of the tent closest to him opened, and a man holding a rifle stepped out. His eyes fixed on Callum, but then they turned to the mayhem by the pen. Without thinking, Callum pulled his gun and promptly put a bullet in the man’s head. He then turned and looked toward the Lingerers feeding a few yards away. Several now looked in his direction, and he knew he was next on the menu. He put a round in each head of the Lingerers staring at him, then he bolted off to find La Roux and the women.
With every jarring step he took, bolts of pain roared up his injured arm. The pain was almost unbearable, but thanks to his cold single mindedness he was able to compartmentalize it. Pain was just something to endure, but never something to succumb to. He pounded onwards and drove all discomfort from his mind. After a few minutes of intense running, he stopped to look for signs of La Roux and the women.
His heart was pounding like a sledgehammer in his chest, and his vision kept moving in and out of focus. Suddenly, he heard the sound of pursuers crashing through the trees behind him. With the knowledge that the noise was most likely the result of the undead, he turned to look in the direction of the sound. As he turned, his foot caught on a root hidden beneath the carpet of leaves that covered the ground. He crashed to the dirt, landing heavily on his injured arm. Despite his considerable self-control, he screamed with pain.
At that moment, two Lingerers burst into the tiny clearing where he lay, and they eyed him hungrily. He knew he had to fight, but his body refused all orders his brain sent it. He feebly reached for his gun, but he fainted before his hand got within six inches of it.
The Lingerers moved closer to his unconscious body, and as if to call others to their location, they let out a loud, guttural sound. The creatures peered around for a few moments longer, then they lunged for the fallen Ranger.
Chapter 8
La Roux led the women deeper into the thick undergrowth of the woodlands surrounding the Maxwell’s camp. He had to put as much distance between them and the camp as he could before Callum released the undead. He looked over his shoulder and saw most of the women were falling far behind him. He stopped and waited for the closest, Tilly’s sister, to catch up.
“What’s yer name?” La Roux whispered as she reached him.
“Isabelle, but folks call me Izzy.”
“Listen up, Izzy. Unless we get a move on, we’re going to end up dead.”
“I know that,” she hissed. “But none of us have eaten in days. We’re weak and we’re tired.”
“That’s as may be, but you’ll all be just as dead if either the men in that camp, or the Lingerers catch us. Do what you have to, but make it clear to the rest of the women that they’re moving too slow.”
“Why don’t you tell ‘em?”
“I think they’ve had enough of men barking orders at ‘em.”
At that moment, the sound of distant gunshots filled the air.
“Is that your friend?” Izzy asked as she looked back toward the camp.
“I think it may be. If he’s using his gun, then he’s in real trouble.”
“I know of a cave just east of here, and only us women know of it. After severe beatings we use it to hide out in. We could wait there ‘til your friend catches us up.”
La Roux nodded. “You take the others to the cave, I’m going to go and check on Callum. Just in case I can’t find you, have someone keep an eye out for us.”
Izzy looked scared, but she complied with La Roux’s request.
The big Cajun watched as the women trooped past him, and then he headed back in the direction he had just come. He felt bad for abandoning them so soon, but he knew he had no choice. Everything told him Callum was in trouble, and he would not abandon him to either the Maxwells, or the undead.
Izzy had her head screwed on, and he knew she would make sure her kin made it safely to the cave. Things never went smoothly, and improvisation was the hallmark of
With every jarring step he took, bolts of pain roared up his injured arm. The pain was almost unbearable, but thanks to his cold single mindedness he was able to compartmentalize it. Pain was just something to endure, but never something to succumb to. He pounded onwards and drove all discomfort from his mind. After a few minutes of intense running, he stopped to look for signs of La Roux and the women.
His heart was pounding like a sledgehammer in his chest, and his vision kept moving in and out of focus. Suddenly, he heard the sound of pursuers crashing through the trees behind him. With the knowledge that the noise was most likely the result of the undead, he turned to look in the direction of the sound. As he turned, his foot caught on a root hidden beneath the carpet of leaves that covered the ground. He crashed to the dirt, landing heavily on his injured arm. Despite his considerable self-control, he screamed with pain.
At that moment, two Lingerers burst into the tiny clearing where he lay, and they eyed him hungrily. He knew he had to fight, but his body refused all orders his brain sent it. He feebly reached for his gun, but he fainted before his hand got within six inches of it.
The Lingerers moved closer to his unconscious body, and as if to call others to their location, they let out a loud, guttural sound. The creatures peered around for a few moments longer, then they lunged for the fallen Ranger.
Chapter 8
La Roux led the women deeper into the thick undergrowth of the woodlands surrounding the Maxwell’s camp. He had to put as much distance between them and the camp as he could before Callum released the undead. He looked over his shoulder and saw most of the women were falling far behind him. He stopped and waited for the closest, Tilly’s sister, to catch up.
“What’s yer name?” La Roux whispered as she reached him.
“Isabelle, but folks call me Izzy.”
“Listen up, Izzy. Unless we get a move on, we’re going to end up dead.”
“I know that,” she hissed. “But none of us have eaten in days. We’re weak and we’re tired.”
“That’s as may be, but you’ll all be just as dead if either the men in that camp, or the Lingerers catch us. Do what you have to, but make it clear to the rest of the women that they’re moving too slow.”
“Why don’t you tell ‘em?”
“I think they’ve had enough of men barking orders at ‘em.”
At that moment, the sound of distant gunshots filled the air.
“Is that your friend?” Izzy asked as she looked back toward the camp.
“I think it may be. If he’s using his gun, then he’s in real trouble.”
“I know of a cave just east of here, and only us women know of it. After severe beatings we use it to hide out in. We could wait there ‘til your friend catches us up.”
La Roux nodded. “You take the others to the cave, I’m going to go and check on Callum. Just in case I can’t find you, have someone keep an eye out for us.”
Izzy looked scared, but she complied with La Roux’s request.
The big Cajun watched as the women trooped past him, and then he headed back in the direction he had just come. He felt bad for abandoning them so soon, but he knew he had no choice. Everything told him Callum was in trouble, and he would not abandon him to either the Maxwells, or the undead.
Izzy had her head screwed on, and he knew she would make sure her kin made it safely to the cave. Things never went smoothly, and improvisation was the hallmark of
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