Mara and Caleb hurried quickly through the empty streets, as the first light of daybreak began to soften the harsh edges of the ruined town. They kept their steps quiet, broken only by the distant groans of the inflamed. Caleb led the way, his sharp eyes flickering from shadow to shadow, his movements executed with military precision. Mara remained close, her senses heightened, trusting in his leadership for the time being.
They turned a corner and entered what had once been a thriving market. It was littered with fallen carts and vacant stalls, vestiges of a world that seemed more like a distant memory. Caleb slowed and scanned the surroundings.
"In this manner," he continued, indicating toward a solid buildup prior. The home windows had been boarded up, and the entrance had been reinforced with scavenged steel.
Inside, the air became dense with the scent of disinfectant and vintage wood. Caleb gave a strong tap on the door, and after a few agonizing seconds, it creaked open, revealing a girl with keen eyes and a no-nonsense look. She wore a homemade health practitioner's coat, her sleeves pushed up to reveal scarred hands with faded tattoos.
"June, it's me," Caleb said with a nod. "got a brand new one."
June looked at Mara, her gaze scrutinizing. She stepped aside to allow them enter, and Mara noticed June's gaze linger on her. The gap became dimly illuminated inside, with dispersed elements piled in corners and a first aid station set up in the center of the room, complete with bloodstained gauze and discarded medical supplies. In actuality, June has been treating quite a few survivors here.
"Caleb," June said in a hushed voice as she returned to her station. "We are strolling low. This location can best protect so many before we become a goal."
"Just patch her up if she wants it," Caleb said, giving Mara a brief glance. "I'll parent out the relaxation."
Mara wasn't sure how she felt about getting patched up without asking, so she sat down on a crate near June's temporary station. June worked quietly, cleaning her arms before examining Mara over, her glance keen but not cruel.
"Calls Mara," she said, attempting to break the atmosphere. "thank you for letting me in."
June's gaze softened slightly. "Everyone needs to help each other in some way. Allow me to see your hands.
Mara held out her palms, exposing cuts and bruises from her nighttime climbing and jogging. June worked quietly, the cool touch of antiseptic across her skin extremely comforting.
The door flew open unexpectedly, and a wiry man with a smug grin walked in, his fingers laden with backpacks and luggage filled to the brim. He dropped them to the floor with a clatter, his grin broadening as he realized the tension he'd just generated.
"Who wishes supplies?" He asked, lowering his arms. His glance darted to Mara, and his smirk lingered a little too long. "properly, what can we have right here?"
"Leo," Caleb stated with a cautionary tone. "in which'd you get all this?"
"From a stash on the west facet," Leo explained, shrugging. "Don't worry, nobody'll miss it." He kicked one of the suitcases, spilling canned food, bottled water, and a small collection of scientific materials. "except, figured you'd all be thankful."
June's mouth constricted. "Grateful?" she said, looking at the ingredients with need and skepticism. "Did you think about what happens when whoever owns these items realizes it's missing?"
Leo shrugged and dismissed the question. "I thought about it. I figured we should deal with it."
Mara could feel the tension building between them, the unspoken fear thick in the air. She exchanged glances with Caleb, who appeared divided between appreciation and frustration. Leo's recklessness had crossed a line, yet everyone knew how much they desired what he had added.
"Meals are running low," Caleb responded, his tone bland. "but this higher now not bring trouble down on us."
Leo's grin did not waver. "Relax, military boy. It is no longer as if everyone will come knocking. The majority of them aren't even alive enough to care.
June knelt, taking a bottle of water from the pile and studying it. "We're no longer simply coping with the dead," she whispered, her voice scarcely audible. "There are other options available as well. "People who will do worse than the infected if they find us."
Leo rolled his eyes, unfazed by her warnings. "if they locate us," he continued, tossing an apple in Mara's direction and catching it with a wink. "And if they do, properly... I'm speedy."
June did not respond, putting her focus back to her position. However, Mara detected a tinge of fear in her expression. This place was not as relaxing as they had hoped, and with fresh resources, they had an even greater goal.
June's arms remained stiff as she grabbed for a small, homemade magazine nestled beside her clinical supplies. Mara recognized the worn leather-based and looked at her personal journal, which was now snugly tucked into her pocket. She felt a strong twinge, wondering if June had any secrets concealed in her magazine, warnings scrawled between the covers.
Mara let her fingers brush against her own magazine, curiosity tugging at her. She got a strange sense, which compelled her to proceed to the next web page. She opened it discreetly, switching to today's access. Her pulse accelerated as she read the hastily scrawled phrases: "Watch your lower back." Not all of the individuals here are as they appear.
She felt a kick in the back. She looked about the room, eventually settling on Leo, who was sifting through the luggage, occasionally tossing something important into his own rucksack. Caleb stood at the door, narrowing his eyes as he searched for anyone. June proceeded with her job, her expression unreadable. But the magazine's warning lingered in her mind, a chilling reminder that agreeing had become a hazardous sport on a worldwide scale.
Mara's thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of heavy breathing and a muffled cry from behind a partition. She looked at June, who had become stressed, and her palms paused in mid-motion.
"What's that?" Mara inquired softly, grabbing Caleb's attention.
June paused, then looked down, her shoulders tightening. "Just someone I'm helping," she responded curtly. "Don't worry about it."
But Mara's curiosity got the better of her. She peeked across the barrier and saw a parent lying on a homemade cot, light and cold. His arm was bandaged, but blood soaked through the gauze, turning it a dark, sickly purple. And then she noticed the distinctive gnaw marks on his shoulder.
Mara's coronary heartbeat decreased. She whipped her head lower back to look at June, astonishment in her eyes. "He's infected."
June's expression stiffened. "I know."
"You may not shop him," Caleb remarked, his tone harsh and inflexible. "you know what takes place."
June returned his look, her chin up boldly. "We do not know for definite. Now, no one turns without delay. I've seen humans close days before they trade."
"That's a hazard," Caleb responded, his tone stern. "If he turns, we're all at risk. "You also understand it."
June's jaw clinched, but she did not back down. "I won't give up on him. "I do not abandon people."
Leo snorted, amused despite the strain. "Touching, really," he drawled, his smirk returning. "However, Caleb is right. One inflamed in here, and it may be the end for everyone. Do you want to threaten that, Doc?"
June didn't respond, but her eyes spoke volumes. She was not going to let this guy go without a fight, even if it meant standing in opposition to her personal allies.
Mara felt a thrill of admiration for June's tenacity, but also a flicker of concern. If this afflicted man turned, neither of them would be safe. And the journal's warning reverberated in her mind: not everyone here is as they look. She couldn't avoid the feeling that something sinister had come into play.
Caleb continued, his voice low and painful. "June, you are jeopardizing everyone here. We both terminate this immediately, or you find another region to keep him."
June's palm gripped around a pair of medical scissors, her expression set with ferocious intent. "You do what you have to, Caleb. I'll do anything I can to help him."
A terrible stillness descended upon the group. Mara felt her heart race, her instincts shouting that this was a decision that would haunt them all. However, Caleb's expression softened significantly, and his determination weakened. He gave June a slow nod, but his eyes were dark with warning.
"Quality," he said at the end, his tone resigned but professional. "However, if he shows any indication of turning, we will not hesitate. "No longer for whatever."
June nodded, though Mara should know she didn't quite agree. She returned to her patient's facet, her arms steady as she adjusted the bandage around his shoulder. Mara stared in silence, her heart beating, caught between dread and a weird, hesitant respect for June's empathy.
However, as the shadows stretched and night fell around them, Mara couldn't shake the notion that this delicate partnership was formed on borrowed time. Her palms stroked the magazine once more, her mind racing with questions she couldn't answer. Acceptance had become a risk factor in this situation, and she knew it wouldn't be long before that trust was tested.
Inside the faint light, Leo leaned against the wall, his eyes blazing.
He gave a crafty expression, as if he was expecting the time when this fragile peace would break. Mara understood, deep down, that it was just a matter of time until he took advantage of it.
A faraway howl rang across the streets outside, sending a chill through the chamber. Caleb looked at the door, his expression darkening. "Get a few rest," he advised quietly but firmly. "We'll need it."
However, his words did not console Mara. The warning from her magazine persisted in her mind, and as she lay on the chilly ground, she couldn't shake the feeling that betrayal was already growing within their ranks. And once it arrived, it would strike like a dagger in the dark, undetectable and unstoppable.
Outside, the faint sounds of the infected became louder and closer, as if sensing the tension that simmered within the walls of their supposed safe haven.