Page 20 of The Hollowed
They looked ready for war.
And then there was Luci, in her slightly too small shirt and borrowed boots. She felt the difference, and from the quick, measured glances they threw her way, she could tell they saw it too.
“I’m sorry, am I late?” Luci asked as Alex closed the distance between them.
He shook his head, but before he could answer, Myra smirkedfrom behind him. “Sure are, Dr. Castillo.”
“You’re fine,” Alex said. “Now, let’s get you suited up.”
She followed him to a small supply room in the back, watching as he handed her a lighter vest and helped secure it in place. The slight tremble in his hands made her feel the faint edge of tension within him. Then came the holster, something that should have made her feel safer, but only reminded her how out of her depth she really was. She hesitated, turning it over in her hands like doing so might reveal where it belonged.
“This was a bad idea,” she muttered under her breath.
“Yeah…maybe,” Alex said, taking the holster from her and dropping down to one knee so he could fasten it snugly around her thigh. When he stood, he didn’t move away. Instead, he lifted his hand to her jaw, letting his thumb brush her cheekbone as his eyes searched for hers. “But it’s too late to back out now, and you’re not doing this alone. Just remember the promise you made me, okay?”
Her throat felt tight, but she managed to nod and smile.
He turned briefly, rummaging through a bin before coming back with a handgun.
Luci froze.
“This is yours now,” Alex said, placing it gently in her hands. “Here’s the safety,” he flipped the small switch with his thumb. “Keep it on unless you’re going to shoot. Your finger stays off the trigger unless you’re aiming at something you’re ready to hit. Got it?”
She swallowed and nodded again.
“Good.” His voice softened into a tone that was almost protective. “You don’t have to be the fastest or the strongest out there. Just stay sharp, trust your instincts, and don’t forget we’ve got your back.”
“Okay,” Luci responded, her voice carrying a thread of false confidence. It was the kind spun together when all that’s left is the will to believe you’re braver than you are. She clung to Alex’s reassurance and told herself he was right, she would be fine. After all, she wasn’t walking into this alone. She had a team committed to getting her to Arizona alive and in one piece.
Alex gave her a short nod. “Alright, let’s get moving.”
He turned out of the supply room and gathered the others. “Listen up, the objective is simple: find a working vehicle, get Dr. Castillo to AZ-7, and avoid getting eaten. Clear?”
A few smirks and chuckles of agreement rippled through the group, but Luci’s stomach churned with each word.
Avoid getting eaten.
That was easy for them to say.
“Grayson, you’re point,” Alex continued, slipping seamlessly into command mode. “Paxton, Sable — you’ve got rear guard. Myra, you’re with me. We move fast, we move quietly, and we take no unnecessary risks. Once we’re out of the sewers, we find a vehicle and get wheels on the ground. Then we make for the east perimeter and head straight to Arizona.”
Luci’s pulse quickened at the mention of the sewers. Her mind conjured images she didn’t want to see. Putrid, dark, wet corridors that she’d been told led straight to the infected.
By the time Alex gave the final hand signal and the team fell into formation, her palms were damp against the straps of her borrowed vest. Every step toward the access hatch felt heavier than the last. When the grating screech of metal rang through the narrow passage and Grayson pried open the sewer entrance, Luci could only swallow the lump in her throat and follow.
Grayson, Alex, and Myra kept the tunnel brightly lit with their flashlights. The pale glow bounced off slick concrete walls as Luci and Luna trailed close behind. Paxton and Sable werebehind them boxing Luci in on all sides. She told herself it was for her safety, but the faint splash of their synchronized footsteps against the shallow water was the only reminder that she wasn’t completely alone.
The walk was shorter than Luci expected. Soon, Grayson was securing a ladder, climbing up, and swiftly pushing the sewer grate above them. A beam of sunlight speared through the opening, bright and almost unreal after being surrounded by fluorescent light for so long. For a moment, she considered taking a lungful of the fresh air she had craved for years until the stench of the sewer smothered the impulse.
Grayson slipped through the hatch and was gone. The silence that followed was thick, pressing against her ribs and making her nervous. The only thing tethering her to calm was the glance Alex cast over his shoulder at her. Then Grayson’s head reappeared, giving a quick nod to signal that it was clear. Myra went next, her movements efficient, followed by Alex and then Luna.
When it was finally her turn, Luci felt her heart beat faster with each step she climbed. Her hands trembled on the cold metal and her breaths came too fast. By the time she reached the top, Alex’s hand was there to pull her the rest of the way out. The sunlight hit her like a blow, making her vision go white as the world tilted beneath her feet. She fought the spin in her head until her lungs drew in that first, precious breath.
Nearly three years had passed since she’d last been beyond the hospital’s fortified walls, and now, in a world where the infected were predators and the living were barely more than prey, she was finally on the outside.
“Fresh air feels nice, doesn’t it?” Grayson asked, his tone light and teasing.
She might have laughed if her chest wasn’t so tight with fear,but years of Alex’s cautionary tales had taught her better. Every horde ambush he’d described had started with someone making too much noise, and every one of those stories had ended badly.