Her Shadow (The Lost World #3)

1. Kara

1

KARA

T he streets had returned to that eerie, deep silence Kara hated so much. All she could hear was her own deep, labored breaths. She felt her lungs burning as she fought to keep moving. The only problem was that she didn’t know why she was bothering. Where else was there left to go? Nowhere. She had no one waiting for her. They were gone. Her legs felt like lead, her shoulder throbbing with every step she took.

It’s no good. I can’t do it. I’m never going to make it.

But she forced herself to keep moving. Every time she shuffled forward, she kicked up small clouds of dust. Buildings loomed overhead, their windows gaping like hollow eyes, staring down at her as though they could see the inevitable.

You’re going to die, Kara.

Only a week ago, she had been heading up her team—people who had actually become her friends—on a routine scouting mission, one of dozens she’d led since the outbreak. The goal was as easy as they came: get in, get out, grab stuff, and head back to Fort Haven as quickly as your legs could carry you. But it would seem that the undead had other plans that day. Then again, they always did, didn’t they?

I’m the only one left.

She hadn’t dared think about it until now. The idea of just how alone she was was something she felt deep in her gut. It was a mixture of grief and guilt she could in no way afford to process fully. Every last one of them was gone. The horde had torn them apart before any of them had even had time to react. And yet here she was, alive by some twist of fate. She turned her head to examine her shoulder. She could see the blood leaking from the wound, her mind spinning from the shock and exhaustion.

Was I bitten? Scratched? Fuck!

Kara had fallen. She’d tripped and torn her skin on some broken glass. She remembered now. The undead hadn’t gotten anywhere near her.

Calm your shit down. You’re fine.

As she leaned against the corner of a broken-down vehicle, her vision started blurring. She tried to calm down her breathing. She knew she was fading fast. Her body was begging her to rest, to lie on the ground, but to do so would be a death sentence.

Her hands trembled as she pushed herself upright, her eyes darting to the horizon where the sun was beginning to dip. It would disappear within half an hour, and the cold would come. She needed shelter, and she needed it now.

A sound drifted through the air, just faint enough to stop her train of thought—a low, guttural moan. Her heart kicked into overdrive, adrenaline forcing her to snap back into focus. She pressed her back to the nearest wall, wincing, and scanned the street. The source of the moan wasn’t visible yet, but it didn’t have to be. She knew exactly what it meant.

They were near. The dead. The undead.

She needed to weigh up her options. Running was the first thing that came to mind, but her legs were barely holding her up. Could she find a hiding spot and hope that whatever was out there passed her by? She couldn’t hear any footsteps yet, just that low, desperate sound of hunger.

She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the cool stone behind her head. Kara was a firm believer in mindfulness. She focused on her five senses to help block out the surge of panic threatening to burst out of her chest. But she could barely hear anything. The sound of her heartbeat roaring in her ears drowned out everything else. She couldn’t cope. Not after losing to her team. Not after?—

Suddenly, she spotted a rapid movement just on the boundary of her field of vision which snapped her out of her thoughts. It was too fast and too deliberate to be an undead. She didn’t have time to react before a cold hand clamped over her mouth.

“Don’t say a word,” a firm voice hissed in her ear.

The hand over her mouth was strong…a woman’s…but Kara somehow didn’t feel under threat, yet she tensed up, her fight-or-flight response kicking in. But something about the touch held her in place—there was no malice in it.

What the hell is this?

“Don’t move,” the voice said again, softer now but still commanding.

Kara’s pulse quickened as the reality of the situation sank in. Whoever had grabbed her wasn’t a threat. She felt it instinctively. Her racing thoughts slowed just enough for her to take in her surroundings. They had ducked into a narrow alleyway. It was dark enough to hide them from view. She could hear the soft shuffle of footsteps now, the distinctive sound of feet dragging. It was growing louder, getting closer. The undead. One or more of them. And they were still hunting.

The stranger’s body pressed against hers as they both stilled. She synchronized her breathing with that of the stranger in an effort to remain undetected. Kara could hardly bear the tension in the air. Her life was hanging by a thread for the umpteenth time that day. One wrong move and it would all be over.

Then the moaning came. It grew louder and louder as the stench of decay filled the alley, making Kara’s stomach churn. She bit down on the inside of her cheek, trying to overpower her gag reflex.

Don’t breathe. Don’t move. Just wait.

The zombie passed by, its clumsy shuffle fading into the distance. Kara let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Slowly, the stranger released her hold, stepping back just enough to give her room to breathe.

“You’re safe. For now,” the voice said, still low but less urgent than earlier.

Kara turned around to face the woman, her knees shaking as she looked straight into the eyes of the person who’d just saved her life. Her dark pupils met Kara’s, steady and assessing. She had a strong, angular face framed by wavy, knotted blonde hair and a few streaks of dirt across her brow. Her gaze flicked down to Kara’s shoulder, narrowing slightly.

“Let me look at that. It looks bad. You’re clean, huh? You weren’t infected?” the woman said matter-of-factly, already reaching for some bandages tucked into her backpack.

“No! I’m fine. It’s a cut. It was glass…or a piece of metal or some junk on the ground,” Kara lied, the tremor in her voice betraying her.

The woman looked skeptical. She raised one eyebrow in jest as she pulled out a cloth. “Ha! Sure you are, hon,” she mumbled under her breath as she moved closer. Come here, would you? Let me see.”

Kara felt the urge to argue with this woman who had appeared out of nowhere, but her body had other ideas. The moment the stranger’s hand touched her arm, she felt a shooting pain radiate down her side.

I think this is worse than it looks.

“Sit down,” the woman ordered, leaving little room for protest.

Kara sank to the ground, leaning against the wall as the stranger crouched in front of her. Her movements were efficient and professional as she inspected the gash.

This clearly wasn’t her first time patching someone up in the field.

“Do you realize how lucky you are? I can’t believe we found you.” The woman held the cloth to Kara’s wound as she continued. “Another few hours, and you wouldn’t have made it. Hell, not even that long. I reckon you’d have bled out pretty quickly.”

We? What’s with the ‘we’?

Kara winced, biting back her tears as a fresh wave of pain flowed through her shoulder. “Who…who are you? There’s more than one of you?”

The woman glanced up. She smiled slightly with amusement. “Sam,” she replied in a relatively neutral tone. “And there’s only one of me. And that’s more than enough for anyone, trust me. And let me tell you something else. You’re going to owe me big time when we get back.”

“When we…what?” Kara’s words trailed off. She was struggling to keep up with this conversation.

Sam nodded toward the street. “There’s no way you’re staying out here. You can’t. When my friends and I saw you, we knew without even saying it out loud that you wouldn’t survive your injury. They’ve run back to our camp just outside town. I volunteered to stay back and help you…persuade you to join us. You’ll be safer there, okay? If you made it this far out, you must be a survivor, and we could do with more.”

Kara blinked rapidly as she tried to process what Sam was saying. A camp? Others? She opened her mouth to respond, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, she found herself staring at Sam, at the way her jaw tightened, and her hands moved with care.

“You with me?” Sam’s voice broke through Kara’s daze. “Let’s get you up.”

Kara gulped before nodding. “Yeah. I’m…with you,” she said, her mouth feeling dry.

“Good.” Sam pulled back, satisfied with the temporary dressing she’d applied to Kara’s shoulder. “Can you stand?”

Kara nodded again, though she wasn’t entirely sure she was telling the truth. Her body was drained of every last ounce of energy, her muscles aching.

I guess sticking around here isn’t an option. I’ll never get back to Haven in this state.

Sam offered her hand, and after a brief moment of hesitation, Kara took it.

The warmth of Sam’s grip sent an unexpected shiver across Kara’s skin. This was a strange sense of connection that she hadn’t felt in years, maybe. It wasn’t just the physical contact—though that was pretty jarring, to say the least. Rather, it was something about Sam herself. Her presence and her calm command of the situation stirred something deep inside Kara, something she definitely hadn’t been ready for.

But now wasn’t the time or place to be thinking about such things. Sam pulled her to her feet. Kara started swaying slightly, and Sam placed the palm of her hand on her back to steady her.

“Take it easy. Not so fast, girl,” Sam whispered, her arm sliding around Kara’s waist for support. “I’ve got you. Don’t sweat it.”

Kara didn’t protest. For the first time in days, she allowed herself to be led. And it felt incredible.

I’m not the one in charge here. That’s a relief. She’s guiding me. And I trust her, for now.

They moved quickly, Sam helping Kara through the winding streets. Kara stumbled, her legs barely cooperating, but Sam refused to let her rest. The pain in her shoulder was pulling her deeper into exhaustion, but the promise of safety—of a camp somewhere nearby—kept her going.

It wasn’t long before they reached the outskirts of Campdale, where there was very little left of the civilized town it had once been. Kara had been back here several times since the outbreak but could never quite get used to the untamed wilderness that had taken root there. As they ventured further into the woodlands that surrounded Campdale, Kara could make out the shapes of tents and makeshift structures hidden among the trees.

“We’re finally here,” Sam said, her voice quieter now, as if the camp was sacred ground not to be disturbed. “I know it’s not much, but we move around a lot. It’s home. A home we take with us wherever we go.”

Kara didn’t have the energy to speak. All she could offer the woman was a weak nod. The camp appeared small but well-organized, a collection of tents and sheets huddled close together, presumably for warmth and security. A few figures moved in the near distance. Kara found it hard to make out their faces in the fading light, but no one approached them.

Oh, I get it. She’s the one in charge of this operation. The boss bitch.

“Go ahead and take a seat by the fire,” Sam suggested, taking Kara by the elbow and pulling her gently toward a smoldering pit that had been expertly dug into the ground. “Let me go grab some supplies.”

Kara sank to the ground, her aching legs folded beneath her. She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched Sam disappear into one of the tents. She couldn’t help but note the way the woman moved so purposefully. She leaned forward, allowing the fire’s warmth to seep into her bones and chase away the chill that had settled over her since she’d been separated from her group. Since she’d lost her group. Since her group had been slaughtered.

For the first time in what felt like forever, she believed herself to be safe .

Kara stared at the fire, her thoughts a tangled mess as she tried to make sense of the events that had led her to this point. The fire crackled, releasing tendrils of smoke that curled into the night air. Kara caught a whiff of the burning wood. It stirred something distant in her mind, a forgotten fragment of her past. It wasn’t just the fire—it was the earth beneath her, rich and alive, the scent pulling her into memories of nights spent beneath the stars, back when survival was something she toyed with for fun. As her mind continued to grapple with her near-death experience and the shock of her unexpected rescue, she realized just how soothing the warmth of the fire was.

The sound of footsteps drew her attention. It was Sam returning with a small medical kit and a look of deep concern etched across her features. She sat down beside Kara, her movements careful and deliberate.

“I want to take another look at that shoulder,” Sam said, gingerly peeling away the tattered fabric to reveal the deep gash in Kara’s skin.

“It’s gone right down to the muscle. We’ll need to keep an eye on it for infection,” Sam continued, her hands steady as she cleaned the wound.

Kara flinched as Sam applied a liquid that stung her skin. “I didn’t expect to find anyone else in Campdale,” she admitted, her voice husky and weak. “I really thought I was done for.”

Sam’s dark and intense gaze met hers. “Yeah, well I guess we all have our stories.”

Kara couldn’t stop staring at Sam as she tidied up her supplies and neatly put them away in the bag. She had a striking presence with features that seemed to express strength and kindness at the same time. Kara guessed that the woman was at least a decade older than she was. She watched as she then pulled her blonde hair back and scraped it into a ponytail. Kara couldn’t help but see the older woman as someone who was not only reassuring but intriguing, too.

This one knows what she’s doing.

“Thank you, by the way,” Kara said, forcing her voice above a whisper. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. It’s not often you find kindness from strangers.”

Sam looked up, a flicker of a smile appearing on her plump lips. “We’re all supposed to be out here helping each other out. Who else have we got? That’s what this is all about now.”

Kara lowered her head and murmured under her breath. “You’re so right. But not everyone’s like you.” She could sense that Sam was more than just someone leading a group of survivors. There was a hidden strength that drew Kara in. This woman was a natural protector.

“So? What were you doing around here, anyway?” Sam asked, breaking the silence that had started to settle between them, but which had felt comfortable to Kara.

“It was just a standard, everyday mission,” Kara explained. “Can you believe Campdale was my hometown? Well, my mom’s. I know the place like the back of my hand. Well, I did. It’s barely recognizable these days.”

“Nothing’s recognizable. Nothing,” Sam interrupted with sadness in her voice.

“We were supposed to gather medical supplies. The hospital’s empty, but we’ve been trying the houses and apartments, making our way through them methodically, you know? Sometimes we hit the jackpot. But… we were ambushed. I think there were around half a dozen zombies. I got separated from everyone. The rest didn’t make it. Or at least, I’m pretty sure they didn’t make it.”

Sam’s expression softened with sympathy. “I’m so sorry. Losing people you care about is never easy.”

Kara’s heart ached at the memory of what had happened to her gang. “I can’t even deal with it right now. I need to, I don’t know, maybe eat something, get my strength up, and find a way back to my community.

“Where are you at? Fort Haven? Is that it? You look like one of them. Or is it that place farther north?” Sam asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. “I’ve heard of these places. There’s one up near Brackendale, too.”

“We’re from Fort Haven, yeah,” Kara answered.

“I see. It’s a stronghold, right?” Sam asked. “One of the best places around here, I heard. You guys have got your shit together.”

“Yes,” Kara replied, surprised. “How did you know about it?”

“We’ve crossed paths with other survivors and heard rumors on our travels. We’ve been through a vast area…and you tend to gather information as you go along. We’ve got a pretty good network of people. We may be able to help you get back to Fort Haven. It’s not that far, right? I can’t promise anything, but I’m sure someone can help.”

Kara’s eyes widened with hope. “You would do that? Really? It’s a good eighty miles from here and over rough terrain. We could give you whatever we have that’s helpful in return, or maybe you’d need some shelter with us. Whatever you need, I'll make it happen.”

“If it’s safe and we’re able to,” Sam said with a nod. “But first, you need to recover. You’re in no shape to travel as things stand. And we may be moving on as soon as tomorrow.”

Kara looked around at the nomads’ camp. She was surrounded by people she didn’t know, yet these people were willing to have her stay with them, no questions asked. It seemed too good to be true.

“So, what’s your story, Sam?” Kara asked, curiosity getting the better of her. “I get the impression you’re the leader here?”

Sam’s eyes grew distant for a moment. “Back before…I was a teacher—a university professor with tenure, as a matter of fact. I taught tribal studies, different societies, and how people adapt to changes. And then, weirdly, when everything collapsed, I joined a nomadic group. And now, I guess you could say I’m actually applying what I’ve learned, what I used to teach.”

Kara’s eyes widened in surprise. “I have to say that’s pretty impressive. And you know your stuff. It kinda shows.”

“I don’t think so.” Sam shrugged. “I think we’re all just making do. We’re all adapting and surviving.”

Kara recognized Sam’s resilience and realized within an instant how much she admired this stranger. She felt her heart flutter under her breastbone at the mere thought of being around her. What sort of life did this woman lead—and what could she learn from her? Why did she affect her so?

Sam pushed herself up off the ground. “You really do need to get some rest now. We’ll talk in the morning. We’re going to have to quarantine you. I know you weren’t infected…and I guess it’s not very hospitable…but it makes sense that you don’t share a tent with any of us tonight. I hope you understand. And I know we have been very accommodating, but trust me, you don’t want to fuck with us either, got it?”

“Loud and clear.” Kara nodded enthusiastically, feeling relieved that she had a place to stay, however harsh it was.

Sam turned her back and walked away. Kara couldn’t take her eyes off this woman—this warrior—her unexpected savior. She didn’t know whether she was imagining it, but she felt a connection to Sam. Was it attraction? Should she ignore it?

It’s everything about her. The way she speaks…the way she moves her body.

Kara looked to the side of her and the makeshift bed one of Sam’s group members had made out for her. The blankets looked worn and threadbare, but she knew she would enjoy a night looking up at the stars. It was just what she needed. The weather was warm enough despite the slight humidity in the air. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this at peace. The previous year or so had been spent in chaos and a sense of permanent fear and rushes of adrenaline. Her sense of safety felt almost overwhelming, as did her gratitude for these people.

As she drifted off to sleep, the slightly out-of-focus image of Sam’s concerned yet gentle face stayed with her.

I feel like I know you somehow.

But as sleep came, the image ebbed away, Sam’s smile fading into darkness. That night, Kara slept the sleep of a woman unplagued by thoughts of famine and horror. She was in her own cocooned world trusting the kindness of strangers.