“Not a fan of you ditching me,” I said when he and Tor started for the door.
Merdon looked back at me.
“Uan will keep you safe while we gather more animals for you.”
When he said it like that, I didn’t have much reason to feel abandoned.
“Fine. Just don’t stay away too long.”
He gave me a measuring look then nodded.
After I watched him leave, I focused on Tasha.
“Where should we search next?” I asked.
The three of us checked the milk house again then searched the hallway and the main barn. Through a door at the other end of the building, I saw a fey carrying a pig that squealed and wriggled like crazy. The poor fey was having a hard time keeping a grip on the creature.
“Hey,” Tasha said, tugging at my arm. “I think that’s cat food.”
I looked to where she pointed, a shelf in a little nook off the main building that led to the silo we’d seen from outside. The bag rested on the top shelf, untouched.
“That’s perfect,” I said. “Good eye.”
Uan lifted it down just as shouting broke out somewhere else in the building.
“What’s going on?” Tasha asked.
Uan poked his head out the doorway for a moment before answering.
“A human is calling for help. They are trying to find her.”
“Do you think it’s a trap?” I asked.
He tilted his head at me.
“The stupid ones can’t talk, but they’ve used humans before. We should return to the trucks.”
I didn’t argue with his logic because I’d been thinking the same thing.
He picked up the food and started toward the door at the same time Tasha and I both heard a low whine.
“Wait,” she said.
She turned toward a metal chute and pointed at what looked like a sea of grain inside the opening. Pieces, previously undisturbed, began to move, and a few fell to the floor.
“I think there’s a puppy in there. We need to get it out. What if it can’t breathe?”
Blatant pleading shone in Tasha’s eyes as she looked back at Uan, and I knew he’d cave.
The whine came again, more urgent, and additional bits fell. Though the surface churned, there was still no sign of fur or anything.
“That’s a lot of movement for a puppy,” I said, retreating a step. “Why would it be in the grain?”
“It was probably hiding from all the infected. Please,” Tasha begged.
The big fey sighed at her pleading gaze, set the bag down, and went toward the chute. The sea of grain continued to stir in an agitated fashion.
Fear crawled up my spine, a feeling too reminiscent of the days before I’d joined the RV group. I snagged the back of Tasha’s jacket and pulled her toward me. She glanced at me with confusion, saw my face, and took my hand.
“It’ll be o—”
The grain exploded outward as a hellhound launched from the opening.
Time slowed.
Tasha made a sound, her fingers twitching in mine. My heart froze at the sight of the beast’s glowing eyes locking on us. Grain rained down on Uan as he twisted and grabbed the hound around the middle in midair.
Uan’s biceps strained as he locked his arms around the beast. The creature thrashed, mad with its need to get to us.
I stumbled back toward the doorway, pulling Tasha with me even as, within the chute, a decomposing arm rose from the grain. Then, an infected’s head.
Uan grunted as the hound twisted and went for his face.
I didn’t think. I gave in to instinct, turned, and ran, pulling Tasha with me.
We needed light. We needed more fey.
My wild gaze swept the empty barn then locked on the exit.
“Hellhound,” Uan roared as our feet pounded on the cement. “Save the girls.”
His warning was too late. A moaning call echoed, and I glanced over my shoulder. Three infected ran agilely behind us.
Tasha’s wide, terror-filled gaze locked on mine, and the old memory rose over the current moment. I felt the slickness of Katie’s fingers against mine and the way she struggled to keep up, struggled to breathe.
I ran farther while keeping a tight hold on Tasha’s hand. Behind us, the sound of the infected drew closer.
My own breath grew shallower as I focused on reaching the exit. Panic consumed me along with a single thought.
Not again.
We burst through the barn door and into the light. However, the truck was still too far away for us to make it.
But, I saw Brenna standing on the top, her bow ready.
I refused to relive the past a single moment more.