“How so?” Sam asked sharply.
“I drive up from Illinois a few times during the summer to get away from city life,” Erik said, with a heavy sigh. “Well, and to get away from work. I’m not as prepared as I would have liked to have been, but when I heard the news, I considered my options.”
Sam narrowed her eyes. “You had a lot of options?”
“I could have gone back to the city or take my chances out here. I decided to take my chances,” Erik said. “I can fish, get water, whatever I need, I’ll be able to figure it out, but back home, things are likely to deteriorate quickly. Riots, looting… absolute chaos. Why didn’t you two turn back?”
“We hadn’t heard until we were almost here,” I said, feeling heat filling my cheeks.
“How is that possible?”
I pressed my lips together. “With everything that was going on, I didn’t bother listening to the news.” I shifted my weight. “Are you going to take us, or are we going to sit here chit-chatting all day?”
Sam groaned.
Erik beamed. “Let’s go.”
8
We followed Erik to his small motorboat. It was a bit rusty and looked as though it could fall apart if it hit a particularly big wave.
Other than the floating debris, the water was a crystal blue, and the sun sparkled on the tips of the waves like diamonds. I tried not to think about Olivia back in the city. She was probably freaking out and worried sick about Sam and me.
Maybe there was a chance that the solar storm wasn’t as widespread as Erik had suspected. Perhaps Olivia’s day was just like any other except for the fact that she’d be glued to the news trying to find out what happened to us.
I tried not to think about her because it made my heart pound and my brain spin. After everything that I’d gone through with Elijah, I knew I had to somehow manage to keep it together. There was no choice. I wouldn’t be able to get any kind of care or treatment if I had a meltdown.
“Could your boat stink any more than it does?” Sam asked as she expertly lowered herself into the bobbing boat.
“Gee, I sprayed it with air freshener too. I just can’t seem to get rid of that fishy smell in my fishing boat,” Erik said, scrunching up his nose.
He offered me his hand to help me down into the boat. I hesitated. My body felt like it was swaying side to side.
“Are you having second thoughts?” Erik asked.
“I’m fine,” I said, forcing a thin-lipped smile. I took his hand, and the warmth of his touch jolted through my body like a double shot of espresso. “I’m not a big fan of boats.”
Sam groaned. “To be fair, though, she’s not a big fan of anything.”
“You’re just mad at everyone, aren’t you?” I asked sharply.
“I’m sorry,” Sam said, clasping her hands together. “It’s just that I’m so worried about Dott. I guess when I’m worried, I lash out.”
Erik snorted. “You guess?”
“You don’t know me,” Sam said.
“And still…,” Erik let his retort fade away.
“It is a bit much,” I said, placing my hand on top of Sam’s as I sat down next to her. “I know you have Dott to worry about, but we need each other right now.”
Sam sighed. “I know. I’m sorry.”
Erik started the engine. The boat zipped away from the dock, and I grabbed the edge as we bobbed aggressively over the waves.
My hair whipped around my face as we sped through the water. It didn’t take long for the small town to come into view.
The town hadn’t changed much since I’d last been there years ago. Erik pulled up to the dock and hopped out of the boat. He expertly tied it up before reaching out to help Sam and me onto the wobbly, creaky, wooden dock.
Not far off, a group of older folks were sitting on a bench near the waterfront hotel. The women were clutching their purses, and the men’s eyes darted around. Someone in a suit came out of the hotel, flailing their hands as they talked.
The further we walked into town, the more people there were wandering around aimlessly. Confusion contorted their faces, likely the same way mine had been.
“I hate to say it, but told you so,” Erik said, keeping his voice down. “All the tourists stranded here. Hotel rooms they can’t cool. Nothing to do and no way to get home. Even the locals are freaking out, they’re just doing privately in their homes.”
“Thanks for weighing in,” I muttered.
A door to the building to our right crashed against the side of the building as a woman thrust it open. She stepped onto the sidewalk, clenched her hands together, and screamed.
“Please! Help me!” she howled, running across the street, grabbing the nearest person.
The terrified old man looked as though he was about to fall over from her vigorous shaking. Erik bolted over to them and peeled the woman’s hands off the man.
People crowded around, looking at Erik as if he’d done something wrong. Several people turned and walked away as if they were afraid of what might unfold.
“What’s going on?” Erik asked the woman keeping his voice clear and steady as he stared into the woman’s eyes.
“My husband needs a doctor,” she cried. “Are you a doctor?”
Erik shook his head, and the woman squealed in his face as if she were a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He took a quick step back.
“You’re not a doctor!” she screeched before turning to run down the road.
She ran one way and stopped. The woman turned in a full circle before running in another direction. She had no idea where to go to find a doctor.
A woman stepped between Erik and me and placed her palm on his shoulder. “Stay calm, my friends. Help is on the way. We do not need to panic.”
The cross hanging around her neck glimmered in the sunlight. Erik smiled at the woman.
“Thanks,” he said with a nod.
He didn’t want to tell the woman what he’d told us. It didn’t seem as though she would have believed him anyway.
Erik ushered Sam and me back toward the bay. He kept his voice feather-soft. “We need to get out of here.”
Two men walking in the opposite direction were talking about the plane that had crashed into the bay. One of them said it had brushed against the treetops. The other said he’d seen a dead body floating in the water.
There were so many people… and while that was typical of the tourist town in summer, the way they were acting was not normal. So many worried voices. It felt as though I was being swarmed, even though there wasn’t anyone that close to me.
My feet stopped moving, and my vision narrowed, tunneling to a specific location in the distance. The only thing I could see was Erik’s boat, while it felt as though I’d heard every voice in the town.
“Mel? Mel!”
Sam’s face was blurry. I tried to focus on her, but I couldn’t, and her voice echoed in my mind like a ringing church bell.
“What’s wrong?” Erik asked.
“She’s fine,” Sam said defensively. “Right, Mel? You’re fine. A few more steps, and we’re out of here. Ready to walk?”
She grabbed my arm and pulled me while staying in front of me. A calm smile curled onto her lips.
I sucked in a breath as the tunnel widened, and the town became visible again. I was able to move my feet again.
“We’re almost there,” Sam said gently, as if she were talking to her daughter.
Shouting erupted from my left, and a man stumbled backward, falling on the ground several feet away from Sam and me. A second man wobbled out of the building and picked the guy up off the ground.
“You’re dead, you fucking asshole,” the man shouted as he launched his fist into the man’s face.
Several other men appeared, attempting to pull the bigger, aggressive man off the guy who seemed as though he’d lost consciousness. Sam and Erik both pulled me away.
People crowded around them, swearing and cursing. Fists were thrown left and right
as the men from the bar brawled on the concrete.
“Shit,” Erik muttered. “This is only going to get worse.”
We were close to the dock when someone ran up behind us. My whole body shook at the touch of a finger poking into my back.
“Hey, you!” a cheery voice rang out.
I spun on my heel. My hands would have clawed at the man’s face if Erik and Sam hadn’t been holding my arms.
“Funny running into you both here,” he said, rubbing his hands together.
Sam groaned. “Are you kidding me?”
9
The gas station clerk from the other night stood in front of us, grinning from ear to ear. He ignored the men fighting behind him, even with one of them loudly yelling that they were in charge.
He pointed a shaking finger at me as his cheesy smile grew. “After you left, I remembered why you looked so familiar.”
“We need to be on our way,” Erik said, his deep voice firm.
“It’s me, Dorian. From the gas station. And you’re Melaney Carter!” he said, crossing his arms over his thin chest, wearing a satisfied expression. “Only took me two minutes to place you after you left.”
My hands were shaking. I’d been on the verge of a panic attack, and Sam had only managed to barely pull me back.
“You must have me confused with someone else,” I mumbled.
“So, you’re not Melaney Carter?” Dorian asked, his brow wrinkling.
“We really just want to get out of here,” Erik said, taking a step between Dorian and me.
“It’s not like I don’t know where she lives,” Dorian said with a half-shrug.
Sam’s cheeks turned cherry red from anger. “I knew it! You are some kind of stalker creep!”
“I know her from school!” Dorian said, holding up his hands. “I was a junior when she was a freshman. We had classes together.”
“Oh, okay,” I said awkwardly.
“Hey, so would you guys mind if I catch a ride with you?” Dorian asked, ignoring Sam as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder.
Sam grabbed Dorian’s shirt and jerked him closer. “Can’t you take a hint, jerk?”
“Sam,” I said, lightly touching her shoulder. “Let him go.”
“You knew him like four years ago. People change.” Sam cocked her head to the side. “Maybe he was always a stalker creep.”
“Aw, come on,” Dorian said, throwing his hands in the air. “I just want to get out of town.”
Sam pushed both palms hard against Dorian’s chest. “Back off!”
“Jeez! I’m sorry!” Dorian squeaked.
“Sam, please,” I said as my eyes shifted and landed on a vehicle parked in the lot for the hotel.
A big black truck I hadn’t noticed before. Familiar. Or maybe just similar. It was identical to the truck Elijah owned.
Why was his truck everywhere?
“Let’s go, please,” I said, locking eyes with Erik. I felt lightheaded. Even though it was a boat that would rock on the waves, I wanted to sit down.
“So, how about that ride?” Dorian asked as Erik helped me into the boat.
“I don’t think so,” Erik said.
Dorian frowned, and his brows dropped. “Please,” he begged. “That big man there. That’s my dad. He gave me a gun and a lesson this morning.”
“So?” Sam said.
“Well, I know him, so I’m pretty freaked out,” Dorian said, his cheerfulness had faded. “I need a place to hide.”
“It’s fine,” I said, squeezing my hands together so hard my fingertips were numb.
Sam groaned and rolled her eyes. “For the love of God.”
“Are you sure?” Erik asked softly.
“Yeah, let’s just get out of here,” I said as Dorian climbed into the boat, splashing water over the edge.
Sam sat down next to me and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. She squeezed me while shooting a dirty look at Dorian.
“Hey!” the big man shouted. Sweat dripped down the sides of his face as he slowly jogged toward the dark. “Get out of that damn boat, you stupid kid.”
“Twenty-four fucking years old, and he’s still calling me a kid,” Dorian muttered.
“You could try to stop acting like one,” Sam muttered.
Erik started the motor, and we pulled out of the dock before the big man reached the end of the short pier. He reached up his fist, shaking it in the air.
“You’re dead, kid. Dead,” the man roared.
He kept shouting, but I couldn’t hear him. It likely wasn’t anything Dorian would want to hear anyway.
Erik expertly drove his boat to the dock and tied it up. It looked like it was something he’d done a thousand times.
We walked silently down the dirt path that took us back to the main road. I didn’t turn when Dorian cleared his throat several times.
“So,” he said, dragging the word as he clapped his hands together. “The three of you are all staying together then?”
“No,” Erik answered quickly. “I live down the road.”
Dorian tapped me on the shoulder. “You probably don’t remember, but I was at your place one summer. I was in the car that dropped you off after a party.”
“You’re not staying with us,” Sam said.
“Aw, come on, you saw my dad. I can’t go back there,” Dorian said.
“Not our problem,” Sam said.
“You can stay with me for the time being,” Erik said. “I have more than enough space.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “He’ll probably rob you. Yeah!” She started wagging her finger at Dorian. “That’s your scam, isn’t it? Rob innocent people and keep the stuff for yourself. Sell it to the tourists!”
“No one is going to buy random stuff when all they want is to get home,” Dorian said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I’m not a bad guy, and I’m not even sure what I did to give you that impression.”
Sam snorted and crossed her arms. “It’s just that Mel and I know guys like you.”
“Guys like me?” Dorian said with a frustrated laugh. “You don’t know me.”
“You know,” Erik said, his voice booming over Dorian’s. “I was thinking that maybe we should all stay together. Things seem to be getting worse in town.
“We’re fine,” Sam said. “Thanks for the ride. We have work to do. Let’s go, Mel.”
Erik waved, but Dorian looked as though his head was about to pop off his thin neck.
“If you change your mind, feel free to stop by,” Erik said as Sam pulled me away.
“Thanks!” I called back, still feeling dazed from the adventure to town.
Sam took everything from the SUV and brought it into my mom’s house. She walked over to each door and tested the lock.
“We’ll need to check all the windows, too,” she said with her hands on her hips. “No more staying in the SUV at night. We’re sitting ducks out there.”
“Sam,” I said calmly. “I’m really not worried about that guy, but you’re not going to believe this.”
“What?” she asked, turning sharply. Her eyes glued to mine as if she were trying to pull the words out of my brain.
I released a slow breath as I sat down on the sofa. My hands slid up and down my thighs.
“I’m pretty sure I saw Elijah’s truck in town,” I blurted out.
Sam’s shoulder dropped, and she sat down next to me. “Oh, honey.”
“Same rims, same make, model, year—everything,” I said.
“Do you know how many people probably have that same truck,” Sam said.
“It was like I could feel him,” I said.
Sam squeezed my hands. “I know the terrible things he did to you and how awful that must have been, but it’s over. You’re safe.”
“Am I? I’m not sure any of us are safe right now. If something goes wrong, we can’t call for help. There isn’t anything we can do,” I said, pressing my fingertips into my skull as I dragged them through my hair. I released a long, heav
y sigh between my pursed lips. “I know it’s not him, but I just don’t know how I’ll ever shake it. You and Olivia don’t even know the half of it.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Sam asked.
I placed my hands in my lap and shook my head. “I’m not sure it would do any good.”
“If it doesn’t, then you’re no worse off than you are now,” Sam said, sounding more like herself.
“Fine,” I said, rubbing my palms up and down my thighs. “Let’s see, you know the awful names he called me, slut, cheater, and you know it was the last straw when he hit me, but what you didn’t know was what he did to try to keep me with him.”
Sam pressed her lips together. She took my hand in hers and squeezed.
“He locked me in his basement,” I said as I shivered. “It was so damp, dark, and cold. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the first time he’d put someone down there.”
“What makes you think that?” Sam asked.
I swallowed hard. “There were metal bars, like a prison cell.”
“Jesus, Mel.”
“He locked me in there after I said I was done with him,” I said, feeling as though I’d been transported back to Elijah’s basement cell.
My heart was pounding. Tears welled up in my eyes and slowly rolled down my cheeks.
Sam quickly wiped them away with her thumbs. “How did you get out?”
“Luck,” I said with a snort. “He’d grabbed me through the bars, yanking me toward him… the keys fell to the ground without him noticing. When he left, I escaped.”
“Why didn’t you tell us? Or the police?” Sam asked with her mouth hanging open.
“Stupid. Scared. Embarrassed?” I looked down at my feet. “For all I know, I could have saved another woman. There could be someone trapped down there right now.”
Sam stood and paced. “No, this isn’t your fault. He’s the one that’s at fault. You can’t blame yourself.”
I felt guilty ever since that day. I should have told someone. I was just as bad of a person as Elijah was.
“Well,” Sam said. “If it makes you feel any better, he probably didn’t get anyone else down there since he was still stalking you practically until we left.”
Absolute Darkness - A CME Survival Thriller Page 5