Manitoba Lost (Book 1): Run (Survivors #1)

by R. A. Rock

  But we weren’t staying to see if he did.

  I grabbed Matt with both hands and pulled him away from the other man. Our footsteps stuttered on the stairs and we held on to each other, stumbling as we went. At the bottom we ground to a halt as we came face to face with Brett. He was only two feet away and pointing two hand guns at us.

  No! I had been given another chance. It couldn’t be over. Not like this.

  “Freeze. And if you have any last words, say them now because you’re about to die.”

  Without warning, he lunged at me and grabbed me in muscles too strong for his skinny frame. He had unnatural strength from the drugs, I guessed. He spun me so that my back was against his chest and he wrapped an arm across me, holding one of the guns to my jaw.

  This was like something from a bad action flick.

  I remembered him saying back when we had first met them that he wanted to do things “Just like in the movies.” Or something like that.

  “No,” I said, my despair leaking out in that one word.

  Matt glanced at me, the anguish in his eyes clear. He had wanted to protect me and he hadn’t been able to.

  Brett took a couple steps towards the side of the bridge where the land sloped sharply down to the rushing water below. Anyone who fell down there would be killed, no doubt.

  “Yes,” he said. “You two are done causing me trouble.”

  “Please,” Matt said, dropping his knife and raising his hands in surrender. “Take me instead.”

  Brett made a surprised sound.

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  He shuffled us back towards the cliff.

  “No one will ever find her body in that,” he said, and I felt his head nod towards the water. “When the lights come back on, she’ll be just another casualty of the madness that descended on everyone.”

  He dragged me back another couple steps.

  “Please,” Matt said, begging now. “I’ll give you anything you want.”

  Brett stopped.

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “Where are your food stores?”

  “Don’t tell him, Matt,” I said. There was no way, Brett was going to let me go once Matt gave him the information.

  “If I tell you, will you let her go?”

  His face was clearly reluctant to give away the location of the food that would save us and his mother.

  “Sure,” Brett agreed readily.

  I didn’t believe him for an instant.

  “Don’t tell him, Matt,” I repeated but I could see resolve on Matt’s face.

  “The cabin’s on Sipwesk Lake. Road 1, Lot 34. There’s a hidden root cellar,” he told Brett. “Now let her go.”

  Matt shouldn’t have told Brett that.

  But he had.

  To save me.

  And the realization hit me that Matt cared about me.

  A lot.

  “Ha,” Brett said, chortling with glee. “Did you hear that, Zoe? Asher? We’re set. I bet he’s got tons of food and a nice cabin we can stay in, to boot.”

  Zoe had appeared at the top of the stone steps.

  Matt glowered at Brett, seething with impotence.

  His mother would be in jeopardy if these fools went there. But I could see how he would see it was necessary to tell them. Because it was my life on the line. I would have done the same to save him.

  Brett took another step backward towards the river.

  “Hey, what about our deal?” Matt said as Brett stepped back again.

  Brett laughed.

  “I’m going to keep our deal,” he said. “I agreed to let her go. And I will.”

  Matt’s face looked terrified and I wondered how close we were to the edge.

  “Don’t do this, Brett,” Zoe suddenly spoke up. “There’s no coming back from murder.”

  Brett’s hold on me tightened, pressing harder on my neck and cutting off my air.

  “Shut up, Zoe.” His voice was filled with rage. “You don’t tell me what to do. But I’ll teach you that lesson later. Don’t you worry about that.”

  Her face blanched and she fell silent.

  He took another step back and the ground crumbled a little. I heard a rock roll down and hit the water with a small splash.

  Then he turned his body so that we were sideways and he could fling me into the water. I started to struggle then, not caring about the gun to my head.

  Everything happened at once and I could hardly follow what was going on.

  Zoe and the man called Asher, yelled at Brett and moved towards us. Matt jumped forward. Brett took the gun away from my face and shot at Matt but I managed to knock his hand so that the bullet hit him in the leg. But that didn’t stop Matt, who came at us and grabbed the gun from Brett’s other hand.

  The three of us struggled, a couple more gun shots, and then at the end of it all.

  Brett.

  Falling towards the river.

  Down, down, down.

  Until he hit with a sickening sound and disappeared beneath the brown water.

  Gone.

  Forever this time.

  Matt

  Everyone was shocked and appalled by Brett’s accidental death. Even if I really hadn’t liked the guy, I hadn’t wanted him dead. Zoe and Asher took off immediately with looks of sorrow, guilt, and strangely enough relief.

  Nessa and I hadn’t wanted to stick around either and we had left as soon as we had bound up the gunshot wound on my leg. It had gone straight through and though it was painful, I could still walk, though slowly. As soon as we were sure they were gone, we got out of there.

  After all the danger of the past couple days, it was a surprisingly uneventful hike to Sipwesk lake, though maybe that was from our newfound caution. We stuck next to the forest along the road because Nessa seemed to have developed a great dislike of open spaces, which I totally understood.

  And when a mini-van came by, we easily hid in the dense brush, escaping notice. I had to admit her system had its advantages. But that also meant that we had to walk more slowly because the ground was rough. Still, it was worth it to avoid that vehicle and anyone else who might come past.

  We crossed Sasagiu Rapids near dusk and ran as fast as we could across the bridge and past the lodge that was clearly still occupied. By whom, we didn’t want to find out. Not right now, anyway. I was limping but got across pretty quickly anyhow.

  When we finally reached the cabin road, I couldn’t believe it.

  We had done it.

  Now if only my mom was okay. That was the only other thing I needed, right now.

  Please let her not be in a coma. Please, I prayed.

  THE WALK TO my mother’s cabin took only about a half an hour. We surveyed the property for a couple minutes but it was obvious there was no one around.

  When we saw my mother’s silhouette pass by one of the curtains, we went straight to the door on the lake side, so we wouldn’t be visible from the road.

  It was like a dream when we knocked on the door and my mother opened it — after checking who it was first, I was glad to see. She burst into tears when she saw me but still remembered to lock the door after us, I noticed.

  “Matty,” she said, calling me by my nickname from childhood, which she didn’t usually use anymore. “You’re here. You’re safe. Oh, I was so worried.”

  “I was worried about you, too, Mom.” I enfolded her small form in a big hug. The relief flooding me almost made me dizzy and I could hardly let her go I was so glad to see that she was alright. “I thought maybe you’d run out of insulin or go into hypoglycaemia again.”

  “No, Matt. I’m fine,” she said, stepping back and wiping away her tears.

  I lifted my shirt and undid the money belt, handing it to her amid her exclamations of distress at my bruised body.

  “I brought your medication. I hope it’s not damaged from the fall I took.”

  She looked up at me then, blinking back tears again, as if she knew ho
w much it had taken, how much it had cost me to get that medicine to her — and she was grateful.

  And suddenly it had all been worth it. To take care of my mom. To get Nessa to safety. All the pain and suffering had been worth it.

  My parents’ cabin enfolded me like the warmth of my mom’s arms — neat, cozy, and peaceful. There wasn’t a thing out of place in the tidy open concept living room/kitchen. A dark green quilt that my mother had made hung on the back of the faded couch, its corners all neatly aligned and the whole thing exactly perpendicular to the floor.

  A cup of mint tea that my mother had obviously just made sat on the counter, its fragrant steam wafting over to me. She had a fire going in the stove since the night was cool. And all the curtains were drawn protecting us from the darkness outside.

  Nessa was still by the door, leaning against the wall. Suddenly she slid down until she was sitting, her eyes looking unfocused. It seemed as though she simply couldn’t have stood for a moment longer.

  “Is that Nessa?” Mom suddenly seemed to notice that I wasn’t alone. She glanced at me with a half-worried half-confused look. “Why is she with you?”

  I started to speak but she hadn’t stopped to wait for me to answer.

  “That cut on her head doesn’t look good either,” she said, scowling at it, then she turned on me. “You’ve got a nasty one on your head, too.” She glanced down at the makeshift bandage on my calf.

  “What in heaven’s name happened to you two?”

  “We’ve had kind of a rough time of it, Mom. And it’s a long story. We need to get cleaned up and she’s hurt her arm.”

  My mother gave a sharp nod.

  “It’s a good thing you installed that pump and hot water tank that runs on solar power, Matthew. The water is still running and you can both have a quick shower. You’ll feel a lot better once you’re clean and properly bandaged up.”

  I nodded, going to where Nessa was staring at the opposite wall as if she could barely keep her eyes open.

  “Ness, I’m going to help you get in the shower so you can clean up, okay?”

  She nodded, probably too tired to speak.

  I pulled her up and she trudged to the bathroom. I helped her off with all her clothes except her bra and underwear. I was sure I would be turned on when I relived this moment someday. But right now I was so exhausted that I hardly noticed her body. I turned on the shower and left. She came out a couple minutes later with a big towel wrapped around her. My mom bustled over, being motherly, the way she used to be when Nessa would come over and play — back when we were kids and next-door neighbours.

  “Nessa, sweetie, come here, I’ve laid out some of Matthew’s sister’s pyjamas. She’s taller than you, but they should do for now. You put those on and we’ll see to that arm and the cut on your head.”

  My mother was all business as she prepared to doctor us. She got gauze, cotton balls, a tensor bandage, hydrogen peroxide, and some Frankincense essential oil. After a minute she knocked on Nessa’s door — Mom had put her in the guest bedroom next to mine, both of which had windows facing the road. The master bedroom, where she slept, was on the other side of the cabin facing the lake.

  “Okay, Nessa,” she said, patting her hand. “We’re going to get you all fixed up, alright?”

  Nessa nodded, clearly still out of it.

  Mom put several drops of Frankincense on Nessa’s arm where it had ballooned up and rubbed the oil in, making her wince. Then she took the tensor bandage and carefully wrapped it around her swollen wrist.

  “Does that feel any better?” Mom tilted her head and examined her patient.

  “Yes,” Nessa said, clearly in less pain now that her wrist was bound.

  “Good.” My mom smiled. “You can lie down now and I’ll put some Frankincense on your head. That cut doesn’t look good at all and we don’t want it getting infected.”

  We don’t want it getting more infected, I corrected her in my mind.

  Nessa obediently lay down and my mother dropped essential oil over the angry cut with red all around it.

  “Okay, that should be better in the morning,” Mom said, giving me a comforting smile.

  Nessa’s eyes fluttered open.

  “Thank you, Cynthia,” she said, with a tiny grateful smile. She glanced up at me and then her eyes shut again.

  A moment later, she was asleep.

  Thank God we had made it here. Both of us safe and sound.

  Yesterday at this time, I would never have believed that that would ever be the case.

  MY MOM FIXED up my head, too and wrapped my ribs tightly. Then she sat me down at the table with some leftover steak and salad that she had made herself for supper. I devoured it in a few minutes, then sat back feeling the fatigue slowly creeping in.

  “Okay Matthew, what happened?” My mother held her cup of tea between two hands. I was extremely tired but I figured I owed my mom at least a little explanation.

  “I’ll give you the short short version,” I said, explaining how I had left town with Gideon, Oona, James, and Carlynne. How Nessa had joined us later. I skimmed over Gideon and James’ injuries and gave the abbreviated explanation of why they had all returned to town.

  I stopped as I got to the point in the story when Nessa and I had been separated. There was no way I was telling my mother about that. I felt my stomach muscles clench at the memories.

  No. There was no need to tell her about that.

  Not yet, anyway.

  “And then what happened?” she said, literally sitting on the edge of her chair.

  “I made my way to Pisew and found Nessa. And we walked here today. That’s it, Mom.”

  Well that was basically it. With a few key parts left out.

  She shook her head, her eyes amazed.

  “What a tale, my boy. You must be tired. Better get to sleep.”

  I nodded.

  “Yeah, I’m pretty tired.”

  “I just changed the sheets on your bed, so they’ll be all clean for you.” She gave me a sweet smile.

  God, I was so glad that my mom was okay.

  I didn’t know what I would do without her.

  “Thanks, Mom. I’ll just have a quick shower before I lay down. It will be so nice to sleep in a bed tonight.”

  Just too bad it wasn’t going to be Nessa’s.

  Nessa

  I woke up slowly, my head thick with sleep. When I opened my eyes, I saw that Matt was sitting by the bed. I looked around, still a bit confused.

  The room I was in had a bare feel to it, but in a minimalist way, not a we’re-too-poor-to-have-stuff sort of way. There was the comfy old bed in which I was lying, a night table that held only a pretty pink lamp with an old-fashioned globe over it painted with roses, and a chair that had an extra blanket folded neatly on it.

  I was tucked into the bed quite tightly and I felt like kicking my feet because they were so squashed by the bedclothes. Instead of kicking my way out of bed, though, I sat up. The cheerful quilt that covered me was dappled with morning sunlight that was coming in the window. I cradled my hurt arm that was wrapped in a tensor bandage and noticed that it felt way better.

  When I returned my gaze to Matt’s face, he looked serious. His brown hair was wet from a shower, I supposed, and he had a few bruises coming out on his face, plus a shiner from where that guy had punched him yesterday. It gave him a rakish appearance that made my nipples tighten. I tried to focus on something other than how sexy he looked right now sitting beside my bed.

  “We’re at your mom’s, right?” I said, my voice sounding croaky.

  He gave one nod.

  “And you’re okay?”

  Another nod.

  I felt amused.

  “But you’re mute?”

  His handsome face broke into a smile.

  “Not mute. I guess I’m just feeling contemplative.”

  “Because we almost died getting here?”

  I suddenly had a rush of gratitude fill me that we ha
dn’t died. We were alive. And we were here. We had done it.

  “Death is always close at any time,” he said, his face getting solemn again. “I think it just seems closer in the forest because it isn’t hidden by the comforts of modern life.”

  “You are philosophical.” I liked this side of him.

  It was a double bed and I scooted over, leaning against the headboard. I patted the blankets beside me and his eyes burned, making my blood rush through my veins.

  “I have something to ask you,” I said, as he climbed on to the bed next to me but on top of the covers.

  “What is it?” He turned to face me.

  His proximity was unsettling — but in a very good way.

  “Are you kissing me while you’re still going out with someone else?”

  His eyebrows nearly hit his hairline.

  “First of all…” He took my hand sending a shiver through me that he couldn’t possibly have missed. “For the record, you kissed me.”

  “Well, if we’re really setting things straight,” I said, interlacing our fingers and trying to stay calm, though I had energy spreading through my body just from touching him. “Let the record show that I kissed you the first time and you kissed me the second time.”

  “Very meticulous of you, Miss Moretti. Full marks.”

  “You didn’t answer my question, Mr. Brooks. Are you or are you not in a relationship with someone named Sheryl?” I was still joking but I wouldn’t take him evading the question any more.

  “That depends,” he said, giving me a look that made my insides melt. “If you mean, am I still going out with Sheryl, then no. We broke up a couple days before the power went out. And it was a very definite break up. She told me we were through on the phone and left the things that I had been keeping at her apartment in the hall.”

  “Oh.” I felt bad for him but good for me. “I’m sorry.”

  “She found someone she liked better. She told me wasn’t going to waste her time cheating. That wasn’t her way. So she dumped me.”

  I gave him a sympathetic look.