“Why don’t you tell them and let them decide?”
“About what?”
“That Chris killed her boss, poisoned that soldier who burgled you or that she pushed me down the stairs.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because they wouldn’t let her stay, and they’d be right not to. But look at Tom. He’s such a sweet—”
“Oh, Anna, come on.”
“Didn’t you see how desperate he looked when he showed us that flyer he’d found? And Chris…she looks tired.”
“You offered to help him. You offered to take him to his friend’s farm. He decided to stay with his mother. As far as I’m concerned, he’s made his bed and—”
“He’s a child.”
“He’s old enough to understand actions have consequences.”
“We’ll know to keep an eye on her.”
“We? This isn’t on me, Anna. This is on you.” Sarah took a deep breath, cracked her knuckles. “After she and Tom had left your flat, you decided it wasn’t safe to stay there. You told me she was dangerous, that she’d come back. You told me that you’d have to sleep with one eye open if we’d stayed.”
“I know.” Anna sucked on her teeth. “Seeing Bob so helpless…we need someone like Chris.”
Sarah stiffened and gestured for Anna to look behind her. Tom was standing by the patio, his dark hair falling into his eyes. “Anna?”
Oreo ran up to Anna and gave her hand a quick lick. She rewarded him with an apple chip, her gaze locked on Tom. “Yes?”
Tom rubbed his neck sheepishly as he approached Anna. He’d grown taller since she’d last seen him. His cheekbones were more prominent, his jaw wider. “I’m sorry for everything that happened.”
“What happened wasn’t your fault, Tom.”
“I know, but I should have stopped her.” He knelt and scratched Oreo’s chest, his fingers disappearing in the white fur. “I’m glad that you and your sister are okay.” He looked up at Anna, running a hand through his hair. “I can vouch for my mum. I’ll keep an eye on her. I promise.” He looked hesitant at first, but now that he’d started talking the words came tumbling forth. “We’ve brought some food and water. We’re willing to work.”
There was a sadness in his eyes, which made him appear a lot older than he was.
Anna glanced at Sarah. “Can you live with Chris after…after what she’s—”
“After she pushed me down the stairs?” Sarah pressed her lips together, her nostrils flaring. “Yes, I can. But as I said, if you want to give her a chance, that’s on you. The others won’t be happy if they find out that you’ve lied to them.”
“I’m not lying,” Anna protested. “I’m…omitting information.”
“She wasn’t well over the summer, but she’s a lot better now. I promise,” Tom interjected.
“You told me she was dangerous,” Anna said softly, watching Tom fuss over Oreo who had settled at his feet.
“I know, but…we need help. Please don’t make us leave again. I can lay traps and hunt. I’ve looked after her alone for the past few weeks. I can help.”
“She is a nurse,” Sarah said with a shrug. “But I’m not sure we can trust her. Does the benefit really outweigh the risk?”
What was the alternative? Anna wanted to scream. “Isn’t it safer to know where Chris is? If we send her away and she…”
“So you’re afraid of her?” Sarah asked.
Anna shook her head. “No. I’m just…” She looked at Tom. “Tell your mother that I will not hesitate the next time she hurts someone. Do you understand? I will pull the trigger.”
Tom nodded slowly. “She won’t hurt anyone. I promise.”
Chris was talking to Luke when Anna walked to the front of the house. She paused, the hairs on her neck rising as she watched the woman grinning up at Luke who was sitting on the lookout platform.
Is this a mistake?
“Chris?” Anna waved her over and extended her hand in an offer of peace.
Chris hesitated, the lines around her mouth crinkling as she pressed her lips together. “Are you sure?”
Anna nodded.
Chris shook her hand, mumbled a quiet thank you.
“I’ll have to talk to the others first.”
“Are you going to tell them…?”
“No. They wouldn’t agree to let you stay if I did.”
Everyone was gathered in the living room by the doors leading to the patio but as soon as Anna entered the house, they pretended to be busy with vitally important tasks, exchanging hushed whispers as if they hadn’t been glued to the window, watching.
“Is Bob sleeping?” Anna asked, pouring herself a cup of tea.
Sue nodded. “It was nice to hear him snoring.”
“Let’s talk about the elephant in the room,” Rachel said. “Look, we’re not stupid. You’re clearly not happy about them staying.”
Sarah entered the house and closed the doors behind her. Anna glanced outside, looking for the back of Luke’s head, but she couldn’t see him from where she was standing.
He would want to talk to her later.
Anna didn’t like it when things got complicated and suddenly felt the need to pack her bags and leave. Move on. Leave everything behind.
Don’t be silly.
Tom was tickling Oreo’s belly; the dog had stretched all four limbs into the air, obviously at ease.
“What’s the matter? Out with it!” Rachel said.
This is on you.
“I met Chris the night of the EMP. Collided with her in front of Tesco late at night. She helped me stock up on supplies. Together, we took everything we needed.” Anna gave a small shrug. “She’s…she’s a nurse. She wouldn’t have been my first choice, but she’s a nurse. We need someone with her medical knowledge. Just look at what happened to Bob.”
“Nurse or not, taking in strangers is a risk,” Graham said.
Everyone knew that Graham had never been in favour of Bob’s flyers.
Anna took a sip of her tea. “You agreed to give us a chance.”
“I wasn’t happy about it, but we needed weapons, and you brought guns with you.”
“We need a doctor or a nurse,” Sarah said.
Graham scowled. “Everything is empty. People are getting desperate. They’d easily kill for food.”
“Safety in numbers,” Sue interjected.
“Trying to help people isn’t safe. Your vegetable garden can only feed so many.”
“Bob can take the boy hunting. There are plenty of animals out there.”
“You know my thoughts on the matter.” Graham sat down on the sofa. “But I’m clearly outvoted.”
“I suppose,” Sarah said. “You’re against taking in anyone, no matter who, and I’m assuming Rose would vote with you. Bob is in favour. Sue and Rachel are with Bob, but Anna and I aren’t happy about letting Chris stay. If Luke is in favour as well, well…it is Bob’s settlement.”
“But why aren’t you happy about letting Chris stay?” Frustration laced Rachel’s voice. “You just said she’s a nurse. She fixed Bob’s shoulder. Someone with her knowledge will be a great help in case any of us get ill. So why aren’t you happy about letting her stay?”
“She…” Anna blew out her cheeks. How was she going to explain her hesitation?
“If a stranger approaches and Chris feels threatened, she will kill before asking questions,” Sarah said.
Anna froze. Where was Sarah going with this?
“Isn’t that what we want?” Sue asked. “People who will defend us. Someone we can trust? Especially now that Neil is back.”
“Maybe,” Sarah said. Anna gave her a sharp look, but her sister carried on talking. “Anna’s flat in Harlow got burgled by an armed soldier while Chris was there by herself with Tom. He forced her at gunpoint to hand over their food to him, but she managed to convince him to only take half. She was afraid of him coming back for the rest, so she put rat poison in the cereal he took.”
Anna winced. “She shouldn’t have done that."
“She was being robbed at gunpoint,” Rachel said. “I would have done the same.”
Graham nodded. “I don’t disagree.”
Anna was waiting for Sarah to tell them about Chris’ manager or that she’d tied Anna to a chair and threatened her with a knife, but Sarah just shrugged. She’d explained her sister’s hesitation with the one event that the group wouldn’t object to.
“Is there anything we need to know about the boy?” Rose asked.
Anna shook her head. “Tom is great. Believe me. He’d be an excellent addition. Hard worker. Honest. Does as he’s told.”
Rose took Graham’s hand in hers. “Honey, she’s a nurse.”
“I know she’s a nurse.” Flustered, he asked, “Where would they stay?”
Sarah jerked her thumb in the direction of the road. “Isn’t it time we moved into the empty houses?”
“If we spread out, it’ll be harder to keep everyone safe,” Sue objected. “Besides, I’d like to keep an eye on them at first. We still have plenty of space.”
“I wouldn’t mind sharing a room again,” Sarah said to Anna. “Chris and Tom could move into Graham and Rose’s spare room, and Graham can keep an eye on them.”
Anna nodded. Relief flooded through her. As long as Sarah was with her, Luke wouldn’t try to talk to her. “I don’t mind sharing a room.”
“Fine,” Graham grunted.
If something happens it’s on you, Sarah had said.
Anna closed her eyes and hoped that she hadn’t made a mistake.
10
An awkward tension had settled over the living room. Chris stood behind the sofa, one hand squeezing Tom’s shoulder for support, and focused as Sue introduced everyone, fervently trying to memorise their names.
“These are Rose and her husband Graham. You’ll be staying with them.”
Overwhelmed, Chris gritted her teeth against a wave of light-headedness. She’d made an impression by fixing Bob’s shoulder, but Anna…Anna would be watching her every move.
“Mum?”
“I’m fine.” Chris turned her attention to the couple standing next to her. Graham was studying her with narrowed eyes, his grey hair cropped short. Rose stood a step behind her husband, one hand on the small of his back. Black curls framed her round face, greying at the front. “Pleased to meet you,” Chris said.
Graham didn’t look pleased, but he forced himself to smile.
“Thank you for taking us in,” Tom said.
Chris let go of his shoulder. They should be thanking her, she thought, only to remember that she needed them more than she liked to admit. She swallowed her bitter comment.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Rose stuck out her hand.
“Thank you.” Chris shook Rose’s hand. “This is my son, Tom.”
Tom had settled on the sofa and was absentmindedly stroking Oreo while listening to the introductions being made around him. He looked up at her, a small smile playing on his lips, and Chris allowed herself to hope.
Don’t fool yourself. You’re not welcome here. This time it was her own voice chiding her, but Chris chose to ignore it. She could do this. Seeing the relief on Tom’s face was worth facing Anna and Sarah’s scrutiny.
I can do this.
Looking up, she noticed that everyone was staring at her. She cleared her throat and wrapped her arms around herself, her gaze darting to Tom for help.
She wanted to yell, I’m not dangerous! I promise. But that would only make matters worse.
Finally, Sue broke the silence. “We’re so grateful you’re here.” She took off her glasses and started cleaning them. “I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but we’re a friendly bunch. We’re just…”
“Cautious?” Chris shrugged. “I get it. I would be, too.”
“Right.” Sue put her glasses back on. “Dinner is in an hour. We usually eat in the garden.”
“I’ll show you to the guest room.” Rose gestured for Chris to follow her. “Our house is down the road.”
Tom gave Oreo a final pat and got to his feet, shouldering his backpack. Chris bent over to pick up hers, but he shook his head at her. “I’ll get yours later.”
Once outside in the warm afternoon sun, they walked along a cobbled path that led them through the makeshift gate in the hedge and past a bungalow. Chris slowed, but Rose gestured for her to keep going. “That’s Luke’s house. Anna and Sarah are staying with him.”
They continued along the path until Rose paused in front of a large house. Unlocking the door, she gestured for Chris and Tom to enter.
“Where are you from?” Rose asked.
“Harlow.”
“Did you walk all this way?”
Tom nodded. “We stayed in Hatfield Forest for a few weeks.”
The inside of the house was as vast as Chris had assumed it would be. Pristine clean cream-coloured carpet lined the length of the hallway, at the end of which an open door offered a glimpse of a stove and a large, American-style fridge. The two other doors leading off the hallway were closed, but Chris imagined each room was equally large and lavishly decorated.
She’d dealt with rich people before, but she was impressed by how successfully Rose had kept her carpets clean in a world without vacuum-cleaners and carpet steamers.
Tom lingered near the bottom of the stairwell, one hand gripping his backpack, the other on the elaborate wooden handrail.
Rose headed upstairs. “Our guest room is right here.”
Chris followed Tom and her new host. Bright sunlight streamed through the upstairs windows.
“Bathroom is through here.” Rose opened the first door to the left. “Give us a shout when the bucket needs filling up, and I’ll show you where we collect the rainwater.”
Tom peeked inside the room, but Chris kept her attention on the other woman. Rose closed the second door as she passed it. “That’s our bedroom. You’re through here.”
She pushed open a third door and stepped back, allowing Chris and Tom to enter. “Sarah stayed in here until today. She’s moved back in with Anna.”
Chris narrowed her eyes. She didn’t want to be a bother. “That wasn’t necessary.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
At Rose’s encouraging nod, Chris walked into the room. Despite Rose calling it a guest room, it was enormous. Bigger even than her own bedroom back home.
This would be the first time she’d sleep in a proper bed since…since Lester.
Chris inhaled sharply. A large double bed dominated the middle of the room with an oak wardrobe next to it. Aside from a painting depicting the White Cliffs of Dover hanging above the bed, the walls were bare.
The sound of the front door opening could be heard upstairs. “Rose?”
“I’ll be right down, Graham,” Rose called out, then turned to Chris. “I’ll leave you to unpack and make yourselves comfortable.”
“I’ll go and get your bag, Mum,” Tom said. “You should take off your shoes. There are plasters in my bag.”
“Thank you.” Chris waited until she was alone and closed the door behind her son. She closed her eyes, exhaled. She was determined to make this work.
For Tom’s sake.
She sat down on the bed and took off her shoes and socks, revealing several burst blisters, the surrounding skin swollen and red. Digging through Tom’s backpack, she found a small Tupperware container filled with first-aid supplies.
After taking care of her feet, she pushed Tom’s bag to the far wall, away from the door, and began to sort through their supplies. There wasn’t much left, but she organised them into separate stacks. It was mostly tinned food, but there were a few bottles of water and some medication, mainly painkillers.
She happened upon his broken laptop and smiled. He hadn’t given up on technology just yet.
A knock at the door distracted her from her musings, and Sarah’s voice drifted through it. “Chris?”
With h
er heart in her throat, Chris asked her to come in. Had Sarah come to threaten her? Taking a deep breath, she braced herself.
The woman opened the door and looked down at the small piles of supplies littering the floor. “Do you have a minute to talk about chores? Everyone has their responsibilities in this community. I usually make a schedule for the entire week.”
Chris nodded, relieved. “I’m sorry about the mess.”
“That’s what you’re sorry for?” Sarah pursed her lips.
“I got it all wrong, you know?” Chris said quietly, gathering up all her courage. She had to have this conversation sooner or later. “I panicked. I should have opened the door for you, invited you in, but…” She trailed off, chewing on her bottom lip.
Sarah wrinkled her nose. “But?”
“Tom almost died getting extra tins of food from the Poundland warehouse. The soldiers there shot at him, and all I could think about was how hard it was to find food. How much harder it was going to get. And then that soldier robbed us. I’d counted the remaining food parcels, knowing exactly how much Tom eats, and I…I panicked. I shouldn’t have, but I did.” Chris met Sarah’s gaze, unblinking. “I’m sorry.”
Sarah scowled. “You threw me down the stairs, tied up my sister and threatened her with a knife. What are you going to do next?”
“I never meant to hurt anyone.”
“But you did, and I don’t trust you.”
“I understand but—”
“You’ve killed, haven’t you? And not just that soldier, but also your boss. Anna told me everything.”
“I was protecting my son. Isn’t a mother allowed to do that?”
Sarah scoffed. “What about Lester?”
Chris inhaled deeply. “I know I’ve killed to protect my son, and I’ve killed to protect myself. My husband was neither a danger to me nor to my son. I didn’t hurt him. I could never. I loved him too much.”
“But—”
Chris forced herself to speak before she lost her courage. “Tom wasn’t lying about how he found me. My hands caked in dried blood.” She hesitated, studied Sarah’s face, but she couldn’t read her expression. “I don’t remember that day.”
“Did you pass out?”
“I don’t know.” Chris shrugged. “Lester was already dead when I found him, and I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t cope. I kept thinking this can’t be happening. This can’t be real. How am I supposed to survive and protect Tom without Lester’s help?” She sniffled and Sarah handed her a tissue. Dabbing at her eyes, she continued, “I’d told Lester…I’d told him that we’d be better off without him, and I just knew…if Tom…if Tom ever found out—"
Darkness Ahead of Us | Book 3 | Darkness Lifting Page 10