Alive (Sundown Series Book 3)

by Courtney Konstantin

  “On purpose?” Rafe asked.

  “It seemed so. He kept bringing it to me but didn’t want me to throw it for him or anything. It was strange. But we now have wood for a fire if we want.”

  “It will have to be small and only during the day. The light at night could give away our position.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that,” Charlie said quietly.

  Rafe felt bad, he didn’t mean to make her feel as if she wasn’t doing a good job. The last few days had been a lot for any person to handle. Rafe admitted to himself he was unnaturally prepared to handle what had been thrown at them.

  “It’s ok. You’re doing a great job. This shelter is quite good,” Rafe said motioning with his hand to the ceiling over his head.

  Charlie blushed slightly. She busied herself with the MRE she had pulled from his pack. She read the instructions and Rafe just let her figure it out on her own. Her need to be useful and knowledgeable prevented Rafe from instructing or doing it himself. He wanted her to learn. What if something happens to me? Rafe thought. He needed to know Charlie could somehow fend for herself if he was gone. He thought about the mercenaries and how Charlie would have survived that attack without him. The concept made him feel cold to his bones and he didn’t want to contemplate not being around to protect her.

  The MRE was settled, laying to the side to allow the heating element to do its job. Rafe was impressed how easily Charlie just handled the things she was learning. She helped him sit up. Though his head swam, he was determined to get back on his feet. They were still too close to the compound. If the mercenaries were to return, with reinforcements, it would be too easy to find them.

  His mind ran through the possible locations they could head toward. Heading back to town was not an option. If the mercenaries were looking at his home for them, they probably went through town as well. That wasn’t even considering the previous population of people living in town. He had to assume the majority of those people were turned or fighting their way from the infected. He didn’t want to drag Charlie into a war between the living and the dead. It would be a fight he felt the need to participate in.

  No, town wasn’t an option. Going back to the compound immediately, wasn’t an option. He needed to think outside of the normal. And that put him back to his childhood and the lessons from his father. Wandering into the woods, camping, and not coming home at dark were all normal occurrences for Rafe and his sisters. Mitch never thought anything of them not being home for dinner. Their father just assumed they would survive on their own and heed his teachings. The children got hurt and lost, but somehow, they always found their way home. Mitch was never impressed and never surprised.

  Thinking about the times they had camped in the woods, Rafe ran through options. Charlie handed him his MRE and he started to shovel food into his mouth like he was going to waste away. They had food for a few days at least. Rafe carried five MRE’s in his pack. He had added five to Charlie’s pack. They also had canned goods that they had thrown in. He thought about the food stores at the compound and he found himself angry that he couldn’t take Charlie back there and be safe.

  Staying in the woods was going to be their only option for now. They would forge and Rafe would hunt as needed for additional food until he could sneak back and get more of what they needed. Now that he had that set in his mind, Rafe thought about locations. By the time he finished his MRE, he had decided on the furthest location he knew of. It would be close to a two-day hike. He wouldn’t push Charlie through the night, as Mitch would have done to him. She wasn’t used to this type of environment.

  “So, we’re going to go deeper into the forest. Into the mountains. It’s a hard hike. But it will be safest for you,” Rafe said.

  “What about you?” Charlie asked.

  “Well, me as well. But it’s you the government is after. Not me. So right now, keeping you and your information hidden is our number one priority.”

  “Ok. But what if we need to get back to town?” Charlie asked, her mind working through the situation.

  “It will be about two days to hike in or out of where we’re going. Maybe a little less if you make a straight beeline for town instead of the compound. If we really run out of supplies, I’ll go to town to get things,” Rafe explained.

  “You’ll go? Without me?”

  “You really ask a lot of questions,” Rafe said.

  “I’m just trying to understand. Why is my life priority here?” Charlie asked.

  “Because you’re the one with the information. You’re the one with the brain that might be able to fix this plague. And if the government wants you, especially enough to send mercenaries, well I’m against anything like that,” Rafe said.

  “I’m not sure I can fix it...” Charlie trailed off, her voice unsure.

  “Well, that’s not a solid no. So, there’s always the chance. And even if you can’t cure it, maybe you can understand it. If you understand it, we could possibly better beat it.”

  “I guess. But I still don’t like the idea of your life being put in danger,” Charlie said, lifting her chin in defiance.

  “Listen, we can argue about this all day. But the fact is, I’m more equipped to handle what we’re in the middle of right now. I will take the additional risks that need to be taken. At this point, living is a risk. So, we’re all taking that same risk together,” Rafe said. He laid back down, hoping she would take that as a sign he was done talking.

  The sun had started to move lower in the sky, night coming. Rafe marked the movement by the shadows he could see through the opening of the shelter Charlie had built. She had crawled out with Storm on her heels. Rafe was thankful that she was quiet, though he could assume she was playing with the dog. Every few moments he would see Storm race by the shelter and then race back. The dog was clearly in a good mood and wasn’t sensing any danger. That gave Rafe peace of mind, something he never thought he’d have without the walls of his compound.

  Night fell, the air was chilly in the darkness. But Rafe stood by his decision to not build a fire. They didn’t need any additional reasons for outside parties to be attracted to their location. He had pulled a long sleeve shirt on before huddling back into his sleeping bag. Storm had wiggled his way between Rafe and Charlie’s legs, finding him a nice place to sleep. Rafe looked at the dog, knowing he definitely wasn’t feeling the cold through his thick fur. The white and silver were bright in the limited moonlight.

  It was early to sleep and Rafe knew it. But he laid quietly while Charlie adjusted next to him. Being between the fallen logs, the two of them could barely lay on their backs at the same time. Rafe wasn’t able to lay on his side yet, afraid to rip out the stitches Charlie had expertly sewn into him. Before he laid down, Charlie insisted on checking the wounds and putting on additional ointment. Rafe had commented on the small precise work and then had laughed when Charlie made a snide remark about not wanting to add scars to his poor body.

  Rafe laid and stared at the green tarp, making plans in his mind for the next day. He was hopeful that after an additional night’s sleep he would be ready to start their hike into the woods. He thought about the cave that was their destination. When he and Max were children, Mitch had sent them on a summer hike. He was busy building the wall around the compound and small children were nothing but a distraction as he worked the machinery he needed to move the large stones he had purchased.

  Rafe and Max loved the woods and they hiked for days, coming upon a small cave against the base of a small mountain. Above the cave was nothing but a sheer wall. They found the cave to be empty of any wildlife and they set up camp inside for a few nights. It was a fun trip with the two of them competing over who could form better snares and who caught dinner. Whoever didn’t catch dinner was responsible for cleaning the animal and cooking. Rafe beat Max two out of three nights. And he remembered how angry her little face was when she had to clean the rabbits he had caught in his snares.

  Beside him, Charlie sighed and R
afe assumed she had fallen into slumber. She was busy while he was sleeping, causing exhaustion. On the other hand, Rafe had been sleeping for a while, his body recovering from his blood loss. He was tired but found it hard to fall into sleep with the cramped confines of the shelter. He looked over at Charlie and saw that she had turned to face him. Her lips were slightly parted, her hair spilling around like a halo in the darkness. The word beautiful crossed his mind again and he shook it away.

  His sisters had bothered him about women since he became an adult. Alex had found her Blake early on, getting married and having kids in quick succession. Rafe wasn’t like Alex. He had never wanted or imagined a normal family life. Max, on the other hand, she never did anything the normal way. She was pregnant out of high school, something that Rafe couldn’t believe. But Max’s daughter Jack was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He had been grateful to be close by when Jack came into the world. And for the time he got to spend with the infant before Max moved to the East Coast.

  No, neither of his sisters’ experiences made him want something different than what he had lived all his life. The years since Mitch had died had been easy for Rafe. He lived solitary, with his specific responsibilities to only himself and his animals. He never had any desire to add complications to that mix. He saw meeting women as a ritual that just sucked his time from other things he could be doing. Often, he was sought out by friends trying to hook him up. He had earned the title of Mr. Mysterious and Handsome throughout the single women in Kalispell.

  Now, Rafe felt an unfamiliar feeling in his stomach. Having Charlie so close, her sweet natural scent filled his senses. He didn’t like it. He liked his status quo. Laying there, Rafe made a firm resolution to himself. He was going to protect Charlie because it was the right thing to do, but he would stay far away from her otherwise. He didn’t need complicated feelings during a time that was completely too dangerous. He needed his concentration to be prepared for the infected and now the government.

  Rafe finally fell asleep with his goals in his mind. Number one, get them to the cave. Number two, build a survivable shelter. And number three, stay away from Charlie.

  Morning woke a cranky Rafe. He hadn’t slept well, despite being warm and comfortable inside his sleeping bag. Carefully he crawled out of the shelter. He walked a few yards away to relieve himself, happy to do it without Charlie helping him. He stretched, careful of the side that was healing. The ache was still there, but it was manageable. Storm came to his feet and Rafe turned to find Charlie out of the shelter and breaking things down. He went to her to help, feeling awkward having someone else around.

  “Morning,” he said.

  “Good Morning. How are you feeling?”

  “As good as expected I would think. Little pain in the side, but other than that, I’m good to go,” Rafe replied.

  “I figured you’d want to get an early start.”

  “I think that’s best. We’ll camp again tonight and hopefully we make it to the cave by evening tomorrow,” he said.

  “Cave?” Charlie asked.

  “Yeah. Our destination is a cave I once camped at with my sister. It’ll keep us dry and hidden. And with the cave at our backs, we don’t have to worry about someone sneaking up behind us.”

  “I trust you,” she said softly.

  “Umm, thanks?” Rafe said, not really sure how to respond.

  “I’m just saying, I realize and accept you know better than I do right now. I’m trying to learn and not slow you down,” she said.

  “You aren’t slowing us down. I got shot, remember? And you fixed me up. I’m thankful you were around, or who knows what would have happened,” he replied.

  Charlie just nodded and continued to pull the branches off of the tarp. The two of them folded the tarp tightly together. Once they were mostly packed, Rafe insisted they eat something before heading off. They shared a can of fruit and beef jerky. Not as hearty as Rafe would have liked, but he decided they would have MREs for dinner. Once at the cave he would set snares and see what he could catch for them to keep their protein intake up. They were going to need food if they were going to live in the wilderness.

  Rafe hid the pain from Charlie, as he hoisted his bug out bag onto his back. The med bag was in his hand. Weapons were slung over his shoulders and back. He realized now how pack mules felt. Charlie tried to take things from him, but he had her only carry her bug out bag and the shotgun. Rafe was used to hard hikes, he did them for fun at least once a month. Charlie seemed fit, but he didn’t know what type of regiment she kept to make her prepared for their day.

  They walked in silence mostly. Storm often ran off ahead, coming back panting. Sometimes Rafe wondered if the dog was smiling at him. As if to say, “You’re taking so long, human, and it’s comical.” Then he would lean against Rafe’s legs waiting for confirmation that he was a good dog. Then he was off, a streaking white blur between trees, jumping fallen logs and dashing through bushes. Rafe appreciated the dog’s fun attitude, knowing that if there was danger nearby he would alert them immediately. Storm’s running gave him the chance to smell everything nearby and Rafe knew that was their early warning system.

  Stopping near lunch, they dropped all of their gear near a large pine tree. Charlie sat down, pulling a bottle of water from her pack and drank deeply. She then pulled an empty can out for Storm to drink from. The dog lapped up the water hungrily, before laying down at Charlie’s feet, breathing heavy. Rafe didn’t want to admit it, but the walk was hard for him. Something he had done a hundred times in his lifetime and he was having a hard time keeping pace. His side screamed at him any time he shifted and pulled at the stitches. He got light headed a few times and slowed, without telling Charlie why.

  Rafe sat against a tree and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. The world was spinning, he needed it to stop so they could keep moving. Hands pulling on his shirt caused Rafe to sit up painfully. Charlie just gave him a wry look and gently pushed him back. His bandages in view, Rafe could see blood had seeped into the front one. Charlie glared at him and cursed softly.

  “What?” Rafe asked.

  “I think you pulled a stitch. Do you have pain?”

  Rafe looked away, pretending to check their surroundings. Charlie just waited, knowing his game and a willing participant to challenge him.

  “A little, maybe,” he said.

  “Why didn’t you stop sooner?” Charlie was clearly exasperated with him. However, Rafe didn’t play invalid. He didn’t know how to slow down and not get where they needed to be.

  “We need to get to our main camp. I want to set up. And then after a day or so head into town for supplies,” Rafe said. He had made plans in his head as they walked, knowing they would need more to survive for a long period of time in the woods. The problem he had was making the decision of going back to the compound to look for his sisters.

  “I will need to fix this stitch, so you don’t keep bleeding. I might be able to just butterfly it, which would be easier. But I think we should stop for the day.”

  “Stop? Already? We’ve only been walking maybe six hours. We have at least another five before we need to make camp,” Rafe argued.

  Charlie looked at him, her face blank, but her eyes were the fierce green he’d seen on occasion. Rafe waited for some sort of storm to hit, sure that she was angry at him for insisting they keep moving.

  “Ok. Well, I’m tired,” she finally said. With finality, she turned and pulled the medical bag closer.

  Rafe realized she was playing him. She knew if it was just his hurt, he would push through until they made it to their destination. But, if it was Charlie struggling, he would look at it differently. He watched her work for a moment. Her hair was in disarray. Her hands and face were smudged with dirt in places. She had dark circles around her eyes. If he didn’t know better, he would admit that she could be looking tired. Yet, he did know better. He was sure she was lying but couldn’t bring himself to push her if she was claiming to be too
tired to continue.

  Storm’s low bark broke into Rafe’s musings. Charlie froze in place as Rafe got to his feet slowly, grabbing for the shotgun that was propped next to him. The dog was up, feet planted and head down and he stared off into the trees. Rafe waited, trying to see what the dog was clearly sensing. The first indication Rafe got was the sound of breaking branches off in the near distance. He moved to stand next to Storm. The pair stared into the trees, waiting for the attack.

  Suddenly, Storm broke away barking through the trees. Rafe waited a moment before following him, realizing he didn’t want the dog to get hurt. He was getting used to having the mutt around. As he ran the way he believed Storm had gone, a woman screamed. Rafe slowed for a moment before he realized the scream wasn’t from behind him, but from the direction Storm had gone. Rafe slid into a small clearing to find Storm bearing down on two people standing outside of a tent.

  “Storm! Down!” Rafe yelled. He held the shotgun at the ready, watching the woman and man carefully. Storm was spooked by the people and Rafe had to admit there was probably a reason.

  Storm, hearing Rafe’s voice, stopped barking. Rafe glanced down at the dog and saw his hackles still raised and his teeth still showing. He turned back to the campers and studied them for a minute. They both seemed bedraggled. The woman was on the short side, wearing a dress and jacket. The man wasn’t much taller, and he looked to be wearing pieces of a business suit with his jacket. Rafe found the scene strange and scenarios in his head failed to explain the two so far out in the woods without proper gear.

  “Is that dog yours?” The man asked roughly.

  “Yes. How did you come to be out here?”

  “Why did your dog almost attack us?” The man shot back, avoiding Rafe’s question.

  “He didn’t. If he was going to attack you, you’d be bleeding,” Rafe said. He had little patience for the run around the man was starting.

  “Well, he sure scared us. You should keep him leashed.”