While We Fall (The Eva Series #2)

Chapter Eighteen

The next day, we were all sitting around the dining table having lunch when Nikki stormed through the front door, slamming it behind her.
“What the hell is this?!” Blood spattered all over us as she threw a dead rabbit onto the table, landing right in front of Elliot.
“Ew!” Jo shrieked as she frantically tried to wipe the blood off of her cheek.
The rabbit had been skinned and slit open, it’s intestines spurting out all over the table.

I stared up at Nikki, trying to figure out what was going on. She looked terrified, and I instantly knew that our paradise bubble was about to burst. Something was terribly wrong.
“What’s the meaning of this, Nikki? Can’t you see we’re enjoying a nice meal?” Elliot didn’t even look up from his plate.
Rage boiled in her eyes at his ambivalence.
“There are at least fifty of these spread out all over the property, from the beginning of the driveway right up to the fence. They’re hanging from trees like Christmas ornaments for god’s sake! Why the hell would you do this?”

Elliot didn’t say anything, he just sat there eating his breakfast, ignoring the slaughtered rabbit sitting just in front of his bacon and eggs.
“Is that true, Elliot?” Asked Wyatt, wiping blood off of his face with his sleeve.
We all watched him carefully, waiting for him to say something.
“What of it?” He asked, placing his knife and fork gently on the table and looking up at Nikki.
“You’ve really lost it, haven’t you?” Yelled Nikki, throwing her arms up into the air. “I’d heard rumours for years that you’d gone a bit loopy, but this is too far. Leaving dead rabbits and kangaroos out there to rot on trees? You know that’ll attract zombies. Are you suicidal? You’re going to get us all killed!”
“Why would you do that?” Wyatt asked.
We all stared at Elliot, our eyes wide with fear and fury.
“Now, now.” he held his palms up in the air defensively. “No-one’s trying to get anyone killed. We simply need to keep our skills up. Attracting a few zombies every now and then will provide us with the fear, strength and determination we need to keep fighting and stick together. We need to stay sharp, keep fit and excel at fighting. The best way to do that is with the real fear and adrenaline that comes with real zombies invading our land. I did it for us. I did it for paradise.”

“That’s crap.” I snapped, the anger and suspicion I’d been stifling finally coming to the surface and taking over. “You didn’t do it for paradise and you sure as hell didn’t do it for us. You did it for you. This is fun to you, isn’t it? The end of the world is hell for everyone else, but for you it’s heaven!”
“They’re right.” Ben slammed his fist on the table, causing the plates and glasses to rattle. “This isn’t a video game, Elliot! You’re the not the hero in some Rob Rodriguez movie, this is real life! It’s not enough to leave the gate wide open, now you have to leave entrees at the door waiting for them?”
“You’re all taking her side are you?” Elliot looked at all of us, his burning gaze landing on Wyatt. “My own brother. Betraying me. Judas!”
“I’ve been the only one defending you!” Wyatt stood up from the table, jaw clenched in anger.
“And what about you, Jo?” Elliot stood up to match his brother. “Surely you see that everything I do is for the best, to help protect paradise?”
Jo avoided eye contact with him as she shook her head.
“Dammit, Nikki! This is all your fault! Get out of my house!” He bellowed.
“Oh don’t worry, I’m leaving. I’m not staying in this house with you for another second.”
“Your funeral.” Elliot stormed down the hallway, slamming his bedroom door behind him.

I couldn’t believe what had just happened. One minute we were all enjoying our breakfast, starting to settle in to this weird new life, and now it was all over. Our lives had changed again.
“When are you leaving, Nikki?” Ben asked.
“Now. I suggest you all do the same. It’s not safe here. Not with him.”
“We don’t have anywhere else to go!” Jo began to cry.
“We’ll find somewhere, Jo.” Ben hugged her, rubbing her back comfortingly as she cried onto his shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Wyatt.” Nikki sat on the chair at the end of the table. “I know you love him, so do I, but he’s not who he used to be anymore. You see that, don’t you?”
“I see it, better than anyone.” He replied. “I just didn’t want to believe it. It’s like the Elliot we used to know is completely gone. He’s hardly even spoken to me the entire time we’ve been here, it’s as though we’re complete strangers. But I honestly didn’t think he would be dangerous.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “None of us thought he would be dangerous. But clearly he’s been alone up here being paranoid for too long. We need to leave before it’s too late. With all those corpses hanging from trees, it won’t be long before we’re surrounded.”

I wanted to comfort Wyatt, to tell him that none of this is his fault, to help him get through the pain of watching his brother change so drastically. But we didn’t have time for any of that. We had to get out of there, fast.
“Nikki, you’re welcome to come with us. We have enough room and resources in the RV.” I offered.
“Thank you so much,” Nikki sighed. “You guys are life-savers.”
The RV was still loaded with everything we grabbed from Bob’s Camping Store back in Melbourne, all we had to do was pack a few extra clothes and we could leave. We tried to be as quiet as possible as we moved around the house to collect our things, trying not to arouse Elliot’s suspicions.

Nervous anxiety pumped through my body as I threw whatever little belongings I had into my backpack. I desperately wanted to leave without having a confrontation with him, and I hoped we could get away unnoticed. 
A knock on my bedroom door made me jump, and I was relieved to see it was only Nikki. “I’m heading out to the RV, I can’t stand being in this place another second.” She said quietly.
“Okay, we’ll be right out. Be careful.”
A few minutes later, I strung my backpack over my shoulder and stepped out into the kitchen, where Wyatt and Ben waited nervously.
“You ready?” Asked Wyatt.
“Yep. Have you seen Dixon?”
“He’s with Jo, she’ll be out in a sec.” Replied Ben.
“Cool, the sooner we leave the better.”
“I’ve already moved the RV into the driveway. In a few minutes we’ll be roaring back onto the highway.” Said Wyatt.
A shrill scream rattled the windows of the house.

We ran to the window to see Nikki running around the RV, blood streaming down her arm. She’d been bitten. A zombie stumbled close behind her, his jaw chopping furiously.
“Run, Nikki!” Wyatt yelled.
Jo ran out of her bedroom to see what was happening, with Dixon by her side, barking loudly in response to the screams.
“What happened?” Jo asked as she reached the window.
“Nikki…” I started, but couldn’t get the words out. My heart pounded in my chest and every muscle in my body tensed as I watched Nikki get closer to the house.
I ran to the kitchen to get the biggest knife we had. I knew if she made it inside we would have to cut her arm off to stop the infection from spreading.
“Why is she slowing down?” Asked Wyatt.

I peered out the kitchen window to see Nikki stop in her tracks, eyes locked onto something just out of my sight. Within seconds, another zombie came into view, blocking her path to the house.

“She won’t make it.” Wyatt said. “Eva, hand me that knife. We have to go out there.”

“You’re not going anywhere.” A voice said from behind me.

Elliot stepped out from the hallway. He was dressed head to toe in camouflage gear again, and he had a shotgun pointed straight at Wyatt’s chest.