Although now, he was being forced to look out for several other people as well. Mia was fine; he didn’t care about needing to have her back and would always have it anyway. They’d worked together for years now and he truly regarded her as a friend. Once—many years ago—he had thought they might be more than that. Mia had shut him down fairly quickly on it though, which at the time had severely bruised his ego. But now he was over it. Occasionally he would still flirt with her—he was still a man, after all—but her friendship was what was most important to him. It always would be.
The others though, Jorge could take them or leave them. He had never been very good with children, so even though Lizzie had specifically asked him to look after Billy, he hadn’t spent much time with the kid. Thankfully the other people from the village had looked after him, so Jorge didn’t need to bother with any of them too much. While they were part of the group, they still kept to themselves. Although, after what they had been through, Jorge could understand why.
He wished Lizzie had come with them too. Even without being a father, Jorge understood that making the decision to stay behind while her son left must have been incredibly difficult for her. He had talked it over with her through the night while Billy slept upstairs. Lizzie had known something was wrong with her. She had known there was nothing she could do and she didn’t want her son to watch her get worse and worse with each passing day. As a result, she had pushed Billy to leave the village, while she stayed behind. It was a truly noble thing to do and even if Jorge hadn’t been able to say it out loud, he would always admire Lizzie for her actions. It had felt nice to listen to someone for once in his life.
In truth, Jorge didn’t usually care about building relationships with anyone, especially not in their new group. He and Mia had been so close to the eruption at the start that he was positive their days were limited anyway, much like Lizzie had believed about herself. It felt unrealistic to be walking around like nothing had happened, when days earlier they had literally watched Yellowstone blow its top. There had to be some level of toxins in his bloodstream as a result. The way Jorge saw it, he was just a ticking time bomb now and so if he only had a finite amount of time left, he wanted to make it count for himself.
That meant gathering as much data as he could about this eruption, publishing a paper, and somehow making a name for himself. That’s what excited Jorge. He wanted to be remembered and he knew that this was probably going to be his one and only chance.
Mia’s theory about fracking was one that interested him. Jorge didn’t know a great deal about it, but he did understand how earthquakes and volcanos worked. The increased vibrations in the ground caused by fracking could very well have been the catalyst for everything. If that was the case, then it meant there was someone to blame. And—as Jorge had learned very early on in his life—if there was someone to blame, then there was someone to pay.
Thinking about all the big moments in his field—or even in the entirety of science—people were only really praised when they discovered or created something that helped people, or they uncovered a great wrongdoing by someone else. It wasn’t hard to think of an example. Everyone who worked in a remotely scientific field remembered the great chemical imbalance that occurred in Europe a few years ago when a massive pharmaceutical company changed the genetic makeup of their drugs to make them just ever so slightly addictive.
It wasn’t just an issue for those in the industry, but for people around the world as well. Everyone heard the story about people getting hooked on aspirin or common cold remedies. The way modern technology continued to advance each day meant that there was something for every tiny tickly cough or aching back now. If a person wandered out into the street and picked a handful of random people, it was almost guaranteed that at least half of them would be on regular medication. It was something that controlled the world, and so it was almost like the company had been trying to do that themselves.
What most people didn’t know was how rich Damien Ashcroft had become off the back of it. He was the man who’d uncovered everything, gathered the research, and filed the lawsuit. As a result, he was the one who walked away from it all with nearly a quarter of a billion dollars. That was what Jorge yearned for. Fame. Money. Power.
Acquiring it was a lot easier planned than done though. Currently he was stranded at some random farm, surrounded by strangers and dead animals. If Jorge was ever going to make something of himself, he had to get things moving just a little bit quicker than they currently were.
“What’s taking them so long?” he muttered under his breath, deliberately loud enough for several people around him to hear.
“Do you think everything is okay?” Jadon asked, leaning forward from where he sat on an overturned—but thankfully clean—pig trough.
“I don’t know.” Jorge turned to look at the door. “It has been a while.”
Curling his hand into a fist, Jorge knocked a couple of times, shouting Mia’s name into the house as he did so. Turning back to look at Jadon, he shrugged and pushed the door open, walking inside. As it had with the others, the smell hit him like a train and Jorge jumped backwards out of the house, one hand over his mouth as he coughed.
“Jeez, what is that?” Deb questioned, sniffing the air. “That is vile.”
“Mia?” Jorge shouted into the farmhouse, cupping his hands around his mouth to carry his voice farther. “What’s going on?”
In response to Jorge’s cry, Patrick appeared in the hallway again. There was a strange look on the man’s face as he exited the house, the color somewhat drained from his face.
“Daddy?” Allie asked innocently, separating herself from where she’d been standing with Miles and Billy—the children all under Deb and Ethan’s care. “What’s going on? Can we come inside?”
“Not yet, darling,” Patrick shook his head. “We’re just sorting out a few more things inside.”
With a forlorn expression on her face, Allie slunk back to the two boys without saying a word. Jorge watched her turn around before tapping Patrick on the shoulder, attracting his attention. Jadon, Jesse, and Marcus all crowded around too, the five of them at least somewhat familiar with each other.
“What’s happened?” Jorge questioned, understanding that something strange must have been found inside the house. “Is everything okay?”
Patrick bowed his head. “The farmer and his wife are both dead. Shot themselves at the kitchen table.”
“Oh man.”
“Wow.”
“I know,” Patrick continued before everyone was able to react too strongly and give it away. Deb and Ethan were still hanging back with the kids, but they could both tell Patrick had just dropped some pretty serious information. “Mia and Stuart are trying to move the bodies now. But we need to keep the kids out for as long as possible.”
“Yeah, man,” Jesse nodded. “Of course. Don’t worry about them.”
“Yeah, we can keep them entertained and out of the way,” Marcus added with a smile. “It’s no bother.”
“Do you need any help inside?” Jorge asked, his mind recalling a story Mia had told him once about her parents. They lived on a farm just outside of Houston. After everything here, Jorge could only guess that Mia was thinking of them in this position.
“Yeah, actually,” Patrick confirmed. “That would be great.”
“I’ll help too,” Jadon offered. “It’ll help speed things up.”
“Are you sure?” Patrick questioned uncertainly. He was comfortable with Jorge helping out, but Jadon was still only about twenty years old. The father inside Patrick wanted to protect the young man.
But Jadon replied firmly, refusing to be sidelined in the matter. “Yeah, it’s nothing. We’ve already seen plenty of dead bodies since all of this started. The way I see it, now we need to focus on how we can help those of us who are still alive. If that means seeing a few ugly things or dealing with a few messy problems, that’s what we have to do.”
“Dude,” Marcus
breathed beside his friend, holding out his fist which Jadon dutifully bumped with his own.
Jorge watched the exchange with a smile. Perhaps he had underestimated the three college students. While he had his intentions for the long run of the disaster, he had to remind himself that if he wanted to achieve the end goal of a successful paper or even an exposé on what had happened, he had to fully immerse himself in all parts of it.
“Okay,” Patrick replied with a smile. “Thanks. It’s this way.”
Turning on his heel, Allie’s father led Jorge and Jadon into the farmhouse. Immediately the smell got even stronger, despite Jorge having left the door open for the past several minutes. All three men tugged at the covers they wore over their mouths, the cloth previously designed to filter out dangerous air now used to mask the smell of death.
Jorge tried to prepare himself mentally for what he was about to see. He’d seen dead people before. His mother’s funeral was open casket, as both his grandparents’ had been. He’d seen the pilot die next to him in the small plane he and Mia had fled Yellowstone in too, and then countless others after that. He wasn’t unfamiliar with death by any means, but he still felt the blood drain from his face as his eyes fell on the scene in the kitchen. He couldn’t have prepared himself for it, no matter how hard he tried.
Immediately he could also tell that his estimation about Mia had been correct. Her eyes were puffy and red, evidence that she had been crying. Silently, Jorge moved to stand next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into a hug. Normally she would’ve resisted, uncomfortable with that much contact between the two of them ever since Jorge had tried to flirt with her in the early days. This time she didn’t protest. She flung her arms around Jorge in return and held him tight. Breathing in Mia’s scent, Jorge understood that there was more to the disaster than just making a name for himself. He was never going to get through it if he didn’t have a support network around him. As it happened, that was Mia. He needed her just as much as she needed him.
Chapter 20
“What the... Holy cow! Riley? What?”
Chase yanked the steering wheel of the old truck as Riley reared her head behind him, startling him and nearly causing him to lose control of the vehicle. He had been completely in his own little world when she appeared, scaring the life out of him and making it harder to maintain control of the truck. The weather was already horrible to drive in, Chase concentrating more than he ever had before. Finally getting the wheels to straighten out again, he pulled the truck over to the side of the road and switched the engine off, turning around in his seat to face his sister.
“What are you doing here?”
“Hey, Chase,” Riley smiled bashfully. “I, er, I thought I’d come with you.”
“I can’t believe this,” Chase sighed, putting his head in his hands and shaking it from side to side. “Do Grandma and Pop know you’re here?”
“Not exactly...”
“Riley?” Chase wore a stern expression, showing his younger sister how concerned he was by what was happening.
“I left a note,” Riley excused herself, trying to convince her brother of her plan. “Technically no, they didn’t give me permission to come and they didn’t know I was going to. But I left a note in my bed that explained what I’ve done. So if they found that then at least they’ll know where I am.”
“Oh, Riley,” Chase shook his head again, trying to figure out what to do. His grandma had been adamant the night before: Riley was not to join him on the journey. And yet, here she was. Chase didn’t know what he was supposed to do now. He’d been driving for almost two hours so he was closer to the hardware store than he was to the farmhouse. It seemed stupid to turn back just to take Riley home and he couldn’t deny she would be helpful to him once they reached the store.
“I’m here now, Chase,” Riley spoke up, echoing his thoughts. “We might as well get this done together.”
Chase furrowed his brow. He’d always known his little sister was stubborn, but this was taking it to a whole new level. She appeared to have planned this perfectly, waiting until just the right moment to reveal herself to him. And she was right. They might as well just get things done together now. There was no point in going back; it would waste too much time and the bottom line was that they needed to fix the damage to Riley’s bedroom.
“Okay,” Chase sighed eventually. “But you do exactly what I tell you to, got it?”
“Really?” Riley grinned at her brother, ecstatic that he wasn’t arguing with her being there or trying to take her back home. “Yes, of course, Chase. Thank you!” She flung her arms around her brother from behind him, hugging him tightly against the driver’s seat.
“All right, all right,” Chase wriggled free. “Get up here in the front with me. You’ve already caused enough trouble back there.”
Riley laughed. “I’m sorry I scared you, bro.”
“I could’ve crashed, you know,” Chase replied, his words suddenly much more serious as thoughts of their parents entered both his and Riley’s heads. “Not like that,” he quickly added, seeing his sister’s face fall. “It’s just...we need to be careful. We need to look out for each other and make sure we both stay safe. Okay?”
“Deal,” Riley nodded. “I’m sorry I jumped out and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was doing this. I just couldn’t stand to be left behind. I can help and I want to prove that.”
Chase looked at his sister with an understanding gaze and a sympathetic smile. “I know,” he spoke, turning the key in the truck’s ignition again. “I understand how it can be hard sometimes with Grandma. I think she’s just scared.”
“I get that,” Riley confirmed as Chase pulled the truck off the side of the road and started driving again. “But I think Mom and Dad would’ve let me come with you.”
“Yeah,” Chase replied after a few seconds. “Yeah, you’re probably right. But you can see why Grandma is nervous about this sort of thing. Especially with Pop being sick at the moment.”
“Yeah, I know,” Riley agreed. “I wish things didn’t have to be like this. I miss Mom and Dad.”
“Me too.”
“Like, Dad would’ve been able to fix my room so easily. And Mom would stop Grandma from freaking out.”
“What do you think they would’ve said about you sneaking out and coming with me though?”
“I think Mom would’ve been proud,” Riley smiled. “I think she would’ve told me that girls can do anything that boys can do and that even you know that you need my help.”
Chase laughed. A real, hearty laugh that he felt in his stomach—something he hadn’t done since they first saw the effects of the eruption. “Yeah, you’re probably right. But Dad would’ve probably wanted you to stay at home too. You know what he was like. He wouldn’t have wanted any harm to come to his little princess.”
“I wish people didn’t still see me like that,” Riley grumbled, folding her arms and sliding down in the passenger seat slightly. “I’m nearly fourteen now, remember? It’s my birthday in a couple of weeks. I’m not a little kid anymore.”
“I actually know what you mean,” Chase replied, turning his head briefly to look at his sister. “Sometimes I feel like I’m only being treated the way I am because Mom and Dad are dead. It’s like I gained extra responsibility by default. Doesn’t feel like I earned it.”
Reaching over, Riley placed a hand on her brother’s arm, drawing his attention away from the road again for a quick second. “I think you have,” she smiled. “You’ve been great since that day. You’ve helped me so much.”
“Thanks, Riley,” Chase smiled back. “And don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be there for you. If there’s one positive thing that came from that crash, it’s how much closer you and I are. But even still, I just wish...”
“I get it,” Riley interrupted. “I feel the same way. Obviously, I wish they were still alive, but what I’m saying, Chase, is that since they died, you’ve been great. They’d bo
th be proud of you.”
“Well, thanks,” Chase repeated. “For what it’s worth, I think they’d both be proud of you too.”
“Aha, of course,” Riley grinned. “Especially the sneaking out and stowing away in the truck part of things, right?”
“Exactly,” Chase laughed. “Ah well,” he slowed the truck slightly, peering at a passing sign. “You’ve made it now. Hardware store is the next exit.”
Riley glanced out of the window just in time, seeing the same sign that Chase had. He was right. The hardware store was less than half a mile away now. They would be there in no time, gathering the supplies they needed. Then it was just a simple drive back to the farmhouse and Riley was certain that once her grandparents saw that both she and Chase were okay, and that they’d gathered all the necessary equipment, they wouldn’t be able to stay mad at her for sneaking off.
“Here we are,” Chase grinned, revving the engine a couple of times as he pulled into the large parking lot. “Safe and...” His words suddenly failed him. Parking the truck just outside of the main entrance, both Riley and Chase saw that the doors had been smashed in and the windows shattered. The place had been ransacked, items scattering the ground outside among discarded shopping carts and a layer of litter.
“Oh no,” Riley exclaimed. “What happened?”
“Looks like the place has been ransacked already,” Chase answered as he switched off the truck’s engine. “Probably by looters. I don’t know how much stuff will still be left inside.”
“That’s not good,” Riley looked around, a note of fear creeping into her voice. “What do we do if we can’t get everything here?”
“I don’t know,” Chase shook his head. “It’s not come to that yet. Let’s go and have a look inside. There might still be enough stuff we can use.”
Following her brother’s lead, Riley jumped out of the truck and opened the rear door, pulling her rucksack out and tugging a Re-Breather over her face just like Chase had. When she’d packed it the night before she had tried to bring equipment with her for any eventuality they might encounter. Sadly, she hadn’t been able to gather much out of the ordinary, meaning her rucksack only contained a few granola bars, a bottle of water, a flashlight, and a notepad and pen.
Escaping Darkness (Book 2): The Cloud Page 14