“One guy talked about the history of the location. It once housed a Nike missile site. The silos have been refurbished for the center. But underneath, their basement leads to an old bunker. It even has an old passage to get out if something happens. That is the part the soldiers aren’t allowed in, so none of the stories I heard were first person. But it sounds likely enough. You hide the things you want no one to see from prying eyes.”
Alex looked at Rafe and Max. Determination and some wariness were on her face. She could easily read her siblings, sometimes it was almost as if they could speak without words. Max knew her face was open and letting Alex run with the decisions. With Easton’s condition, they couldn’t just take off.
“Tomorrow we’ll try to find a map of California. Hopefully if we find something, you can give us a general idea. For now, we stay. We need to be here for Easton,” Alex said.
“I can take care of my son,” Liam said.
“I’m not going to argue with you. You haven’t been here. Maybe that’s not your fault, but I’ve been taking care of those kids. We won’t leave until we know what’s going on with him. Have you heard of anyone surviving a bite?” Alex asked.
“Never,” Liam said immediately.
“Neither have we. We’ve all seen people turn at some point. Depending on blood loss and the body function, it seems like the turn happens fast. Even with the care he’s getting, his fever should be raging. I hope Charlie figures out what is happening,” Alex said.
“Is it possible he’s immune?” Max asked.
“Nothing is impossible anymore, is it? Or did we somehow stop the infection from getting into his system?” Alex asked.
“No, all I did was normal first aid for the bleeding. I barely cleaned it before Charlie got to it,” Max said.
“No reason to sit here and guess. Charlie will have something to tell us once she can study his blood,” Rafe said.
“She’s not to experiment on him,” Liam said, repeating his baseless concern.
“Charlie wouldn’t hurt him, anymore than she would harm Aiden or one of our kids. Calm down. You’re pissing off my brother,” Max said.
Rafe’s eyes were burning holes into Liam’s face as he stared at him. His hands were loose at his sides, but that only meant he probably had a few blades strapped somewhere. He was itching for a fight with Liam, but they had to keep the man in one piece. Especially if he could help them with a direction on Callahan.
“Relax, Rafe. We don’t want blood inside,” Max said dryly.
“Let’s continue our shifts of watching Easton, and everyone else tries to get some sleep tonight. We have some long days ahead,” Alex said.
With the agreement on the watch schedule, Alex went to sit with Easton. Max followed so she could say goodnight to Griffin. However, when she entered the medical area, Griffin was working his way out of his bed. Max rushed over to him.
“What are you doing? You can’t walk!”
“I’m done sleeping in here. Someone will be with Easton all night. I want to go back to our tent,” Griffin said.
His leg couldn’t be cast because they couldn’t find the supplies. However, Charlie had splinted it tightly into position, to ensure it healed. She had high hopes that it was going to be good to go in about two months. Griffin on the other hand could barely handle sitting still. The only reason he had lasted as long as he had was because Max had threatened his life if he got up before Charlie said he could.
“Issac found this while you guys were out. I would rather crutches, but this will get him from here to the tent at least,” Charlie said, when she came up to them. She was rolling a small chair.
“A chair? You’re going to use a chair to get around? This is ridiculous,” Max said.
Griffin looked at Charlie as if he was trying to decide if he should speak in front of her. As if understanding, like any doctor would, Charlie stepped away, pretending to be fiddling with something else in the area.
“I can’t sleep here. I need to be with you and Jack. Don’t argue, Max. I know you aren’t sleeping either.”
Max went to open her mouth to do exactly that. But closed it when Griffin gave her a stern look.
“It’s obvious you aren’t sleeping, Max. Maybe that’s because of me, maybe not. But I’d rather be with you. Are you really going to argue that?” Griffin asked.
“No, I guess not,” Max quietly conceded. “I just don’t want you to be hurt in the process. How are we going to get you to the air mattress?”
“We’ll figure it out. Come on, help wheel my broken self to our bed.”
With that, Griffin propped his knee into the chair and pushed off with his good leg. A grimace crossed his face, causing Max to stop him. He shook her off and continued to move toward the door. Max had to help him steer since the chair wheels were trying to go in all different directions. It took some work, but eventually they were outside their tent.
Max unzipped the door and let Griffin lean on her as he hopped inside. Thankfully the tent wasn’t incredibly short, but Griffin still had to bend slightly. When they got to the bed, it took all of Max’s strength to not let Griffin just fall to the bed. Together, they slowly lowered him on his side of the bed.
All the noise they were making woke Jack and she came quickly to help. Griffin smiled at her when he saw her face close to his in the darkness.
“Hey, Sweets. Sorry we woke you.”
“Dad, what are you doing? Shouldn’t you stay with Charlie in the other room?” Jack asked.
“Nope. She said I could sleep in here with you guys. Is that alright?”
“Of course!” Jack exclaimed as she threw her arms around his neck.
Griffin hugged her close, taking a deep breath. Max could see him close his eyes and relax. Though Max wanted him to be safe, she could see it was taking a toll on him to be away. Being closer to Jack, even after only knowing he was a father for a few months, meant a lot to him. When Jack pulled away, Max knew it was the same for her. She just found her father, she didn’t want to be separated from him.
“Sorry I can’t tuck you in,” Griffin said.
“It’s ok. Mom can just do it again,” Jack laughed.
Once Jack was back in her own sleeping bag, Max kissed her on the head.
“Mom, did you have to, ya know?” Jack asked.
“Not yet, kiddo. We’ll see how things go in the morning,” Max replied.
Max undressed and pulled her sweats on. She left her weapons on her side of the bed, just in case things changed again. When she lowered herself into bed, she moved slowly, not to jostle Griffin. Once she was fully laid down, he beckoned her closer and she rolled to lay her head on his shoulder.
“What do you think of all this with the kid?” Griffin asked.
“I’m lost. Is it even possible? We haven’t seen anything to indicate anyone has survived a bite. Not that we’ve been interviewing every person we come across,” Max answered.
“How are we going to know he’s not going to suddenly change and try to eat someone?” Griffin asked.
A lump formed in Max’s throat anytime she tried to picture Easton as an infected. It hurt her heart and head to even go there. However, it wasn’t impossible. He had been bitten. She saw it happen. She had helped dress the wound. It wasn’t the worst bite she had seen, but it was still a bite. Something that should have gotten black and continued to ooze long after natural clotting would have started.
“I don’t know. I hope Charlie comes up with something,” Max said, as she snuggled deeper into Griffin.
“Think you’ll be able to sleep tonight?”
“I’m more worried about you. Are you sure you’re comfortable?” Max asked.
“This is perfect. Close your eyes, baby. Let’s get some rest,” Griffin whispered, kissing her head.
Max sighed and she could feel tension seeping from her body. It was as if her world was back on its axis with Griffin laying next to her. She was careful to keep in mind that his leg would be te
nder, she didn’t want to accidentally kick in him her sleep. But when she tried to put space between them, Griffin tightened his hold on her. She fell asleep with her cheek pressed against his chest.
She slept heavily and found herself in a vivid dream. Part of her knew she was dreaming, but she couldn’t seem to understand what she was seeing wasn’t real. She didn’t recognize the room she was in, but the walls were painted red with splatters of what had to be blood. She looked down and found herself standing barefoot in a pool of it, and she stepped backward.
Her feet made a squelching sound and a growl caught her attention. When she looked up, she noticed she wasn’t alone in the bloody room. A figure stood staring at her with onyx eyes. Her heart dropped when she saw it was Easton. Behind the boy was a pile of something Max couldn’t make out at first. However, in her dream the room began to brighten as if the sun was coming up.
When infected Easton walked toward her, he hissed and growled. He swiped at the air in front of him, making his way to take her out. Max reached down but didn’t find any weapons on her body. When Easton moved away from the pile, Max could suddenly see what it was. She cried out and fell to her knees in the pools of blood on the white tile floor.
Alex’s dead face stared out from the bottom, with Griffin on top of her. Half of his face was missing, apparently eaten by Easton. Rafe and Charlie were on the other side, pieces of their flesh ripped away. Margaret was crumpled against a wall, not part of the pile for some reason. It was then she noticed Margaret had been reaching out to something when she died. Max began to scream when she saw the small hands sticking out from the bottom of the pile.
“Max!”
Her name being called and her body being shook pulled Max out of her nightmare. The tent was lit up by the dim sunlight coming from the lobby. Griffin stopped shaking her when her eyes opened. Jack was on her feet by the bed, her hair wild as if she had jumped from bed.
“Sorry, I’m sorry,” Max mumbled.
She realized her scream in her dream had been real and loud enough to wake her family. Listening to everyone else moving around in the hall, Max wondered how many people she had woken. They all had their own moments of terror at night, so she didn’t feel bad. She wouldn’t want to explain her nightmare to anyone, though.
Covering her face with her hands, Max reached out in her mind to her father. She found herself praying for his help more and more often. Max had no idea if Mitch Duncan was listening, he never gave them much upbringing with religion. But if heaven was real and Mitch was looking down on them, Max hoped he could hear her.
Help me, Dad. I don’t know if I can do this.
Chapter Fifteen
Breakfast was withdrawn as worry and confusion settled on everyone. Before they sat down to eat, Alex briefed the adults. The parents spoke with their own kids, explaining that they didn’t know what was happening, but Easton was still with them for now. The kids were excited, despite Alex, Max, and Rafe trying to manage expectations.
As they ate, Liam sat on the outskirt of the group with Candace by his side. Max watched Candace, and she could see the girl’s eyes flick up to the group more than once. Candace had thrived on the family dynamic they had in the Duncan group. Now, Liam forced her to be an outsider. With Easton still in medical, Max knew Candace probably felt alone.
“Candace, you can sit over here,” Max called.
Candace looked from Liam to the empty seat she normally would sit in. Liam’s hard stare met his daughter’s and Candace looked down at her food. Max could feel her anger rising. She looked over at Alex and saw her sister was seeing this happen too. Though Liam seemed willing to help them the day before, his resentment for the Duncans wasn’t going to solve itself.
“Liam, you are welcome to actually sit with the group. You are separating Candace from what she’s had for months. You’re hurting her, can’t you see that?” Alex said.
Her voice was calm and clear. The other adults focused on their meals, not commenting on the situation. Everyone was feeling awkward since the new arrival and it was time to figure out if they were going to move forward as a group, or if he was going to take off with the kids the moment he had the chance.
Liam looked at Candace, sitting with her head down, clearly saddened and uncomfortable. Max couldn’t see his expression, but he stiffly stood up and waited for Candace to do the same. They both came to the tables. Candace took a seat near the kids where the young ones started talking excitedly to Candace. Immediately a smile spread across the girl’s face and she seemed to relax.
The empty seat Liam took at the adult table was between Cliff and Margaret. Max couldn’t think of a better place for him to be. Margaret would grandmother him to death and Cliff would ignore him. As anticipated, Margaret immediately poured him a cup of coffee from the pot she had made. Liam nodded a thanks and then made a small noise of pleasure as he drank the first sips.
“This is real coffee, not instant?” Liam asked.
“We do the best we can with what we have,” Margaret responded with a smile.
The lady could charm anyone, she was practically Alex’s secret weapon. Max looked over to Alex who was hiding a small smile behind her own coffee cup. Clearly her sister knew what she had set into motion by having Liam sit next to the woman. Maybe he didn’t trust a Duncan, but what about the people that chose to join them willingly?
“So, you aren’t all related, right?” Liam asked.
“No. Only three of us are blood related, unless you count the kids. Then there’s six of us who are Duncans by blood,” Rafe said.
“That doesn’t mean anyone is less a part of our family, just because they don’t have the same blood,” Alex added.
“How did you all come to be together? Knew each other before?”
Everyone looked around, Margaret even let out a little laugh.
“No. Except Griffin here, who never got over our sister. Everyone else were strangers before the infection,” Rafe said, nudging Griffin with an elbow.
“How? I mean, I understand needing to survive. But you all are so different,” Liam said.
“That’s because of them, they’re different,” Cliff said.
Liam looked over at him, surprised to hear him speak. Cliff turned his gaze on Liam. To Max, his eyes were always somewhat sad. Today was no different, and she wondered what Liam saw when he looked at him.
“I had just lost my wife. My son had been ripped from my arms. In shock, I just kept running. That’s when I found Max. I tried to die, give up. But she wouldn’t let me,” Cliff said.
“Literally slapped you out of it,” Griffin grumbled.
“It was what I needed at the time, and she knew it. She doesn’t take credit for that, but she saved my life. Maybe I was sure it wasn't worth being saved, but here I am.”
“It was worth it, we all know that,” Alex said with a smile.
Cliff smiled at Alex, a smile that he usually reserved for her. They had the bond of people who had lost their spouses. Something Max couldn’t relate to. And she wasn’t good with emotional support, so it was better that Alex was there for the big man.
“I pointed a shotgun at Alex’s face when I first met her,” Margaret said.
“What was she doing?” Liam asked.
“Just looking for a place to stay with the kids. Your kids with her already and I immediately took to her after finding out she was caring for two kids that were essentially strangers. When my RV park was overrun with the dead, it was Alex who helped us get out. I had nowhere else to go and without a thought Alex offered her home and I accepted.”
“Thank goodness, because your cooking has saved us more than once,” Rafe joked.
“Oh, you stop it. You do perfectly fine on your own,” Margaret replied, waving him off. “I stay now because I care about this family. And those kids, yours included, make me feel young again. I get to feel like a grandmother, knowing my own family is most likely dead and gone.”
Margaret finished with her eye
s downcast. Issac reached over and squeezed her arm in support. She covered his hand with her own and they smiled.
“And you?” Liam said, nodding toward Issac next.
“You are a nosey one, aren’t you?” Issac asked.
“He just doesn’t understand how you people can trust us evil Duncans,” Max said.
Liam didn’t rise to Max’s bait, just rolled his eyes at her. She thought he might just catch up and hang with the group after all.
“Me? Well, I was perfectly fine in my old dry cleaner, but Rafe just wouldn’t hear of me staying alone,” Issac said.
“Now hold up, old man, that was because you were connected with us and I didn’t want those goons coming back to your place and beating you to death,” Rafe said.
“Goons? Who would beat up an old man?” Liam asked.
“Seriously? Your guys, that’s who,” Rafe replied.
Liam didn’t respond, the news didn’t seem to sit well with him.
“Yes, well, after that encounter and Charlie had to bandage me up, Rafe insisted I come to stay on the compound where I would be safer. Definitely safer and more comfortable than the floor of the dry cleaners,” Issac said.
Charlie had come into the lobby to grab her breakfast as Issac told his story. She stood with her bowl of oatmeal, listening and watching everyone. Liam nodded to Issac and then looked over to Charlie.
“And you? I know you told me the story of how you were connected to the infection, but how did you end up with the Duncans?” Liam asked.
Charlie looked down at Rafe, her eyes asking if she was to tell the truth. Max and Alex waited, knowing it was Rafe’s story to tell. It was his decision if he wanted it shared with Liam. Rafe gave a little nod and a sweet smile to her.
“I guess my story is like everyone else’s. Rafe saved my life. He didn’t know me until the day the mouse bit my coworker. Even then we never spoke, but he knew something was up. Then I got ran off the road by men working for ‘The Suit’. Rafe found me and from then on he protected me. With his life when he thought necessary,” Charlie said.
She had slipped her hand into Rafe’s, something that didn’t escape Liam’s notice. However, the man seemed to know it was better to just not say anything about their resulting romance. Liam looked around. His eyes passed over Smith, his story already told. His gaze landed on the kids table and Max could tell he was doing some calculations.
Sundown Series | Book 5 | Vengeance Page 19