by Dawn, M. K.
“Nope,” Axel said. “We killed a couple of dozen, at the most. This...we have no idea what happened.”
“Did you hear gun fire last night?” Smith asked Archer and Shifter. “We didn’t. But should have, considering all the dead infested.”
“We didn’t during our watch,” Shifter said.
Axel furrowed his brow. “What the hell happened last night?”
Sloan half listened to their discussion while examining a few of the closer infested. “I can’t be sure from this distance, but I don’t believe these infested were killed by bullets.”
Archer rested his forehead against the window and squinted. “Are you sure?”
“No.” Sloan huffed. “Didn’t I just say that? I would need to examine the entry wounds to make an accurate diagnosis.”
“You want to go outside?” Shifter scoffed. “With all those dead and whoever killed them?”
“We can’t be certain that whoever killed these infested are still out there.” Sloan faced Archer. “Or we could go out the back and head for the SUV.”
“The SUV!” Shifter shouted, sprinting toward the back of the building.
“Dammit!” Smith ran after him with Axel close on her heels.
“What’s going on?” Sloan asked Archer. “Where are they going?”
“Come on.” Archer held his hand against the small of Sloan’s back. “You too,” he ordered as they passed the twins.
Sloan kept up with Archer’s quick pace, still uncertain why they were in such a big rush. “Can you tell me what’s going on?”
“The SUV, Slash.” Archer swung open the already propped open emergency exit door. “If someone killed all these infested, there has to be a reason why.”
“Oh.” Sloan hadn’t even put the two things together. “You think someone killed the infested to get to our supplies?”
“Yes.”
Shifter came running around the corner. “It’s gone! Son of a bitches stole our fucking SUV and all our god-damn supplies!”
Sloan hung her head on the verge of tears, more deflated than she had been in a while. “Who would do such a thing?”
“Anyone with half a brain!” Shifter picked up a can and threw it. “Son of a fucking bitch!”
Sloan’s eyes wandered to a nearby dead infested, the chest wound catching her attention. She moved closer and knelt beside the body. “Archer, you need to see this.”
“Give me a second, Slash.”
“No,” Sloan said with a more authoritative tone. “Now.”
Archer’s boots slapped the pavement as he jogged over. “What’s so important that couldn’t wait a couple of minutes?”
“You see this wound on its chest.” Sloan pointed to it as she spoke.
“What about it? It looks like a bullet wound.”
Sloan picked up a stick and used it to move the shredded clothes away. “At first glance, it does appear to be a bullet wound, but it’s not. This hole was made by a sharp object and inflicted at close range.”
“How can you be sure?” Archer asked.
“Trust me. I worked many nights as the on-call ER surgeon in some pretty rough neighborhoods and know the difference.”
Axel crouched beside Sloan. “What are you saying? That these infested were killed by hand-to-hand combat?”
“Yes. At least, this one. I would have to check the others...” Sloan stood and scanned the surrounding area.
“Who would be stupid enough to fight the infested close up?” Smith asked.
Shifter rolled an infested over on its back. “Someone desperate.”
“Not desperate,” Eli muttered. “Crazy. The Children of the Apocalypse. They believe they’re the chosen ones.”
“Chosen ones?” Archer’s eyes grew wide. “What do you mean?”
Eli’s jaw clenched. “They believe God has chosen them as the next civilization, the next to inhabit the world. That the infested can’t hurt them.”
“That’s ridiculous.” As a doctor, Sloan had heard this kind of nonsense before. Mostly from patients who were mentally ill. “There is no immunity. No cure. This isn’t a virus we’re dealing with but an alien life form that uses the human body as a host.”
“What do you expect? They’re crazy!” Eli threw his hands in the air. “A damn cult. It’s why we risked our lives to escape.”
“So you say,” Shifter mumbled under his breath.
Eli puffed up his chest. “You calling me a liar?”
“I’m just saying,” Shifter spun around and got into Eli’s face, “that it’s a damn coincidence that we run into you two, are attacked by a hoard of infested, and then our SUV is stolen. None of which have ever happened to us before.”
“Enough.” Axel placed a firm hand on Shifter’s chest and pushed him back. “These accusations aren’t getting us anywhere. If you haven’t noticed, we no longer have a way to get home.”
“Where exactly is home?” Mia asked. “It’s a farm, right?”
Shifter glared. “Don’t tell her another god-damn thing. If you insist on bringing these two back with us, I suggest blindfolds. Unless we are all of a sudden a group of idiots.”
“We’ll wear blindfolds,” Eli said. “Bind our hands. Cover our ears. Just don’t leave us out here to die.”
Sloan wasn’t sure if she believed Eli would actually be okay with all those things or if he was calling their bluff. Like Shifter, she still didn’t know if she believed their story.
“First things first,” Archer said, “we need to find a vehicle. Axel, Shifter check those ones to the right. Slash and I will head the other way. Smith, stay here with the twins. Walkie-talkies, if not dead, on four.”
Archer didn’t wait for a response before taking off down the road.
“We’ll be back soon,” Sloan reassured Smith and the twins. “Wait inside if you want. That way, if the people who killed all those infested are still around, you’ll be out of sight.”
“Will do.” Smith directed the twins back through the emergency door. “Watch your back.”
Sloan jogged after Archer, who managed to already make it halfway down the street. “Did you all check all those vehicles?”
“Not yet.” Archer continued to walk without stopping.
“Why are you passing them? They could still run. The sooner we get out of here, the better.”
Archer picked up the pace.
Sloan trailed close behind, not sure why he wouldn’t stop and speak with her. “What’s going on, Archer?”
“I’m just...I need a couple of minutes to think.” He slammed his fist into the side of a truck he passed. “I can’t think with all the bitching going on back there.”
“There’s no one else around now.” Sloan seized his arm. “Talk to me.”
Archer stopped so suddenly, Sloan’s nose ran into his shoulder blade.
“Sorry.” Archer cupped her chin and lifted her face to his. “Are you okay? I don’t see any blood.”
“I’m fine.” Sloan stared into his eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Do you think I’m making a mistake letting the twins come back with us?”
The question caught Sloan off guard. “I don’t know.”
Archer pinched the bridge of his nose. “But you have doubts about their story?”
Sloan hesitated, not wanting to upset Archer any more than he already was. “Some. Not to the extent of Shifter, but their story is a bit bizarre.”
“There are crazy people in the world, Slash. Always have been, always will be. Maybe even more so now.”
“I know.”
“But you don’t think the twins were captured and escaped from this group?” Archer asked.
“I think it’s suspicious, that’s all. Could it have happened? Of course. Mia seems genuinely terrified. And Eli...well, he’s very defensive and protective over his sister.”
“But?” Archer added.
Sloan thought back to the brand on their back and how clean the lines appeared. But it wasn’t en
ough to condemn them to a life on the streets.
“Slash, I know you and there’s a but,” Archer said when she didn’t answer.
“It’s just a feeling I get when I’m around them, that’s all.”
Archer cocked an eyebrow. “A feeling? Since when do you rely on your gut instincts?”
“I don’t.” Sloan forced a smile. “But you do. What is your gut telling you?”
“I can’t leave them. I won’t. That’s not who I am.”
Sloan understood. Archer was nothing without his humanity. He cared for people more than anyone she’d ever met. “Then, they come back with us.”
“Okay.” Archer glanced over Sloan’s shoulder. “But we keep a close eye on them.”
His walkie-talkie crackled before she had a chance to reply. “It’s Axel. We found a vehicle.”
Archer pulled the walkie-talkie from his belt and answered. “Get the twins and Smith loaded up. We’re heading back.” He smiled at Sloan. “Time to go home.”
“Yes, time to go home.” Sloan smiled back, but again, it was forced.
They’d gone on this supply run to gather items the farm needed to endure the winter. Supplies needed to give Rainey a chance at survival. Instead, they were coming back with nothing but two more mouths to feed and a terrifying story of a cult.
CHAPTER NINE
Britney paced the length of the porch, waiting for Axel and the others to pull into the drive. When she’d gotten word that an unknown vehicle approached the front gate, she feared the religious fanatics had returned. She wasn’t sure what was worse: the cult reappearing or Axel returning without their SUV and supplies.
“They’re back!” Molly squealed as she burst from the front door. Over the past couple of years, she’d grown close to Axel. About six months ago, she had even asked if she could call him “dad.” Not “daddy,” like she did her biological father, John, but she wanted to call him something besides “Axel.”
The request had taken both Britney and Axel by surprise. After John was bitten and turned into an infested, nearly killing her and the kids, Britney never thought they’d love someone as much as they did him. But when Axel came along, it was like John had sent them a guardian angel—if angels had sleeve tattoos and wore a leather vest. He became their rock, and she couldn’t imagine loving anyone more.
“Hey there.” Axel strolled up the porch stairs with Molly in his arms. He leaned in and kissed Britney’s cheek. “How are you?”
Britney did her best to stay calm. She didn’t want to alarm Molly, but inside, her heart thrashed against her chest. “Glad you’re back and safe. You are all safe, aren’t you?”
“Safe? Yes.” Axel put Molly on the ground and kissed her forehead. “Time to go back to school, munchkin.”
“Awe,” Molly whined and flashed him her big, green, puppy-dog eyes. “Do I have to? I’ve missed you so, so, so, so, so, much.”
“Only five so’s this time?” Axel asked with a chuckle. “I must have not been gone long enough.”
“I have a lot more so’s if you want to hear them?”
Britney covered Molly’s mouth with her hand before she could start. “Nope. Back to school. You’ve already missed enough the past few days, and if you miss anymore, Rainey’s goin’ to assign you extra homework.”
“Fine.” Molly rolled her eyes. “You’re no fun.”
“That’s part of the mom job description: ruinin’ her kids’ fun.” Britney grasped Molly’s shoulders and lightly shoved her down the first step. “Go. Hurry up.”
With an exaggerated huff, Molly ran off in the direction of the school.
“We’re in trouble with that one.” Axel shook his head as he watched their mouthy six-year-old round the house.
“I know.” Britney turned her attention back to the beat-up minivan. “You goin’ to tell me what happened?”
“Why are there so many people hanging around?” Axel asked. “Does nobody have anything better to do?”
Britney hadn’t noticed the crowd. Since the Children of the Apocalypse had shown up, people took to hanging out closer to the house and in larger groups. “The thing is...” Britney lost her train of thought when she noticed two teenagers emerge from the van. “Who’s that?”
“Eli and Mia. I’ll introduce you. Let me tell you, they have a story to tell.” Axel headed back down the stairs.
“Okay.” Britney followed. “What sort of story?”
Axel stared as more people flocked toward the driveway. “On second thought, let’s not talk about this out here.”
“Glad to see you all made it back in one piece.” Britney smiled at the others while taking Sloan’s hand. Britney hated that they fought before she left. She would have never forgiven herself if something happened to Sloan and her harsh words were the last thing she’d ever said to her younger sister. “Are you okay?”
Sloan squeezed Britney’s hand. “I’m fine.”
“Good.” Britney turned to the twins. The girl looked scared while the boy had a more defensive look. “I’m Britney. It’s nice to meet you. Welcome to Myrefall Haven.”
Shifter groaned. “I got shit to do.”
Britney watched as he stormed off toward the RV park. “What was that all about?”
“We need to call an emergency town council meeting,” Archer said. “The sooner, the better.”
“Sure.” Britney’s eyes flickered to the twins then back to Archer. “I was goin’ to suggest the same thing.”
“You were?” Axel raised an eyebrow. “Did something happen?”
The crowd around them moved closer. She hadn’t told anyone about what happened at the gate, but rumors spread fast.
“What are you hiding?” Sam called out.
“We deserve to know the truth!” Jesus yelled.
“Shit,” Archer muttered, maneuvering his way around the van and toward the crowd. “Calm down. I know you all want to know what happened during the supply run and you will.”
“When?” a man asked.
“Let me speak with the other council members, but I think this evening—” Archer glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow.
Britney nodded, since she usually scheduled the town meetings.
“Tonight,” Archer said again. “Time to be announced soon. Everyone, please get back to work.”
“You heard the man. Back, back!” a man yelled from the back of the crowd. It took Britney a couple of seconds to figure out Jerry was trying to make his way through the people. “Give them some room. Stop hovering. This farm ain’t going to run itself.”
“What are you doin’, Jerry?” Britney tried to keep her annoyance at bay.
“Heard the supply run was back.” Jerry scrunched his nose at the van. “This new?”
Archer closed his eyes and sighed. “Yes, Jerry, it’s new.”
“What happened to the SUV?” Jerry scanned the area. “How about the supplies?”
“Yeah!” another crowd member yelled. “Where is everything?”
Britney ground her teeth so hard, her jaw hurt. “We need to get Makayla and Terrance here now so we can talk about what’s happened and what we are going to tell the town’s people.”
“Agreed,” Sloan said. “What about the twins?”
Eli swatted at the air. “Can you please stop calling us that?”
His sharp tone unnerved Britney. After all, they had been brought here, into their home. The least he could do was show a little gratitude.
“Sorry,” Sloan said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. It was the same sorry she’d given Britney hundreds of times when they were kids and their parents forced an apology. “What about these two?”
“Angie?” Britney called out, and the woman hurried over. “Can you please get these two cleaned up? Food, clean clothes, and find them a camper to stay in. You know, the works.”
“Sure thing, sugar.” Angie wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders. “Come with me, and I’ll take care of you.”
> Jerry cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Britney. Not to stir up any trouble, but housing goes through me, and I have this system and a speech.”
Britney snapped her head and glared at Jerry. “You’re welcome to miss the meeting to handle that.”
“Oh, no, no.” Jerry shook his head frantically. “But my wife can do it! Barbara, can you come here, honey?”
The petite woman with ash gray hair pulled in a tight bun rushed over. “What do you need, sweetie?”
“Go with Angie.” Jerry pushed her in the direction of the storage building where the three were already headed. “Two new people have arrived, and I need you to get them settled. I have important town council stuff to attend to. Brother and sister, so one camper should do. You know where I keep the list and the supplies?”
“Oh, right away.” She kissed his plump cheek. “Don’t you worry about a thing. I will take good care of them.”
“Thank you, my love.” Jerry waved as Barbara scurried off.
Britney didn’t cross paths with Barbara much, but god-bless that woman, she loved Jerry with all her heart.
“I’ve sent for Makayla and Terrance,” Archer announced. “We should head inside.”
Britney had been so caught up in Jerry and Barbara she hadn’t even noticed that Archer had sent someone to fetch them.
It was a good thing they were having this meeting now and not waiting. Britney could tell by the way the people watched as they headed into the house that they wanted answers. They were scared, and who could blame them? She hadn’t gotten much sleep since the Children of the Apocalypse had shown up. David’s presence alone put her stomach in knots. Even though the caravan didn’t put up a fight when she asked them to leave, Britney feared they hadn’t seen the last of them.
***
“Someone want to tell us what’s going on here?” Archer asked as he closed the door of the dining room.
Britney took a seat at the head of the table. “Shouldn’t we wait for Makayla and Terrance?”
“We’re here.” Makayla strolled through the door off the kitchen with Terrance on her heels. “Did we miss anything?”
Axel snorted. “Archer was just asking Britney the same thing.”