“Which bag has the clean clothes,” Leah said stepping around me and dropping to her knees. She sifted through the bags. “Adam! Look at this!”
Leah held up a box. There was a picture of a seasoned steak next to buttery mashed potatoes.
“Steak,” Leah said raising a brow. “Think the microwave will work if we get the generator going?”
“I don’t see why not,” I said.
“I’m so hungry I could eat it cold.” She picked up the bags packed with clothing. “Let’s go change. Wait!”
Leah stopped and held out her hands. She looked around and shook her head.
“No, undress here,” she said.
“Don’t have to ask me twice,” I said.
“Ha,” she said. “Just don’t want to get our new place messy.”
Leah pulled off her shirt. She didn’t even care that the curtains weren’t closed. Anyone passing by, not that anyone was likely outside, would have seen her.
“Leah,” I said reaching around her to close the curtain.
“Hm?”
“Never mind,” I said smiling at her.
Her eyebrows bounced. “Adam! I need a bath!”
Leah slipped out of her pants and tip-toed across the floor toward the bathroom. She gasped seconds after she entered the room.
“There are big jugs of water in here,” Leah said peeking her head out around the corner. “Will you be joining me?”
“Hell yeah,” I said yanking off my shirt. But I didn’t even make it halfway to the bathroom before there was another knock at the door. “Be there in a minute.”
“Okay,” Leah called back. “Don’t be long.”
I didn’t bother to put my shirt back on because whoever was out there was going to be sent away promptly. My eyes instantly locked with my father’s.
“Hey, dad,” I said.
He pushed his way inside. “I didn’t like how we left things.”
“Me either but we’re still getting settled,” I said.
“I see that,” my dad said studying my stomach. “It was bad out there, huh?”
“It wasn’t great,” I replied.
My dad frowned. “We waited for you before we left.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” I said.
“I feel like I failed,” he said.
My dad set his umbrella down next to the door and walked over to the sofa. He groaned as he lowered himself down.
“I failed you and I failed your mother,” my dad said resting his palms on his knees.
Leah stuck her head out of the bathroom. She offered me a smile before closing the door.
“Nothing that happened out there was your fault,” I said. I wanted to tell him that shacking up with Eva, though, was definitely his fault and it was a huge mistake. For now, though, I kept it to myself.
“Look at you,” he said gesturing at my middle.
My eyes shifted down at my stomach. It was sunken, and my muscles had shrunk. I hadn’t realized how thin I had gotten.
“You’re skin and bones,” he said. “I shouldn’t have left you.”
“It’s better that you did,” I said crossing my arms. “We walked a lot. Biked. Food was sparse. I barely made it. I fought for my life.”
My dad’s head dropped. I barely recognized him. He looked like my father but he didn’t act like my father. The man on the sofa was sad… weak… depressed.
“I hate to bring this up but I don’t know what the hell you’re doing over there with my ex-girlfriend.”
He shook his head, holding up his palm as if attempting to stop the conversation. I exhaled loudly.
“She’s awful, dad,” I said.
“Eva told me you’d say that.”
“That’s because it’s true,” I said. “She had the guy we were with, Jack, knock me out so they could steal my stuff and take the address. Eva left me to die.”
My dad looked at his twisting fingers. “That’s not how she sees it.”
“The address just flew out of my pocket and into her hands?”
“She said you asked her to hold it. You were afraid of losing it.”
“Of course, that’s what she said.” I frowned. “I don’t know what I can say about any of it. She’s evil. I don’t know what she wants from you but she’s using you. That’s how she’s always been.”
My dad stood. “I just wanted to stop by and make sure you’ve settled in. Eat up, we’ll get you more. I’ll check in again with you soon.”
“Dad,” I said following him as he made his way to the door. “Don’t leave like this.”
“I don’t want you angry with me, son,” he said his voice cracked.
I sighed. “I’m not angry with you.”
It wasn’t my dad’s fault that Eva was pure evil. I really shouldn’t have been surprised. If there was one thing I’d learned about Eva, it was that she was a survivor. She would do anything to make sure she stayed alive.
Being with my dad made everything for her easier. Not only was she alive, but she was also living well. Like a princess, although a princess in the apocalypse.
“I missed you,” my dad said turning to me. “I don’t want to fight with you. I miss her, you know.”
“I know, Dad,” I said. The news of my mom’s death hadn’t even hit me yet. I hadn’t grieved.
He pulled me into his arms and squeezed. “Eat something.”
“I will,” I said not wanting him to let me go.
“Can I stop by again tomorrow?” he asked. “There are probably some things I should go over.”
“Like what?” I asked.
He placed his hand firmly on my shoulder. “Nothing you need to worry about. Just how things work around here. Honestly, you don’t have to do much, just find stuff to keep you busy. There are people here that will help you with everything.”
“I can help myself,” I said. “You’ll just need to show me where stuff is.”
My dad chuckled. “It’s like I don’t even recognize you.”
I hoped that was a good thing but maybe to my dad, it wasn’t. He hugged me again, picked up his umbrella, and left our cottage.
I stood there, staring at the door for a long while. So long that Leah came out of the bathroom wrapped in a robe, her hair in a towel twisted on top of her head.
She looked like a shiny but deeply concerned version of herself. I was so incredibly glad she was there with me.
“How did that go?” she asked.
“About as well as you’d expect.”
“I wanted to give you privacy.”
I nodded.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “This is all just so bizarre.”
“I know what you mean.” Leah hugged herself as she looked around. “Pretty sure I’m going to wake up in the middle of nowhere with rain pouring down on me at any second.”
Leah reached out her hand. “Let’s eat.”
“Go ahead,” I said. “I’m going to clean up.”
“Okay,” she said with a tight-lipped smile. “I’ll see what I can put together for us.”
“Thanks.” I stood and kissed her forehead. My eyes shifted down to meet hers. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Leah wrapped her arms around my neck. “I’m sorry that being here is so awkward. And I’m sorry about your mom.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“Go on,” she said stepping back. “Clean up. You’ll feel like a new person.”
That was exactly what I needed. To be a new person.
I soaked in the tub for too long. My thoughts shifted from one thing to the next but it always came back to me trying to figure out what Eva was up to.
I mindlessly ate dinner. Leah tried to talk to me but she was careful with her topic selection.
“Want me to see if I can get that generator going?” I asked.
Leah yawned. “Actually, I think I just want to get some sleep. Hope that’s okay.”
“Yeah, of course,” I said c
overing my own yawn. It hadn’t hit me exactly how tired I was until it started to get darker.
I carried the battery-powered lantern into the bedroom and set it down on the nightstand. Leah pulled back the covers and slid under the sheets.
She sighed and her lips curled into a smile as she rested her head on the fluffy pillow. I wrapped my arm around her. She shifted around for a few seconds before settling into a comfortable position.
“I could really get used to this,” she said.
“Well, I don’t think we’ll be going anywhere else any time soon, so you might as well.”
It didn’t take long for Leah to drift off to sleep. And with everything that was on my mind… it didn’t take me long either.
It didn’t feel as though I had slept for long before I was woken by a pounding at the door.
12
Stevie
The lions were thin. I could see their bones protruding through their papery skin.
Their mouths hung open as they looked around from side to side. The beasts were hunting. They knew we were there but they didn’t know exactly where we were.
I worried they’d find us. They were hungry… starving. It wasn’t like they would give up easily and Gage and I couldn’t stay in the greenhouse forever.
My heart was racing. I looked over my shoulder for a back door. But even if we could get out, would we be able to get away from them?
They were starving but still, we couldn’t outrun lions. Could we?
“What are you looking for?” Gage asked.
“I don’t know. A way out, I guess,” I said.
Gage placed his index finger over his lips. “Shh!”
We both took a step back as if we were afraid they’d see us. They could probably smell us. If we ran, maybe we’d just lead them back to the ranch.
“They won’t get in,” Gage said.
“How can you be so sure,” I asked.
“Look at them.”
I could see one of them through the window. “They might be thin but their teeth are still sharp. They’d tear us to shreds.”
One of the lions was less than three feet from the door. It paced back and forth.
“It’s too late,” I said. “They already know we’re in here. There’s no way out.”
“We’ll wait them out.”
“Eventually, they’ll break through the door.” I threw my hand at the thin door. “It’s practically made of plastic. Why didn’t we bring one of the guns?”
Gage looked at me out of the corner of his eyes. “Yeah, why didn’t we consider there might be lions.”
“We should always protect ourselves from predators,” I said.
“Let’s remember that for next time,” Gage said.
A lion crashed into the front door. “There isn’t going to be a next time.”
I looked around trying to find somewhere we could hide but there wasn’t anywhere they wouldn’t find us. There were a few cabinets but they had shelves and they were filled with boxes and bins.
A lion placed its paws up on one of the windows. It alternated its paws as its long claws scratched against the glass.
The roar shook the greenhouse. My teeth clenched together and the muscles in my necked tensed so sharply it sent pain down my shoulders.
“Oh, crap,” Gage said his eyes nearly popping out of his head.
My breaths came at me quickly, almost making it feel like I was about to choke. The back of my skull tingled with numbness.
I clenched my hands into tight fists as if that would somehow help. If the lions got inside, there was no amount of punching that would save us.
“I’m sorry, Stevie,” Gage said. “I shouldn’t have brought you here.”
The gunshot cracked like thunder. My body trembled as I sucked in a breath. Blood splattered against the window before the lion slumped forward and slid down, dropping hard to the ground.
Gage grabbed my arm and pulled me back. My shoes scraped against the concrete floor as he shoved me next to one of the tall cabinets. He stood close to me, pressing half of his body against mine, both shielding and hiding me.
He held my gaze as if he were trying to see what I was thinking. I watched his shoulders rise and fall with each deep breath.
The greenhouse door creaked open. Footsteps fell heavily on the floor. My blood whooshed through my veins with each step.
The gun clanked as it tapped against the side of the metal cabinet. Over Gage’s shoulder, I could see a short stalky guy with salt and pepper hair staring at us under his bushy eyebrows. He raised one of his brows when our eyes locked.
“Hello,” he said pulling the gun back closer to his chest. “May I ask what you’re doing on my property?”
“We were just, um… sorry. We didn’t know anyone lived here,” Gage said.
The man grinned, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. “Relax, kid. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Okay,” Gage said shaking his shoulders slightly.
“Unless you plan on stealing from me,” the guy said. “Because then I’ll do what I have to, understand?”
Gage gave him a nod. “We’d do the same. Really, we didn’t mean to trespass.”
Gage sounded more relaxed but I could tell by the tensed muscles in his neck, he wasn’t. I was pretty sure the man wasn’t fooled.
“I know you folks have taken up the compound to the south,” the man said. “Seen you gathering supplies. These supplies here”—he gestured around him—“these are mine.”
“Yeah, we get it,” Gage said holding up his palms.
“I don’t care if you guys stay at that place,” he said pointing toward the window with his gun. “Just stay away from me and I’ll stay away from you.”
I cocked my head to the side. “You could come and join us at the ranch. There is plenty of room.”
“No, thanks,” the guy said studying me for a long moment.
“We’re all working together,” I said giving him a small, awkward smile.
“I appreciate the offer but I don’t do good with people. Besides, this is my home. I haven’t left and I don’t plan to. If those beasts can’t get me to move, then no one else will be able to, that’s for certain,” the man said. He scratched just under his nose and sniffed back so hard his whole head jerked. “I don’t mean to be rude but if you don’t mind, I have work I need to tend to before night.”
Gage and I looked at each other. I stuffed my hands into my pockets so no one would see my nerves.
“What about those things? Are they still out there?” I asked.
“Nah,” the man said. “They scare easily. One shot and they run for days. They got into some food here once, so they keep coming back.”
“Where did they come from?” Gage asked.
The man shrugged. “Zoo, I figured.”
“Crazy,” I said.
“These are crazy times,” the man said sticking out his hand. “Jake Quinn.”
I took his hand and he shook my hand firmly. “Stevie. And this is my friend Gage.”
“Good to meet you,” Jake said. “Say, how many people you got back at that place?”
“A handful,” I replied not wanting to give the exact number, just in case Jake couldn’t be trusted.
The truth was, I could tell simply by looking into his eyes that he was trustworthy. It seemed Jake just wanted to live his life.
“Good,” Jake said looking toward the door. “All right then. Travel safely.”
“What if they come back?” I asked.
“Well, you can’t live here,” Jake said. “You’ll have to go back at some point, right? Now is probably the best time since they’re probably still running scared.”
I pulled in a calming breath. “Take care. And if you should change your mind, you know where to find us.”
“Indeed,” Jake said. “I’m going to say this even though I’m not sure I need to but watch your backs. The beasts can be sneaky but like I said, they scare easily.”
Jake followed behind us as we walked to the door. I peeked out carefully to make sure the coast was clear.
I gave Jake one final look before I pulled Gage along. First, moving at a slow jog. Then, it felt like I was being chased because I started to run.
13
Joss
The gun-wielding man ran off, disappearing behind a large rock and some trees. I watched and waited for him to pop back into view but he didn’t.
“We have to go see if he’s okay?” I said.
“I don’t think he’s okay,” Robby said his breath clouding a circle on the window. “He hasn’t moved.”
I grabbed Robby’s sleeve and tugged. “That’s because he needs help.”
“Do any of us even know how to help someone that’s been shot?” Robby asked.
“We just need to stop the bleeding, right?” I asked.
“Maybe… not sure it would be that simple,” Robby said.
Caleb placed his hands on the sides of his head. “What if the guy comes back here?”
“He ran off,” Robby said. “I don’t think he’ll be coming back.”
“This is crazy. We can’t just sit here and do nothing,” I said reaching for the doorknob.
“Joss,” Robby said looking into my eyes. “It’s too late. There isn’t anything we can do for him.”
My hands balled into fists. “We should try!”
“He shot him in the head!” Robby said.
“We could get him to the doctor,” I said my voice fading as I realized how unlikely that would be. We didn’t know how to find it and it was miles away.
Robby pulled me into his arms. “I’m sorry, Joss. I know this is hard.”
“What if he’s out there suffering?” I asked.
“Do you want me to go check?” Robby asked looking into my eyes. “I will if you want me to.”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t want you to go out there.”
“Wait here,” he said.
He flicked a glance toward Caleb, who gave him a quick nod back. Robby picked up the gun and headed out the door.
I dashed to the window and watched as Robby jogged toward Liam’s body. Caleb placed his hand on my shoulder.
The Reset Series | Book 4 | Swamp Page 6