Anna watched them go through the S-shaped boundary and then she heard the loud unlocking of the heavy door. Her hands shook and she crossed her fingers in the dim light.
God, please don’t let there be anything bad outside that door.
She heard it yanked open and the wait seemed endless. She heard their footsteps as they ascended the stairs, then nothing.
“Clear!” came Jared’s muffled, somewhat faint voice. She smiled.
“All clear!” Fletch yelled a moment later.
She got up and crept closer to the door, mindful of Stewart nearby. She looked through and saw the faintest illumination coming down the steps. It couldn’t be sunlight, could it? She checked the clock. Perhaps it could. It would be dawn.
Sunlight. She almost forgot how wonderful it was. The warmth, the brightness, the freedom to move around, knowing when it was day and night just by looking…she had missed it all. She felt—they all felt—like prisoners here. Worse than prisoners.
She heard a muffled purring sound and jumped, turning quickly around. Her hand clasped her chest and her eyes widened in the dark.
Stewart was staring at her, his strange eyes…not wrathful? She leaned closer and watched his mouth working, open and closed, open and closed. His teeth bared, but not snapping. The rumbling from his chest grew. His shoulders twitched as much as the bonds would allow.
“Anna…,” Bradley warned.
“Stewart?” she said softly.
His mouth opened and remained open. The muscles of his throat moved, and his tongue rolled in his mouth.
Was he trying to communicate?
“Stewart! Can you understand what I’m saying?” she asked, getting a little closer though still mindful of the danger. She stopped just short of his range as he moved his throat and mouth in that eerie way.
“I think he’s trying to talk!” she told Bradley, shocked and excited.
“Anna, get back!” a man yelled and roughly jerked her back. Stewart snapped his mouth furiously and growled loudly in the underground room.
“Jared! What are you doing?! I think he was trying to talk!” she yelled, still scared by the sudden movement and his roughness.
“Are you fucking crazy? He’s one of them now!” Jared yelled, pointing to the outside world.
“He wasn’t doing anything. He was just sitting there! Bradley, tell him!” she said, looking over at Bradley. He looked uncertain.
“Anna…I don’t know what he was doing. Maybe he was. I’d like to believe it, but Jared’s right. We can’t be fooled just because we liked him. He was my best friend and I want more than anything for him to be okay, but we can’t pretend something that isn’t true.”
“We’ll watch him then. Just watch and see!” she told Jared.
Stewart seemed to be worked up again, and she didn’t think going any closer right now was wise, but she wouldn’t give up.
Jared took her arm and pulled her behind the large wall of rice buckets, near where the bathroom door was. It was the most private place in the basement, besides the actual bathroom. She was almost certain he was about to chew her out.
He didn’t.
He put his hands on either side of her face and smashed his lips against hers. She was surprised and froze for a minute. The way he moved his mouth, and the way he claimed hers was dizzying and she forgot about everything else. It could wait.
He was rougher and more demanding than he’d ever been with her before, and she was a little embarrassed to admit that she liked it. His beard scraped her face, and his fingers were strong on her neck and cheeks. He was taking what he wanted from her. It was like one of the romance novels she had hidden in her desk at work that Jared used to tease her about.
No. It was better.
He finally pulled his lips away and rested his forehead against hers. His hair, long and loose, brushed her cheeks. He was breathing heavily, and she felt the tiniest bit powerful that she caused a man like him to be so worked up. She rested her hands on his chest.
“What was that for?” she whispered.
“You scared me, Anna. You scared the hell out of me. You are mine, and I don’t want anything to happen to you,” he whispered back fiercely. “God, I need to get you alone!”
She felt a frisson of excitement in her stomach and her hands trembled. She played with the long ends of his hair. It had grown like crazy, and she found that she really liked it.
“You make me feel so fucking alive,” he growled in her ear.
“You too,” she said. “I want to be alone with you.”
He groaned and kissed her again, not as long this time because they heard voices getting closer. She made a pouty face at him, and he tweaked her lip and grinned. It looked just like his old smile, and she felt her heart flutter. There was the man she had fallen in love with…but she liked this new Jared too.
Chapter Five
Topside
Jared
He pulled away from Anna and firmly banned himself from grabbing her again for at least twenty minutes. He felt like he was just waking up after a long sleep…literally and figuratively, and he adjusted himself before stepping back around the barrier and following her.
What the hell had gotten into him? He had never been so forceful with her, or any woman before, and he was lucky he didn’t get his face slapped. He was lucky she seemed to like it. He wiped the grin that was trying to emerge from his face. With Stewart and everything, it wasn’t the time to be smiling like a fool.
Hank and Violet were back, and he was anxious to hear what they had to say.
“Well, it seems we escaped the worst of it,” Hank said. “I made contact with the fella you told me about. He said there were some spotty reports on the citizen bands that nukes were used in some areas, but they couldn’t confirm it. Harry said there was a lot of interference. What contact he did manage to make said the fallout was limited and drifted further to our north.”
“What about Nashville?” Enid asked quickly.
“They didn’t say, I’m sorry,” Hank said quietly. “Harry did say that Jimmy Don Booth was galivanting around town with a Geiger Counter. He said it was clear enough.”
“Clear enough?” Jared asked. “Does that mean clear-clear, or slightly-clear, or I’m-going-to-get-cancer-in-a-few-years clear, or I’m-going-to-grow-another-head-and-gills clear?”
“He said clear enough. I imagine if he was running around out there then it would be fine…” Hank trailed off.
“Have you met Jimmy Don Booth?” Jared said skeptically.
“That old Jimmy Don is a good boy. He used to deliver the newspapers. Course he had the worst aim…and I never did hold that bomb stunt against him…,” Violet said randomly.
“Bomb stunt?” Anna asked, looking at Jared.
“Oh, my yes! It must have been a good fifty years ago now. He was just a kid, you know, and back then they used to just leave that stuff lying around. He always did have a hankering for the fireworks. Nobody was hurt too bad. They found all the parts…I think I’m going to take a nap now. That little trip just wore me plumb out!”
She went to sleep before Jared could get any more details about the incident.
“This day is just freaking strange,” Jared said to the room at large.
No replies.
“I’m going outside.”
◆◆◆
Going outside in the morning sun was like coming up for air after being underwater for a long time. It was invigorating and refreshing, and also uncomfortably like standing in a massive x-ray machine. He didn’t feel comfortable staying out there for long until he talked to Harry or Jimmy Don Booth himself.
Anna and the others joined him, carefully skirting suspicious puddles of liquid. Some kind of residue lingered on the vehicles and the sides of his house, and he had the horrible feeling that it once used to be people. He was careful not to touch it.
Juan and Maria made the boys stay inside the garage, though he lifted the large door so they could get so
me sunlight as well. It was probably safer that way, at least until they knew more. He hadn’t forgotten about the threat from other areas, like the mutants. He hoped they would have time to regroup after this fallout thing before they had to worry about those damned creatures.
And Stewart…he didn’t know what to do about him. It seemed impossible to think that he could recover from changing. He didn’t think there was any going back from that.
Then again, he never would have thought people would be changing into ragey freaks in the first place, so there was always that.
He watched Anna tilt her face up to the sun and he had the oddest feeling that he had done this before. A sense of déjà vu, but more somehow…the feeling slipped away before he could latch on to it and study it.
“Okay, that’s enough now,” he said, ushering them back inside where they took off their shoes.
“But I wasn’t done!” Anna said.
“Yeah, well, I like you with all of your hair and non-damaged cells.”
She raised her eyebrow but did as he asked. He didn’t think any of them were too comfortable outside yet anyway.
◆◆◆
They decided, almost unanimously, that they would stay in the basement for another couple of weeks and only go outside for short periods. Alejandro was upset that Jared vetoed his sleeping in a treehouse thing, but he’d have to get over it.
They didn’t discuss Stewart. Nobody had a solution to that yet.
He waited until they were busy playing cards and doing other things, then he went to sit next to Bradley. Bradley was reading some kind of Army field manual aloud to him.
Kind of weird, but whatever.
“Hey, man. How’s he doing?”
“I think he’s listening. He hasn’t been violent since that last time,” Bradley said.
“Probably because you’re boring him into submission with that…Ordinance Operations manual.”
“He loves this shit. We’re going over Airborne and Air Assault Operations next.”
“Wow, exciting. Where do I sign up?” Jared said.
“I’ll fucking show you where to sign up,” Bradley muttered.
“So, you really think he’s listening?” Jared asked.
He scooted closer to Stewart and pulled a chair over. He looked at Stew’s creepy as fuck eyes and hid a shiver. It was like being a foot away from a pit viper and daring it not to strike you in the face. Aside from the mutants, and maybe the ICBM’s, it was the single most unsettling thing he’d ever faced. Top five for sure.
“Stewart, do you know who I am?” he asked, leaning in and trying to make eye contact.
Stewart bared his teeth in an unsmiling grimace and Jared heard the rolling rumble of noise deep in his chest. He started to back away when Stewart opened his mouth.
“Ahhhhh ahhhhh.”
“Was that a yes?” Jared asked, glancing at Bradley quickly.
Stewart’s head jerked sharply, but the movement seemed involuntary and non-threatening. His fingers twitched restlessly and the scrabbling, scratching sound on the cloth of his pants gave Jared goosebumps.
Maybe Anna was right.
“James, do you know me?” Bradley asked, clearly and calmly.
Jared watch, almost riveted by the thing— Stewart’s appearance.
“Do you see that?” Bradley shouted, and pointed down to Stewart’s thigh where his hand was bound.
Jared’s mouth dropped open. “Holy shit!”
“¡Jared, blasfemia!” Maria said.
“Sorry,” he said absently, not taking his eyes from Stewart’s hand.
“He understands!” Bradley yelled, and jumped up.
He went to clap Stewart on the back and Stewart lunged and snapped at his arm. Bradley leapt back and cringed. “Sorry man,” he said awkwardly to Stewart.
“Guess he doesn’t want to be touched,” Jared commented dryly.
“What did he do? How do you know?” Anna said.
“He gave me the OK sign. We use it in the field sometimes,” Bradley said. His enthusiasm didn’t seem to diminish even after Stewart tried to rip his arm off.
“Man, I think he called you an asshole,” Jared confided in a low voice.
Bradley shoved him and shook his head. “No, he knew I’d understand.” He turned back to Stewart, “Isn’t that right, buddy?”
Stewart chomped his teeth rapidly then stopped, jerking occasionally.
“He’s a heck of a communicator,” Jared commented.
“Jared! Be nice! This is a good sign!” Anna chided him.
“Maybe we can tame him, like Tomás?” Alejandro said.
“Who is Tomás?” Jared asked.
“Our old three-legged cat. He got hit by a car,” Juan said.
Jared had a vision of Stewart wearing a collar with a little bell and cat dish. He’d have to have a bell because it would be creepy as fuck to be surprised by Stewart wrapping himself around his ankles when he least expected it.
He shook off that disturbing thought and considered his use of the hand symbol. He thought it was a good sign too, but he didn’t want them to get their hopes up. There was really no way of telling what was really going on in Stewart’s brain right now, if anything.
“What if it’s a trick?” he said. He felt bad about potentially ruining their hopes, but it had to be said. “What if he’s being controlled somehow? Like they are tricking us so we’ll turn him loose?”
Nobody said anything to that, but he knew they were thinking about it.
“Come on, breakfast is ready,” Maria called over. She didn’t seem thrilled about it all.
“Can I feed Stewart?” Alejandro asked.
Jared squinted at Anna in disbelief. “Get a load of this kid,” he said, jerking his thumb over at him. “Fearless.”
“Maybe he does need something? Water, or food, or something?” Anna asked, biting her lip.
“You want me to go find a freaking live squirrel or something?” Jared asked her skeptically.
“We’re going to need a really long fork,” Carlos said from the table.
“Maybe we ought to toss some vitamins in his mouth or something?” Hank suggested, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
“Vitamins?” Anna asked.
“Or maybe an IV?” Bradley said. “Stewart, you want an IV?” he asked.
They looked at Stewart. He was licking his lips and it wasn’t the most pleasant, or coordinated, sight.
“He’s thirsty!” Alejandro said and took a bottle of water to Bradley. “Here.”
Bradley looked at Jared and offered him the bottle. Jared held his hands up. “Nah, I’m good. Thanks.”
Bradley muttered something under his breath but broke the seal on the water. This was going to be interesting.
“Hey Stew. I’m going to hold this water over your head. Open your mouth and I’ll pour it in.”
Jared watched as Bradley edged closer. Stewart’s head weaved back and forth, uncannily like a cobra. It was…unnerving. Finally, Bradley got so close that he was probably in chomping range if Stewart got riled up enough.
“Ok buddy, here we go. Open your mouth,” Bradley reminded.
Amazingly, Stewart did. They all watched, rapt and a little frightened, as he tilted his head straight up and cracked his mouth open. A small trickle of water fell in his mouth, and he actually swallowed it. Huh.
It was a little disturbing to watch, honestly.
“So, why don’t we just take him out to the wild and drop him off?” Juan said. “He should be fine out there, right?”
“He’s my best friend!” Bradley shouted, incredulous at the suggestion. “He’s just…not himself right now…”
Jared snickered and Bradley gave him a threatening look.
“He could beat this. He would never abandon me if I got sick, and I won’t leave him. If you guys don’t like it then I’ll take him and go.”
“Stay man,” Jared said. “We don’t have a kennel big enough to move him in anyway.”
/> Bradley shook with anger and Jared realized he had gone too far. He felt like an ass. “I’m sorry. I just…I don’t know how to deal with this. I really like him and now if feels like he died, but he didn’t! I’m just trying to cope.”
Bradley scrubbed his face roughly and walked away. Anna looked upset. Shit, he was upset. It was just unbelievable. All of it.
Maybe he was in a coma and thinking all this up in his head.
“Jared,” Anna whispered in his ear. “If something like that happens to me, I want you to shoot me on the spot. Just take me outside and do it. Please?” she begged. She had tears in her eyes, and he couldn’t bear it.
He pulled her close and his mind rejected the thought that she could ever be like Stewart. It was heartbreaking. It was never going to happen.
“You promised me, remember?” she said, squeezing him.
“I remember.”
Chapter Six
K.I.S.S.
Anna
Her heart ached for Stewart and Bradley. They had been friends for a long time, brothers even. It must have been torture to wake up and find him changed so suddenly. And now…they just needed to figure something out.
Jared’s sarcastic comments probably didn’t help anything.
The men in the room were huddled up together and it seemed as if they were making plans, secret plans. She didn’t like being left out of the loop. Up until the last few weeks, it had just been her and Jared doing their little errands together. She was afraid that he was going to try to keep her from helping. If he expected her to stay put here with Violet and Alejandro, he was sorely mistaken and he didn’t know her at all.
They stopped talking when she walked up to them. Awkward.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Time…life…this peanut butter is about to go on this bread,” Jared said, smearing an ungodly amount of peanut butter on a piece of…canned bread?
“That’s just not right,” she sighed with a little grimace of disgust. “I meant what is going on with you guys. I know you’re up to something. Spill it.”
The Salvation Plague | Book 2 | The Mutation Page 4