“I know.” Standing on my tiptoes, I press a kiss to his lips. “But what is life when I’m the only one to survive?” I lock eyes with him. “I’m okay. We did it.”
He shakes his head. “You took a bullet in your shoulder. We need someone to take it out.”
“I can,” Dawn says. “I’ve been trained.”
As we walk to the main building to get a first aid kit, Chance says, “This is just the start. We need to be prepared for another attack.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I look at all the destruction and death. Rage starts to bun in my chest at the waste of life.
“Not if I take this war to the ecocity,” I murmur so softly no one hears me.
Chapter 12
Jai
Chance is helping the others carry the wounded to the park, where tents and cots have been set up to treat them.
“Jai, we need wildgrass,” Dawn says. “We don’t have enough supplies.”
After she removed the bullet that was only skin deep, she got to work on treating the rest of the survivors' wounds.
“I’ll get some.” Grabbing the first bag I can find, I wait for Chance to place the man he’s carrying on a cot, then ask, “Are you coming with me? They need wild grass for the wounds.”
“Of course. I’m not letting your ass out of my sight.”
We walk along one of the side streets because the main one is blocked with rubble and the dead.
“Listen,” he says but waits for me to glance at him before he continues, “I know tonight was rough, and you acted on instinct. You did good, and I’m proud of you, but you can’t leave my side.”
“Got it.” I turn my attention back to the street, still on high alert for another attack. “But you have to trust me as well. This can’t be a one-sided thing.”
“I trust you,” he mutters.
“Do you?” I shoot him a look. “Because it doesn’t feel that way.”
“It’s everyone else I don’t trust.” A look of frustration tightens his features. “Yes, you’ve gotten good with all the training, but when you’re faced with the enemy’s army like we were tonight, we have to stick together. You can’t take them all out on your own.”
“I know that.” But I’m sure as hell going to try if it means I can save the people I care about. “I’ll be more careful,” I add to set him at ease.
“We’re a team,” he reminds me.
I take hold of his hand, weaving my fingers through his, and we stick to the side of the buildings until we reach the open fields of grass.
Staying as low as we can, we check for any movement as we start to gather batches of wild grass.
The early morning hours is eerily calm after the attack. Not even the insects are buzzing.
“It’s too quiet,” Chance whispers. “Be on guard.”
“Okay.” I keep glancing around us as I use my nails to dig the roots out and shove them into the bag I brought with me.
Suddenly something snaps in the distance, and we fall flat into the grass, pressing our bodies hard into the ground.
“Stay down,” Chance whispers.
We hear another snap, like a twig breaking to our left.
I breathe in the dirt, and my heart pounds into the grass and rocks beneath me.
I scan the field for what made the noise, then see movement in the distance. It’s not light enough to make out who the people are, but I can count six of them.
“To our left. Just before the hill,” I whisper to Chance.
“See them.”
My hand inches slowly to the gun behind my back, careful not to make a sound as I pull it free. I take aim, ready in case they’re trackers or insensates.
Suddenly a blast rings through the air. It didn’t come from Chance or me, but one of the six drops. The remaining five start to run toward us, and not willing to risk Chance’s life, I open fire. The sound of blasts from his gun joins mine until all five have dropped to the grass.
“Who’s out there?” a familiar voice shouts.
Tears instantly jump to my eyes. “Kenzo?” I shoot to my feet. “Kenzo!”
“Kid, is that you?”
When I see him stand up from where he was lying, I break out into a run and jump into his arms.
“You’re here,” I cry from pure relief and happiness. Not thinking, I press a kiss on his cheek and hug him again.
“Get off Kenzo,” Chance mutters behind me.
Letting out a burst of laughter, I let go, then smile at Chance. “Now you know how I felt.”
“Yeah-yeah,” he grumbles, but he doesn’t look upset. With a grin, he shakes Kenzo’s hand. “Where are the others?”
Kenzo points to where Idris, Valen, Skater, and Ruth are walking toward us.
“We got attacked,” Kenzo explains.
“They hit the main ward as well,” Chance says. “It’s a fucking massacre.”