Decision
1325 Words
Cara felt a searing pain rip through her legs as ragged concrete tore through the flesh of her knees. She felt the warm ooze of blood seeping through her jeans. Desperately she tried to get back on her feet as the sounds of the Herd grew louder behind her.
Her hands were on fire where the gravel had dug into her skin, but she managed to push herself up somehow. Her legs felt like jelly, wobbling under her as she tried to take a step.
“Stop running!” An angry voice echoed behind her. “We are the cure!” They chanted, “We are the cure!” The voices were getting dangerously loud, but she was too scared to look back.
That’s when she heard heavy footsteps directly behind her. A giant hand clutched at her elbow.
She swung the elbow backward, aiming straight for the stomach of her attacker, throwing all of her weight into the blow.
A deep grunt escaped his lips as Cara wriggled free from his grasping hands and tried to run away.
The ogre of a man clutched at her shirt, causing her to trip again. She heard a loud rip as the tee shirt tore, exposing her back and making her fall face first into the pavement. The gravel dug into her cheek as it crashed to the ground.
She dared not open her mouth to scream, squeezing her eyes and lips shut as tightly as possible as the giant man loomed over her with a slimy smile.
Please, God... Don’t let him infect me, she thought to herself.
He flipped her over, pinning her wrists to the ground with his giant, meaty paws. He leaned over her, grinning from ear to ear, and she was sure that her fate was sealed. Until she heard the sound of a car skidding to a stop right next to her, and the familiar loud squeak of a car door.
Her eyelids flew open just in time to see Bradley leap gracefully from his car. He strode over to the giant man while the rest of the mob surged forward a few feet away.
We are doomed, she thought. Now we are both doomed.
He reeled back with a balled up fist then let loose, punching the attacker squarely in the jaw with impossible force. The impact sent spit and teeth flying through the air.
Bradley scooped Cara up in his arms and ran back to the car, threw her in the front seat and slammed the door. He ran back to his side and leapt inside. A few Herd members began to pound on the trunk and grasp for the door handles as Bradley floored the accelerator.
They peeled away, sending gravel and chunks of broken asphalt into the faces of their attackers. Bradley and Cara watched in the mirrors as the mob grew smaller and smaller eventually disappearing from sight. Finally they both released the breaths they'd been holding.
They looked at each other cautiously, and the eye contact made their hearts flutter nervously. Then it hit them. They had just touched for the first time. They had touched another person, practically a stranger.
They had compromised each other.
They both tried to steady their thoughts and their breathing, but nothing could calm them. Despite all of the danger, the only thought that kept popping back up in both of their heads was how much they longed to touch once again.
They sat in silence as Bradley drove, both of them trying unsuccessfully to find the right words to say. Communication was not their strong suit.
“What were you thinking?” Bradley finally asked in an uncharacteristically soft voice. “I can’t... we can’t lose you.”
Her jaw tightened a little at his words. “I’m sorry,” she said as she tried to keep her voice steady. “It was stupid of me to run like that. It’s just... you can be...”
“... an ass?” He said with a smirk.
“Yeah,” she laughed.
“I'm well aware of that, and it’s something I am working on.” He paused for a moment. “I’m sorry too,” he said with a sigh.
“Don’t worry about it,” Cara said, still gasping for air. “I’ll try not to be such a hothead,” she said with a weak laugh.
Their eyes met for a moment, and their hearts both skipped a beat. After all of the hateful words they’d exchanged, he still came to save her. He endangered his life for hers.
She would never forget that.
They drove in silence the rest of the way back to the manor, the plastic shield between them blocking any much-desired physical contact.
Soon they reached the tree-lined driveway once more, and the rhythmic sound of gravel under the tires made them breathe a sigh of relief.
They were finally home safe and sound.
Or so they thought.
As the disintegrating manor appeared in front of them, they realized that they were not alone. A black SUV with dark tinted windows was following closely behind them.
Bradley’s eyes narrowed as he looked in the rear view mirror, slowing down as he pulled up to the house. “Stay here,” he muttered as he slowed to a stop and opened the door.
The car followed along, parking directly behind them and blocking any escape.
Bradley climbed out, then stood between the vehicles with his arms crossed. If he was afraid he wasn't going to show it.
Cara rolled down her window a little so she could hear the conversation from a safe distance.
A burly man with a shaved head climbed out of the front seat, then turned to open up the rear door.
From the back seat of the car emerged a statuesque blond woman with hair pulled back in a bun so tight that her eyebrows were permanently lifted. Her suit jacket was dark plum colored, and she smoothed it gracefully as her stilettos crunched in the gravel.
“Doctor St. Claire... Miss James,” the severe woman declared in an impossibly deep voice, “It is nice to finally meet you.”
Bradley held firm in his protective stance. “Who the hell are you, and why are you on my property?”
“Tsk, tsk,” the woman clicked her teeth. “No need to be aggressive. You know what they say about shooting the messenger.”
“Messenger?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.
She nodded stoically.
“Fine,” he answered with acid in his voice. “Give us your message and get out.”
“My employer has become aware of your little... project,” the woman said.
“Who is your employer?” Bradley asked through gritted teeth.
“That’s none of your concern,” she answered. “What is your concern is that he does not approve of your work.”
“Why should I care what he thinks?” Bradley snapped.
“Because he is very powerful, and very angry,” she answered. “Stop now, or there will be consequences.”
“You can kiss my...” Bradley began.
Cara jumped out of the car, “We will, we promise,” she sputtered out frantically as she cut him off.
The severe woman narrowed her eyes at them suspiciously, her gaze daring back and forth between them.
“Trust me. You do not want to upset my employer more than you already have,” she muttered. “Make the smart decision.”
With that, she spun on her heel and climbed back in the car. It sped off down the driveway as Cara and Bradley stared at the red lights fading into the distance.
- Writer
