“Hey!” a bearded man said standing in the open doorway. “What are you doing in here?”
“Shit,” Dax said as he started to help Maddie out of the window.
Maddie grabbed his arm and met my eyes. “Mom?”
“It’s okay, Maddie,” I said as she stepped out onto the fire escape. “We’re going down.”
Whitney was more than halfway through the window when the man shouted to someone down the hall.
“Go, go, go,” Blake said placing his hand on my back. It sounded like a hundred horses were running down the hallway, making their way toward us.
“Stop them!” someone shouted seconds before a bullet ripped through the air.
It had felt as though the bullet had been close. So close, in fact, I looked down to make sure I hadn’t been hit.
Blake shot back as Dax pushed me through the window. Dax looked into my eyes. “Get them to the SUV.”
“Okay,” I said feeling a tightening in my chest.
“Just go,” Dax said. “We’re coming. Right behind you.”
Another bullet cracked through the unbroken window several inches from where we were. Elias rolled out of the window as I got the ladder down to fall.
“Climb down,” I said but Maddie was already moving. Whitney was anxiously bouncing in place waiting for there to be enough space for her to follow.
Elias was lying down on the metal fire escape. I shook him vigorously.
“Let’s go,” I said but his body didn’t respond. “Elias?”
I rolled him over and his eyes were open. He didn’t blink. His eyes were focused on something in the clouds above.
“Elias?” I said again but I knew he was gone. There was nothing. “No, no, no.”
Dax looked down at the boy. “You have to go, Kit. There isn’t anything you can do for him.”
“Dammit,” I said making my way to the ladder. My hands shook as I climbed down. I had to drop the last couple feet to the ground and somehow managed to stay on my feet. I turned Maddie away from the building and led her toward the SUV. “This way.”
She didn’t look back for Elias. Maddie just assumed he was with us.
I glanced back just as Blake dropped down to the sidewalk. Two of the men above tried to go through the window at the same time.
Blake was holding his shoulder as his feet pounded against the concrete. “Run!”
Chapter Twenty-Four
One by one, we poured into the SUV. Dax ran around and slipped into the driver’s seat. Blake pulled the door closed behind him as he heavily dropped onto the seat behind me next to Maddie.
She stared at him suspiciously.
“Why are you driving?” I asked setting my eyes on Dax. It wasn’t like it mattered who was driving as long as distance was being put between us and the apartment building.
“It was my turn,” Dax said squealing the tires as he pulled away from the curb. The SUV slid slightly as he turned right at the first corner.
I looked over my shoulder at Blake and when I saw him, I realized why Dax was at the wheel. “You’re bleeding.”
“I’m fine,” Blake said glancing down at the blood that was starting to dry on his fingertips. “It’s just a scratch.”
“That isn’t a scratch,” I said.
“Wait,” Maddie said as she looked around the SUV. “Oh my God, stop the car!”
Dax didn’t even bother to slow the SUV at her panic. He knew there was no reason to stop.
“Stop!” Maddie demanded as she pounded her fists on the back of Dax’s seat. “We can’t leave him alone back there. We have to go back!”
“Maddie,” I said trying to keep my voice calm. When our eyes met, she knew something was wrong. She blinked once and swallowed hard before tears started to stream down her cheeks. It was as if she could read my mind. I cleared my throat. “I’m so sorry, honey. He didn’t make it.”
Maddie shook her head vigorously before burying her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook with her painful, heartbroken sobs.
She sucked in a breath and looked out of the window at the surroundings flashing by. Maddie didn’t say another word. She didn’t ask any questions about what happened… nor did the tears stop flowing.
“I’m really sorry, Madeline,” I said my voice cracking several times. I hated seeing my daughter in so much pain. Losing him after everything they’d been through to make it this far. It wasn’t fair. “I tried to help him but it was too late.”
She didn’t acknowledge my words. Maddie didn’t care what I had to say and why should she? I didn’t know a damn thing about Elias. Hell, I’d only recently even found out that he even existed.
Dax slid his hand over the console between us and patted my knee. He flicked me a brief tight-lipped smile before bringing his hand back to the steering wheel.
“So,” Dax said in a clear voice that sliced through the silence. “Is anyone in here besides Blake injured in any way whatsoever?”
“No,” I said looking down at my body. “Nothing.”
Maddie didn’t respond but I noticed Dax’s eyes scanning her quickly in the rearview mirror as if he was checking to see if there was blood oozing out of her body.
“I’m fine, I think but my heart won’t stop pounding,” Whitney said pressing her palm to her chest. “It kind of hurts.”
“Want to know what really hurts?” Blake asked. “A fucking bullet grazing your shoulder.”
“I’ll take a look as soon as we can stop. Just keep pressure on it,” Whitney said twisting her head to the side to look at his injured shoulder from in the far back seat. “There isn’t much blood.”
“Whitney was a nurse,” Dax said. “He’ll be as good as new in no time, right Whit?”
“I’ll need to get to the first aid kit,” Whitney said with an exhale.
Her eyes moved over to Maddie. She studied her for a long moment.
Whitney placed her hand on Maddie’s shoulder and leaned forward, setting her lips next to Maddie’s ear. “I’ve got something that might help you temporarily too.”
It had been a message intended only for Maddie’s ears but I had heard it because the only sounds were those of the tires against the pavement. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Maddie give her a quick nod.
I’d almost forgotten that when Blake had first invited me over, that he’d mentioned there was a nurse at the house with them. I had forgotten all about it but I would have never guessed it was Whitney. But now, with Blake bleeding in the backseat I was glad she was because I wouldn’t know the first thing to do for him. Anything that required more than slapping on a bandage was beyond my capabilities.
“So, now what are we going to do?” Whitney asked.
“Go back home,” Dax said.
“Home?” Maddie said.
I looked at her over my shoulders. “Blake’s home.”
“We can’t go back there,” Whitney said. “Remember the guys?”
Dax laughed. “I’m not worried about them.”
“What are you talking about?” Maddie asked.
I told her everything that had happened since Polly had warned me about what was going on. Some of it she’d already known but much of it was new.
I left out the part about Blake shooting Freddie. After what had just happened with Elias, it was something I’d talk to her about another day.
She hadn’t liked her father but I wasn’t sure how she would take his death. Maddie had wanted us to leave but wanting her father dead wasn’t something she’d mentioned.
He was awful and he hadn’t been much of a father to her but still, if it hadn’t been for Freddie, I wouldn’t have Maddie. Maddie was quite possibly the only reason I was still here.
I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered as the air from the vent blew my hair out of my face. The truth was, I was worried about going back to Blake’s. I didn’t want to walk into another situation that could end up with one of us taking a bullet.
There had been more than enough g
unfire in the last twenty-four hours to last me a lifetime. I’d be fine never being near a gun ever again.
Dax sped down the city roads. It felt like it took an hour to find our way out of the city and back to the highway.
There had been a few of the sick hiding between buildings or wandering aimless on distant front lawns trying to flag us down but they were easier to ignore than before. But it wasn’t just the sick we had to worry about. It was everyone.
Everyone was a threat.
We wouldn’t be able to let our guard down. Not ever.
Driving through the country went quickly. Before I knew it, we were approaching our small town entering from a different highway than the one we left on.
The roads were empty. There were no buzzing sounds of normal day to day life.
The world was silent except for the engine of the SUV. I wasn’t sure if I loved or hated the silence. I wasn’t sure if there was anything to like at all anymore.
Dax drove the SUV into Blake’s garage and cut the engine. Maddie looked younger and smaller than I’d remembered.
“Here we are,” Dax said holding out his arms. “Home sweet home.”
“This isn’t my home,” Maddie said.
Dax grinned at her. “It’s not mine either but it’s not too bad. A little small and kind of stuffy but it’s better than being out there with those things.”
We entered the house and Blake checked to make sure everything was exactly the same as we’d left it. Dax came in with the first aid kit in his hand.
“Come, sit down,” Whitney said curling a finger at Blake. She helped him peel off his shirt and got to work treating his wound.
Maddie turned and stared at me. She crossed her arms and shook her head.
“Why are we here, mom?” she asked. “We should be out there looking for Polly.”
“Polly’s in New York,” I said feeling a damp confusion fill my eyes. “It’ll be hard to find her and I’m not sure it’s even safe to—”
“Didn’t you get her email?” Maddie asked.
My brow creased. “Email? What email?”
“She sent it to all of us,” Maddie said. “Didn’t you check your email?”
I shook my head and pulled out my phone. My finger aggressively tapped, trying to update my email.
“It’s not working,” I said. I looked into Maddie’s eyes. “What did she say?”
“She said she was leaving heading to a camp in Maine. Polly said they’re taking all the survivors to some place that’s safe,” Maddie said pulling out a piece of paper from her back pocket. “Here I wrote down the address. Hoyt replied that he survived and that he’ll get to her.”
Hoyt. Dammit.
“We have to go to her too,” Maddie said. “Do you know if Hoyt left already?”
“I have no idea,” I said shaking my head. “I didn’t even know this was going on.”
Polly was alive. Or at least there was a chance she was.
“Who else did she email?” I asked.
“No idea. There were other email addresses but the only two I recognized was yours and Hoyt’s,” Maddie said.
I swallowed hard. “I’m not sure how we’ll get to Maine.”
“Me either but we’re going to try, right?” Maddie asked. “We have to get to Aunt Polly. She wants us to go.”
“Those things… they’re contagious. If you get sick,” I said biting my cheek as I looking into Maddie’s eyes. I knew I couldn’t risk losing her.
Maddie shrugged. “It’s not hard to get rid of them. The guys that were holding us shot several of them each day. The masks keep us safe.”
“There are so many things that can go wrong. Shooting them is only temporary,” I said wrapping my arms around my middle.
“She’s your sister,” Maddie said with an edge to her tone. “And my aunt. Besides, there is a safe place we can all go.”
“I don’t know,” I said.
Blake stepped up next to me with a bandage on his shoulder. He pointed at it and smiled.
“Good as new,” Blake said. After a long moment, the smile fell off his face. “I heard what you were talking about.”
Maddie looked him up and down. She didn’t bother to hide her annoyance.
“My mom and I can’t stay,” Maddie said.
Blake nodded. “You’re not held captive here. You’re free to go at any time.”
“Okay,” Maddie said. It seemed as though she didn’t believe him. “We should go then, right mom?”
“We’re not leaving,” I said.
“Good,” Blake said looking into my eyes. He held my gaze. “We could come up with a plan to get to your sister.”
Maddie smiled. Blake had instantly won over my daughter.
“We can’t just head out without a plan and preparing for what’s out there,” Blake said.
Whitney was sitting on the sofa with her legs and arms both crossed. She muttered something I couldn’t quite make out.
“For now, we can rest,” Blake said.
“When can we leave?” Maddie asked.
“When we’re all ready. Mentally and physically,” Blake said cocking his head to the side. “Want to see the room your mom’s been staying in?”
Maddie looked unsure but nodded after I gave her a reassuring smile.
“Okay,” Maddie said covering a yawn.
We’d been gone so long, night was creeping upon us. It wasn’t just Maddie that was tired.
“I’ll make us something to eat,” Dax said from behind us.
Blake gestured for Maddie to follow him. She did but I could see her apprehension. Trust wasn’t something that came easy to either Maddie or me and what she’d gone through had probably only made things worse.
I exhaled and walked over to the window. I looked out between the boards and saw one of the sick pacing back and forth on the front lawn.
It wasn’t until the red-eyed man turned toward Blake’s house, I saw something that made me take a quick step back.
“What is it,” Whitney said placing her hands on my shoulders. I hadn’t even heard her get up. She looked at me with concern. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said swallowing hard. “Maybe getting away from here isn’t a terrible idea.”
“We’re safe here,” Whitney said. “We should wait here and go to your sister when this is all over.”
I chewed the inside of my cheek. It wouldn’t make any difference to Whitney if I told her that my dead husband was pacing on the front lawn as if he were waiting for Maddie and me to come home.
The guys at the city limits had told us how to get rid of the sick once and for all. A sigh escaped from between my lips as I pulled out the knife I’d been carrying.
I twisted it around in my hand as I stared at the boarded-up window as if I could see right through it. I was going to have to tell Maddie what happened to her father sooner rather than later.
“We’re going to Maine,” I said looking into Whitney’s eyes. “We’ll go alone. I won’t put you, Dax, and Blake through any of that again.”
Whitney nodded her appreciation.
“When will you go?” she asked.
“A few days. Maybe a week tops,” I said. “Blake was right about needing to rest and prepare. I won’t take anything that wasn’t already mine with me.”
“Fair enough,” Whitney said. “What car will you take?”
I sucked in a quick breath. “My truck.”
It had been Freddie’s but he wasn’t going to be needing it. Even though it would guzzle through gas, it was newer and better than my old car.
Rest, preparation, and a few other things I’d have to take care of before we could leave but I could do it. Maddie and I could get to Polly. To the safe zone they’d set up in Maine.
There was a chance that help wouldn’t ever come and we’d be stuck at Blake’s house until we ran out of food or water. I wanted to see my sister again. And I had to do whatever I could to keep Maddie safe.
S
taying in Blake’s house with the sick wandering around outside might temporarily keep her safe but how long would that last? I would get her to the camp.
We would see Polly again.
Books By Kellee L. Greene
What Remains Series
Sickness - Book 1
Book 2 Coming Soon!
Red Sky Series
Red Sky - Book 1
Blue Cloud - Book 2
Black Rain - Book 3
White Dust - Book 4
Indigo Ice - Book 5
Yellow Heat - Book 6
Ravaged Land Series (1)
Ravaged Land -Book 1
Finding Home - Book 2
Crashing Down - Book 3
Running Away - Book 4
Escaping Fear - Book 5
Fighting Back - Book 6
Ravaged Land: Divided Series (2)
The Last Disaster - Book 1
The Last Remnants - Book 2
The Last Struggle - Book 3
Ravaged Land: Eventuality Series (3)
The Wall - Book 1
The Outside - Book 2
Falling Darkness Series
Unholy - Book 1
Uprising - Book 2
Hunted - Book 3
The Island Series
The Island - Book 1
The Fight - Book 2
The Escape - Book 3
The Erased - Book 4
From Below Series
Creatures - Book 1
Desolation - Book 2
The Alien Invasion Series
The Landing - Book 1
The Aftermath - Book 2
Destined Realms Series
Destined - Book 1
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Sickness Page 14