Amber Garr [The Water Crisis Waterproof (epub)

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.“This is how life is now.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say.Did Zach’s actions encourage that group of deserters to attack us? Yeah, probably.But that made me just as guilty.“How?” Zach asked Max.He knew what Zach meant.“Her throat.” I felt Zach tense underneath my arms.He’d wear this on his consciousness for years to come.“And Daric?” Zach continued to torture himself.“He has a bad cut on his neck, but it looks like they took Alicia out first.She didn’t even scream.” For the first time, Max’s voice quivered.Usually emotionless and all business, tonight’s attack had left Max feeling the pain too.This wasn’t the first time we’d lost someone in our group, but it didn’t ever get any easier.“Max?” Sasha’s voice cut through our wallowing.Her form appeared from the light, pistol hanging in her hand by her side.I hadn’t even heard the gunshots.My focus had been on not letting that disgusting pig rape me.I shivered and Zach squeezed me tighter.“Vivienne, are you okay?” Sasha walked directly to me, gently placing her hand on my shoulder.I nodded.“And you, Zach?” she asked.“I’m fine.”“Good.” Sasha looked at me a few seconds longer than necessary.It felt like she could read my mind and the terrible, fearful thoughts racing through it right now.“I need your help cleaning up.Daric’s out right now and his injuries are pretty severe.But we need to be ready to move in the morning.”“What about Alicia?” Zach asked, barely able to get the words out.“Hunter and Carrie are taking care of that.” I couldn’t tell if her clipped response was aimed at Zach or just the situation in general.“What do you need?” Max asked, diverting Sasha’s attention from Zach.“Gather what we can.In the morning, we’ll head south.Hopefully there weren’t any mercenaries nearby to hear this tonight.”“We’re going to need more water,” Zach said and I elbowed him in the side.Now was not the time to discuss another run.But Sasha surprised me with her answer.“Yes, I know.They destroyed some of our supply during the attack…” her voice trailed off.“A small group of us can go.The water truck is still there.We can fill up what we can carry.” Zach pushed forward, against my nudges encouraging him to stop.“Yes, we’ll do that.But now I need you in camp packing up what’s left.” She grabbed Max’s hand and led him away.Zach and I continued walking toward the now sputtering fire.No one spoke and everyone had a job to do.Zach grabbed one of the towels sitting near the fire and brushed it lightly against my face.I cringed with the pain of my swollen cheek and bloody nose.Another reminder of what almost happened to me tonight.I suspected those visions would haunt me for a while.But then I thought about Alicia and scolded myself for feeling so selfish.“You need this more than me,” I said to Zach, snatching the towel from his hand.His chin had a nasty cut on it that had stopped bleeding, but looked pretty deep.As soon as I touched it, blood began seeping again.“Let me get you a bandage.”Before Zach could protest, I headed toward Trevor’s area.He was the one in charge of medical supplies.With each step, I took an inventory of my surroundings.Max and Jackson worked together to pack up what was left of the food and water.Hunter and Carrie busied themselves with wrapping Alicia’s body in pieces of animal skin and dead leaves.With limited clothing available, it didn’t make sense to leave all of hers behind.They spoke in hushed tones, and when I listened closer, I realized they were praying.Sasha seemed to walk around without intent.After losing one of our own, she always distanced herself from the group.It was her way of coping and everyone accepted it as such.I imagined it must be hard to feel responsible for the safety of so many.Trevor’s voice interrupted my thoughts.“Are you okay?”I looked down to focus on his concerned eyes staring back up on me.He lifted his hand to touch my cheek, but I lightly brushed him away.“I need a bandage for Zach.”Trevor huffed.“Too bad.I need them for Daric.”“Trevor,” I sighed.“Now is not the time to be a dick.” I pushed around him to grab the material myself.He quickly stepped in front of me and snatched the bag of supplies.“Daric needs them more and if Zach would have listened to Sasha, those deserters wouldn’t have come here at all.”His words stung, but again, I held myself just as responsible.“I’m the one that killed two of them.You should blame me more than Zach.”“I do,” he snapped.“Alicia is gone and I doubt Daric will make it through the night.My gaze drifted over to the man lying on the ground.Even in the limited light, his pale face and unnatural stillness permeated the evening.Trevor had fashioned pieces of ripped sweatshirts around his neck, but the dark stains leaked through like death taking hold with bony fingers.Daric wouldn’t make it through the night.I felt tears slide down my face and didn’t bother wiping them away.Swallowing hard, I held out my hand and begged.“Please, Trevor.Just one piece.” He shook his head.“I don’t want to fight with you tonight.”Maybe he heard the defeat in my voice, or maybe he’d finally learned when to pick his battles, but after another moment of hesitation, he finally agreed.Sifting through the duffle bag, he handed me a neatly wrapped bundle.“This is all I can spare.”“Thank you,” I said, not knowing if it would be enough but deciding not to argue.Before leaving, I knelt down next to Daric.His breathing sounded shallow and irregular, and the fresh scent of blood made my stomach turn.“I’m so sorry,” I whispered into his ear.With my hand resting lightly on his chest, I hung my head and wished for him to be at peace.Perhaps waking up would be worse for him.Daric and Alicia loved each other very much, and I doubted he’d be able to cope with such a loss.My chest tightened at the thought of losing Zach like that.I knew I wouldn’t want to live without him.Trevor knelt down next to me and felt for a pulse in Daric’s wrist [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Pokrewne