Maybe, if Blair and Maggie were lucky, he’d sleep right through the entire day.
Twenty-One
I hadn’t slept well. My dreams were all about the various ways Nick was going to die. First, the muddy earth swallowed him up, and then in the second dream, poison rained down from the sky. There was another, but it was less realistic and involved trees coming to life.
I was awake before I heard movement in the living room. For a moment I considered not going out there… not saying goodbye to my brother, but I think because of the dreams, I had to. It wasn’t like I’d ever wished death upon my brother, all I’d wanted was for things to have been different.
I looked out of the window for a long moment as I listened to whoever was up walking around the apartment. Someone stopped in front of my door, and I glanced over my shoulder.
It was still dark, but there was enough light to see Nick standing there. His breathing was normal. His eyes were still bloodshot, but his pupils had returned to normal. He no longer looked like he was sweating himself into dehydration.
“You’re up,” he said, stepping into the room. “We’re going to head out soon.”
“Okay,” I said.
“I just wanted to tell you something before we go,” Nick said.
My eyes blinked rapidly as I stared at him. “What?”
“I’m really sorry about what happened yesterday,” he said, and I could tell he was sincerely sorry. The only problem was that every time he relapsed he’d been sincerely sorry. This wasn’t any different. “I really screwed up, it’s just that everything got to me. The loss. Being cooped up. The end of the world. I fucked up, and I’m sorry. I know you won’t believe me, but it won’t happen again.”
“Only because eventually you won’t be able to find any,” I said with a shrug.
Nick shook his head and looked down at his feet. “Well, believe it or not, I really am sorry. And pissed off at myself for being so weak.” He covered his mouth and coughed. “Anyway, thanks for not outing me.”
“I probably should have,” I said tilting my head slightly.
“I appreciate that you didn’t,” Nick brushed his hair back with his hands. “Are you sure you don’t want to join us?”
I shook my head. “Seventy-five miles is far too long to walk through puddles for me.”
Nick chuckled. “Don’t be too long. I don’t want to have to come back here and get you.”
“Good luck, Nick,” I said with a small smile. It was the most I could offer him. “Take care of Blair and Maggie.”
“Of course,” Nick said nodding. “And I know you’ll be in good hands with Bronx.”
I raised a brow wanting to tell him I could take care of myself, but in a way, he was right. I would feel safer with Bronx and Jamie at my side.
“I’ll see you soon then?” Nick asked.
“Yes, soon.”
He stood there staring first at the floor, and then his gaze shifted up at me. I knew he was considering hugging me. In the end, he decided not to, turned, and left my room.
I stayed in my room. Not wanting to see any of them leave. I probably should have said goodbye to Blair and Maggie, but it wasn’t like I’d been close to them. They’d stayed in my apartment, and that was the extent of our relationship.
I listened as they said their goodbyes. When the door closed, I did everything I could to fight back the tears.
My brother may have been a stupid asshole jerk, but he was my brother. There was a fairly decent chance that he was the only family I had left.
But I wasn’t going to cry. It wouldn’t be long until I saw him again. Hell, if the rain stopped, maybe we’d even catch up to them on the way.
When I was sure I wasn’t going to burst into tears, I joined Bronx and Jamie in the living room. Bronx was staring out of the window, and Jamie was pacing near the front door as if he expected them to return.
They both glanced at me at the same moment, but neither of them spoke. The apartment was so quiet without them here that I could have heard a feather floating through the air.
There was a strange muffled squeak that came up through the flooring, followed by the sounds of a window breaking. They must have found a way out or rather made a way out.
“They’re in the backyard,” Bronx announced his voice sounding particularly loud in the silence. He lowered it significantly. “The water is to their knees.”
I walked over to the window and peeked out of the other side. Nick was holding on to Blair and Maggie as they trudged through the water. He was heading in the opposite direction we’d always seen the men coming from.
They moved much quicker than I thought they would through the mucky, murky water. Maybe they were motivated by fear, or maybe they were just happy to be out of my cramped apartment.
“They’re really doing it,” Bronx said as they approached the far left side of the yard near the tree line.
“I guess so.” The exhale that escaped from between my lips resembled a sigh.
“For the record, I think waiting was the right choice,” Bronx said.
I shrugged. “Who knows?”
And with that Nick, Maggie, and Blair were out of view. Gone.
Bronx placed his hand on my shoulder briefly before stepping away from the window. I stared into the yard once again fighting back the tears.
As I was about to turn away the water near the trees started to ripple. Seconds later, Maggie stepped back into view, followed by Blair.
“They’re coming back,” I said shaking my head. I looked over my shoulder at Bronx. His eyes were narrowed, and Jamie was staring at the window. “Why are they coming back?”
When I turned back to the window, I saw Nick step into view, and he wasn’t alone. The floor creaked as Bronx quickly made his way to the window.
One man wearing a gas mask stepped out, and then the other two. All three of the men pointed their big, deadly guns at them. The one closest to Nick had his gun aimed directly at the back of his head.
“Oh my God,” I said softly.
Nick’s eyes darted up toward the window for a split second. There was no way the men could have seen the look from behind him.
Maggie’s arms were wrapped around her middle so tightly it looked as though she was holding herself together. Blair’s eyes bulged, and I could tell from our distance that she was crying.
“Help us!” Blair cried. Her voice was faint in the apartment, but it had probably stung the men’s ears where they stood.
Blair’s eyes shifted up toward the second floor. Apparently, she wasn’t sure which window to look at.
One of the men sloshed quickly through the water and stepped in front of Blair. The whole group stopped moving.
I couldn’t make out any of the words, but it was obvious the man was shouting something at Blair. He raised his hand and smacked her hard across the face with the back of his hand.
Blair’s fingertips flew up to her cheek, and she stared at the man. Her shoulders dropped, and the man pushed his gun between her shoulder blades until she started walking again.
The men led them through the water, off toward the right. For a second the man looked up at the apartment building. I froze, holding my breath. The man’s eyes scanned the area and didn’t stop on any specific window.
It wasn’t long before they were all out of view. My heart was like a bass drum pounding inside my chest echoing down to my feet. I was afraid it was vibrating out of my body and down into the water, giving away our location.
Bronx swallowed hard as he turned me to face him. “We have to go after them.”
“What?” Jamie said throwing his hands into the air. “Are you crazy?”
“Not even a little,” Bronx said turning sharply.
“Well, you sound like it,” Jamie said, his shoulders rising and falling with each quick breath.
Bronx flew across the room and grabbed his shirt at the shoulders. He pressed him hard against the wall as he stared into Jamie’s eyes.
>
“You better watch what you say,” Bronx said between his teeth. “Lest you end up with my fist in your face.”
Jamie chuckled. He tried to hide the nervousness, but he’d failed.
“You can stay here and be a little chicken shit if you want, but I’m going out there. I’ll find them,” Bronx said, the veins in his forearms protruded as he pushed Jamie harder against the wall before releasing him.
Jamie rubbed his shoulder. “You don’t know where to go, and all you have is that hunting blade. It would be incredibly stupid to put that up against their guns.”
“I don’t think they’re that far, in fact, I think they’re much closer than we’d like. A house. A business. The nearby church.” Bronx shook his head.
“They could be anywhere,” Jamie said.
“Bronx is right,” I said after a long pause. “We have to do something. We’re all they have left.”
Jamie exhaled slowly. “It could already be too late.”
“There wasn’t a gunshot like there had been with that sick guy,” I replied.
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Jamie said.
“It means there is a chance they’re still alive,” I said pushing my shoulders back.
Jamie shook his head. “We can’t just charge out there stomping through the water, demanding they release them. They’ll laugh at us and then shoot us in the face.”
“We don’t have a lot of choices,” I said crossing my arms.
“Hang on,” Bronx said holding up his hand. “He’s right, but there is something we can do that might actually work.”
Jamie and I both turned to him. My heart thumped hard before returning to its quickened rhythm.
“We go at night,” Bronx said gesturing toward the backpacks.
Jamie shook his head. “We can’t see at—”
“The flashlights,” Bronx said. “If we go out at night, we can see which buildings have the lights on.”
Bronx looked back and forth between us, the straight line of his mouth almost turned into a smile.
“It’s a good idea, right?” Bronx asked.
My lips curled up at the end, and I nodded. Even Jamie looked a little impressed.
“Nick wouldn’t want us to attempt this,” I said feeling a chill run through my veins.
“No, he wouldn’t,” Bronx said, raising a brow. “But that’s just tough shit. He’d come for us. Maybe even Jamie.”
Jamie shook his head. “I doubt it.”
Bronx chuckled.
Nick probably deserved everything that was happening to him, but after everything he’d put our family and me through, he was still my brother. He would have come for me, and I would do the same for him.
“I’m in,” I said.
“All right then, it’s settled.” Bronx stiffened his jaw. “Tonight.”
Twenty-Two
I had changed into a dark t-shirt and pulled on a knit hat. Darkness was falling fast, and it wouldn’t be long before we were out there wading through the water in the blackness of the night.
Bronx had the flashlight on the counter next to the steak knives Jamie, and I would carry. The knives that would do absolutely no good against the big guns of the men with gas masks.
I glanced out of my bedroom window before heading into the living room where Bronx and Jamie were waiting. Jamie stopped pacing and looked up at me when I entered the room.
“Planning to rob a bank while we’re out?” he teased.
“You’re trying to joke around, but someone out there has probably already done just that,” I said.
“You’re probably right,” Jamie said with a chuckle.
Bronx stepped away from the window and stood next to me. “He’s just jealous you’re appropriately dressed, and we aren’t.”
“A little.” Jamie grinned. “And if my apartment hadn’t been ripped off the side of the building, I’d have changed too.”
“We could look in some of the other apartments?” I suggested.
Bronx shook his head. “Probably not worth it. Let’s get out and get back as fast as we can. Learn what we can.”
I nodded.
“I still don’t know what we’re going to do if we find where they’re staying,” Jamie said.
“We’ll figure something out,” Bronx said handing me one of the steak knives as he picked up the flashlight. He jerked his chin sharply to the door. “Got your key?”
“Yeah,” I said.
Bronx raised both brows. “Then off we go.”
We stepped out into the hall, looking in every direction as if we expected someone to jump out at us. The silence alone sent a chill down my spine.
I turned and locked the door before following Bronx down the creaky, squeaky hallway. Jamie followed close behind me.
Bronx kept the flashlight aimed low to the ground with his finger on the button. We walked down the stairs slowly, hoping to minimize the noise each step made.
“Hold on,” Bronx said as he grabbed the railing. The small beam of light from the flashlight lit up the water that hid the last few stairs.
It ripped softly when Bronx stepped down into the water. A shiver shook his entire body.
“Sheesh, it’s cold,” Bronx said just as I placed my foot down into the frigged flood water.
“Oooh,” I whispered as my body started to shake uncontrollably.
The water sloshed as we made our way through. Various unknown things under the surface brushed against my legs. We tried to be silent, but it was nearly impossible.
Personal items from the apartments floated on the surface of the water, moving around as we created waves. We looked into each of the apartments for the window Nick had broken.
Bronx didn’t even have to raise the flashlight when we found it, the chilly breeze was enough to give it away. Even though it was still raining, there was a small amount of light in the sky which gave everything a slight glow, enough to see the way out.
“Watch your step,” Bronx advised as he clicked off his flashlight.
With each step, it felt like there were things slithering under the surface trying to grab my legs. I took another step, and I couldn’t move my foot. The more I pulled, the more it pulled me back.
I reached forward for Bronx attempting to steady myself, but I misjudged my reach and fell forward into the water. My arms splashed around as I tried to get my head over the surface, but whatever had my foot was keeping me in place.
Bronx grabbed me under the arms and raised me above the surface. I frantically gasped for air.
“My foot,” I said taking in another breath, “it’s stuck!”
I could feel hands moving down my leg, stopping near my ankle. After a second my foot was free, and I was able to stand up.
My heart was still racing as my eyes darted around the water trying to find the wild beast that had attacked me.
“You okay?” Bronx asked.
It felt like I was stuck inside a block of ice. My teeth chattered, and my lips were as cold as popsicles.
“Yeah, yeah,” I said wrapping my icy arms around my even colder body. “Freaked myself out I guess.”
“Easy to do,” Bronx whispered as he took another step toward the broken window.
A light flashed through the broken glass and across the wall just above our heads.
“Get down!” Bronx said, his voice softer than the air. Jamie and I crouched down immediately, but it was less than a second before Bronx started waving us back toward the door. “They’re out there! Go back! Go back!”
It felt as though the water was sucking us out toward the window as we fought our way out of the apartment. The light moved through the room again just as we stepped into the first-floor hallway.
Bronx waved his hand toward the stairs. Jamie grabbed my hand and pulled me with him as he led me toward the stairwell.
The water sloshed noisily around us creating waves. I was worried the motion of the water would be enough to give us away.
I looked over
my shoulder at Bronx. “Did you see who was out there?”
“No, but I have a pretty good guess,” he said placing his hand on my back as we walked up the stairs.
When we got to the top of the stairs, I took one step and water squished out of my shoe. I turned back as we walked looking at the trail I was leaving that would lead them right to our room.
“Shit,” I said pulling my hand free from Jamie. He was leaving behind the same wet footprints.
“There isn’t anything we can do,” Bronx said giving me a gentle push.
I pulled out my keys, my fingers shaking as I tried to put the key in the lock. My nerves and the cold rattled my bones making it impossible for me to line up the key.
“Here,” Jamie said, grabbing the key. He expertly inserted it into the lock and opened the door, handing me back my set of keys.
“Thank God the candles aren’t burning,” Bronx said closing the door softly. He locked it and then put his finger to his lips as he walked toward the window.
I listened hard in the silence. If the men were wading through the water on the first floor, I thought I’d be able to hear them, but I heard nothing.
“I can see them,” Bronx said, his eye just at the edge of the curtain.
“What are they doing?” Jamie asked. He hadn’t moved from the spot near the front door.
“I think they’re doing what we were doing,” Bronx said shaking his head. “Looking for lights.”
Jamie crossed his arms. “Do you think they told them we’re still up here? Are they looking for us?”
“Nick wouldn’t do that,” Bronx said.
“Blair might,” Jamie muttered.
Bronx shook his head. “I don’t think she would.”
“To save herself? Yeah, I definitely think she would,” Jamie said, but Bronx appeared to be ignoring him.
Bronx held up his palm, his eyes wide as he peered out of the side of the window. “Get her in her room, stay there until it’s safe to come out.”
“What are they doing?” I asked my eyes glued to the curtain wishing I could see through them.
“Studying the building,” Bronx said barely moving his lips. “Thoroughly. It looks like they’re looking for something… someone. Hopefully, when they don’t see any light, they’ll move on.”
The Red Sky Series Box Set Page 12