Daisy and the Dead (Book 6): Elijah and the End

by Bale, Sarah

  “Elijah-”

  “Daisy, I swear to god nothing will happen to you. I can’t make you believe that, so I’ll have to show you.” He stood. “It’s my turn to patrol. I’ll see you tonight.”

  But we both knew he wouldn’t. He would sleep in the other room and we wouldn’t see each other until tomorrow and that might be too late.

  “Elijah, we need to talk. Please listen to-”

  He simply shook his head and left me sitting on my bed. Tears filled my eyes and I blinked them away. How in the fuck was I supposed to tell him what happened when he wouldn’t even stick around long enough to hear what I had to say?

  Thirteen

  Daisy

  I found Grey and Kat in their room. Grey held baby Hilly and was making silly faces at her while she cooed back at him. It was the sweetest thing I’d seen in a long time. I tapped on the door, hating to interrupt their private moment.

  “Mind if I come in?”

  Kat’s eyes widened, but Grey motioned me in.

  “Of course. I was just telling my little girl all about my day.”

  Kat made a face at that. “More like scaring the shit out of her by talking about the Dead.”

  Grey shook his head and asked me, “How’d it go with Boss?”

  “Not so good. He – he didn’t want to listen when I mentioned Air.”

  Kat’s eyes were wide again as she asked, “What were you going to tell him?”

  “Everything.”

  Grey replied, “That’s understandable. Air is the man who hurt you. Can’t say I’d do anything different if I was in the same situation.”

  “The problem is, he needs to hear what I have to say.” I glanced at Kat. “He needs to know what Air is planning.”

  She gave me a slight smile, letting me know she was proud of me. As strange as it was, knowing we were on the same page made me feel like things might be able to get back to normal in my life.

  Grey said, “Try again tonight. Maybe he’ll want to talk after having some time to gather his thoughts.”

  Time is what I didn’t have. I nodded.

  “I’m going to take a nap. Today has been draining.”

  That wasn’t a lie. They both were silent when I left. I didn’t want to go back to my room, so I made my way to the front lobby. There was an old couch there that no one ever used and was in a corner of the room where I wouldn’t be bothered.

  Curling into a ball, I held my knees close to my body and let my thoughts wander. Why wouldn’t Elijah listen to me? Sure, we had communication problems when we first got together, but since then things had been good. Deep down I knew this was because he felt like he’d let me down, but that wasn’t the case. If anything, I was the one to blame. I was the one who went out there, foolishly trying to make peace with a madman. If I had just stayed put-

  The front door opened and a gust of wind blew into the room, making me shiver.

  Elijah called out, “Grey, you in here?”

  From down the hallway, Grey answered, “What’s going on?”

  I was about to sit, when Elijah spoke again, making me freeze in place.

  “We’re going tonight.”

  Grey asked, his voice closer, “You sure that’s a good idea, Boss?”

  “It’s now or never. We know where Air is, thanks to the fucker we caught. This ends tonight.”

  There was a pause.

  “Alright. I’ll let Kat know I’m leaving.”

  Elijah replied, “Just make sure she knows not to tell Daisy.”

  Glaring, I burrowed against the couch in anger. So, he thought he was just going to fucking leave me behind after I had told him my feelings?

  Their footsteps faded as they went their separate ways. I stood, feeling sick. For the first time since I’d been home, I was glad I hadn’t told him that I was pregnant. Because he was likely to lock my ass up just to keep me safe. I snorted to myself as I went back to my room to get my bag.

  One would think that Elijah would eventually get it through his thick head that things tended to backfire when he kept me out of the loop.

  Elijah

  Grey gathered his men while I went to find Dave. Grey had seemed ticked off when I told him I didn’t want Daisy to know, which confused me. He, out of all people, should understand how I felt. He damn sure wouldn’t want to put Kat in danger if this were reversed and I wouldn’t blame him a damn bit for it.

  Dave, Harper, Rocco, and Jeff came to the lobby with me, ready for what was coming. Nikki had been in the shower, so Dave let her know they were leaving, stressing not to tell Daisy. I just needed to know Daisy was safe before I went out there to kill Air.

  I said, “We have to move quick on this one. Air doesn’t know we know where he’s at.”

  It was a stroke of luck, really. The man we’d caught earlier in the day had told us everything we needed to know. Air was back at a previous location, proving our suspicions, but had plans to move again before the end of the week. The man also hinted that there was turmoil amongst those who were still at Air’s camp. They were scared, after seeing so many of their people die, and wanted to go home. Air refused to listen to them.

  I felt a twinge of guilt as the man’s screams echoed in my memory. We could have let him go, I supposed, but it was better this way. If we killed them, then we didn’t have to worry about them coming back to seek revenge. No, when this was over every last one of them would be dead.

  Rocco cracked his knuckles. “Air will be dead before the sun rises.”

  There was a round of agreement from the men.

  Grey said, “I hate to be that person, but Air’s been one step ahead of us. What if this is another game? It seems convenient that we got such a good tip today.”

  “I’ve thought about that. Either way, we’re going to end this. We’re going to bring enough ammo to out gun them. And if that doesn’t work, we’ll burn them alive inside.”

  Grey blinked at me once before nodding. “Sounds good to me.”

  I said, “I just need to check on Daisy before I leave. Make sure she’s okay.”

  Grey replied, “We’ll get the rest of the men gathered.”

  I went to my room, but Daisy wasn’t there. Dread filled my stomach and I tried not to panic. Where was she? After checking a few more locations, I ran back to the lobby.

  “Has anyone seen Daisy?” Panic rioted in my chest.

  She came forward, glaring. “Right here.”

  What was she doing in the lobby? Why wasn’t she in our room? I wanted to ask, but knew I was wasting precious time each moment that I was here.

  “I have to take care of something, but I’ll be back late, so don’t wait up for me.”

  “It’s late now. Where are you going?”

  I replied, “Going out to Marshall’s. Then we’re going to do some patrolling.”

  Daisy looked around. “Seems like there’s a lot of you going just for a patrol, especially when you’ve already been out once today.”

  She wasn’t buying my story. I shot her a smile, trying to appear at ease.

  “Better safe than sorry.”

  “Elijah, why are you lying to me?”

  I blinked down at her. “I’m not lying-”

  “Yes, you are.” Her jaw clenched. “I heard what you said to Grey. You know where Air’s at and you’re going to kill him. But you weren’t planning on telling me.”

  “Daisy-”

  “I’m only going to say this once. If you’re telling the truth, then go. But, if you’re lying to me, then you better think on this real hard. Because I won’t be with you if I find out you’re lying.”

  My chest tightened. “What are you saying?”

  “Elijah, I am your equal. But you haven’t treated me like one since I got back. Hell, you wouldn’t even listen to me earlier today. So, if you’re going out there to kill Air, just tell me and let me get my gun so I can be there.”

  No! That was the last thing I wanted! If she was out there, I wouldn’t be able
to protect her.

  I shook my head, “It’s too dangerous.”

  “Fuck that and fuck you.” She poked her finger against my chest. “You’re not going to keep me on a shelf, like I’ll break.”

  “I can’t let you go out there, Daisy. If something happens to you-”

  She snorted. “Something already did happen. Hate to break it to you.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “I do. That’s why I’m here. I was going to go out there on my own, but then I thought about how pissed I’d be if you did that to me. So, I came here to give you a chance to be honest to me.” She inhaled. “I have to be there, Elijah.”

  I knew she was serious, but I couldn’t lose her again. I motioned Dave and Hunter forward.

  “It’s too risky, Daisy. You’re staying here. That’s final.”

  Hunter and Dave grabbed her by the arms. Her eyes widened before she fought back. I wondered what Air had done to her to make her fight like this. Her scream filled the lobby and Grey came to my side.

  “What in the fuck are you doing, Boss?”

  “Keeping her safe.” I said to Dave, “Take her to the extra room.”

  She fought harder as they drug her away. Her words to me echoed down the hallway.

  “Fuck you, Elijah. I’ll never forgive you for this!”

  I knew she wasn’t lying, but I had to protect her, no matter what it cost me.

  I turned to Grey, “We leave in ten.”

  Daisy

  My throat was raw from screaming. It hadn’t done any good, but I felt better. I still couldn’t believe Elijah locked me in a fucking room. A room that didn’t even have windows, so I couldn’t escape.

  There was a knock on the door.

  “Daisy? I’m coming in.”

  The door opened and Kat came in with Nikki at her side.

  “Are they gone?”

  Kat nodded. “They left thirty minutes ago.”

  “Fuck!”

  I started to move, but Kat held up her hands. “Wait.”

  “I have to go! I have to be the one who ends this.”

  “I know.” She shook her head. “Boss shouldn’t have done that to you. And I’m sorry for not helping you sooner.”

  “Thank you.”

  “We’re going with you, though,” Nikki added. “You’re not doing this alone.”

  I started to protest, but realized that I had no right to. This war with Air had affected everyone in one way or another. Who was I to say who could or couldn’t fight? But, I knew that Air would show no mercy. I needed to make sure that Kat and Nikki were prepared.

  “What about baby Hilly?”

  Kat replied, “Jo and Norm are watching her. And if something happens to me or Grey, then I’ll die knowing my baby is safe.”

  There was a flutter in my own stomach. Was I wrong for putting this child in danger? I didn’t have an answer for that.

  Nikki said, “We should go, if we want to catch up to them.”

  I followed them from the room where we ran into Theo.

  He had a hard look on his face. “I heard what that fucker did to you. Are you okay?”

  I nodded. “I’m fine, but we’re leaving.”

  “Figured as much. I’m coming, too.”

  “Theo, you can’t. If something happens to you, I don’t know if Cooper will be able to handle it.”

  He shook his head. “Cooper isn’t himself right now.”

  The sad look on his face said it all. He needed to do this, too.

  I said, “Let’s go.”

  We made our way outside, where the sun was already setting. I hated that this was happening at night. Air would have the advantage. If Elijah would have listened to me…

  Kat said, “There’s a truck by the old barn that we can take. It’s what they were using to carry off the bodies.”

  The bodies of the people they had hurt to get answers about me. I frowned, but headed toward the barn. I was surprised to see blood covering the ground. What had Elijah done to get me back? Young Matthew’s face crossed my mind. He shouldn’t have been killed, especially by us. We were supposed to be the good people.

  Theo said, “Looks like some shit went down here.”

  Kat nodded. “This is how we were able to find Daisy, so I guess it was worth it.”

  Was it, though?

  We all climbed into the truck, which was a tight squeeze. No one wanted to sit in the bed of the truck, which was stained with dried blood as well. I’d even caught a whiff of the coppery scent that lingered as we walked by.

  Theo asked, “Anyone know where we’re going?”

  I cringed. Fuck. I hadn’t even thought of that! We’d never be able to catch up to Elijah and the others if we didn’t know where to go.

  Kat, who was driving, said, “Grey told me where Air and his group were spotted before he left. He wasn’t too happy with Boss.”

  I let out a laugh. “I’m not, either, but I’ll deal with that later.”

  Nikki said, “I can’t believe they’re rushing into this blindly. This reeks of a trap.”

  “That’s what I said to Grey,” Kat added with a frown. “He agreed, but couldn’t let Boss go out there alone.”

  I said, “All Elijah can focus on is Air, which is what Air wants. He’s not looking at the bigger picture.”

  Theo asked, “What’s our plan? How do we want to run this?”

  I replied, “If Air knows Elijah is on his way, then he’s going to be ready for them, which means he’ll be expecting us, too. We’re going to have to go in packing and, if push comes to shove, then we go down fighting.”

  Kat said, “Fuck, Daisy. When did you become such a badass?”

  “When I let myself get captured.”

  It was the truth. I’d made a mistake once. It wasn’t going to fucking happen again.

  Fourteen

  Daisy

  As soon as Kat told me where Air and his men had been spotted I knew it was a trap.

  “He knows this place better than any other place he stayed at,” I said.

  Theo replied, “We’re going to come out of this okay.”

  I prayed he was right.

  The mall came into sight in the distance. We parked and traveled the rest of the way on foot. Just seeing the building by the old mall made my skin crawl. It seemed smaller than I remembered, but also more ominous, if that was possible.

  “This was the same place I was able to escape Air.” I shook my head. “For a moment, at least.”

  Theo’s arm went around my shoulder and he gave me a quick squeeze.

  Nikki said, “This place gives me the creeps.”

  I replied, “Me, too. It feels like a bad omen being here.”

  Kat asked, “Do you remember how many entrances and exits there were?”

  “Two, that I know of. There might have been more in the back, though.”

  Theo said, “I say we go to the mall and get some altitude. See what things look like from above.”

  “The second level of the mall was filled with the Dead,” I said, remembering. “I don’t think we should go in there.”

  He gave me a small smile. “There should be access to the roof from the outside. We just have to find it.”

  That made sense, and was also probably what Air’s men had done. We made our way around the mall, never crossing paths with anyone or anything. Theo pointed to a ladder that led to the roof.

  I said, “Sure wish I’d thought about this when I got away last time. All I did was run into a building full of the Dead.”

  My attempt at humor fell short if the looks on their faces was any indication.

  Kat said, “You tried to get away. That’s more than most would have attempted.”

  I nodded, but couldn’t shake the feeling we were being watched. Theo went up the ladder first and I followed with Kat and Nikki right behind me. The air was colder on the roof and I shivered. But at least this time I had a jacket, gun, knife, and ammo. More importantly, at lea
st I wasn’t alone.

  We crept to the edge of the roof, making sure not to step in any soft spots.

  Nikki said, “This would be a death trap if you weren’t able to see the rotten spots.”

  Kat pointed, “Looks like someone found that out the hard way.”

  I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it or not, but the groans of the Dead seemed to linger in the air.

  Theo whispered, “Get down!”

  We all crouched next to Theo. Two men stood in front of the building, looking toward the east.

  “What are they waiting on?” Kat muttered.

  A van pulled up and Air climbed out, looking happier than I’d ever seen him. The look of joy on his face terrified me.

  My finger hovered over the trigger. Just one shot-

  Theo said, “Hold up. They’re bringing someone out of the van.”

  I should have expected it, but when they pulled the sack off and I saw Elijah, I gasped. He was bloodied and bruised, much like I had been a few weeks ago. My heart ached seeing him like that, but I had to focus!

  “Fuck,” Kat muttered. “They have Boss. Who else do they have?”

  I replied, “We have to assume they have everyone.”

  Because I knew Air. This is what he had wanted the entire time.

  I said, “We have to take him out. If we don’t, we’re going to end up playing another game with him.”

  I looked through the scope, steading my shot.

  “Hands up.”

  Guns cocked from behind us and I let out a curse.

  One of the men said over a radio, “We have more of them.”

  Air’s voice came over. “Is she there?”

  “She is.”

  My skin crawled. There was no need for him to say my name. We all knew I was who he was referring to.

  “Good. Bring them down, brother. You have done well.”