Max cursed internally. Griffin knew how to get information out of her. She didn’t want him to worry about her. They all needed to focus on moving forward.
“We can worry about finding Rafe. I can also worry about your healing. It wasn’t that long ago that you were hurt,” Griffin said, annoyingly reading Max’s mind.
“I don’t want any distractions. Especially not because of me. I can handle it. This will be over soon,” Max said. She looked at him and smiled, hoping to give the illusion that she was fine. It was clear immediately that Griffin didn’t buy it. Instead of smiling back, he handed her a bottle of water.
Night came faster than Max had wanted. She didn’t feel like they had covered enough ground. Her impatience contended with Alex’s unlimited optimism that they would get there when they got there. And that Rafe would be right where they thought he was. Max tried to think like her sister, tried to feel calm in her mind. But being apart from their brother gave her anxiety that wouldn’t be cured until they found him.
Alex and Max worked together to gather materials for beds under their makeshift shelters. They had assisted the men in building two lean-to shelters against nearby trees. The foursome worked well in collecting the branches for the ribs of the shelters. Using the tarps, they had in their packs they covered the ribs and then started putting fallen branches over the tarps. They weren’t expecting rain, but the shelters would provide some cover from anyone else that may be in the forest.
The sisters dumped the small fallen branches they had scavenged into the shelters. Once arranged there were four rough beds set up and covered with sleeping bags they had hauled. Everyone cut open their MRE dinners and left them to heat. They decided against a fire, worried that the light would attract attention. Instead, they used a flashlight covered in cloth in the shelters to see their meals.
The silence of the forest was the only company they had. As food was consumed the group was quiet, exhaustion taking over. Max ate her beef taco meal quickly. The taste wasn’t perfect, but it was nutrition they needed. She was popping the small dessert discs in her mouth as Griffin finished his meal and started packing his things back into his backpack.
“I’m exhausted,” Griffin said quietly.
A murmured agreement came from the other shelter, Marcus answering, Max assumed.
“I’m ready for bed myself,” Max said after finishing her food.
“That’s good, because I wasn’t going to bed without you,” he joked.
Laying together under the branches of their lean-to, Griffin held Max’s hand. His thumb rhythmically rubbed over her skin, lulling her to sleep. When her eyes closed, she fell asleep deeply. Her dreams were always in turmoil, she expected it now. Tonight, was no different. Instead of the infected in the scenes, it was Callahan. A man she was sure she would never forget. His menacing smile with perfectly white, straight teeth was directed at her. It took all she had to not vomit. She tried to move away, and it was then she realized she was tied to the hook again, hanging by her wrists. Panic began to set in and she flailed her body violently. Callahan did nothing but look at her and laugh.
“Max...Max....wake up.” Griffin’s voice came through the haze and Max bolted up in her sleeping bag.
“What? What is it?” Max stammered, as she tried to wake and wipe the nightmare from her mind.
“You were kicking and lashing out. I was afraid you were going to break something on me,” Griffin said.
Max recognized his light manner, but she could hear the concern behind his words. Suddenly Alex appeared with her dimmed flashlight. Her hair was rumpled, and her sweatshirt had been pulled on quickly. Max felt guilty to have woken everyone with her nightmare.
“Max, do you want to take a walk?” Alex asked quietly.
Max just nodded and pulled her boots on. She tried to pretend that she didn’t notice the look her sister and her boyfriend shared. They both knew her mind wasn’t right. She had been waterboarded, beaten, electrocuted, and starved. It was more than any normal person should handle. But Max was determined to not be broken in her soul. She may have broken bones still, but those would heal and so would her mind.
Walking away from camp, Alex waited until they were out of sight of the shelters. She turned to Max and pulled her into her arms. At first, Max was surprised. But that melted away and she found herself in her sister’s warm embrace. She gripped Alex hard and she hugged her back. The feeling of her sister reminded her that she was ok, she had survived, and they were strong together.
“You can talk about it. That doesn’t make you weak,” Alex said.
“I know. It’s just that Griffin already feels such guilt. I don’t want him to know absolutely everything.”
“It’s easy to guess from what is on your body, Max. Maybe he’s assuming worse than it was,” Alex answered.
“I doubt that,” Max said sarcastically.
“Then tell me.”
Alex pulled her to a fallen log that they could see in the bright moonlight. Max sat heavily and looked at her sister for a moment. She studied Alex’s caring expression and it made Max’s heart hurt. Instead, she looked up at the stars, not able to see her sister’s reaction to everything she was going to tell her. When Max got to the compound, she had told Alex a lot. Enough to explain why she looked like she did. She had been black and blue on most of her body. Even now the remnants of those bruises still lingered, green and yellow.
Everything started to spill out. From the first punch to the waterboarding, to her hallucinating while hanging from a hook soaking wet. She told Alex about the baton stun gun used on her wet skin. The threats Callahan made about Jack were some of the worst parts, which had set off Max enough to attack the man. That was how she ended up with a broken hand and cracked ribs.
To her credit, Alex didn’t say a word the entire time Max spoke. Max knew it was taking all of her control to not lash out. Even Alex had her limits. Max finally looked back at her sister and wasn’t sure if she should be worried about the eerie calm she saw on her face.
“Someday, we will find that Callahan and show him what happens when he touches a Duncan,” Alex said, her voice dripping with menace. Max was almost taken aback.
“Wow, so all it took was for your sister to get tortured for the mean Alex to come out, huh?” Max said.
“It’s not something to joke about, Max. I’m serious. We are going to get Rafe. And we will go on the offense if they keep coming after you both.”
The talk had done wonders for Max. She didn’t realize unloading to someone about her experience would help so much. But when they returned to the shelter, she laid next to Griffin easily. He reached over to touch her face as she started to fall asleep and her mouth curled into a smile. When she fell asleep then, it was into peace and darkness.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“Aiden! Don’t go too deep into the water!” Rafe called, watching the boy like a mother hen.
Rafe didn’t know how it had even happened, but somehow Charlie had convinced him to take Aiden fishing. And while they were at the creek she suggested Rafe get the boy cleaned up. Agreement seemed like his only option, so here they were. Rafe had a pole set up with bait in the water. The little boy had no patience for sitting calmly to fish, so he continually wandered into the water.
Catching the boy again, Rafe brought him back to sit and dry off. He ruffled his blond hair before settling him against the tree next to him. Rafe had tried to teach him about fishing, but the water called Aiden. Just like any four-year-old, he just wanted to play. The playing was a good sign after the boy had lost his parents. He was quiet a lot of the time, leaving Charlie and Rafe wondering if they needed to do something extra to help him through his grief. But then he would run around and play like nothing was wrong.
Suddenly the pole tugged in Rafe’s hands. He let out a little cheer as he reeled in whatever was stuck on his hook. Aiden sat forward in fascination, waiting for something to appear from the water. Rafe concentrated on reeling evenly s
o he didn’t lose what could possibly be their dinner. MRE’s, canned foods, and macaroni and cheese only went so far. Rafe tried to fish every day that he was at the cave. He also had snares set around, hoping to catch a rabbit or something else small that he could skin and cook up.
The glistening scales of a small trout came out of the water as Rafe lifted his pole. He put the fish into a bucket with a little water. His mind began to wander over the last few weeks in the cave. He had gone on a few trips into town for supplies and information. He was thankful that Issac was always waiting for him with open arms. The hiking back and forth was a sort of therapy for Rafe. Solitude could be found in the trees when there was no sound but his own breathing.
On his trips, he did come across the infected. He dispatched those that were immediate threats. But he didn’t go off his path to chase them down. After the first few days at the cave, he set up an early detection system around their area. That consisted of empty cans tied together and then tied to paracord that looped between trees. An infected wouldn’t know how to avoid detection and the sound would give Rafe time to defend them if necessary.
Living in the cave with Charlie and Aiden was a new world for Rafe. He was used to being alone on his piece of land. Part of him really missed those days of habit and quiet. Before the plague, he always knew what he needed to do. Now, he was at a loss a lot of the time. He didn’t know what Charlie needed to be somewhat content. And Aiden was a complete mystery to him. Even the time he had spent with his nieces and nephew couldn’t prepare him for being one of the main parent figures for a child.
Somedays Rafe was sure Storm understood him. The dog would disappear into the woods for hours at a time. The first time he did it, Charlie was in hysterics afraid that the dog had been eaten. When Storm returned, he was panting and practically smiling. Rafe guessed he just ran the woods on his own and came home when he was ready. He could understand the dog’s need.
The fishing trip that day proved fruitful, with three fish to take back to the cave for dinner. Providing for the group was one thing Rafe took pride in. It was the way he knew how to care for people. Shelter, food, water, repeat. Charlie appreciated it, as she told him often. But Rafe knew that almost a month in a cave wasn’t the way Charlie wanted to survive the end of the world.
Arriving back at the cave, Charlie had the tarp and net pulled to the side, letting fresh air swirl inside their homestead. Over the month, items had been added to their shelter, making it more homey and useable. Rafe brought back a small solar battery so they were able to power up the laptop and charge it once it died. Charlie was bent over that now, working on her formulas and equations. Aiden ran ahead and plopped next to Charlie, leaning his head on her arm.
“Oh, you’re clean. That’s a nice change,” Charlie joked, tickling the boy quickly before putting the laptop away.
“Fish for dinner,” Rafe said as he set the bucket inside the cave.
“You aren’t going to try and teach me how to clean them again, are you?” Charlie asked. Her nose wrinkled in disgust, making Rafe laugh.
“No. I feel like that was a waste last time. If you keep gagging, you’ll never learn anything.”
“That’s why I have you,” she said.
She turned to change Aiden out of the swimsuit he was running around in for his bath. During his runs into town, Rafe had collected a number of items, of all sizes, for Aiden. He wasn’t always sure on sizes but when he told Issac, the man had laughed and explained what 4T and other sizing meant on kids’ clothes. Rafe felt completely ridiculous, but he figured it out and made sure Aiden had all the proper clothing. Charlie wrestled the little boy into cargo shorts and a Spiderman T-shirt. The shirt made Aiden smile and he looked up at Rafe.
“My favorite,” Aiden said, pointing at the shirt.
“Yup, that’s what you said, buddy,” Rafe replied. He had found the shirt in the Walmart after he risked the infected to go in and find items for the boy. He was so happy to bring back something that would make Aiden happy.
After he was dressed, Aiden sat with blocks in the section of the cave that had become his playroom. Rafe started on the fish, wanting them skinned and ready for frying for dinner. As he concentrated on his task he could feel Charlie watching him over his shoulder.
“You sure you don’t want to learn?”
“No. I was wondering. You’re headed into town again soon, aren’t you?” Charlie asked.
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, it’s been almost two weeks. And your habit is to go every two weeks it seems.”
“Are you worried about something, Charlie?”
“You can obviously handle yourself. I just wonder. When can we go home or back to the compound, I mean?” She asked, uncertain.
“The compound is home for you too, Charlie, if you want to stay, Aiden as well. I’m sure Storm will love running around all the animals. But going back? I’m not sure. The military keeps going into town looking for us. They continue to put up those stupid posters. They must have gone to the compound by now,” Rafe mused.
“What happens if they find your sisters there?”
“They didn’t care about me. My guess is they’ll find we aren’t there and move on. If not, they will have their hands full with my sisters.”
Charlie seemed to take that answer and didn’t say anything else on the subject. Rafe looked around at the supplies they had. He didn’t really need to go into town. But getting the news from Issac was helpful for making decisions when it came to protecting Charlie. He also risked the military spotting him every time he wandered back into town. It was a risk he thought was negligible versus the insight he could gain.
He had turned back to the skinning of the fish when he heard cans clanging together. Dropping his fillet knife, Rafe jumped up to grab his hunting knife. Charlie was already at the mouth of the cave looking out. The cans were out of sight, far enough away that whatever came across them couldn’t threaten them immediately after sounding the alarm. For a moment they both stood and waited, gazing out into the sunlit forest waiting for something to show.
“It’s not the military. They wouldn’t come during the day,” Rafe said, as he laid his hand on Charlie’s tense shoulder.
“You want me to come with you?” She asked.
“No. Stay with Aiden, keep him safe. I’ll take Storm with me.”
Walking out of the cave, Rafe gave a low whistle. From his left, he could hear the dog running toward him. The infected would have already caught his attention, but Storm was trained well enough to know not to attack without Rafe giving him the order. The white and silver blur popped out of the bushes, skidding to a stop at Rafe’s feet. He looked up at Rafe with his mismatched eyes for a moment before barking once.
“Yup. Let’s go, boy. You can handle my light work.”
Rafe headed straight for where he heard the cans clang. The alarms were set no more than ten feet apart, so they were bound to find what was coming toward them. Storm’s growls intensified as they got to the alarm. The paracord had been knocked down. The sound of growling nearby told Rafe where the infected had wandered off to. Without a known meal in front of them, they wandered aimlessly. Rafe looked down at Storm and whistled once to let the dog loose. That was all he needed to jet off, low and on the hunt.
The sounds of Storm ripping into flesh gave Rafe the direction he needed to go. He picked up his pace running to make sure the dog was safe. Rounding a tree, an infected stumbled directly into Rafe’s path. Rafe pivoted quickly, almost falling directly into the infected’s clawed hands as it reached out for the living meal it suddenly was upon. Finding his footing, Rafe spun quickly and plunged his hunting knife up under the infected’s chin, puncturing the brain from below. Pulling his knife out he pushed the infected away from him.
Storm’s fight was over, the dog now covered in black and red from tearing into the infected’s head after he had attacked its knees. Rafe was impressed with the dog’s intuition of how to handle the enem
y. The dog sat, tongue lolling, at the feet of the infected, waiting for Rafe to check that it was truly dispatched. To be sure, Rafe thrust his blade into what was left of the temple of the infected. Standing, he waited for additional attacks or noises. The alarm was down now, so if there were additional infected they would have to find them the hard way.
“Storm, go. Find.” Rafe said simply, letting the dog know he was to search the area. The dog barked once in agreement and took off again.
The paracord was down in two places, so Rafe traced the areas and reset his manual alarms. After setting the part he could see down, the paranoia rising to the surface made him trace the entire length of cord and cans. The walk calmed the adrenaline that had been pumping through him during the fight with the infected. The sun was warm on his skin, though the shade was still cooler. He stood in the sun for a moment, turning his face toward the light, closing his eyes. The sun was still normal. The heat still felt the same. The plague couldn’t take everything away.
When Rafe arrived back at the cave, Storm was already back with Charlie. She tsk’d over the mess he had made with himself again. The husky’s hair was thick and long, creating the perfect place for fluids to collect and dirty the beautiful white coat. Charlie shot Rafe a look of mock anger as she cooed to the dog. Storm soaked up all of the attention, loving all the petting he received when Charlie was really dedicated to cleaning him up.
“I guess there were just the two we handled. Storm must have found it to be clear or he wouldn’t have come home,” Rafe said.
“Because he’s a good dog,” Charlie said, kissing Storm on the head. The dog licked her face in return.
“I fought them too,” Rafe said.
“Yes well, we already know you are good at it.”
“Second to the dog,” Rafe muttered.
The smell of fish and hot dogs sizzling over the fire were an interesting smell together. Aiden refused to touch the fish, so Rafe dug out the last few hot dogs they had cold in the icebox he had created in the creek. Using a small plastic bucket, Rafe surrounded it with rocks and stacked rocks on top. The running water rushed by keeping the interior cold. It was helpful for keeping some meat items, like hot dogs, for short periods of time.
Alive (Sundown Series Book 3) Page 23