by C. E. Black
“Stay here,” Kaden ordered before stalking around the back of the house, leaving me alone with his sidekick.
Mason smiled, the one that said he was ready to talk. Again. After only a day, I already knew his tells. Holding back an eye roll, I leaned against the porch railing with my arms crossed, bracing myself for the onslaught of chatter about to ensue. Though I wasn’t sure how much more he had to talk about. I was pretty sure he’d given me his and Kaden’s whole life story already.
Kaden and Mason met in college, a lifetime ago, he’d said, but fell out of touch when Kaden joined the military. Mason got recruited into the NFL. I looked him up and down from lowered lashes. Yep, definitely a football player. He’d never said what position he’d played, and I wasn’t into the game myself so I couldn’t guess, but he had that solid look about him. And Kaden screamed military, so that wasn’t a surprise.
According to Mason, Kaden had called him right away when he’d learned what was happening. He’d warned him to get somewhere safe. Instead, Mason drove from Tennessee to Fort Hamilton to get his friend. Now, they were headed back to Tennessee, where Mason had some land or something. I wasn’t clear on that part. After a while, I’d zoned out.
The sun dipped below the tree line, sending blinding orange light into my eyes. Squinting, I looked away, careful not to make eye contact with Mason. I had no desire to converse with the man. Though I doubted he cared all that much. My fingers curled inside my palms. Even if I wanted to talk to him—which I didn’t—I couldn’t. Being born mute had its advantages, I supposed. And here I thought my silence was only good for hiding from flesh eaters and evil men.
He cleared his throat, then made a scraping sound with his shoe against the concrete pathway before I heard his footsteps taking him in the opposite direction.
I watched him in my peripheral vision, surprised he hadn’t started another one-sided conversation. The man sure knew how to talk someone’s ear off. Instead, he faced away from me, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as he stared down at his feet.
My brows furrowed as I watched him. Had he been hurt by that flesh eater? I gave myself a mental shake and slumped back against the railing. Why was I worried over a strange man who had pretty much kidnapped me? He deserved a little pain. Maybe he hurt so much he wouldn’t be able to catch me the next time I took off.
I straightened my shoulders, my arms slowly dropping to my sides. This was my chance, I realized. Excitement had me wanting to bounce on the balls of my feet, but I held completely still, keeping my focus on Mason. While Kaden was inside and Mason’s attention otherwise occupied, I’d get a decent head start. By the time they caught up, they wouldn’t be able to find me. Except for my last disastrous attempt, I was pretty damn good at hiding. I had to be in this world.
My eyes burned into Mason’s back as I took a hesitant step away from the porch. Then another more confident step, then another. I was just about to make a run for it when the creak of the front door alerted me that Mason and I were no longer alone. A scowling Kaden stepped out of the house, his knowing eyes taking in the scene. First, he glanced at Mason, standing several feet away, his back to us. Then that impenetrable gaze landed on me, his eyes narrowing on my position. One foot out, my body leaned the same way, ready to run. I swallowed hard and slowly stood upright, crossing my arms with a sigh.
Kaden’s eyes turned into narrow slits before giving a single nod to the inside of the house. “All clear.”
And there went my chance.
Why did you hesitate, Jane? I gave myself a mental shake for being so stupid. Next time—yes, there would definitely be a next time—I would run. No hesitation. And I wouldn’t look back.
I matched Kaden’s glare, refusing to be intimidated by his muscles, good looks, or his scowl. Good looks? Where had that come from?
He frowned, his brows lowering as he tried to get a read on me. Dream on, I thought.
“This will do,” Mason said as he followed me inside. Kaden had stayed by the door, his eyes glued to me as I crossed the threshold. I pretended my heart didn’t flutter like a damn hummingbird’s wings. I also pretended not to notice his enticing masculine scent. It called for me to lean in, bury my nose into his neck, and take a deep drag. My lips parted. From now on, I would be breathing through my mouth.
As night fell, the interior of the house became dimmer and darker. While Kaden made sure all the windows were covered, Mason gathered an armful of candles, setting them in the center of the room before lighting them. I’d watched as they’d unpacked, impressed with how much stuff they’d been able to put inside each bag.
I’d pulled out my one blanket. It was a wedding ring quilt, off white with vines of little burgundy flowers and deep green leaves inside the rings. It looked a little worse for wear, the edges stained and one corner had ripped. But it was warm. In more ways than one.
I wrapped the quilt around me, taking a moment to bury my nose in the fabric. It didn’t smell like anything, but the comfort it gave relaxed my tired muscles. The blanket wasn’t a personal heirloom. Wasn’t mine at all. I’d found it while scavenging for food. But I loved it all the same.
Sitting back against the wall where I’d taken residence against the far corner of the room, I pulled the quilt over my front and watched the men as they set up for the night. They had their sleeping bags laid out, Mason’s in the center of the room, while Kaden put his closer to the front door. Neither were laying on them, though. Instead, they both were still quietly moving around the house. Searching for supplies, I assumed. They wouldn’t find much. I’d been through this neighborhood, and all the good stuff had already been taken.
“Hey,” Mason said as he moved toward me. The grip I had on the knife beneath the blanket tightened. He must have seen the tension enter my shoulders because he stopped a couple of feet away, and with a hesitant smile, knelt down on the balls of his feet. “You need to eat,” he said.
My eyes fell on the can of food he held out. My mouth watered. I hadn’t eaten all day. Still, a part of me wanted to refuse him.
I started to shake my head no when my stomach decided that was the moment to speak up, letting out a growl so loud Kaden turned to look at me from across the room. Mason chuckled and my cheeks heated.
“Go on, take the food,” he insisted.
Nodding my thanks, I pulled my free hand from under the blanket and took the can from him. As I stared down at the gelatinous orange sauce covered pasta, Mason held out his hand again, this time holding a fork. “Here, you’ll need this.”
Setting the can on the floor next to me, I took the offered utensil with another nod. Mason glanced down at the blanket where my other hand hid underneath. He didn’t say anything, but his gaze flickered to mine and gave a single sharp nod before standing up and backing up a step.
“Eat up, then we should get some sleep.”
He walked away and sat down next to Kaden to eat their own dinner. Though instead of them each having a can like I did, they shared one. As I took a bite, my eyes never strayed from them. They took turns. One would take a bite, then the other. And in seconds, the can was empty. Both stared at it before sitting down their forks.
Mason cleared his throat. “We need to find more food,” he whispered. His eyes shifted toward me but only for a second before he looked back at his friend. “She needs more. Hell, we all do. I can’t keep going like this.”
“I know,” Kaden said softly. “I’ve searched this entire neighborhood. There’s nothing left. We need to move on.”
“Yeah. Think we can convince her to come with us?”
Kaden’s gaze met mine and held. I looked down at my can and took another bite of pasta. “She might. Think it’s still there? And empty?”
“Yeah, it’s in the middle of nowhere,” he replied. “I seriously doubt anyone has found it. Uncle Jay had the place set up like a dream. A well, generator, and garden already started. It’ll be perfect. Plus, if I remember correctly, it’s also easy to defend.”
<
br /> “Guess we’ll find out,” Kaden said.
“Yeah,” Mason sighed. “We still have a way to go, though.
As they continued to talk about their plans, I thought about the food issue. They were right. There was nothing useful left in this neighborhood. I’d raided most of the town myself. And I didn’t have much on me. But… I glanced at the empty can sitting between them, then back at my half-eaten dinner. I wasn’t used to eating so much, and I couldn’t see a reason for eating the rest when I didn’t need to.
I felt the weight of their gazes as I got to my feet and made my way toward them. Stopping in front of Mason, I leaned down to set my half-empty can between them, then backed away, all the while, keeping the knife hidden behind my thigh.
Once settled, I glanced up to see them still staring at me. Mason looked at the can then back at me. “Are you sure you’re finished?”
Making eye contact with Kaden, I held his gaze even as I gave Mason a single nod.
Tension coiled between Kaden and me until I couldn’t take it anymore and had to look away. I sucked in a deep breath. Had I been holding it the whole time?
“Oh, wow! She answered me,” Mason said, his voice lacking mockery.
Mason grabbed a fork and took a bite of my leftovers then handed the can to Kaden. “So, if you’re in a talking mood,” he began, “do you want to tell us your name?”
Using my bag as a pillow, I laid down, pulling the blanket up over my chest.
“I’ll take that as a no,” Mason murmured.
I squeezed the handle of the knife hidden by my side and closed my eyes. I wasn’t sure if I could sleep in the same room with two strangers. Two male strangers at that. But I had to get some rest. I had a long day ahead of me.
“Thank you.” The sound of Kaden’s deep voice surprised me, and I almost opened my eyes to look at him. Instead, I nodded again and turned away to face the wall. My body held stiff as I listened to the guys rummage around. The scraping of the can ended too quickly, then the rustling of bags could be heard as they cleaned up.
“I’ll take the first shift,” Kaden said softly, almost a whisper. “Probably best if you sleep over there.”
There was a pause, then Mason grunted what sounded like an agreement. “You’re right. She’d freak if I got too close.” The disappointment in his voice caused my muscles to tense.
“You go near her, I’ll break your fingers,” Kaden snapped.
My breath caught. Not only was his willingness to protect me surprising, he had also implied that Mason wasn’t trustworthy.
“Of course I wouldn’t,” Mason cursed angrily. “I’m fucking ecstatic that she’s here. Safe. I would never hurt her.”
There was a long sigh. “I know. Just… I also know you get overly excited about things. And though you wouldn’t purposely hurt her, if she were to wake up and see you laying too close, that would scare her. Scaring her, in my book, is the same as hurting her. So just keep your distance for now.”
“I agree.”
“Good.”
My heart had raced the entirety of their conversation. This was the first time I’d heard so many words come out of Kaden’s mouth at once. And the things he’d said? They made me feel.... safe. They made me want to stay. But I couldn’t afford to feel that way. It was too dangerous. They hadn’t tied me up, I was fed and had a roof over my head. Nonetheless, they’d essentially kidnapped me. They’d also saved my life. I might’ve been able to get away from that flesh eater on my own, but it had definitely been a close call. I owed them now.
At peace with the knowledge that neither of the men would bother me—tonight at least—I relaxed my shoulders and willed myself to sleep. In a few hours, I would make a break for it.
3
Pink and orange streaked the sky as the first rays of morning sunlight brightened the sky. From behind, the darkness beckoned me to turn around. Instead, I hitched my bag higher up on my shoulder and moved forward. The guys weren’t following me. I’d made sure of it. But a few seconds later, I couldn’t help but double check. Nothing. My stomach twisted and I sighed, unsure if what I was feeling was disappointment or relief.
While Kaden had taken the first watch, just like he’d said, I’d rested. I couldn’t call it sleep because it was so light my eyelids had fluttered open on and off all night. When Mason took his friend’s place, I’d laid perfectly still and waited. Mason had paced for an hour or two, circled the house then went outside for a while. Eventually, he’d sat down in the room with Kaden and I. A few minutes later, his breathing had slowed. Bad watchdog.
Though he’d sounded asleep, I’d waited another half hour or so, listening to the men’s soft snores. Then I’d carefully and silently got up. After a long glance at my quilt, I’d left it on the floor with an internal sigh and threw my bag over my shoulder. Repacking the blanket would’ve made too much noise.
Now I was climbing the fence that circled the local elementary school. Clearing the chain-link, I landed on my feet and glanced around. A bird squawked, and the light tinkle of a wind chime sounded in the distance. Not another living soul, or dead one for that matter, made their presence known, and I made my way quickly to one of the back entrances of the school.
Rummaging inside my bag, my fingers encountered the cool metal I was looking for. I pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the rusted deadbolt attached to the double doors, then jumped inside, shutting the door behind me.
My steps were silent as I swiftly made my way down the deserted hallway. Trash littered the floors and most of the classroom doors stood wide open. I kept a safe distance from the ones that were shut. I wasn’t sure which rooms were worse. Behind the closed doors, the sound of shuffling feet sent a cold shiver down my spine. However, I did my best to keep my eyes from straying toward the rooms that stood open. At least the bodies had decomposed to mostly skin and bones by now.
I stiffened as I passed the one locked classroom that stood silent. It was the one with a broken window. The one I’d had to come through the first time. The memory of those children…
I shook my head and kept going, keeping my eyes forward as I listened for anything unusual. I spent most of my time here, but that was no reason to become complacent or lose focus. Bad memories could do that. It was best to just forget.
In the cafeteria, I found one of the utility closets and using the same set of keys as before, I unlocked the door. Against one wall stood a large metal shelf with cardboard boxes containing my clothes. On the other, was a simple cot and a small nightstand. I emptied a shelf of its contents, pulling down the boxes before lifting the entire shelf off the wall and setting it down beside me. Hidden behind it was a cut in the drywall, making an uneven square. Digging my fingers into the drywall, I lifted the piece out, revealing a hole big enough to crawl inside. There wasn’t room, however, because the fourteen by twenty space was filled with an assortment of food I’d stashed over the last six months. As far as food went, I was set for a long time. With a sigh, I opened my bag and filled it up with as much as I could carry.
Once the shelf was back in place, I sat on the cot. I had no clue why I’d come to the school to find shelter when there had been plenty of homes I could have lived in. At the time, it had seemed like a good idea. There had been no going back to my own house. It was haunted by bad memories now.
As I looked around the cramped closet, my chest tightened with loneliness for the first time in so long. I thought maybe I could stay, forget what I’d come here for in the first place, and hide. Again. Instead, I packed what clothes I could and the Dean Koontz paperback I’d left on the nightstand before locking the closet door behind me.
I grunted as I lifted the heavy pack onto both shoulders, but I also smiled to myself. My mission was only half-way complete and so far, it had been a success.
The way back out of the school was as easy as when I’d entered, but just as I pocketed the keys I heard the unmistakable sound of vehicles approaching. Flattening myself against the brick
wall, I craned my neck around the corner.
Tires squealed as two large pick-up trucks swerved around the corner, stopping in front of the school. The first thing I noticed were the guns. They were pointed toward the sky, each held by dirty, rough looking men in the back of the cargo beds. Between the two vehicles, there were five of them all together. And more inside the cabs.
The men jumped out as the cab doors opened. As I counted them up, my heart raced. Nine. Nine heavily armed men. I swallowed hard, my fingers trembling as I dug them into the brick at my back. How the hell was I supposed to get past them?
The men stalked the front entrance, their guns pointing up as they scanned the area. When one swiveled his head in my direction, I jerked back, slamming the back of my skull against the hard wall. I winced but held perfectly still and quiet as I thought out a plan. The distance between me and the men wasn’t all that much. Maybe fifteen yards. Could I outrun them?
I risked another peek. The men were facing the front of the school now. It looked like they were going to break in. Though my heart raced, I waited patiently. When they went inside I could make a run for it. I jerked my head back when one looked over his shoulder. The sound of glass shattering caused me to jump.
Once the last guy cleared the door, I took a deep breath, let it out, then ran. When I got close enough to the fence, I leaped, my fingers clamping painfully to the metal. I heard a shout behind me and my stomach dropped. I swung my leg over the fence and jumped. Behind me, the shouts were getting louder. They were coming after me.
Don’t look. Don’t look. Arms pumping at my sides, my breathing labored, causing my lungs to ache, but I couldn’t stop. I made it to the road then cut through a patch of woods. Except, in order to get back to the house, I’d have to go out in the open again. Just as I sprinted across another two-lane road, an engine growled and a male, “Whooped,” behind me. I glanced back, my eyes widening when I saw them gaining speed.