Free Web NovelChapter 237: Chapter 237 - Price
Malcolm carried her through the street while the dead moved around them, not touching, not turning, not even looking. Iyisha’s head rested against his chest, her hair stuck to her cheek, blood still wet under her nose.
Aljun led them back through the building. When they reached the fire stairwell, Iyisha stirred in Malcolm’s arms and pushed weakly at his chest.
"I can climb."
"No."
"I said I can climb."
Her voice had no strength in it, but she still tried to twist out of his hold. Malcolm looked down at her, then at the narrow fire stairs ahead. She stared back, stubborn even with blood under her nose and her skin too pale.
He set her down slowly.
Her knees almost gave on the first step.
Malcolm caught her waist before she could fall. Iyisha grabbed the rail and breathed through her teeth, refusing to look at him as she forced herself up the fire stairs one step at a time.
No one spoke behind them.
Halfway up, her shoulder brushed the wall. Malcolm stayed close enough to catch her, but he didn’t touch her again until she swayed near the window.
Then voices hit them from above.
"They’re gone," a woman said. "Five of them."
Malcolm reached the top and saw Tilly near the hall, her face tight, her eyes red with fear. Chanse stood in front of her, blocking the way to the stairs with both arms out.
"I’m going out," Tilly said.
"No, you’re not," Chanse snapped. "We don’t even know what direction they went."
"They could be in danger."
"You don’t know what’s outside. That pistol is no match for that hunter."
"I know Richard is out there." Tilly shoved at his chest, but Chanse didn’t move. "Fuck off. You never cared about Richard."
Chanse’s jaw hardened. "I do. That’s why I’m not letting you die out there."
Tilly looked past him and saw Malcolm. Her eyes moved to Iyisha, then to Harry’s bleeding arm, then back to Malcolm.
"There are five missing," she said. "Richard, Sabel, Nestor, Mina, and Joel. They were angry after the lab. They kept saying Arnulf led us into a trap."
Arnulf stopped behind Malcolm. His face went still.
Tilly’s voice broke. "They might have gone out. They might be hiding."
"They chose a bad time," Harry muttered, then hissed as he pressed harder against his bite.
Tilly turned on him. "That’s easy for you to say."
Malcolm looked at Harry. No one in that hall had it worse than him. He had been bitten, and he was still standing there, bleeding through his fingers.
"No one goes out," Malcolm said.
Tilly stepped forward. "Richard is my brother."
"And if he’s alive, you won’t find him by running blind into a horde with hunters moving around."
Her mouth opened, but no words came.
Iyisha leaned too much into the wall, and Malcolm’s hand tightened around her waist. That ended it for him.
"Lock every door. No one leaves without me knowing."
Chanse nodded once and pulled Tilly back when she tried to argue again.
Iyisha shifted like she wanted to speak, but her breath caught. Malcolm bent and lifted her again before she could stop him. freewebnσvel.cѳm
"I can walk," she muttered.
"You already proved that."
Her hand pressed weakly against his shoulder. "Put me down."
"You’re still too weak."
She glared at him, but her head dropped against his chest a second later.
"Harry," Malcolm said without turning. "Get into a room alone and lock it. If you last until the next raid, maybe there’s a cure in the lab."
The hallway went silent.
Harry stared at him, then at his bitten arm. His mouth tightened, but he didn’t argue.
Malcolm carried Iyisha down the hall and into their room. Marybeth was beside Lance, wiping his neck with a damp cloth. Lance lay on his side, eyes closed, chest rising in slow, shallow pulls.
Marybeth looked up fast. "What happened to her?"
"She overdid it," Malcolm said.
Iyisha pushed at his chest again. "I’m fine."
"You’re bleeding from your nose," Marybeth said.
"I know."
"And you look like shit."
Iyisha blinked. "Thank you."
Malcolm set her on the bed, but he kept one hand behind her back until she was steady. She tried to sit up right away.
"Rest."
"I need to check Lance."
Marybeth’s face tightened. "He’s stable."
Iyisha looked at her.
Marybeth swallowed and looked at Malcolm. "He had two seizures. One high fever. He stopped breathing once." Her voice shook, but she kept wiping his skin. "We cooled him down. Kept him on his side. He’s breathing now. Weak, but steady."
Malcolm put a hand on Iyisha’s shoulder and pressed her back down.
"Stay."
She looked at his hand, then at him.
For once, she didn’t fight hard.
Malcolm turned and went to Lance. He crouched beside him and watched the rise and fall of his chest. Slow. Thin. Alive.
Lance might have been feeling worse than he showed. He took the drug without even knowing if it was the right one. Maybe he had been desperate enough to choose anything that sounded like a chance.
Marybeth wrung the cloth into a bowl with shaking hands. "I don’t know what else to do."
Malcolm looked at Lance’s pale face, then at the damp towels, the empty bottle, the fear sitting on Marybeth’s mouth.
"You kept him alive."
Marybeth let out a hard breath and looked away. "He better live then. He owes us a lot."
"He will."
Malcolm stood.
Arnulf appeared in the doorway. "I’m going to get them back."
Malcolm stared at him. Arnulf knew what was outside. He had seen the horde. He had seen the hunter. Still, he was ready to bet his life on people who hated him.
Malcolm didn’t know if that made him stupid or better than most.
"If they went out after us, they might have gone east," Malcolm said. "We cleared that side for a while."
Arnulf nodded. "I’ll take some weapons." He turned, then stopped near the door. "If I don’t come back, I’ll leave them in your hands."
"You better come back, because I won’t do that."
Arnulf let out a short laugh, almost tired, then walked out.
Archie stepped into the doorway and looked after him. His face was pale, and guilt sat plain in his eyes.
"I..." He swallowed. "I want to stay with Harry."
Malcolm watched him for a second, then went to his bag and pulled out a rope.
"He can turn any moment," Malcolm said, handing it to him. "Tie him up."
Archie took it with both hands.
He nodded.
They got back. They got the guns.
But it had its price.
