“You care about me enough to make sure I don’t get involved in this,” he says. His voice sounds thick.
“I don’t want you around me,” I say. It’s a lie for the most part. I would welcome his company, but who is to say we would even see each other while imprisoned? “If you say anything to Paxton, I will deny it and tell him you are crazy-in-love with me and would say anything to keep me from punishment.”
“He wouldn’t believe you,” Gabe says.
“Just… don’t,” I say. “Let it be.”
“I’m going to figure something out,” Gabe says.
“Don’t.”
He starts to walk out of the room.
“If we both get in trouble, I swear I’ll kill you!”
The door shuts behind him and he locks it.
If I’m going to be locked up, I’d rather it be alone. No one else should have to face this.
Especially Gabe.
Chapter 11 – Waverly
The herd was still roaming about Foley the next day, and by noon, Walter, Barry, and a few others decided it would be a good idea to go out into the city to distract the herd and attempt to move the greyskins out of the city.
“Oh, it’s a very dangerous operation,” Hank whispers as we walk the school halls. “They sneak out into the cars or trucks and drive out of the sensor area and make as much noise as possible. Usually it’s enough for most of the herd to follow it while the rest of us go out and kill the stragglers. The key is to be certain that none of the greyskins are attracted to the school.”
It is interesting to see how this group operates together and I can’t help but envy their sense of unity. With Walter and Barry outside, Hank is left to lead the other members of the community within the school. He sends men and women alike to patrol the halls, check all the exits to guarantee they are secure, and to keep everyone’s noise level down. He also instructs them to keep the volume low on their radios to avoid unwanted echoes through the halls.
Gilbert, Ethan, and I sit with Hank near the front lobby of the school listening to the radio reports coming in after the brief walk through the silent hallways. Most of them are from the school patrols, but the ones we wait for are the reports from the outside.
“The hardest part,” Hank tells us, “is making sure they don’t get surrounded or trapped when trying to draw in the greyskins. It has happened before.”
“Were you able to save them?” Ethan asks.
Hank lets out a heavy sigh and shakes his head. “Sadly, no. We have had very hard days here. Many losses. We started with over a hundred people and are now down to seventy-three. Most of the ones we lost were in a single incident.”
Gilbert shakes his head and is about to say something when Ethan gives him a sharp look that warns him not to mention anything about building a wall. Gilbert rolls his eyes and looks away instead. Ethan catches me looking at him and nods at me, and I give him a pleased smile.
“Hank, the north hallway is clear and quiet,” a voice says over the radio. “I’ll do another round in five.”
“Ten-four,” Hanks says, then smiles at us.
The next voice over the radio wipes the smile from Hank’s face. “Hank, there’s something moving in the gym, I’m going to check it out.”
Hank’s face crinkles into a look of concern as he raises the radio to his mouth. “Ten-four,” he says. “If it’s one of ours I want you to bring them to me. We are on lockdown, people should know what that means.”
The person on the other end responds, but all we hear is static.
Hank shakes his head, his jaws clenched together. “It’s just this kind of mix-up that will get us all killed.”
“Hank,” the voice calls out, this time in a much lower whisper.
“What is it?”
“It’s not one of ours. I repeat, not one of ours. It’s a greyskin.”
Hank’s face turns white. “Did you say what I think you said?”
There is a long silence form the other end. “We need weapons down here. Blunts and blades.”
“How many are there?”
“I don’t know. I only saw one at first, but now there are like twenty. I’m not sure where they are coming from.”
Hank swears and stands from his seat. “Somebody was careless.”
“We can help,” Ethan says.
Hank holds up a hand. “I’m not certain what we’re going to do yet. Wait here just a minute.” He walks away, I assume to talk with someone.
Nothing can match the look that Gilbert gives Ethan. “What are you thinking?”
“What?”
“Offering to help these people. They aren’t with us. They aren’t our responsibility.”
“But aren’t we all in this together?” Ethan says. “They are people just like us.”
“I don’t care if they are starving orphans,” Gilbert snaps. “We’re just here until those things go away. I’m not risking my neck for these people.”
“Would you risk your neck for anyone?” Ethan says, his eyes narrowing. “You wouldn’t do anything but save your own skin.”
“You know a lot less about me than you think,” Gilbert says. “But if you want my opinion, I’d say there would be little pay off.”
“Since when are we looking for a payoff?” I chime in.
Gilbert looks at me as if he’s disgusted. “What do you know about it? The only reason you’re with us is because of Ethan. I would have left you and your pitiful boyfriend behind.”
I don’t even think before I rear back and punch him in the jaw, and I’m not ready for the pain that shoots through my hand as a result. Gilbert falls to the floor and grabs for his face, but he pulls himself up quickly. At first, it looks like he’s going to hit me back, and I’m ready for it, but Ethan stands between us.
“Let it go,” he says.
Gilbert glares at me with fire in his eyes. I know if he wanted to he could tear me apart. He is probably twice my weight and with a quick-to-snap mouth like his, no doubt he has been in some fights before.
“Don’t talk about Lucas like that,” I say. My jaw is trembling and its everything I can do to keep the tears from forming in my eyes.
Don’t cry. You can’t let him see you cry. If you cry, he wins. Don’t give him the satisfaction.
Gilbert shoves Ethan away from him and turns his back to us, muttering something to himself. I rub my hand and when I look at it I can see that two of my knuckles are already starting to bruise.
“Are you okay?” Ethan whispers to me. He reaches out for my hand gently.
I pull it away from him. “I’m fine.” I turn from him coldly and pace the lobby to try and cool my emotions. I am grateful for Ethan because I’m not entirely certain what might have transpired had he not been there to get between us, but I don’t want him to touch me. I fear touching anyone.
In a few seconds, we hear heavy footsteps coming toward us. Hank leads a group of people that I’ve never seen before. Each of them carries a bladed weapon or club with him. They are ready for battle. For a brief moment, I can’t help but echo Gilbert’s scolding to Ethan in my mind. I didn’t come here to help these people fight greyskins, but the other part of me feels what Ethan said too. Don’t we all need to just work together?
“Reports are coming in from the gymnasium that more are pouring in,” Hank says. “One must have gotten a door open somehow.”
“Why don’t you just lock them in there until the others get back?” I ask.
Hank smiles at me and shrugs. “I would rather they not have to deal with this. I can handle it. Besides, we need to contain the situation with as little noise as possible before it gets worse.” He holds up a hand in the air. “We are prepared to get rid of them, so we aren’t asking you to help us. You are guests here. This is not your fight.”