tugs, pulling me almost effortlessly to my feet. I'm a bit taller than the Corpse but it doesn't look frightened or defensive as it stares back at me through gray-tinted eyes. "Thanks," I say, because it did save my life after all.
The Corpse grunts and nods in acknowledgement. Then it picks up the wooden board and shambles off, pausing to kick at the dead Skeleton briefly on its way. I watch until it disappears around another corner and then I walk over and pick up my gun.
A Corpse just saved my life. It just killed a Skeleton to keep me safe. And it seemed almost tame. Whatever is going on, Vince needs to know about this.
Grabbing the radio on my belt, I press the button. "Teagues, I've got Corpses fighting Skeletons here," I said, still amazed by the words as they came out of my mouth.
Vince's response comes almost instantly, stern and clipped. "Say that again."
"A Corpse just saved me from a Skeleton," I explain. "And then just walked off."
"We've got that too," another voice says over the radio. "Corpses fighting Skeletons. Lots of 'em." Three more soldiers chime in after that saying that they've seen the same things, and then a long, pregnant silence stretches over the radio waves as we all wait for instructions.
"Your orders stay the same," Vince says finally. "Has anyone seen Audrey?"
"She's with the Corpse," one of the men answers. "We saw them heading toward the north balconies a few minutes ago. We're in pursuit now."
"Find her and bring her in safe," Vince says and then the radio clicks off and it's silent again.
Lifting my gun, I turn toward the north and start jogging. I see a pair of Corpses but they simply glance at me and then continue on their way without so much as a growl. My finger hesitates on the trigger but I can't bring myself to pull it. What if Audrey's right? What if they are changing, getting better even? I don't want more blood on my hands than there needs to be, even if it is just Corpse blood.
I take my finger off the trigger and head deeper into the building. I'm not shooting anything unless it attacks me first, damn what Vince says.
AUDREY
There's a stitch in my side but I can't stop running. Beside me Nathan is sprinting, moving with more grace than I've ever seen him. My heart is aching for him and I wish there was some way I could comfort him. I know that seeing Gr killed was painful for him - it was obvious from the beginning that the two were close. But worst of all was hearing Nathan's agonised shout as Gr died.
Dad.
Gr was his dad. I don't know whether he means his creator or his actual birth father, but either way it's clear that the loss is hard on him. And yet here he is, charging on, fighting to keep me safe in the way he always has been since the very beginning.
I pivot to fire over my shoulder again and as I do my ankle turns underneath me. I yelp as I fall over backwards, the air rushing out of me when my back strikes the concrete and my head bouncing off the ground. "Audrey!" Nathan shouts and I can hear his boots scraping across the ground as he skids to a stop a few yards ahead of me. I can't focus on him though, because one of the Boneys is looming over me.
Trying to steady my swirling vision, I aim my gun and fire. The bullet blasts through the Boney's shoulder with a crunch and it snarls as it bears down on me. A clawed hand closes around my wrist and twists the nose of the gun away. Its breath is acrid on my face as the Boney leans in and sniffs. I whimper as I try to force the Boney away but it's stronger than me and as much as I try to fight it off, it gets closer.
The Boney suddenly flies sideways and my face is spattered with dark gore. Nathan is standing over me, a fire extinguisher in his hands as he growls angrily at the crumpled Boney. He steps forward and bashes the Boney twice more in the head before tossing aside the extinguisher. "You - okay?" he asks, his expression immediately softening from fierce Corpse to gentle human as he turns to me.
"Yeah, I'm okay," I say, rubbing my face to wipe away the Boney sludge. Nathan holds out his hands and I let him pull me up, and his hands on my shoulders steady me as my ankle twinges. I look around and see the second Boney in a heap, its head twisted around at an unnatural angle. As I try to get my bearings Nathan is checking me over for injuries, his expression tense and concerned. "I'm okay, honest," I assure him with a small smile.
"Good," Nathan says and he brushes his fingertips against my cheek gingerly. I smile at the tender motion but we don't get a moment to catch our breath. A screech from down the corridor makes us both jump and we spot the handful of Boneys drawn in by the noise of the fighting. Without preamble, Nathan grabs my hand and drags me behind him as he starts running again.
My ankle is killing me but I keep pace with Nathan, never letting go of his hand. It's the one thing keeping me going, the comforting coolness of his palm against mine. The winding concrete pathways start to blur as he dodges through them trying to lose our followers. We've rounded so many corners I have no idea which direction we're heading anymore.
I can barely breathe by the time we have climbed another sloping walkway and the Boneys are directly on our heels. Nathan bolts toward a steel door on our left and throws it open, tugging me through after him. We immediately stop short when we realise that a low ledge in front of us is the only thing separating us from open air. It's a small circular balcony protruding from the side of the building.
"Dead end," I pant. Both of us turn to head back the way we came but the doorway is surrounded by Boneys. My heart drops into my stomach as the reality hits me. Dead end is an oddly accurate description. "We're trapped."
"No," Nathan says firmly. He steps up onto the low cement ledge and then takes my arm, pulling me up with him. His gaze meets mine, determined and intense, as he holds my upper arms to help me keep my balance as the morning wind whips around us. "Keep you safe."
Then before I can process exactly what is happening, Nathan wraps his arms around me and pulls me tight against his body. In one swift move he twists and tips backward, sending us plummeting over the edge of the balcony into the open air.