He patted down his pockets, checking for evidence of truck keys. His pockets were empty. Cursing, Jake began to check around the car. Maybe he’d dropped them on the ground in his pained state, or hidden them somewhere on the vehicle for safe keeping...but he checked everywhere and found nothing. They weren’t in the truck bed, or in the seat pockets, or down the seat cushions. They weren’t in the wheel wells or under the chassis, or even still in the ignition. The keys simply weren’t anywhere to be found.
“Well there goes that plan,” Jake muttered to himself, hoping Megan wouldn’t hear him. She still had her head in her hands and was being distinctly unhelpful. Jake searched his brain for other answers, but none came to him. Maybe if this was a movie, he’d be able to hotwire the car, but he had no clue how to do that. Plus, finding a new vehicle was no easy feat. Most cars stopped working after the EMP hit. Trying to steal a working car now could get him killed, too, and he was in no fit state for a fight.
“It’s hopeless,” Megan sniffed. “We just run into trouble time and time again. We’re never going to get a break.”
“Not with that attitude,” Jake said. He was too worried about Aby to feel sympathetic toward Megan. He wished for nce that she’d pull herself together and come up with a solution instead of more problems. “Come on. We have to go and find her.”
Megan stared at him. “Are you insane? You want to just go wandering off in the dark when we’re both in this state?”
“Speak for yourself...I can do it.”
Megan snorted. “You forget that I can see you right now, Jake. You’re badly hurt. You’ve been out cold for God knows how long. If Aby is alive, she can take care of herself.”
“What if she’s hurt too?”
“Then it’s an even bigger risk for us to go out there...what if she’s making her way back here? What if she got hurt by someone who she met out there? There are a million reasons she could’ve gone missing, Jake, and none of them seem good...our best case scenario is that she’s alive and well and she’s coming back here to get us. The other option is that she’s got herself into trouble that we don’t want to walk into too. Our best bet is to stay here a while and see what happens. We can rest up, heal, and then go out there when it’s safer for us.”
Jake hated that this was the one time Megan had chosen to talk sense. She was right. Wandering around in the dark was a bad idea before the apocalypse, but it was even dumber now. From what he could tell, they didn’t have any weapons with them, or food, or clean water. How far could they get without those things?
But then again, if they stayed put and didn’t try to find supplies, they could die too. There was no winning scenari, but Jake wanted to take whichever path led to Aby. It was a risk, but he couldn’t stand the thought of her out in the wilderness alone. He knew that sense dictated they should stay put, but his heart was telling him to get off his ass and find his fiance.
“I can’t just sit here and hope she comes back,” Jake said, shaking his head. “She’s my fiance, Megan. You don’t understand...I have to go after her.”
Megan pursed her lips and Jake immediately regretted assuming that she didn’t understand. She’d been in an abusive relationship when they met only a few days before. It made it sound like he was saying that she didn't understand what it felt like to love someone enough to do anything for them. But before he could say anything, she cut him off by putting her hand up to silence him. The damage was already done.
“Fine. We’ll go. But I’m leaving at the first sign of trouble.”
Jake neglected to point out that Megan wouldn’t last five minutes without him. Though she was starting to grow a backbone in response to the new world around them, and she was becoming pretty nifty with a weapon, her fear and cowardice often held her back. She’d rather curl up in a ball and take a hit than face the horrors of the world. Jake remembered that she’d been doing that when he found her. He felt an ache in his chest for her, but he reminded himself that they all needed to get tougher if they wanted to survive. Even he did. His bravery carried him through most scenarios, but his pain endurance was low. It was going to be a struggle to keep walking when he was in so much pain, but he had to do it. He had to at least try for Aby’s sake.
Jake helped Megan down from the truck bed and they left the safety of the vehicle behind, walking along the abandoned road into the unknown. His heart was thudding painfully against his bruised rib cage and his head was aching, but it felt like the right thing to do, tracking Aby down.
She was the one thing he had left to fight for.
Three
Aby
Aby held herself back from the fire, observing it for a while and trying to figure out if she should approach. Her head was still pounding and her body ached. She wasn’t ready for a fight if it came to that, but how did she know who was trustworthy in this world anymore? For all she knew, the people gathered at the fire were the same ones who left her beaten and broken in the middle of the forest.
But the alternative scared her even more. The thought of being alone and only having herself to rely on. She wasn’t used to making executive decisions, especially not since this whole thing had begun. She’d spent the past few days trying to prove herself, to show that she wasn’t just some wimpy woman who couldn’t handle herself, but now that she was on her own, the pressure of being in charge felt like a lot to deal with.
It had been a long time since she’d truly been alone. Back at home, she and Jake were inseparable, which made the fact that they were apart now even scarier. Sure, he’d left her a few times, but only ever to go and save them all, not to abandon her. But now he was nowhere to be found, and Aby had to question if for some reason, he’d left her behind after all.
But how could he, after all they’d been through together? Not just since the EMP hit, but in their entire relationship. They’d been joined at the hip for years. They loved all the same things, and they loved one another’s company, most importantly. If Aby closed her eyes, the good times came rushing at her like a dopamine hit. All the times he’d taken her to baseball games, or driven her places for romantic picnics in scenic spots. The time she’d met his parents for the first time and made a better impression than she ever thought she could. They’d been to a BBQ joint in the middle of Pittsburgh and spent hours talking and laughing. It was then that she’d realised that she belonged in Jake’s life. She slotted in so easily that everything they ever did felt so natural. When he’d asked her to be his wife, she didn’t even have to think before she answered yes. It was a day she’d been dreaming of for a long time.
She looked down at the ring on her finger. She twisted it, anxiety coiled low in her stomach. That life they’d shared seemed like so long ago. A different lifetime for a different world. The Jake she’d known then would never leave her...but what about the new Jake? She recalled with a wince the heat of the burning car that she saved him from, and how his eyes had dulled like it didn’t matter if he lived or died. Was that the man she was dealing with now? Had he found some way to get himself killed because he no longer cared about what happened to him, to her, or to anyone else?
Aby felt a tear trickle down her cheek. The possibility of him being dead somewhere, alone as his body turned cold, was too much for her to handle. She had to find him. She had to make her way back to him, no matter what the outcome was of her mission. She didn’t want to live without him.
With shaking legs, she told herself that if Jake was here, he’d at least investigate the fire. She had to be brave for herself now because he wasn’t here to do it for her. Being careful not to crunch on any fallen branches or leaves, she crept closer to the fire to try and overhear the conversation there.
Now that she was closer, she could she the hulking forms of figures that could only be men. Their voices were low and threatening and Aby forced herself to swallow back her fear to get a little closer.
She could only hear snippets of their conversation, even though she was listening hard, but she man
aged to pick out some of the words they were saying over the crackling of the fire.
“The world’s fucked,” one said. “Ain’t never going to be the same again.”
“It’s ours now,” another said, though whatever he said next was carried away on a passing wind. Aby crept closer, desperate to hear what they’d say next. She had to know what sort of survivors they were. Were they good people, willing to help others survive? Or were they only out for themselves as so many people they’d crossed recently seemed to be. Aby prayed that they were in the first category, but she was starting to believe that goodness was a rarity in the human race. Or at least it was when they were all scared.
“We take what we want,” one of the men growled in the darkness. Aby’s heart skipped a beat, and then another. It felt like her heart was rattling around in her chest. She was terrified of what that could possibly mean. Were they going to go on some sick rampage, killing and hurting people to take supplies from them? Would they see everything as theirs, even people? Aby could hazily remember the fight she and Megan had been in back at Derron’s cabin. Those men would’ve done bad things to them if they hadn’t killed them first. Were these men just as bad?
She realized that her plan might’ve been brave, but it was also stupid. How could she ever think that strangers would show her mercy? She knew Jake would’ve done the same, but she wasn’t him. She wasn’t able to fight the same, especially now that she didn’t have a weapon to her name. The guns she’d used back in Dent were long gone. She had nothing, but her wits to protect her, and even those had failed her.
She needed to get away without being seen. From the position she was crouched in, she couldn’t possibly be in their eye line, but the second she moved or made a noise, she’d attract their attention. She thought about backing up the way she’d come,slowly and surely, and decided it was her best bet. But as she was shuffling quietly backward, her balance failed her. Her dizziness overwhelmed her and she fell flat on her back with a loud ‘oof.’
Now she was really in trouble.
“Hey! Who’s there?” one of the men cried out as Aby desperately clambered to her feet. She began to run as hard as she could. Her body ached as her feet pounded the ground, but she knew she’d rather take the pain of her escape than let the men catch up to her.
She could hear them shouting after her, jeering at her, clearly ready for a chase, but Aby was faster than she anticipated. Even with the pain in her body, she was limber and quick, which was more than could be said for her pursuers.
But even as she left them far behind, she didn’t feel safe, and her body was starting to give in to the weariness she felt. She knew that if she wanted to feel safe, she needed to disappear.
Crashing through the trees, she had a thought. She remembered as a child that she’d spend hours climbing trees and hiding out there as her friends played hide and seek. If she could still rely on her skills, then maybe she’d be able to hide out in one. She stopped for a moment to look upward. The trees were thick with leaves, perfect for hiding her slender body. Before she could change her mind, she began to climb.
Her aching limbs protested as she climbed, but she knew she would make it up by sheer will alone. She was desperate to survive. She made it higher and higher, her hands shredded by the bark that she clung to, but she was nearly there. She was going to be okay.
When she reached the first branch that she felt was strong enough to support her body, she clambered onto it and stayed there, breathing hard. She knew she’d be safer higher up, but she didn’t think she could manage to climb any further. She still felt safer than she did on the ground. At least she wouldn’t have to run anymore, and unless they had the bright idea to look up,they’d assume she’s just kept running.
She hoped.
A few minutes later, she heard them coming. She had hoped they might give up the chase after she’d disappeared from sight, but apparently not. She guessed they had nothing better to do than try and scar an innocent woman. Gripping the tree, she closed her eyes and prayed they wouldn’t find her. If she had a gun, maybe she’d kill them, strike with the element of surprise and end them before they could register what was happening, but the fact was, she was unarmed and outnumbered. She tried her best to breathe quietly, but she was sure even then, they’d be able to hear her thudding heartbeat from a mile off.
“Where the hell did she go?” one of the men asked. Aby felt the slight thrill of knowing they hadn’t caught her yet, but the fear wasn’t gone.
“She was damn quick. She must’ve got ahead.”
“I’m not giving up until we find her and teach her a lesson. Spread out. Keep moving. Meet back at cmap if we haven’t found her in a few hours.”
Aby couldn’t believe they were so willing to keep going. What had she done, really? She hadn’t tried to hurt them, or steal from them. All she wanted was some allies. But as she glanced down to watch the men fanning out in opposite directions, she felt more alone than she ever had before.
And now she was stuck. Getting down from the tree would be a lengthy process, and not one to be rushed. If she fell she’d seriously hurt herself. She would just have to wait until the coast was clear.
She slept a little, and when she woke up, it was still dark outside. The air was quiet, but she was too anxious to attempt to come down from the tree. Her stomach growled painfully and her tongue was bone dry. She wondered when she had last eaten or drank water. She would have to at least drink soon or she’d die. But on the other hand, if she moved, she might suffer a death worse than dehydration at the hands of the men. Her legs refused to let her move from her spot and so she gave in to the commands of her body and stayed put.
She stayed for hours. The sky went light and she still stayed put. She kept trying to moisten her lips, but she was so thirsty that it didn’t seem possible. Running hard away from the men had helped her escape, but she’d sweated a lot and it only made her thirstier. She felt awful in every sense. She was grimy with dirty, desperate for a good hot meal and aching all over. But the thirst was the worst. She knew that it was becoming a matter of life and death.
She had to leave and find water.
Her terror was making her legs shake as she made her way back to the tree trunk to shimmy her way down. She knew the men had probably given up on her by then - it was late afternoon by this point - but she was still scared of who or what might find her next. She grunted with the effort of clinging to the tree and began to make her way down, but her dizziness was making it hard. It felt like her body was betraying her as she tried desperately to cling to survival.
Halfway down the tree, her body seemed to give up entirely. She felt her muscles go lax and then she let go of the trunk involuntarily, falling to the ground with a harsh thump. She cried out. The fall wouldn't have been so bad if she wasn’t already beaten to a pulp, but as she lay on the ground, she could feel every single bruise on her skin. She let out a quiet sob, but forced herself to her feet. If anyone was close by, they might have heard her painful drop. She had to keep moving for her own sake, even if it was hurting her to continue.
Her journey was gruelling and long. She was slower than usual to accommodate for her injuries, and it was hard to walk in one direction. All the forest looked the same. She had no idea if she was walking toward safety or danger. More importantly, she had no idea if she was walking toward or away from Jake.
And she was beginning to show symptoms that worried her. When she stopped to pee, her urine was far too dark; one of the first signs of dehydration. She felt weak and tired and every instinct was telling her to stop, but she needed to find water. If she didn’t, it wouldn’t matter if she found Jake or not. She wouldn’t live long enough to celebrate.
And then she saw it. It was like a mirage in the early evening warmth. A house. She thought at first that she must be imagining it. After all, it was in the middle of nowhere and too convenient. But she had to believe she’d found something to save her. Stumbling toward it, she prayed it w
ould hold the answers to all of her problems.
The door was closed, but not locked. She opened it noisily and stumbled into a kitchen area. Her mouth was so dry that she couldn’t even muster some saliva to drool over the slightly moldy bread on the table, but she grabbed it and tore a chunk from it, stuffing it in her mouth. There was a bottle of water on the counter too and she guzzled it thirstily. It was making her feel nauseous as her empty belly was finally lined, but she didn’t stop. The water was a little stale, like it had been sat in the sun for a long time, but it was the best thing she’d ever tasted.
She still felt delirious. Her skin was blistered from the sun. Her bones were aching. All she wanted now was a safe place to rest her head. She stumbled through the dark house as though she was drunk and found a bedroom. Her body collapsed onto the mattress.
And hit a body.
Four
Megan
As Megan watched Jake stumbling along, muttering to himself, she had to wonder whether he was sane anymore. It felt like he’d come undone. Gone was the confident man who had been leading them through the uneasy times. Gone was the man who was ready for anything. Instead, he’d been replaced with a shell of himself.
Megan had to admit that at first, it had been nice to see him brought down to her level. He always acted like he knew everything and it was hard to watch for Megan. She knew that he secretly looked down on her, thinking she was useless just because she was emotional. It had been nice to imagine for a moment that she was the cool and collected one.
But then it became clearer to her that he hadn’t just lost his confidence. He’d lost his mind. He had no clue about where they were going and he could barely walk in a straight line, as though he was drunk. Megan kept searching her mind to figure out what had happened to them both - to Aby too - but nothing was coming back to her. The fact was that without him being a leader, they had no direction. She needed to get the old Jake back.
The End of the World Series | Book 3 | Survive The Destruction Page 2