I rubbed my eyes and noticed him standing by the window. His fingers were wrapped tightly around the handle of the gun.
Nick wasn’t in the room, but Molly was. She was resting her hand on her fist, looking as though she was trying to fall back asleep.
Nick came back into the room from the kitchen and walked over to Bronx. They both looked out the window as Bronx pointed at something.
There was an eerie feeling in the air and I could tell something wasn’t right. I sat up and stared at Nick and Bronx as they whispered. Bronx nodded at something Nick had said and passed him the gun.
Bronx turned and saw me watching them. “You’re awake.”
“Yes,” I said blinking several times to clear my slightly grainy morning vision. “Is something going on out there?”
Bronx turned back to the window. “Someone’s out there walking around.”
“Just one?” I asked
“Think so,” Bronx responded.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” I asked.
Bronx shook his head. “Since he’s alone, we’re just waiting to see what he does.”
“What’s he doing?” I asked.
“He walked from one house to another and then back again,” Nick said. “Doesn’t seem to be armed.”
“We think he’s just looking for supplies.”
“What will stop him from coming here?” I asked.
Nick held up the gun. “This.”
“Wait,” Bronx said holding up his hand.
The light that was coming in through the windows was brighter. The sun had come up and lit our world back up. It wouldn’t be long before everything warmed up a bit, at least hopefully it would.
“What is it?” Nick turned to Bronx.
“There’s more than one,” Bronx said. He pointed to something and then to something else. “One just went inside there and another in there.”
Nick shook his head clearly not seeing what Bronx had.
“Oh shit,” Bronx said, letting out a sharp breath. “Another over there.” He shook his head as he quickly turned to Nick. “We didn’t see them because it was dark. They’re crawling all over this place.”
If they came to the house we were hiding in, our single gun wasn’t going to do much good in protecting us. That was if we needed protection, but after everything we’d been through, I had no choice but to assume we would.
Molly had popped up, letting the blanket she was wrapped in drop to the floor. Her eyes darted around in every direction as if she were afraid someone was going to pop out at her. Her teeth were chattering so loudly, I wanted to shush her so that the people wandering around didn’t hear them.
I watched out of one of the other windows. I stayed back but leaned my head forward, so my eye was peeking out between the curtain and the side of the window.
It wasn’t long before everyone started to gather together at the house down the road. The street we were on was nearly empty except for a small park positioned at the corner between us and the house the other people were grouping up.
There were at least seven people standing around, one of them held a clipboard and pointed to the houses as his mouth moved.
“What are they doing?” I asked keeping my voice quiet.
But no one could answer because the sounds of someone walking through the shrubs near the house filled the air. My lungs painfully squeezed tightly inside my chest as I tried to take in some oxygen.
Bronx took a step back and his eyes widened. Nick held up his finger just in front of his lips.
“Did we check this one?” the young man outside shouted.
I couldn’t hear what the group down the way replied… if they replied. Carefully, I inched forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the others.
My hand shot up to my mouth and my stomach sank so low I was worried I was going to be sick. The whole group was coming our way.
Chapter 23
The doorknob jiggled and I could feel the room fill with our terror. We couldn’t move.
Nick silently raised the gun up at the door. His left eye narrowing slightly.
A tremble ran through my body when I could hear someone pressing themselves against the window next to me. I needed a breath, but I didn’t dare draw one in.
“What’s going on?” someone asked.
“Can’t get in,” the one that had been standing outside responded. “Might be someone inside.”
“We haven’t found a survivor in weeks,” another said. “Break it down. Just like the rest.”
Nick was silently waving his hands toward the kitchen. I wanted to move, but my feet felt as though they were glued in place. Even when someone threw their body into the front door and I shuddered, I still couldn’t move.
It wasn’t like we were going to be able to sneak out the back. They’d hear us or they’d find us.
Someone was pulling on my arm, and finally, my legs started to move. I stepped into the kitchen just as the front door busted open.
We were out of view, but it wasn’t going to be long before they found us. If we opened the back door, they’d come after us.
“Candle,” one of them whispered and my shoulders slumped down.
“Don’t be afraid,” a woman said. “We can help.”
“We didn’t mean to frighten you,” another said.
I looked at Bronx and then at Nick. Neither of them knew what to do… not that we had a lot of choices.
Nick tapped Bronx on the shoulder and mouthed the word stay. My eyes widened knowing what he was about to do before doing it.
Nick handed Bronx the gun and stepped out from the kitchen with his hands up. “Don’t shoot.”
“Of course not!” the woman said sounding appalled by the idea. “I feel terrible you had to hide out in here all night in the cold. We have a base in the middle of the town. Are you alone?”
“Yes,” Nick answered quickly.
“I’m so sorry I have to ask this but are you armed?” the woman asked.
I watched Nick shake his head. “No, I am not. Are you?”
“Yes, sir,” the woman said. “You kind of have to be in this world. I’m surprised you’ve made it this long with all the shitty people and all the disastrous weather we seem to be having.”
“Guess I’m just lucky,” Nick said with a smirk.
“Lucky, no other survivor has said that word yet,” the woman said with a chuckle. “I’m Maureen and this is my team. What’s your name?”
Nick hesitated as if he were trying to decide if he should use his real name or not. “Nick.”
“Good to meet you, Nick. Say,” the woman said, “I’d like to invite you back to our base. You can rest up, get something to eat.”
“I appreciate the offer,” Nick said. “But I really need to get back on the road.”
“Where you headed?” the woman asked.
“North,” Nick answered quickly with a little but probably necessary lie.
There was a long pause. “What’s north?”
“I’m trying to find my wife,” Nick said.
“So, you’re from the north? Where exactly?” the woman asked.
When Nick took too long to answer, the woman made a little grunt noise. It seemed as though she wasn’t buying his story.
“Canada,” he finally answered.
“What were you doing in the US?” she asked.
“I was here on business,” Nick answered.
“What kind of business?”
Nick’s lips curled into a smile. It was an uncomfortable smile, but hopefully, I was the only one that knew Nick’s uncomfortable smile.
“Why the third degree?” Nick asked. “I’m just a guy trying to get back to his family.”
“All right,” the woman said. “Are you sure you don’t want to stop by, meet my people. You look like you could use the rest… a good meal.”
Nick bowed his head. “If I wasn’t in such a hurry, I’d accept your offer, but I’ve already stayed longer than I would hav
e liked. I like to head out at first light.”
“Understood,” the woman said. “All right, well, be on your way then.”
I heard the front door squeak open. The people inside the house were actually going to let him leave, but they weren’t done with the house.
They would find us.
“Well?” the woman asked when Nick didn’t move. “What are you waiting for?”
“Okay,” Nick said holding up his hands. He let out a small laugh as he took a step back. “I have to come clean about something.”
“I hate when this happens,” one of the guys said.
Nick drew in a breath and smiled at them. “I wasn’t completely honest about something.”
“Go on,” the woman said. I could hear the change in her voice.
“I’m not exactly alone,” Nick said.
“Well, okay, how many of you are there?” the woman asked.
“Four,” Nick answered quickly.
I could hear the woman whispering to someone. And then the front door opening and closing.
“Okay,” Maureen said. “Are they hiding in there?”
“Yes,” Nick said gesturing for us to step out.
Bronx tucked the gun into the back of his waistband and stepped out next to Nick. Molly and I followed close behind.
“Well, hello,” the woman said looking us all over.
She was shorter than I had expected. Her hair was like a curly squirrel nest piled on the top of her head. The thick-framed glasses perched low on her nose had been taped together at the side.
“There was no need to lie to us, but I understand,” Maureen said bowing her head. “It’s tough out there is it not?”
She waited for an answer, but when she didn’t get one, she continued.
“Now that everything is out in the open, I extend the invitation to you all. Please join us at our base for a warm meal and some rest,” Maureen said.
“Thanks again,” Nick said. “It was the truth when I said we need to be on our way.”
“Sure thing.” Maureen offered a nod. “Totally understand. Safe travels.”
Nick bobbed his head. “Thanks.”
Maureen and her team stepped to the side allowing us to gather our things and have access to the door. My heart was racing even as she smiled at me.
I hated all the eyes on me. It felt like they were studying us. I felt like a turkey on Thanksgiving Day.
When we were outside, I still didn’t feel like I was taking in full breaths. They hadn’t closed the door and I could still feel their eyes on us.
“That was weird, right?” Molly asked her voice softer than a feather.
“Yeah,” I whispered.
We didn’t dare walk toward the center of the town. None of us wanted to go near their base even though they seemed nice enough and had let us leave.
An animal rustled in a nearby bush and my whole body jerked. It had probably been a bunny or a squirrel although it was unusual to hear animals’ noises. We hadn’t heard or seen many after the blue cloud had made its way through.
There was a picket fence with chipped white paint that outlined the massive yard of one of the nearby homes. It looked as though a curtain had moved inside the home.
“Nick,” I whispered his name as if it were a warning.
“Yeah,” he said seemingly receiving my warning.
Something didn’t feel right. But then again nothing had felt right since I woke up to a red sky outside my apartment window.
The door to the house opened and a man stepped out onto the porch. He was holding a gun as he watched us walking away from the town.
“Give me the gun back,” Nick said. “Be cool about it.”
“I’m always cool,” Bronx said trying to sound calm, but I could tell he was just as nervous as I was.
We followed the road that led out of town. There was a van up on the curb and several large bushes near a stop sign. This town wasn’t much different from any other town… I couldn’t wait to get away from it.
The second we crossed the road, several armed men walked out from behind the van. Another two came out of the shrubs.
I whipped my head around, and of course, there were several more behind us. We should have known they wouldn’t really let us leave.
My spine tightened, but my shoulders slumped. “Dammit.”
Chapter 24
They circled around us and led us back into the town. There were tents and several fire pits set up in the middle of the intersection on what had once been the main road. The whole block was set up like a campground.
There were houses around and a grocery store on the corner. It looked like it was something they had been working on since the red sky had come and made everyone sick.
There wasn’t anyone inside of the base except for the group of people we were with. And of course, Maureen and the people she had been with back inside the house. It was a group of fewer than twenty people, but I still felt helpless.
Maureen was grinning from ear to ear as she walked our way. “You changed your mind? That’s great! I’m so glad you decided to stay.”
She was insane. The woman was wearing a smile that was warm, but there was a stillness in her eyes that was more chilling than the air around us.
“Didn’t have much of a choice,” Nick said.
Maureen ignored him. It was as if she could only hear what she wanted to hear. “We’re so glad you’re staying. We really need the help around here. There is always so much to do.”
She whispered to the person next to her and he nodded. He jerked his elbow into the guy behind him and he ran off appearing again seconds later with a long piece of rope.
The man grabbed my arm, but before he could do anything, Bronx gripped his forearm so hard his fingertips turned white.
“Let go of her,” Bronx growled.
A sourness bubbled up at the back of my throat when a scraggly-haired woman pressed the barrel of a gun to his head.
“No, you let go,” she hissed.
Bronx sneered at her, but he let go of the man’s arm. He started to wrap the end of the rope around my waist and then left a little slack before tying up Bronx. He didn’t step away until all four of us were tied together.
“I don’t understand,” Nick said keeping a softness to his face. “Why aren’t you letting us leave?”
“What do you mean?” Maureen said scrunching up her nose.
Oh, dear Lord, she really was crazy.
Nick chuckled nervously. “You said we were free to go. Don’t you remember that?”
“Yeah, you were, but then you came back.” Maureen smiled. “And we’re so glad you did.”
Were they all crazy? Why were they letting her get away with this nonsense? Clearly, they knew she hadn’t let us go.
“For now, you guys can just relax, but when you’re feeling up to it, we’re going through the houses and bringing everything to our base,” Maureen said. “I know you’re tired from your travels.”
A couple of men walked out of the market smiling at one another as they walked toward the group. The grins fell off of their faces when they spotted us.
“What’s going on, Maureen?” one of the men asked as they approached. They both looked us up and down before turning their attention back to Maureen.
“We found some folks who’d like to join us,” she said.
“You remember what I told you about collecting strangers without me, right?” the man asked. “Maureen, you should have told me right away.”
Maureen looked down. Suddenly, she looked like a frightened child. “Sorry, I forgot.”
“It’s okay,” he said walking over to her and placing his hand on her shoulder. He looked at us one by one. “Are you all okay?”
“Yes,” Nick said. “We’re fine, but none of this is necessary. We aren’t going to hurt anyone. We just want to be on our way.”
“I see,” the man said. “But we can’t let you do that.”
Nick shook his head
. “Why not?”
“Because you’ve seen us. You’ve seen our base,” the man said. “There is no way we can trust you won’t tell them where we’re hiding and we don’t want things to get worse. No more clouds and rain.”
“Tell who where you’re hiding?” Nick asked.
The man narrowed his eyes. “The people doing this. For all we know, you’re working with them.”
“We’re not working with them,” Nick replied.
“Well we don’t know that, do we?” the man said. “As far as I see it you have two options available. You can work with us, or you can suffer the consequences.”
“You don’t want to ask about the consequences,” the man standing next to him said.
It was then that I noticed the two men were both wearing the same jacket. There was a patch that showed their names on the front… White and the other was Ripley. The round patch on their arm made sweat bead up on the back of my neck.
The two men were apparently guards… or nurses… or whatever they did at the Glendale Mental Institution for the Criminally Insane. Maureen and the rest of them really were out of their minds and not only that, but they were dangerous too.
Most of the others were wearing the same tan pants. It was like their uniform and even though the stores and homes likely had other clothing they could have changed into, most of them apparently decided to stay in the clothing they were used to wearing.
The man, White, followed my eyes to the patch on his arm. He grinned as his eyes raised and met mine.
“That’s right,” White said clicking his tongue as he walked closer to us. “And you don’t even want to know what got them locked up in there. They are lost souls now and they’ll do anything we tell them,” White said leaning toward my ear. “Anything.”
“And since we don’t trust you, they don’t trust you,” Ripley said.
“I don’t get it,” I said shaking my head. “If you don’t trust us, why do you want to keep us here?”
Ripley raised a brow. “I can see you here. Out there, I have no idea what you’re telling them. We’re safe here and we’d like to keep it that way.”
The Red Sky Series Box Set Page 56