Were they still lying there? Decomposing in the summer heat?
A few minutes later, they came across a public footpath sign. “This is where I met Bob.”
They dismounted near a copse and pushed the bicycles over the uneven ground. Oreo sniffed the trees that lined the field, his tail wagging. He tried pulling towards something and Anna held him back, leaning over the thicket to get a closer look herself first.
It was a dead rabbit caught in a trap. Flies buzzed around its carcass.
“That’s one of Bob’s traps.”
Sarah sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose. “But definitely not from today.”
Was Bob no longer doing daily rounds? Apprehensive now, Anna continued along the footpath. The smell of roasting meat made her belly rumble. There had to be houses nearby.
“What do we—”
“Walk away or we’ll shoot,” a hoarse voice called out.
“We’re looking for Bob,” Anna yelled back. “Do you know him?” She raised her hands. “I’m not armed, and I’m not planning on coming any closer. Please don’t shoot.”
Her words were followed by a long silence.
Anna swallowed, looked at her sister, then tried again, “We’re trying to find Bob.”
A window slammed somewhere in the distance. Another one creaked open. Agitated whispers were carried over in their direction by the wind.
“Don’t move. We’re coming to you.”
Sarah pulled out her gun and released the safety.
“Put that gun back into your bag, please,” Anna said. “I just told them we weren’t armed.”
Sarah scowled. “Seriously? After Gus and Nellie?”
“Not everyone is like that,” Anna said. “We are not like that.”
“I’d like to live to see another day, and if that means I have to use a gun…” Sarah’s voice trailed off and she shrugged. “Besides, what would you do if we were out of food? Wouldn’t you try to—”
“Rob people at gunpoint? No, I don’t think so,” Anna said softly. She traced her creased forehead with her index finger. “I really don’t think I would, but I’ve never been that desperate before.”
“You’re so eager to find this Bob. You haven’t seen The Walking Dead, have you?”
“No, why? Should I have?”
“There was that one—”
“You know what?” Anna waved her index finger in Sarah’s face, cutting her off. “I’ve read enough books to know that you’re about to tell me people were eating each other.”
Sarah laughed. “Exactly.”
“And you think Bob is going to eat us?”
“I’m saying we don’t know Bob, and Bob doesn’t know us.”
Anna blinked. “Really? We came all this way for you to—” An exasperated groan escaped her lips. “You know that we aren’t safe on our own. Just the two of us.”
“I know.”
“We went through the names of all our friends and unfortunately, there wasn’t much choice.”
“I know.” Sarah sighed. “All I’m saying is that I want the gun to be accessible.”
“Fine. Keep it accessible but keep it out of sight. And if they turn out to be nice people who aren’t trying to eat us—”
“I’ll let you say, I told you so.”
Anna gave her sister a hard look. “And I don’t want to hear any whoops where did that come from exclamations as the gun falls out of your jacket and goes off by accident.”
“Deal.”
Two men emerged from the line of trees. Anna reached for the pepper spray in her bag, but then she recognised Bob and relaxed.
She could have sworn his beard had turned grey since she’d last seen him. He’d chopped off his long hair and could no longer wear it in a bun. It now flopped into his eyes instead.
They weren’t carrying any weapons.
“Bob? It’s me. Anna.” She waved. “We met last week?” And suddenly she realised that it wasn’t normal that she’d come here. People often extended invitations, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were being sincere.
What if Bob thought she was weird for—
“Anna?” Bob frowned, then gave his companion a thumbs-up. “I didn’t expect to see you again.”
“This is my sister, Sarah. She’s who I was looking for the other day.”
“It looks like you were successful.”
Anna laughed. “Thankfully, yes.”
Oreo gave a friendly bark. It took him a while to warm to strangers, but he’d shown an instant dislike for both Gus and Chris while he’d greeted Nellie with his tail wagging.
The other man knelt down and held out his hand for Oreo to sniff. Anna unclipped his lead, and he trotted to the stranger and gave his hand a lick, then sat down.
“This is Luke. He’s our neighbour.”
Luke was tall with brown, shaggy hair and a strong jaw. The faint stubble on his chin gave him a rugged appearance. He wore jeans and a blue shirt, the short sleeves revealing strong arms. He gave them an awkward wave, then sheepishly rubbed the nape of his neck.
“Hello Luke. This is Oreo.” Anna cleared her throat, looking at Bob. “I was thinking of what you said last week, about making a start on one of those settlements. This might sound odd but…we didn’t really have anywhere else to go.”
Sarah stiffened next her. She had one hand in her jacket pocket, probably gripping her weapon.
Anna nudged her.
Sarah scowled. “Hello.”
“Let me guess.” Bob grinned. “Sarah is currently worried—”
“That we’ll get robbed and killed, yes.”
“So, you are sisters.”
Anna grimaced. “You wouldn’t believe the week we’ve had.”
Bob tilted his head and shrugged. “I asked our neighbours further down the road to join us, and they responded by setting my house on fire.”
Anna gasped.
“Yes, we’ve had quite the week as well,” Luke stated dryly, then turned to Bob. “Have you two known each other long?” He was still fussing over Oreo.
“No. We met briefly last week. I helped her find her way past Braintree.”
“It’s just the way you two—” He gestured between the two of them.
“Anna understands my sense of humour,” Bob said.
Luke scoffed and stood. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Do you have a gun?” Sarah asked suddenly.
Bob blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Someone shouted, walk away or we’ll shoot…”
Luke glanced at Bob, who in return gave him a small nod. “It’s an effective thing to yell. That’s all. We don’t have any guns.”
“Why don’t you follow us?” Bob said to Anna. “Let us help you with the bikes.” He gestured for Luke to take Sarah’s bicycle, then reached for Anna’s. “We do have enough room for the two of you.” He led them through the line of trees towards an iron gate in a thick hedge. “Although things are a bit chaotic at the moment.”
Sarah didn’t let go of the pistol in her jacket. Anna nudged her again and hissed, “Stop that.”
Bob leaned Anna’s bicycle against the hedge, then opened the gate and gestured for them to enter. “This is our house. There are only five other houses along this road.”
Anna looked around, her gaze drawn to the charcoal grey sidewall of a formerly all-white cottage. The fire had worked its way up the side of the building almost all the way to the roof. The cottage stood in the corner of a large garden with enough space for Oreo to run after his ball. A fire smouldered in a makeshift firepit in the middle of the grass, tended to by a burly woman who was grilling meat over it. Several camping chairs were set up around the fire, creating a cosy atmosphere.
The whole place was fenced in, and a tall hedge helped conceal it from view. Surrounded by trees, it felt like a secret hideaway, protected from the outside world.
Across from the cottage, Bob and his wife had two wooden sheds set up, both with rainproof alum
inium roofs. The back door to the cottage stood open, though Anna couldn’t see inside. A small, round table and two chairs stood on the patio with a telescope next to it.
Anna remembered Bob saying his wife’s hobby was stargazing.
Do you think it’s possible to spot evil? Forcing the question from her mind, Anna followed Bob and Luke into the garden. The woman looked up as they entered and frowned.
“These are Anna and Sarah,” Bob said. “Anna is the woman—”
“I know.” She rolled her eyes and gave Anna a thin smile. “He said we needed more people like you, but when I asked him why, he had no answer. He just said, she’s a good one. I’m Sue. Bob’s wife.”
“I’m glad to hear he thinks that. Nice to meet you,” Anna said.
Sue couldn’t have been older than fifty and wore glasses with a thick frame that obscured half her face. She wiped her hands on her apron, then turned the skewers. The scent of roasting meat filled the air.
Sarah had taken off her backpack and was clutching it against her chest as if afraid someone would take it from her.
“Why don’t you sit down. You look like you’ve been on your feet for hours,” Sue said, pointing to the camping chairs. She frowned, taking in Sarah’s face. “Do you need a painkiller? I’m sorry, but I don’t have ice.”
Sarah shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s not as bad as it looks.”
Anna sat down, glad to be able to take the weight off her knee. She bent forward and massaged it. “Do you still think it was a coronary…sun ejection?”
Sue chuckled, raising an eyebrow at her husband. “Is that what Bob told you?”
“Of course not.” Bob laughed. “I know it’s a coronal mass ejection.”
Sue huffed. “I never said it was a CME. I just said it was one possibility.” She gestured towards the telescope on the patio. “After a CME you can see the northern lights all the way down here, and there weren’t any.”
“Oh?” Sarah sat down next to her sister. Anna noticed that she’d let go of the gun inside her jacket.
Bob scratched his beard. “I was just making conversation. We were discussing what had happened and—”
“So, what did happen?” Sarah asked.
Bob shrugged. “I was hoping you’d be able to tell us.”
Oreo was lying in the sun, watching the meat.
Luke sat down and rubbed his hands together. “This smells delicious, Bob.” He smiled at Anna and Sarah. “I’ve secured your bikes.”
Anna glanced up as the gate opened. A man and a woman entered the garden. They were holding hands. He carried a guitar and raised it above his head. “I remembered to bring it this time.”
“These are Graham and his wife Rose. They live next door to Luke.” Bob grinned at them. “You’re just in time for dinner.”
A noise startled Anna and she turned around. A woman emerged from inside the house.
“And that’s Sue’s sister, Rachel.” Bob said.
Rachel sat down next to Sue and handed her a bottle of beer. She had long blonde hair that fell past her shoulders and went halfway down her back.
“How do you know Bob?” she asked.
Bob introduced them, his voice droning on. Anna closed her eyes, taking shallow breaths. There were so many people here, but they all seemed friendly. Could it be that they’d got lucky? That they’d found a group of people who would help each other out?
“Didn’t you teach him not to talk to strangers?” Rachel asked, winking at Sue.
“He’s far too trustworthy,” Sue replied. “But that’s why I love him.”
Graham sat down, his fingers brushing against the strings on his guitar. He gave both Anna and Sarah a small nod, then turned his attention back to the instrument.
Rose rested her hand on top of his knee. He kissed her black curls, and she smiled at him. Her nose was pointed, her high cheekbones jutting from her face. Her eyes were deep set, dark and intense. Graham, on the other hand, looked like a cuddly teddy bear with grey hair.
“I was hoping I’d finally find out what happened. It’s just—” Sarah fell silent and cleared her throat. “I think it would be easier for me to deal with the new situation if I knew…”
Sue stared into the fire and shrugged. “We decided it doesn’t really matter.”
“But we also think that it was a nuclear bomb,” Graham added dryly.
“A nuke?” Anna gasped. “Does that mean—aren’t we in danger if that’s the case?”
“Not from the bomb itself. For it to have such a far-reaching effect, the explosion must have happened so high up you don’t need to worry about any radiation.”
“So, there’s a war? We’re under attack?” Sarah asked.
“We don’t know,” Bob said. “But as Anna and I discussed last week, I doubt they’d be deploying soldiers to Harlow and Braintree if we were under attack.”
Silence fell over the garden, and Anna bit her lip.
Rachel gave Sarah a small smile. “I get what you’re saying. It was so abrupt. If we knew what happened, we could try to find a solution.”
“Exactly.” Sarah set her bag down next to her chair.
Bob stuck a fork into the meat and licked his lips. “I think this is ready.”
Sue gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you.” She took the skewered meat and headed inside.
“Anna here is the reason I came knocking on your door, Luke.” Bob sat down and ran a hand through his tousled hair.
“And then we spoke to Graham’s neighbour, who in turn set your house on fire,” Luke said, rolling his eyes. Anna noticed that they were a pale blue.
“Why? What did you say to him?” Anna asked, looking at the charcoal grey wall of the cottage.
“I honestly don’t know. They left the next day.” Bob shrugged. “We’d never spoken to them before. They’ve always kept to themselves. Perhaps they thought we were trying to force them to share their supplies?”
“Is this a through road?” Anna asked.
Bob shook his head. “No. It’s a dead end.”
“You said that you had space for us,” Sarah said.
Bob nodded.
“What do you expect from us in return?”
Anna hid a smile behind her hand. Sarah was nothing if not pragmatic.
“We’re trying to get everything ready for winter,” Rachel said. “We’re in the process of fortifying the fence, and we’re taking turns keeping watch. Sue is expanding her vegetable garden, and Operation Chicken is a go.”
Sarah furrowed her brow. “Operation Chicken?”
Bob said, “There’s a chicken farm two miles from here, and we wanted to check if we could…”
“Steal a chicken or two.” Graham ran his fingers over the guitar strings.
Bob grinned. “I was going to ask if they’d give us a batch of fertilised eggs first.”
“He’s built an incubator in our bedroom with a gas lamp,” Sue said, carrying a platter of warm buns with shredded meat. She took one, then handed the platter to Rachel. “Of course I’m worried he’ll cook the poor things.”
Anna sighed as she bit into a bun, the flavour of the meat filling her mouth. “This is the first warm meal I’ve had in days.”
“Thank you,” Sarah said, chewing slowly, savouring each bite.
Sue smiled. “You’re very welcome.”
“Do you have any other neighbours?” Anna asked. “You said there were six houses in total?”
Rose sighed, rubbing red-rimmed eyes. She looked as though she hadn’t slept in days. “The others must have left. The stories about rogue soldiers coming from Braintree are harrowing.”
“Could we move into the empty houses?” Anna proposed.
“We’ve discussed searching the empty houses, but…we’ll see.” Rose gave Graham’s knee a squeeze.
“I can help in the kitchen. I can bake and make preserves,” Sarah said, then promptly blushed when Anna stuck her tongue out at her. She turned to Sue. “Those buns are lovely
. Did you make them over the fire?”
Sue nodded. “Wrapped in foil.”
“I’m sure we’ll find plenty for you to do,” Rachel said.
“I have a spare room that you can use for now,” Luke said. “If you don’t mind sharing.”
Anna looked to Rachel. “Do you need any help with Operation Chicken?”
“Sure. The more the merrier.” She grinned, her excitement palpable. “We’re going to steal some chickens tomorrow.”
Luke scowled. “You mean you’re going to ask nicely if they’d be happy to give you a batch of fertilised eggs.”
Rachel grinned at him. “And when they say no, I’m going to steal some chickens.”
The warm food was easing her pain. Anna slumped back into her chair and yawned.
“Can I give Oreo some of my meat?” Luke asked and Anna nodded. Hearing his name, Oreo immediately trotted over and placed his head on Luke’s knee.
After they’d finished their meals, Anna asked, “Is there a bathroom I could use?”
“The bathroom is upstairs,” Sue said. “Sorry, I should have said earlier. Please fill the bucket again with water from that barrel over there by the sheds.”
“Speaking of bathrooms, I’d really like to consult an engineer on how to best build a pit latrine,” Bob said.
Anna got up and went inside the house. She found herself standing in a small living room. The door to the hallway stood open. Photos of Bob and Sue hung on the walls. There wasn’t much furniture. Only a leather sofa and a small coffee table made from glass. A fireplace promised warmth in winter.
Anna took off her shoes and headed upstairs. After she was done, she took the empty bucket with her to refill it. Voices were drifting to her from downstairs.
Bob and Sue were talking in the kitchen.
“Were you going to use these tomatoes for anything?” Bob asked. “I was thinking of making a small salad.”
“Bob?” Sue’s voice was quiet, thoughtful. “Should we let Anna and Sarah stay? We don’t know them. I mean they seem nice, but—”
“They didn’t come empty-handed. Have you seen the size of their bags?”
“What if they’re not prepared to share? You’re incredibly sweet Bob, but—”
Darkness Ahead of Us | Book 2 | Darkness Falling Page 14