by Nancy Isaak
As they ran off, I turned and walked back to where Nate was standing, waiting. “You okay to head back to the Point after you bathe?” I asked.
“We all going home?”
“Just you,” I said. “With your tattoo, you’ll be able to travel freely. Head home and let the other guys know what’s going on. Tell them not to expect us tomorrow. I mean, we hope we’ll be there by then but, more likely—it’ll be the day after. And tell them that we’re going to travel farther north before we head across the mountains—either around Point Mugu way or, more likely, through Rancho Sierra Vista.”
“What’s that…Rancho Sierra Vista?”
“It’s this national park over in Newbury Park. There’s this fire road that goes through it, all the way down to the Pacific Coast Highway. I’ve biked it a couple of times with my dad. Hopefully, the Crazies won’t know about it. In any case, let Porter and Connor know to set some guys up where it comes out at Sycamore Canyon down in Malibu.”
“You think it’s too dangerous to go down Encinal Canyon?”
I nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it. Brandon will know that Encinal is the most likely route we’ll take. And he doesn’t even have to control the road—just pick us off where the canyon narrows. That’s what I’d do.”
“Makes sense,” agreed Nate. “All right—I’ll head out as soon as I’ve bathed. Is there anything else you want me to do when I get home?”
Leaning in close, I said quietly, “Well…there is one more thing.”
KAYLEE
As I wandered through the house, I came across Shawnee and Rhys in a downstairs room. They had their weapons out and were cleaning them.
“Yeah,” said Rhys, “I was pissed that I couldn’t take out Brandon, but it was just too far away for me to make the shot.”
“Wind was strong,” added Shawnee.
“You felt that, too, huh? I mean, I wanted to make some chaos, but I was also worried about hitting innocents.”
“Wind was behind me,” said Shawnee. “I used it for my shots.”
“You don’t want to use a rifle, though?”
Shawnee shook her head. “The bangs hurt my ears.”
I moved on, marveling at how much Shawnee had changed since we’d seen her last. It wasn’t just that she had slimmed down. Like Rhys, she was becoming her own person now.
* * * *
Meanwhile, Cammie and Pauly had returned to the dining room. They were both leaning back in their chairs, feet up on the table, and drinking from juice packets.
Picking up my own pineapple juice, I sat down opposite them. “Am I interrupting?”
“Pretty girls are never interrupting,” grinned Pauly.
“What are you guys talking about?”
“About Shawnee and her bow,” said Cammie.
“I just saw her with Rhys. They were cleaning their weapons and talking together like two little soldiers.”
Cammie laughed. “It was weird when we came across that bow on one of our scavenges. Shawnee picked it up and figured out how to use it right away. She wasn’t like super good or anything—but she was definitely better than adequate right from the start.”
“Good hand-eye coordination,” said Pauly, reaching over for another juice packet. “Rhys is like that. You should see him paintballing. Kid slays everybody.”
“When we were hiking over the mountains,” continued Cammie, “coming back up to Agoura Hill, Shawnee would pick out a tree ahead of us and shoot an arrow into it. Then, when we walked past it, she would pull out the arrow and shoot it at another tree farther on. Shawnee said that she was practicing for when we hit Agoura Hills—or for when we met up with a mountain lion.”
“Did you see any?” I asked.
Cammie shook her head. “Not a one. But we definitely heard something coming down that last hill near the 101—kind of like a grunting cough. I can’t say for sure because it was really dark, but I think that was a mountain lion.”
Kieran chose that point to enter the dining room. He stopped upon seeing Cammie seated next to Pauly. After a moment—looking disappointed—Kieran turned and left the room.
Immediately, Cammie and Pauly started laughing.
“What’s so funny?” I asked, confused.
“Kieran likes me,” said Cammie.
“But he thinks I beat him to her,” added Pauly.
“So…I mean, I know it’s none of my business,” I said, “but—does that mean you guys aren’t like…becoming friends?”
Pauly reached out and pulled Cammie’s head into a chokehold, giving her a noogie. “Are you kidding?! I’d be on this girl in a minute, if she’d give me a chance.”
Cammie pried herself out of Pauly’s grip, slugging him in the arm. “Idiot!”
“Unfortunately,” continued Pauly, “the girl has no taste. She already likes someone else.”
I looked at Cammie, surprised. “You like Kieran?”
She shrugged. “Who wouldn’t?”
With a growl, Pauly pulled her into another chokehold.
* * * *
In the late afternoon, we somehow all found ourselves in the same living room. There were couches and deep lounging chairs everywhere and we collapsed into them—some of us sleeping, others talking quietly.
I struggled to stay awake, my legs dangling over the cushiony arms of an easy chair. A soft snore from a few feet away made me turn toward Jay. She had fallen asleep on a large sectional couch, her hair still wet from the lake, hanging down to obscure most of her face. She looked exhausted, like the rest of us—and I envied her ability to sleep so soundly.
Across the room, meanwhile, Cammie and Pauly were playing a quiet game of chess. I had no idea who was winning because I was too lazy to leave my comfortable chair. Instead, I watched from afar, enjoying the small glances that Cammie kept giving Kieran, who was sitting ten yards away, reading a book and studiously refusing to look in Cammie’s direction.
On the opposite side of the room, Cherry and Shawnee sat on a couch, holding hands, while they talked happily together. Josh sat with them, not really saying much—just enjoying the company.
At a small settee right behind them—Rhys (like Jay) was snoring away. He looked like a little boy, with his mouth wide open and a little dribble of saliva making its way down his cheek.
Of course—he was also a little boy with a shaved head and a sniper’s rifle resting on the floor beside him.
The last person in the room was Jacob.
He sat almost directly opposite me, writing in what I assumed was his journal. Every few minutes he would look up and—invariably—catch me looking at him.
Our eyes would meet and he would smile.
And then I would smile back—and the little butterflies in my stomach would stir to life, taking flight and reminding me that…I loved this boy.
JACOB
It took us almost three days to reach the coastline.
There were Crazies all along the 101 Freeway, so we had to wait until it was dark before we attempted a crossing. We rode slowly, taking our time—stopping every few minutes to make sure that no one was sneaking up behind us.
At one point, we heard hoof beats, coming down the road we were traveling on. Quickly, we moved off onto a side street and hid behind a house. A few minutes later, riders on horses trotted by. They were carrying lanterns that they held up high, directing the light into the shadows around them.
The Crazies were still looking for us!
* * * *
We only made it as far as Newbury Park before the sun started to come up that first night, and it became unwise for a group our size to stay on the streets any longer. Luckily—as in all the communities around us—there were large mansions everywhere (Southern California—what can I say).
Josh was riding point and he found us an enormous house with a gated courtyard, where we could board the horses for the night. Making things even better, there was a small creek that ran through the property, so that we didn’t have to worr
y about food or water for the animals.
* * * *
As we were moving into the house, I heard Jay whisper into Kaylee’s ear. “Peyton’s turned eighteen by now.”
Kaylee immediately stopped and looked at her. I could see that there were tears in her eyes. “Do you think that she found Lily?”
Jay nodded. “I think that they both did. I—one hundred per cent—believe that both Jude and Peyton got to say good-bye to Lily before they turned eighteen.”
“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” said Kaylee, sadly.
* * * *
“Talk to me about Lily,” I said to Kaylee, a little while later. She was sitting at a table in the kitchen, drinking from a bottle of soda, while she watched me open up cans of SpaghettiOs for our dinner.
Kaylee sighed. “She was a little girl who lived in my townhouse complex. Almost at the other end from where I lived with my mom.”
“What happened to her?” I asked, carefully.
A dark shadow fell across Kaylee’s face.
“Oh god,” I groaned. “She died, didn’t she?”
Kaylee quickly shook her head. “No…nothing like that. She—well, she was in the cage with us. Tray was going to kill her.”
“But she was just a little girl!”
“And just 9-years old—but she was going to be the first one shot—because Tray knew it would be the best way to hurt us all one last time. So, we figured that we had one chance at getting Lily out safely.” Kaylee shrugged. “We took the chance.”
“What did you guys do?”
Kaylee’s eyes suddenly filled up with tears; she wiped at them with the sleeve of her sweater. When she looked back at me, her eyes were red and full of remorse.
“I beat the crap out of her.”
* * * *
Frankly, I was utterly astonished by what Kaylee and the others had chosen to do. By making Lily a victim in the eyes of the other girls watching, they had given Lily her life back. That Kaylee had to accomplish this by hitting and kicking a little girl was horrific.
I don’t know how she had managed it.
But then again—if I had to—I would beat the crap out of my brothers if it meant saving their lives, too.
* * * *
I placed another bottle of soda down in front of Kaylee. “Here—it’s pink lemonade. I found it back in the Lake Lindero house and I’ve been saving it for you.”
Kaylee wiped the tears off of her cheeks, giving me a weak smile, “I love pink lemonade.”
“I know,” I admitted. “I’ve seen you drink it at school often enough.”
She looked up, shyly. “You’ve been watching me.”
I grinned down at her. “I’m not saying yes—I’m not saying no.”
* * * *
A little while later, after Kaylee’s tears had dried completely and she seemed more in control of her emotions, I brought the conversation back to Lily. “Shawnee told me that Lily is a twin.”
Kaylee nodded. “She has a brother named Ethan. He’s a strawberry blond like her—I’ve seen the pictures.”
“So, have I.”
For a moment, Kaylee didn’t say anything. Then, her eyes filled with tears again. “Do you have him?” she asked, hopefully. “Do you have Ethan?!”
I nodded. “We found him in Chumash Park, the day after everything happened.”
“So, he’s safe?”
“And sound—down on the Point with the rest of the Locals.”
Pushing back her chair, Kaylee took off running. The next thing I knew, there were girlish squeals of delight coming from the back of the house.
I returned to opening up cans of SpaghettiOs—grinning.
* * * *
The next night, we rode out for Rancho Sierra Vista.
Luckily for us, the sky was covered in clouds; it was pitch black.
We moved slowly, stopping every quarter mile or so to make sure that we were still on the right road—and to make certain that no one was following us.
At one point, Cammie rode up beside me and Kaylee.
“Look over there,” Cammie said, pointing. “There’s a light on in that house.” Sure enough, a small flickering could be seen—like a candle was moving through the rooms.
I immediately called a halt.
Kieran trotted up, with Pauly seated behind him. “What’s up, bro?”
“Cammie saw a light in that house…see it?” I pointed to the single-storey about a block and a half away.
“You want Pauly and I should go and investigate?” asked Kieran.
“Not a chance.” I shook my head. “Let’s move on down the side streets and go around it. And be quiet! If that is a Crazy lookout, then we need to be careful, in case there are other sentries nearby.”
“But what if it’s not a Crazy at all?” asked Kaylee, in a quiet voice—from where she sat behind me. “What if it’s just a little kid, trying to survive like the rest of us?”
I hung my head in frustration—of course, she was right.
“Go,” I ordered Kieran and Pauly. “But don’t take the horse. Go on foot, so there’s less of a chance that they will hear you coming. We’ll hunker down over behind that strip mall. There’s some grass in the trees at the back that the horses can eat while we’re waiting.”
“Roger that,” said Kieran.
Pauly simply nodded.
And then—they were gone—disappearing into the black of the night.
* * * *
We waited in the dark—silent, nervous—not leaving our horses, simply allowing them enough lead on their reins, so that they could munch quietly on the grass. At one point, Rhys hiccupped, which caused Jay to give a tiny screech of alarm—which, in turn, made Cherry chuckle.
A few moments later, we were all striving to contain our nervous giggles—feeling ridiculous—yet, still not being able to stop ourselves.
I guess it was our immature way of relieving stress.
* * * *
Five minutes into our wait, Kaylee removed her arms from around my waist. Immediately, I felt a loss—as if something precious had been taken from me.
“You okay back there?” I asked her, tentatively.
The horse beneath us moved forward a few steps, jostling us up and down. I hoped that the movement would compel Kaylee to return her arms around my waist, but she remained as before—behind me, but apart—her arms at her side, with inches that could be miles between us.
“I’m worried about Kieran and Pauly,” whispered Kaylee. “Shouldn’t they be back by now?”
“They’re probably just taking their time. That’s their way—moving slowly, so they don’t get caught.”
“Speak for yourself, big brother.”
It was Kieran, emerging from the dark. Pauly walked beside him, his gun leaning against his shoulder.
“What did you find?” asked Kaylee. “Is there someone there who needs our help?”
Kieran shook his head. “Fricking Crazies. At least two of them.”
“They’re sitting on the veranda of this house,” added Pauly. “Like they’re behind this hammock-thing, hiding, watching who’s coming down the road.”
“So, they’re probably looking for us,” I said.
“That would be my guess,” nodded Kieran.
“Then, we’re going to have to find another route into Rancho Sierra Vista. Maybe head along the base of the hills until we hit the park.”
“The moon’s gonna’ be overhead in a few minutes,” said Pauly. “And it’s full tonight. With no clouds, there’s gonna’ be a lot of light. The land down at the bottom of the hills is pretty open. We’ll be easy to see if anyone’s looking that way.”
“Any suggestions?” I asked.
Pauly nodded. “Best bet is holing up tonight, get an earlier start tomorrow, right after it gets dark—before the moon is up.”
“That’s probably the best idea,” I agreed. “Plus, it will give us a chance to see if the fire road is secure before we head down it.”
“Who do you want to send?” asked Kieran.
I motioned toward Rhys whose horse was, even now, straining his head back to nip at his rider’s foot. “Rhys is becoming a good sneak.”
* * * *
Rather than risk running into any more Crazies that night, we decided to spend the rest of the evening and the next day at the mall. There was a large store to one side—empty—its electrical wires hanging down, boxes and detritus everywhere, obviously waiting for a new tenant that would never arrive.
We moved ourselves and the horses inside, feeling somewhat secure that the brown construction paper that covered the front windows would keep us hidden from any passing Crazies.
For once, we actually had good luck; there was a small feed and tack store across the road. Kieran, Josh, and I raced across, hunched over to camouflage our shape in case anyone was watching.
Inside the store, we found that most of the riding gear had already been taken. However, in a room at the back, we found two gigantic bales of hay.
While Josh kept watch, Kieran and I carried one of the bales back across the street and into the empty storefront. Kaylee was waiting for us, nervously chewing at her nails; she wrenched the door open as we neared, shutting and locking it tightly behind us.
From the back of the store where Cammie and Pauly were brushing them down, the horses whinnied.
“I think they’re smelling their supper,” grinned Kaylee.
“We were hoping for some oats,” I said. “Guess stale hay will just have to do.”
“Cherry and Jay found some painter pails at the back of the store. They’ve headed out to find some water—back to that creek we passed about a half mile back.”
