Two Alive, стр. 93
“Stop the van Castle! He said that way!” Torrez was leaning forward in his seat.
“What the hell!” Castle stomped on the brakes and the van screeched to a stop; all its occupants nearly falling to the floor when it finally stopped.
“It’s that way.” Miles was starting to settle down. “We came that way through the woods on our bikes. I can take you that way through the woods. I know the way. I’m the map.”
Julia sighed, “We can’t keep going with Alana with us.”
“Please Julia! They already said we don’t have time to go back!” Alana was pleading her case to stay.
“I can protect her.” Miles said.
“Miles, you already gave us teams and told us it would be difficult.” Julia was shaking her head.
“I can protect her. I can do it. I’ll watch her and watch you. I can keep her safe.” Miles looked at Alana and stared into her eyes.
Alana smiled nervously but went along with it, “He said he can protect me. Miles said he can do it and you said he’s like the best person to survive with.”
Julia rolled her eyes and cursed under her breath in Spanish. “You’ve got to be kidding me right now.”
Manson turned around in his seat, “If that is our direction, then let’s get going already.”
Julia just stared back at him and the air grew thick with contempt.
Miles broke that air as he started playing Drake from his phone. “You should park the van off the road in the trees.” He was nodding to the song and starting to sing along to 6 Man, “Young but I’m makin’ millions to work the night shift!”
Castle pulled the van to the side of the road and turned it off. Manson got out and grab his bag while everyone else climbed out of the vehicle. Miles took Alana by the hand and pulled her along with him as he followed Julia out the sliding doors behind the stumbling Clint.
“Is it ok to just leave the van here? What if somebody finds it?” Clint asked the question to no one person but hoped someone would offer an answer.
“No. No one this far out. Most people who try to make it in the woods die.” Miles said with a nonchalant attitude. He gripped Alana’s hand tighter and looked back at her, “But we’ll be ok. I know where to go. I’m the map.”
Alana just smiled.
“Hurry up now boy. Tell us which way to go?” Manson jumped when he heard a branch break and saw an owl take flight.
“Don’t worry doc, no monsters are gonna get you with us around.” Castle chuckled.
Burrows laughed, then stopped when he started coughing and hacking. The group watched him hunch over and start spitting bile on the ground. No one looked more concerned about Burrows than Dr. Manson who went white.
“Burrows, you ok?” Torrez went to check his comrade.
“Is he sick?” Julia asked next.
“Did he get bit?” Miles squeezed Alana’s hand, hard
“Ow!” Alana called out.
“Did you get bit or scratched Mr. Burrows?” Miles pulled his knife from his belt.
“Whoa, what the fuck are you doing?” Castle nearly rushed the boy and Julia stepped in front of him.
“Calm down! Those are legitimate questions.” Julia had her hands up to stop the soldier.
“Legitimate?! He’s just throwing up and coughing! And this brat’s pullin’ his knife out.”
“Better safe than dead.” Miles put his knife away. “The old man always says better safe than dead. The infected, they spit out green stuff when they change. They spit out green stuff.” He squeezed Alana’s hand harder and she snatched away.
“Chill out kid!” Burrows stood up straight and wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve. “I had some of them eggs with some salad this morning. I’m probably just sick from that. I told them those salads are starting to go bad, even if we freezing them.”
Castle looked back at his buddy then turned to Miles, “See, he’s fine.”
“Better safe than dead.” Miles repeated. “The old ma--”
“Well if you don’t mind, I’d prefer if you kept all those lessons you learned to yourself. We’re trained marines. We don’t need you instructing us on how to survive. Just show us the way to go. You’re the map, right? Stop dicking us around and show us where to go.” Castle spat on the ground.
Miles, with a very sunken expression, started to walk and everyone followed him. Torrez shook his head at Castle and Julia flashed him a stern look. But Castle just rolled his eyes. The group walked in silence as they made their way through the woods and Miles moved with his head down and his eyes low. Julia noticed this and went to catch up with him.
“Hey, it’s ok Miles.” Julia said, “We do have to be careful out here.”
“I just had to ask. You always have to ask.” Miles still hung his head. “I didn’t mean to upset Mr. Castle. I just had to ask. You always have to ask when someone shows signs of infection.”
“What are the signs?” Alana asked, a bit nervous to speak when Julia’s eyes cut to her.
“You twitch and you shake and you act errad-dic-lee.”
“We already know the symptoms.” Lance broke in from behind them. “We saw the pamphlets at the store and heard the news reports.”
“Yeah, we saw how it changes people.” Clint added.
“And Mr. Burrows isn’t showing any of those symptoms so he’s fine.” Manson said, with a half-smile.
“I ain’t get bit or scratched or nothin’ ok! I’m perfectly fine.” Burrows hit his chest with his fist. “Let’s just