"Mark is odd." Josh laughed. "He's incredibly smart. A genius even, but he lacks in social skills. His naiveté never ceases to amaze me."
"Yeah, that's it. Some things he says are so innocent."
"Mmhm. Very much so. You'd think he'd been sheltered all his life, but that's not the case." Josh scoured the landscape looking for anything out of the ordinary. "The world doesn't affect him. He sees good in the midst of the insane. Except when the infected killed Sierra."
"He told me about it. Even admitted he still has nightmares."
"I've tried to figure out what I could've done differently."
"Same when Leon died." Her back tightened, and her gut clenched. "The shooter got him as we were getting into the truck."
They finished their circuit and returned to the compound.
Randi went into the tent where Miguel was taking care of Candy. "Hi."
She smiled. "Hello."
"Candy, I need to know if there was anyone with you on the other side of the fence. We didn't find any evidence of your boyfriend being attacked."
"That was two or three miles away." Candy pushed herself to a sitting position. "I ran for a couple of miles before I came to your land."
She stared into the woman's hazel eyes. Candy didn't display any tells of someone who was lying, but an accomplished liar could hide it. "Please tell me. Was there anyone with you? Are we in danger of others coming into our camp?"
"I'm being honest." Candy grabbed her hand. "I would never do that to you. Not after you've helped me. If there were others, I would tell you."
Randi left the tent and went to the fire pit.
Josh looked up as she took a seat next to him. "What do you think?" he asked.
"Not sure. She seems sincere, but I don't trust anyone. Not nowadays."
"Yeah. It bugs me we didn't find her boyfriend even after hours of searching. Or evidence that he was there."
"She said it was a few miles away." Randi raised her brows. "I have a spotlight on the truck. Want to head back to the western corner and go for a few miles to see what we can find?"
"It may take another few hours to find his remains, and it'll be dark before then. Do you think we'll find his remains even with the spotlight?"
"No." Why couldn't she shake the feeling that things were about to fall apart for them? "You're right. We'll make another run first thing in the morning. In the meantime, I'll help Jill finish the pit. I don't like leaving her in the perimeter alone if there's a chance we're going to be invaded."
"Good idea. I told Mark I was trading watch with him." Josh stirred the fire with a stick. "It's not that I don't trust my kid brother, but like you said, he's naïve."
Randi stared at the flames dancing in the pit. "I'll take watch with you."
"You aren't too tired?"
"No. Besides, I'm not on duty tomorrow, so I can handle a night of little sleep."
"Good. With both of us, we should see any danger before it's too late."
Randi watched Josh out of the corner of her eye. He was a good four inches taller than her and had gorgeous gunmetal gray eyes. The kind of a guy she would've liked before the world went to crap. Of course, a typical cop wouldn't have given her a second look. Not with her short hair, muscular body, and tats everywhere. Not that it mattered. She didn't regret her tattoos. They each had a deep meaning for her. Josh's finger on her forearm made her jump. She looked at him, and he gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry. I'm fascinated by this tattoo. Is there a story behind it?"
Randi looked at the dragon. "It represents someone I loved very much."
"Ah. I like the way the tail curls around under your arm. Was it hard to sit still that long?"
"No." Yes. Not because of the tattoo, but because of her fiancé. His nickname was Dragon, and when he died, she had to do something. She didn't want to ever forget him. He was the only man she'd ever loved. The only person who ever loved her.
"I'm sorry." He rubbed her back. "I didn't mean to take you down a melancholy road."
"It's okay." She stood. "I'll grab a bite and take some food to Jill." The thought of eating made her nauseous, but she wanted to get away from Josh for a while. She needed to control her emotions before they went on duty. Marines don't cry. Not ever. Time to toughen up. The story of her life. At least since she'd been an adult. The Marine who can handle anything. For once in her life she would relish the luxury of falling apart like her sister. Her family called her the drama queen, but she'd never collapsed into a wailing mess. Not even when Aaron died.
Chapter Twenty
Josh picked up the night vision goggles and searched the grounds. So far, he'd seen nothing. Including Randi. Maybe he asked too many questions about the dragon, or he put her off when he touched her arm. He couldn't resist. The tattoo intrigued him as much as the woman. Even if she wasn't a classic beauty. Her tatts and short hair fit her personality. She'd been a Marine and now she worked construction. Was she gay? That thought hadn't crossed his mind when he touched her arm, but if she was and thought he was hitting on her, that would explain why she hadn't shown up to help him with guard duty.
The tower door opened. "Sorry I'm late." Randi handed him a bottle of water. "I stretched out for a nap. Next thing I knew, it was dark outside."
"No problem." Josh motioned toward the window. "So far, nothing. Time to make the rounds."
"Go right. I'll go left and we'll meet at the back station." She grabbed another pair of goggles and slipped them on. "That way we're covering the area twice as fast."
"Works for me." He headed out the right door onto the bridge that went around the property and stopped every few minutes to watch. He stayed inside the next tower to warm up for a few minutes before continuing. The temperature had grown frigid in the last few hours. If it stayed low, they would need more firewood. He’d gather enough to last a few days during perimeter checks. Josh finished his rounds and walked into the back tower. He found Randi inside stomping her feet and blowing on her fingers.
"The skies are gray, and it's getting colder." She rubbed her hands up and down her arms. "Do you think it's going to snow?"
"I've not seen it snow in the Hill Country but a couple of times." Josh leaned against the doorframe. "If it does, can we keep the children warm enough?"
"Their sleeping bags are rated to below zero, and we keep the fires going night and day." Randi shivered. "We may need more wood, but they'll be okay."
"I thought I'd take the trailer out in the morning while I do perimeter checks."
"We need to search for Candy's boyfriend to see if she's telling the truth." Randi's lips were blue and her shivers grew harder. "We can hunt for the boyfriend's remains and gather firewood at the same time."
"Sounds good. Are you okay?"
"Yes. Just cold. Adriana's the one I'm worried about. She has Raynaud's."
"What's that?"
"Blood vessels in her hands spasm in response to cold or stress. It's secondary to Lupus." Randi flopped into in the chair. "When I raided the hospital, I grabbed all of the steroids I could find. Don't know what medicines she normally takes, but they often use steroids when she flares. She says that's why she's overweight." Randi grinned. "When she's taking those things, she can out eat Dad and Miguel combined."
"I had a girlfriend who had Lupus." Josh hadn't thought of Ginger Prescott in years. "We dated through high school."
"What happened to her?"
"Huh?"
"The look in your eyes says something happened to her."
"She developed kidney failure from the Lupus. Then it affected her heart and lungs. We were freshmen in college when she died."
"I'm sorry."
He nodded. The pain in Randi's eyes earlier told him she understood all too well. "It wasn't easy, but then you know that."
"Life bites. It did even before this rabies outbreak. Now, it's swirled down the toilet big time."
"It has."
"Wonder what normal life expectancy is at this point?"
"One year?" Josh turned his hands palms up. "Maybe two?"
"For us." Randi put the goggles on and surveyed the landscape. "We're the lucky ones. If your uncle hadn't hired us to build this place, my family'd be out there trying to survive."
"True. It was harder when Mark and I were trying to get here."
"Let's make another round. Meet you at the front tower in ten." She hopped up and disappeared out the door.
Josh would never get used to her abrupt subject changes, but maybe that's what she needed to do to control her PTSD. He opened the door and started out. Just because he was an expert at compartmentalizing, didn't mean Randi couldn't be, also. If it hurt, he hid it away for a while. When he brought it back out, if it still caused him discomfort, he stuffed it back down. The Barker way.
He watched from the midway tower and saw movement. He stared at the land beyond for several heart-pounding seconds. The shape moved enough he could make out the antlers. While he was thankful for the animals on the property, he wished they were easier to identify at night. He made his way back to the front tower and arrived a few seconds before Randi.
She came into the room shivering.
"Don't you have a jacket? And gloves?"
"No." She laughed. "Well, I do. Downstairs."
"Where?"
“In my tent draped over my duffel.”
"I'll get it for you." Josh opened the door as Toni came up the stairs with her sleeping bag.
"I'm going to help Aunt Randi."
He ruffled her hair. "Good. I have to go downstairs for a bit. You take care of Randi while I'm gone." He took the stairs two at a time. He couldn't believe the woman had come out without a jacket. He slipped into her tent, found her jacket and gloves, and grabbed them. He stepped out and noticed the fire dying down. Josh found Mark. "You need to keep the fire going at all times. It's getting colder by the minute." He pointed upward. "See how light the sky is? We may get snow."
Mark laughed. "You gotta be kidding, bro. It doesn't snow in south Texas."
"It rarely snows here, but I've seen it more than once. If the fires go out, people might develop hypothermia." Josh pinned Mark with a glare. "Can you promise me you'll keep the fires going? I can't watch the perimeter and the pits both."
"Yes." Mark threw a few more logs on. "I'll check the others, too."
At least he wouldn't have to worry about people freezing. Unless Mark got sidetracked which happened a little too often.
*****
Randi turned as her father walked in to do his turn on guard duty. "Morning, Dad."
"Morning sweetheart." Her father smiled at Josh. "How are you?"
"Good, sir."
"I'm going to head out and do a perimeter check." She turned to Josh. "Do you want to wait to gather the firewood until we can go outside the gates together?"
"Why don't we do it all at the same time?" Josh stood and slipped on his coat. "Let's take the truck around the perimeter on the outside and cut down a few dead trees while we're at it."
"Sounds good." She woke Toni. "It's time to wake up, sweat pea."
"What are we going to do now?" Toni climbed out of her sleeping bag and brushed her hair out of her eyes.
"Josh and I are going to check the perimeter, but you're going to go eat breakfast."
"I can help." Toni rolled her sleeping bag into the military-style roll Randi had taught her.
"Not this morning. We're going outside of the fences."
"Yes, ma'am." Toni put on her jacket and slipped her hand in Randi's.
Randi opened the door. "Meet you at the truck in five?"
"Works for me."
She limped down the stairs, grabbed a piece of cornbread and a chunk of summer sausage, and ate that for breakfast. She brushed her teeth and ran her hands through her hair. As good as she was going to get this morning.
Josh leaned against the passenger door of the truck waiting for her. "I see you have your AR."
"Always." Randi motioned for him to go around. "Why don't you drive, today?" The man raised her blood pressure a notch or two. Too bad she wasn't cut out for the cop type. She climbed into the passenger seat, and Josh drove outside the gates. Ex-military. Austin cop. Unmarried? What was his story? Before the world fell apart, he probably broke several hearts.
"What was your life like before?" he asked.
"The usual. Dad started Martinez Construction many years ago. I think he hoped he would have a son to join him." She laughed. "But he got me. I ran the company. Dad had basically retired."
"This place is awesome. Without it, Mark and I wouldn't have had anywhere to run to."
"Thanks. You should see the house we built Wayne Bowen."
"The country star?" Josh raised an eyebrow. "Was it insane?"
"You wouldn't believe." She shifted in her seat and watched the landscape. "Twenty thousand square feet with a professional recording studio, and a bowling alley."
"Impressive."
"It looked more like a fancy hotel than a home." She stretched her arms over her head. Fatigue from too little sleep made her achy. "Your uncle's house is more my style."
"What's it like inside?"
"Very eco-friendly. Uses solar panels, generators, and wind turbines for power. We put in composting toilets, and the gray water runs to the garden area."
"He planned every detail, didn't he?"
Randi nodded. "Do you know what your uncle did for the government?"
Josh shook his head. "Top secret."
"Do you think he knew this was coming?"
"Why else would he have hired you to build this place?"
"That's what I thought." She glanced out the side window at the barren trees and the dried grass as they came to the end of the perimeter check. Spring couldn't come soon enough. "I do miss my old life."
"Me, too." Josh pulled alongside a dead tree. "Glad you thought of getting the wood out here. We need to save what's inside for when things get worse."
"You think it'll get worse, too?"
"Unfortunately. As it does, we'll have to worry more about the uninfected than those who are ill."
Randi clenched her jaw. Why were humans bent on destroying each other? There would come a time when someone decided they wanted the compound. What would happen to her family, then?
"Snow."
Randi suppressed a shiver. "That's coming down heavy for here."
"We need to move into the house. The kids are going to get too cold."
"Good luck talking my family into it." Randi suppressed a sigh. "You wouldn't believe how hard it was to get them to invade your uncle's property."
"I'm glad you did." Josh gave her a half smile. "Mark, Jill, and I would get lonesome here."
"What's Jill's story?"
"She's a pharmacist who was hiding out in her drug store." He pulled to a stop. "I went in to get medicine for Mark after he dislocated his shoulder."
"What did Miguel say about his shoulder?"
"He's not sure if it's a tear since he can't image it, but he's working with Mark on a therapy plan. He thinks it will help Mark get better range of motion." They loaded the truck with wood, and drove further into the woods.
They scoured the area where Candy said the infecteds had attacked her boyfriend. "There." Randi pointed to a ripped apart carcass. "Guess she was telling the truth."
"Yep."
"Let's get back to camp." She looked up. The gray clouds hung low in the sky. "We never get more than a dusting of snow, but this could be a freak storm."
Josh pointed the pickup toward the perimeter gate. "The wood we gathered should keep us going for a while."
"I hope so." She rubbed her hands together to warm them. "I'm a south Texas gal. I hate the freezing temps."
"I know what you mean. Can you imagine living in Minnesota during this?"
"It might be better." Randi leaned back as the heater warmed the vehicle. "Think about it. People stay indoors, so there would be fewer zombies. What biters there are, freez
e to death."
"Maybe."
"You were a cop before all this?"
"I was a homicide detective in Austin. So, busy."
"Did you have a girlfriend? Wife?"
"No. I haven't dated anyone in a couple of years." He glanced her way. "What about you? Did you have a girlfriend?"
Randi stared at him for several seconds. Did she hear him right? "No."
He nodded.
"Why would I have a girlfriend?"
His cheeks turned red. "Uh—"
"Just because I have short hair and tattoos doesn't mean I'm gay." Randi scoffed. "You shouldn't make assumptions."
"I'm sorry." His face flushed red. "I didn't mean to insult you. But you were a Marine, and you work in construction."
"So, should I assume you're an egotistical pig because you're a cop and were a SEAL?"
"Point taken." He held out his right hand. "Truce?"
Randi shook his hand. "Truce."
Chapter Twenty-One
Reginald continued driving the small motor home through Ozona. A small nothing of a town. Abandoned cars sat on the sides of the road and they passed more flat, dry land.
The wind picked up and dirt blew. He slowed his speed and hoped this dust storm didn't last for hours. He'd heard stories of dust storms that blacked out the roads. Of course, that was more in Lubbock or Odessa. Gusts whipped the RV, and he grimaced. He'd never liked west Texas because of the incessant wind.
"Dad, what is that?" Belle pointed out the window.
"A dust storm, honey. Nothing to worry about."
"It stinks."
"That's the smell of the earth blowing around."
She wrinkled her nose. “People lived here? With dirt blowing around and choking them to death?"
Reginald chuckled. "It doesn't blow all the time."
"Any of the time is too much."
"It's worse in farming areas. The wind blows, and it picks up the topsoil. Especially, after a harvest."
"Glad I'm not a farmer."
A group of rabids wandered in the middle of the road. Reginald tried to weave in and out of the bodies, but he kept hitting people. Every thud sickened him, and as darkness surrounded them, he had even more trouble avoiding the infected people. A young girl stood to the side of the road waving toward them. Reginald started to gun it, but when he saw her face, he had to stop. He opened the door.
Dark Days (Book 1): Contagion Page 17