My dad’s head moved side to side. “I tried to save her, but it crashed down on her. There wasn’t anything I could do. I can’t talk about this, Adam. It’s too painful.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I just miss her so much.”
“Me too, Adam. Me too.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “I hate to do this, son but you should really get going. Eva will be back any minute and she doesn’t like having visitors this late. She likes to get her beauty sleep.”
“Doesn’t seem like she cares that much about it if she’s out there,” I said. “Is that rule for all visitors or just me?”
My dad frowned. “I know things between you two aren’t good but they can be if you two let go of whatever it was that happened between you. Life is too short to hold grudges.”
The last thing I wanted was to run into her on my way back to Leah. I wanted to make it back to her and since I knew what Eva was capable of, it was best for me to leave.
“Fine,” I said running my hand through my damp hair.
“You have nothing to worry about, okay?”
“Sure, Dad,” I said. “Have a good night.”
He smiled and wished me a good night before closing the door. I stood there, staring at the door. There was so much I should have said to my dad. I should have tried to explain who Eva really was. Deep down, I knew it would be a waste of time. He was seeing what he wanted to see and there probably wasn’t anything I could say that would change his mind about her.
My dad was lonely. And he didn’t care who was there as long as someone was there.
I ran through the building to the front door. The sooner I could get into the shadows, the better.
But I didn’t make it into the darkness. Thunder rumbled in the distance.
Eva had emerged from the darkness and stood in front of me. She held her umbrella over her head and scowled at me as the rain poured down over my head.
Her lips made a line across her face. “What are you doing here?”
21
Stevie
I pressed my teeth together. The tension in my jaw was so fierce I worried I might crack a tooth.
“You’ll never get away with this,” I spat with disgust. “You think you can just kill us all one by one?”
“Two by two, really,” Henry said. “We debated whether or not we should take three at a time. All we do now is go back and tell the others you made it safe and sound. You really made it easier for us since you decided to come with us. It makes the whole process so much easier.”
“They’ll know it’s a lie when I don’t return with you,” I replied.
Henry smirked. “Nah, you’re just so comfortable in your new home. You feel safe and warm. Why would you venture back out?”
“They’ll know I wouldn’t do that,” I said.
“You’re just going to take a small break,” Henry said. “Didn’t you ever take small breaks?”
My heart pounded inside my chest as I balled my hands into tight fists. I had no idea how I was going to defend myself against their guns.
“Who are you two?” I asked.
“You know those people to the north you’re worried about?” Henry asked. He held out his arms to each side. “We are them.”
Dammit.
I should have considered that possibility. How had I made such a careless mistake and put everyone in danger? I deserved whatever it was coming for me… although, the people back at the compound didn’t deserve what would happen to them next.
“Surviving is so easy,” Henry said.
His hands were at his sides — arms stiff and ready to do whatever he was trained to do. There was no escape for us. The area was mostly a wide-open space with a few bare trees scattered about.
“People are so gullible. All you have to do is tell them they’ll be saved and they’ll do anything, even if they have the greatest place left in the world. They always think there is something better,” Henry said. His lips curled and he chuckled softly. “It’s like taking candy from a baby.”
“So, you’re going to kill us?” Shawn asked.
“You’re not the brains of your operation, are you?” Henry asked.
The funny thing was, Shawn had been rather clever. I knew what he’d done in the past to earn money. He conned people. But maybe it was because he was charming… not because he was clever.
Shawn’s cheeks were red and it didn’t seem to be from the cold air. “They’ll figure it out. You won’t win this.”
“I think we will,” Henry said. “They’ll just keep thinking group after group makes it to safety. Everyone following blindly. Eventually, we’ll have complete control over your entire compound and all your supplies. I can’t wait to tell our group what we’ve found.”
“They don’t know,” I said, the words escaping softly from between my lips. It wasn’t a question… it was a statement.
The other people Henry and Clara worked for didn’t know what they’d found. At least, not yet. Which meant that if we could get away, there was hope for us.
A bright flash of lightning streaked the gray sky. Thunder rumbled for several seconds, shaking the earth harshly at the end of its roar.
There was a storm moving into the area. Henry’s brow raised as he looked up toward the sky.
“Guess we better get this show on the road,” he said.
Henry raised his gun and without much thought, I pushed Shawn as hard as I could. He stumbled and fell to the ground just as the shot rang out.
Shawn grabbed my hand and yanked me down with him. We rolled to the side and hid behind a massive tree. I placed my hand on the spongy bark and peeked out around the side.
Henry instantly shot again when he saw me.
I sucked in a breath as the bullet whistled past my face. His aim had been precise. I’d only barely been missed.
The sloppy footsteps in the mud were loud enough to give away their positions. They weren’t trying to hide from us so it probably didn’t matter to them.
Henry moved toward us from the left and Clara was coming from the right. I gestured toward a sizable log. Shawn reached forward and picked it up.
“Get down,” he whispered.
I crouched as he tightened his grip and swung the log back and forth, readying himself. He wouldn’t have a lot of time to swing.
Clara stepped into view from the other side. My fingers dug into Shawn’s calf.
Clara hesitated, knowing she’d caught us. Shawn took the opportunity to step away and swing the log into Henry’s face.
The gunshot was like a teen screaming at a horror movie. Blood splattered out from Shawn’s arm before he dropped the log.
He placed his hand over the wound. When he pulled it back, his fingers were coated in blood.
Clara grinned. “I never liked him anyway.”
I thought she was going to shoot us but she turned her gun toward Henry and shot him twice. Both times in the head.
Shawn started swinging the log again. Clara turned and clicked her tongue.
She aimed the gun at him and he dropped the log. He closed his eyes.
“Don’t watch,” he said from between his lips only a second before the next shot sliced through the air.
“No!” I shouted as if my words could form a shield around him.
I stood at the same moment Jake Quinn stepped into view, pressing the barrel of his shotgun into the back of Clara’s head.
Blood soaked through the front of her jacket and oozed down the back of her hand. Her hand shook as she tried to raise the gun.
It wasn’t Shawn that had been shot. It was Clara.
Jake pulled the trigger and Clara collapsed to the ground. It was like her icy bones had melted.
“We don’t have a lot of time,” Jake said looking into my eyes. “I saw a bear less than a half-mile back. I’m not sure if the sounds will have drawn his attention or send him running in the other direction.”
I nodded and walked over to Henry’s body. Lightning flickere
d in his empty, wide eyes. I grabbed the guns and tucked one into the back of my pants. The other I kept in my hand.
“That’s a lot of blood,” I said looking at the wound on the side of Shawn’s arm.
“Hurts like hell too.” Shawn winced.
I grabbed Henry’s pack and opened it. I pulled out a red and black flannel shirt and wrapped it tightly around Shawn’s arm.
“You’ll be okay,” I said. “We can’t be that far from home. Kieran will patch you up.”
“I hope so,” Shawn said bending down to pick up Clara’s gun. “Who knows, maybe that bear wants to come have a piece of me too.”
“I won’t let that happen,” I said as I stuffed my pack into Henry’s larger pack. “Take her stuff.”
Jake looked over his shoulder. “Let’s go. We don’t have time to worry about taking their stuff.”
Lightning cracked the ground nearby and my body shook. The hairs on the back of my neck stood even though they were drenched.
“You two are lucky I came out this way,” Jake said. “She was going to shoot you.”
“No kidding,” Shawn said.
“What are you doing out this way?” I asked.
Jake’s shoulder sank. “I guess I’m on the run now. Those people from that town came and took everything. I have nowhere to go. Your people won’t be safe for long either. Although it looks like maybe the worst already happened?”
“We were fooled,” I said shaking my head.
“What do you mean?” Jake asked flicking me a glance. It seemed he preferred to keep his eyes forward as much as possible.
“Those were people from that town too,” I said. “They told us there was a military base in the mountains where everyone was going.”
I hit my thigh out of frustration. Shawn lightly placed his hand on my shoulder.
“I should have known better. I can’t believe I made such a stupid mistake,” I said between my teeth. My jaw muscles relaxed as I turned to Shawn. “I’m so sorry I let this happen.”
“It’s not your fault,” Shawn said refusing to meet my eyes. “I would have done the same thing.”
“Gage was suspicious,” I said. “I could tell. He’s never going to forgive me.”
Shawn inhaled slowly. “He’s already forgiven you.”
“He doesn’t know yet,” I replied.
Shawn finally turned to me. His paleness made his eyes glow even more. “It doesn’t matter. You can’t do wrong in his eyes.” He turned away. “It’s the same way I see you.”
Jake cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt but we need to move. We need to get back to your people and get them out of there.”
22
Joss
After Caleb and Jenna returned, we met in their room to carefully and quietly discuss the situation. None of us had any intention to tell Rex but it seemed as though either way, many lives would be lost.
If we left, and Rex only had a small army, they’d be killed. And if we stayed, we would be outnumbered and maybe, even more, would die.
“I need to stay with the doctor,” Jenna said patting her stomach. Worry dampened her eyes. “Otherwise, I don’t know what will happen.”
“Rex said it’s under control,” Robby said.
“He’s said it so much that maybe he’s just trying to convince himself,” Caleb said.
Jenna huffed. “Why would we trust this guy anyway? We don’t even know him.”
“What if the doctor is going with him?” Caleb asked. He placed his hands on his hips and chewed his lip.
“There is no clear answer,” Robby said. “It could be bad if we stayed and it could be bad if we go. Let’s not forget that we know what it’s like out there.”
“Nonsense,” Jenna said waving her hand in the air as if she were trying to chase off a fly. “We’re safe here. Buildings. Shelter. Food and water. Even a little dash of fun.”
Robby cocked his head to the side. “Secret fun that Rex can’t know about.”
“If I have to go back out there, you all know I won’t make it,” Jenna said. “None of us know the first thing about delivering a baby, not to mention these weird cramps I get.”
“Has the doctor said what he thinks is going on?” I asked since she never really tells us much about her infrequent visits.
“Not really. Could be round ligament pain or Braxton Hicks. Dr. Brody isn’t very concerned because there isn’t any bleeding,” Jenna said. “I can feel him moving sometimes.”
I smiled. “That’s great.”
“Yeah, but I’m still worried and want to stay as close to a medical professional as possible,” Jenna said.
I couldn’t blame her. Not only was it nice to be where there was a doctor but it was also really nice to be out of the rain.
“Let’s sleep on it,” Robby finally said. “Make a decision before we head out for work. How does that sound?”
“Fine with me,” Jenna said. “But I already know how I’ll vote.”
Robby and I went back to our room. We didn’t talk much as the day ticked by. I was deep in thought trying to figure out what was best for all of us and Robby was probably trying to do the same.
Hell, would Caleb even leave if Jenna didn’t? And could I leave without Caleb?
I wasn’t entirely sure how we got into such a mess when all we wanted was to find a way out of the mess we were in. There was no solution to the problems of our world… just more problems.
I’d fallen asleep early in the evening after Robby and I had dinner. All of the stress from trying to figure out what we were going to do had been exhausting.
I woke abruptly to find I was alone in the bed. “Robby?”
The room was chilly. I got up and wrapped my arms around myself as I walked toward the bathroom.
The door was open and Robby wasn’t there. He wasn’t in the hotel room.
I flipped the lock into place and peered out of the peephole in the door. The hallway was empty and the building was as silent as ever.
I sat next to the window and looked down at the dark, empty streets. My fingers lazily stroked Clover’s fur. She loved sitting by the window when she wasn’t eating.
“Where did he go?” I asked her but she just stared at me, judging me for not knowing.
Clover looked healthy again. Her fur was dry and silky. She’d put on a few pounds thanks to the cat food we got for free. Apparently, Clover was one of the few pets that lived in town.
I exhaled and rested my head on my hand as I stared into the darkness. “Oh, Clover. What should we do? You don’t want to go back out there any more than Jenna does, do you?”
She shifted around but she didn’t answer. Even Clover was unsure, although it seemed to cause her much less anxiety.
I shivered. I was tempted to crawl back into bed but I didn’t feel the least bit tired. There was too much on my mind to fall back asleep, even if I wanted to. Also, I wasn’t thrilled that Robby was mysteriously gone.
“I wonder if Caleb knows where Robby went,” I said getting to my feet. “Oh, I know! He probably ran to the store down the road before it closed to grab a few more bottles of water.”
Clover closed her eyes. She was probably agreeing.
I used the bathroom as if that would somehow make time pass by quicker. I didn’t.
A long sigh escaped from between my lips. It was like if I made it loud enough and long enough, maybe Robby would hear it.
My bare feet lightly tapped the thin carpeting as I walked back to the window. An orangish light flashed in front of the window.
I stumbled forward, falling to the floor as the whole building shook. My eyes were wide as I grabbed Clover from the window sill and set her down on the bed.
She stood there staring at me with round, frightened eyes. I was shaking as I cautiously went to the window.
Two blocks away, there was a building engulfed in flames. “Oh, my God.”
I pulled on my socks and slipped into my shoes as I sped to the door. Caleb was o
pening the door as I stepped out into the hallway.
“What the hell was that?” he asked.
I grabbed his hand and yanked him into my room. My finger jabbed the glass as my mind searched for words.
“Holy shit,” Caleb muttered.
“I don’t know where Robby is,” I said squeaking out the words.
Caleb’s head moved side to side. “Why isn’t he here?”
“I woke up and he was gone,” I said.
“I’m sure he’s okay,” Caleb said taking my hand. “You need to stay in our room until he gets back, though. I think it’s started.”
The words didn’t make sense. “What started?”
“The war,” Caleb said looking into my eyes.
Another loud bang rattled the walls of the hotel. Caleb dragged me across the floor and into their room.
Jenna was standing by the window, hugging herself. She turned around sharply at the sound of the closing door.
“What’s going on out there?” she asked.
“It’s started,” Caleb said. “I think we need to get out of here before this building falls to the ground.”
“Do you really think that could happen?” Jenna asked.
Caleb was breathing quickly as he looked around the room. “Yeah, I think so. Grab what you can. Let’s go.”
“We have to wait for Robby,” I said my heart pounding against my chest.
“I don’t think we can,” Caleb said. “We’ll have to find him out there.”
Someone ran down the hallway screaming. Jenna grabbed Caleb’s arm.
There was another boom that was so loud it sounded like thunder erupting from inside the hotel. More screams filled the air.
Caleb turned white. “Joss, I’m sorry. We have to go.”
23
Adam
“You don’t belong here,” Eva snapped.
I shoved my hands into my pockets but quickly removed them as if I was afraid I would need to use them. “Just heading home.”
“This is my neighborhood. There is no reason for you to be here,” Eva said between her lips. “You think you would have learned that lesson by now but I guess you never really were that sharp, were you?”
The Reset Series | Book 5 | Torrent Page 11