by Dawn, M. K.
Britney scratched her fingers on the top of the desk. “Are you going to...I mean, you did make her a promise, didn’t you?”
“I promised to help end her life if she reached the point that she could no longer handle the pain. So far, she hasn’t reached that point.”
Britney shuddered. “How can you do that? Take someone’s life like that?”
Sloan didn’t respond right away. “I’m not sure that I can, if I’m being honest.”
“Then why did you tell her you would?”
“Because of Mom. She suffered so much at the end. I never want to see anyone suffer that way again.”
Britney didn’t either, which is why she tended to stay away from hospitals and nursing homes. “But you’re a doctor. You see—saw—hurt and sick people all the time.”
“As a surgeon, I had the power to heal people.”
“Unless they died on the table,” Britney muttered.
Sloan’s mouth fell open. “That’s very pessimistic of you. And completely out of character.”
“But true.”
“Yes, people did die on the table, but they went peacefully, which is more than I can say for Mom.”
Britney jumped off the table. “You’re right. I’m sorry I’m being so bitchy. I just...I’m worried about Axel and why he hasn’t gotten back to me.”
“Britney, this isn’t high school. You don’t have to wait for the boy to call you back.”
“Ugh.” Britney planted her hands on her hips. “That’s not what this is. He told me to hold on a second, so I did. And then a second turned into,” she glanced at her watch, “ten freakin’ minutes!”
Sloan snatched her walkie-talkie from the desk. “Archer, are you there?”
Britney crossed her arms. “What are you doin’?”
“They’re together, and you’re clearly worried. You don’t want to bother Axel, so I’ll try and find out what’s going on from Archer.”
“But he didn’t answer.”
Sloan tried him again. Archer didn’t speak, but they could hear background noise through the walkie-talkie.
“Sounds like people talking.” Britney moved closer, hoping to hear better.
“I don’t recognize the voice.”
Britney snatched the walkie-talkie from Sloan’s hand and pressed it to her ear. “That voice. It’s familiar, but I can’t place it.”
Sloan opened her hand. “Can I hear it again?”
Britney handed her the walkie-talkie, and Sloan held it to her ear. “I don’t recognize the voice. The man has a very heavy Southern accent. Like Mom’s family.”
“Oh, God.” Britney’s chest tightened. “Oh, God. No, no, no. I have to get to the wall and warn them!”
“Wait, Britney!” Sloan screamed as Britney rushed from the building. “What’s going on?”
“That voice!” Britney didn’t bother slowing down as she raced for the gate. “I know that voice!”
“Who is it?” Sloan asked, keeping pace.
“His name is David.” Britney struggled to speak. “He’s the leader of the Children of the Apocalypse.”
***
Britney skidded to a halt at the bottom of the gate. Axel and Archer stood quiet on the platform, staring down at whatever waited below.
“Axel.” Britney tried her hardest to keep her voice low, but with the adrenaline pumping through her veins, it came out more like a yell.
He spun around. “What the hell are you doing here?’
Britney moved closer to Sloan. “You never called back, and I heard a voice when Sloan called Archer...I was worried.”
Axel glanced over his shoulder. “We’re a little busy at the moment.”
“What’s going on?” Britney demanded. “Who’s out there?”
“Finally, a familiar voice.”
Goosebumps rose again on Britney’s skin at the sound of David’s Southern accent.
“And you said she couldn’t be reached,” David said. “Guess you found a way.”
Axel glared at Britney for a moment before his expression softened.
“Call her up, please,” David said. “I would like very much to speak with her face to face.”
“There’s no reason you need to see her,” Axel snapped. “You’re dealing with us.”
“No, no. I prefer her.”
Britney’s eyes fell on to Sloan, who had thankfully kept her mouth shut. “Go back to the house and find my kids. I want them somewhere out of sight but easy for us to get to them if needed.”
Sloan shuffled backward a few steps. “You think that’s necessary?”
“After everything that has happened with Eli, do you really have to ask?”
“No.” Sloan squeezed Britney’s hand. “Smith has been hanging out with them. I’ll let her know to keep an extra close eye on them.”
Britney didn’t want to admit it out loud, but she feared something bad was about to happen. As much as she wanted to keep Sloan protected from all this, Britney knew there was no way she’d be able to keep her sister away when Archer stayed.
“Thank you.”
Sloan nodded. “I’ll be back soon. Should I warn the town?”
And cause widespread panic? “Not until we figure out what they want first.”
“Are we stalling?” David asked. “Because I don’t have all day.”
Britney ground her teeth. “I’m comin’. Hold your damn horses.”
“Be careful.” Sloan pulled Britney into a tight hug before heading off toward the house.
Britney breathed out a slight sigh. No matter what happened here, at least her kids would be looked out for.
She quickly climbed the ladder and joined Axel and Archer on the platform, her eyes boring into David. “What do you want?”
“I was just explaining to these gentlemen how dire our situation has become.”
“Dire?” Britney examined the dozen or so people posted around him. “You guys seem pretty healthy to me.”
David chuckled. “The problem is we live on the road and with winter approaching, we are in need of shelter and supplies.”
“As I told you before, we have nothing to spare.”
“You still sticking to that song and dance?” David tsked. “How disappointing.”
“It’s not—”
“Don’t lie!” David snapped his fingers, cutting her off.
Axel moved closer to Britney, while Archer kept his position. She hadn’t seen him move since arriving at the gate. He hadn’t even acknowledged Sloan, which probably meant he was a hell of a lot more worried about this than he let on.
“Here we are.” David held out his hand, focusing their attention to the direction his guard hurried off in.
“Oh, my God!” ’Britney’s entire body shook as the guard led Jerry and Barbara to David by gunpoint—hands and legs bound, both covered in bruises.
“I believe you know these lovely folks.”
Axel gripped Britney’s hand.
“Why are they with you?” Archer spat through clenched teeth.
“Well, you see,” David grinned, “we found these people stranded on the side of the road. And being the God-fearing people we are, we took them in.”
Rage engulfed her senses. Good thing Axel kept hold of her hand or she would have pulled and shot the fucker. “You took them in? That’s what you’re callin’ this? They’ve been beaten and starved.”
David ran the back of his hand along Barbara’s cheek. “There’s a price to our salvation.”
“Price!” Britney screamed. “What price? They barely left with anything!”
“And whose decision was that?’ David asked.
Britney’s teary eyes met Jerry’s, and her heart sank. She’d never forgive herself for putting them in this position.
“You see,” David said, “what we want from them isn’t tangible. Worldly possessions mean very little to us.”
“What do you want?’ Archer growled.
David clasped his hands in front o
f him. “All we want is our people back. I believe you know who I’m referring to. These fine people have told me everything.”
Britney wanted to be angry with Jerry and Barbara, but by the looks of them, they held out as long as they could.
But still, she wanted to make sure before giving anything away. “I’m sorry, I don’t.”
“Eli and Mia.” David smirked. “Seems they lost their way a while back, and we would like for them to come home.”
“What if they don’t want to come home?” Britney asked.
David eyed Barbara and Jerry. “The way I see it, it’s an even trade. Your people for mine.”
From what Mia had told them, she feared these people and would never willingly go back with them. Britney might have considered trading Eli, after his confession, but she wasn’t sure her conscious would allow her to do that to Mia.
“And what if Mia and Eli refuse to go with you?” Britney asked, fully aware of the lie she told.
“Does it matter?” David asked. “It’s not like you’ve welcomed them into your community with loving arms.”
Axel cocked his head to the side. “What makes you say that?”
David chuckled. “A little birdy told me. Though sadly, that birdie has not spoken to me for a while now. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
Britney’s already knotted stomach clenched tighter. Could he be talking about Nathaniel? “We’ll need time to discuss the trade.”
Archer’s unwavering stance shifted as he leaned in closer to Britney. “We have nothing to barter with. Mia is an innocent in all this. We can’t trade her life for theirs.”
“I know, but we need time.”
“How long do you need?” David asked.
Axel threw back his shoulders. “Twenty-four hours.”
“Speak with my children,” David said. “Let them know we are here for them and you will not need that much time. They’ll know what to do.”
Britney sucked in a sharp breath. “Your children?”
David held his hands wide. “Figuratively, as are all my people. We are a family.”
“We’ll speak with them.” Britney stared down at Barbara and Jerry. “What are you goin’ to do with them in the meantime?”
“They will be taken back to their camper where they will wait.”
Archer’s hand twitched over his sidearm. “You will not lay another hand on them, do I make myself clear?”
The smile slipped from David’s face. “That sounds a lot like a threat.”
“That’s because it is.” Archer turned his back on them and yanked his walkie-talkie from his waistband. “Smith.”
“Smith here.”
“Send half a dozen armed guards to the gate,” he whispered. “Quickly.”
“Yes, sir.”
Britney’s eyes darted between Axel and Archer. “Do we wait?”
Archer’s eyes met Axel’s, who nodded. “You go, we’ll wait. Grab Mia and meet us at the house.”
“Should I bring in the other council members?”
“Might as well,” Archer said, “but let’s keep this on the downlow. I don’t want to cause a panic.”
“Okay.” Britney gave Axel’s hand one last squeeze. “Hurry. I have a feeling that David isn’t going to give us a full twenty-four hours.”
“We’ll be right behind you.”
Britney hurried down the ladder and sprinted toward the RV park, fear pulsating through her veins. She had no idea what the Children of the Apocalypse were capable of and prayed to God that they would never find out.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Sloan rushed to the house from the gate. People gawked, but she didn’t care. After everything Eli and Mia had told them about the Children of the Apocalypse, she was scared.
“Smith!” Sloan yelled as she entered the house. “Smith!”
Angie and Mac burst into the living room.
“What on Earth!” Angie clasped her chest. “You about gave me a heart attack.”
Sloan didn’t want to alarm them any more than she already had. “Where’s Smith and the kids?”
Smith had been on kid duty since the infested attacked.
Angie planted her hands on her hips. “What’s going on? You’re all sweaty and pale.”
“I’m not sure.” Sloan fought the urge to race around the house in search of the kids but knew that would only raise more suspicion. “But I need to find the kids.”
Mac hitched his thumb over his shoulder. “They’re at the schoolhouse.”
“It’s Saturday.” Sloan shuffled her feet. “Never mind. I’ll head over there.”
“Wait!” Angie called out. “Should we be worried?”
“I honestly don’t know. It could be nothing.”
Mac’s mouth drooped. “What could be nothing?”
Shit. Sloan was a horrible liar and knew she couldn’t keep up with this ruse any longer without making things worse. “The Children of the Apocalypse are at the gate.”
Angie sank onto the couch. “Good Lord. What do they want?”
“All I know is their leader demanded he speak with Britney.” Sloan checked the time. “That was about fifteen minutes ago. Archer and Axel are with her, and she sent me to grab the kids and make sure they’re somewhere safe.”
“Is this just Britney being paranoid or does she know more than she’s letting on?” Angie asked.
Sloan bit the inside of her cheek. “I think she’s just being cautious.”
The front door opened and Smith, along with Molly, Blake, and Carson strolled in laughing.
“Good! You’re back.” Sloan forced a smile. “Smith, can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Where’s Mommy?” Molly asked. “She was supposed to meet us here and spend the day with us.”
“Yeah.” Blake dropped a full bag next to the coffee table. “We went to the school and got games and crafts.”
“Your mom will be back soon.” Sloan tilted her head in the kids’ direction. “Angie, do you mind?”
“Course not, sugar.” Angie took Molly’s hand. “Come on, my loves. Why don’t you show Aunt Angie whatcha got there so I know what games I’m going to kick your butts at.”
Sloan waited until Angie had them upstairs and the bedroom door closed before speaking with Smith. “We need for you to keep the kids in the house and under constant supervision for the time being.”
“Of course. Is everything okay?”
Sloan wished she had a better answer. “The Children of the Apocalypse are here. I don’t know what they want but Britney’s worried.”
“Archer called a few minutes ago and asked for me to send additional guards to the gate. They’re on their way and I was about to head over there myself.”
“We’d rather you stay here, with the kids. Britney wanted you to take them to a secure location.”
“She didn’t happen to say where?”
“No.” Sloan frowned. “I assume this has never been discussed before.”
“Not with me.” Smith glanced up the stairwell. “In my opinion, this house is the most secure place on the farm. We could even go as far as taking them down to the basement if things get dicey.”
“Rainey’s down there.” Sloan dropped her head. “Evelyn is taking care of her. The kids haven’t been down there to see her since she took a turn for the worse. Britney didn’t want them to see her suffering.”
“I know...but if shit hits the fan...”
“Then, we have no choice.” Sloan rubbed her tired eyes. “Do you mind staying with the kids upstairs? We’d all feel better if you were close.”
“Of course not.”
“Thank you.” Sloan headed for the door, ready to get back to the gate and find out why Archer had requested additional guards.
“What about the other children?” Smith asked. “I know you don’t want to alarm anyone but in case something goes wrong.”
“They’re with their parents, and I think that’s the way
it should stay. If we let it slip that the town is facing a potential threat, our people might inadvertently start a war when we don’t even know why they’re here.”
“Fair enough.” Smith started up the stairs.
“Thank you!”
Molly shrieked when Smith opened the door, pulling the poor woman inside the room going on about what game they were about to play next.
Smith closed the door, and the house fell silent. Sloan dropped into the nearest chair, needing a minute to come to terms with all that happened and what might be coming.
It seemed like a bit of a coincidence that these people showed up so soon after all the tragedy they’d endured. Sloan was never one to believe in coincidences.
As she got up to leave, Archer and Axel rushed through the front, faces tight and eyes wide.
“What’s wrong?” Sloan asked.
“Is Brit back yet?” Axel asked. “Where are the kids?”
“The kids are in their room with Angie and Smith, but I haven’t seen Britney. I thought she was with you.”
“She went to get Mia.” Axel grabbed for his walkie-talkie. “Brit?”
“Right behind you.” Britney called out from the porch with Mia, Makayla, her son, and Terrance close behind.
“Dining room, now.” Archer ordered.
“Go upstairs and play,” Makayla told her son.
Sloan followed Archer, confused as to what was going on, and she wasn’t the only one. Makayla and Terrance didn’t seem to know why they had been called to the house, either.
“Sit.” Archer directed Mia to a chair as the others took their seats.
“Tell us everything you know about the Children of the Apocalypse.”
Mia hid her face in her hands. “They’re here, aren’t they?”
“Oh, God,” Makayla muttered.
Terrance patted her hand.
“What do they want?” Mia asked, picking at her cuticles.
Britney tapped her fingers on the table. “For you and your brother to be returned to them. They have Jerry and Barbara. Judging by their bruised and bloody faces, they haven’t been very welcoming.”
Sloan covered her mouth to keep from gasping.
“They want to trade you and your brother for Barbara and Jerry,” Archer said.
Mia’s bottom lip quivered. “You...are you going to hand me over?”