“You don’t have to talk about it. I just need to know if they’re going to show up on the island?”
She shook her head, shrugging. “I don’t know. Jake finally said he’d talk if they left me alone. I told him no, not to say anything because I didn’t trust that creepy guy anyway, but when the guy pinched me on my … ” She ducked her head. “… in a private place, I screeched, I guess. Then Jake blurted out just the name of the town. He didn’t say it was near the island, but what if they figure it out? It was only to make them stop, Cole. Please don’t be mad at him.”
Cole gave his head a little shake. “Of course not, Sophie. I don’t blame either of you for any of this. I should have been with you instead of going into that house. It’s all my fault, not yours or Jake’s.”
She used the paper mask to wipe her eyes. “He told them about the fire. That seemed to quiet them down when they learned most of our supplies burned. Besides, by then Jake was pretty out of it. They threw him on the table. I wouldn’t leave him so they made me sleep out there, too. We had a guy guarding us, but he must have gone into the house after I went to sleep. I should have escaped then.”
“I don’t think they expected that we’d find you guys so soon.”
She tilted her head. “How did you find us?”
“I guess it was Jake then. We found little bits of the blue gloves and followed the trail.”
“So that’s why he asked me for one of mine when we stopped for a break!”
“It was genius. I just wish we would have rescued you yesterday, but we needed figure out how to get in.”
“You mean you were there?”
“We saw you on the beach, but we needed to learn more so we didn’t cause you to be killed. You were both okay then, so we scouted around and planned to come in at dawn to catch everyone by surprise.”
“It worked. We’re free. Thank you.” Her eyes crinkled a little, and he guess she was smiling, but he didn’t deserve her thanks.
He stood and stalked a few steps away, unable to meet her eyes. His decision could have killed both Jake and Sophie. Fists planted on his waist, arms akimbo, he studied the road back to town. He couldn’t screw up again. He had to get everyone back to the island as soon as possible. “I’m sorry we didn’t go in yesterday. That’s on me, too.” He let out a deep breath. He didn’t have time to dwell on his failures. He had to focus on what he could do to make sure everyone was safe from here on out. It was going to be hard though. “So, they never actually… hurt you?”
She glanced at him, then down at her hands, tearing the grass up by the handful. “No. Thank God.”
“Hunter would have killed me if anything had happened to you. And, I’m sorry we didn’t rush in right away to save you guys.”
“It’s okay. I’m just glad everyone is safe and that I’ll get to tell Hunter my news. That’s what scared me the most—that he would never know.”
“Never know… what?”
“About the baby.”
“I knew it!” Hunter held up a box of tools and he and Jake fiddled with the pump. His dad just looked at him, his mouth open in surprise.
“What? Did something happen?”
His dad glanced at Sophie, then cleared his throat. “Uh, no.” He swept a hand behind him. “I found us dinner. Or lunch. Or whatever you want to call it.”
Jake pushed down on the handle, but it only moved a few millimeters. Standing back, Hunter eyed the pump then dug in the tool box.
“I’m eating.” Jake eased down beside his dad, who handed Jake his pocketknife to dig out the peanut butter.
“I saw some gaskets in a baggie.” With a crow of triumph, Hunter spotted the black circle. He wasn’t sure it was for this particular pump, but he didn’t see any other pumps around the yard. Uncle Sean had shown him some of the mechanics of pumps while he was installing the pumps that would be powered by the windmill, so Hunter was somewhat familiar with what was needed. And he had aptitude—that’s what Sean said—for working with his hands. He pulled out a wrench and loosened the bolts on either side of the pump.
“Dude, I’m going to eat all the crackers if you don’t get over here and get some.” Jake held a box of crackers aloft, his cheeks bulging.
Hunter laughed. “Peanut butter and crackers? You better damn well pray that I get this fixed or your tongue is going to be glued to the roof of your mouth.” Hunter drew his arm across his forehead. It was cool, probably only low forties, but the walking and exertion of getting the pump casing free was hard work.
“Need a hand, son?”
Hunter pried off a worn gasket, or leather as it said on the package, and replaced it with the new one. It fit. “Awesome!” There was another part that might be the problem, but he didn’t see a replacement part in the toolbox, so he put the pump back together and wished he could have replaced both parts just to cover all the bases.
After the bolts were secured, he tried the handle. It moved. After several pumps, water trickled from the spout.
He pumped until it ran clear, rinsing his hands off, one by one as he pumped, then cupped one and brought it to his mouth. Pure, sweet water.
“Now eat up. Be sure to eat until you’re full. We still have a long way to go and I don’t want to have to stop until we get to Oconto. Oh, and Hunter?”
Tossing the tools back in the box, Hunter glanced up.
“Good job.” His dad’s voice held a note of pride Hunter didn’t often hear. His face heated with pleasure and he was glad for the mask that hid his cheeks. He plopped down on the grass and snatched the box of butter crackers from Jake. These were his favorite and he hadn’t had any since before the virus hit. It wasn’t something he’d thought about when getting supplies.
“Here.” Jake handed him the knife, then stood. “I’m going to get some of that water before my tongue is stuck so fast I never talk again. “
Hunter spread a thick layer of peanut butter on his crackers, making little sandwiches. Feeling like a chipmunk, he wolfed down cracker sandwiches one after the other. They were the best thing he’d had in ages.
After everyone had drunk their fill from the pump, they filled the water bottles and canteen. Hunter looked back at the pump as they left, a little sad to see his project left behind. He would have to look for another pump at some hardware stores or maybe scavenge one from another yard. He’d have to ask Sean how they could drill a small well. It would be nice to have one by the horses and goats. Even with the windmill pumping water to the house, water had to be hauled to the pens and stalls.
Feeling energized, he barely noticed the miles disappearing beneath his feet, but Sophie started lagging, and he slowed to keep pace with her, waving to his dad when he turned and asked, “You guys okay?”
Hunter looked at Sophie, arching an eyebrow. “Are you okay?” He and his dad had put their masks back on so the other two could walk for a while without trying to breathe through them.
She looked past him, to his dad, and nodded. “I’m fine, Cole.”
His dad gave her a long look, then a firm nod. “Just don’t fall too far behind.” He turned and said something to Jake, as the two opened up the gap to about twenty yards.
“That was weird.”
“What?” Sophie kicked a rock. When she caught up to it, she kicked it again.
Hunter shrugged, kicking Sophie’s rock when he reached it first. “My dad was just yelling at us to stick together before we stopped, and now he’s saying it’s okay?”
Sophie took a couple of jogging steps, beating him to the rock, and giggling, sent it flying another ten feet. “We’re not that far behind them. I can almost hear what he and Jake are talking about.”
Grinning, Hunter pretended to elbow her out of the way when they both reached the stone, but he let her kick it. This time, the stone went off to the right and tumbled down into the ditch. “Aw, now look what you made me do.” Sophie gave him a mock look of anger, her dancing eyes filling him with joy. He’d been so worried that somethin
g had happened when she was taken, but she was back to her old self. Maybe his dad had said something to her.
He reached for her hand, giving it a slight tug. “I missed you.” He longed to kiss her, but couldn’t yet. Instead, he brought his hand up to smooth the hair from her forehead, the other cupping her cheek. “I’m dying to kiss you. I have since I saw you on the beach being held captive.”
The joy left her eyes and he cursed himself for reminding her of what had happened.
“I missed you, too. I was afraid I’d never see you again.”
“I wouldn’t have stopped looking until I found you.” He wished he could stand here and tell her everything he’d felt since she’d gone missing, but now they really were falling behind. Hands clasped, they picked up their pace, almost catching up before slowing again.
She squeezed his hand. “Nothing happened, you know. I meant that.”
He sensed she was worried about how he would react to something. “Look, Sophie, whatever happened there, it wasn’t your fault and it would never change how I feel about you.”
“I know… I just… I was going to tell you something a few days ago, but wanted to wait until Christmas, but I think I better tell you now.”
“Tell me what?”
“Remember that time out on the north side of the island? When we went to,” she made air quotes, “gather walnuts?”
He grinned. “Yeah?”
“Well, I think… I’m pretty sure, anyway, that I’m pregnant.” She bit her lip, her eyes, full of hope and fear, searching his,
Hunter stopped dead, staring at her. “What?” He didn’t know what to think. Pregnant? “No way… it was just the one time.”
“The way it works, that’s all it takes.” The light in her eyes faded and she turned from him, practically running until she reached within a few yards of Jake and his dad before Hunter came to his senses and sprinted after her.
“Sophie! Wait!”
“What the hell were you thinking, son?” Cole sighed and sank onto the front stoop of a house on the north side of Oconto. His feet ached, his calves were cramping, and his eyes felt like sandpaper lined his lids. He’d hoped Sophie was going to wait until they got back to the island, and wished she would have. Now he was trying to deal with an emotional, pregnant, teen, and a stunned father-to-be who had said or done the wrong thing, as far as Cole could tell. Jake, being the smart young man he was, had walked ahead and found this house. It was the fourth he’d broken into, the other three ruined with the stench of death. Now he was sacked out on a recliner in the family room, looking for all the world like he belonged there.
Cole envied him and wanted to find a recliner or sofa—anything really—and sleep, too.
Sophie had found a bedroom that had a lock on the door and had slammed it upon entering the house. He’s slipped a bleach wipe beneath the door, hoping she’d at least wipe things down before resting.
Most viruses didn’t last long outside of a host. They could live, but couldn’t replicate, so he wasn’t super worried about Sympatico Syndrome, but rodent droppings in the kitchen made him wary of bacteria so he wiped down all the surfaces, checked the sofa and was glad to see there were no mice nesting in it or any of the other chairs. Not yet anyway. Now, instead of sleeping, he sat outside with his son beside him so he could speak to him in private.
“I didn’t say anything, really.”
“Hunter… ”
“I didn’t—well except to say it had only been the one time.”
“One time? Really?” Cole was skeptical.
His son slanted him a look, his eyes narrowed. “Yes, believe it or not, it was just the one time. It’s not like we didn’t want to more, but at first, we were worried about the virus, and food, working all the time, and stuff. And someone was always around.” He groaned, and scuffed a toe on the sidewalk. “And she had some other issues. Shit that happened before I met her.”
Cole thought for a moment. “Ah… ”
“Anyway, I don’t know what to think, Dad. A baby? Isn’t it dangerous to have a baby right now?”
“No more than it was a hundred or so years ago. And Jenna will help with the delivery.”
Hunter scrubbed his fingers through his hair, his head down. “What about food and diapers?” Then he paused, lifting his head. “Oh, yeah. We have some diapers, but did we get enough?”
“Listen, Hunter, things have changed. You won’t have to worry about buying food and clothing—at least not for a few years. And we’ll all be here to help you with getting food.” Cole laughed and swept a hand out towards the block of houses nearby. Cars at odd angles blocked the street, and tall, yellow and brown weeds tangled in every lawn. A couple of homes appeared to have been destroyed by a fire sometime recently. “In this whole big mess, the only good thing is nobody has to worry about having a job. Our choices are limited, and that makes it simpler.”
Hunter didn’t look up from where he seemed to find something fascinating on the sidewalk between his feet.
”Look, it’ll be okay. You’ve got all of us on the island to help.” Cole sighed. “A year ago, or if the virus hadn’t hit, yeah, I’d be mad as hell at you for screwing up your education, but times have changed.”
Hunter nodded then slanted a glance at Cole, the corners of his mouth twitching. “This makes you a grandpa, old man.”
Cole smiled. “Yes, it does.” He chuckled, still not quite processing his upcoming role, but looking forward to learning how to be a grandfather. “But I better not hear you call me old man again.” He softened the warning with a clap of his hand on Hunter’s shoulder.
22
“I think we should leave.” Sean stood on the dock, his hand shading his eyes. “A storm’s heading this way.”
“All the more reason to stay. It won’t be safe for them to head to the island in the little fishing boat if the water gets rough.” Elly gestured to the small metal boat they’d left the day before. They had hoped Cole and the others would have returned to the island by now, but there hadn’t been any sign of them. Worry gnawed at her stomach and she paced the dock. She’d fed the horses, made sure they had water, had even used the long butcher knife to cut armloads of grass to toss into the garage for them. They had grazed out most of the yard. The kids had taken them to other yards several times a week to let them graze there, but she wanted to be ready to leave when Cole showed up, so decided cutting the grass by hand made more sense.
“I know you’re worried. I’m worried too, you know,” Sean grumbled. “It’s my brother and nephew wandering around out there.”
Elly turned to him. She and Jenna, while not best buddies, had a mutual respect and she’d do anything for the other woman and felt Jenna would do the same for her, but Sean confused her. At times, he seemed so angry, and she understood his emotions at the loss of his son, but she had the feeling that some of the anger went back farther. “I know you’re concerned, Sean, but I’d like to wait a little longer, if you don’t mind. If you want to leave, you can take the little fishing boat back. We should probably get it back to the island anyway.”
Sean seemed to consider the idea, but he sat on the edge of the dock, his feet dangling mere inches above the water. “No, that’s okay. I’ll wait with you.”
Elly smiled, glad for the company. The emptiness of the town always spooked her and she’d rather not wait alone. “If it rains, we can go into the garage with the horses.”
“We gotta quit calling it a garage. It’s a damn barn now,” Sean grumbled again, but this time, she took it for what it was, good-natured complaining. “So… you and my brother seem pretty close these days. What’s that all about?”
Her cheeks warmed, but she joked, “Well, he is the last available man on Earth—”
Sean laughed aloud, his face turning red a few moments later as he sputtered and tried to catch his breath. “Sheesh, does Cole know how deeply you feel about him?” He chuckled again.
She shrugged, her hands braced on the doc
k as she swung her feet over the choppy waves. At least a foot separated the soles of her shoes from the dark gray water, but she felt a few cold drops land on her ankles, now exposed between her jeans and shoes. A frigid blast of air swept in from the west and she shivered, and zipped her jacket all the way up to her neck. Maybe Sean was right and they should head back. “We were already pretty close at one time, back when we worked in Africa together. But, the timing was off.”
“So, it took an apocalypse to get the timing just right?” Sean deadpanned.
She snorted then burst into laughter at her unladylike response. “I guess.” Tilting her head, she squinted up at Sean, the sun hazy behind him as it climbed over the lake, racing to meet the clouds on the other side. “Seriously, Cole is…” she paused to find the words. Attractive, for sure, but he was more than that. He was steady. A rock. He was the Mr. Right her mom had advised her to search for and not give up until she found him. She just wished she would have listened to that advice sooner. Instead, after coming back from Africa, she had plunged more deeply into her career, barely coming up for air, not putting anyone except herself first. And Cole, well, he had Hunter to take care of, and eventually, his phone calls and texts had dwindled to every two to three months. She only returned about half of them, not wanting to lead him on. What a waste of precious time.
“Yeah? Cole is… what?”
“He’s special.”
“Huh.” Sean stood and scanned the horizon again. “Storm’s getting closer.”
She didn’t know what she’d said to make him change his mood so suddenly, but she stood as well, frowning at the clouds heading their way. Maybe Sean was right. She opened her mouth to say so when she saw movement far down the road. “Hey, is that them?” Elly pointed. If it wasn’t them, then they had better get their protective gear out.
“Damn. I think it is. It’s about time.”
Sympatico Syndrome Trilogy Box Set Page 46