"I told you, hon, just smack the jar on the edges of the lid a few times with the handle of a butter knife. Then open it. It will pop open easily. You don't need me," Griffin replied smoothly.
"I always need you," Sarah replied, her hand on his arm. Max had to get out of there. She was just about to panic and just leave her dinner when shots and gunfire were heard outside. Without hesitation, she looked at Griffin who was already looking at her. The shots seemed to be continuous and Max knew that was a very bad sign. As she began to stand a soldier came in, covered in blood, his cheek missing from an infected bite.
"Shit," Max shouted. She bounded out of her seat, grabbing Jack at the same time. Jack was up and off the bench before Max could instruct her to do so.
"Jack, with me, right?" Max said, looking her daughter in the eye. Absently she noticed Griffin had come up behind Jack, bringing up the rear, his gun out. Sarah was screaming and clinging to the back of his shirt.
"Yes, Momma, with you," Jack replied, with more confidence than her little face held. Max quickly kissed her daughter's head and hugged her.
"We're going to the women's tent to get our stuff. My car keys are there. Then we're leaving," she told Griffin. He didn't argue, just nodded. Strange, Max thought. She had expected some sort of fight from him. But he had seen two shelters fall before. He knew how this went down.
Running for the tent opening, Max pulled Jack through the crowd to exit. People seemed panicked, not sure if they should run or hide. Griffin bellowed at people to move and hide. But his voice was lost in the chaos of fear. Once out of the mess tent the true extent of how bad things were hit Max. The soldiers were spread all around, fighting groups of the infected. As many that were standing were laying on the ground, being feasted on by the infected or left for dead. They wouldn't stay dead for long. Max knew it was time to go.
She made a beeline for the women's tent, her tomahawk out, Jack on her left side. As they went, she heard Griffin firing off rounds and the annoying sounds coming out of Sarah. An infected bent over a soldier looked up as the group approached and Max's tomahawk was there to meet it. She slowed long enough to deal with the infected and then to end the soldier to keep him from coming back. When she stood to continue moving, she found Griffin standing to her left as well, protecting Jack and Sarah, while covering her back.
They reached the women's tent and when they entered Max was shocked to find all the women cowering with their children. Two soldiers stood inside, guns at the ready. Max yelled as they walked in, to keep them from shooting them. Max headed directly to their cots and slung her pack over her shoulders. Thinking of Blair, Max started searching the faces that were still in the tent. She found the girl curled in a ball with another young woman on the floor between cots.
"Blair, come on! We need to get out of here," Max said when she reached her. Blair shook her head.
"I'm not going out there," she replied.
"Yes, you are. Come on, I can protect you. We'll get to the car and keep going," Max explained. While she spoke, she could tell the gunshots had slowed outside. She knew from the amount of infected she had seen that the slowing of shots wasn't due to the soldiers winning. The infected were taking over.
"No. I'm staying with the soldiers. They will keep us safe," Blair said in her no-nonsense tone. Max threw up her hands. She didn't have time to fight with the girl. She knew if the girl didn't want to come, she couldn't make her.
"I know you're scared, Blair, frankly so am I. But we've come this far. Keep going with us," Max cajoled.
Blair's eyes were wild with fright but set in determination at the same time. She shook her head. Jack stepped past Max and grabbed Blair in a hug. Though Max couldn't get behind her decision, she didn't begrudge the girl the option to make it. She squeezed her arm, before standing and walking back to the entrance of the tent. As she got to the soldiers that were standing guard at the entrance, she slowed.
"You really should move them from here. This isn't a fight you are going to win," Max said. Both soldiers looked at her and then to Griffin who was standing watching the outside. When Max spoke he looked in and nodded his agreement to the soldiers. Max didn't know why, but his understanding of her views gave her butterflies in her stomach. Something she would deal with later.
Back in the open area of the shelter, the infected were everywhere. People ran in all directions, with no real saving grace from the onslaught. Max took Jack's hand in her own and planned her path. Behind the fence, the infected seemed to thin. Getting there was the first goal. She looked back at Griffin, who had a distraught Sarah by the hand. She nodded at him and he nodded back. Tomahawk in hand, Max took off running for their escape.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Gunshots rang out from behind Max as she ran, Griffin using his sidearm to the best of its ability. With her tomahawk, Max took no prisoners while she chopped and hacked at arms, legs, and heads. As they neared the entrance of the shelter the infected bottlenecked to get through. As Max began to attack, automatic gunfire came from her right and heads exploded in front of her.
Max jumped back to avoid the spray and to not accidentally get shot. Searching she finally found a redheaded man with an automatic rifle at his shoulder. As he popped the magazine to shove another in, Griffin called out to the man.
"Turner, let's go!"
"On your six, Griff," the redheaded man called back.
"Go, Max. We're behind you," Griffin yelled forward to Max.
The ground was covered with the infected. Max had a moment of panic, imaging Jack walking by one and having it bite her in the leg. Suddenly Jack released her hand and as Max pivoted to protect her daughter, she found Griffin tugging her onto his back. Somehow, he knew exactly what had Max hesitating. The gesture had Max feeling flushed and sick, thinking that Griffin had no idea it was his own daughter on his back. A simple thing any father would have done with his child over the years of them growing up.
Shaking herself out of her own thoughts, Max turned to start picking her way through the sea of bodies. She crossed a few that still chomped at the mouth, trying to find purchase in their legs as they neared. Max chopped down with her tomahawk, making the walk safer for everyone. She led the way, with Griffin and Jack directly behind her. She assumed Sarah was still a sniveling mess behind Griffin and then the man named Turner bringing up the rear.
At the street, Max dug the keys out of her pack while she ran. She couldn't imagine someone had taken the vehicle since they parked it, but a part of her feared that their getaway would be halted by no vehicle. She hooted out a cheer when they ran down the block where she parked the SUV. The blinking lights indicated that the doors were unlocked.
As she popped the back to toss her bag in, she turned and found that Griffin had run with Jack on his back. His face was red with exertion, but he didn't put her down until he had the back door open and she could climb in. It was too sentimental for Max and she coughed to cover up her own emotions. With everyone and their items stored, Max jumped into the driver's seat, just as an infected group tripped into their street.
Hearing the engine roar the group turned toward the vehicle. Max felt done with the plague right then. She revved the engine for a moment and looked over at Griffin who had sat in the front passenger seat. He sat stoic, staring straight ahead. Max took off for the undead group, plowing the SUV grill directly into the middle of them. Bodies bounced off the bumper and hood. She didn't slow as the infected fell under the wheels and they lurched over them.
She drove as if the plague was chasing them, speeding through the streets for miles. Once they reached what seemed like the edge of Raleigh, Max pulled the truck into a quiet parking lot and shut it off. Darkness was starting to fall. She laid her head on the wheel. Only to herself would she admit she was shaken. The attack at the shelter left so many people dead and turning into the undead. She thought about Blair and hoped the girl found a safe way to escape.
Soft crying was coming from the backseat. The noise
didn't register with Max at first. When she did turn around, she partially excepted to find Jack crying, though the little girl rarely did. Instead, she found Sarah, her face buried in Turner's shoulder, bawling her eyes out. The man's eyes met Max's and he looked more panicked now than he did when they were running from the undead.
"Sarah, we're fine," Griffin said softly, turning in his seat and trying to calm the woman.
"We're all alone. Oh, my god, Griff, what are we going to do," she cried out. She leaned forward to grab onto Griffin. For a split second, Max thought the bawling heap of a woman was going to crawl over the console to climb into his lap. She sighed deeply when she finally flopped back into the seat. Turning further, Max found Jack's gaze. Even the eight-year-old could see how hysterical Sarah was acting. Max had to smother a smile when Jack rolled her eyes. When she turned to look at Griffin again, he raised an eyebrow in admonishment and Max could do nothing but shrug.
"I don't want to drive at night," she told Griffin.
"I agree. We can sleep in here tonight, I think," he replied.
The decision made, Max carefully exited the SUV. She circled to look at the damage she had done by hitting the infected. Blood and black ooze covered the front of the vehicle. Surprisingly nothing was broken, making Max feel better about the impulsive decision she had made to run over the walking dead. When she got to the passenger door she found Griffin climbing out of the car as well. He closed the door and looked at Max.
"I guess you get your way," he said.
"How do you figure?" Max asked defensively. If he really thought she had wished for an infected attack to get him to go with them to Montana, he had a very low opinion of her.
"Well, I'm going with you now."
"I didn't want people to die to make that happen, Griffin. I would have left you behind eventually," she muttered. She walked to the back of the truck with Griffin following.
"I know you didn't want anyone to die, Max. But would you have left?" He asked.
"Yes. What was I gonna do? Stick around with you? Alex and Rafe are waiting for us."
"Sundown." He said casually. Max turned to look at him, leaning against the back of the car for a moment.
"You remember?"
"Of course. You talked about it all the time."
"Yeah well, even after Dad died, the three of us made sure we knew it was still our signal. Alex called and started it. Jack and I jumped in the car right away," Max explained. She popped open the back end of the truck. They worked together to fold down the third seat and arranged an area for Jack and Sarah to sleep. Turner would sleep on the second bench seat with Max and Griffin in the front seats. It would be cramped for the night, but it was safer than trying to find somewhere else to sleep in the dark. Flashlights and noise would bring any infected out of hiding.
Laying in the front seats, their heads right next to Turner in the backseat, Griffin, and Max were quiet. Max knew he wasn't sleeping. She couldn't sleep being so close to him again. Turner's breathing eventually went deep and Sarah's hiccuped crying had ceased finally. The quiet should have helped Max find comfort and sleep, but Griffin seemed to suck the air from around her.
"I can't sleep either. Today was rough," Griffin said suddenly.
"Who said I couldn't sleep?" Max shot back.
"You aren't snoring, so you aren't sleeping," Griffin said. The tone of his voice was mocking and Max knew he was smiling in the darkness.
"Ummm, I do not snore," she replied.
"Sure you don't. Jack doesn't complain about it?" Griffin asked.
"She knows better," Max said laughing quietly.
"Tough mom, huh?"
"Sometimes I guess," she replied quietly.
"I can't believe you're a mom at all, Max. I mean I should have imagined you moved on with your life, but I never imagined you as a mom," he said.
"Why not? Because I'm not soft enough?"
"Not at all. I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me. Maybe because we never talked about having kids when we were together."
"We were just kids," Max said around the lump in her throat. They never spoke about it, but it had happened. And now Max wasn't sure how Griffin would react to being a father.
"Being kids ourselves never mattered to us," he responded.
Max chose to not answer that. She saw the conversation going down a path they couldn't take, cramped in the SUV with three other sleeping people. She could envision her anger and hurt from being left eight years ago coming out in a flood of anger. She stared at the SUV roof and thought about all the excuses he could come up with. What would be his reason for leaving her behind, after promising a life together? The more she debated the reasons he would use, the more she felt her anger already rising. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"What?" Griffin asked, hearing her sigh.
"Nothing. I need to sleep," Max said, and she turned, trying to make herself comfortable in the seat.
When she fell asleep, it was deep. Her dreams swirled dark and red in her mind. She felt confused watching the images flow. She felt like she was watching a slideshow. Suddenly one of the photos came to life, arms sprung out, fingers shaped as claws with razor-like nails. Max jumped back to avoid being snagged and pulled into the image. She was sure if she was pulled in, she wouldn't escape and it would be her end.
Shaking awake, Max sat up in the SUV. The truck was full of sunlight. The rest of the group was sleeping around her. However, her dream had latched on, her breathing felt erratic and sweat dotted her brow. She wouldn't be going back to sleep. She wasn't used to sleeping in longer than the sun most of the time. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she slipped her feet into her boots and pulled a hoodie on over her T-shirt.
Max opened the driver's side door as quietly as possible. Sliding out of the truck, she grimaced at the click the door made. No one seemed to move inside, and she couldn't decide if that was good or bad. The littlest sound could indicate an attack. Everyone should be on edge. The stress of the day before had exhausted everyone. Decent night’s sleep would be far and few between as they traveled to Montana. Everyone needed the sleep when they could get it.
Stretching, Max turned her face to the sun, closing her eyes for a moment. Her back was cramped from sleeping strangely in the front seat all night. She did everything she could to not turn and face Griffin. Sleeping so close to him was uncomfortable for her. His presence overwhelmed her, as he always did. It wasn't fair the effect he had on her all these years later. But once she fell asleep, it was sound, even if it was riddled with nightmares.
The sound of another door opening startled her out of her basking in the sun. Turner crawled out of his backseat bed and grinned lopsidedly at Max. She smiled slightly back, not sure how to take him.
"So, you're Max. The Max," Turner said.
"Ummm, I guess," she replied hesitantly.
"I've heard about you," he teased. Max felt uncomfortable with the playing and not knowing what Turner knew about her.
"Well, I can't say the same. Who are you?" She replied, deflecting off to him.
"Turner. Wells and I go way back. Started boot camp together and then went out overseas together twice. When we both got out, we decided to stay roommates here in Raleigh. We already knew we didn't hate each other," he finished with a laugh. Max just nodded.
"So, you know Griffin pretty well," she commented. She wasn't sure what else to say.
"I'd say that. He's saved my ass more than once in the sandbox. We've always looked out for each other," Turner said as he got somber.
"I'm glad you had each other," Max said because it seemed like the right thing to say.
"Well I think he needed me after you left him," Turner said. He seemed to immediately regret his comment, as his face heated and turned as red as his hair. "I shouldn't have said that," he said quickly.
"I left him?" Max demanded.
"I think I stepped in it. Forget I said a word," he stammered in response.
"I don't t
hink so. What in the hell do you mean I left him? I was still in Montana, right where he left me!" Max said.
"I didn't mean anything....it was a long time ago....I don't really remember....I mean I'm dumb," Turner stammered.
Turner's face was filled with uncomfortable panic. He obviously didn't mean to say what he did and now faced with Max's wrath, he wanted to disappear. He slowly walked backward to the truck and opened the front door. Max looked at him quizzically as he opened the driver's side door, leaned in, and shoved Griffin in the shoulder. All while not taking his eyes off Max, as if she were a rabid animal ready to attack. The thought made Max smile inwardly.
"Hmmm, what, Turn?" Griffin mumbled.
"Ummm, help?" Turner's voice came out in a squeak. Griffin popped open one eye and then leaned forward to look out the door. He saw Max and her face and laid back down.
"Whatever you did, undo it. I'm not dealing with that first thing," he said.
"That? Oh, you both can just walk to wherever you want to go....I'll just leave you right here," Max said as she walked to the back of the SUV. She continued to mumble under her breath as she popped open the back to let a waking Jack out. Sarah, proving to be the prima donna Max had suspected, cried out from the cold and rolled over on her makeshift bed. Max rolled her eyes and helped Jack out.
The two of them walked around the back of the building to relieve themselves. Jack was on lookout while Max did her duty when she turned to look at her mom zipping up her pants.
"I like them," she said.
"Who?" Max asked.
"Griffin and Turner," she continued. "Sarah is alright, but man she cries a lot. She cried off and on all night. I didn't think she'd stop." Jack rolled her eyes in such a Max look, Max herself had to stare and then laugh.
"I never could say you weren't my kid. And that look right there seals the deal," Max said. She smiled as Jack giggled a little. Slinging her arm around her daughter, the two walked back to the truck where the other adults were stretching and getting ready for the drive ahead.
Survive (Sundown Series Book 2) Page 12