“Ah, crap,” Rogue muttered, throwing a worried look over her shoulder. Rats scampered past, their high-pitched squeals competing with the crashing rain. They were running from something. Something bad.
The flow of water grew stronger with every step she took until it reached above her knees. At this point, they were reduced to wading rather than running. When a rush of cold air from behind almost pushed her off her feet, Rogue knew they were in serious trouble.
She looked back, and her eyes widened. A roiling wave of water headed their way, reaching to the roof of the tunnel. Her mouth opened, and she screamed. “Run!”
Rogue pushed herself to the limit, but seconds later, the wall of water hit her in the back. She barely had time to suck in a lungful of air before she was swept off her feet. Her body tumbled head over heels, tugged this way and back. She crashed into the walls several times until her ears sang, and she saw black spots dance across her vision.
Her lungs screamed for air until it felt as if they would burst. Rogue fought against the urge to breathe. A losing battle. Her mouth opened, and filthy water forced its way inside. Then she was flung into the open air and crashed to the ground. She rolled several feet before coming to a stop.
Immediately, Rogue retched. Her lungs spasmed as gouts of liquid poured from her lips. Coughing and sputtering, she crawled through the mud until she reached a tussock of grass. Rain poured from the heavens, and she tilted her head back until her face was washed clean of muck.
Struggling to her feet, she looked around. “Moran? Bear? Steven, Bruce! Where are you guys?”
“Over here,” came a muffled reply.
She waded through the mud until she reached a pale figure. “Moran?”
“It’s me. Help me up.”
Rogue stuck out her hand and got Moran onto her feet. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Moran replied. “Where are the others?”
“I don’t know.”
“We’re here,” someone said, and they recognized the hulking shape of Bear. He had Steven and Bruce tucked under each arm, and Rogue almost collapsed with relief. “Thank God, you all made it.”
Bruce managed a cocky grin. “Alive and kicking.”
Steven shook his head. “Alive maybe, but not kicking.”
A flash of lightning split the sky, and she realized they needed to get out of the storm. “Follow me,” she shouted.
Through the driving rain, she led the party into the ruined city. The apartment she and Bones had holed up in wasn’t far, and she thought she could find it again. Twenty minutes later, she spotted the building and coaxed them up the stairs.
Once inside, Rogue got Bear to barricade the door while she made a fire. Luckily, Kat had thought to include a box of matches, and there was plenty of stuff in the room to burn. Once the fire was going strong, she handed out bottles of water.
Rogue eyed the bruised and broken quartet with raised eyebrows. “You guys look like shit.”
“Thanks, I feel like it, too,” Moran quipped.
“At least, the rain washed away the actual shit,” Bear rumbled.
“That’s something, I guess,” Rogue said, tugging at her shorts. She stared at the article of clothing with a lump in her throat. Who’d have thought she was cleaning out chicken coops and making love to Seth only a few days ago. Ah, Seth. Where are you now?
With a sigh, she dug into the supplies Kat had provided. There was plenty of food: Apples, bread rolls, salted meat, and carrots. Her stomach rumbled, and she handed out a bread roll and a strip of meat for each. Once they’d eaten, she removed the first-aid kit and tended to everyone’s wounds.
Her main concern was infection. They’d all had a sewage bath of the nastiest kind, and while the rain had washed away the worst, it was still a looming threat. With that thought in mind, she was very liberal in her use of the disinfectant.
“Alright, guys. Let’s get some sleep,” she said once she’d finished. “Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”
Rogue curled up on an old couch and stared into the fire for a long time. It pained her to see the shape her friends were in. General Sikes had done quite a number on them. But there was much to be thankful for. They’d managed to stay quiet despite the torture, so Patti and the other rebels were safe for now. Also, they’d escaped from the clutches of Prime City thanks to Kat.
Who’d have thought? After all these years, she shows up out of the blue like some knight in shining armor, Rogue thought with reluctant gratitude.
Even so, Rogue knew it was far from over. Thanks to Bones, Senator Douglas and General Sikes knew all about the Zoo, and they’d be coming for it soon. Our fight has just begun.
Chapter 21
The next morning they struck out before dawn. Rogue wanted to put as much distance between them and Prime City as possible. They had a long way to travel. While they’d never make it to the Zoo in a day, she thought they might reach Seth’s boat if they pushed hard enough. It was the only safe place for them to hole up during the night’s long hours and worth a shot, at least.
This time, she cut a wide swath around the Utahraptor’s territory. The last thing she needed was another run-in with the monstrous lizards.
With her hands clutching the straps of the backpack, Rogue walked through the ruins of Portland. She picked her way over the rubble and skirted the rusting hulks of cars. As always, the derelict air of a once-thriving metropolis struck her to the core. It was hard to believe people once lived there, and her thoughts were confirmed by Moran and the other’s comments.
“I used to buy my coffee at that
