Desi’s fearful eyes met Caitlin’s, and she tried yet again to pull herself free.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Seth hissed, tightening his grip. “I’ll shove you over the side before you even blink.”
“It’s okay, Desi,” Caitlin said, taking a measured stride forward. “I know it’s scary, and I know you want to get away, but sometimes we have to wait.”
Seth’s gaze narrowed on her.
Caitlin continued. “Sometimes it’s better to be patient.”
“What are you babbling?” Seth asked, furrowing his brow.
She ignored his question.
“’Cause when we take a breath, we get perspective, right?”
Desi watched her and nodded slowly.
“What is this, some final parting wisdom?” Seth sneered.
Caitlin took another step, ignoring the way the loft moved under her.
“And that helps us see things a little clearer.” She held Desi’s stare. “Like when to yield… And when to fight.”
The Geeks groaned loudly, and the support beams made a worrisome crack as they pushed against it.
It was all Desi needed.
With Seth momentarily distracted, she brought the heel of her foot down on his instep with a hellish stomp. As he cried out in pain, Desi elbowed him in the ribs and slammed the back of her head into his face, clipping his chin as she wasn’t tall enough to hit his nose.
It didn’t matter though. It worked, and Seth let go of her as he stumbled.
“Run, Desi!” Caitlin screamed.
Ushering Desi out of the loft opening and onto the first rung of the ladder, the platform shuddered again and something yanked Caitlin off her feet by her hair. Landing on her back with a solid thud, she lost her breath.
Seth was on top of her in an instant, hands wrapped around her throat.
“Are you happy now?” He snarled, spit flying past his lips. “Is this what you wanted?”
Caitlin’s feet scrabbled against the wooden planks and straw, unable to gain traction as Seth strangled her.
When fighting with his wrists didn’t help, she swiped up, clawing across his face. Blood stained under her fingernails as she dug and scratched, going for any soft tissue she could reach. Her middle finger caught the side of his left eye, and a fine mist of red rained down as she tore at sensitive skin.
“You fucking bitch,” he hollered, trying to steer his face away from her hands.
Without air in her lungs to fuel her, Caitlin was running out of steam, but she refused to stop. She jammed her thumbs into his Adam’s apple, she pushed until he was choking.
Just as she felt his grip loosen, the platform shuddered under them again, and then the bottom fell out with a deafening crash.
One side of the hayloft collapsed, tossing them to the earth like a broken seesaw.
Splintered wood and straw cascaded down on top of them and Caitlin waited for her body to be torn to shreds by hungry Geeks.
Coughing, she rolled to her side and finally understood as she looked around.
They’d landed in an empty horse stall, enclosed on all sides.
Pushing onto his hands and knees, Seth began to laugh.
“What kind of sick joke…” He chuckled hoarsely.
Caitlin got to her feet as soon as she could stand and tried to keep her head from swimming as she assessed an exit strategy.
The stall door was rickety and wouldn’t hold for very long as the Geeks pushed against it.
She could try to climb back up the broken platform, but it would take some time, which she might not have if undead hands were grabbing at her ankles.
With her throat burning and eyes watering, she refused to give up her fight.
“I told you how,” Seth said from behind her.
Caitlin whirled, confusion and panic clouding her thoughts.
“What?”
Blood creased under his eyes as he smirked. “I told you how I did everything. But you asked why.”
“Go to hell, Seth,” she spat. “I don’t care—”
“Then why did you ask in the first place?” He took a step forward, ignoring the herd doing its best to break down the stall. “I think it’s ‘cause you knew.”
Caitlin swallowed roughly, pain making it hard to breathe.
“Knew what?”
He tilted his head, assessing her. “Knew it was all for you.”
Her stomach roiled from the adrenaline and realization.
“You saw things just like I did,” Seth continued. “You saw weaknesses and risks. But you always kept leaving.”
Caitlin frowned, but didn’t say anything as she turned to try to climb back up the platform.
Seth caught her by the arm and hauled her back, pushing her against the stall door.
The only thing between them and the Geeks eager to make them a meal.
“Just like you’re trying to do now,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You were always leaving, Caitlin. Always taking off on a supply run, or a scouting trip. And I knew if I could just get you to stay, just get you alone, I could make you see how similar we are. How perfect we’d be.”
“You barely knew me,” she said, keeping her legs away from any gap in the boards.
“I’m a good judge of character,” Seth said with a grin. “I knew when I saw you refusing to sit with the group that you saw them just like I did—like helpless animals surrounded by wolves.”
The wood panels began to crack and splinter behind her and Caitlin listened to the groans and gnashing of decaying teeth so close to her shoulder.
“I was helpless too,” she managed to say, attempting to stay calm. “You saved my life that day in the courtyard. You could have let me die, but you didn’t.”
Seth’s cold derision shifted into something as close to affection as possible.
“Anyone but you,” he said, leaning in. “Otherwise what was the point?”
With Geeks at her back and Seth stepping closer, Caitlin started to tremble as she lost sight of
