The Last Legacy (Season 1): Episodes 1-10 (5 page)

“It’ll be easier if you don’t know,” Jim whispered.

“Easier for who?”

Jim stared at me now, his body rigid, his back perfectly straight. Smudges of brown and black and red caked his dirty cheeks and sweaty neck. His clothes were ripped at the knees and around his wrists. It looked as though he hadn’t showered in days, or even since the start of this disaster.

“You, Lana.” Jim shook his head, his eyes darting to the driver. I didn’t understand his incomplete sentence. Then I remembered my initial question and cocked my head to the side. I wondered who this strange man was. I couldn’t quite get a read on him.

“Hey, Kev. Pull over for a second.”
 

Kev obliged. I couldn’t see much on the road, the streetlights off. No other cars came from either direction. Jim pulled a knife out from his back pocket and sliced the binds from my ankles. He grabbed the zip ties around my wrists and dragged me out of the car, my hands aching. My wrist bones felt like they may pop out at any second, my shoulders aching.
 

“What the hell!” I yelled as he pulled me behind a huge tree, about ten feet from the car. It was too dark to see past the line of trees around us. Random lights filtered through that did nothing to help me deduce where I was.
 

“Listen here and listen good because I don’t know the next time we’ll be alone. I promise I will not hurt you, and you have no choice but to believe me.” I tried to object but he placed his hand over my mouth, pressing my head against the bark. I glared at him, and he let his hand drop.
 

“Those guys from before, that guy in the car, they will hurt you. I don’t know where you’ve been hiding, but things have changed. You’ll be safe with me…for now.”

“What’s going on?” My voice ricocheted through the otherwise silent night. The sky was tainted red. The heavy air washed over me, smelling like death and sulfur. Someone screamed not too far away, and Jim’s hand came right back to my mouth. He shushed me and I reached for him, holding onto his waist, afraid he might leave me alone.
 

“Shit, you were too loud.” Jim reached around me and pinned me to the tree behind us. My spine painfully pressed against the unforgiving bark. He spun back around and pulled out the same knife, his back to me in a protective stance. He quickly sliced the ties around my wrists. I shook my arms. I was free…

“Take this.” Jim pushed a long handled knife into my hand—different from the one he cut my binds with—and I stared at the glistening silver edge.

“What do you want me to do with this?”

“Use it if you have to.”

“But—”

Someone jumped out towards Jim from the woods in front of us. I reached for Jim and held onto the back of his shirt so he didn’t leave me alone out here. The man had his hands raised and clawed towards Jim as he walked. His feral voice cried out, moaning. The man didn’t move fast, but he came out of nowhere, surprising us and catching Jim off guard. Jim ducked and grabbed the man by the base of his neck.
 

He lunged forward with his knife and shoved it into the man’s eye. I didn’t have time to see if it was red or not. Jim inserted it it all the way to the handle. He pushed the body away from us. Warm blood squirted onto my face and my hands, all up and down Jim’s torso, and seeped down into my slippers. The body fell lifelessly to the ground at our feet.
 

Jim turned and faced me, his eyes surveying my body up and down. He must have seen the shock and horror on my face. “Don’t you dare scream now.”
 

He took my head between both of his blood-stained hands while his eyes bore into mine. His thumb rubbed traces of blood off my cheeks. He wiped his tainted finger on his cargo pants.

“You just killed someone,” I muttered still in shock. How was this happening? Why did that man even attack us? Was he one of the monsters? I looked from the dead body up to Jim and back again. I dropped the knife to the ground, my hand shaking uncontrollably as pure confusion wrapped around my throat.

“You really have been hiding this whole time.” Jim shook his head and took both my shoulders in his hands, making me square up to him. His eyes held me in place. “That
person
had the virus. It’s the living or the infected now.”

“You’re lying. The government is killing the monsters. The soldier said we were safe during the day. It’s only the ones with red eyes you should kill.” I trained my eyes to the ground, replaying the words on the radio. It was an attack. A bombing. They said to wear gas masks but I assumed it was because of the nuclear waste.

“North America was attacked with a bio-toxin. It affected about fifty percent of humans right off the bat, turning them into these rage-happy monsters. The rest of us are infected, but it just doesn’t change us—yet.
 

“That
person
I just killed had the toxin in his system. He’s a weapon of whoever did this. If we don’t take them out, they take us over. I’ve seen it happen. It’s kill or be killed. And trust me, those things kill in a nasty way.”
 

I stepped away from Jim, but every move I made, he countered.
 

“Where are you taking me?”

“We have a protected house just outside the city. There’s water and supplies. But you and I aren’t staying long.” He turned so his back faced me. “I should’ve gotten out faster,” he mumbled under his breath as he ran his hand down his face.

“You regret finding me?”

“Yes, Lana, I do.” His blue eyes found me again, and I sighed. My mind raced so fast, I couldn’t even comprehend half of what floated around. I started to get dizzy. “These guys…they’re brutal. I’ve seen what they do. They’re fucking savages. This life is a game, and everyone’s playing for keeps. People have gone mad. All kinds of people.”

“Then, let’s go right now.” I grabbed onto his biceps and pleaded with him. I didn’t want to go back to their house. I didn’t want to see the pain that was consuming Jim’s eyes. I had seen enough in my life. I didn’t want to face anything else. I lived a life of simplicity. I had run away from my demons and started fresh. I couldn’t do this again.
 

“We don’t have any supplies. We would be dead in a day.”

“We can find supplies. Come on. Let’s just go. Please, Jim. You’re my only hope.” Tears fell from my eyes. My body shook with sobs that wracked through my insides. I dropped my head in my swollen hands and cried. Jim’s warm arms circled me. I flinched backwards and stepped away.
 

“Kev would know if we ran. They’ll track us. It’s safer for you to play the part and we can leave tomorrow night.” He tilted my head back and looked down at me. “You’re mine, and I won’t let anyone touch you. Can you trust me?”

“I’m yours? You don’t know me at all. You kidnapped me!” I spun around and dragged my hand through my tangled hair. “This is fucked up. You know that, right?”

“This entire world is fucked up now. There’s no government, no order. People are running around killing each other for sport. If you think you can survive alone, then fine, run.” He waved out his hand towards the dark woods. “Go,” he dared me, his eyes boring into me hard.

“Why couldn’t you just leave me alone in my house?” I slammed my fists against his chest as my body vibrated with anger. Why me? Didn’t I deserve one fucking break in life? Nothing ever worked for me. He grabbed onto my wrists, holding me in place. I stared up at him, pleading.

“It wasn’t my call. That’s what happens now. You’re lucky you weren’t found earlier. Lana, you have to trust me here.”

“I don’t trust anyone but myself.” I wriggled, but his grasp stayed firm.

“That’s good. But you have to listen to what I say and do exactly what I tell you. Otherwise, you’ll end up dead or fucking those guys.”

“I’d never do that.” I frowned in disgust. I shook my head. There was no way they were going to get that far. I’d kill myself. I’d rather be dead than used and abused by a group of savage men.

“You wouldn’t have a choice!” He let me go, pushing my hands down. He ran his hand across his face, wiping the sweat off his jaw, as he paced in front of me.
 

“What don’t you get?” he asked me, letting out a heavy breath. “Those men will rape you then kill you when they’re bored. Trust me. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived through it. I’m trying to fucking save you so I can save myself.”

“How are you saving yourself?”
 

“It’s not your business. You either accept my help, or run now and take your chances. I won’t stand by anymore.”

“You’re not giving me much of a choice, Jim.”

“Run or stay.”

“Stay,” I whispered as I choked on a sob.
 

“We’re here.”
 

The single story house was nestled in the forest, much more rural than my own home. Trees jutted up, their roots visible through the high green grass. A large rock that appeared more like a boulder was in the center of the small front lawn, sitting alone.
 

On the opposite end of the driveway were dense oak trees, casting the entire house in shadows. We had driven for about twenty minutes, so we were far enough from my home that I couldn’t make a run for it, not that I’d have known where to go. I quickly looked around to find an escape route, but before I could come up with a plan, the blind fold came back on.
 

Jim let me walk by myself, my ankles and wrists unbound, although he held my hands behind my back in one of his. The ground was smooth beneath my feet. Grass crept under the hem of my pants, scratching around my ankles.
 

We stepped up a single stair to the front door. Jim entered without knocking. As my back pressed to his front, his chest panted, pushing against me. He shouldn’t have been nervous, yet he was. And it made me anxious, my body heating, my palms sweating. I didn’t want to puke.

“Ah. We were beginning to think you bailed, brother.” A new voice. I tried to memorize it. It was similar to Jim’s in the fact that it was deep with a raspy edge, yet possessed sarcasm and irony. His voice held a sense of superiority—he spit out the word brother like it was an insult. I couldn’t picture him yet.

“Nope,” Jim said, popping the ‘p’. “I’m gonna keep this one. All right?” I felt someone’s hot breath blow across my face. By the wretched smell, I knew it wasn’t Jim’s. Someone tugged at my hip, pulling at the skin as if seeing how much I weighed. He touched my ass and then cupped my left breast. I had to fight myself not to knee him where I suspected his small balls were hanging.

“She’s a good one. I know you’re no sharer, but what do you say? For your older brother?” Jim growled under his breath like a wolf to its prey. Brother? “Shit, James. I was kiddin’. Keep the skinny little thing. I’ve got this one for company tonight. Unless…” My head jerked to the side as the blindfold was ripped off my face.

A man stood inches from me, our noses nearly touching. I stepped backwards, but hit Jim’s chest. I was trapped with nowhere to go. My heart skyrocketed as I tried to calm down. I was a caged animal but didn’t want them to think I was weak.

“Well, you are a pretty girl,” he said, his eyes needy. He looked similar to Jim with light eyes and dark hair. He was larger, his muscles bulging from the sleeves of his black t-shirt. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his legs wide and rooted. His entire persona emitted strength and superiority.
 

“Maybe we should be sharing.” He ran his hand down the side of my face and I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying out. I was panting now, my breaths clipped and empty. The man laughed manically.

 
A woman whimpered not too far away from me. She cried, her moans low and defeated, like she’d been here for days already. I glanced in the direction of the sound and saw the girl lying on the couch in the next room, two men standing over her.
 

Blotches of red covered her sickly pale left cheek. She was dressed in a skimpy black skirt and tank top. It couldn’t have been more than forty degrees out. The guy who touched me cut his glance to her, and then back to me. He smiled, perfectly straight white teeth glistening in the low lighting.
 

The house was actually nice, with hard wood floors and white walls. Much more decorated than mine. I had to look away from the girl, her pain too extreme. Jim’s hand squeezed mine, bringing me back to the scene.

“What’s your name, sweets?” Two more men came into the room, each with guns on their hips. I widened my eyes and contemplated running. I could make it to the door faster than these guys. I could run, but they’d probably shoot before I could hide in the woods. I was stuck, and my only option was to trust Jim.
 

“Lana.” My voice came out weak, whisper-like. I cleared my throat and said it again, this time with added strength.
 

“Mmm. Lana.” He tested the word out. “Lana, I’d like to take you tonight.”

“What? No.” I shook my head, fighting the bile that threatened to rise. My throat burned. I swallowed. I glanced at Jim in confusion. He said he’d protect me!