The Grace Series (Book 2): Tainted Grace

by M. Lauryl Lewis

  “Maybe to the other group’s place? I’m not sure.”

  “Do you think we can trust these guys? Nathan and Bill?”

  “My gut tells me yes. Sleep, Zoe.”

  I scooted over toward him and nestled in against his side. His warmth was heavenly. I rested a hand low on my belly and fell asleep thinking about the tiny life growing deep within me.

  CHAPER 5

  I woke to the smell of dampness and cold. It’s a smell that’s hard to describe unless you’re used to perpetually dank, cold climates. It’s similar to mud and mildew. I was alone in our bed and dreaded climbing out from under the covers, knowing the deep chill of the unheated upper level of the cabin would seep into my core. It was becoming unavoidable, though, as my bladder was screaming at me.

  So, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed until I felt my bare feet hit the cold hardwood floor. I remembered that Susan was supposed to have climbed into bed with me halfway through the night, and wondered if she ever had. I must have slept very deeply. Our room was still mostly dark. The only light filtered in through small drill-holes in the plywood that covered the window. At least I could tell it was daylight. I walked to the window and squinted to see out one of the holes. Snow looked like it was turning to slush and the blood from the night before was tinting areas pink. Rain was falling steadily. It was still the dead of winter, sometime in December I think. I wondered if roads might clear despite the season.

  No longer able to avoid it, I rushed to the door of the bedroom and opened it. I walked into the hall and heard the sounds of cooking in the kitchen, and smelled something delicious. I couldn’t quite place the scent. I rushed across the hallway to the bathroom, which was thankfully unoccupied, and hurried about relieving myself. Gus had told me to expect the baby’s growth to cause frequent bathroom trips as it pressed on my bladder. I knew now he wasn’t kidding.

  As I finished, I heard laughter from downstairs. It was a welcome sound. I washed my hands and headed back to the hallway. Em’s bedroom door was open, their bed made. Susan’s was closed, so I assumed Nathan was still sleeping. My guess was both men were exhausted from their time out in the open, surviving not only the elements during winter but also the risen dead. I walked back to the bedroom I shared with Boggs, slipped my socks from the night before on, tidied the bed, and then headed down the staircase to join my companions.

  “Morning, Zoe,” chirped Emilie with a smile that brightened her freckled face even more than usual.

  “Morning,” I said, returning her grin with a smile of my own. “What’s going on down here?” I asked.

  Boggs turned away from his place at the stovetop to wink at me. “Making breakfast, sweet thing,” he said.

  “Eggs and baked beans,” said Gus. “Hope you’re hungry.”

  “I actually am,” I said. “It smells awesome.”

  Bill walked in from the living room. “Morning,” he said as he tipped the brim of a ragged baseball cap he was wearing toward me.

  “Morning Bill,” I said. “Sleep well?”

  “Like a baby,” he said with a chuckle. His broad chest shook as he laughed. “Better than I have in many days. Thank you.”

  “Thanks for sharing the eggs,” said Emilie.

  “Where’s Susan?” I asked, noting her absence.

  “Still sleeping,” said Gus.

  “She’s not in my bed,” I said.

  Emilie giggled. “She and Nathan decided to keep each other warm.”

  I heard Bill sigh. “Well, they’re both adults.”

  “Yup,” said Gus. “That they are.”

  “Plus,” added Boggs, “since the world is fucked over…and all.”

  I noticed Boggs’ neck was bandaged this morning. I wanted to ask him how it was doing but wasn’t sure it would be wise in front of Bill. Not with our barely knowing him.

  “Should we wake them for breakfast?” I asked.

  “Probably,” said Bill and Emilie at the same time.

  “I’ll go,” offered Emilie. “Just save me some grub.”

  Within ten minutes we were all seated around the small kitchen table. Emilie and I were sharing a chair and Gus had brought in a crate from the shed as an extra seat. It was crowded, but felt right. Boggs had scrambled the wild duck eggs and assured us that none of them had contained ducklings. The baked beans were a combination of two cans of pork-and-beans and a can of kidney beans, baked in a pan for twenty minutes. We were being extra careful to not run the appliances, including the fireplace, more than necessary since Boggs had noticed the propane tank was less than half full. Now that our smoked fish was gone, we had unplugged the refrigerator. Anything needing chilling could be set outside.

  “It’s raining,” I said as I finished my eggs. “It’s washing away the snow and blood.”

  “Might be a warm spell moving through,” said Nathan sleepily. “It might be good to start talking about plans.”

  “We’ll need to get back to the rest of our group soon,” said Bill. “I worry about leaving them for this long.”

  “Have you all talked about longer term plans?” asked Gus right before taking a bite of his eggs.

  “We have,” said Bill simply. “Our best idea so far seems to be moving out toward Puget Sound. I’m not sure how the Runners, as you call them, deal with water, but if it’s an effective barrier we’d be smart to relocate to one of the islands.”

  “Huh,” said Gus. “Interesting idea.”

  “We’d be happy to have you all join us,” said Nathan. “I think I can speak for the others with us too.”

  “Are you thinking of finding a boat?” asked Gus.

  “Precisely,” said Bill. “It might get tricky heading back toward the cities, and it’d take time, but I think we need to try. What’d be the ideal scenario is to find a boat and tow it there. Some random abandoned home and some random abandoned boat. Even load some supplies into it, using it as a trailer of sorts.”

  “It’s not entirely impossible,” said Boggs.

  I shoveled a big spoonful of beans into my mouth. They tasted so good.

  “What do you all have for transportation?” asked Gus.

  “We have an old Suburban. We had to abandon the two cars we had been traveling in when they ran out of gas and were lucky to come across it. That’s when we lost the first of our group. The little one,” added Bill as he hung his head. “There was nothing we could do.”

  Nathan took over on speaking as Bill obviously needed a moment to compose himself. “The Suburban is pretty rugged but has hauled the remaining six of us well. I noticed you have a step van out front.”

  “Ya, it arrived with Susan,” said Boggs. “It’s just not good in the snow.”

  I wasn’t sure if Boggs or Gus planned to mention our Explorer across the lake or not, so I opted to just keep eating my beans and not talk. Boggs casually put a portion of his eggs on my plate and I knew he meant for me to eat them for the baby’s sake.

  “We’d need to pick an island large enough to support hunting. Since it’d be surrounded by salt water we figure that’d be a great source of sustenance as well,” continued Bill. “Ideally we’d take firearms with, basic supplies, and woodworking tools. Even if we’re lucky enough to pick an island with a house or cabin, repairs will be necessary over time.”

  Gus made a noise deep in his throat, the kind that I recognized as his quick version of “I agree.”

  “The trek there is what worries us most,” added Nathan. “Getting enough supplies, finding a boat, getting through the hordes.”

  I knew that they needed to know about me, so I spoke. “I can help.”

  Everyone looked at me, Boggs stopping mid-bite with his fork held in front of him. His eyes warned me to not speak.

  “They need to know,” I continued. “Their plan sounds like our best chance, if we join them, and they need to know I can help.”

  “What’s going on?” asked Bill, whose posture was suddenly alarmed. I noticed Nathan tense as well.
<
br />   “When this started, I fell out of a window and hurt my hip. The wound got infected somehow. Boggs and Gus saved me, but it sounds like I almost died. A few days later, once we settled here, I found I can hear them. I know when they’re close.”

  Bill blinked at me. “What do you mean hear them?”

  “The Runners. Somehow I can sense them if they’re near. I can see through their eyes.”

  Nathan laughed. “Miss Zoe, you don’t need to convince us to take you all with us. I think Bill and I are in agreement on that.”

  My eyes were locked with Bill’s. He had taken me very literally and was watching me like a hawk, as if I may morph into one of the living dead before him. His posture was tense. After several long seconds of silence, he relaxed his shoulders.

  “Ok,” said Bill. “Have you seemed ok otherwise?”

  “Yes. My skin is green where the wound was, but it’s healed otherwise.” Our eyes were still set on each other, and anything else around me was now tuned out. “Louisa, the woman we lost in childbirth, I saw her after…” I was at a loss for words, slightly overcome by remembering her and the tiny new baby after their second deaths. Thankfully Gus took over.

  “Louisa and her baby both turned. Once they were finally dead, we noticed Louisa had green streaks on her face very much like what Zoe bears on her hip.”

  I considered for the briefest of moments mentioning that I had bitten Boggs in my sleep, but thought better of it and kept that information to myself.

  I broke my eye lock with Bill, and looked at Boggs. I knew he was mad at me by the way he was glaring. “Boggs, they needed to know. Don’t be mad at me.”

  “We appreciate you telling us, Zoe. I can understand why your friends weren’t anxious to divulge the information.”

  I sighed. “Please don’t be upset with them. If you want to go back, forget about us, consider taking everyone but me.”

  “Zoe. Knock it off,” barked Boggs. “No one is leaving you behind.”

  Bill relaxed in his chair, ran his hand through his beard, and shifted in his seat. “He’s right. Nathan and I can’t speak for our entire group but I can’t imagine them opting to leave you behind. I think we all know what has to be done if someone turns. We can leave it at that.”

  “Damn,” was all Nathan said as the conversation sank in.

  Boggs stood and positioned himself behind me. I felt him rest his hands protectively on my shoulders. I reached up with my right hand and placed it over his. The last thing I wanted was to disappoint him, or for him to be angry with me.

  “I propose, if you all decide you’re interested, that if the roads clear enough we load your step van and drive it to our place. Then we could caravan in both it and our Suburban, gather what we need, and head back toward Puget Sound,” suggested Bill.

  “I want to go,” said Susan. I looked at her. “It’d be a chance to start a new life. Maybe even be a place we could feel safe for a change.” I noticed she was standing very close to Nathan.

  Gus took a deep breath. “Susan, I think we should all discuss it in more detail. But, if for some reason some of us opt to not go you know you’d have our blessings.” Susan nodded in understanding.

  “Nathan. Bill. When are you thinking about heading back to your place?” asked Boggs.

  “Hopefully within the next couple of days,” answered Bill. On foot if the snow stays. We’d like to butcher the deer carcass. We’re happy to leave most of it here and just pack out what we can comfortably carry. Ideally, though, I think we’d pack it into your rig and get it all back to our place, smoke it to preserve it. We could take scouting trips as weather permits, stock up on supplies for the island. Hopefully find a boat and trailer. Fuel. Tools. More guns.”

  “I like how it’s sounding,” said Gus. “Well planned.”

  “Thank you,” said Bill humbly. “I’m hoping so. I know lives will depend on it.”

  “One worry I’ve had about relocating is infrastructure. It’s bound to be collapsing already. Soon roads might be impassable.” Gus sounded like he knew what he was talking about.

  “Right,” agreed Bill.

  “We could maybe reinforce the van and the Suburban,” suggested Emilie.

  “Good thinking, as always, Red,” said Gus as he winked at her. “We also need to plan a trip for medical supplies.”

  “What kind?” asked Nathan.

  Gus shifted in his seat. “Antibiotics, first aid, some basics. I also need to get a hold of some medical reference books. If we could hit up a library, some homesteading books might prove invaluable.”

  “We should start a list,” I said. “Take it with to Bill and Nathan’s, discuss it with the others.”

  “Do you suppose this will ever end?” whispered Emilie.

  “I don’t know, sweet thing. I just don’t know,” answered Gus.

  “Is it still raining?” I asked.

  “Ya,” this time Nathan answered. “I just checked. Snow’s melting fast. Our place is a couple hundred feet lower in elevation than here. We should think about moving out if we’re going to do this.”

  “Can we re-hang the deer in the van?” I asked. “I’d hate for it to go to waste.” It was the only thing I could think of to say. I was suddenly very nervous about leaving our home.

  “Uh, probably,” said Nathan. “As long as we secure it on both ends so it doesn’t whack anyone while we’re on the road.”

  “What’s most important here to take with?” asked Bill. “Think about what might be needed for relocating, starting over.”

  “The beds,” said Emilie. “At least the mattresses.”

  “The food,” Susan added.

  “Tools, weapons, candles, blankets.”

  “Bottled water.”

  Everyone seemed to have suggestions.

  “How about if Nathan and I step outside, and you can all talk it over. You don’t even have to decide right now, but I suspect if the weather stays mild our group will be heading out within the week. We’d love to have you join us. Not just for the help of the van, but safety in numbers and all.”

  “No,” said Gus. “Stay. I think we should just vote on it now. Susan, you’ve already said you want to go.”

  “Yes,” she answered. She was even closer to Nathan now, and he had an arm around her waist.

  “Em?” asked Gus.

  “Yes.”

  “Boggs?”

  “Brother, I think we haven’t much of a choice. We have to think about our future,” said Boggs. “Zoe, do you feel the same?”

  I nodded yes.

  “Ok then,” said Gus. “Let’s do it.”

  The rest of breakfast was spent discussing fuel levels in the van, condition of the motor, and making a list of what to pack up for the initial trek to the other house. Bill and Nathan assured us that there was room for all five of us in their boarded up home should the snow return before we could start our trek to the shores of Puget Sound.

  “We should go ahead and get the van ready, I suppose,” said Boggs. “Leaving here is a little sad. So, here’s to new beginnings…” He raised his glass of water, mimicking a toast.

  We all stood. I wrapped my arms around myself and felt the chill of the morning deep within.

  “We’ll load the mattress in first. They can double as seats in the back of the van. We can fit three people up front if we set a kitchen chair between the driver and passenger seats. There’s only heat in the very front, so whoever is in back should use the blankets,” suggested Gus.

  “We should load supplies toward the rear,” said Bill in his smooth, deep voice.

  “Let’s tackle it in stages. First make sure the van still fires up. It’s been about a week. Next, plot a route on the map. We keep one in the glove box, so I’ll bring that in,” said Gus. “Girls, if you could round up the food we have left, blankets, some of the lighter items that’d be a big help. Set things by the front door, but make sure there’s room for us to get the mattresses through. If there’s something you
feel you have to keep, make sure it gets brought down here. Pack light, and dress in layers.”

  “Boggs?” I asked quietly.

  “Hmm?”

  “Can I talk to you upstairs for a minute?”

  Emilie looked at me funny.

  “I just need to ask you about something personal. I’ll get you back down to help in five minutes.”

  “Sure, Zo.”

  He held his hand out to me, and I took it eagerly. We walked the stairs together and I pulled him into our room. He shut the door behind us.

  “What’s up, kid?” he asked.

  “I just had a bad thought. Figured I’d run it by you before we actually do this whole thing.”

  “Ok, shoot.”

  “We don’t know these guys. They seem nice. Genuine. But with what just happened out there yesterday…well…what if they’re trying to get us all out of the cabin to take it over for themselves?”

  “I actually talked to Gus about a scenario like that last night. He agrees it’s worth the risk. We still have their weapons, and should be fine unless there’s an ambush. Gus thinks it seems unlikely. Plus, if they intended to take us over they could have made a try for it last night.”

  “I trust you guys. And I do like them both so far. It’s just hard to leave this place, and hard to trust others.”

  “Everything else ok?”

  “Ya. I want to add baby stuff to the scavenging list. Blankets, diapers, bottles, formula.”

  “You’ll probably want to breast feed, Zo.”

  “Probably, but…”

  “But what?”

  “We need to prepare in case I can’t. If I die, Boggs.”

  “Shush. Right now. Don’t even talk like that.”

  He walked toward me and took my head in his hands, looking me straight in the eyes. I knew this look. It was fear.

  “We have to be realistic, Adam,” I said. “Life is so fragile now. We have to watch our fronts, our backs, our sides, and there are absolutely no guarantees.”

  He placed his forehead against mine and gripped my hair in his hands. Our noses were touching lightly. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Zoe, or our baby. I promise.”