“You kill that Society scum?”
“Not exactly. They… they kind of want me for something. Something important.”
“The virus abilities. Your superpowers, huh?”
Noah frowned. “Anyway. You’re not interested in that. Not as long as you get paid from Clio, hmm?”
The woman frowned. “Clio?”
“It’s French. Fuck it. Whatever. Can we just get walking?”
She looked bemused as Noah turned around. And the more he walked, the more he wondered if this woman might not be so hard to outwit after all. She seemed ruthless, sure. But she wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.
And maybe he could use that in his favour.
They walked further down these empty, abandoned streets. Noah swore he saw movement in the windows. Swore he heard footsteps. Once again, that sense that something wasn’t quite right. That sense that things were just… too quiet.
“Hell, Renault’s gonna be mighty impressed by you,” she said. “Good body on you. Good ass on you. Straight into the pits for you, buddy.”
Noah sighed. “Renault’s slave. Sounds a very alluring prospect.”
“Yeah, you’d better believe it. But hey. You might be one of the lucky ones. He ain’t too keen on the weedy ones. I’d say you’re, like, on the brink. A coin flip. Might be a worker, might be entertainment. Let’s just see, huh?”
Noah shook his head. Captured by a fucking psychopath who made Curtis sound sweet. Just his fucking luck?
“Do me a favour, would you?” Noah asked.
“Why would I do you a favour?”
“Just promise me something. If you see a tall Asian girl, the most beautiful green eyes. If you see her with a slim ginger woman… and—and maybe with a dog. Hopefully, with a dog. Just… cut them some slack, okay? Please? That can be your favour, to me.”
The woman narrowed her eyes.
She opened her mouth like she was going to say something cocky back.
Then she stopped.
Shuffling up ahead.
And either side.
Noah looked around.
Infected clambered out of the broken windows.
Ran around the cars.
Raced towards him and the woman.
“Well shit,” the woman said, lifting her pistol. “Looks like we’ve got a bit of company, funny man. Time to see how well those superpowers of yours really work!”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Iqrah looked over her shoulder and kept on hoping she’d see Noah following.
But every time she looked back… nothing.
It was cool. It looked sunny, but she felt shivery. She felt a little sickly too like she’d eaten something bad. But she knew it was probably just the nerves. Just the adrenaline of everything she’d been through—everything they’d all been through.
They’d been walking for a couple of hours now, since the Society guards chased them down, forced them to run. At first, Iqrah wanted to stay. She wanted to fight for Noah. Because he’d fought for her so many times.
She’d tried to tap into that place. Tried to sink into that void inside, that void she knew she had the power to fall into.
But she couldn’t. She was too weak. And she knew Noah was too weak, too.
So now their only focus was the road ahead.
Reaching Morecambe.
Finding her parents.
“You okay carrying him, love? He’s a big heavy lump. I can see to him if you want.”
Iqrah looked around at Kirsty, and then down at Bruno. She had him in her arms. They’d gone back for him when they were sure the Society had vacated the area. Found him lying in the road, bleeding out. But alive. Still alive.
So they’d found some old bandages in a dusty old store in a nearby town and wrapped it up. Still bleeding a little. And Bruno probably wouldn’t walk for a while. He’d probably have to be carried for a good few days or weeks. Maybe he’d never walk again. Iqrah didn’t know.
But she’d keep on carrying him. No matter how heavy he was. No matter how much he slowed them both down.
“Iqrah,” Kirsty said.
“What?”
Kirsty narrowed her eyes. “Don’t snap at me. I’m only looking out for you. Being realistic here.”
Iqrah opened her mouth and sighed. “Sorry,” she said. “It’s just… with Noah gone. I don’t want to let him down. I don’t want to let him go. Bruno was everything to him. He’s a good dog. And I don’t want to abandon him. Not like we abandoned Noah.”
Kirsty sighed. She walked over to Iqrah. Put a hand on her back. “Iqrah, love. What happened with Noah was awful. I know that. We both do. But… Noah chose to do what he did for your sake. He chose to stand his ground. To—to sacrifice himself, if that’s what it too—”
“But we didn’t find him. Which means they’ve caught him.”
“There’s not a lot we can do about that.”
Iqrah shook her head. “When I got captured, he came for me. He risked everything for me. Nearly died for me. And we’re just supposed to walk away? Like nothing happened?”
Kirsty sighed. “I get it. Really. Sometimes walking away is the hardest thing to do. But Noah… Noah made his choice. And I’m confident he didn’t make that choice hoping you’d go chasing after him and putting yourself in danger. He made that choice because he wanted to do the right thing by you. To protect you. You told me yourself. They need both of you to make this work. They have him, sure. But without you… they don’t have what they want. Not everything. And if that’s the choice Noah’s made—if that’s the road he’s gone down—then we have to just accept it, Iqrah. And do everything we can to make sure you’re safe.”
Iqrah opened her mouth. There was so much she wanted to say. She didn’t want to admit defeat. She didn’t want to give up.
But deep down, as much as it hurt, she knew Kirsty was right.
Noah had made a choice. He’d stood his ground. She didn’t know what had happened to him next, but he hadn’t done that hoping her and Kirsty would go back for him. He’d done
