sammy notices the blood before I do.
"it's nothing," zombie grunts.
"are you sure?" i ask looking at him confused.
"what happened?" nugget, sammy whoever asked.
"it's a long story, nugget," ben says. "ill tell you later."
"where are we going?" cassie asks.
"in general? the hell out of here. after this next tunnel coming up on the right. it leads to an air shaft that we can—"
"wait!" she grabs his arm. "sammy and amélie's trackers."
he stares at her for a second, and then laughs ruefully. "i completely forgot."
"forgot what?" sammy asks.
i look over at amélie whose not even paying attention. zombie beside me looks down at her before shuffling over slowly in pain. he lowers down to her level. she looks at him with her small eyes.
"hi." she says softly.
"hi." zombie says back with a smile. "there's something i have to do okay? you have to trust me. deal?" he asks.
amélie looks up at me confused i sit down beside her before tapping my lap. "trust me it's better you don't know. just lay down on your stomach okay? it'll be done like a shot a little prick." i explain. she nods before looking at zombie for the real answer. he nods. she lays down. i look up at zombie. "be careful." i say sternly.
"yes ma'am." he says with a chuckle before smiling at me. i look over at cassie whose staring at our encounter. i let my smile fall and zombie notices before looking over at cassie who doesn't look very happy about the exchange between us.
"let's get this done and over with." i say looking away from cassie. he nods. before slicing at amélie's neck. she bites onto my arm really hard causing it to bleed. "shit." i say through my teeth. after he dug the device out of her neck, she was crying.
i hold her close while flattening her hair. "it's okay." zombie got up and went over to nugget. "i missed you." i say quietly to amélie.
"i missed you more."
"doubt it."
after a little we were back to moving. back into the main corridor, amélie leaning hard against my side. we make the last turn, and zombie stops so suddenly, i run right into his back. the tunnel echoes with the sound of a dozen semiautomatics being racked, and i hear a familiar voice say, "you're late, ben. i expected you much sooner."
a very deep voice, hard as steel.