I bumped my head on the edge of a doorway.
“Abbey!” I tried to yell the girl’s name, but coughed it out instead. “Ab..Abbey!”
“I’m here! I’m here!” I heard the terrified child’s cry. “Oh God I’m here!” I could tell she was crying.
I had no idea where the window was. I wasn’t even confident that we were in Susan’s room. My orientation was thoroughly mixed up from the smoky haze. I began to panic as my thoughts shifted from Boggs being missing from my side to the baby growing inside of me. My instinct to escape and survive went into overdrive and I somehow crawled to a wall, hoping it would be the one that housed the window. I started to stand to feel for the glass with my hands when I heard someone shout “Where’s Zoe?” My arm was grabbed and I was pulled sideways forcefully, causing me to stumble. More than anything, I needed to breathe. The next moments were a blur. I was hoisted to the window and arms were there to pull me through. The cold air that hit my face was biting and refreshing. I fought to catch my breath, but smoke continued to twist its way deep into my lungs. I could see orange flames lapping at the far end of the roof, almost like the Devil’s fingers caressing a prized pet. The heat was searing against my face, mixing with the cold winter air in a sensation that was confusing. The fire growled deeply with anger as if taunting us.
“Get them down, Boggs!” shouted Gus loudly. “Hurry!”
I watched as Gus swung Emile down from the rooftop where we huddled. I assumed Boggs was below to catch her. I knew this corner of the cabin was closest to the ground, and was glad that Gus had the good sense to direct us here.
“Zoe!” yelled Gus. “Come on Zoe, you’re next!” He grabbed me around the waist and swung me over. I fell into Boggs’ waiting arms and without warning was on my feet and being pulled away from the burning cabin.
I could hear Kelsey screaming from somewhere above. “Abbey! Abbey!”
I turned to look back. “Gus!” I yelled back. “Gus!”
“I’m here,” he yelled between hacking fits.
“Gus you have to get the girls!”
“Nathan!” screamed Gus in desperation.
The flames were spreading and quickly approaching where the rest of our group was still stuck inside the house. The black smoke billowing out of the window was growing so thick that it was hard to see what was going on.
Before I knew it, Boggs had let go of me and was running back toward the side of the house.
“Boggs!” I screamed.
“Stay back, Zoe!”
Someone was dropped from the roof, into Boggs’ waiting arms. Abbey. My burning lungs were starting to hurt even worse. I found myself unable to speak. I watched in horror as Gus held Kelsey by her arms and lowered her down. Gus followed her, lowering himself as far as he could before dropping to the ground.
I could hear Susan behind me crying, near hysteria. “Where’s Nate? Oh God where’s Nate?”
Boggs and Gus were running toward us, Boggs cradling Abbey in his arms and Gus pulling Kelsey by her arm.
“NATE!” screamed Kelsey, trying to twist her body back to face the cabin.
“Run!” screamed Gus. “The propane tank might go!”
And run I did. As fast as my stinging lungs and bare feet would allow. Boggs was pulling me by my right hand. I looked back and saw that Gus was carrying Kelsey right behind us. Susan and Emilie were collapsed on the ground near the tree line, Emilie holding Susan back. Susan was crying, creating streaks of tears and soot on her face.
“We need to get farther away! Fast!” Gus shouted. “Go!”
“We have to get Nate,” cried Susan.
“I’m here,” choked Nathan as he ran up behind us.
Susan stood and embraced him. “Oh thank God Almighty.”
The step van was too close to the inferno for us to even attempt to get to it. The flames were consuming the exterior walls of our cabin and I could see the windshield of the van had shattered from the heat. Its tires were melted.
We ran into the trees, but could still feel the heat from the fire chasing us. Without warning the cabin exploded behind us. While it didn’t knock us over, I could feel my legs give out, causing me to stumble. Boggs held me upright. We all turned and watched as the small cabin that had become our home continued to go up in flames. Breathing became easier as clean air flushed our lungs. The smell of charred wood and soot clung to us. My eyes burned. My nose burned. My lungs burned. My heart was broken.
“What now?” I whispered.
No one seemed anxious to answer.
“I need to think,” said Gus. He had his hands laced together at the back of his head, his eyes wide and a sheen of sweat coating his face. “Zoe, are we alone?” I knew he wanted to know if I sensed any of the living dead nearby.
“Ya,” I said. “All clear.” I began coughing again. “As far as I can tell.”
“Gus, we need to move,” said Boggs.
“Let’s load into the Suburban,” said Nate, still coughing.
I felt Boggs wrap an arm around me. It was then that we saw headlights coming down the drive. A large camouflaged military truck came to a stop well away from the burning cabin. Thick black smoke was rising to meet the clouds above and morning light was starting to fill the sky.
Gus stepped in front of all of us and held his arms out to his sides, signaling for us to stay behind him.
Three men exited the vehicle and surveyed the fire. They seemed unaware of us.
Boggs said to me very clearly, “stay here.” He chambered a round in his Kahr and tucked the pistol into the back waistband of his jeans, then stepped out of the tree line. The other girls and I stayed concealed amongst the trees as Boggs, Gus, and Nathan all stepped forward, their arms raised. I assumed it was to show that they were human. The men in the driveway took notice of them and raised their rifles.
“Stop!” yelled one of them.
Gus and Boggs both put their arms out, Gus holding his shotgun off to one side. The strangers proceeded forward slowly. Nathan hung behind a few paces, his left arm stretched behind him as if saying “stay hidden” to us.
“Stop there!” said the smallest of the three men. He spoke in a slight accent. I thought it might be Russian but wasn’t sure. “Proceed no farther.”
“Who are you?” called Gus.
“Friends,” answered the man. “We were out scouting and saw the flames from the highway.”
Having had enough tension, I stepped from the tree line despite Nathan’s warning gesture and Emilie’s efforts to hold me back.
Em and Susan joined me, although I could tell it was against their better judgment. Emilie held my arm at the elbow. Her grip told me she was frightened. I could sense Kelsey and Abbey standing just behind us. I felt an urge to protect the young girl.
The shock of our home burning was beginning to set in. I wanted to scream, cry, or somehow throw a fit. With strangers there holding rifles, I felt compelled to not do much of anything though. No one spoke for a moment, and my ears were filled with the sound of the fire continuing to rumble. I watched helplessly as it destroyed the remainders of the home and life we had built.
At last one of the men facing us spoke again. “We can take you with us.” He was slight in stature, clean-cut, and well dressed in black slacks and a black knit turtleneck.
“To where?” asked Gus. I could tell by his posture and his voice that he was leery.
“We’re running a colony not too far from here,” answered the man. “We saw some of the dead nearby, so I’d strongly suggest you take us up on the offer.”
“How near were they?” asked Gus, obviously not believing a word that the stranger in black had said.
“Bastards ran off,” replied the short man. “Some of them headed this way. We figured the dead fucks set the fire.”
“Uh-huh,” said Gus. “Mind lowering your weapons?”
I didn’t understand how he could actually be talking to these men. It was obvious they were lying. Still, I trusted
Gus.
Boggs had slowly backed up to be closer to me. He now stood at my side. “Zo,” he whispered. I didn’t answer, but rather just listened. “You can’t let them know about you.”
The heat from the burning building was starting to grow uncomfortable. “Ok,” I said under my breath.
“Not you, and not the baby,” he added.
“’Kay.”
He took hold of my hand. “Stay close to me.”
I squeezed his hand in acknowledgment.
I focused back on Gus.
The man in black signaled his two companions forward. “Assist any of them that needs help,” he said.
“We need to leave, now,” said the smallest of them. “We’ll take you to our compound.”
Tension surrounded us. Gus gestured with his hand to signal us forward. Boggs guided me onward and I could hear Susan and Emilie walking behind us. “Keep your cool girls,” I heard Boggs say under his breath.
“Boggs,” I said quietly as I let go of his hand. “Help Abbey and Kelsey?”
He nodded.
My bare feet were beginning to sting from the cold, uneven ground.
Gus spoke quietly. “Follow my lead. Stay together. We have no choice, nowhere else to go.”
One of the men had fallen in behind all of us. Before long we were marching down the drive. I had a sinking feeling in my gut.
“Nadine!” barked out the short man as we approached the military truck. “We have company!”
“Send em on back,” said the woman. “You have a knack for picking up stray pups, Miles.”
“Let’s go,” said the short man who we now knew was called Miles. “I want to be back before breakfast.”
“We need to bring our Suburban,” said Gus. “It’s parked behind the shed.”
“Do you have keys?” asked Nadine.
“They’re in it,” said Nathan.
“Terry!” barked the woman. “Drive their vehicle back. Stay close behind us.”
“I think we can drive it fine,” said Gus. I knew by his tone that he had a reason for staying with the SUV.
“No offense, but we have to be careful about our colony. We’re not prepared to show you the route there just yet,” said the man named Terry. He was tall and lean with long blonde hair pulled back into a braid that traveled down his back. He was frankly scary looking. “I promise we’ll take good care of your rig.”
Gus nodded once, sharply. “Much obliged.” I noted a hint of his country accent.
I was shivering. My t-shirt and underpants weren’t cutting it in the cold. I became very aware all of a sudden that I was more exposed than I ought to be and prayed the green lines on my leg were not showing below the hem of my shirt.
“Let’s get the girls into the truck,” said Nathan. “It’s too cold out here.” I noticed he was cradling Abbey in his arms, trying to keep her warm. She was dressed in only a thin white nightgown.
We were ushered to the back of the vehicle, where dark green canvas covered the rear opening. We were told to climb in. It was a tall step up, so Boggs helped boost me. Gus had climbed in first, so was there to receive me. Nathan handed Abbey over to Boggs. Gus assisted Susan, Kelsey, and Emilie before joining us. Nathan joined us last. There were bench seats on both sides of the truck bed. The eight of us sat together on one side, while some of the men who met us at the burning cabin sat across from us. A couple of them had not left the back of the truck, so were new faces. They remained silent, and never stopped watching us. Miles and the woman named Nadine sat in the cab, out of our view. We knew Terry was following in the Suburban when the headlights flashed through the split in the canvas door.
Boggs held one of my hands tightly.
“Adam?” I asked quietly. I knew by using his first name it would alert him in some way.
“Hmm?”
“The picture of you and your parents. It’s gone.” I hadn’t been sure of what to say, and it’s the first thing that came to mind.
“It’s ok, Zoe. It’s just a picture. It’s not important.”
I sighed. I wished I felt able to speak freely. I wanted to mention that there had been none of the dead near the cabin. That my mind had never sparked with their signatures. I wanted to cry freely over the loss of our only home. I looked at Boggs, meeting his eyes with my own. I hoped he would look into them and know how scared I was.
“Zoe.” Hearing my name, I looked at Gus. He was looking back intently. “How’s your head feeling, darlin’?”
“Fine,” I said knowing we understood each other. “I’ll let you know if my headache comes back.”
He answered with an almost imperceptible nod.
“Is she sick?” asked one of the men sitting across from us.
Boggs looked at the man and took his time before speaking. “No.”
“Where are you taking us?” asked Susan.
The other man who sat across from us smiled at her. I didn’t like the way he looked at her. I didn’t like it at all.
“You’ll like it there,” he said.
“I liked it at our cabin just fine,” said Susan almost venomously.
“Mind your manners, girl. The guys in charge don’t like sassing,” said the man.
“My name’s Susan. Not girl.” Nathan scooted closer to her and wrapped an arm around her possessively.
“And who is in charge?” asked Gus in a calm yet commanding voice.
“You’ll be introduced soon enough,” said the man directly across from me.
I heard a whimper coming from deeper inside the truck. I looked, my eyes growing used to the shadows. Sitting on top of a folded canvas in a dark corner was a little girl. She was thin and her clothes dirtied. I smiled at her gently.
“Hi,” I said.
She shrunk back as if trying to hide.
“We’ve been calling her Jane,” said one of the men. “We picked her up a couple of hours before your little house fire attracted us. She won’t talk.”
“Picked her up from where?” asked Gus.
“An old gas station. She was hiding in one of the bathrooms,” answered the man who had spoken to Susan.
“Hi darlin’,” said Gus. “Do you want to come out and sit by us?”
The little girl shook her head back and forth. She looked cold.
I looked over at the two men. “Do you have any blankets I can take to her?”
The more talkative of the two men shook his head no. “We put her on the canvas hoping it’d help.”
I squeezed Boggs hand then stood. I walked carefully, holding the hem of my shirt down. Battling the movement of the vehicle, I shuffled across the truck bed until I was near the little girl. I crouched down. “Honey, is it ok if I sit by you to keep warm?”
She looked at me with big brown eyes, obviously scared. I crept closer.
“I promise I won’t bite.” I frowned, realizing it had been an incredibly poor choice of words.
It was hard to tell with the poor lighting but I thought she might have hair even redder than Emilie's. She was maybe six years old. I sat a few feet away from her. The truck bed was cold against my bottom.
“It’s really cold in here,” I whispered. “I bet it’s warmer on the canvas you’re sitting on.”
She watched me carefully. I looked back at her. Eventually she scooted over, slowly. I followed her lead and scooted toward her at a snail's pace until I was on the canvas. After several minutes she was leaning against me for warmth. I wrapped an arm around her.
We continued on in silence. I took comfort from the warmth of little ‘Jane’ against me. Time passed, although it was hard to judge just how much. I had an ominous feeling in the pit of my stomach.
CHAPTER 12
By the time the truck came to a stop, it was full daylight outside. My eyes hurt when the two men across from us opened the canvas on the back. Jane clung to me, obviously scared.
“It’s ok, honey, I’ll stay close,” I whispered to her.
She nodded, but still did
n’t speak. I stood. My hip was stiff and achy from the ride. I held a hand out to the child, and she just looked at it.
“It’s ok,” I said.
She reached out and slid her small hand into mine. I helped pull her up.
“Good,” I whispered. “Good girl.” I gave her hand just a tiny squeeze and she looked up at me. Her nose and cheeks were splattered with freckles, as well as a few layers of dirt and grime. “Let’s go?” She nodded at me. I thought that was a good sign.
I looked up and saw Boggs watching me and her. The others were waiting on us. The men in black stepped down from the truck and held the canvas aside for us to exit. Gus and Boggs both followed them and Susan, Emilie, Kelsey, and Abbey went ahead of us. When it was our turn, I walked with the girl to the tail of the truck. She held my hand tightly and stepped closer to my side.
“It’s ok,” I whispered. “My friend Boggs is going to help you down and I promise he won’t hurt you.”
Little Jane looked up at me, her brown eyes filled with worry.
“I promise,” I whispered.
“It’s ok,” echoed Boggs. “I promise you’re safe with me and Zoe.”
Jane looked at him, and then slowly reached her free hand out. Boggs reached both arms up to indicate she should come forward, which she did. He held her by her waist and gently lifted her down. Once on her feet, she immediately turned to watch for me. I was down just as quickly, thankful that Nathan had stayed behind to offer me a hand. Jane hurriedly walked to me and wrapped her arms around me.
“Looks like you have a new friend there, Zoe,” said Gus with a chuckle.
I looked at him and smiled. His cropped hair was beginning to grow and was shining in the sunlight.
Miles and Nadine walked over from the front of the truck.
“Looks like Jane’s taken to you,” said Miles in his unusual crisp accent. “Maybe you can help her get settled. We don’t have a lot of room left. Most of the sleeping quarters are occupied so you’ll need to do some sharing.”
“We’re just grateful for the place to stay,” said Boggs.
“It’s not easy here. You’ll all be expected to do your share,” said Nadine. She didn’t seem like the warmest woman. She was older, perhaps in her late forties, with short spiked graying hair and a permanent scowl. “We’ll assign you to quarters, let you get cleaned up, feed you breakfast, and then assign you duties based on your skills.”
The Grace Series (Book 2): Tainted Grace Page 12