While We Fall (The Eva Series #2)

Chapter Twenty-Three

I awoke to the sound of Elliot’s painful screams, confused to find myself lying on the concrete floor of the bunker once again.
Slowly, I sat up, my head still spinning and my neck aching from Elliot’s deadly grip.
My breath caught in my throat as I saw through blurred vision that Elliot was on the ground too, with something growling and gnawing at his leg.
A zombie.

I scrambled to my feet just as Elliot kicked it off of him and started running towards the weapons on the shelf. The zombie was right behind him, moaning hungrily.
I ran as fast as I could out the door, jumping when I heard a gunshot from inside the bunker. Elliot had killed the zombie, now I was next.
I skidded into the trees, taking cover behind the lush greenery.
I had escaped death yet again, but only by sheer luck. If that zombie hadn’t have wandered into the bunker and attacked Elliot, I would surely be dead.
The pressure of everything I now faced weighed down on me like a heavy burden. Somehow, I had to save Jo and get us out of here. We had to make it to Sydney, or there was no hope left for us at all.

Exhausted, I slumped onto the rainforest floor, a surge of emotions suddenly overwhelming me. I sat there in the dirt, alone and terrified, trying desperately to hold myself together.
In the distance, I heard Dixon bark. I leaned forward, peering through the leaves to see him scratching at the window of the house, guarding Jo as best he could.
I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. Elliot had emerged from the bunker, blood staining his clothes. He was hunched over in pain, holding one hand over his gnarled leg and his gun in the other as he limped angrily towards the house, towards Dixon.
“Dixon!” I yelled, trying to get his attention. Elliot’s head snapped towards the trees, but he couldn’t see me. Dixon leapt off of the porch and started running towards the sound of my voice.

“I haven’t forgotten about you, Eva!” Elliot called. “But if I don’t find you, the zombies will!”
I climbed to my feet as I watched him hobble into the house, knowing time was running out to save Jo now that he had been bitten. He could start turning any minute.
Dixon ran through the trees, jumping up and licking my hand when he reached me.
“Hey, boy.” I smiled weakly. “Let’s get out of here.”
He dropped his front paws back down onto the ground, his ears twitching as though he could hear something. In a flash, he was gone, running through the forest.
“Dixon! You’re going the wrong way! We have to save Jo first! Come back!” I called, but he wouldn’t stop. I chased after him, jumping over fallen trees and rocks as I tried to catch up to him.

Once he reached the fence, he stopped and sat in front of one the holes Elliot had cut, as though he was waiting for something.
The sound of rustling trees on the other side of the fence made me stop in my tracks.
Something was coming towards us.
And I didn’t have any weapons.
As it came closer, I could hear two sets of footsteps. I knew the gunshot would have attracted more zombies, but I hoped they wouldn’t find us this quickly.
I scanned the ground for a branch big enough to smash their heads in, but I couldn’t find anything.
My only hope was to run.
“Dixon, run!” I said as I turned on my heels and started to flee.

“Eva?” A voice said from behind me.
I skidded to a stop, spinning around to see who had called my name.
My heart recognised the voice instantly, but my mind knew it was impossible.
They were gone, Elliot had made sure of it. Hadn’t he?
Could it be?
My heart felt as though it was going to burst through my chest as the figure emerged from the trees.
It was Wyatt.
And Ben was right behind him.
I wanted to run right up to Wyatt, throw my arms around him and never let him go. But I was frozen, too shocked to even speak.
“Eva!” He smiled as he saw me, picking up speed as he ducked through the hole in the fence and walked towards me. “Are you alright?”
He dropped his machete to the ground and lifted me off my feet, kissing me as though he hadn’t seen me in years.

“Where’s Jo?” Ben asked as Wyatt gently placed me back on my feet.
Finally, I found my voice. “In the house. Elliot has her.” I paused for a moment, confusion forming on my face. “He… he said you were dead?”
“He wishes.” Ben scoffed.
“He knew we were planning to leave him behind.” Wyatt began to explain. “We drove down the mountain into town. We heard screams, a woman was trapped in one of the buildings. The three of us went in to save her, but it was too late, they had already started eating her. Elliot locked us in the building and left.”
“But not before telling us that he had heard everything we said in the house,” Ben continued. “About our plan to leave him behind. He said it was justice, that we were getting what we deserved as ‘traitors of paradise’. Freaking nutcase.”
“How did you get out?” I asked.
“We had to climb out the window. It was already getting dark so we were able to sneak past most of the zombies, others we killed. We stole a car and drove back, but we knew Elliot could be watching so we dumped it half way up the mountain and walked the rest of the way.”
“We’ve been walking all night.” Wyatt said. “I was so worried…”
He bent his knees to match my height, looking carefully at my neck. For a moment I wondered what he was looking at, when I realised I must be bruised from Elliot’s attempt at my life. Rage lit up in Wyatt’s eyes at the sight.
“I’m going to kill him.” He said, picking up his machete.
“He’s already as good as dead.” I said.
“That’s for damn sure.” Wyatt replied as he started marching through the rainforest towards the house.
“No,” I said, grabbing his arm to stop him. “That’s not what I meant. He’s been bitten. He’ll be turning soon. We need to get Jo out of there.”
Wyatt and Ben looked at each other, the new urgency and danger of the situation making them even more serious than before.
“That’s not all,” I said, remembering the voice on the radio. “Elliot lied. Only Australia has been destroyed by the outbreak. It hasn’t spread. The rest of the world is okay… And they’re coming to save us.”

Their eyes widened at what they heard and their jaws fell open in shock. I could tell they wanted to know everything that I had heard, but we all knew there was no time to discuss it.
“When are they coming?” Wyatt asked.
“The rescue ships are docking at Sydney in a few days, on the twenty-fourth.” I said.
“It’s at least a thirty hour drive. But we can make it.” Said Ben.
“We have to.” I said. “We’ll get Jo, jump in the RV and get the hell out of here. If we leave soon we’ll make it to Sydney with time to spare.”
Dixon stood to his feet and began to growl again. We looked around, trying to spot what was coming.
Croaky grumbles and drawling moans echoed through the trees behind us. Zombies were closing in on us.
“Run!” Said Ben, and we didn’t argue.

The three of us bolted through the rainforest with Dixon by our side, pushing branches and shrubbery out of our way as we went.
A zombie with a missing arm jumped out from behind the trees in front of us. Without stopping, Wyatt swung his machete, swiftly slicing it’s head clean off and sending it flying through the air like a soccer ball.
Another zombie appeared from the trees, blood dripping from it’s rotting mouth as it blocked my way. It was holding a gutted and skinned rabbit, one of Elliot’s deadly invitations. As soon as it saw me, it dropped the dead rabbit and swung it’s arms towards me. I ducked just in time, shouldering it out of my way and onto the ground before running past.
We emerged from the forest and didn’t stop running.

We sped up to the house and burst through the front door, ready to face Elliot and all his wrath.
But he was nowhere to be found.
“Where is he?” Asked Wyatt as I ran to Jo and started untying the rope from around her wrists.
“I don’t know.” She whimpered, her eyes red from crying. “I thought you were…”
“We’re all ok, Jo.” I said. “We need to leave. Now.”
We snuck out the sliding door onto the back porch, being as quiet as possible and watching carefully for any signs of Elliot or zombies.
Jo and I climbed over the porch railing as Wyatt lifted Dixon over and handed him to Ben before jumping over to join us himself.
My hope grew as we ran towards the RV, it’s white exterior shining in the sunlight like an oasis.

“We’re gonna make it!” Jo said as we edged closer to our ride to freedom.

“Where’re the keys?” Asked Ben as he climbed into the driver’s seat. Wyatt, Jo and I jumped into the cabin with Dixon right behind us.

My hope vanished when I saw Elliot.

He was sitting casually on the couch at the back of the RV, twirling the keys in one hand while pointing his gun at us with the other.

“Just where do you think you’re going in such a damn hurry?” He asked, an evil grin forming across his face.