Chapter 23: Chapter 023 [Mark]

“And how sure are you that they’ll pursue them and not us?” Mark’s distrust oozed out of his words.

Veronica returned the scowl with one of her own. “I’m not absolutely sure, so we have to keep moving, anyway.”

He could tell she was trying to avoid answering the question. He could see it on her lips, and in the way she turned the other way and almost shrugged the younger sibling off. But he had little intention of putting more pressure into it- not when their own life was on the line.

Barry had been just as attentive, but he had other ideas.

“What happened to make you think that?”

“Nothing, you fuckwit. We either move or we die. Are you going to waste more time playing twenty questions?”

Her words knocked any desire to continue straight out of Barry. Mark glanced at his sibling and could only shake his head and sigh. The last thing they needed right now was to start up some argument that would bring nothing. They needed to focus on moving forward. The terrain was complicated enough already. The task itself was arduous, especially while needing to help the younger man along the way.

It did not take long before their breaths came ragged and strained. The trio of college students was not in the most stellar of physical conditions, and it showed. Every passing minute was a growing pressure against their legs and backs, and a growing looming sense of approaching danger.

Mark could only curse inwardly once he began to notice how their progress was slowing down. His ears strained, trying to push out the sound of his breath. Had there been more howls? Were there signs of approaching pursuit? If anything, the more terrifying aspect was that, were he to see them coming, then it was a sign that things were as close to doomed as they could be.

Doubly so if these monsters moved at any speed, similar to what the spider or the cat had shown. They couldn’t afford to be spotted at all. It would be over then and there.

But he would not give up. He pushed onwards, forcing himself to take more of the load as Veronica had stopped trying. Barry himself seemed just as determined to not be a burden. But his efforts were far less successful than his brother’s. The younger sibling’s limp had worsened with the strain. His expression was all too easy to read- more so as he began using his left leg less and less.

Soon he was nearly hopping his way forward.

“How far… do you figure… we’ve reached?” Barry panted.

“Not enough if they chase our trail.”

The proclamation made the trio grimace. “Can we even outrun them?”

“Doubt it.” As Mark spoke the words, the other two’s expressions soured. “We’ll only tire ourselves out if we continue like this. We can’t really make too much progress. If they hunt us, we’re fucked.”

“Not unless we leave him behind as bait to buy us some time.” Veronica’s laugh was bitter. It made the younger Dodson wince. She rolled her eyes as she let go of him, leaning away to catch a breath. “It’s just a joke.” She shrugged dismissively. “So long as they have a track to follow, we’re fucked, bait or not. We don’t even know where we could find help or someplace safe.”

“I mean, I…”

“I’m not leaving my brother behind.”

“Like I said, just a little laugh.” She shook her head. “Look, it’s good and all that we take a minute to think about where we stand because, frankly, I don’t see a way out. They go after us, we become dog food. At least them following the other group will buy us time.”

“How are you sure they’ll go after them?” Barry brought up the subject without missing a beat, meeting her gaze firmly.

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The young woman took a moment, sighing. “Whatever, might as well tell. My paint, it stained my backpack I gave them, it’s probably going to leak,” she said. “That shit stinks of solvent. Hopefully the wolves follow the easier trail and not ours.”

“You-!”

“Do we have any better choices?”

“You chose to get them killed!” Barry winced as he leaned forward towards her. “That’s…”

Mark crossed his arms and nodded. “It was the right thing for her to do.”

“Wha-?”

“It was us or them, Barry, they’d made that clear when they opted to ditch you. I choose us.”

“He’s right, there’s no point in pussyfooting about it. If we’re going to die and they opt to throw us at the wolves, we might as well return the favor.” Veronica moved to stand next to Mark as she spoke, leaned ever so slightly into him, placing a hand on her hip.

“But- I-”

With a grimace, Barry’s lips closed. The young man quietened as he looked down at the ground. It was clear he was trying to come up with a rebuttal to their statement, and could not think of one. The sight of it made Mark remember the many times they’d gotten into trouble over the years. He wondered when his younger brother had become this… weak.

“Look, we can’t waste time, let’s take a five minute break and keep moving.” Leaning against the tree, he pulled out his water bottle and took several long gulps. He’d have offered some to Barry if he wasn’t certain his sibling would have refused it.

But mostly, his thoughts kept tossing and turning as they focused on the problem at hand.

Even without Barry’s limp, they weren’t fast enough to escape. A pack of wolves was likely to track them down eventually, anyway. Were they so relentless they’d attempt it, even if it took them a good while to catch up to Daniel’s group? That appeared to be their only hope. A hope that they covered sufficient distance from Daniel and his group to avoid being next on the target list. But it was an ugly prospect that relied too much on chance. What would they do afterwards? No signs of life other than their own and the monsters thus far. No safety that could protect them.

The questions remained, tumbling within his head, unspoken.

Glancing at Veronica, it was clear she was also tired, but taking it much more easily than the others. She looked distraught, more than exhausted, with crossed arms and a long, unfocused look on her face as she peered into the woods. It was an easy guess that she was moving through much the same conundrums Mark was.

Did she have an answer? Mark might not trust her with a knife, but she’d certainly proved to be a cunning bitch.

Yet Barry was the only one who appeared less worried about the concept of a potential tomorrow. He chewed his lower lip as he stared at the dirt under his shoes. There was something else on his face, the beginnings of a smile? No one except his older brother would have been able to recognize that look- a slight twitch of the lips and crossing of arms.

“You have an idea.”

Slowly, the younger sibling nodded, his eyes remaining on the ground for five more seconds, his finger tracing lines against the dirt. “I think I do.”

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