My teeth pressed together and my jaw muscles tensed. “It’s none of your business,” I repeated saying each word slowly.
Nick held up his hands and took a step back. “Okay, okay.” Nick turned, and muttered, “but he seems like a fucking pansy.”
Bronx chuckled.
“As if you’re a good judge of character,” I said crossing my arms. My blood was bubbling. Nick always was good at getting on my nerves.
Nick looked as though I’d hit him in the stomach. He’d always thought he was a good judge of character, and that’s why he believed he was a good cop.
And he was wrong. Jamie wasn’t afraid, he was smart. It wasn’t like I knew him well, but he didn’t seem like the type that would take risks. He was the exact opposite of Nick, which was why I liked him.
I mean, I liked him in that I thought he was nice. Yeah, he was good-looking, but I had a lot of other things on my mind far more important to worry about.
“Let’s get out of here,” Nick said turning his back to me. “Waste of time.”
“What about this?” Bronx said pulling a long hunting knife out of a light brown decorated sheath.
Nick shrugged. “Better than nothing, but it’s not going to save you against a bullet.”
“No, no it won’t,” Bronx said attaching the knife to his pants. “But it’s better than a broom.”
I glared at him, and he turned away. I was having instant regrets about coming along with the two amigos. Especially because I hadn’t learned anything new about the outside world.
“Is there anywhere else we can check out?” Bronx asked.
Nick tapped his finger to his chin. He was probably mentally going through city maps in his head.
“There are other places, but too far for today,” Nick said glancing at me. “Might have to try again another time.”
Bronx nodded. “So, when do you think we should leave for your grandma’s? I mean if we’re planning on more trips out for weapons.”
“I don’t know,” I said before Nick could respond. “We should make sure we have enough packed up, check the bags you had us pack. After seeing those guys… I think maybe my brother is right for the first time in his life and that we need to be prepared.”
Nick chuckled.
“Once we’re armed and well-rested we should head out,” I said staring toward the window. It was odd, but I was almost used to the red glow.
“Are you still feeling ill?” Nick asked, his eyebrows squeezed together with concern.
I shook my head. “No, for the most part, I’m fine, but Maggie still seems exhausted.”
“That’s more from the loss than it is from the illness,” Bronx said lowering his gaze. “They were engaged. Those two were sewn together at the hip. A broken heart for her was probably worse than death.”
His words tugged at my heart. I hadn’t had anyone like that in my life, but it made me think of losing my mom. The pain was deep. Unrepairable. I could only imagine what Maggie was going through.
“She’s a really sweet gal. Tried to set me up with a friend of hers… then all this happened,” Bronx said looking down at his feet. He looked back up at my brother wearing a half-grin. “Shit happens, eh?”
“You said it, man,” Nick said nodding his head.
“Anyway,” Bronx said shifting his weight back and forth. It was like he was trying to shake our eyes off of him. “Should we get back?”
Nick nodded as he walked past him toward the door. He stepped on an old paper coffee cup that crunched loudly under his weight.
“You hear that?” a faint voice whispered from outside of the building.
Nick held his finger to his lip and with the other hand frantically waved for us to get down. I lowered myself soundlessly to my knees behind one of the broken, empty gun cases.
My eyes were so wide, they started to water at the corners. I looked around hoping a gun would materialize, but the only thing around was broken glass.
My fingers trembled as I reached out for a long shard of glass. I looked out as I leaned to the side, pressing my lips tightly together when someone stepped into view.
Twelve
I pulled back before he’d seen me. At least I was pretty sure I had.
I hadn’t seen where Nick or Bronx had hid, but if they were in sight, I’m sure I would have heard by now. It was one of the men in gas masks that had been out there, and while I’d only seen one, I was sure he wasn’t alone.
“Came from in there,” a man said.
There was a long pause before a loud crunch filled the air. “You’re imagining things. There isn’t anyone in there.”
“Yeah, I guess,” the man responded in a squeaky voice filled with uncertainty. He sounded young… a teenager? “I’m paranoid, you know. God, I hate this shit.”
There was a loud slapping noise followed by a grunt. “Grow a spine, boy. You’re going to need it if you plan to make it out of here alive. The world has crumbled, and the only ones that will survive are the strong.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m working on it.”
“Good boy. Now, let’s get back.” It was so quiet I could hear the rustling of their clothing as they started to walk away. “We have so much to do.”
I didn’t move. Even when I couldn’t hear their movements any longer, I still hadn’t moved.
It was probably a solid twenty minutes before Nick crept over to me. My eyes were filled with panic as I looked up at him, afraid at any second his head was going to get blown off. I didn’t like my brother, but I didn’t want him dead. And I definitely didn’t want to witness his death.
“They’re gone,” he whispered.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
Nick reached out his hand. “Positive.”
I ignored his hand and slowly got to my feet. Bronx was standing near the front of the building, gripping his new hunting knife tightly in his hand.
He looked over at me, and I was sure he could see how much I was shaking. Both he and my brother probably thought I was a pansy too, not that I cared.
“Let’s get moving before they decide to come back,” Nick whispered.
We darted out of the building and ran down the sidewalk back toward the apartment building. I jumped over bodies and debris. Nick was behind me, but it felt like we were being chased. I was afraid that if I turned around the men in gas masks would be a block behind us, aiming their guns at us.
My breaths were rapid, and it felt like my heart rate was not only fast but erratic. When my apartment building came into view, I didn’t relax, even when we stepped inside the entranceway and slightly slowed our pace.
We moved quickly up the stairs. I pulled out my key before we even made it to the door.
The moment I inserted it into the lock, Jamie pulled the door open.
“Jesus, you guys sound like a herd of elephants out there,” Jamie said, the happy look on his face quickly falling off his face and being replaced by worry. “What happened?”
Nick pushed past him and quickly closed the door behind us. He locked the door, pressed his back against it, and slid down to his bottom. He was breathing so quickly he couldn’t respond.
Jamie turned to me, his eyes wide with long pauses between each blink. “Gwen?”
“Nothing happened,” I said between breaths.
“Yeah, sure,” Jamie said crossing his arms. After he finished staring at me, his eyes shifted over to Nick’s.
“Okay,” I said holding up my hand. “Those guys with the masks were out there. They didn’t see us.”
Jamie narrowed his eyes. “What were you running from?”
“Just running to get the hell back here,” Bronx said walking into the kitchen and helping himself to a bottle of water.
Jamie’s eyes were back on me. I smiled.
“It’s fine. I promise. We just got spooked,” I said.
Jamie glanced over his shoulder at Blair and Maggie as if looking for support. “I don’t call that spooked.”
; “How about weapons?” Blair asked, glancing at the new blade at Bronx’s hip.
“Everything was gone,” Nick said, noticing where her eyes had landed. “Except for that.”
“Well, that’s not a good sign, right?” Jamie asked.
Nick pushed himself to his feet. “Let’s try not to read too much into it. It could just mean we aren’t the only ones who want to protect ourselves.”
Maggie walked back over to her sleeping area and laid down. She curled up, hugging her knees to her chest as she stared at the wall.
Jamie’s his shifted to each of us before jerking his head to the kitchen. My eyes narrowed, and I cross my eyes as I followed him. Nick, Blair, and Bronx were close behind.
“She was like this the whole time you were gone,” Jamie said. “Staring. Occasionally whimpering.”
“She’s been through a lot,” Bronx said quickly.
“We all have,” Blair said chewing her lip.
Nick held up his hand. He was interested in what else Jamie had to say, or maybe it was because he knew that if we were going to leave, Maggie would have to come with us.
“Of course we have,” Nick said, turning to Jamie. “Go on.”
“She mentioned something to me,” Blair said, glancing at Jamie first. It was like she wasn’t sure she should be mentioning it. “She was on medication.”
“What kind of medication?” Nick asked, crossing his arms.
Jamie shook her head. “She wouldn’t say.”
“I think it’s for depression or something like that,” Blair whispered somewhat too loudly. Jamie glared at her. “What?”
“We don’t know what it was other than it’s in her apartment and she refuses to go in there,” Jamie said.
“You were going to take her down there while we were gone?” I asked my tone a touch too tart.
Jamie shook his head. “No, of course not. I do wonder if maybe someone should go down there, but after the way you guys rushed in here, I’m rethinking that idea.”
“I can hear you guys, you know that right?” Maggie said.
Bronx stepped away from us and over to Maggie. “What do you need? I’ll get it for you.”
“My prescription,” Maggie said dryly. “It’s next to the sink. I doubt it’ll help anyway.”
Bronx looked at Nick. “I’ll be right back.”
“There, and then right back,” Nick said.
Bronx nodded and looked out of the peephole before stepping into the hall. He vanished from sight before Nick had even closed the door.
Jamie pulled me to the side, close to my bedroom and away from the others. He looked me up and down as if checking for something.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asked.
I glanced over my shoulder positive Nick was staring at us. My shoulders relaxed when I spotted him on the sofa with his back toward us.
“Yeah,” I said smiling with my eyes as much as my mouth.
He hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth. “What was it like out there?”
“The smell is overpowering, the quiet is terrifying, the feeling that things are lurking in every shadow causes heart-stopping anxiety, but otherwise it was fine.” I grinned. “I’m glad to be back inside my apartment.”
“Does that mean you changed your mind about leaving?”
I shook my head. “No. I can’t.” I lowered my gaze. “She needs me.”
“Oh, God!” Maggie cried out as she sat up abruptly grabbing her chest.
Nick popped up and was at her side in less than a second. His hands were on her shoulders while his eyes moved over her body, examining her condition.
“My chest!” she cried. “I think I’m dying.”
Jamie ran across the room, jumping over my coffee table while I dashed into the kitchen to get her some water.
Maggie was taking in sharp frantic breaths. Her hands clawing at the fabric of her shirt.
“I… can’t… breathe,” Maggie said, as I knelt down and held out the water. Nick grabbed the bottle and twisted off the cap. He helped her take a sip.
“Take deep breaths,” Nick said. He widened his eyes and sucked in a deep breath as if showing her how to do it.
Maggie’s eyes locked with Nick’s and she followed his lead. She breathed in and out at the exact same times he did. After a few minutes, her hand fell away from her chest.
“There,” Nick said, his hand patting her shoulder. “Better?”
“Yes,” Maggie said lowering herself back down. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” Nick’s smile showed off his perfect rows of teeth. No doubt grandma had paid for the braces he’d had in his teens. He stood and held out his arms. “Let’s give her some room.”
Not that I would ever admit it, but I was a little impressed with how my brother handled Maggie. Although she was back to staring blankly.
“Thanks for helping her,” I said scrunching my nose slightly at the tangy words.
“Yeah of course,” Nick said leaning closer. “Panic attack. Just like mom.”
I pressed my lips together remembering the few I’d witnessed. They’d put Maggie’s to shame, well at least this one.
The quick succession of knocks at the door interrupted my thoughts. There was no doubt they came from a desperate fist.
Nick dashed over to the door and peeked out before quickly pulling it open. Bronx stepped inside shaking his head.
“Fuck!” Bronx said, his skin pale. He shuddered when Nick flipped the lock into place. “God dammit!”
Bronx leaned forward placing his hands on his knees. He was working hard to catch his breath.
“I ran up the fucking stairs,” Bronx said as if that hadn’t been obvious. “Those bastards were outside. The masks.”
“Outside?” Nick asked, his eyebrows were squeezed together forming a long caterpillar across his forehead.
Bronx swallowed. “Just outside the entrance.”
“Did they see you?” Nick asked as he strode over to the window.
Bronx shook his head. “No… I… I don’t think so.”
Nick pulled back the curtain slowly, and when he froze, I knew they were out there.
Thirteen
I started toward the window, but Jamie grabbed my arm. At the same moment, Nick held up his palm to stop me.
“They’re just cutting through the yard,” Nick said. “I wonder if they’re stationed nearby.”
I followed his eyes as they moved over to Maggie. She didn’t seem to be paying any attention to what was happening at that moment. Maggie was more wrapped up in what was happening inside her brain.
“We really need to think about leaving soon,” Nick said, his voice pillow soft, and his eyes glued to mine. “They’re gone.”
Nick stepped away from the window and started to pace. I could feel Jamie’s body tensing with every passing second.
“Instead of going back out there to look for weapons, how about we check the other apartments,” Nick said stopping his feet. He clasped his hands behind his back and rocked back on his heels. “Someone in here must have something.”
“It’s possible,” Bronx said, nodding.
“Sounds safer,” Jamie said glancing toward the window. “At least a little.”
Nick clapped his hands together, shoving them in his pockets when the sharp noise echoed in the corner of the quiet room.
“There are a few hours of day left, should we go see what we can find?” Nick asked his eyes firmly placed on Bronx.
“Sure,” Bronx said straightening his spine. “Let’s go.”
It was clear I wasn’t invited, which was fine because I didn’t want to go. I’d had enough excitement for one day.
It wasn’t long after they were gone I felt the tension finally leave my body. At least part of the tightness in my muscles could have been blamed on Nick.
I sat at my kitchen table, snacking on crackers while Blair and Jamie sat in the living room. Blair flipped through an old magazine and Jamie was twisti
ng his fingers as he kept an eye on Maggie.
Each bite I took seemed to thunder through the room, but if the others heard it, they made no mention of it. I pushed the crackers away, put my elbow on the table and rested my head down on my fist.
The room was silent except for the occasional rustling of the magazine pages. I started reading the nutritional value on the cracker box for the sixth time.
Both my mind and body were tired, but I wanted to wait for Nick and Bronx to return before excusing myself to my room. The daylight seemed to be vanishing quicker than it had the other days and when I heard the distant rumble of thunder, I knew why.
I walked over to the window and watched the clouds as they rolled in. Maybe the storm would help with the temperature although I was certain my apartment would be stuffy for as long as we were all packed inside.
With the vanishing light, Nick and Bronx would probably be back soon. They wouldn’t be able to get much searching done in the darkness.
Jamie caught my eye as I looked toward the door, and I wondered if he’d had the same thought. With every passing second, I was expecting their knock, but it didn’t happen.
Jamie got up and lit the candles. The light danced across his face as he looked into my eyes from only a few feet away.
“They should be back by now,” his voice thick with worry.
Blair looked up suddenly interested… and concerned.
“Should you go look for them?” Blair asked. “He is your brother.”
“What? No,” Jamie said shaking his head. “That’s a terrible idea. No one is leaving this apartment.”
There was a long silence. Blair didn’t look away from Jamie, her expression unreadable.
“They can take care of themselves,” Jamie said stepping to the side. “Excuse me.”
He walked into the kitchen and turned his back to us. I turned and smiled at Blair.
“He’s right. My brother can definitely take care of himself,” I said, but my eyes narrowed awkwardly.
He hadn’t always been able to take care of himself, but he’d always been strong. And that was mostly what I was referring to because if anything went wrong, he’d find a way to survive.
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