He nodded and took her hand. Outside, the sights had returned to normal. Grass, fields, and sun abounded. She could already see her house on the horizon, and she tried to dispel thoughts that this would be the last time she’d see it from this angle.
A few seconds later, John pulled the pickup into her driveway.
Ernie had begun to pace on her lap, twisting in circles as if he were nervous.
“What’s wrong, boy?”
She scratched his head, but he continued to act anxious. Soon after he stopped in place and barked.
“What’s gotten into you?” she asked, patting his head.
When she followed the dog’s stare, she saw what’d spooked him. Parked at the top of her driveway, covered in metal and graffiti, was a car she didn’t recognize.
27
Dan sat in the SUV and stared at the empty driveway. His heart sank. The windows of Meredith Tilly’s house were boarded up; there was no sign of life from inside. He’d tried knocking on the doors several times, but to no avail.
It was possible she didn’t even live here anymore.
How long has it been, Dan? Five years?
He shouldn’t have let things go on this long. He should have patched things up years ago.
He thought back to the arguments that his wife and sister-in-law had had. In hindsight, everything seemed so insignificant. There was no reason that Quinn should have been kept from her aunt for so long, no excuse for him not picking up a phone. Even if Julie hadn’t called her, he should’ve called her himself.
Unfortunately, letting things go had been easier than fighting for them.
He put his head down on the steering wheel and sighed. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his daughter watching him. He knew that he had to be strong, but all he felt like doing was giving up.
“Dad?”
He felt a hand on his arm, and he clenched his eyes shut.
“Dad?”
He breathed a long sigh.
“What is it, honey?”
“Someone’s coming up the driveway.”
Dan snapped to attention. He jolted upright and removed his pistol, turned his head. His daughter was right. Advancing toward them was a black pickup truck. He squinted but was unable to make out the details of its occupants through the sun’s glare. From what he could tell, there were two people in the vehicle.
It looked like a man was driving.
“Who is it, Dad?”
“I’m not sure.”
Dan had parked the SUV facing toward the house. In hindsight, he should’ve backed into reverse. He just hadn’t expected to find the house empty.
In truth, he hadn’t known what to expect.
The last few hours felt like a blur of highways and desert, and his body was stiff from constant driving and lack of sleep.
Now, as he stared at the approaching vehicle, he wondered what would happen next. Would they be forced to flee again? After days of fighting and days of struggle, would they be once again become displaced?
The pickup truck rolled to a halt behind them.
Dan kept one hand on the gun, one on the wheel.
The door of the pickup opened, and the man inside aimed the barrel of a rifle at the back of the SUV. Dan tensed, ready to throw the vehicle in reverse. Before he could make a move, something dark and black leapt from the inside of the pickup and darted toward the SUV.
“Dad! It’s Ernie!”
Before Dan could stop her, his daughter sprang from the car. The dog made a flying leap for her arms, and she caught him in mid-air, laughing as his pink tongue lapped at her face.
Dan opened the door himself, lowering his gun. A man and a woman had disembarked the pickup and were now in full view. On the driver’s side was a tall, dark-haired man wearing a t-shirt and jeans.
On the passenger’s side was Meredith Tilly.
It took Dan a second to recognize her. His sister-in-laws blonde hair was longer than he remembered, and her features had aged, though only slightly. In spite of her differences in appearance, she was by all accounts a beautiful woman, and she reminded him of Julie. He strode forward across the asphalt, heading in her direction.
Meredith met him halfway, tears already streaking her face. She dropped the rifle she was holding and embraced him, and he clenched her tight.
“Oh my God,” she whispered into his ear. “Is it really you?”
Quinn had put down the dog, and it ran circles around their legs, doing its best to jump in between them. Meredith tilted her head back and looked at Quinn.
“Quinn! My God, you’re so big!”
She stooped to her knees and opened her arms, and Dan watched his daughter run to meet her.
“Aunt Meredith!”
The two of them hugged for a solid minute, the dog working its way between them. Dan walked over to the man he didn’t recognize and extended his hand.
“I’m Dan Lowery, Meredith’s brother-in-law.”
“John Parish,” the other man said. “I’m Meredith’s…”
“We’re dating,” Meredith interrupted, a smile on her face.
A second later her expression faded. She looked back at the SUV, trying to get a better view of the inside, and then turned to look at Dan.
“Julie…?” she whispered. Her eyes welled up.
Dan shook his head, his throat suddenly filled with a lump he couldn’t swallow. His daughter had resumed playing with the dog, and he waited until she was out of earshot before he spoke.
“She turned, Meredith. I’m so sorry. There was nothing we could do.”
Meredith lowered her head and clenched her eyes shut. Dan watched as she struggled to compose herself, her breathing coming in short gasps. Dan felt needles of emotion prick him from the inside, but he struggled to remain calm.
He had to be strong for his daughter.
A few seconds later Meredith cleared her throat and picked up the rifle, still leaning on John.
“Why don’t you two come on inside? We can talk there.” She pointed to the boarded up windows. “It’s not exactly the Ritz-Carlton, but it’s safer than standing out here.”
Dan attempted a smile and called to his daughter. The four of them locked the vehicles and stepped inside, Ernie in tow.
“Can I go upstairs, Dad?”
“Yes, but be careful.”
Dan watched as his daughter bounded up the stairs two at a time, eager to explore their new surroundings. Before they’d settled in, Meredith and John had searched the premises, double-checking that nothing had gotten inside.
The house was clear.
With Quinn on the upper level, the three adults each took a seat in the dining room. They had sprawled their weapons across the table, making a collage of guns and handles, and Dan had brought in his stockpile of food and drink. Every so often, John would stand and check out the windows, watching for signs of trouble.
Dan stared across the table at Meredith. Although she’d composed herself, he could see that her eyes were still moist.
“I don’t know where to begin,” he said.
“Me neither.”
“Things have been so chaotic the past few days that it feels like we’ve been living this forever.”
“I know the feeling.”
Dan launched into his story, narrating the events of the past few days in detail. Meredith and John listened intently, heads propped in their hands. Every so often they stopped to ask questions. Having been outside the contamination zone—at least until recently—they had no knowledge of the agents, no insight into the cause of the virus. Dan briefed them as best he could. He concluded with the dying infected they’d seen on the road in New Mexico and Texas.
“I think its coming to an end, at least for the people who were first afflicted. But from what you guys have told me it sounds like it’s just started here.”
“Everything was fine until yesterday morning. We’d been checking up on each other each day—the neighbors and myself—and nobody had seen a
nything out of the ordinary.”
Meredith recounted her own tale, briefing him on her battles with the neighbors, John’s rescue, and the subsequent struggle to return home.
When she was finished, Dan pursed his lips.
“I think if we wait this thing out, we have a fighting chance. We have everything we need here: food, water, and a place to hunker down. Not to mention that this place is pretty secluded. Even if those things were to show up, we’ll have plenty of warning.”
Meredith leaned across the table and took his hands.
“I’m so glad you came,” she said.
Dan nodded. “Me too. If you hadn’t been here, I’m not sure what we would’ve done.”
“I can’t believe how grown up Quinn has gotten. When I saw her last, she was about half the size that she is now. She reminds me so much of…”
Meredith’s voice trailed off and she wiped at her face.
“She’s been my rock through this whole thing. Without her, I’m not sure what I would’ve done.”
Dan sighed and stood from the table. John was at the back window, peering through a crack between two boards. He gave one last stare and then rejoined his comrades.
“Can I get you something to drink, Dan?”
“As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t mind something.”
John retrieved a glass from a kitchen cabinet and began to fill it with one of the waters Dan had brought in.
Despite the fact that they were in an infected area, Dan felt more secure than he had in days. The house looked the same as he remembered it. The living room and dining room were still wallpapered with a country pattern, the walls adorned with pictures and knick-knacks. Although he hadn’t been here in over five years, the place had barely changed.
He focused his attention on one of the pictures hanging on the wall—a family portrait of Julie, Meredith, and their parents. In the photograph, Julie appeared to be in elementary school—her hair was long and braided, her smile wide. Her arm was around her sister.
Meredith was right. Quinn did look like her mother. He’d always known it, but the longer he looked at the picture, the more he saw the resemblance.
In light of the situation, Dan was glad that they’d managed to make it to Settler’s Creek. In some ways, it felt like they’d returned home.
Julie would have wanted it this way.
Meredith caught his attention and smiled. She followed his gaze to the picture.
“Julie was eight years old there, and I was six. Can you believe it? Look at my outfit.”
In the photograph, Meredith was wearing a pair of overalls, a white t-shirt, and a straw hat—a fitting ensemble for a farmer’s daughter. The two of them chuckled.
“You always knew what you wanted,” John said, returning with the glass of water.
“I still do.” Meredith smiled.
Dan took a sip of the beverage, letting it linger in his mouth before swallowing.
“I’m glad you kept this place,” he said.
“You are?”
“Yes.”
“Thanks, Dan. It means a lot to hear you say that.”
The three sat in silence for a minute, taking in the peacefulness of the moment. From upstairs, Dan could hear the patter of dog and child feet on the hardwood, and he smiled at the sound.
A moment later, before they could get used to things, the peacefulness was interrupted.
“Dad! Come quick!”
Quinn’s voice echoed down the stairs, a timbre of fear reflected in her words. Dan and the others bolted from their chairs. They raced up the steps, meeting the little girl at the top of the landing.
“Out the front window!” she said.
She took off running into Meredith’s bedroom, weaving around the queen-sized bed and over to the window. Unlike the ones downstairs, this window hadn’t been boarded up and they had a clear view of the front lawn.
Dusk had settled over the countryside, casting a maroon glow over the tips of the grass. And on the horizon, just past the road, a horde of creatures advanced.
28
“Quick! To the cars!” Dan yelled.
He grabbed his daughter’s shoulders and led her to the doorway. Outside, he could hear the groans and undulations of the infected growing closer.
There wasn’t much time.
He started to descend the stairs and then stopped. Meredith and John had remained in the room; neither had moved.
“Meredith! John! We have to go! Now!”
He stared at them with wide eyes, waiting for them to react. Quinn waved her hands, as well, but they stayed in place.
“I’m not going, Dan,” Meredith said.
“Are you kidding me?”
She shook her head.
Dan opened his mouth to argue, but quickly closed it. He recognized the look on her face, the tone in her voice. It was the same resolve she’d had when deciding to keep the farm all those years ago. No matter what he said or did, he wouldn’t be able to change her mind.
“I’m staying, too,” John said. His tone was calm and insistent, and he held onto Meredith with a steady hand.
Dan alternated his gaze between them and the window, watching the creatures spill across the property. If him and his daughter left now, it was possible that they’d make it to the SUV in time. But he’d have to decide soon.
Quinn grabbed his arm. “Daddy, we can’t leave Aunt Tilly. We need to stay. We can help!”
Dan leaned down and gripped his daughter’s shoulders, looked her in the eye. He was surprised to see that she was calm and composed. Just a few minutes ago she’d been playing with the dog, mindful of the adults talking downstairs. Now it was as if a switch had been flipped and she was ready to do what it took to survive.
For the past week, they’d been running and hiding, moving from one place to the next. In all that time, they’d never settled down and never gotten secure. On top of that, they’d driven hours to get here, surviving threats in all directions, and had been fortunate enough to find Meredith alive.
There was no way they could leave her behind.
It was time to take a stand.
“We’re staying with you.”
He saw a flicker of emotion cross Meredith’s eyes, and John gave her a squeeze.
“Let’s get downstairs and get prepared. We need all hands on deck. Quinn, come with me,” Dan said.
Meredith and John sprang into action, racing past them to get downstairs.
Dan glanced back out the window to assess the situation. The creatures were spread across the lawn; in under a minute, they’d gained ground and overtaken the fence.
“Let’s go!” he told Quinn.
The two of them raced to the lower level, where they could already hear the scrape and clatter of weapons being hefted.
Within seconds, the pounding of fists had erupted all around them. Windowpanes shattered, hands and nails raked at the boards. The creatures had them surrounded.
“Never mind the guns. Barricade the door!” Dan yelled.
He signaled to John, and the two of them slid one of the living room couches in front of the door, which was already buckling from the weight of multiple bodies against it. Once it was in place, they each grabbed an end of a nearby loveseat and carried it over to the back door.
“Do you have any more wood? I don’t think the furniture is going to be enough.”
John shook his head. “We used everything we had.”
On the floor was the pile of weapons that Meredith and John had gathered earlier—knives, garden tools, and hand tools.
“You two protect the downstairs. Quinn and I will go to the second level and see if we can pick some off through the window. If things get bad, yell.”
John nodded. “Got it.”
Dan watched as the two of them retrieved knives from the floor, then each of them grabbed a rifle from the dining room table. Meredith sprang for the nearest boarded window—where a set of fingers had wormed their way through the cracks—an
d began to thrust a kitchen knife through the opening. The creatures hissed and spit from the other side.
Dan hoisted a rifle of his own and handed a pistol to Quinn.
“Let’s go!” he told her.
The two of them pounded up the stairs, rounding the hallway and back into the main bedroom. When Dan looked out, his mouth fell open. The creatures fell over each other in a swarm, each trying to get ahead of the pack. They groped the house with hungry hands, eyes focused on the house and the people within. He noticed a few trying to clamber up the side, but the smooth vinyl provided little assistance, and they slid back to the ground without finding purchase.
Dan unlatched the window lock and flung up the sash. Then he lifted the screen, poked the tip of the rifle outside. With limited ammunition, his best bet was to aim for the thickest pockets of their attackers. If he could pick off those closest to the house, perhaps he could incapacitate several with one shot.
It was hardly a solution, but it was the best he could come up with for now.
The bedroom was seated on the corner of the house. When he looked down, he could see the boarded up windows of the dining room, and when he looked diagonal he could see the front porch. A cluster of creatures hovered against the front door, limbs flailing.
“Stay back, Quinn!”
His daughter stood behind him and blocked her ears.
He fired off a shot, watching two heads explode and another thing collapse from a gunshot wound to the chest. The fallen creatures were quickly overtaken, the porch still a teeming mass of flesh.
Dan aimed carefully. Fired again. The shot hit home, sending another few creatures sprawling off the porch and onto the lawn.
The sound of wood cracking distracted him, and when he looked down, he saw that the things had broken one of the boards that covered the living room window. He trained the rifle at the culprits, squeezing off several more shots to stave them off.
Despite his accurate shooting, they were hopelessly outmatched. There were more creatures than bullets, and even if he used his shots sparingly, there’d be no way to kill them all.
“Dan!”
Shouting erupted from downstairs, and he reared back from the window. Meredith was calling for assistance. Quinn squeezed in next to him and pointed her pistol through the window.
Contamination (Book 4): Escape Page 17