“Yeah, I will be. It’s never easy to watch a man die,” Robby said. “This way of life is just not something I’ll ever get used to.”
I huffed. “Me either.”
“But at the same time, it’s weird because if this hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have ever met you,” Robby said.
I hugged him again. Hard.
“I hate when you’re out there,” I said. “Each time, I have to worry that you won’t come back.”
“Are you kidding?” Robby said with a grin. “I’ll always come back when I have you waiting for me. Besides, Rex isn’t ever going to make me do anything I’m uncomfortable with. That’s what I like about this place. They really try to keep everyone happy. I haven’t heard anyone complain, have you?”
“I haven’t really been around others much,” I admitted.
Robby raised a brow. “Good. I like knowing exactly where you are at all times.”
“Then you must understand why I hate when you leave,” I said.
“I do,” Robby said. “But I also don’t feel like I have a lot of choices. If I refuse to help, we don’t get our coupons. And if we don’t get our coupons, we don’t get food.”
“They won’t really let anyone go hungry, would they?” I asked.
Robby looked toward the window. “Who knows?”
He took my hand and pulled me toward the bed. I watched him as he stretched his arms over his head and kicked off his shoes. He grunted as he peeled off his wet t-shirt.
“I’d be happy if I didn’t have to go back into the rain ever again, though. Had enough of being wet in my clothes to last me a lifetime,” Robby said.
“I don’t know,” I said biting my lip. “It’s not bad watching you change out of your wet clothes.”
“Hmm,” Robby said tapping his chin. “Maybe I should take you out into the rain until your clothing is soaked.”
I laughed. “Oh, what are you hinting at?”
“I wonder!” Robby laughed but it faded quickly. “There’s something I forgot to tell you.”
“Oh?” My muscles tensed.
“Yeah. I was supposed to tell Caleb and Jenna too.”
“What is it?” I asked.
Robby’s brow wrinkled. “We’ve been invited to a shindig.”
“A shindig?”
“A get-together… a party, I guess.”
“What kind of party?” I asked.
“I’m not entirely sure,” Robby said. “Some of the others in town are throwing it. I guess they want to get to know us better.”
I swallowed but my mouth was dry. “You want to go?”
“Yeah, sure. I mean, if you do,” Robby said.
“I don’t know,” I said shaking my suddenly numb hands.
“I’m sure it’ll be okay,” Robby said. “The guys who invited us, Dirk and Evan, seem like really nice guys. Normal.”
I picked at a fingernail. “It's just that I’m not sure I’m really in a partying mood.”
“Yeah, I understand that but I don’t think it would be bad to get to know some of the others,” Robby said.
“When is it?” I asked.
“Tonight,” Robby said. “If you’re okay checking it out, I should let Caleb and Jenna know.”
I clasped my hands together to stop them from being so twitchy. “Well, I guess if they want to go, I’ll go too.”
“Awesome,” Robby said with a smile.
It was a bit surprising but also totally clear… Robby wanted to go. I liked staying inside. I liked keeping to ourselves. But there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for Robby.
And that included going to a party.
5
Adam
I didn’t recognize any of the four men staring at me. I felt like backing away and running but there was nowhere I could have gone.
Eva had sent them. The waiting for whatever her plans were had finally come to an end.
“Maybe we come in?” the guard in front of the other three asked. He was short, with wet, blond hair plastered to his forehead.
“What’s this regarding?” I asked.
“We just need to come in and speak to you,” the guard said.
Leah grabbed my arm and she stepped up beside me. She smiled at them but it wasn’t her real smile.
“Is everything okay?” Leah asked.
“We hope so, ma’am but we need to talk with the both of you,” the guard said. He looked at Leah and pushed his shoulders back. His cheeks turned pink as he scratched the back of his neck. “May we come in?”
“Just you or all of you?” Leah asked blinking several times.
The guard looked over his shoulder. “Probably should be all of us.”
“Oh,” Leah frowned. “Is that really necessary?”
“Well, maybe not,” the guard said gesturing at the others. “You guys check out back.”
“Are you sure, boss?” one of the guards questioned.
He nodded. “Yes.”
“But Eric,” a second guard said.
Eric, the guard, turned sharply and glared at him. “Check the perimeter. That’s an order.”
“Come in,” Leah said gesturing toward the sofa. “Would you like some coffee?”
“That’s very kind of you to offer but I’ll have to pass,” Eric said.
He stared at her as if she were the only person in the room. I was tempted to wave my hand in front of his face to see if he could even see me.
Eric sat on the edge of the sofa. He leaned forward with his hands clasped together.
“So, there have been some rumors,” Eric said.
Leah’s body tensed. I was already trying to figure out how I was going to reply.
“What kind of rumors?” Leah asked her brow wrinkling.
“Apparently, there has been someone sneaking around the resort at night. They were last seen in this area, so we’re going place to place to check the cabins and surrounding areas,” Eric said.
I crossed my arms. “If you think we’re keeping someone in our cabin.”
“What? No,” Eric said shaking his head. “We’re trying to keep you safe. We don’t know who this person is or what they want.”
“You think they got into our cabin?” Leah asked taking a step closer to me.
“We just want to make sure they haven’t,” Eric said. “I just want to make sure you’re safe, ma’am.” He hesitated slightly. “You too, sir.”
Leah grinned. “Please, don’t call me ma’am. Makes me feel ridiculously old.”
“Sorry, just trying to be polite,” Eric said.
“I’m Leah and this is Adam,” she said.
I narrowed an eye at her. She seemed to have left out the part where she referred to me as her boyfriend. It seemed intentional.
“Right, Leah,” he said clearing his throat. “And Adam. Nice to meet you both. Mind if I have a look around?”
“Sure,” I said with a shrug.
Eric didn’t move. He kept staring at Leah.
“Please,” Leah said waving her arms as if she’d just revealed her best magic trick.
“Thanks,” Eric said.
He pulled a gun from his belt and Leah’s spine straightened as if a zipper had pulled it tighter. “Would you like me to show you around?”
“That won’t be necessary. All these places are laid out much the same,” Eric said. “You just wait here, okay?”
Leah smiled as her head bobbed nervously.
“Okay,” Eric said smiling back.
It wasn’t like we had a choice in the matter. If we would have told Eric he couldn’t look around, it would have raised suspicions. It wasn’t like we had anything to hide anyway. I just felt uncomfortable having a stranger look through our things.
Eric could have been lying. There was a chance he was here because Eva sent him to snoop.
It didn’t take Eric long to clear the place. I could see the shadows of his buddies pacing in front of the window near the door.
“Everything looks good in
here,” Eric said. “All clear.”
“Do we need to worry about whoever is out there?” Leah asked.
“I’d make sure you keep your doors and windows locked,” Eric said. “But we’re doing everything we can to keep our residents safe.”
There was a chance Eric was being honest. When I’d first been given the job and had to go out to patrol the area, people had been stealing from us.
A guy had been shot. Luckily, the girl that had been with him managed to escape. Maybe she was the one sneaking around the area looking for more supplies.
Although she had seemed pretty scared. She would have to be insane to come back after what had happened to her friend.
But what Eric was telling us seemed plausible and this wasn’t one of Eva’s schemes.
Leah walked Eric to the door. He gripped the door and turned to her abruptly. She gasped and took a step back. They both giggled.
“Oh, my,” Leah said. “You’ve got me all nervous!”
“Sorry. I was just going to remind you to keep your doors locked and if you see anyone you don’t recognize, let me or one of the other guards know, okay?” Eric said.
“Of course,” Leah said.
Eric stuck out his hand and they shook like business partners. He offered me a polite wave before he turned and left our cabin.
I listened to their muffled voices as they talked in front of the door. It sounded like one of the guards said we were acting suspiciously. Eric, the voice I recognized, told him to calm down. That he was overreacting.
“Next house,” Eric said.
“You sure you checked it good,” one of the others said.
“It’s clean,” Erik repeated. “Next house.”
It felt like it took forever but they finally left. Leah leaned forward, setting her palms on her bent knees like a baseball player. She sucked in a deep breath.
“I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” she said. “We didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Because you’re just waiting for Eva to pull the rug out from under us,” I said.
“Yeah,” Leah said. “And I don’t trust the guards.”
I nodded. “Because Eva corrupted half of them.”
“Maybe all of them,” Leah said. She exhaled and reached over to check the lock. “The good news is they’re gone.”
I ran my hands through my dry hair. “The bad news is I don’t know how long we’re going to have this roof over our heads.”
Leah exhaled slowly. “I have an idea.”
6
Stevie
Jake Quinn stopped crushing his hat and put it back on his head even though it was completely soaked. He watched as the girls walk through the back of the room toward the kitchen.
“You sure you wouldn’t like to sit down?” Gage asked as he gestured toward the recliner.
Everyone’s eyes darted around. It seemed as though having the nervous man in the house was putting everyone on edge.
“I really won’t be staying long,” he said. “Need to get back to my place as soon as possible.”
I gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Maybe another time then. Please, tell us what has you worried.”
“I was out doing a supply run when I saw something that has me quite concerned,” Jake said. “Not too far off from here, maybe twenty miles or so to the north, there is what remains of a small town.”
“Okay,” I said dragging out the word. My arms crossed as I listened.
Jake scratched the back of his head. “I’d gone to check for more supplies, specifically my blood pressure medicine and well….” He paused and drew in a shaky breath. “I’ve gone to this town several times. Anyway, I’m not entirely sure when they moved in but it doesn’t look good.”
“Who moved in?” I asked my brows squeezing together.
“I’m not entirely sure but it’s a large group. They’re heavily armed. I didn’t stick around for long.” Jake pressed his hand against his chest. “I got away without being seen but my heart wouldn’t stop racing even when I got back home and locked the door. Sorry, I wasn’t able to come here sooner. I just wanted to make sure I hadn’t been followed… well, and I needed to catch my breath.”
“How long ago was it that you saw them there?” I asked.
Jake twisted his fingers before meeting my eyes. “Forty-eight hours, give or take. My heart was acting up and I just needed to rest.”
“I totally understand,” I said holding up my hand. He didn’t need to explain any further. “I’m glad you’re okay. Maybe they were just passing through, looking for their own supplies.”
“Maybe,” Jake said with a shrug. “But it looked like they were setting up more permanently. There isn’t much we can do about it but I won’t be able to get my refill now, I suppose.”
I hesitated a moment. Lucy was peeking around the corner, listening in, likely so she could report back to those in the kitchen what she heard.
“Lucy?” I called.
She casually entered the room as if she hadn’t been snooping. “Yes?”
“Could you take Jake to Kieran so she can help him with some of his medication needs?” I asked.
“Sure,” Lucy said grinning as she bounced on the balls of her feet. She was always happy to help out.
Jake held up his hand. “That’s not necessary.”
“It’s not but if we have what you need, we’ll gladly share,” I said.
“Well, thanks,” Jake said looking at his feet briefly. He wasn’t the type of man that typically accepted help.
Lucy and Jake headed toward the kitchen as Shawn descended the stairs. His eyes followed the sounds of their footsteps against the floor.
“Who was that?” Shawn asked.
“Jake Quinn from down the road,” I said.
Shawn crossed his arms as he stepped up beside me. “What’s he doing here? At this hour? Must have left his place pretty early.”
“He wanted to tell us about our new neighbors to the north,” I said.
“We don’t really know much about them other than they’re heavily armed,” Gage added.
“That doesn’t sound like good news,” Shawn said. His eyes shifted toward the kitchen. “What’s he doing?”
I chewed my cheek. “Lucy is taking him to see if we have the medicine he needs. That’s how he discovered the town had been taken over. He’d gone for a refill.”
“You make it sound so normal,” Shawn said. “Anyway, that was nice of him to come all this way to warn us.”
“It was,” I replied. “But I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do about any of it. We’re probably outnumbered and I’m not even sure that matters when they’re heavily armed.”
“I think you mean you don’t know what we’re going to do about it,” Gage corrected.
Shawn smacked him on the back. “She forgets we’re here to help.”
I wave my hand in the air, brushing away their words. It was annoying when they agreed because when they did, it always had something to do with me.
After several minutes, Jake came back into the living room with a worried frown. “You didn’t have what I need but I appreciate you checking. Too bad I don’t know more about medicines, there might be something I could use back there but I’m clueless when it comes to that stuff.”
“If you ever need anything, just let us know, okay?” I said with a warm smile. “Maybe you should stay the night. Get a good night’s sleep. We have more than enough room.”
Jake shook his head. “I appreciate that but I feel more comfortable in my own place.” He looked around. “You sure have a lot of people around here.”
“I do,” I replied. “And I need to keep them safe. Is there anything more you can tell me about the people you spotted?”
“Not really. Just stay away from them and hope they stay away from you,” Jake said sticking out his hand. I took it and shook.
“Would you like me to walk back to your place with you?” Gage asked.
Jake Quinn’s sto
mach shook as he laughed. “I’ve lived here for a long time. I know my way back home.” He noticed me watching him. Concern wrinkled my brow and he patted the back of my hand. “I’ll be fine.”
“Thanks for coming here to share the news,” I said.
“Yeah, of course,” Jake said. “Only wish I could have come sooner.”
“What will you do about your medicine?” I asked.
Jake pulled in a deep breath. “Not much I can do. Cut back on the salt, lose a few pounds, and keep praying.”
“Here,” I said taking a notepad from the coffee table. “Write down what you need just in case we come across some.”
Jake scribbled down a word I wasn’t entirely sure how to pronounce. I handed the piece of paper to Gage. He folded it and tucked it into his pocket.
“I should be on my way,” Jake said as he made his way to the front door. “Stay safe.”
“You too,” I said.
The second after he shut the door, Shawn tapped me on the shoulder. He looked down into my eyes. “We’re going to need to find more weapons.”
7
Joss
We entered a dark building. The only light came from several lit candles that seemed to be lighting a path toward the back of the building.
“What is this place?” I asked.
“Looks like it was a shop of some kind,” Robby said stopping at a door. “Guess we go through here.”
He opened the door and sounds of voices and an acoustic guitar filled the air. There was a narrow staircase leading to the basement.
“I saw something like this in a horror movie one time,” Caleb teased.
“Not funny,” Jenna said.
At the bottom of the stairs, we were greeted with cheese and raised glasses. A short man with an impressive beard walked over and shook Robby’s hand.
“Ha!” he said looking at us with glassy eyes. “Wasn’t sure if you were going to come.”
“We made it,” Robby said.
The man waved his hands and the voices quieted. There were at least thirty people in the room, suddenly all looking at us.
The Reset Series | Book 5 | Torrent Page 3