by Mark Mathews
“That sounds like a good idea. It’s been getting really bad at night, and a few times I’ve had to turn someone away from the house. Luckily, I never had to follow through on my threats, because that would have woken up everyone.”
Garrett looked a little sheepishly at Alice, and the glare that he received from her was enough to make him turn back to the group. Wren was sitting next to him, and he thought that might have had something to do with Alice now glaring at them both.
“Why don’t you outline the plan for them, then let them go? I don’t want you going. You need to stay here and protect our girls.”
Alice almost spat out the words, and the feeling that Garrett got was that she knew it was dangerous, but she wanted Wren to go instead, and possibly not come back. Alice had been an engineer in the army, and that was how the two of them had met. She knew the risks, and she knew there was a possibility of someone not coming back. To know that she was intentionally wishing for something to happen to someone put her in a different light completely. Garrett’s brow furrowed, and he realized this was an ugly insight to her character, and he didn’t like it. Not one bit. It started sowing the seeds of hatred toward her. When he originally had brought Wren home, Alice had welcomed her, feeling that two women in the house was a good thing, a calming influence of sorts. Ever since Alice had seen the two of them in an embrace, she seemed to be trying to keep them apart as much as possible. Granted, Garrett still had feelings for Alice, and the more she did things like this, the more he thought she returned them, but he couldn’t help but be attracted to Wren, too.
“I need to go with them because I’m the only one who knows the layout.” His voice was firm, and luckily, Alice had been with him long enough to know when his voice brooked no argument. She pouted and kept quiet.
“It looks like there might be some cover over here,” Athena pointed to a spot on the crude drawing, looking askance at Garrett.
“Yes. There’s a little dog park back there with all kinds of trees and bushes, but it’s out of range for anything that isn’t a rifle.”
Ben relaxed his grip on Athena’s hand a little, and she used her other hand to calmly rub the top of his hand. Garrett didn’t want to intrude on their little moment, especially since there weren’t that many opportunities to have them anymore, but he couldn’t help feeling a little pang. He wished he could have a moment like that, too. The only question was did he want it with Alice? Or Wren?
“Okay, let’s head out.”
Wren’s voice held the authority, and she was playing with the keys to the truck. Everyone got up and headed out the back door toward the garage. Alice had no choice but to go take care of the girls. She’d been jilted, and she was feeling humiliated. There was no way she was going to be hanging around on the balcony of her bedroom waiting for him to come back. Even if he did say it would be less than an hour…
Wren was in the driver’s seat, Ben and Athena were in the back seat, and Garrett could tell that Ben was starting to shake. He felt awful that he had to go through this, but there was nothing he could do. He’d wanted Max and Athena to go with him, but Ben refused to stay home when Athena was making the run, so Max had opted to stay home and protect the family.
“Ben? You okay, buddy?”
Garret’s voice was low, trying to stay calm and reassure his friend at the same time. Ben sat there, staring off into space, not answering, just chewing on his thumb. Athena looked over at him, then patted his knee gently.
“Don’t worry, he’s fine.”
She gave Garrett a smile, and Garrett turned his attention back out the window, trying to see through the gloom, making sure no one was going to interfere with them tonight.
“Who says you can talk for me? I have a mouth and a brain and I can do it myself! I don’t need you as my mouthpiece!”
The words left Ben’s mouth with such violence that spit flew from his lips. His eyes blazed, and everyone but Wren looked back at him and his sudden outburst. It was almost like a switch had been flipped. Then Ben’s eyes softened, his posture became submissive, and he looked ashamed.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean any of that. I just have a bad feeling about this trip, and I can’t help it. I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t mean it, I swear.” He was trying to take Athena’s hand, but his were shaking so badly that he couldn’t grab hers. She took his instead.
“It’s alright. I’m sorry that I spoke for you.”
She nuzzled his neck for a second, then sat back again. Garrett looked over at Wren, but her face was carefully blank. What Garrett hadn’t said out loud was that he was feeling the same way. There was a heavy curtain of anxiety and apprehension wrapped around him, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t shake it off. Yes, he’d told Alice that they would be back in less than an hour, but he was feeling nervous and on edge in a way that he hadn’t in a long time. Even with his crazy prepper lifestyle, as Brooke called it, he still hadn’t felt like this for quite a while.
The ride to the gas station was uneventful. No one even saw anyone else out and about. Once they parked behind the little building, the four of them moved out of the truck, backpacks in hand, and Wren led Ben and Athena into the store. They found the food aisle almost completely untouched. That was what Garrett originally had wanted, but he also knew he needed to get some extra gasoline, just in case. He’d brought three gasoline cans with him, hoping he’d be able to stock up. If only the pumps were working. Unloading the empty cans, he went to the first pump. He took it off the hook, squeezed the handle, and listened for the telltale whoosh that meant there was something in it. Before he could determine that one way or the other, someone smashed into him from behind. The two of them hit the ground with a thud, and all the air rushed out of Garrett’s lungs. He tried drawing some air in, but couldn’t with the extra weight on him. That kicked him into a primal rage.
Garrett couldn’t help it, but his only thought was to get back to his girls. He would do whatever it took. Throwing out an elbow, he connected with a soft area, hearing a gasp of pain. Garrett exploded into action, bolting to his feet, and feeling something bounce off the top of his head as he did. If he had to guess, he would say he had just head-butted his attacker. He managed to get away, turning quickly to see who it was, hands up and balled into fists to protect his face. The moon was full, and it gave just enough light for Garrett to make out the face that glared at him now. Austin. Before Garret could say anything, Austin’s face split into a feral grin.
“Garrett. How nice of you to drop by. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to take you in, since you and your little group are stealing. And I’m sure you remember that I can do that any way I see fit.”
Garrett’s blood ran cold, and he knew Austin would get away with anything he wanted. How could he have let this man into his house? Let him see his defenses? Let him know his supply stash? Austin was going to be the downfall of his family. Another fist caught Garrett from behind, and he mentally kicked himself for thinking that Austin would be here alone. He went down, barely having the time to get his hands out in front of him, saving himself from smashing his face into the ground. The commotion brought Ben, Athena, and Wren out of the store, and it took them a moment or two to realize what was going on. By that time, Austin’s steel-toed boot was catching Garrett in the ribs, over and over again. Wren was the first to jump into action. In one fluid motion, she had her pistol out and trained on Austin.
“Let him go.”
Her voice was icy, and the three men who were gathered around Garrett turned tail and ran back to the police cruiser that had been hidden out of sight behind a large clump of bushes. Garrett was winded, and he’d thought he’d heard something crack on that last kick. Either way, he couldn’t move just yet. Ben and Athena quickly loaded up their supplies in the truck, then the two of them came over to Garrett.
“It’s gonna hurt to move you, man, but we got to do it.”
Ben was all business now, and Garrett was glad. He couldn’t handle it
right now. He’d always been the one in charge of the group, calling the shots, and it was hard for him to have to let someone else take over, but he knew that this time he didn’t have a choice. He bit his lip, stifling a scream as he was lifted off the ground. Wren covered them with her pistol, even as the cruiser sped off down the street. They lay Garrett down in the bed of the truck as gently as they could, but he still winced and groaned.
When they got home, Alice was out on the balcony, watching for headlights. She tore down the stairs as fast as she could. The girls, hearing her footsteps, came after her, but at a slower pace. Because of that, she got to the door first, and the moment she saw Garrett’s bloody face, she whirled around and began ushering the girls back up the stairs to their room. She came back as quickly as her bulk would let her, and immediately began directing Ben and Athena to bring Garrett up to the bedroom. They did, and she tucked him into bed after she took off his shoes.
Going to the bathroom, she grabbed a wet cloth and a little bowl of water, sitting down on the edge of the bed to gently wipe away the blood. Garrett’s eyes still were closed, but he could tell that it was Alice. She had her own scent to her that he never would forget, no matter what happened between them in life. A gentle knock sounded, and it was enough for Garrett to crack open one eye. Wren stood there, obviously wanting to see how bad off he was. Alice looked up, and her face contorted into a mask of fury.
“How dare you show your face?! You were supposed to be taking care of him! Look what you let happen! Get out! You didn’t protect him at all! Just get the hell out!”
Alice’s voice reverberated down the hall, and the rest of the house got eerily quiet. The look on Wren’s face clearly said she would like nothing more than to murder Alice for what she’d said, but she was better than that, so she would let it slide this one time. Garrett was too weak to join the argument, and in any case, Wren left before he could say a word. He coughed, spitting out some blood.
“What happened out there?” Now her voice was soft again, and she was trying to nurse him.
“Your psycho husband happened.”
His voice was grim, not only from pain, but from anger as well. He knew she was going to protect Austin, even now, and that built up his wrath and hurt from the day that she married him until now. Alice started to cry, putting her arms around him as gently as she could. Garrett wanted to pull away from her, because he didn’t want her touching him when she still wanted to protect the bastard who had done this to him.
“I’m so sorry. I’ve regretted marrying him from day one. I never should have married him. I guess I always thought you would come and stop the wedding or something. I’m so sorry. I don’t even love him anymore. I love you.”
After her confession, she leaned down as gently as she could and put her lips to his. Garrett lay there, feeling her mouth move against his, and was in shock. Yes, his lips matched hers, but that was all. There were no feelings there to go with them. No lightning that sent every nerve ending into overdrive…just nothing. He realized with a jolt that he didn’t really love Alice anymore, he’d only loved the idea of loving her. He couldn’t pull away, because he didn’t have the strength, but he waited patiently for her to finish the kiss and pull away. When she did, he faked a yawn, trying to hint to her that he wanted to be left alone. She got the message for once and left him be. He couldn’t roll over without pain crushing him, so he just closed his eyes until he could hear her footsteps down the hall. Then he lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to sort through his feelings.
CHAPTER FIVE
GARRETT COULD FEEL his head swimming, and as the room darkened, and Alice took the candle, he sank down into a world of blackness and pain. How long he was gone in his own personal hell, he didn’t know, but when he woke up, Alice was in the bed with him, with her head close to his. He knew he hadn’t touched her the night before, except for the kiss that she stole from him, and he accurately could label it stealing a kiss because he couldn’t get up and leave even if he’d tried. Garrett had been a master at moving slowly, and without being detected. Now he was doing an even better job of it, because the pain that wracked his body barely would let him move at all. It felt like an hour before he could get his hands on the bed, in a position to where he could try pushing himself up. When he did, he had to bite down on his lip again, which already felt bruised from the last time he’d stopped a scream. There was no way he could get to his feet by himself. He glanced over at Alice, knowing that even if she wasn’t pregnant, there was no way she could help pull him to his feet, either. It was times like this that he wished he’d had a son, who could help him with the heavy lifting in life. Reluctantly, he lay back against the pillows again, staring at the ceiling, and wondering how long it would be before someone came to check on him. He didn’t want to wake up Alice because he wanted to get out of the room without her following him. Movement at the door caught his attention.
“Daddy? Are you okay?”
Jenny stood there, still in her pajamas, and if it wasn’t for the pain reminding him of what had happened the night before, he would have thought this was just another morning where he was with his family, and all was right with the world. He tried to nod, but it wasn’t as defined as he would have liked. When Jenny came into the room, he saw that Brooke was right on her heels. It warmed his heart to think that Brooke cared enough to see him, too. He’d thought they had made some progress over the course of this attack, but he wasn’t quite sure where they stood after the last chat that they’d had out in the backyard.
“Hey, Dad. How are you holding up?”
Both girls were whispering, even though Alice had turned into a heavy sleeper since she’d become pregnant. The girls came to sit on his side of the bed, and Garrett instinctively tried to move over to give them more room, but he stopped almost immediately, his face going white as a sheet from the pain. Jenny made a strangled noise in her throat, seeing that he was hurting so much. So instead, she knelt by the bed, taking his hand in hers. She had the makings of being a great nurse, if all this ever got sorted out and the world returned to normal.
“Here, Dad. Take this.”
Brooke handed him what looked like a painkiller, and a glass of dark liquid. It was pungent, and he knew immediately that it was liquor. He cracked a smile at her, which she reciprocated, but neither smile held any humor in it. Jenny pointedly looked away as Brooke helped Garrett put the glass to his lips and swallow a mouthful to chase down the pill. Jenny was the type of girl who liked things to stay the way she knew them, and to see her strong, tough father in pain and bruised was enough to undo her. She didn’t want to look at him in his time of weakness.
“I’ll be alright, girls, I promise. Just a little beat up, is all. But I’m sure I was never very pretty to begin with.” He winked at them, and their giggles woke up Alice. She saw the girls and smiled at them. Moving over to make some room, she held up the blanket.
“Come on, girls, jump in. It’ll be just like old times.”
The smile on her face was radiant, and it made Garrett cringe. He didn’t want these advances from her, and it was something that he’d need to talk to her about later when they were alone.
“No, I need them to help me get up so I can take a watch. I’ve been slacking since I came home last night, and I need to pull my own weight.”
The smile slipped from Alice’s face, but the girls already were hurrying to help Garrett, so there wasn’t really anything she could say. Between the two of them, the girls got him into a sitting position, then Alice told them to wait outside while she helped Garrett change. She gently dressed him in a clean, loose-fitting T-shirt and some sweatpants so his clothes wouldn’t constrict him when he was already in so much pain. She tried to lean in to kiss him, but he pretended to be unsteady and tilted away from her. She immediately reached out to catch him, but she couldn’t hide the disappointment on her face. If Garrett knew her at all, she wouldn’t let that one little hiccup stop her. Alice braced herself the be
st she could, then took Garrett’s hand and pulled him to his feet. He winced, but managed to get out of the room in one piece. The stairs proved to be difficult for him, and he found himself leaning on the railing to take some of the pressure off his aching muscles.
In the living room, he found his pistol in the holster, laying on the coffee table. Max was sitting on the couch, and no one else was anywhere to be seen. That made him feel a little better. He didn’t exactly want anyone else to see him, as rough as he looked. He was embarrassed he’d let this happen to him, and no matter what anyone else said, he still felt like this was no one’s fault but his own. He awkwardly buckled the holster on over his sweatpants, not liking the way they bunched up on him. That was something he’d have to deal with for a little while, however, because he didn’t really think his jeans would be anywhere close to comfortable at the moment. When he managed to get out onto the screened-in porch, he saw Wren was on watch. Guilt swept through him immediately at the way Alice had talked to her. He wasn’t that great at apologizing or saying the right thing, but he knew he had to say something to her.
“Hey. I want to apologize for the way Alice blew up at you. What she said wasn’t true at all. You were protecting me from Austin and his groupies. She just doesn’t understand what something like this can do to someone, even someone she thinks she knows. I’m sorry.” He’d had no idea what he was going to say to her until the words had come out, but she still wasn’t going to make it easy on him, no matter what he said. He looked up at her, his eyes begging her to understand, but she wouldn’t look at him. They sat there together in silence for a few seconds, then Wren got up and went into the house. Thinking she just was going to the bathroom, Garrett sat in his seat and started to peruse the streets. When the door opened again, he had a smile on his face. He didn’t realize it until it started to slip. Max was coming to take watch, it seemed, and that hurt him. He’d hoped to spend some time with Wren today.