The Dead Zone (Book One)

Chapter 2: Paige

He absorbed her words, and she knew he saw her point of view as he appraised her. “Well, maybe we are crazy, but we don’t have a choice. If you don't like our plan you don’t have to come with us. You can leave any time.”

“I know that, but I have no where else to go. So I might as well be crazy with you.”

He gave her a stiff nod before trudging on. “We’re almost to camp.”

Paige soon discovered that 'camp' consisted of a small lean-to built between a couple of trees, surrounded by trip wire to alert them if anyone tried to creep up on them in the darkness. The shelter was only big enough to fit one person. A crude fire pit sat a few feet away, dark with soot. She yearned to light a fire, to warm her hands from the chill or heat a meal. She was no stranger to cold nights here in Oregon.

“I’ll take first watch.” Bryson volunteered, setting his pack against the log he'd dragged over to sit on by the fire. He lit a small flame, not nearly big enough for her liking, but enough to warm her hands if she sat close. Zach headed to the lean-to to sleep, she assumed.

“Arent you going to eat something first?” She asked, turning to Bryson in confusion, her stomach grumbling loudly as if on cue. Surely they were hungry too.

“You see any food around here, Princess? Your scream scared off the game we were hunting.” She could tell Bryson was sour about that from the tone of his voice. Maybe that’s why he’d been so mean to her earlier.

Pulling her pack off her shoulder, she retrieved a single can of baked beans. It wasn't much, but it would stave off the hunger until they could find more food. The two boys thanked her as they all shared the can around the fire, seemingly in better spirits. She wondered how long it had been since they’d had a warm meal. Sure, canned beans weren’t the best, but when you got hungry enough, something as simple as this seemed like a feast. She even saw Bryson smile a few times, a faint curve at the corner of his mouth, although it didn’t reach his eyes.

Long after Zach retired to sleep in the small shelter, Bryson and Paige remained by the fire, sitting in silence, accompanied only by the humm of insects and wind in the branches. Bryson was keeping watch, but Paige couldn’t find it in her to fall asleep. She was still wound up from the days events. Today was probably the closest she’d come to death since she'd escaped the city. She'd been all alone, a position she'd never wanted to find herself in. Just the thought of what might have happened to her if Bryson hadn’t been there sent chills down her spine.

She observed him across the flames crackling between them. The fire cast an eerie glow across his features, long shadows bouncing back and forth across his cheekbones, highlighting his straight nose. She couldn’t tell if he was looking at her or not because of how the shadows fell, but she could have sworn she felt his eyes on her, heating her flesh in a way not even the fire could. Deep down, she couldn’t help but notice how incredibly good-looking he was. He was dark and quiet, shrouded in an air of mystery. She'd learned he was a leader, while she herself was more of a follower. He was stealthy and accurate, the perfect combination of deadly and sexy.

“Where did you learn to shoot?” Her words breaking the silence between them. She didn’t know why she felt the need to talk, maybe to distract her mind from such thoughts as the ones filling her mind at that moment, or maybe simply to unravel the mystery that sat before her in the form of Bryson.

“My bow? Or my gun?” He asked, stretching his legs out to get more comfortable.

“Both.”

He studied the compound bow that rested near his side, ready to grab at a moments notice. “My dad taught me how to shoot the bow. The military taught me to shoot guns.”

“I see. What branch did you serve in?” She wasn’t all that surprised. He kind of reminded her of a military sergeant with all his bossiness, and the way he carried himself, forever alert.

“I was a soldier in the army for four years, fresh out of high school. I just got home from a tour in Iraq when the virus hit.”

"Wow, at least you made it back to the states before you got trapped overseas." She responded, not really sure what to say.

        After a moment of silence, he changed the subject. "What do you think it is? The virus, I mean."

        "Honestly... I'm not sure. Nobody really knows enough about what's going on to figure it out. And most of the doctors and researchers are dead so... we might never know.” The severity of her words sunk in. There were barely any survivors. A small percentage of the population, she’d guessed. And those who had survived the initial outbreak were at risk of either being mauled to death or becoming infected by the roamers.

        “You should have seen the hospital where I worked. Nobody knew what to do. Once that sickness gets inside you, it’s only a matter of days before you’re completely turned. We weren’t sure what was making so many people sick… the hospital was so full when they started turning on us, it was overrun almost instantly. The sickness spreads fast; it was only a matter a time before the whole city was infected. I barely made it out alive.”

“Where were you living?”

“Portland.” He let out a low whistle, earning him a grimace. Portland was one of the biggest cities in Oregon. As soon as the sickness got in, everyone who got infected began turning into roamers. And then they attacked the living. It was a chain reaction, something straight out of a horror movie, brewed up from the darkest parts of hell.

“I know. I’m lucky I met up with the people I did. They were friends of my fathers and they helped me escape. I stuck with them until today. I don’t even think they’re still alive.”

It hurt like hell to admit it, but she’d seen the size of the horde that had overrun their safe house. If anyone else made it out alive, it was a miracle. She herself had gotten extremely lucky.

“I’m sorry.” He responded after a moment of silence. She gave a small shrug. “It happens. We have to get used to things like this now. Until someone finds the cure.” She added the last part out of habit, to make herself feel better, but she knew a cure was a longshot. The damage had already been done.

He silently agreed with her as she pulled out a jacket and spread out by the fire, closing her eyes. All this morbid talk left her exhausted. Bryson stood to leave, probably to check the perimeter of camp, when she spoke softly.

“I know my friends are most likely dead, which means they won’t be needing any of the supplies we left at our safe house. I can take you by there tomorrow and we can stock up before we hit the road.”

        Bryson nodded before heading into the woods. Maybe Paige wasn’t so bad after all, he decided. Maybe he hadn’t made a huge mistake today, but only time would tell.