Phobia (Interracial Paranormal Romance) (Wisteria) (20 page)

Wisteria couldn
’t understand how these fleshers came through the gates. Surely, the soldiers would’ve blown up the bridge to stop this from happening.

Suddenly, a
n SUV swerved around the corner, parking in front of them. “Lara.” Coles wound down the window. “All of you in.”

“
How bad is it?” Her mother got into the passenger seat.

“
They’re everywhere.” Coles zoomed through the streets toward a less populated part of the island, but was soon cut off by hundreds of infected. Throwing the gear into reverse, he sped backwards toward the cemetery, but again was blocked by another swarm of approaching biters.

“
Drive through them,” Amanda screamed.

“
We can’t,” Wisteria replied quietly, “There’re too many.”

Taking out her handgun, her mother
removed the silencer. “If you drive as far forward as you can. I’ll create a diversion.”

“
What? No.” Wisteria grabbed her mother.

“
No, Lara.” Coles glared at his wife, like she’d lost her mind.

“
Use gas,” Wisteria suggested.

“
There’s no gas in this vehicle, it’s not used outside the island,” her mother maintained.

“
I’ll go,” Coles offered.

“
I’m not leaving you here either,” Wisteria said firmly.

“
If we don’t distract the biters, you won’t make it.” Lara attempted to open the door. “I’ll be all right. This isn’t the first time I’ve done this.”

“
You’re lying again.” Wisteria forced the door shut. “The last person to take a gun and run into a swarm of biters was Andrew and I had to cure him. I’m not doing that with you.”

“
I’m not...” Her mother sighed. “I’m not important. You are. It looks like nothings changing that, no matter what I do.”

“
You’re important. You’re my mother.” Wisteria pleaded.

“
Hold on.” Coles steered the vehicle off the road and into a garden.

The vehicle rolled through the shrubs and down an alleyway.

“No, it isn’t that. Your father—” Her mother glanced at Coles. “Your biological father wasn’t like other men.”

The car halted as hundreds
of biters flooded into the street.

“
We’re trapped.” Wisteria realized aloud, as she’d not been focusing on the dangers around her.

Now, the swarm of biters
were a few meters away from their vehicle and closing in.

“
What do we do?” Amanda sobbed.

“
We still need a diversion,” Lara maintained.

“
Then, I’ll go.” Garfield reached for her gun.

“
No.” Coles opened the car door. “Lara drive.”

“
What?” Her mother clawed at him as he left. “You get back in here Elliot or I’ll swear I will remove your skin one square inch at a time.”

Wisteria also tried to grab him back, but Amanda pulled her away.
“We need the distraction or we’re dead.”

“
Amanda let me go,” Wisteria screamed. “Coles, you’re not going anywhere!”

“
I’m not a martyr, at least not today.” Coles nodded in the direction of the street sign. “Canon Street, Lara.”

“
Oh, right.” Now her mother opened the door.

“
What are you doing?” Wisteria demanded.

“
Do you have your bow and arrow?” Her mother asked Garfield.

“
Yeah, but I’m down to my last seven arrows,” he replied.

“
What are you thinking?” Wisteria watched Coles fire his handgun at a biter as he stepped out of the car. “Coles tell me!”

“
I used to live on this street. If we get into my old house, there’s a tunnel that opens up a few yards on the other side of the street and past the monsters. That way.” Pointing through the swarm, he gestured to a grey terrace house. “Number 12. I have your back, now go.”

“
I’ll lead.” Garfield stepped in front of Wisteria.

“
Hurry,” Amanda cried as the biters closed in.

Reaching for her
samurai sword, Wisteria sliced at an approaching infected. Removing the creature’s head, she stepped back to Garfield. “If you’re going to lead, then go.”

He moved
a head of her, drew out his crossbow and fired at the first biter in their way.

Following,
Wisteria chopped her way through the growing sea of fleshers as her mother and Coles trailed behind.

S
omething grabbed her waist. Before she head butted it, she saw in the corner of her eye it was Amanda holding on for dear life.

With the exception of Amanda, the group battled
their way to the six-foot gate surrounding Cole’s former house.

Lara
broke the lock by firing at it and hurriedly pulled the gate open.

When
she ran through, she noticed her stepfather wasn’t with them. “Where—?”

“
He didn’t make it.” Her mother slammed the gate shut as biters tried to follow them inside. “Help me close this gate.”

Nodding, she joined her mother and shoved the barrier as hard as she could as
Garfield bolted it.

“
Inside now.” Her mother stormed through the paved garden to the front door.

Nodding, Wisteria
followed. There wasn’t time to think about Coles or feel sorry for herself. They needed to survive.

“
Wisteria, I’m sorry about your dad,” Amanda muttered while going toward the house.

Forcing herself not to think about Coles, Wisteria reached the front door.
“The biters have our scent, so they’ll keep fighting to get through the gate until they eventually succeed. We’ve got to get to the tunnels now and hope things are better on the other side.”

Her mother banged on the door.
“Jenny!”

Moments later, the
chains and locks on the other side of the door were undone and the door opened.

Aunt Jenny appeared
. Scanning the group, she stepped aside and let them in. “How bad is it?”

“
Over a hundred out there, I can’t tell you more than that.” Lara rushed in.

“
And they’re about to force their way in here?” Aunt Jenny glared at the gate as the biters shook it.

“
We’re leaving through the tunnel in your bunker,” Wisteria replied. “We’re hoping things are better on the other side.”

“
There’s a tunnel here?” Aunt Jenny slammed the door shut, but not before peering once more at the gate, that was now showing dents from the fists of desperate fleshers. “Damn.” Once the door was shut and locked, she placed the iron cage door against it and padlocked it. “Lara, Wisteria wait!”

Dashing
through the house, Wisteria headed to the cellar where the bunker would be. Getting to the underground room, she heard the low pitch siren go off in the distance. She immediately recognized it as the signal to all residents to go into lockdown.

“
A bit late for that now.” Garfield sighed as he followed. “The biters are already on the island.”

“
Wisteria,” her aunt yelled from up above. “Slow down, we need to talk.”

“
This isn’t the time for talking. We’ve got to get out of here before the biters break in.” Wisteria arrived at a metal door built into a wall. Pulling the handle back, she saw Del Raubacher, her six-year-old cousin, sitting on one of the three beds. To her dismay, she spotted Steven leaning against the far wall with Hailey kneeling on the ground weeping. “What are you doing here?”

“
Are we safe now, Wisteria?” Del got up and ran to her.

“
Not yet.” She signaled to Amanda and Garfield to get in. “What are you doing here Steven?”

“
Your aunt let me in when the biters corned me. Hailey was already here. Apparently, she ran off when she heard you and Amanda fighting.” Forcing a nervous smile, Steven didn’t make eye contact.

“
As long as you’re with us, you do what I say,” Wisteria said firmly.

Steven nodded, but Hailey didn
’t respond.

Scanning the room,
Wisteria searched for the tunnel’s entrance.

“
Cool, more weapons.” Garfield hurried past a broken mirror to a rusty metal cabinet in the corner. “Crap, Wisteria, we need to—”

“
Mom.” Bursting into tears, Del rushed through the door in the direction of his mother. “He didn’t hurt me.”

“
Who didn’t hurt you?” Wisteria turned to see her mother and aunt descending into the cellar as the bunker door closed and locked leaving her mother, her aunt, Del and Amanda on the other side.

“
Get out of there now.” Her mother yelled. “Don’t—”

“
Hello Wisteria.” Enric stood facing her, looking pale, but intense.

She backed away
, bumping into Garfield. “What’s going on?”

“
I tried to warn you,” Garfield whispered.

“
You did this? You helped them bring the biters and now you’re holding my aunt and cousin hostage.”

“
No, I didn’t bring the infected here.” Enric walked up to her. “Bach did this and he’s going to destroy this place looking for you.”

“
And you’re helping him?” Wisteria guessed.

“
I came here looking for you,” Enric explained.

“
And when she didn’t tell him, he refused to let us go,” Hailey blurted it out.

“
Human, what is happening isn’t about your sad life. I couldn’t risk anyone going to warn Wisteria.” Marching up to Wisteria, he held out his hand. “We leave now or your town dies here.”

“
We can’t leave everyone here to die.” Wisteria shook her head.

“
Bach is after you. He will go once you are gone,” Enric replied.

“
How is Bach doing this?” Steven asked.

Enric scowled at
him. “This does not concern you human.”

“
Your Family brought biters to our home, so it affects us all.” Garfield seethed.

“
Don’t provoke him. Enric’s still strong enough to kill you.” Wisteria stood between Garfield and Enric.

“
You’re not going anywhere with him,” Garfield protested.

“
You need to get to the Hall of Ages.” Enric held the dark glass in her face. “Because if the Dy’obeths or Bach gets you first, everyone is dead.”

“
What is he on about?” Steven asked. “What are Dy’obeths? Why is Bach’s family coming after you?”

“
I have been able to command the biters away from here.” Enric ignored Steven. “Your bloodline is safe as long as they stay inside. Even if you do not help me, they will be safe.”

“
Send the biters away from the town,” Garfield emphatically pleaded.

“
He isn’t strong enough to do that,” Wisteria knew this.

“
So, what do we do?” Garfield asked

Wisteria
had the answer, but didn’t have the words to say it. “Can you make the dark glass work?”

“
Yes.” Taking the dark glass, Enric moved and placed the tiny tile on the broken mirror.

The
dark glass started growing over the mirror.

“
Are you sure you want to do this?” Garfield whispered.

Wisteria kept her eyes fixed on the glass.
“I’ve got to go.”

Intertwining
his fingers within hers, Garfield sighed. “Let’s do this.”

“
Seriously?” She felt surprised he wanted to go with her.

“
Human, this is not a game,” Enric remarked. “Are you prepared to die over there?”

Garfield stepped up to him.
“You better believe it.”

As Enric
gave Wisteria a red stone, another shard fell to the ground. “Obsidian coral. Hold this if you want to pass through the threshold in one piece.”

“
And me?” Garfield asked. “Will that work on both of us?”

“
I won’t need it.” Wisteria gave the stone to Garfield. “I’ve journeyed to Jarthan without the coral.”

“
Are you sure?” Enric asked.

“
Oh, I
do
remember, because it was shortly after that you blackmailed me into betraying Bach,” Wisteria reminded him.