Chapter 40
Jordan
Kate going in alone has me wanting to pace, but my damn leg keeps me rooted to the spot. I know I’ll heal, but it’s incredibly inconvenient to be injured. Not to mention the metal stuck around my throat.
She’s been gone for too long, the beast hisses.
I sigh, agitation worming under my skin. “We’re stuck here,” I remind it, which earns me a snarl.
As I’m about to launch into an argument with my own mind, I see Kate exit the cave, clothing in her hands and boots on her feet.
A relieved smile spreads across her face as she sees me, nearly tackling me in the snow before she uses the key to release me.
Once the cool metal falls from my neck, I feel my body relax a bit.
Until she starts shredding the shirt and wrapping it around my wound. “Do you think you can walk?”
I grunt and nod, forcing myself to my feet. “I won’t be able to carry you,” I inform her.
Kate snorts. “Obviously not.” She throws the coat over herself before reaching for me, her arm going around my waist. “Luckily we’re not too far from the city now.”
Lucky isn’t the term I’d use.
We trek down the mountain for the better part of a day, going slower than I’d prefer but not really having much choice.
By nightfall, the snow began to thin and the elevation dropped. Buildings came into view as we neared the city.
Both dread and relief mix in my stomach. “Let’s go into the first building we see. We don’t want to be out here for too long.”
Kate nods, and we keep on our way.
The streets are dim, but the devastation from outbreak day is still apparent.
It’s almost like the city is frozen in time—cars piled up, building windows smashed in, debris and trash littering the sidewalks, dead bodies strewn across the ground. Walking through conjures up some horrible memories that I’ve worked hard to bury.
“That one.” Kate points at a large, off-white building with a green dome ceiling. “It’s the library.”
I look around, not sensing any infected and keep moving. We walk up the few stairs and force the heavy door open.