by Bale, Sarah
“Are you going to bring Grey?”
I shook my head. “Decided last night it was asking too much of him to go out there.”
He had a family now and that changed things. Plus, Kat would never forgive me if something happened to him.
“I know you’re not talking about me,” Grey said from the other end of the hallway. “If you are, you can just stop right there.”
He, too, was dressed and ready to go.
“Grey-”
“Boss, you can’t treat me like this just because I’m a father now. Got it?”
His expression was serious, so I did the only thing I could.
“Fine. Let’s go.”
Dave fell in step next to me. “Noah had some good ideas. Tell him, kid.”
Noah came to my other side. “Grey actually gave me the idea yesterday. What about looking at pawn shops, too?”
God, had everything that’d happened only been a day ago? The trip to Lawton. Coming back nearly empty handed. Losing Daisy.
Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I nodded. “Sounds good. Everyone needs to be on their toes. If we see any of the fuckers, we’re going to take them down. No mercy.”
Dave said, “I get where you’re coming from, but if we cross paths with them, it will be in our best interest to capture them and try to get them to talk. They might know where Daisy is.”
I nodded once. “Fine. And then we kill them.”
Because I was going to make every last of those fuckers pay. Siding with Air was a death sentence that I personally planned on executing.
Dave nodded. “Deal.”
Outside, the snow had stopped, but every track from last night was gone. The sun was out, though. Maybe some of the snow would melt off today.
Dave said, “Come on. This will be worth it.”
Nodding, I started the truck. We went to several gun ranges before finally hitting the jackpot. An old building that was on its last leg held three lockers full of guns and ammo.
Dave said, “Combined with what we got yesterday, I think we might have a chance.”
“Don’t get cocky. We still don’t know what they have up their sleeves. We have no idea what they were able to get in Lawton.”
Dave asked Noah, “Any more in this area?”
“There are several in Mustang.”
I said, “Let’s go.”
We drove down roads that were overgrown with dead grass. It was strange seeing how quickly the earth had taken back what was hers. By spring, this road would be impossible to travel on with new grass growing wild.
Grey said, “Bet the hunting is good out here.”
I replied, “When this is over, we’ll have to see.”
Because this would be over sooner than later. I was determined to kill Air and get Daisy back. I had to hold on to that hope. I had to.
The signs for Mustang came into sight. Vines grew up the horse statues and the first row of houses we passed had been burned down. Mustang had been known as a friendly town, so it was strange seeing so many houses torched.
Grey said, “Well, that’s not good.”
We drove into town, going to the first range. Right away, it was obvious that this store had been raided long ago. The second store was a little more productive, but I knew this wasn’t enough.
“Isn’t there an old armed forces center somewhere out here?”
Dave shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
Noah replied, “I think there’s one further out, maybe an hour or so. Might as well go out there and see what they have while we’re out.”
I stopped so we could look at the map. He was right, the center was at least an hour away.
“Everyone good with going?”
Grey replied, “I am, but aren’t you worried Air might show up to the hospital while we’re gone?”
I’d been trying in vain to keep my thoughts from Daisy, but he was right. If Air showed up and I wasn’t there, I would never forgive myself. But, we needed guns to beat Air and his group.
I replied, “If he shows up, I want to be able to blow his ass up into a million pieces.”
Grey held up his hands. “Guess that answers that question.”
Dave said, “We’ll find what we need, Eli. I know it.”
We headed for the center. With each mile that passed, I prayed I was doing the right thing. Should I be closer to home, looking for Daisy? What if Air came and I wasn’t there? What if-
Dave said, “Turn left.”
I did as he said, and the center came into sight.
“Shit. Look at that gate,” Harper said with a whistle. “The armed forces didn’t go cheap on this one.”
The fence stood at least ten feet high with barbed wire running along the top. Someone had reinforced it with extra barbed wire and wooden spikes facing outward, so the Dead would impale themselves on it.
Dave said, “Someone’s living here.”
Noah asked, “How do you know?”
“Because their guns are trained on us to the left and right. Slow down, Eli.”
I did as he said.
In a low tone I asked, “Is it Air and his men?”
“Negative.”
I came to a stop. “Now what?”
A man, who was maybe in his forties, walked toward the truck and aimed his rifle at us.
“What business do you have here?”
I opened the door, holding my hands in the air, and got out. “Name’s Elijah.”
“I don’t give a god damn shit what your name is. What I want to know is what you’re doing here.”
I took a step forward. “We’re from the City. Ran into some trouble there.”
The man shrugged. “Don’t care. You need to answer my question before my guys take you down.”
“We’re looking for supplies and help.”
The man replied, “I’m going to give you a three-count. After that, my guys are going to start firing.”
Dave got out of the truck. “You need to calm the fuck down.”
The man’s lips twitched. “Do I now?”
There was a loud sigh from within the gates. “For the love of god, Rhys, stop being a dick.”
The man, Rhys, glanced over his shoulder and replied, “Thought I told you to stay inside?”
A woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, if that, came through the gates.
“God damn it, Paige! What in the fuck are you doing?”
Paige ignored the man and asked me, “What kind of trouble?”
“A group followed my brother from Vinita. Been threatening us.” I swallowed. “And now they have my woman.”
Paige frowned. “That doesn’t sound good at all.”
“It’s not.”
Rhys let out a snort. “You’re not buying this shit, are you? Letting new people in brings nothing but trouble or have you forgotten?”
“I remember,” Paige said. “But we have to help them.”
I replied, “Your dad is right, Paige. Helping us might mean trouble finds its way here.”
Paige’s cheeks flushed. “Oh, he’s not my dad. He’s my boyfriend.”
There had to be at least a twenty-five-year age gap between them. Rhys moved so he was next to Paige and put his arm around her shoulder, as if daring me to say something.
Grey let out a snort behind me. “Well, this is awkward.”
One of the men with guns on us laughed loudly, obviously getting a kick out of this exchange.
Paige sighed. “Come inside. I don’t want to attract the biters with all the noise we’re making.”
“Park the truck just inside the gates and don’t try anything funny,” Rhys added with a glare.
We got back in the truck as the gates opened.
Noah asked, “Are we really going in there? What if they kill us?”
I replied, “I think they would have already killed us if that was their plan.”
I drove through the gates, parking in the grass. The center loomed ahead, its dark c
oncrete bricks making it look ominous. To the left was a field that had clearly been a garden at some point. To the right was a pond with a washboard and clothes line. It was an impressive set up for four people, to say the least.
We all got out, each of us uneasy. What if these people meant to harm us?
I said, “As I said, I’m Elijah. This is my brother, Dave. That’s Jeff, Harper, Noah, and Grey.”
Each man nodded their head when I said their name. Two more men joined Paige and Rhys.
Rhys pointed. “That’s Austin and Darren.”
Austin nodded while Darren glared. He was rough, like Grey had been when I first met him. Austin, on the other hand, looked hard, but there was wisdom behind his eyes.
I said, “Nice to meet you.”
Neither responded.
Paige smiled. “Don’t pay any attention to them. They’re just protective over me.”
Dave replied, “As they should be.”
Paige asked, “I have to ask, what did you do to the other group?”
“We were just traveling from Missouri to Oklahoma. They had some sort of system set up in Vinita and set off some explosions. Said if we didn’t turn around, they would kill us.” Dave frowned. “If I’d known they were serious, I would have turned around, but I was trying to find my brother.”
“So you didn’t kill any of their people or attack them first?”
Dave shook his head. “No, we didn’t.”
Paige turned to Rhys and he let out a groan.
“I told you, Paige, we can’t help every stray that comes our way.”
She smiled up at him and it was literally like watching ice thaw. He cursed and turned to us.
Rhys said, “We don’t have much to offer. By the time we got here, all the weapons were gone. There’s a tank you might be able to use, if you can get it started. We never had any luck with it.”
I blinked in shock. I couldn’t believe he was just telling us what they had.
I replied, “Anything is better than nothing. Thank you.”
Harper asked, “Mind if we look around? See if there’s anything else we can use?”
Austin spoke up, “Guessing you’re former military?”
Harper smiled. “What gave it away?”
“You seem to know your way around the center.”
He replied, “We’re former Special-Ops. Dave, Noah, Jeff, and I used to be on team.”
Jeff said, “Hey now. We’re still on a team, just a different one.”
I asked, “What about you? Is that how you knew to come here?”
Austin shook his head. “No. We’d been jumping from house to house for a few years. About the time we settled somewhere, we’d run into trouble.” He eyed me before going on, “Saw this place and, when we realized the fences were still up, we decided to stay here.”
“Well, we’re not here to cause you any problems. As I said, we’re trying to take care of our own troubles back home.”
Paige said, “You mentioned the other group had a woman. How long has she been missing?”
“A day.”
It felt like a lifetime. I was so worried about her and-
Darren made a sound. “And you’re here instead of looking for her? Guess you must love her a lot.”
I clenched my fists at my side. “You don’t know a damn thing about me. Believe me, being out here was our only shot at getting her back.”
Paige said, “Darren, that was rude.” To me, she said, “I’m sorry about him. His people skills aren’t the best.”
Rhys snorted. “That’s putting it mildly.”
Paige ignored him and went on, “The tanks are behind the center. Feel free to see if you can get them to start. But that’s all we have to offer.”
“Thank you.”
I motioned for my guys to follow me. Paige, Darren, Rhys, and Austin didn’t follow us, which I found strange.
When we were out of earshot, I said, “They must have a lot of manpower here to just let us walk in.”
Grey replied, “I disagree, Boss. I think it’s just the four of them.”
Ahead, several tanks came into view. Noah took off, reminding me of a kid at Christmas.
Dave said, “If anyone can get them started, it’s him.”
We watched as Noah bounced from tank to tank. Then, he started moving parts around while muttering to himself.
“Does he need help?” Grey asked.
Jeff shook his head. “This is how he works. Just watch.”
Noah went back and forth for the next hour. Finally, he came over to us.
“Let’s see if I still have it.” He grinned. “I’m certain number two will start. She’s going to be my winner.”
He went to the second one, climbing inside. A moment later the tank came to life.
I grinned. “Holy shit. That kid is going to save us all.”
Paige, Austin and Rhys came outside, sans Darren. My gut twisted. This had been too easy. What if it was a trap? Or, worse, what if they changed their minds now that the tank was working?
Paige clapped her hands together, making her look very young. “Oh gosh! You got it working!”
Dave grinned. “Noah is a wizard with vehicles.”
Austin asked, “Can he take a look at our car?”
Noah killed the tank and climbed out, beaming. “Damn, I’ve missed the sound of a tank.”
Harper shook his head. “You need a life, kid.”
I said, “Noah, can you look at their car for them? See if you can get it started?”
“Sure thing. Just show me where.”
Grey said in a low tone, “Think I’ll stay here and protect our new find.”
Nodding, I followed Paige around the building. Darren leaned inside hood of a car. I put my hand on my pistol, just in case. Noah went to the car, looking down.
“It’s the spark plugs.”
Darren glared. “How do you know?”
“I just do.”
Darren muttered something as he walked away. A moment later he came back with a part in his hand.
Noah said, “I can do it.” He took the part and fiddled around under the hood. “Okay, give it a start.”
Darren grumbled, but got into the car. It roared to life when he turned the key.
Paige hugged Noah. “Thank you so much!”
His face turned bright red. “I have a girlfriend.”
This made everyone laugh, except for Noah.
Jeff said, “The kid doesn’t get out much.”
Paige replied, “I’m just so glad you all came along. Otherwise, I’m not sure what we would have done.”
I looked around, noticing there were no signs that anyone else was here. Maybe Grey was right. Maybe it was just the four of them here. That wasn’t any way to live.
“The four of you could always come back with us. We have a community that will be untouchable once we take care of our current situation.”
Paige looked at Austin.
He shook his head. “We thank you for the offer, but I think it’s best if we part ways here.”
“Are you moving on soon?”
He replied, “Once the weather is better. Thinking of heading out west.”
Paige frowned at that, as if she didn’t want to leave.
Dave said, “You aren’t going to find whatever it is you’re looking for. We came all the way from Boston. Nothing is safe anymore.”
“Appreciate your opinion, but, as I said, I think it’s best if we part ways here.”
Paige touched his arm. “Maybe we could go and help them?”
The dynamic of this group was interesting. At first, I’d thought Rhys was her dad. Now, it felt like maybe Austin was her father, except for the way he looked at her. That definitely wasn’t father-like.
Austin said, “Paige-”
“If someone took me and you came across new people, I’d expect you to ask them for help. And, if they offered, I’d want you to take it.”
Damn. This woman didn’t
mess around.
Austin said, “We’ll talk about it later.”
The look Paige gave him was an outright challenge.
I said, “We’ve taken up enough of your time. We should leave.”
“Yeah you have,” Darren muttered.
Dave rolled his eyes and asked, “Don’t suppose there’s a trailer we can borrow to haul the tank?”
Austin shook his head. “Afraid not.”
Jeff said, “I’ll drive it back. Might take me a bit, but I’ll get it home without anyone seeing it.”
I nodded. “Good. Let’s go then.” To Paige, I said, “Thank you for your help.”
“How do we find your place, if I can convince these stubborn men to help?”
I told her how to find the hospital.
“Do you have a handheld radio?”
Austin nodded.
“Go to channel fifteen. That’s where we usually talk. Just announce yourself when you get within three miles, so our spotters know you’re a friend.”
Austin nodded, and I knew we’d been dismissed.
Jeff said, “If I’m not back in a day, you’ll know something happened. Just know I’ll go down fighting.”
Dave replied, “Wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
I said, “Let’s go. We need to get home and put a plan together.”
I prayed we’d gathered enough weapons to kill every last fucker in Air’s group. Because none of them were going to walk away when this was over.
Four
Elijah
When we left the center, Grey looked over his shoulder. “Think she’s fucking all three of them?”
Dave replied wryly, “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”
Grey slapped his knee. “I knew it! You have to tell me how it works! Do you each take turns? Have a certain night of the week? Are you Nikki’s brother-husbands?”
Everyone roared with laughter. Noah met my gaze in the rearview mirror. His face was bright red, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Grey, lay off. It’s none of our business.”
“Fine, fine. But you can’t blame me for wondering.” He jabbed a finger over his shoulder. “And that shit back there was freaky. All three of those men are old enough to be her father.”
Dave replied, “Maybe she has a daddy fetish.”
Noah let out a loud sigh. “Can we please talk about anything else but this?”