by AJ Adaire
Other Books by AJ Adaire
I Love My Life
It’s Complicated
One Day Longer Than Forever
Friend Series
Sunset Island - Book 1
The Interim (a novelette)
Awaiting My Assignment - Book 2
Anything Your Heart Desires - Book 3
Journey To You
By AJ Adaire
©2015 AJ Adaire
This is a work of fiction - names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual person living or dead, business, events or locales is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
For permission requests, write to the publisher at [email protected], or
Attention: Permissions Coordinator.
Desert Palm Press
1961 Main Street, Suite 220
Watsonville, California 95076
www.desertpalmpress.com
Editor: CK King
Cover Design: AJ Adaire
Cover Art: Deposit Photos: Hackman/ysbrand/Remains
Blurb
What do you do if you are one of the few who remain alive after a mysterious, flu-like virus claims most of the global population? This is a question Kim Robins and Peri Henderson have to answer when the world changes and society falls apart.
Violent gangs of looters make it unsafe to remain in the city. Hoping to improve their chances for survival, Kim and Peri decide to hike into the remote forest area of Maine.
Dangerous circumstances along the trail cause the women to join forces with another hiker and her dog. The longtime friends and their new companions set off on a daunting trek filled with both menacing and kindhearted survivors.
With evidence of the illness everywhere they go, will this journey bring each of the women the happiness and safety she seeks?
Acknowledgment
Thank you to all of you who read an earlier version of this story and encouraged me to try something just a bit different
DEDICATION
Alzheimer's has stolen most of my mother's memory. Luckily, she still remembers me and my partner. This much is a blessing. I wish she remembered more, but am thankful for what we can still share. Although she will not know I have dedicated this book to her, I will...and that is some consolation.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
About AJ Adaire
Other Books by AJ Adaire
Chapter One
April 15, in the not too distant future
THE SMELL OF DEATH hung heavy in the air. A terrifying scream raised the hair on the back of Peri’s neck and set her nerves on high alert. Staying low, she crept across the floor and stood next to the edge of the window. Her pulse pounded. She could feel it throb in her temples as she slowly lifted the flap she’d cut in the shade and peered out into the darkness.
The other inhabitants of her small apartment house had either already fled or passed away. Peri Henderson had managed to survive by stealing food and supplies from her neighbors. Despite knowing they wouldn’t need the things she took, guilt still gnawed at her. Sleep was sporadic for more reasons than the obvious.
Below her, the terror from the dark street exploded again. The young boy voiced his fear as he ran from the group chasing him down the street. Early in the epidemic, people tried to help each other. Lately, survivors had begun to form packs or gangs to lay claim to areas of the city. Sounds of them roaming the streets had become ever more common. Someone always wants to be top dog. Why can’t we all work together to help each other? At best, only a few days remain before they’ll discover me. She’d hatched and discarded one escape plan after another. Viable options seemed limited and all included one similarity—relocation. I need to move somewhere safer, but where?
She risked another peek out the window. The young man darted between the abandoned cars and disappeared around the corner. Peri sighed in relief and said a silent prayer for him. She lowered the flap into place and slid down the wall, her hands clutched to her head, tears brimming in her eyes.
Crouched in the darkness, Peri reached into her shirt and pulled out the locket Trish had given her on her thirtieth birthday. A month later she’d given Trish a matching one for their fifth anniversary. Light was unnecessary. For eight years, the small oval locket had been her most treasured possession. She had no problem picturing it in her mind. Her fingers traced the familiar pattern etched in the silver, before she grasped it in her palm and held it to her heart. She took comfort from knowing that Trish’s image rested inside. Peri recalled the day they’d placed the pictures in the lockets.
“Come on over here and sit on this rock wall,” Trish directed. “I want to get a picture of those gorgeous eyes of yours.”
Peri smiled. “You’ve always told me how you fell in love with me because of my eyes. You’ve told me more than once, ‘I saw those eyes from across the room when we first met.’”
“It’s true. They called my name and I came running.” Trish leaned over and gave Peri a quick smooch on the nose. “Look up and smile big.”
Peri caught Trish’s belt loop and pulled her closer. “You know I’m a sucker for your kisses. If you want me to be cooperative, you’d better make it worth my while.”
A smile curled Trish’s mouth and her eyes softened. She leaned in and placed another lingering kiss, taking her time, her tongue teasing Peri’s. “I love you,” she whispered, standing up. “Now, are you going to let me take your picture?”
“I love you, too.” She caressed Trish’s face and looked into the soft brown-eyed gaze. “Hey, Ansel Adams, back up there and show me your stuff.”
The camera clicked several times, taking a series of shots.
“How many pictures do you need to take? No wonder you take good photos, Trish. How can you go wrong with ten shots of the same thing?”
“Ah! My secret is out. I’m bound to get at least one good one with ten to choose from. Now, it’s my turn. Come over here and put your feet where mine are.”
Peri did as requested.
“Stand here.” Trish stepped aside and Peri stepped into her footprints. Trish fiddled with the settings before handing over the camera. “I’ll go sit over there,
and you can take my photo. It’ll be perfect, I promise. Please push that button when I get settled.”
Later that evening Trish printed out the photos, and each woman picked her favorite. They traced the locket shape and cut out the profiles, placing a picture in each necklace. Trish stood behind Peri, leaned around her and kissed her cheek. She hooked the necklace containing a photo of herself around Peri’s neck.
At five-four, Peri often wished she were taller. “Please, sit down so I can reach you.” Trish leaned back against her partner. Peri reached over her, pulled the chain around her neck, and then leaned forward as she clasped it. Peri came around and straddled Trish’s legs, settling onto her lap. She wrapped her arms around her lover. “Do you have any plans for the next hour or so?”
“Hmm, that depends. What do you have in mind?”
Peri leaned in to kiss Trish with all the passion she felt for her. “Does that give you a hint?”
“Umm, maybe. If you give me another clue, I’ll try to guess.”
Chapter Two
A CRASH DREW PERI back to the present. She tiptoed to the corner and grabbed her baseball bat from its resting place. She stood behind the door of her bedroom where she’d taken shelter. Her heart pounded against her ribs. Whoever was coming up the stairs would have to be deaf to not hear the steady, rapid thumping as it beat in her chest. Even though the air in her apartment was cool, Peri felt a bead of sweat course its way down her back and pool at her waistband.
Clutching the bat in her sweating hands, Peri struggled to keep her breathing as even and measured as she could manage. Any moment, she expected the marauding bands would get to her house as they searched for food. There was nothing left. She’d already broken into the other six apartments in her building. The booty she’d pilfered remained stockpiled under her bed. She’d ransacked her own kitchen and living room with the hope that any invaders would see the condition and just move on to the next place.
From her position in the bedroom, she heard someone enter her apartment. Stealthy footsteps moved across the living room. Peri held her breath as the door handle turned. Ready to defend herself, she gripped the bat and prepared to strike the intruder. The hinge creaked, as the door drifted open until it clunked against the raised bat. The full weight of the invader’s body forced the door open knocking Peri to her knees. As the bat skittered across the floor, the racket startled both of them. The intruder grabbed Peri and restrained her. As Peri struggled, the woman tightened her grip, pulling Peri tight against her.
“Peri, it’s me, Kim.”
Recognizing her friend’s voice, Peri stopped struggling. “Oh, thank God!”
Kim buried her face in the hollow of Peri’s neck and sighed. “Shh. There are people roaming the streets looking for food. They seem to be starting to organize into different packs and are attacking anyone in the area not in their gang.” Kim released her grip on Peri and leaned back to scan the face of her friend. She gave her a quick kiss and another hug before she released her. “Are you the only one left in this building? Where’s Trish?”
Tears filled Peri’s eyes. “Gone. She was so sick, sometimes I was thankful that it only took a few days for her to pass. Otherwise, it felt like we didn’t have enough time to say goodbye.” Peri used her sleeve to wipe her eyes. She sniffed and cleared her throat. “Everyone is gone. Mom and Dad, my sister…” She met Kim’s eyes. “Becky?”
“Yeah, her too.” Kim glanced away shuttering her pain. “Two weeks ago.”
“I’m sorry, Kim.”
“Yeah, me too. This is unimaginable.” A huge tear slid out and tracked down Kim’s face. “I managed to scratch out a hole in the flower bed, so I could bury Becky.” Kim closed her eyes as tears leaked out of the corners. “It was too dangerous and she was too heavy for me to move any farther. I did the best I could for her.”
A quiet fell between them. Peri again wiped her eyes. “Have you heard anything? Why didn’t we get sick? Do you know anything?”
“No, nothing. Some of us must have some kind of natural immunity. I think the illness must be everywhere by now. It went from level five to level six, the last I heard. Six is the highest. Nothing is working, no power, so there’s no television or radio.”
Peri leaned forward, hoping to learn something new. “What’s the last you heard?”
“Last news broadcast I got was on my crank radio’s emergency channel. The suspected virus raced across the world, paralyzing the health care system and creating panic. It spread faster than anyone expected or ever thought possible. Everywhere, the unprepared and overwhelmed local, state, and federal governments collapsed.”
“Early on, they advised us to be sure to follow hand washing practices, and to wear masks and gloves, thinking it was a bad form of flu. Trish and I did all that,” Peri said. “Judging by the results, that was a waste of time.”
“I’m not sure they even know what it was. The health care professionals were some of the first victims. Like with the Ebola threat, officials brought some of them here to the States for treatment. They thought those same safeguards would work. It spread worldwide with such speed that the normal stopgaps failed right away. They couldn’t figure out how it seemed to appear nearly everywhere at the same time. Last I heard they were looking for a common thread. You know, some sort of international meeting where everyone got infected.”
Peri’s mind flashed back to the point when she first heard that the illness was present on all continents and in all countries. The worldwide spread had been shocking. People sat transfixed, watching the news broadcasts. One by one, less well-known personalities replaced favorite anchors on the evening news programs. As the illness spread, televised reports became more sporadic. Dire public service announcements replaced live reporting. They crawled across the bottom of television screens to warn that the best defense was to stay indoors and away from others. The single thing this achieved was that people died in their homes. Most animals seemed immune. Peri shuddered as she thought of how many pets must have died, not only from the virus, but because their owners were no longer able to feed or provide care for them. As a final act, some owners, unable to care for their pets, released them to fend for themselves. They now roamed the streets in packs.
Peri pursed her lips. “It seems we know about the same amount of information. The last broadcast I heard was that the illness had decimated the local police forces. Those who had yet to get the sickness were too busy caring for their own families to worry about any others. The utilities began to fail right after that broadcast. I guess no one remained to run them.”
“I suspect you’re right about that. This all seems so unreal. Things just fell apart.”
Peri released a long breath. “I tried to go to the store for food. The stores were already stripped of the goods on their shelves, vandalized by those searching for something to eat. Normal people, like me, are breaking into and pillaging neighbors’ homes.”
Kim bobbed her head in agreement. “At first, the sound of gunfire shocked me…must have been people defending their homes. I holed up at our place, until I realized it was no longer safe there.” She wiped her hand over her face, brushing away the moisture. “There are no police anywhere, no National Guard. Where’s the government?”
A shout from the street caused Kim to pause. In unison, their faces turned toward the sound of running feet fading into the distance. As quiet returned, both women exhaled a sigh of relief. Kim continued in a hushed voice. “It took me three days to work my way across town to check on you and…” She clamped her lips closed. “Well, to check on you.”
Peri reached for Kim, giving her a hug and holding on longer than normal. “Thanks for coming. You have no idea how glad I am to see you.” She stepped out of the embrace. “I have some food stockpiled and some water. Are you hungry?”
“Yeah, food would be great.”
Pointing to the floor near the closet, Peri said, “Have a seat.” She reached under the bed and pulled out a flat box filled
with supplies.
“We need to get out of here, and soon. It’s not safe,” Kim said, looking over Peri’s hoard.
“I know. I didn’t know where to go.” Peri shrugged. “I’ve been suffering from a sort of threshold paralysis. You know, second guessing myself and feeling that maybe the devil I know is better than facing the one I don’t know.” She turned to the closet and pulled a six-pack of water from the cases stored there. “Chicken or tuna?”
“Chicken, please.”
“I’ve got some chips, too.” Peri popped the lid off the canned chicken. She handed it and a plastic fork to Kim. She placed the bag of chips and two bottles of water between them on the floor and took a seat opposite her friend.
As Kim began to wolf down the food, Peri studied her friend noting that she was thinner than usual and had dark circles beneath her eyes. She needs a good rest, like I do. Kim, a twenty-year military veteran, was four inches taller than Peri. Despite having left the service a few years earlier, she still had a sturdy, muscular build. Peri’s eyes softened as she watched her friend inhale the chicken. She grabbed another can and passed it to Kim, as she finished wolfing down the first.
“Is there enough?”
Peri nodded, and Kim dug into the second can of food, finally slowing down to a more normal pace.
She needs a haircut. Peri ran her fingers through her own light brown locks. Both women shared a similar hairstyle, a short, casual, functional cut. Peri had straight sandy brown hair while Kim’s hair was dark with a natural wave. They each had full lips and dimples. Kim’s blue eyes were lighter than Peri’s and made a striking contrast against her darker complexion.
“Do you have any idea where we can go? Is anywhere safe?”
Kim paused from gulping the food to take a swig of water. “Do you remember my friends Allie and DJ?”