He paused, making sure no one had heard him, and then stood, hoping the floors wouldn’t creak. They didn’t. His boots were next to the bed. He left them there and padded across the room in his socks.
Meredith had closed the door after showing him to the bedroom. He kept his eyes locked on it, listening to the noises from the other room. After a moment, he put his hand on the doorknob. He gave it a slight turn.
It moved soundlessly.
Using two hands, he guided the door open. Within seconds, he had a partial view of the hallway. Although he couldn’t see the living room in its entirety, he caught a glimpse of the two girls. Meredith had set up next to one of the windows. Every few seconds, she glanced outside, keeping watch while playing cards.
His eyes drifted over her skin. It’d feel so good to cut her.
He felt his pulse ratcheting up. He envisioned gliding down the hall and reaching one of the weapons in the kitchen. He’d even smile while he did it. They’d never know what was coming. His eyes wandered to the pistol on the table next to Meredith.
Dan and John had been gone for about twenty minutes, and they’d likely be back soon. He retreated from the doorway and pulled the door back into place. It clicked loudly.
Dammit.
He froze and gritted his teeth. The girls had stopped talking. Had they heard him? It didn’t matter. He’d say he was getting up to go to the bathroom, or that he wasn’t able to sleep.
Who’d blame him, after all he’d been through? Keller grinned.
“Was that Tim?” he heard Quinn ask.
“I don’t think so. Let’s keep it down so we don’t wake him.”
The girls resumed their conversation, speaking at a lower volume. Keller stifled a laugh. Even though he wasn’t tired, maybe it was time to sleep. He’d need to recharge in order to accomplish all the things he had planned.
He tiptoed back to bed and slid under the covers.
Then he fell peacefully to sleep.
11
Dan looked up at the sky, thinking he’d heard something overhead. “What was that?”
John furrowed his brow. “I didn’t hear anything.”
They glanced at the horizon, but there was no sign of activity. Dan removed his pistol, holding it at waist level. The day was hot and windless, and the area had returned to quiet, interrupted only by the occasional caws of birds.
“I must be imagining things.” Dan shrugged.
“You look tired, Dan. When’s the last time you had any sleep?”
The pair continued walking, and Dan did his best to remember. Between Quinn’s asthma attack, his altercation with the creatures, and his night watch, he hadn’t slept in nearly twenty-four hours.
“Man, it has been a while.”
“Why don’t you take a turn when we get back inside,” John offered. “Meredith and I will hold everything down.”
Dan stretched his arms, trying to shake out the tiredness, but the truth was that he was exhausted. He envisioned the bed waiting inside, and felt a swell of gratitude. Given what they’d been through, it felt good to have halfway decent accommodations.
When they reached the back door of the house, Dan rapped lightly to alert his sister-in-law. He heard the sound of objects being moved, then the door swung open to admit them. Quinn was in the living room, bent over a game of cards. Meredith smiled.
“She’s beating me, Dan.”
“She’s ruthless at ‘go fish,’” Dan said with a smile.
“It’s not ‘go fish,’ Daddy. I’m too old for that. Meredith taught me how to play poker.”
Dan shook his head, but kept his smile. He walked in, letting John in behind them, and then set up the barricade.
“Everything calm out there?” he asked Meredith, who’d reclaimed her seat by the front window.
“No problems. Tim’s still asleep. Judging by how tired he looked, I’m guessing he’ll be out for a while.”
“I’m exhausted,” Dan admitted. “I might take a nap myself.”
“Go ahead,” Meredith replied.
“Daddy, want to play poker with me when you wake up?” Quinn asked, her eyes hopeful.
“That sounds nice, honey. Maybe we’ll have some lunch, then we’ll play. Does that sound all right to everyone?”
The group agreed, and Dan bid them all goodnight. As he walked down the hall to the second bedroom, he stopped at the first door, listening for sounds from the man inside. He heard a thin snore.
Tim has the right idea, Dan thought.
The way things had been, it was best to get all the sleep you could while you could get it.
After napping, Dan prepared a lunch of fresh vegetables for his companions. When they were finished eating, he played cards with Quinn while Meredith and John kept watch out the windows.
“I’ll deal, Daddy,” Quinn said.
Dan smiled and sat back in the chair, watching his daughter shuffle. It was amazing how much she’d grown. Despite the atrocities they’d witnessed, despite the losses they’d suffered, she possessed the courage of someone well past her age.
If only Julie were alive to see her…
Dan stifled a yawn. He’d slept, but rest had been fitful, filled with twisted versions of the things he’d been through. Thankfully, the details of his nightmares had faded. He heard a door open down the hall, and Tim walked in and sat on a nearby couch. The man’s clothing was dirt-stained and disheveled, but he’d removed some of the grime from his face.
“How’d you sleep?” Dan asked.
“Better than at the factory building,” Tim replied.
“You said you were there for two days?”
“Yes. Every time I tried to leave, the things swarmed me. I kept running back inside and finding rooms to lock myself in. Each time, it took the things hours to leave. I’d hear them groaning as they wandered through the building. I don’t think I slept an hour. It wasn’t until they found that girl that they all wandered outside.”
“It sounds awful, what happened to her.”
Tim nodded. “It was. If it weren’t for Meredith and John, I’d probably still be in that building, waiting to be torn apart, just like her…” Tim lowered his head, wiping his eyes.
“There was nothing you could’ve done,” Dan assured him.
Tim composed himself and stared at the wall. Dan felt a surge of pity for the man. He reached out to accept several cards from Quinn. “You’re from San Antonio, right?”
“Yep. I’ve lived there most of my life, until recently.”
“What’d you do for work?”
“Odd jobs, mostly. Some painting, some carpentry. Whatever I could find to pay the bills. My whole family lived there, but none of them survived…I was the only one who wasn’t infected. That’s why I took to the road.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your family.”
Dan stared at the cards in his hand, plagued with losses of his own. Just a few weeks ago, his life had been filled with co-workers and friends, people he’d never imagined leaving behind. He was still studying the cards when John poked his head out from the kitchen. “Dan, I forgot to mention we’re out of gas.”
“We are?”
“Yep,” he said. “I noticed it on the way back from town.”
“Do we have an extra can?”
“It’s almost gone. We’ve used it up running for supplies over the past few days. We’re going to need more.”
Dan nodded. Given the supply runs they’d been taking, he wasn’t surprised. The SUV consumed more fuel than his station wagon did. Meredith crossed from the kitchen into the living room.
“We’ve already searched most of the surrounding neighbors’ houses,” she said. “But there are a few more streets up north we haven’t been to.”
“About a ten-minute drive.”
Dan nodded. Although their luck might’ve held up this far, there was no telling when they’d need to leave in a hurry. It was best to be prepared. He glanced at the cracks between the boarded windows, catching a glimpse of the sun. It was mid-afternoon. That should give them plenty of time to make a run before nightfall.
“I’d rather not wait on it.”
“Do you think we should all go? Maybe Quinn should stay here with one of us,” John suggested.
“I’ll go alone,” Dan said. “I’ll be fine. Can you give me directions, Meredith?”
“Okay. You sure you don’t want me to come?” She bit her lip. Although she’d been calm a minute before, the prospect of leaving seemed to have unsettled her. It looked like she was still rattled from her trip to town.
“I’ll go,” Tim said.
Dan looked over in surprise. He was still getting used to the idea of another person in the group, let alone another pair of hands to help. But the offer was a welcome one nonetheless. He glanced at Meredith and John. Neither argued.
“I appreciate it, Tim,” Dan said. He stood and handed the cards to Meredith. “Would you mind taking over?”
Meredith smiled. “Sure.”
Quinn frowned at him. “Another rain check, Daddy?”
“I’m sorry. We’ll finish when I get back,” Dan said.
“Don’t worry, Daddy, I understand,” Quinn said. She smiled as he kissed her forehead.
Dan checked the pistol and knives on his waist. Then he motioned for Tim to follow him to the kitchen. He sorted through the weapons they had stockpiled there.
“How good a shot are you?” Dan asked. He studied Tim’s face. Tim seemed nervous, but eager to help.
“I’m not the greatest, but I can handle myself.”
Dan selected a pistol and some spare ammunition for the man. Then Dan grabbed several more guns for himself—a rifle, another pistol, and extra ammo. He listened as Meredith relayed directions to the neighborhood. After committing them to memory, Dan moved the barricade and unlocked the back door.
“We’ll be back soon,” he called over his shoulder.
“Be careful,” Meredith warned.
Quinn said goodbye from somewhere inside. It sounded like she was still focused on the cards. Dan sighed. As nerve-wracking as it was leaving her behind, at least she’d be with John and Meredith.
He glanced over at his new companion.
“You ready?”
Tim smiled nervously. “Yep. Let’s get this over with.”
12
Dan gazed at the roadside from behind the wheel of the SUV. Grassy fields covered the landscape in all directions, making the faded road seem like it’d been paved by mistake. Over the past few days, Dan had gotten familiar with roads surrounding the Sanders’ farm, but the lack of development never failed to surprise him. As small as St. Matthews was, it was more densely populated than this.
The landscape in Oklahoma was sparse and beautiful.
He glanced at his companion. Tim turned his pistol in his hand, as if he were holding a weapon for the first time. Dan wondered if the man had lied about using one.
“Are you sure you’re okay with using the gun?”
“Yes.”
“Have you killed many of them?” Dan inquired. “The creatures?”
The man grimaced. “At least a dozen. It never sits right with me, though. Every time I do it, I wonder if there might be a cure for this thing, and if I might be killing someone who could be saved.”
Dan thought back to his time in St. Matthews. He’d felt the same way. He could still recall the first encounters he’d had with the creatures—with Julie in his dining room, with the things in his living room and garage. The infected had invaded his home. His life. They’d taken over everything, and nothing had been the same since.
“I used to feel that way, too,” Dan admitted. “You know what I started telling myself, when I wonder if I’m doing the right thing?”
Tim shook his head.
“I tell myself that we all have to survive, and when this ends, we’ll have to accept what we’ve done and move on.”
“I sure hope so,” Tim said.
Dan glanced back out the window.
Outside, he recognized several of the houses they’d already searched. Like the Sanders’ farm, most of the properties were set back from the road and sat at the end of long driveways. As he passed each one, he envisioned the layout of the rooms, the items they’d taken, and the bodies they’d encountered. He hoped the houses they were traveling to now would be empty. A vacant home was a symbol of hope. Where there were no bodies, there was a chance the residents were still safe and alive. That gave Dan faith that he and his companions would one day find sanctuary of their own.
Meredith’s directions were accurate, and soon Dan spotted several houses in the distance. He pulled into the driveway of the first one, approaching at a crawl. The house was light blue, with black shutters and a wide porch. The front door was open. Several porch chairs sat empty, as if the occupants had gone inside for a beverage refill and would be out momentarily.
He doubted that was the case.
Next to the house was a two-car detached garage. The doors were open. A single battered car occupied one of the parking spaces. The other spot was taken by a tractor and tools. Dan parked the SUV and stared at the open front door, then rolled down the window a crack. He listened. The property was silent. He looked out over the lawn. It was well maintained. Though he couldn’t quite see mow marks, he could envision them in the grass.
Tim waited for instructions.
“Let’s check the house first,” Dan said. “Make sure we don’t have company. We don’t want any surprises.”
Leaving the key in the ignition, he opened the door and started up the driveway, cutting across the grass. He motioned for his companion to follow. Through the front door, he spotted an empty living room and a kitchen. He crept closer. The layout was similar to the Sanders’. Everything appeared in order.
Seeing nothing suspicious, Dan walked up the steps and stepped across the threshold, aiming his gun. He was immediately greeted by the smell of death. He coughed and lifted his collar above his nose. Behind him, Tim gagged.
Farther in the living room, two bodies were sprawled on the floor, their entrails unraveled. The creatures had gotten to them. Flies buzzed and circled, and Dan shooed them away.
He stepped past the gruesome scene and into the kitchen. Other than the insects, the house was silent and still, as if the place had been vacant for a long time. Dan noticed a few kitchen drawers were hanging open. The place had already been stripped. It looked like they hadn’t been the first people to come across the place.
After checking the house, they headed for the garage.
“I’m sure they’ll have a gas can, with that tractor in there,” Dan said. “Hopefully no one took it already.”
The garage smelled of damp wood and grass clippings. The sedan was ransacked, the tires flattened. Dan lowered his gun and searched near the tractor. Tim walked around the sedan, exploring the other side.
Dan noted some gardening tools, bags of mulch, and watering cans. Past them, hidden behind flowerpots, was a gas can. Dan felt a surge of relief. He read the label on a dirty piece of masking tape that had been adhered to the side. “Straight gas. We’re in luck.”
He hefted the gas can in the air. At the same time, something flashed in his peripheral vision. When he looked up, Tim was pointing the pistol at him.
Before Dan could react, Tim fired.
Dan dropped to the ground, but he was too late to avoid a bullet. The gas can clattered to the cement. He waited for the pain of being shot, but it never came.
Instead, he heard a groan a few feet behind him, then the thud of a body hitting the garage floor. When he spun, Dan saw a creature flailing on the ground, blood spitting from its neck. The thing was tall and thin, sporting a baseball cap and a ragged beard. Its shirt was covered in gore.
He hadn’t even heard it enter.
The creature gave one final heave and grew still.
“Holy shit.” Dan looked at Tim incredulously. “You saved my ass.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I thought you weren’t a good shot?”
Tim smiled and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
“I guess I got lucky.”
Thankfully, the gas can was full, and after loading the can into the SUV, Dan and Tim drove toward the next house. Adrenaline still coursed through Dan’s body. If it weren’t for the watchful eyes of his companion, he would’ve been wounded, maybe even killed. Perhaps the man was more experienced than he let on.
“I appreciate what you did for me back there, Tim,” Dan said.
“No problem. It’s the least I can do, considering what you folks have done for me.” Tim smiled. “You saved my life.”
“Where’d you learn to shoot like that?”
“My dad used to take me to the ranges when I was a kid. He always said I had a knack for it, but I didn’t believe him.”
“Well, lucky for me, your dad was right.”
There was no fuel at the second property, but at the third, they found another gallon of gas. Satisfied with the take, Dan and Tim returned to the SUV, heading back in the direction of the Sanders’. Late afternoon was approaching, and the sun had lowered slightly in the sky. The diminishing light was a reminder for Dan to keep moving. Nightfall was hours away, but one could never count on safe travels.
Contamination Box Set [Books 0-7] Page 80