Once Bitten: Twice Mad

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four: Stop Being So Serious

"Shit, Evie, it's a good thing you shot her cuz we wouldn't have found this place if you hadn't." Ox whispered in the night as the large farmhouse came into view.

"Glad I could be of assistance." Frankie mumbled.

He heard Evangeline whimper in response and glanced over to see her barely holding onto the saddle horn to keep herself in the saddle as she lay draped over it.

"Your sister's a bit too soft for this life, don't ya think?" Frankie asked from behind Ox as she kept her arms wrapped tight around his waist. Ox had heard her wince only a handful of times and he marveled at how damn tough she must be. A bullet wound in her side and a busted up leg and she hadn't complained about either one.

"Evie's tough. We've just been a while without good food and water." Ox countered, rushing to his sister's defense.

"Sure." Frankie replied without interest. "Let's take the horses to that barn over there and get them settled in and then we'll head up to the house. I think I see a bit of firelight coming from the sitting room so somebody must be sitting up."

The trio quickly entered the barn Ox sat Frankie on a bale of hay before helping Evangeline from her own horse. "Shit, Evie, you okay?" he whispered, gripping her upper arms tightly when she stumbled sideways.

"Yeah." She tried to send him a reassuring smile but Ox thought it was more of a grimace. He led her over to Frankie and leaned her against the same bales of hay before going back to the horses.

Knowing he had to work quickly, Ox unsaddled them both and then tossed the saddlebags, with what little supplies they had left, over his shoulder. He turned back to the women and paused.

He could only carry one of them and neither of them looked as if they could take a single step alone. Loyalty had him wanting to help his sister and yet Frankie was the one with a hurt leg and a bullet wound.....

"Carry her, Ox." Evangeline spoke up as she stood straight and forced her shoulders back. "I am not nearly as helpless as she seems to keep insisting that I am."

Frankie opened her mouth, clearly ready to argue, but Ox cut her off by hefting her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest like a new bride.

"Damned man. What are you doing?" Frankie demanded and Ox shrugged.

"Carrying you." He turned his attention to Evangeline. "Evie, you go ahead and pull your gun. I got my hands too full to be much help if we see any of those monsters."

"Rabid." Frankie spoke up.

"Is that what you call them?" Ox asked with a frown as the trio left the barn and Ox kicked the big doors closed before Evangeline locked them from the outside to keep the horses safe.

"Yep. They sure act like a bunch or rabid humans to me."

"Guess that makes sense." Ox conceded and they fell into silence as they made the slow walk to the house. Ox could have gone faster seeing as how Frankie couldn't weight more than one hundred and ten pounds soaking wet with rocks in her pockets, but he could tell that Evangeline was in a lot of pain and didn't want to rush her.

"Something isn't right." Frankie whispered as they stepped onto the porch. "Someone should have noticed us by now."

Ox glanced at Evangeline and saw her grip tighten on the gun in her hand before he reached out and rapped at the door with his knuckles.