by Kate L. Mary
He turned back, and seeing me still standing in the rain, grabbed my arm and pushed me toward the plane. This time I obeyed and ducked inside.
There was room for maybe four passengers. Blake was in the back when I threw myself in the middle row. The rain picked up as Kellan climbed in next to me, pulling the door shut behind him. Water dripped from his hair, and he wasn’t alone. I was as drenched as he was, and in the back, Blake was shivering.
It wasn’t until Kellan turned toward me and I remembered that he’d just removed a body that I realized I was sitting right where the woman had died. A shiver shook me, and I scooted over until I was practically on Kellan’s lap.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
I waved to the seat. “Someone died there.”
“Someone died nearly everywhere on this earth, Regan.”
Another shiver moved through me. He had a point, but that didn’t mean I was interested in sitting where a skeleton had been only a few minutes ago.
“You want to sit there,” I pointed behind me, “be my guest.”
Kellan rolled his eyes but moved so we could switch places. It was a tight fit, and after a few seconds of him awkwardly trying to climb over me, he sat back down, pulled me onto his lap, scooted over, and deposited me on the other side of the seat.
“Happy?” he asked, trying to sound exasperated but failing when his dimple flashed at me.
“Absolutely.” I twisted my hair around my hand and wrung it out on his lap. “This was exactly what I wanted to do today.”
Something pinged against the roof, and my eyes flicked up. Another ping followed, and then another and another. In seconds, the pings had turned to thuds as hundreds of balls of ice pounded down on us. Through the front window, I could see them bouncing off the front of the plane. A few even made it inside, pummeling the long dead pilot. They were huge, bigger than any I’d ever seen in person.
“At least we have shelter!” Blake called.
The glass that had managed to survive the crash years ago shattered, and I let out a yelp of surprise. With no barrier left, more hail made it inside.
I leaned away from the window next to me, afraid it would shatter as well, but what was left of the wings seemed to be protecting us. Thankfully, because there was nowhere to go to get away from it.
The hail didn’t last long, a few minutes at the most. It ended as quickly as it had started, and in the wake of the pounding, the world was shockingly quiet. The rain still pinged against the roof of the plane, but otherwise it seemed like the storm had already passed us.
“That was short and violent,” Blake said.
“Thankfully.” I scooted forward and scooped up a sizeable piece of hail, holding it up for the others to see.
It was round, but lumpy, and fit perfectly in my palm. Golf ball size or maybe even a little bigger.
Blake let out a whistle. “Wouldn’t want to get caught out in that.”
“Hopefully, the truck wasn’t hit too hard.” Kellan nodded to the door at my back. “We should get moving.”
I tossed the ice back into the front of the plane before shoving the door open. The sky had lightened to a soft gray, the rain was barely a drizzle, and in front of me the ground was littered with hundreds of balls of ice, many of them the size of the one I’d picked up. There were a lot of smaller ones, too, though, since they often broke up when they hit the ground.
Blake was the first one out. He swiped one of the larger pieces of hail up and tossed it in the air like a baseball.
“Wanna play catch?” He grinned.
I climbed out with Kellan right behind me.
“You laugh,” he said, “but if this hit one of the settlements, things could get bad. Severe hail can destroy a house.”
Blake’s smile faded, and he tossed it to the ground. “Shit. You think the storm cell is that big?”
Kellan’s gaze shifted to the distance. “Altus is probably okay since they’re south, but the storm looks to be heading right toward Quartz Mountain.”
Blake turned so he was facing the dark sky to the east, but my gaze was on the plane. It was covered in dents from the hail, its surface pockmarked instead of smooth the way it was supposed to be. I had no doubt we’d find the truck in the same condition when we reached it. We’d gotten really lucky that we were able to find shelter.
“Let’s go in case something else decides to hit,” I said.
We started back down the mountain, sliding over boulders slick with rain and mud. Kellan stuck close to me, grabbing my arm whenever I wobbled. I shot him a look when he reached out to steady me for the third time, but he was concentrating on where he stepped, not me. Figured. Every time I found myself hoping his actions might be more than an obligation to keep me safe, I was disappointed. He was just being Kellan. Responsible and steady.
We’d made it halfway down and had reached a section where the rocks seemed to double in size when the sound of voices made me stop. Quick as lightning, Kellan slid down the rock he was standing on, wedging himself into a crevice. Before I’d even had a chance to decide what I needed to do, he was reaching for me.
“Come on,” he hissed, waving for me to move.
I lowered myself to a crouch, and he grabbed me around the waist, pulling me down beside him while a few boulders back Blake slid into a similar crevice. Once I was down, I found myself crammed into a tight space and practically pressed up against Kellan. It wasn’t exactly the safest place to be with the rattlesnake population in this area, but at least we were out of sight.
Kellan ducked, pulling me with him as the hum of voices grew louder. They were male and not the least bit interested in being quiet, which was never a good sign. It made them either stupid or overly confident. Neither was a good trait.
With my body pressed up against Kellan’s the way it was, I could feel his heart beating against my back. He had his arms around me and his body curled over mine. The voices grew closer, and Kellan pressed his lips against my ear, whispering shhh.
“Damn this state,” one of the men grumbled.
I couldn’t see them from where I was, but the scrape of their footsteps against the ground had gotten closer.
“Can’t wait to get our asses back to Atlanta,” someone else muttered.
Kellan stiffened at the mention of the new capital, and my own heart beat faster.
“Thought coming out this way we’d at least get a break from the heat, but it’s fucking hot as balls here.” The sound of someone spitting broke up the man’s words. “You ever seen hail like that?”
“Shit,” another man muttered. “I never saw hail ‘til today. Thought we were gonna get pummeled.”
“Can’t we throw in the towel and admit defeat? She’s gone! Face it, we fucked up.”
Something scraped against the rocks very close to where we were hiding, and behind me Kellan’s body seemed to turn to stone.
The men stopped walking.
“No. We’re gonna find her, and when we do, we’re not going to waste any more time. We’re leaving. Heading back to Atlanta.” Feet scraped again, only this time it seemed as if they were moving past us. “Next time we’ll head south. Florida or something. Hit the beaches.”
“Shoulda suggested that before we dragged our asses all the way out here,” a man grumbled.
They kept walking, their voices fading into the distance as they argued. It was clear these were the men we’d heard rumors about, but who they were looking for, I didn’t know. Whoever she was, I hoped they didn’t find her. As much as I wanted them to be on their way.
When the footsteps had faded until they were nothing more than distant scratches, Kellan relaxed. “That was close.”
I twisted to face him, and jammed into the crevice the way we were, found his face less than six inches from mine. My heart thumped faster, pulsing against my ribcage, but I swallowed down my nerves.
“Those were the men from Atlanta,” I whispered. “The ones looking for immune people.”
/> “Sure as hell seems like it.”
Kellan lifted himself up on his toes, holding onto me to give himself a boost. His hands were on my ribcage, right below my breasts. It made my heart pound faster, made me break out into a sweat. I swallowed and willed my body not to react to him, but he was so close. Inches from me.
When he lowered himself again, he was even closer than before. He exhaled, and his breath brushed across my face. “I don’t see them anymore, but I want to wait a few more minutes to be on the safe side.”
I nodded, unable to talk. His hands were still on me, and when he realized it, he pulled back like he’d touched a venomous snake. “Sorry.”
“Seriously, Kellan.” I let out a strained laugh. “You act like we’ve never been here before. I remember a time when you and I hid inside a tiny pantry for two hours. This is nothing.”
He blinked, surprise flashing in his eyes. “It’s not the same. You were a kid then. Now…” His gaze flitted down but quickly flicked back up so he was staring at the cloud-clogged sky. “You’re a woman now.”
My heart thumped harder. “I think that’s the first time you’ve ever acknowledged that.”
“Believe me, I’ve noticed.” He kept his gaze focused on the sky above us like he was intentionally avoiding looking at me.
“You have?” My voice squeaked like a teenage boy hitting puberty.
Kellan finally looked down, a small grin pulling up his lips and deepening his dimple. “Are you really surprised?”
“I don’t know. I guess. I thought you still saw me as a little girl.” I rolled my eyes even as heat crept up my face. “I mean, compared to women like Chelsea, I look like a little girl.”
Kellan chuckled, and I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Sorry.” He lifted his hands and tried to take a step back but only succeeded in bumping into the rock behind him. “I’m not laughing at you. I’m only laughing at how oblivious you are.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I shot at him.
Kellan’s eyebrows lifted and he gave me a look that was half teasing, half knowing. “Regan, if you seriously think men—”
Footsteps scraped on the rocks above us, and a few pebbles dropped into the hole we were wedged in.
“You guys going to stay down there forever?” I looked up to find Blake standing over us, grinning. “The coast is clear.”
“We’re coming up,” Kellan said.
When I looked at him again, the teasing light had disappeared from his eyes and he was once again all business. Silently, I cursed Blake for his timing. I wanted to know what Kellan was going to say, but I knew I’d never have the guts to bring it up. Especially not in front of Blake.
Kellan pulled himself out before turning to offer me a hand. His calloused skin was warm when he wrapped his fingers around mine, something I never would have noticed a year and a half ago. Now, it was all I could focus on as I hauled myself up over the rock.
The second I was out, Kellan released my hand and stepped back. I was on my hands and knees, and I looked up to find him surveying the area, not focused on me.
“You hear everything they said?” Blake asked.
“Every word,” Kellan said. “I was really hoping those rumors were wrong, but it seems like they were spot on.”
I climbed to my feet, doing my best to look around so I could avoid glancing in Kellan’s direction. “Who do you think they’re looking for?”
“Not us.” Kellan started walking. “Which is a good thing. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
I rolled my eyes at his back but followed without argument, this time keeping step with Blake instead of our fearless leader. It was kind of nuts when I thought about it like that. Kellan, after all, was the youngest of the men. Blake and Cade were both in their thirties, but Kellan was only twenty-four. Still, there was something about him that made him a natural leader, and he fell into the position when we were out without even noticing it.
We descended the mountain slowly, careful as we climbed over the smooth surface of the boulders. They’d been slick on our way up, but the heavy rain had made them twice as treacherous, and more than once I found my feet slipping.
The third time my feet slid forward, Blake was at my side. He reached for me, his hands grasping my waist to steady me before I could fall.
“Careful there,” he said, laughing.
I swatted him playfully. “Trying to cop a feel?”
“It has been awfully lonely down there lately.” Blake’s grin widened.
I belted out a laugh that echoed through the air, earning me a stern look from Kellan.
“How about you keep it down and stay focused?” He shook his head. “This is exactly why I didn’t want you to come out.” His gaze flitted to Blake, and he shook his head as he started walking again. “Let’s go. I want to get back to the shelter before we run into those assholes again.”
“He’s in a mood today,” I mumbled.
“Maybe he’s lonely, too,” Blake said.
“Maybe we’re all a little lonely,” I replied.
The truck finally came into view, parked right where we’d left it. Too bad it wasn’t in the same condition.
“Wow.” Blake let out a whistle. “You think it’s still drivable?”
Kellan jumped from the boulder he was standing on, landing on the ground with a soft thud, then headed over. “Only one way to find out.”
I alternated between watching my footing as I continued down the rocks to staring at the now destroyed truck. The hail had nearly all melted, leaving only a few chunks here and there—none of them bigger than a quarter. The damage was horrendous. Pockmarks like the ones that had been all over the plane dotted the truck’s hood, sides, and top of the cab, and the windshield had shattered. Luckily, the back window hadn’t, but it did have four holes in it that were the size of my fist.
Kellan ripped the door open as I hopped off the final rock, landing right on top of one of his crisscrossed footprints. Blake was right behind me, and the tinkle of glass cut through the silence when Kellan wiped it off the seat and onto the floor of the truck. I headed for the passenger side, pulling the door open as Kellan slid behind the wheel.
He put the key in the ignition but paused for a second, glancing my way. “Here goes nothing.”
I stood at the open door with crossed fingers and held my breath as he twisted the key. The engine turned over hesitantly, but roared to life only a second later.
“Thank God,” I muttered.
I started wiping the glass from the seat, and Kellan turned to help me. Our fingers touched, and I jerked back like it stung.
“Did you get cut?” he asked.
I shook my head, not looking his way. “A scratch,” I lied. “It’s small.”
“Let me see.” Kellan held his hand out.
“It’s fine.” I wiped the rest of the glass from the seat. “It didn’t even break the skin. Just poked me.”
When the seat was clear of glass, I climbed in and scooted over so I was at Kellan’s side, and Blake followed me in.
We were quiet as we drove home. Here and there the evidence of the storm was present in the form of limbs ripped from trees or huge holes in the windows, walls, and even roofs of old buildings. Kellan slowed a little when we passed a horde of the dead. There were eight of them, all on the ground and struggling to move, as well as two with skulls that had been bashed in.
“Looks like the hail broke their bones,” Blake said.
“I’m not surprised, with how big some of those chunks were,” Kellan said.
I watched silently as one of the dead pulled himself toward the truck on arms that seemed to be working fine, his now broken and useless legs dragging behind him. Others seemed to have only one good arm or leg, or no limbs that were useable at all anymore. They flopped like fish out of water, trying to get up but unable to, thanks to their damaged bodies.
One of them was small, probably no older than eleven or twelve when she’d turne
d. Her red hair had mostly fallen out at this point, but what was left had long ago clumped into knots. She opened her mouth and moaned as she tried to pull herself up. Her right arm, broken at the elbow, flopped back and forth, refusing to obey. The sight of her made my stomach convulse. That could have been me. If Kellan hadn’t been there, I would have died. I knew that as surely as he did.
“Drive,” I said, tearing my gaze away from the pathetic creatures. “Let’s go home.”
Kellan threw the car into gear, looking at me only once, and then took off.
“So the rumors are true?” Emma gnawed on her lower lip, her eyes troubled.
“As far as we can tell,” Kellan said, “yes.”
“Shit.” Cade let out a deep sigh.
We were gathered in the control room discussing what we’d learned while he sat staring at the screens. The worry on everyone’s faces matched the concern swirling through me. We’d lost too much already, and the thought of losing more made my insides twist with uneasiness.
“There’s no point in taking any risks,” Jasper said. “I don’t want any more groups going out for a while. Hopefully, in a couple weeks these guys will have moved onto another part of the country.”
Kellan sat up straighter. “What about hunting? We didn’t get anything today. The storm came in too fast.”
“We’re good on meat for a while.” Jasper waved his hand in the air like he was trying to brush Kellan’s concerns away. “We won’t starve.”
Kellan frowned but didn’t argue. If it had been anyone else, he would have—Kellan had the habit of acting like he knew best—but it was habit to defer to Jasper. For all of us.
Blake stood at the back of the room, as far from Emma and Cade as possible, saying nothing. With his arms crossed over his chest the way they were, he looked more closed off than I’d ever seen him. Being stuck down here was going to be rough on everyone, but having no escape from his ex and her new boyfriend was going to be especially difficult on Blake.
“I guess it’s bikini time,” I muttered.