“What? Why?” Saul said. “There’s no way we’ll make it.”
“I know, but I need their blood, Saul. You three …you’re the future,” Tara said. “With that and my research, I can still save everyone. I’m sure of it.”
Saul shook his head, his lips set in a straight line. “No, Tara. It’s impossible.”
“Please, Saul. I’m begging you,” Tara pleaded, wringing her hands.
Saul hesitated for a long moment before relenting. “Fine. We’ll get Dylan first. She’s the closest.”
Tara sagged into her seat with relief. “Thank you, Saul.”
He nodded, his expression grim. “Don’t thank me yet. We still have to make it out of here alive.”
“I know, but thank you for trying.”
“Only for you, Tara. Now, buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride,” Saul said as he jammed his foot on the gas and spun away in a cloud of dust.
Chapter 3 - Amy
Amy shifted around on the stretcher she’d been issued by a grumpy Staff Sergeant when they first arrived. The tent was cold, and she shivered beneath her thin blanket. Not for the first time, she wished she was back home and tucked inside her bed with its handmade quilt and poofy pillows.
Alex had no such problem and lay snoring across from her. He was probably used to such things because of his time in the army. Amy checked her watch. It was close to three in the morning. She needed to get some shut-eye. She was on kitchen duty the next day. That meant getting up at five to help the cooks prepare breakfast for several hundred soldiers and almost as many civilians.
Huddling into a tiny ball, she closed her eyes, willing herself to fall asleep. After a few minutes, she dozed off, only to jerk awake when the sirens went off.
Amy sat upright, her heart pounding in her chest. She’d been briefed about the sirens, and Alex had driven the lesson home many times as well. Zombies had broken through their defenses. They were under attack. “Alex!”
“I’m up,” he answered, swinging his legs to the ground and reaching for his boots. His eyes were bright and alert like he’d never slept at all. Another thing he must have learned in the army. “Get dressed. We need to move. Now.”
“What are we going to do?” Amy asked as she shrugged on her sneakers and jersey. Once her hair was tied back, she belted on her knife, a gift from Alex, and reached for her shotgun. It was the same one she’d brought from home.
When they first arrived at Fort Knox, they were forced to surrender their arms. But once they’d proven themselves capable with guns and trustworthy, their weapons were returned. She had a pocket full of shells too, though it wouldn’t last long in a firefight. At least Alex had his rifle and sidearm plus a magazine for each.
“We’re getting out of here,” Alex said. “I know where the vehicles and keys are kept.”
“What about Dylan?”
Alex hesitated for a split second. “We’ll fetch her first. I know how much she means to you.”
“You’d do that for me?” Amy asked, secretly relieved. She was fond of Dylan and loathed the thought of leaving her behind. They’d been visiting her every day, cheering her on during her recovery.
“Of course. She’s one of us now. She saved my life, and we saved hers.” He slung his rifle across his chest and checked that his guns were loaded. Finally, he grabbed his duffel bag and tossed it onto his back. “Ready?”
“I’m ready,” Amy affirmed.
Alex stuck his head through the tent opening to survey their surroundings. “It’s clear for now, but it won’t be for long. We’ll have to run. The infirmary is a mile away. Stick close to me, don’t stop for anything, and shoot anyone that tries to hurt you. Got that?”
Amy swallowed hard on the lump in her throat. She was more scared than she’d ever been in her entire life. “O…okay.”
Alex paused, and his gaze softened. “You can do this, Sis. We’re in this together. Family, right?”
Amy sucked in a deep breath and gripped her shotgun with a firmer grip. “Family. I’ve got your back, Alex.”
He smiled. “That’s my girl. We Donahue’s are tough, and we never give up.”
Amy couldn’t help but return his smile with a sense of pride. It relieved her fears and reminded her what she was fighting for every day. “Never!”
“Let’s go.” With those words, Alex ducked outside and set off at a swift jog with Amy close on his heels.
The first few minutes passed with relative ease as they ran through the rows of tents set up for the civilians. It didn’t last. The sirens had awakened everyone, and they soon began milling around in a panic with no clear idea of where to go. Alex noticed and shouted at the top of his lungs. “Get to the evacuation points. Remember the drills.”
His instructions soon took effect, and families began streaming toward the places laid out by army instructors in the event of a breach. Supposedly, trucks and buses would take them to safety, and Amy hoped it was true for all their sakes.
Overhead, spotlights lit the compound, but it wasn’t long before they shut off, dumping everything into darkness. That was when the screaming began. People went crazy, shoving, and pushing each other in an attempt to make headway.
“Amy, over here,” Alex cried, producing a flashlight from his pocket. “Follow me.”
Amy stuck as close to Alex as she could, his dark shape bobbing in front of her. Suddenly, a heavy blow sent her reeling, and she lost her footing. Tumbling to the ground, she cried out as a sharp pain shot up her leg. “Alex, help me!”
“Amy, where are you?” he answered, his light flashing back and forth.
“Over here,” she answered, waving her hand over her head. A foot connected with her ribs and Amy fell back into the dirt. More people streamed past, one stepping on her hand while a knee connected with her jaw.
Amy
