Deadland's Harves(74)

“Take us!” the other man stepped forward, pulling the teenaged girl alongside.

“Hugh,” Maggie chided. “We don’t leave anyone behind. We stay together. Always.”

“If that’s how you feel,” Clutch said with far more calm than I could manage. “There’s a vehicle not far from here. We’ll take one of you to go get it.”

“You can’t leave us!” Maggie cried out.

Clutch pointed to the man named Hugh. “You. I’ll take you to get the vehicle.” He turned and started walking back to the Humvee, and I stayed at his side. I glanced up to see Jase still standing at the .30, alert and ready.

Hugh ran forward, dragging his daughter with him.

“She stays. Just one of you can come along for the SUV,” Clutch said.

The man looked none too pleased, not that I could blame him. He didn’t know that Clutch was only protecting us by minimizing risk inside the Humvee.

The man glanced back at his group and then pulled his daughter with him. “I don’t need the SUV. Just take us with you,” he pleaded.

“Hugh!” Maggie shouted. “You can’t be serious!”

“They don’t get it,” Hugh continued. “We can’t stay out here. The herds are coming. I don’t plan on staying out here.” Then he thrust his daughter at Clutch. “She’s all yours to do with as you please. Just take us with you!”

The girl’s eyes grew wide and she shoved against her father. “Dad!”

Uncaring, he pushed her again at Clutch. “She’s pure! Hali will do anything you want. That should cover our room and board. Don’t leave us behind.”

Clutch grimaced at the daughter and then glared at the father. “Christ. Do I look like a pedophile to you? You’d sell your own f*cking daughter for safety?”

The man winced but then stood firm. “I just want us to be safe. Take us with you. If you leave us behind, the zeds will get us for sure. You don’t understand. We barely made it this far.”

“Stop it!” Brenda cried out, her pale face twisted in pain. “All of you stop it!”

Everyone turned toward the dying woman. She turned to Don. “You must save Alana.”

Don shook his head. “I won’t leave you. I can’t.”

“Save Alana,” she said with more strength than I thought she’d be able to muster for how close to death she looked.

He sobbed and then buried his head in her neck. “I love you so much.”

“I love you.” She looked up to their daughter. “Come here, my little garden sprite.”

The young girl ran over to her mother with tears in her eyes. “Mommy!” Though she couldn’t have been older than five, she still clearly understood the severity of the situation.

Brenda released her husband and hugged her daughter. Don held both of them in his arms. They cried and kept repeating their love for one another. After several long minutes, Don held out his hand and motioned for the syringe.

Clutch handed it to him.

“Don’t do this, Don,” Maggie said. “It’s murder. Don’t let these devils lead you astray.”

“Maggie, I need you to look after Alana right now,” he said.

When she didn’t move, Don yelled, “Do it, Maggie!”

The old woman glowered, but she pulled the crying girl against her.

“You should go through the vein,” Clutch said. “It will go faster.”

Don’s hand shook like crazy. His wife watched him and tried to smile but it was all too quickly drowned by pain.

He’d nearly pierced the skin and then tore away. “I-I can’t.” He grasped his hair with one hand while the other hand holding the syringe fell limply at his side.

“Okay.” Clutch stepped forward.

“No. I’ll do it,” I said, stepping around him. Clutch had enough nightmares already. He didn’t need another one. To make it easier, I’d already figured I’d imagine her as a zed and that I wasn’t taking a life. At least, I figured if I did it quickly enough I wouldn’t think myself out of it.

He grabbed my wrist, gave me a sharp look, and then tugged me back. He cupped my cheek and shook his head. “I won’t let you do this.”

He turned, bent down, and took the syringe from Don. Clutch didn’t waste any time. He grabbed the woman’s arm and rubbed his thumb over the vein at her elbow.