Free Chloe Zombie Apocalypse series (Book 2): The Journey by Ryan Casey Page B

fucking right.”
    “We lost people back there,” Dad said. “We lost three of our own. It’s bad. It’s terrible. But it’s—”
    “Don’t you dare say ‘it’s just what happens in this world’ one more fucking time.”
    Dad’s mouth hung ajar. He closed his lips. Sniffed up. Shook his head. “I won’t. Because you’re right. We’re losing a lot of people.”
    A heaviness built in Chloë’s chest. She turned to her dad. “What do you—”
    “We could’ve approached that group,” Dean said. “The one by the motorway bridge.”
    Chloë shook her head. “But they were the ones who—”
    “We could’ve asked them what they were doing. Asked them whether they had room for some more. And if they didn’t comply, we coulda killed ‘em.”
    Chloë’s chest tightened. “But—but Jackson told me they—”
    “Hey,” Jackson said. He smiled. Lifted his hands. “I told you the truth. Those were the people I saw. I told you we should head down there. That we should take a look inside. And that as a kid, you’d be best fit to take a look around. To build a kind of unity, you get me?”
    Silence followed Jackson’s words. Warmth crackled from the flames.
    Jackson lowered his hands. “But you didn’t. So we went through the woods. Avoided that group. Just like you said. And now we’re down to ten.”
    Chloë turned to her dad. She didn’t like turning to her dad for support. She didn’t like feeling as if he was bailing her out of her battles.
    But right now she needed him.
    Right now she needed someone.
    “You’re so fucking obsessed with avoiding other people,” Anisha said, “I’m starting to wonder whether you want us dead after all.”
    Chloë’s head spun. She felt too tired to think. Too guilty to speak.
    But she shook her head. “No. No. I went through the woods because I wanted to keep us safe. I wanted to keep us—”
    “Well, good job there,” Dean said. He stood up. Wiped his hands together. “You only went and got a bunch of us killed. Great job.”
    Dean walked towards the cabin. Headed inside. Hassan and Anisha followed. Then Colin, then Arnold.
    “Where are you—”
    “Resting,” Dean said.
    Chloë looked around at the remaining group. Cassandra. Alice. Jackson. Dad.
    She saw Cassandra crying. Wanted to ask her how she was. If she was doing okay.
    She wanted to apologise for Reggie.
    Apologise for her son.
    But then Cassandra stood too.
    Followed the group into the cabin.
    Then, with a sigh, Jackson followed.
    Jackson, who’d held Chloë’s knife.
    Who’d left her to die.
    Why had he done that?
    Just a mistake?
    Just a mistake, or—
    “They’re right, y’know.”
    The voice startled Chloë. She wasn’t sure where it came from. Not initially.
    Then she looked across the fire and saw it could only possibly come from one source.
    Alice.
    She was on her feet now. Looking right at Chloë. Frowning.
    “Alice, please don’t—”
    “You led us through those woods. We trusted you.”
    “But Jackson said—”
    “Fuck what Jackson said. You’re supposed to be the leader. You’re supposed to make the calls. The right calls. And by that, I mean the right calls for the rest of the group. Not just for yourself.”
    “I always do stuff for other people.”
    “Like hide the news of the transmission? Like—like insist on pushing past every single fucking person we encounter? No matter how harmless they look. Really? That’s for other people?”
    Flashes of all the times she’d turned away from other people filled Chloë’s mind. Made a thickness swell in her throat.
    She’d done it because she cared about the rest of the group.
    Not because she was afraid of other people.
    Right?
    She’d done it because she cared.
    Surely that’s why she’d done it.
    Alice walked to the cabin. Climbed the steps. Pushed open the door.
    She glanced at Chloë. Then she turned away. Lowered her head.
    “You’ve lost us, Chloë. Pete. Both of you. You’ve lost us. Not the other