Rage Within (14 page)

“We have two choices, mate,” Raj finally said. The room was full of woven blankets. According to the display signs, the creators had been dead for hundreds of years.

“Yeah,” Michael said. “Head for the front or hide. Both choices equally bad.”

“Yup.” Raj turned toward Clementine and nodded at her. “Your call. What do you think? Fight, flight, or cower like babes under blankets?”

And that’s how they ended up hidden behind the musical instruments. It wasn’t a good hiding spot, but it had been the
only place big enough for the three of them. Raj had smashed a display case a few rooms back and the three of them held ancient spears that would probably shatter from old age when confronted with Bagger skin.

It didn’t help that they could still hear the muffled cries of people dying from somewhere else in the building.

They lasted only a few minutes before Raj changed his mind.

“I can’t do this,” he said. “I can’t listen to them die like that. They’re no one to you but these people are my friends and it’s probably my fault that all of this is happening. I’m no hero like Ryder, but I’m not a wimp, either. And I don’t want to die here stuck behind some tribal drums. I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go.”

Michael and Clementine looked at each other.

“We do have these great spears,” Michael said.

“What do we have to do?” Clementine asked Raj. “You said there were supplies in the woods? What kinds? How do we get everyone out?”

“I don’t know,” Raj said. “In all honesty, it never dawned on Ryder that they might block the exits. We used to do drills. But we always went out the back.”

“Then we have to gather them up,” Michael said. “If we all make a break for the front at once, maybe we can overpower them. And we’d better do it fast.”

“Right,” Raj said.

“Because I smell smoke.”

Clementine inhaled deeply. Michael was right. The acrid smell filled her nostrils. Somewhere in the building, something was on fire.

“They’re gonna burn us out?” Raj said. “How could they do that? All the ancient artifacts, too?”

“No offense,” Michael said. “But I don’t think they care much for human history. I’ll bet the Louvre isn’t doing so well these days either, but you don’t hear me bitching about that. And if we don’t come up with a plan soon, all of us are going to be one of those things that no one remembers too.”

Raj nodded.

Someone screamed. The red-haired guy ran into the room, the one who’d brought them coffee earlier when they were in the cafeteria. He passed by their hiding spot, tried to clear one of the displays, but crashed into it with his hip. His whole body spun around, knocking him into a glass case of old clay pots.

His shirt was on fire.

Michael jumped forward, pulling his jacket off as he moved. Using the coat, he began beating the red-haired guy to try and extinguish the flames. Clementine waited with her spear poised, alternating between watching Michael and staring at the exit, where she could hear footsteps growing louder.

“Someone’s coming,” she yelled.

“Hold ’em off,” Michael grunted. He continued to beat at the flames with his jacket. Clementine was relieved to see they were getting smaller. The red-haired boy wasn’t screaming and his eyes were open. He wasn’t dying.

She and Raj stood their ground as the footsteps grew louder. Just as Michael managed to extinguish the flames altogether, a group of people barged through the doors. At least a dozen of them rushed in, armed with baseball bats or kitchen knives. They weren’t Baggers.

The initial panic seemed to be over. They were starting to fight back.

“Raj!” A small girl with a big voice stepped forward. She didn’t even come close to reaching Clementine’s shoulders.
She wore huge glasses; one of the lens frames was bent slightly, which gave her a lopsided look. In her hands was a machete as big as her entire arm.

“Larisa,” Raj said. “What’s happening?”

“They’ve set fire to the cafeteria and the gift shop,” the girl squeaked. “All the exits are blocked.”

Michael reached down and helped the red-haired guy up. His eyes were a little dazed and his back was blistered and bloody, but overall he didn’t appear especially wounded. Michael gave him his own slightly smoking jacket, which he put on, wincing as the fake leather touched his skin. His legs looked a little wobbly, but he managed to stand just the same.

“We need to get everyone together,” Raj said. He pointed in the direction of the main entrance.

The petite girl shook her head. “They’re all gone. Everyone. A few might have gotten out earlier, but the rest are dead. We’re all that’s left.”

Guilt. That was the look she saw on both Michael’s and Raj’s faces.

No, she wasn’t going to allow that. None of them were to blame for this, even if they were the ones who had led the Baggers to the museum. It was still the Baggers’ fault and no one else’s.

Holding her spear high in the air, she turned to the short girl named Larisa and surveyed the survivors. “All right, then. There’s a lot of us left. They can’t get everyone at once. I say we rush them.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Michael raise his head and look at her. She returned his gaze with what she hoped was a confident stare. She needed him to know that they could do this. They could lead this group and maybe save at least half of them.

“Rush them,” Raj said. “Yeah, I think we’ve run out of other options. It’s that or burn to death. Don’t fancy that much.”

The others murmured in agreement. There weren’t a lot of hopeful faces by this point.

They began marching to the front door. Faster now. There was no plan. Just run. Don’t get caught. Don’t get killed. Meet up in the woods afterward, by the water. Michael and Clementine were to follow Raj.

Don’t die.

Michael held her hand tightly. She squeezed it, amazed at how warm his skin felt when hers was so icy cold with fear.

Dear Heath, I can’t die, right? I’ve come too far to end things now. I feel in my heart that I keep getting closer to you every day. I don’t know if I believe in God anymore. I’ve fought hard and worked each step of the way to make it to this moment. But please, if you’re up there, don’t let my story end here, okay. Talk to the big guy. Tell him that I’m not beneath a little holy intervention right about now. And if you’re still alive like I hope, then I’m just talking to myself like some crazy chick and need to stop wasting my brain on all these empty thoughts. I’ve had so much faith during this entire ordeal. Why am I doubting myself now?

They turned the corner and the front entrance was only about fifty feet away. Clementine sucked in her breath. Michael gripped her hand tighter.

Funny thing about doubt. It grows that much larger when the odds in your favor suddenly drop off the map.

The lobby was crawling with Baggers. The front doors were jammed open and more of them were coming in. Some of them carried dead bodies through the doors, victims that had made it outside only to die a quick death. One of them had the body of Katarina under his arm. He tossed her violently on top of a
pile of other remains in front of the gift shop. The back of the shop was steadily going up in flames. Gift cards and poster maps of Vancouver were quickly consumed and turned into hot ash.

Other Baggers had managed to capture some of the survivors and were dragging them out and into the vans that waited by the curb.

It didn’t take long before the Baggers saw them.

“Don’t think,” Michael whispered in her ear as if he could read her mind. “Don’t think about it. Just get ready to run.”

“Don’t let go of my hand,” she whispered back.

“Never.”

The short girl screamed and they surged forward. Clementine fell into step right behind Michael, desperately clinging to his hand as other bodies bumped up against her. Suddenly she tripped over her spear and fell down on her knees. Michael kept going, yanking her forward as she tried to scramble to her feet. Her spear disappeared behind her and she saw the red-haired guy reach down to pick it up. She turned her body, attempting to pull herself up, but couldn’t get a good grip with her running shoes. Raj reached out and took her other hand, yanking her up hard like a toddler who had tripped over her shoelaces. He raced past her and jumped into step beside Michael. They formed a wall between her and the Baggers. Her knights in shining armor.

Time stopped.

She couldn’t stop. Michael and Raj wouldn’t let go of her. The Baggers turned and started running toward them, meeting them halfway between the doors and the information booth. Weapons swung through the air. A Bagger jumped in at her from the side but the short girl cut him down instantly with her machete.

The front doors were so close. Someone slammed into her
back, pushing her forward and into Michael and Raj. The three of them hit the window, her face pressing up against the glass. Michael’s arm hit the frame and the force of the hit must have pinched a nerve because his fingers slipped away from hers. She could see his mouth open and close.

“Come on,” Raj said. He literally swung her out the door with his arm.

Cold air hit her face.

She spun around just as another person raced through the door, screaming in terror, and they both tumbled to the floor. Blinding fire shot straight through her guts and along her spine. She gasped but no air came in or out of her lungs for a few seconds. Waves of nausea washed over her as the endorphins rushed to do their job. The guy who had body slammed her crawled up to his knees, coughing and wheezing, unable to catch his breath. A Bagger rushed him, catching him in a full tackle. Blood splashed the cement. She couldn’t move. If only she had her spear; instead all she could do was lie there as the Baggers descended on the boy.

Where was Michael? She didn’t dare move to look for him. The most she could do right now was curl up into the fetal position and try to make herself as small as possible. As long as she lay on the ground, maybe they’d think she was dead or dying.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

How could she let go of his hand?

“Clementine!”

She opened her eyes, hoping to see Michael, but it was Raj who came out of nowhere and punched the Bagger who had been about to crouch down and finish her off with a wicked-looking carving knife. Bending down beside her, he pulled her upward and tight against his chest.

“Michael,” she gasped.

“Right behind us, babes,” he said. “He’s helping Larisa. He knows where to go. We’ll meet him around back. Can you run?”

She was managing to stand by herself, but her legs were still shaking. She took several deep breaths to try and focus. There wasn’t enough time to sit and wait until her body stabilized and the crushing pain left her stomach.

With Raj’s help, they managed to get around the back of the building. From the enormous windows she could see the flames working their way through the totem poles and ancient canoes. There were dead bodies lying across the floor. She couldn’t tell if she recognized them.

What about the girl with the blond ponytails? Was she in there? Lying in a pool of blood or shattered pottery remnants? Why hadn’t she bothered to learn the girl’s name?

“Clementine?” Raj shook her gently.

“What?” she snapped.

“I’ve got to go back and get him.”

“Huh?” She finally turned all her attention to him. Raj was staring at her, his arms still on her shoulders. “Where’s Michael?”

“That’s what I mean,” he said. “He should have been here by now. I’m going back. I need you to head down to the beach. We’ve got boats waiting there. You’ll be safe. I can give you directions.”

“No.” She pulled away from him. “I’m coming.”

“You’re hurt.”

She inhaled deeply, still feeling the sharp stabbing pains in her gut. “So?”

“You’ll just slow me down. The woods are safe.”

She started to disagree, determined to head back around to
the front of the building, but the adrenaline gushing around in her body had other ideas. Suddenly everything inside her stomach lurched upward and she fell forward and vomited onto the concrete.

“Oh, God,” she mumbled.

“Satisfied?” Raj quipped. This time he wasn’t so quick to touch her, but he did steady her slightly once she’d pulled herself up. “Come on, let me show you the way. I’ll bring him back, I promise.”

She spat twice, trying to get the foul taste out of her mouth. “Fine. But you better both come back. If you don’t show up, I’m coming to find you, and when I do, I’ll . . .” She paused. “I’ll . . . hell, I don’t know what I’ll do, but you’ll be sorry.”

“Fine, babes,” he said with a bit of a sad grin. “Threat accepted. Now see that path over there? Follow it. It’ll lead you down.”

Raj didn’t wait. He turned and disappeared into the darkness. She stood there for a few unbearably long seconds, wondering if she should follow him, but her stomach cramped again, reminding her how useless she was at the moment. Turning, she started limping toward the path and into the woods.

She left him behind.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

The wooded area behind the museum was pitch-black and it didn’t take long for her to realize that she wasn’t alone. Raj had been wrong. The Baggers were there. She could see them trampling through the bushes, flashlights in their hands, as they searched for stray victims. And she didn’t have her spear anymore.

She checked her pockets and found the half-empty bottle
of spray paint she’d picked up back at the library. As far as weapons went, it was pretty useless, but she supposed it was better than nothing. It felt heavy in her hand anyway, and just holding it made her feel a little bit more secure. She followed the path, picking up speed as the cramps slowly faded.

She should go back. More than anything else she wanted to go back. She remembered the helplessness she’d felt the night her mother grabbed her arm and pushed her toward the front doors of the town hall to escape. Her mom, who had that crazy knack for knowing when something bad was about to happen. She’d been right. How long had it been since she’d last thought about her? It seemed like a million years ago. She’d been so young back then somehow. But in reality it had been only about twelve weeks since the earthquakes.