"I'm sorry." Randi tapped her foot. "We lost my brother-in-law when he and I went on a run. Someone took shots at us. I got hit a couple of times, but nothing serious. Leon took a hit to the chest."
"Sorry about your brother-in-law. Is that why you're limping?"
She nodded.
"Life's not too great. Guess we have to make the best of it, though."
"Yeah." She grabbed the night vision goggles and strapped them on. "I'm going to make a circuit. Miguel'll relieve me soon. You're welcome to wait here, join me, or go downstairs and rest."
"I'll head on downstairs. Maybe I'll sleep." Josh put his hand on the doorknob but turned to look back at her. "I'm glad y'all came here when things got bad. If we're going to survive in this world, we need good people on our side."
Randi thought about Josh's comments as she made her way in a full circuit around the compound. What would he think if he knew her? The real her. Or her father? They bore devastating secrets. Miguel was waiting for her when she reached the main station. "Hey bro." She stretched. "Do you think these newcomers are okay?"
"I do." Miguel leaned back in the chair. "They're Barker's family. By rights Josh could've insisted we leave as soon as he got here, but he didn't."
"True. He even asked why we hadn't moved into the house." Randi rolled her neck. Her body ached like she'd run six miles in the heat with a twenty-pound weight on her back. "He thought we should since we don't know if the Barkers will ever make it."
"See. If they had plans to get rid of us, he wouldn't have asked about us moving into the house."
She flicked a piece of lint off her jacket sleeve. "Guess so. See you later. I'm headed to bed."
"Don't forget to eat." Miguel caught her hand. "I know you're stressed, but you need nourishment. You've lost weight since we've been here."
Randi shrugged. "With what I have to do every day, if I eat, it comes back up."
"At least try. For what it's worth, I know you aren't the drama queen Adriana thinks you are, and I'm sorry I called you selfish. It scared me to think you went off on your own without telling anyone." Miguel hugged her. "You're my hero. If it weren't for you, no one in this family would be alive. Adriana will come to understand."
She offered him a weak smile. "If only. We didn't have a good relationship growing up, and when I came home from the Marines, it only deteriorated."
"I know, and I'm praying the two of you work out your issues."
"Thank you." Not that Miguel's prayers would make any difference, but at least, he cared. She went downstairs, found a spot near the fire pit, and stretched out to stargaze. Maybe the warmth from the fire would help ease the intense ache in her leg. Would her sister ever forgive her for letting Leon die? To an extent, she deserved Adriana's ire.
Why had she been such a witch to her sister when she was younger? If she hadn't destroyed her trust, maybe she would believe Randi couldn't save him. Regrets and guilt. What else was new? Her life had descended to neck deep in both, and it wouldn't get better.
*****
Reginald held onto the seat back while David drove as fast as he could. "Keep going, son." Main Street, Roswell passed in a blur and soon they were back on the highway.
"They won't follow us very far." Dr. Voss crossed his arms. "They're afraid of getting caught outside after dark. The infected seem more active at night. At least that's what those in the diner think." He stroked his chin.
"You said if we stayed there until nightfall, they would feed us to the rabids?" Reginald frowned. "They gave me a weapon. How would they go about that without disarming me?"
"Adell requires everyone to check-in their weapons before nightfall." Voss's voice cracked. "I've seen it happen more than once."
"That's sick." David met his father's gaze through the rearview mirror. "I don't get it. Wouldn't they be safer with more people?"
"They're afraid of running out of food and supplies." Reginald cocked an eyebrow. "Is that correct, Doc?"
The old man stroked his beard. "Yep. There's a limited food supply, and the more people they shelter, the quicker they'll run out. I know it sounds harsh, but they want to protect their loved ones, and don't know of any other way to do that."
"Why did they allow us to stay last night?" David asked. "Besides, if they tried to throw us out of the diner, we had a car to leave."
"Your dad was hunting for supplies last night, and they didn't want trouble when he returned." Dr. Voss leaned back in the seat, closed his eyes and sighed. "They don't just throw people out in the streets. Near dusk, they take their victims, at gunpoint, out back, and disable them."
David shuddered. "Beyond messed up."
"Yes it is. Do you want to keep driving?" Reginald asked. "Texas is still a ways away."
"Yeah. You rest. I don't think you've had much sleep."
Reginald leaned his head against the door and closed his eyes. Exhaustion overwhelmed him, but how could he sleep until he got his family home? What would he do once they reached their Hill Country haven? He had no idea how to reverse this virus since those thugs stole his notes and samples. Why hadn't he copied the data from the computer like a reasonable person? Then he could've stuck a thumb drive in his pocket. Even if he had everything with him, he couldn't do this by himself. If at all.
Reginald woke as the car slowed. He looked at the clock on the dashboard. About four hours had passed. They were a couple of miles from Fort Stockton, but abandoned cars blocked the highway.
"Dad, is there another way? Can we bypass Fort Stockton or do we need to get out and walk?"
"I don't know."
"Why not backtrack to Pecos and take 17 down to Balmorhea?" Dr. Voss asked.
"The exit to 17 was blocked." Mary Anne looked over the backseat. "Our only option now is to walk as far as we can and try to find another car on the other side of the blockade."
"How long is it going to take us to get to where we're going?" Belle crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her bottom lip. "We've been on this journey for years, and I'm sick of it."
"No, we haven't." Mary Anne opened her door. "Suck it up and deal with it, Missy. Life's not fair, and it will never again be easy. Help your father and brother get the supplies out of the trunk and let's get going."
Belle shot daggers at her mother with her eyes but didn't argue.
Reginald's heart clenched. He'd sheltered his little princess all her life, and now she had to face the harsh reality of striving to survive one more day. One more second in the world he created. They gathered the supplies and rummaged around in the abandoned cars until they found rolling luggage to stash everything. Once they had the suitcases loaded, they started their trek toward Fort Stockton. Dr. Voss took the lead, and Reginald brought up the rear. With his family sandwiched between them, he relaxed a tad.
The clacking of the wheels rolling across the blacktop lulled Reginald into daze. He stared at the landscape crawling by. Endless fields dotted with pump jacks."
"Dad, what are those things?" Belle pointed to one of the pump jacks. "They look like horses’ heads dipping down to take a drink."
"Pump jacks. They pull the oil from deep below the earth and send it to a pipeline. At least until the electricity goes out or they malfunction." Then they would rust away as the west Texas dirt sandblasted them with every windstorm. While he watched the pump jack, it ground to a halt. Had the electric grid finally collapsed? Another reminder of the fall of the world. What was he doing taking his family through this? Would they have been safer if they'd stayed in Colorado? No, he didn't have a fortress there. Why hadn't he built them a compound nearer to home? Too cold. He'd chosen the land he'd inherited because of the warmer climate. It gave them a better chance of surviving. Even if the solar panels and wind turbines failed, they had fireplaces.
"Dad!"
Reginald snapped out of his introspection and looked at David. A small child stood near his son. "Is he okay?"
"I don't know." David knelt to talk to the boy at th
e same time a rabid grabbed Dr. Voss and bit into his neck. As Dr. Voss screamed, the child cried out and ran away. David took off after the little boy.
Reginald shot the rabid. He handed Mary Anne the gun. "I've got to find David. You and Belle wait here."
"What about him?" Mary Anne pointed to Dr. Voss. "He's going to be infected."
Blood pumped out of Voss's neck. "He's dying," Reginald whispered and took off in the direction David had run. Why did his son think he had to save the world? It was going to get the boy killed. He never should've gone after the child. "David! Where are you?" Reginald rounded an abandoned convenience store and stopped. Rabids had the little boy.
And David.
His son's screams pierced the air.
He stared in horror. This couldn't be happening. Not his son. The metallic odor of blood choked him. He hid behind a mesquite tree and watched in horror. Screams lodged in his throat. David. Tears flooded his eyes and rolled down his cheeks as silent sobs wracked his body. Why hadn't he gone after his son right way? His body shook hard enough his arms scraped against the tree bark and the tree's thorns pierced his skin. He should've saved him.
After a while, David's screams subsided, but Reginald still couldn't move. He could only stare at the carnage. "No, no, no, no. This can't be happening," he whispered. His chest tightened, his breath caught in his throat. He gasped several times trying to catch his breath. The feeling of suffocation overtaking him.
The infecteds moved away from Reginald's hiding place, but they'd destroyed his son. Why David? He had a good heart and even joined that stupid church with his college friend. If God was real, why did He take someone like David? He should've struck me down. He was the one who deserved to die. This God of his mother's couldn't be good. No, only an evil god would do this to David. Reginald looked at the sky and shook his fist. "Why? You're cruel and don't care about us humans. I don't want you in my life. You took my son. My boy."
Icy pain pierced his heart. He dropped to the ground and rocked back and forth and muttered, "It's all my fault." The scene before him couldn't be real. He rubbed the back of his neck and forced himself to turn away. He had to focus on his remaining family.
He sat with his back to David until he forced his heart to go numb. The only way to protect Mary Anne and Belle was to shut down his emotions. He had to return to them. To keep them safe. Like he did with David? But how could he leave his son's body?
He began clawing at the dirt. At the very least, David deserved a real grave. Even if he had to dig it with his hands. The rock-hard ground didn't budge, but he continued to dig at it until his hands were bloody, and the nails ripped from several fingers. He swiped at the snot and tears that continued pouring down his face in a torrent.
His stomach rolled. The ground refused to budge. He had to leave his boy for scavengers. He fell face first in the dirt and screamed. His hand latched onto a rock as if he could clobber his mother's monster of a God. He cursed her for believing and telling his son about her faith. They were all delusional and now his son lay dead on the ground, and he couldn't even bury him.
Why the devil did he ever agree to work on the virus?
He forced himself to stand. If the sick returned, he had no defense lying in the dirt. The purple skies of twilight belied the apocalypse on earth. David would say it was proof of God's promise that He wouldn't abandon them.
Where'd the empty promises of that ancient book get you, son?
Anger at a nonexistent God flowed over him again. How long had he been away from his wife and daughter? He forced himself to find his way back to the highway where Belle and Mary Anne waited. Every step sent his sore muscles into a cramp. Scrub brush clawed at his pants, and dirt swirled up causing him to sneeze and cough. What could he tell his wife? Those creatures created by his virus had killed their boy. Maybe he could tell her he couldn't find David. No. She'd go look. He refused to allow her to see the carnage. Not the way their beautiful fair-haired boy looked after the beasts had their fill.
Hot water pooled in his mouth, and he vomited several times. He swiped a hand across his mouth and forced his feet to move.
"Did you find him?" Mary Anne's eyes went wide. "Where is my son? Go back and get him!" she screamed.
Reginald took the pistol from her and pulled her to him. "He's gone."
She pushed against him. "What do you mean, 'gone'?"
Reginald swallowed over the pain flooding the back of his throat and blinked back tears. "He's dead."
Mary Anne stared at him with a wild look in her eyes. "No. Go get my son. Now."
"Honey, he—"
"He can't be dead." Mary Anne sank to the ground and wailed. "You let this happen. It's your fault my baby's gone."
Chapter Eighteen
Randi brought two of the goats into the compound as twilight fell. The animals needed milking, and they could make cheese out of it. She led the goats to the milking area, grabbed a clean bucket, and started milking the first one.
"Miss Randi?" Toni stood to the side watching her. "What are you doing?"
"I'm milking the goat so we'll have milk and cheese."
"Can I try?"
"Put your hands here." Randi showed her how to place her hands on the teat and pull.
The milk spurted out and Toni yelped then giggled. "I've never milked anything before. This is fun."
She continued until her little hands grew tired, and Randi took over. "Thanks Toni, you were a big help."
Randi went back to milking. Toni moved behind her, slipped her arms around Randi's neck, and laid her head on her shoulder. "I love you, Miss Randi."
Her heart did flip-flops in her chest. "I love you, too." Her voice broke on the words. Toni was the first child who ever took to her. Maybe she wasn't hopeless after all.
Peals of laughter floated on the air. Miguel was the only one besides Leon who ever made Tommy and Lori laugh like that.
"Did you want to go play with the other kids?" Randi looked over her shoulder at Toni who remained plastered against her.
"No." She snuggled even closer if possible. "I want to stay with you."
Randi finished milking the second goat, then swooped Toni up into her arms and swung her around. "Let's take these goats back out to the pasture."
She set Toni on the ground and handed her a lead.
"Can't we keep them in here? They are so cute." Toni hugged the goat's neck. "I want to play with them."
"If we keep them inside, they'll try to climb on top of our tents and tear them down. Goats like to climb and make messes."
Toni giggled. "Is that why the babies are called 'kids'?"
"Maybe so." Randi ruffled her hair and guided her to vehicle shed. "We're going through here to put them out."
"Neat. I've never been in here."
Randi opened the door, and Toni's eyes went wide. "Wow. You've got all kinds of fun stuff here. My daddy had one of those." Toni pointed to the four-wheeler. "He used to take me and my sister for rides on it."
Randi swallowed and rubbed her chest with the heel of her palm. This child hadn't just lost her parents but also her sister. "How old was your sister?"
Toni stared at her feet. "My age. She was my twin. Her name was Cori."
They turned the goats loose in the field, took the buckets to the cooler in the smokehouse anteroom, and went to the fire. Randi took a seat on the ground and Toni scrambled into her lap. "What happened to your family, Toni?"
Tears ran down her face. "The monsters got them. Daddy tried to save me and Cori, but one of them grabbed her. I ran to the road and you found me." She turned and buried her face in Randi's chest. Her tears soaked Randi's shirt, Randi wrapped her arms around the child holding her close. "I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry."
She sat rocking Toni for a long time. The girl seemed comforted by the touch, but Randi didn't know what to say to her. Toni shivered, and Randi rubbed her little arms. Even through her sweater, her arms were cold. "Do you have a jacket?"
"Yes. Miss Adriana gave me one of Tommy's."
"Where is it?"
"Her tent."
Randi sent her to put the jacket on. Toni returned. "What are doing?"
"I have to go on guard."
"Can I go with you?"
Randi tweaked her nose. "You need to go eat supper and bedtime’s before long."
"I can take my sleeping bag to the tower with you. Please?"
How could Randi deny that pleading face? "Okay. After you eat."
They ate bowls of venison stew. Toni devoured hers, but Randi's bowl tasted like sawdust. Like everything she ate. She forced herself to finish the small bowl and hoped it stayed down.
Miguel, Josh, and her father walked up to the fire pit and filled their bowls. Josh sat next to Randi and Toni. "What have you been up to this evening?"
"We milked goats." Toni beamed. "Randi said we could make some cheese out of the milk."
"That sounds fun." Josh winked at the child. "I might have to help so I can learn."
"Miss Randi can teach you. She's the smartest person in the whole world."
Randi shifted, and her stomach grew tight. Why had this child picked her for a role model? She was the worst person in the camp to emulate.
"She is smart, isn't she?"
Toni nodded. "She's gonna let me help her watch for the monsters." Toni watched Josh for a few minutes. "I need to know how to shoot a gun, though. I can't help with the monsters if I can't shoot."
Josh's eyes widened, and chills smothered Randi. This baby couldn't handle a gun. "No."
"But Miss Randi, please?"
"When you're older."
"I'm seven."
"When you're older."
"My daddy, mommy, and sister already died. I might not live long enough to be older. If Mr. Josh doesn’t teach me now, I'll never learn."
Randi's stomach lurched, and she swallowed several times. Toni had grown up in a hurry, but they couldn't let her shoot.
"I'll take you out and let you shoot, but you can't carry a gun. How's that?" Josh asked.
"I guess."
"We need to relieve Mark. Go get your stuff."
Toni disappeared into Adriana's tent.
Dark Days (Book 1): Contagion Page 15