I glanced at the sky, recalling a picture from a book of what had once been a bright blue with fluffy white clouds. That seemed like a fairy tale. My parents hadn’t even been born when the world ended. I didn’t think their parents had either. This was humankinds reality now.
Kira and I marched behind the men as we looked for what we needed. Our job was to guard while they had the laborious task of rolling iron wheels back to camp. Over and over we went, retracing our steps, venturing farther out seeking what we needed.
So far, we hadn’t run across enough Malignants to worry about. We’d see them skirting the edges of the shadows, not paying us much attention. Such a needless existence. “What do they eat with the only humans around being us?”
“Rats.”
“What?” Kira shot me a glance.
“The Malignants spend their time hunting rats.”
She shrugged. “If they can’t get a human, yeah, I guess. Never thought about it. Trying not to get eaten myself takes up my time.”
I wondered what her special assignment was. I figured I knew Ezra’s. Find other survivors. Maybe the others had the same mission, not knowing everyone had been given the same orders. Everyone but me. What did Soriah want me to do? It didn’t make sense that they thought a petite eighteen-year-old could do what the previous leader couldn’t.
“Am I really the leader because I got the black wheel when there was a vacancy for leader?”
“Yep.” She grinned. “Lucky you.”
“Why not let the group vote on a leader? Fawke is more qualified.”
“Who knows what those crazy rich people who make the rules want. I think it’s because he’s too valuable to be in such an expendable position. Strong men are needed. Especially those who are good fighters, and he’s one of the best. Plus, he has a way of memorizing this city in a way I’ve not seen anyone else do.”
“What about Ezra or Moses?”
“Again, seasoned fighters. Our previous leader was a woman, too. A lifer like Kira, killed on a supply drop.” Her features saddened. “I think she let herself be killed on purpose. At thirty-two, she had a very long time left here.”
I could see people losing hope. At least life in Soriah, no matter how sparce food and lodging, a person didn’t worry about things from your nightmares trying to kill you. Stores carried meager choices of groceries for those with a few coins in their pockets. Here, we waited on the charity of the city who’d sent us here. What would happen to us if they decided to stop the weekly drops?
It took half a day to gather ten iron wheel rims from discarded, rusty vehicles. Finding enough, close by, of the same size proved harder than originally thought.
“Now, we need a bed and more bars to attach the bed, too.” Moses surveyed a line of vehicles in front of a towering structure that looked ready to fall at any time. “Something flat.”
“The beds of old trucks,” Dante said. “We might have to screw two or three together for the larger trailer, but it’ll work.”
Moses pulled a screwdriver and mallet from his pack. “Let’s make some noise. Gals, watch out backs.”
“I’ll watch with the girls,” Fawke said after the first ring of metal against metal.
If nothing drew the Malignants out before the hammering, nothing would. I kept my eyes and ears peeled for any sign of an attack. Blood covering us or not, they’d know we weren’t Malignants now.
“Incoming.” Kira jerked her chin in the direction we’d come. “Looks like six or eight of them. They’re coming in fast.”
I raised my gun, setting the sight on one of the creature’s head. A deep breath, count to three, release, and squeeze the trigger. The others didn’t falter as their comrade fell.
Their hungry shrieks filled the air. Fawke and Kira fired, bringing down two more.
I didn’t get my gun up again before an attack came from my left. The Malignant knocked me on my back, it’s snarling teeth snapping mere inches from my neck. I fought to keep my weapon between it and me.
Fawke slammed the barrel of his gun into the creature’s skull, then stabbed his knife in the base of its skull. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” I scrambled to my feet and pulled my sword, dropping my gun which was no good in hand-to-hand combat. “Ezra, come help. Dante and Moses keep working.”
The four of us made quick work of the remaining Malignants. We’d have to hurry, though. More would be coming. We couldn’t unscrew rusty metal without making a lot of noise.
It didn’t take long for the next group to arrive, this time from the back. Fawke stepped in front of me, shoving me out of the way.
I frowned and moved back to his side. “Backs together, protect Dante and Moses.”
The longer we fought, the more apparent it became that Fawke spent more time trying to get between me and one of our attackers then I thought necessary. I’d proven myself a good fighter. “Whatever it is you’re up to,” I said, taking the head off the last one, “stop it right now. Don’t put yourself in danger to protect me.” My face heated. “I’ve told you we’re all equal in this group. Unless…” I narrowed my eyes. “I’m your special assignment? Am I right? Because if I am, what good does it do now? You failed at keeping the prior leader arrived. Let me look after myself and you do the same.”
I wiped the blood off my sword, slid it back into its sheath,
