Free Path of the Horseman by Amy Braun

neighbors, even. I promise I
won’t knock on your door asking for sugar.”
     
    The mousy redhead practically drooled when I
mentioned ‘sugar.’ They all looked a little hungry, actually. Even
tough guy Josh and his sexy sidekick Maddy. I glanced over their
heads and got a better look at the school bus they’d been driving.
It looked like the Magic School Bus, if the Magic School Bus had
been learning a lesson about the human digestive system during a
severe case of food poisoning. Patchy brown stains covered the
already rusting yellow metal. The cracked windows were boarded up
with chicken wire and strips of sheet metal. The hubcaps looked as
reliable as tinfoil, and there was some kind of sludge leaking out
from the exhaust pipe. That was probably why they stopped. The
Magic School Bus needed a tune-up in the middle of the
Apocalypse.
     
    “Looks like ol’ Rusty there needs some love,”
I commented. “But you guys are probably too hungry and worn out to
do anything tonight, right?”
     
    “We can sleep on the bus,” Josh proclaimed.
“We’ve done it before, and we have food.”
     
    “Yeah, but when was the last time you slept
in a real bed? Or had semi-decent food? My brother’s a hoarder, and
he’s got a deluxe suite. I’m sure he could find something that
isn’t growing fungus and find a way to cook an actual meal for you
all.”
     
    Almost everyone, even Maddy, was cracking at
the mere thought of a good night’s sleep. Josh stood there with his
arms crossed and his eyebrows pinched.
     
    “No. We don’t need your help.”
     
    Wow. Talk about a tough customer.
     
    “Josh,” tried the skinny kid. His arms were
wrapped around his stomach. Underneath his heavy clothes, I got an
idea of how thin he was. “Come on, man. We can’t fix the bus
tonight. We should go inside.”
     
    Josh turned his head to the side, as Maddy
had done earlier so he could look at the kid, but keep his eyes on
me. “I’m not putting our lives in the hands of this guy just
because he’s making promises.”
     
    “But Josh, what if this is the place?” That
was from the motherly woman.
     
    “It’s not.”
     
    “But maybe they know about it,” Maddy
pressed. Josh looked down at her. “Theo’s right about the bus. We
can’t go any further tonight.” She leaned closer to whisper in his
ear.
    I tried to listen in, but something else
caught my attention. A low hissing growl in the distance. I turned
around and glared at the darkness, daring for the sound to come
again.
    It did, and this time it was loud enough for
the humans to hear. Some of them whimpered and gasped. Maddy took
out her Sig and Josh raised his rifle. I picked up my machete and
knives, holstering the KA-BARs and gripping the longer blade.
     
    “This way,” I told the humans. I knew I could
run and not have to wait for them to catch up with me. I reached
the front door to the suites and was about to open it when a hand
slammed it shut. I followed the hand to see Josh pinning the door
in place.
     
    “Are you serious?” I asked, not sure if he
really was.
     
    Josh held the door in place and gave me his
fiercest glare yet.
     
    “Do anything to hurt these people, and the
only pieces left of you will be what I throw to the Plagued for
chum.”
     
    The man did know how to make a threat.
“Noted. Now why don’t we get the fuck inside?”
     
    Josh pulled his hand back and turned,
sweeping up his rifle like a pro. The Soulless screamed as I yanked
open the door. I held it open and ushered the humans inside. Maddy
and Josh were the last ones to enter before me. As I swung into the
apartment building and closed the door, I saw humanoid shapes
darting through the ruined hedges. I didn’t know if the Soulless
had seen us, but I was willing to place my bets on their side.
     
    I locked the door and stepped back. The
humans breathed heavily and nervously behind me. I heard a few
stomachs growl.
     
    Simon was going to kill me.

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