Darkness Ahead of Us | Book 3 | Darkness Lifting

by Spencer, Leif

  Anna nodded. “That’s right.”

  He put down the knife and rubbed his free hand on his thigh. “What you told us before about her killing that soldier? She was protecting herself and her son. But she tried to kill you and Sarah? Has killed so many people since? And those pills she’s taking…what happens when they run out?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You should have told me.”

  “I didn’t know about Maggie, about the pills, and we needed a nurse.”

  “You knew she had tried to kill you and Sarah. You knew she was a threat to my family.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry.” Anna lowered her head. “I’ve found out something else too.”

  Bob’s stare hardened.

  “Chris thinks she saw Graham taking supplies across the road. She came to me, and we spoke to Graham, but he denied it. Suggested she might have confused him with Neil.”

  “On Graham’s property?” Bob frowned. “I hope not.” He ran a hand through his dark hair and shook his head. “Dinner is ready in a bit. Everyone will be there. We can discuss this while eating.”

  Anna fiddled with her hair, stared at her shoes. “Everyone? You’re going to tell them with her right there?”

  “Chris has a right to defend herself.”

  Anna remembered the last time Chris had felt cornered and winced. “Tom trusted me. I don’t want her to be angry with him for talking to me.”

  “Tom will be fine. No more secrets. We need to sort this out before the new family joins us here.” The expression on his face let her know that Chris’ presence wasn’t up for discussion. “If I were you, I’d tell Luke about all of this before dinner. I think he should hear it from you.” Anna sighed. Bob reached for her hand and squeezed it. “It’ll be okay. I know you were trying to do the right thing.”

  “Thank you,” she mumbled, but she knew it wouldn’t be all right. It was a lie, just like when she’d said the same thing to Tom.

  16

  Chris blinked, attempting to focus.

  The world was a blur. There was a high-pitched ringing in her ears and a low hum filled her mind.

  A voice cut through the noise. It was quiet. Distorted. A crackling sound.

  Chris squinted, tilted her head. A coffee table came into focus. The rug underneath her feet looked familiar.

  The cottage. She was inside Bob and Sue’s cottage.

  You need to focus, Lester’s voice said gently.

  “I’m sorry. She’s not well.” Tom’s voice. Thick with tears.

  Chris turned her head to look at him. He was sitting next to her on the sofa, his hands gripping the fabric of his trousers like a security blanket. His dark hair was down to his shoulders. His eyes were bright with tears, filled with…resignation.

  Tom had given up on her. Had betrayed her.

  He’d told Anna about Maggie.

  Staring at the coffee table in front of her, Chris’ cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anger.

  She should have known this would happen.

  For the second time that day, Bob had asked everyone to gather round—this time inside his sitting room. He’d instructed Luke to abandon his watch and join them.

  They’d left Oreo outside to guard the area. Chris could see his tail wagging in the distance as he trotted along the fence.

  One day, they’d regret being so lax about security.

  Bob had told them everything—most of it had been accurate. An eerie silence had fallen over the group as he recounted Chris’ past actions. Now, everyone was looking at her, their expressions fixed and cold.

  Pressure built inside her chest. She dug her fingers into a sofa cushion, imagined her hands closing around Graham’s throat.

  Tom’s betrayal stung, but Graham had called her a—

  You are a liar! Maggie’s voice.

  Chris ignored her, focused on Graham instead. He was the reason everyone was here, fixing her with a damning stare.

  He was sitting next to Rose by the doors to the patio. Blocking her exit. He wore a smug expression on his face, one hand on his wife’s knee. With his smooth chin lifted in defiance and his slick grey hair combed back, he looked more imposing than ever.

  Chris’ eyes drifted to Anna and Sarah. They were standing by the breakfast bar. Sarah had her hand on the small of Anna’s back. Luke stood on Anna’s other side.

  Bob sat in his armchair, Sue on the armrest next to him. His brown hair was a tousled mess. He kept scratching his chin, his gaze flicking to his wife for support. “I’m not saying you don’t have a right to defend yourself, Chris. We do understand that in a situation like this…with dwindling supplies…sometimes it’s necessary to kill, but…” His voice trailed off as if he didn’t know what else to say.

  Sue made a noise that suggested she didn’t necessarily agree with his statement, and Rachel gave her sister a small nod.

  Mike. John. The strangers by the river. Even Anna. It had all been self-defence.

  Chris bristled. “What are you saying? That you don’t want me here because I am willing to kill to defend myself? Don’t you want me to defend this community?”

  Bob nodded slowly. “We do want that but—” He inhaled deeply. Sue squeezed his shoulder. “You’re accusing one of us of lying, of tampering with supplies. You’re taking pills to function. We don’t know if you’re lying or if you think you saw something. We don’t know what’ll happen once you run out of pills…” He shrugged helplessly and looked around the room. “Does anyone else want to say anything?”

  Luke opened his mouth, but Chris didn’t give him a chance to speak. Turning her attention to Anna she said, “You know me. You know I wouldn’t lie.” Chris hated that she couldn’t keep her voice from shaking.

  Anna didn’t reply, shifting uneasily instead.

  Coward!

  “And you—” Chris turned to Tom—“I asked you for a chance to prove myself and…” Her voice cracked and she fell silent.

  “I’m sorry,” Tom whispered.

  Sarah reached out and gave Tom’s shoulder a squeeze.

  How dare she—

  That’s your job, Lester’s voice interrupted her. Your job is to protect him. So protect him. You know what you saw.

  Chris straightened and squared her jaw. She let her gaze wander from one person to the next, sparing each of them but a fleeting glance before lingering on Graham for a long moment. “What do you want from me? Do you want me to leave because I’ve killed to protect my son?”

  “No one has said anything about leaving yet,” Bob protested.

  “I clearly make you uncomfortable.”

  “I do think that you need to leave,” Sue said in a firm voice. “You’re not only unpredictable but unstable.”

  “I’m a nurse,” Chris said softly. “I can help.”

  “I can’t trust you. I’m sorry.”

  “What about him?” Chris pointed her finger at Graham. “He’s the one hiding something. He’s lying to all of you. At least I’m honest. Yes, I will kill to protect my family but—”

  “Maggie wasn’t a threat to your family,” Sue pointed out. She adjusted her glasses, holding Chris’ gaze.

  Chris realised that she liked Bob and Sue the most. They were honest and kind with no hidden agendas. She remembered Tom’s words about Maggie: Why didn’t you just come back and explain the situation? Tony would have understood.

  So she decided to explain herself. “I made a mistake with Maggie. I’ve admitted that to Tom. I acted without thinking, and I shouldn’t have. I promised him then it wouldn’t happen again. And I’ve kept my word.”

  “You say that,” Rachel said. “But your solution to a problem is to…kill the problem.”

  “So was Anna’s? Doesn’t it count that she tried to poison me?”

  Heads whipped around, staring at Anna. She blushed, fumbled with the zip of her jacket. “I didn’t know what else to do. If I’d kicked you out, you would have come back to take my supplies. It’s what Graha
m always warns us about, isn’t it? You had lied to me about my sister. I knew you’d hurt her. I didn’t know if she was alive. I didn’t know if you were going to hurt me next.”

  “Anna acted in self-defence. She felt threatened in her own home,” Luke said, his voice devoid of emotion. “You’ve killed repeatedly. Your manager had a broken taser, and you stabbed him with a knife. That stranger at the river? You tied him up, then bashed his head in with a cricket bat. And then Maggie…that’s not self-defence. That’s a pattern.” He turned to Bob. “However, Anna is right. Chris knows too much about this settlement. If we let her leave, there is nothing to say she won’t come back and steal from us or worse.”

  “You promised you wouldn’t let them hurt my mum,” Tom said, looking at Anna.

  Tears laced his voice, and Chris sneered. “Do you still think Tony would have understood?”

  “No one’s said anything about hurting her,” Anna said.

  Luke shook his head. “Tom understands perfectly well what I meant. We can’t let her leave, but she can’t stay here either…”

  Her heart skipped a beat. Luke was talking about putting her down like a rabid dog. She swallowed. “I said I’d made a mistake. Haven’t you ever made a mistake, Luke?”

  “Not one where several people died. No.”

  “I agree with Luke,” Graham said.

  Chris scoffed. “That’s rich coming from you. You’re lying to all of us. And no one even cares.”

  “How dare you?” Rose placed a hand on Graham’s arm, glaring at Chris. “My husband is an honest man.”

  Graham shook his head and chuckled. “I told you taking in new people would bring nothing but trouble. Chris is obviously hurt and confused.”

  “Prove it!” Chris spat.

  “Excuse me?”

  Chris turned to Bob. She knew what she’d seen. Graham was lying. “Have him show you the supplies. If I’m wrong, I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “Mum…”

  Bob pressed his lips together, looked at Graham. “Would you…”

  “You’ve got to be joking!”

  “I’m sorry to ask this of you but…”

  “After everything we’ve been through together, you’re doubting my word? Because of this…sociopath?” Graham stood up and shrugged. “Fine. I have nothing to hide. We can do this right now if you want.”

  Chris couldn’t wait to wipe the smug grin off his face.

  Without hesitating, he opened the patio doors, stepped outside and trudged along the cobbled path.

  Chris frowned. She’d expected him to try and stall them. Why wasn’t he worried? Was she mistaken after all? Dizziness overcame her as they headed to Graham and Rose’s house.

  No one was on her side. No one believed her. She swayed and Tom offered her his arm.

  “Someone needs to be on watch,” Bob pointed out.

  “I’ll do it” Sarah said. “Keep me updated.”

  Bob gave her a thumbs-up, then followed Rose and Graham.

  Doubts were eating away at Chris as they got closer and closer to the house. What if she was wrong? She’d left her pepper spray on the bedside table. She was outnumbered.

  What if they killed her?

  You know what you saw. Lester’s voice. She held onto those words, her grip tightening on Tom’s arm.

  Graham gestured for everyone to enter the house where they gathered in the entrance hall. He pushed past them, pulling a key from his pocket as he approached the locked office. “See for yourself.”

  He unlocked the door and pushed it open. The scent of potatoes and onions came wafting from the room. A wall of crates stood next to the doorway.

  Graham retrieved a notebook from one of the crates and threw it in Bob’s direction. “That’s the inventory.”

  Chris looked inside. Although the room was dark, aside from a narrow beam of sunlight filtering in through the blinds, she could see that the entire room was filled with crates.

  Graham shoved her to the side and pulled out the first crate, a handwritten note stuck to its side. “Potatoes.” He showed the contents to everyone, before replacing the crate.

  Pulling out another one he spat, “Bottled water.” He used his foot to push it back to its original position, then reached for another one further up. “Fermented cabbage and rabbit terrine.”

  He turned to Bob and scowled. “Do you need to see more? Do I have to count every single potato?” He huffed and pulled on another crate. “Tinned tuna and baked beans.”

  Bob raised his hands in an attempt to placate Graham. “No, you don’t have to do that. I’m sorry I made you prove yourself…I didn’t doubt you, I just”—he jerked his chin in Chris’ direction—”she had to see for herself.”

  “I understand.” Graham shrugged. “I would appreciate it if people started listening to my concerns.”

  Bob nodded. “That’s a fair point.” He turned to Chris.

  She froze. She knew what was about to happen. It was the same look Tony had given her.

  “Accusations like this weaken a community. It doesn’t matter if you made it up or—”

  “I didn’t.”

  “As I said, it doesn’t matter. After everything you’ve done, I can’t let you stay here.”

  Her simmering frustration was coming up to the boil, and she scowled. “Why would I make this up? That makes no sense.” Her question was met by two equally deadpan stares from Tom and Anna. Fear fluttered in her stomach at the sight. Tom no longer believed her. Graham had taken supplies across the road. He’d come back empty-handed. That had to be it. “The houses across the street! Check them! I bet you’ll find—"

  “Shut up,” Sue said, taking a step forward. “We’ve heard enough from you.”

  Bob shook his head. “I agree with everyone else. You’re a liability. You’re unstable, and I can’t let you stay in this settlement.

  “She can’t just leave,” Luke protested. “What if she comes back? She knows how this settlement is run. She knows how we guard—”

  “We can’t lock her up,” Bob said. “And I’m not killing anyone.”

  “She won’t come back,” Tom said to Luke. “I’ll make sure of that.”

  Fear coursed through her. “And what about Tom? You said that you didn’t want those little girls spending winter outside. He’s just a child. This isn’t his fault.”

  Bob put a hand on Tom’s shoulder. “Tom has a place here.”

  “I can’t. She needs me,” Tom protested.

  Anna took a step towards him. “You told me you were scared of her. You constantly worry about her, about what she will do next. Stay with us.”

  Another betrayal. Had she really imagined the whole thing? There was a glint of hope in Tom’s eyes at Anna’s words. Chris could see that he longed to stay, longed for a permanent home.

  He’d be safe here.

  Deflated, she bowed her head. There was nothing she could do.

  She’d been wrong. Graham had just proved it. There wasn’t any doubt on their faces. They all believed her to be a maniac or a liar. Or both.

  “If Tom stays, she’s definitely going to come back,” Luke protested.

  Tom shook his head, then lifted his chin. “She won’t be coming back. I’m going with her.”

  “Why don’t you sleep on it?” Bob glanced out of the window at the end of the hallway and watched the remaining daylight slowly disappearing. “It’s late. Luke and I will be meeting Henry tomorrow. Chris, you’ll be coming with us. But you won’t be returning.”

  “Is she staying in the guest room tonight?” Rose asked quietly.

  “Don’t worry,” Graham replied. “We’ll lock her in.”

  Bob squeezed Tom’s shoulder “You can stay on the sofa in our cottage. I know this must be tough for you.”

  They were going to turn her own son against her. Chris grabbed his hand, looked at him. “Tom, you have to believe me—”

  “I won’t leave you, Mum. I promise.”

  Chris st
ood by the bedroom window when the key was turned in the lock. Footsteps echoed downstairs, then disappeared as the front door clicked shut.

  Silence fell over the house.

  They’d locked the window too. She could shatter it, of course, but even if it was open, it was too high up, and she’d risk breaking a leg if she jumped.

  What if Bob succeeded in turning Tom against her? What if her son abandoned her like an unwanted puppy?

  He would be safe here.

  Chris nodded slowly. Still, she didn’t want him to remember her like that. Everything she’d done, she’d done for him. She’d even told him that one day he would understand.

  And now he’d remember her as a liar.

  No. She wouldn’t let that happen.

  Graham was hiding something. She’d stake Tom’s life on it.

  She stared out of the window into the looming darkness. She couldn’t see the oak tree from where she was sitting, but she knew Anna would be on watch by now.

  The shadows lengthened, and Chris stayed where she was. She refused to pack. Refused to sleep. By the time it was pitch dark outside, she’d made up her mind.

  Graham and Rose were on patrol.

  She went to the door, pressed her ear against it and listened.

  Everything was quiet. The house was empty.

  She had one night to prove that she hadn’t been lying. If they still wanted her to leave afterwards, so be it, but Tom had to know that she’d done everything right this time around.

  Like she had promised him.

  He needed to know that she’d listened to him. Had trusted him.

  Grabbing her pepper spray and torch from the bedside table, she stuffed them into the pocket of her hoodie.

  Breaking open the door was an option, but Chris was afraid the noise would alert the others to what she was doing. Letting her eyes drift across the room, she spotted Tom’s screwdriver. He’d been using it to tinker with his laptop.

  She retrieved it and unscrewed the lock, then tiptoed downstairs. The hallway was only barely visible. She paused at the bottom of the stairs and tilted her head, listening.