Page 20 of Desiderium (Devil Dogs of the Apocalypse #2)

Aly

Fifteen minutes earlier…

“COLE!!!”

I see him there... trapped... on the beach. One of them is on his back, scratching and clawing at him, while at least a half a dozen others surround him, doing the same.

Pressing in on him.

Surrounding him.

Refusing to let him escape.

“Shit,” Hawk exclaims just as he lifts his gun, aiming and shooting at the resurrected bodies as they attempt to flank Cole’s position. Unfortunately, that only helps Cole a little since Hawk can’t take the risk of hitting those closer to him, or Jax for that matter. He’s simply thinning the heard.

They’re relentless and determined. Persistent in their want and need. Their hunger... undeniably terrifying.

I can’t stay here...Need to help him... Now...

Hawk continues shooting, never taking his eyes off his targets, but sharply cuts a leg in front of me when I move to take a step toward the chaos, his large body blocking mine and my restless urge to get to Cole.

“Stay here, Aly. Jax will get there in time.” From what I can see from his profile, his eyes and facial expression are fury incarnate, but his voice is as calm as a morning sunrise.

“But—”

“Look, Aly. Jax is right there. He’ll get him. Don’t worry.” Hawk indicates with his chin as he continues to take more and more of them out.

Turning my gaze to where Hawk directed, I see Jax further out, running to where Cole is huddled on the ground, but he’s still fighting his own entourage as he closes the distance. I’ve half a mind to race past Hawk and make my way back to him anyways but stop myself once again.

First of all, I can’t swim for shit, barely managing to keep my head above the water as it is.

And, second, I know Jax would still get there before I do and, knowing me, I’d just get in the way.

I watch impatiently as Cole struggles, trying to flip over, kicking and punching any which way he can but more and more keep flocking to where he’s fallen. They must have been closer than we thought.

Cole stretches his arms, reaching for something in front of him. It’s then I realize, he no longer has his rifle. It’s on the ground... about five feet away from his outstretched fingers .

Shit.

I’m sure he still has his knife, and maybe his sidearm, but it might not be enough. And that’s if he’s even able to reach it or remember that he has it while fighting against their increasing numbers.

“Come on Cole, get up. Move!”

I can see him grunt his effort as they pin him down.

There are simply too many of them, surrounding him so completely I almost can’t see him anymore.

It’s only been a minute or so. But a minute might be too little too late if Jax doesn’t make it there in time.

My breath hitches at the thought of losing him.

No.

Not like this.

Fuck this.

Over my dead body.

I stubbornly push myself through the water.

Back toward the beach. Back to Cole . I don’t have time to think about the repercussions.

My muscles and limbs move even without my brain willing it so.

Despite the danger it puts me in, I need to get to him, I need to help him, but Hawk stops me, once again, with a hand on my shoulder before I even manage to get more than a few feet away.

“ Fuck. Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

“But…”

He wrenches me back with an arm around my waist, makes me look into his stern and serious eyes and, with an urgently terrifying voice I haven’t heard come out of his mouth until this very moment, says, “Aly, stay in the fucking water.” I open my mouth to reply but he continues before I can utter a sound.

“No Aly. No ifs. No buts. Just listen and don’t fucking move.

You’re safer in the water. I’ll be right back.

” Hawk turns and leaves me just as Jax shows up at Cole’s position, the rest of the horde still charging toward them, closing the distance quickly.

Between the bullets and his fists, Jax manages to take out a few within their vicinity just as Hawk reaches them. Together, they manage to subdue the immediate threats and check over Cole quickly, but before long the remainder of the undead mass is on them once again.

Jax picks up Cole, heaving him over his shoulder in a fireman carry, and runs towards the water but the dead are closing in, surrounding them from every direction even with Cole and Hawk shooting as many as they can.

I suddenly don’t care what Hawk told me to do.

I can’t just stand here and watch this like some fucking incompetent damsel.

I have to do something.

Now.

I run out of the water and edge to the far side of the beach.

Regardless of Hawk’s orders, I need to provide a diversion in order to give the guys enough room between them and the zombies to get off the beach and into the water where it’s safe.

I take the silencer off of my pink pistol and shoot off one… two…three…four rounds into the air .

The loud shots get their attention and, as a group, they turn and head in my direction, letting Jax, Hawk and Cole make it into the water. Confirming their safety finally lets me release a breath of relief, but only to have my breath stolen all over again.

“Ah fuck…”

I knew this could happen—that my diversion could draw attention to me rather than simply confusing them for a few seconds—but the sudden change of events makes me freeze in my steps. Panic crawls up my chest, closing my throat. Tunnel vision takes over.

Oh shit…

“ALY RUN!!!!”

The muffled distant sounds hit my ears, but do nothing to calm the tsunami inside my brain. They’re coming. I see death in their eyes. My death. It’s pure intoxicating oblivion racing towards me. A stampede of reckoning, calling for my demise.

Move...

I know I should run. To try and escape. To flee into the safety the water provides. But my body simply won’t listen. It’s shutting down.

I’ve been here before...

They’re getting closer. Within a matter of seconds, they’ll be on top of me. And then.... then it won’t matter. The men I love will be safe and if I managed to achieve that, it would have all been worth it .

Something wet and sharp grabs ahold of my hand and pulls, dragging me out of my stupor and into the mess I’ve made for myself. I’m still numb, ready to face the end, but somehow, my sluggish gaze manages to look down and see what’s gnawing at me.

Sadie.

She shouldn’t be here.

She should be in the water.

Where the guys are.

Where I should be.

But she’s not.

She’s here with me.

Risking it all to protect and save me.

Good girl.

Persistently, she keeps pulling on my hand, gentle enough to not hurt but tense enough to let me know she’s not giving up on me. Her little whines draw more and more of my focus away from my impending doom.

Ok, girl, lead the way.

Finally, my feet start to move. Step by step. Inch by inch. Before I know it, we’re back in the water. Safe. I can hear the undead screeching their defeat from the water’s edge.

When I’m soaked to my thighs, I turn and see the horde swarming the area where we just were mere seconds ago and all the way down to the shoreline.

I don’t understand it, but something keeps them from entering the water.

Hawk knew about it, though. He knew I’d be safe offshore.

That they couldn’t get me here. I wonder if this is how they escaped them last year?

The water creeps past my thighs, then my hips, and finally my chest and shoulders.

I still can’t swim for shit, but with a little help from Sadie, buoying my one side, I’m able to make some progress, not stopping my little doggy paddle until I see Hawk, sprinting through the water, swimming as hard as he can in order to get to us.

“Aly, oh my God. What the fuck?! I told you not to move!” Hawk’s voice cracks as he berates me while closing the distance, his eyes telling me just how terrified my little act of defiance made him.

He grabs me anyways, pulling me into him, holding me up as he treads water, before burying his lips into my hair.

“I told you not to move...,” he rasps out as his trembling hands map out my entire body, searching for any damage.

When he’s satisfied that I’m not physically injured, he kisses my forehead, refusing to remove his lips from my skin even as he speaks again.

“Don’t you fucking do that again. Do you hear me?

” The anxious and exhausted sound reverberating out of him is absolutely bone chilling.

“Do you hear me?!” He repeats louder, more forcefully, fully expecting me to answer him.

“Yes,” I reply. My voice, a mere whisper of trepidation as I nod back, too stunned to argue or debate why I did it at the moment. Too dazed by the sudden events to do anything other than function on autopilot.

He pulls back, pressing his lips to mine quickly, and huffs out a sigh before letting me go, keeping my pace while leading me on to where the other guys are waiting .

Jax is on his back, holding Cole on top of him, chest to chest. I can only assume he’s doing this to keep Cole’s wounds as dry as possible. The back of his shirt is shredded, though, and, through the long tears, I can see a few of his wounds.

They don’t look good.

In a matter of seconds, my vision clears and my hearing sharpens, the sight of his trauma fully bringing me back to the here and now.

“Cole?! Cole! I’m here,” I say frantically.

“Aly?! Fuck, are you ok? Guys, is she ok?” He nearly falls out of Jax’s arms in his attempt to check on me but Jax keeps him still, hoisting him further onto his chest.

“It’s ok, Cole... She’s ok. Just... focus on staying on top of Jax and not moving too much, ok man?” Hawk says immediately, answering Cole and calming his worry.

“We need to get out of the water, follow me, there’s an old swimming dock just over here. Hawk, you stay with Aly and help her. It’s not far, but it’s still a good bit of distance to swim.” Jax instructs us and we turn to follow him.