by Dawn, M. K.
“Bring them all.” Britney grasped the hands of the woman she never thought she’d see again. “Are you kidding? It would thrill Carson to have his best friend come live with us.”
“There are twenty of us, Brit. Twelve travel trailers.”
“We have room. And it’s safe. With the fence we already had in place and now the wall in front of the property, we haven’t been attacked in months. Rarely ever see the infected. Come stay with us. Please.”
Makayla blew out her cheeks. “I have to talk it over with the others.”
Britney let go of her hands. “Go. And please hurry. I don’t know how much time Blake has left.”
***
Makayla let out a low whistle. “When you said a wall, this is not what I expected.”
“Axel and the other bikers built it.” Britney bounced her leg, ready to be home. They were so close she could hardly stand it. “The infected attacked us. Nobody got hurt, but they killed several animals. We had to make sure it didn’t happen again.”
Axel had ridden with the lead truck to give directions and let Britney and Makayla have time to catch up.
The women had spent the better part of three hours talking about how they’d survived all this time. Makayla had been at her in-laws’ picking up Tyler when it all started. After what James had seen at the hospital, he had insisted they stay put until things got better. A few months later, an attack that killed her in-laws sent them running. They had been lucky enough to hook up with the travel trailer brigade, a group of survivors that had been camping at Glacier National Park when the apocalypse started.
“I’m sure he’s fine.” Makayla rested a hand on Britney’s leg. “It’s only been a day, right?”
“Yeah.” Britney tapped her fingers on the table. “But it was bad. Fear, redness, pus.”
“I have everything I need to get it under control, thanks to you and Axel.” Makayla stared out the window. “Are those armed guards at the gate?”
Britney almost laughed at the sight of Gus and Shifter perched up on the wall, guns in hand. “I didn’t even realize they had built it to where they had enough room to stand up there.”
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume these are two of Axel’s friends.”
Britney smiled. “They are.”
“And how did you find yourself in the company of bikers?” The smirk on Makayla’s face was priceless. “And in the bed of one boiling-hot biker?”
Heat crept up Britney face. “It’s a long story.”
“Blushing?” Makayla’s hand flew to her chest as she feigned shock. “Well, I never thought I’d see the day.”
Britney rolled her eyes. “Hey, Dale, just pull up in the horseshoe driveway and park in front of the house.”
“Got it.”
“There are more armed people on your front porch, Brit,” Makayla stated.
Angie, Rainey and Mac each had a gun pointed at the RV.
“I’ll get out first.” Britney slowly opened the back door. “It’s me. Please don’t shoot.”
“Lord have mercy!” Angie cried out. “We thought we were being invaded.”
Britney jumped down and wrapped the woman in a tight hug. “How’s Blake?”
“He’s hanging in there.” Angie stepped out of her embrace. “Where are Axel and Gunner?”
“Axel’s making sure the gate gets locked up right.”
“Britney!” Makayla called from the RV. “All clear?”
“Come on!” Britney waved her over. “He’s inside on the pullout in the livin’ room.”
Makayla nodded to the others. “Hi. Excuse me.”
“Who the hell is that?” Mac asked. “And all these other people?”
“Makayla is a nurse and my oldest friend in the world.” Britney hitched a thumb behind her. “These are her friends. The people who saved her and her son, Tyler. They’re goin’ to be stayin’ here with us.”
Angie jutted out her hip. “For how long?”
Britney shrugged. “For as long as they would like.”
“Mommy!” Molly screeched as she burst from the house and jumped into Britney’s arms. “You’re back! I saw Aunt Makayla inside with Blake.”
Britney held her daughter close. “She’ll take good care of him.”
“Hey, Mom.” Carson’s voice, choked with unshed tears, made her heart ache. “I knew you’d make it back.”
“Come here.” Britney outstretched her arm and pulled him in for a hug. “I missed you guys so much.”
“If Aunt Makayla is here….” Carson trailed off.
Britney shifted her body so they faced the driveway. “Tyler’s in the last RV. The black-and-gold one. Why don’t you two go find him and the other kids? Show them around, but stay close.”
They each squeezed her one more time before running off.
“Slow down there,” Axel said as they passed. Carson waved, but Molly stopped to give him a hug.
“They missed you both very much,” Angie told her. “Carson really struggled. Molly was more optimistic, but Carson, he’s old enough to understand the danger.”
Britney pressed her lips together. “Thank you for takin’ care of them.”
Axel joined them on the porch and gave Britney a quick kiss on the cheek. “Blake doing okay?”
“Yeah. Makayla’s in there with him.”
“I can’t believe you aren’t in there yet.” Axel ran a hand along her back.
She wanted to be in there, but there was something she needed to do first. “Rainey.”
Rainey’s chin trembled. “He’s not coming back, is he?”
“I’m so sorry.” Britney hugged her tight. “We were trapped. Gunner sacrificed himself so we could get out. I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn’t listen.”
“I’m not surprised.” Rainey pulled out of Britney’s arms. “He couldn’t have kids of his own and loved yours so much. He would have done anything to save them.”
“He’s a hero,” Axel added. “Bravest man I’ve ever known.”
Makayla popped her head outside. “Brit, Blake’s asking for you.”
Axel squeezed her hand. “Go be with him. I’ll be right there.”
“Okay.” As soon as the screen door closed behind Britney, the others broke down and cried along with Rainey. It killed her to think they’d sacrificed one life for another. It didn’t seem fair.
“Hi, Mommy.” Blake smiled up at her with tired eyes.
Britney dropped beside him on the bed and held him tight. “Hi, baby. I missed you so much. I was so worried.”
“You brought back Aunt Makayla. She said you got all the medicines she needed.”
“We did.” Britney kissed his forehead. He was burning up. “How are you feelin’?”
Makayla handed Blake a measuring cup of Tylenol. “He’ll be just fine. This should break the fever. I have the IV going, and he’s already taken the antibiotics. I’ll let the wound breathe a little, and then I’ll bandage it up. Tomorrow I can work on a better splint for the break.”
“Thank you.”
Makayla waved her off. “Please. You know I would do anything for you. Now, where can my friends and I set up our trailers?”
Exhaustion swept over Britney. “Um, I don’t know. Maybe ask Axel. We don’t have electricity.”
“Don’t need it.” Makayla handed Britney two pills and a glass of water.
“What are these?” Britney tossed them in her mouth and swallowed.
Makayla laughed. “You already took them. What does it matter now?”
Britney yawned and snuggled up beside Blake. “True.”
“Those painkillers will keep you from waking up with a really nasty headache.” Makayla tucked them both in. “Now get some sleep. No talking. No playing. I’ll check on you later.”
“She’s bossy.” Britney scrunched her nose at Blake, who giggled. “But she’s probably right. Want to take a nap with me?”
Blake’s eyes fluttered. “Sure.”
> “Good, because I’m tired.”
“Me too.”
Britney gave him a big fat kiss on the lips. “Love you, kiddo.”
“Love you too, Mommy.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Axel started down at the walkie-talkie, confused. He couldn’t have possibly heard what he thought he’d heard. “Say that again?”
“It’s a damn caravan,” Shifter’s voice blared through the speaker. “Four Hummers headed this way. They look to be military. The big, troop carrier ones.”
“I’ll be right there.” Axel hooked the walkie-talkie on his jeans and jogged into the house. The cool September air allowed them to leave the windows open most of the day, though at night they always kept them closed. Just in case. The farm hadn’t seen an infected in months, but they couldn’t be too careful.
“Brit!” Axel called out from the living room.
“Hey.” She stared down at him from the top of the stairs. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Fine. Want to come down here for a second?” Axel waved at Blake, who poke his head out of the bedroom. His leg had healed nicely over the past few months. “Everything’s fine, kiddo. Go play.”
“Sure.” Britney plodded down the stairs. “What’s wrong?”
“I just told you everything’s fine.”
Britney narrowed her eyes. “Your words might have said that, but the wrinkle in your brow tells a different story. What’s goin’ on? Did someone see an infected?”
“No. But Shifter just called over the walkie-talkie and said they spotted four military Hummers heading this way.”
“Are you kidding me?” Britney lightly scratched at her throat. “The military is heading this way?”
“Or someone with their vehicles. I’m going to check it out.” Axel grabbed his rifle from the shelf. “Keep the kids inside.”
“You think whoever it is might be dangerous?”
Axel made it a point never to lie to Britney about anything, including his concerns. “I don’t know. But it’s been a year and we haven’t seen a single person drive by this place.”
“That we know of.” Britney and her optimism. The longer they went without an incident, the more positive she grew. Not that he disliked that side of her, but he didn’t want her or anyone else to get too comfortable. Hidden behind their wall, it was easy to forget that monsters waited on the other side.
“Still, we haven’t seen anyone. No one has tried to reach out to us. And now suddenly these four vehicles show up. It makes me nervous.”
“I get it. I’ll grab the house walkie-talkie. What channel are you on?”
Axel checked. “Three.”
“Okay. Keep me updated.” She rose on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss. “Whoever it is, if they stop, just promise me you’ll hear them out.”
“I promise.” Axel left the house, climbed into an old two-door Ford and headed to gate.
Mac, Gus and Shifter waited for him at the top of the gate on the platform they’d built for that very reason.
“Can you believe this shit?” Shifted handed Axel the binoculars.
Axel wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.
“Do you think it could really be the military?” Mac asked. “Like they’re out looking for survivors?”
“I don’t know.” Axel handed Shifter back the binoculars. “Only one way to find out.”
“Let’s not get our hopes up.” Gus had taken up chewing on some kind of long grass, making him look more like a farmer than any of them.
Except for his leather jacket, which they all still wore. Axel had been forced to cut his at the shoulders after ripping a hole in one side. Considering the cool weather, he normally would have been cold, but after last winter, fifty degrees was nothing.
“Here they come.” Shifter reached for his gun.
Axel stopped him. “Britney wants us to play nice.”
Shifter crossed his arms over his chest. “That woman and her sentimental heart.”
“Let’s find out what they want before we hold them at gunpoint, okay?”
“Fine.” Shifter took a step behind Axel. “But I’ll stand back here, just in case.”
“You’re a fucking baby, you know that, Shifter?” Axel gave him a gentle shove. “Get over there.”
The Hummers stopped in front of the gate, but no one made a move to get out.
“This is stupid.” Shifter pointed his gun at the second vehicle. Mac and Gus followed suit with the last two.
“Fine.” Axel aimed at the lead Hummer and tried to get a better look inside.
“Out of the truck!” Shifter yelled. “Hands where I can see them.”
Axel groaned. “Chill the fuck out, man.”
“Someone’s getting out on the passenger side,” Gus said.
“My name is Dr. Sloan Egan,” the redheaded woman said. Her clothes were covered in blood and black goo. She had a bandage wrapped around her wrist, and she looked like someone had beaten the shit out of her. “I grew up here.”
“Really?” Britney had mentioned her sister’s name was Sloan, but he wasn’t going to let some random lady in without proof. “Funny, never seen you before.”
Sloan briefly clenched her fists. “Is Britney here?”
“Who?”
“Britney Campbell. She’s my sister. What was your name?”
“Axel.” And now for a little test. “And you are again?”
The woman pinched her lips together just like Britney did when she tried to keep her cool. “Sloan Egan.”
Axel didn’t recognize the last name; he only knew Britney’s married name. He lifted his chin to Gus, who pulled out his walkie-talkie and tried to reach Britney.
When she didn’t answer, he turned his attention back to the woman.
“Now that we’re friends, mind telling me how you found us?” Axel knew he was being an ass, but there was something strange about the entire situation.
“Like I said, I grew up here.”
“So you said. Got any proof?” He needed something concrete before getting Britney’s and the kids’ hope up.
“Give me a second.”
Axel snorted. “Take all the time you need.”
She leaned into the Hummer and returned a minute later with a cell phone in hand. “Proof. In the photos.”
“Toss it up.”
She hesitated.
“Don’t worry.” Axel smiled. “I’ve got the hands of an outfielder on a rainy day.”
Shifter chuckled.
She lobbed the phone to Axel, and his mouth fell slack as he flipped through the photos. Static followed by Britney’s voice drew his attention away from the phone. He snatched the walkie-talkie from Gus, flustered and irritated. “Brit.”
“What’s wrong?” The connection was bad. He could barely understand her.
“What’s your maiden name?”
Britney paused before answering, “Egan. Why?”
“I’ll explain when I get back.” He tossed the walkie-talkie back to Gus and mouthed, “Sorry.”
“You can enter. But only you.”
Sloan cocked her head to the side. “No.”
“Excuse me?” Axel would say he couldn’t believe the audacity of this woman, but if she was really Britney’s sister, it made sense.
“I’m not leaving the rest of my group out here. We’ve been through so much already.”
“So have we,” Axel snapped.
“There are only forty-two of us. Six soldiers. The rest are experts in their field of study. We’re not here looking for a fight, just a place that’s safe.”
“Ain’t no place safe anymore, lady,” Shifter replied.
Sloan ignored him. “Whoever you spoke to knows who I am and that I can be trusted. Please.”
Axel stared at her and then the rest of the Humvees and shook his head. “Open the gates. You can follow me.”
He led them up to the house and parked in the driveway. “Wait here.”
Axel rushed inside and found Britney and the kids in the living room.
“What’s going on?”
“I need you and the kids to come outside.”
Britney moved toward the door. “What is it?”
The last thing he wanted to do was tell Britney her sister was alive and it not be true. But the pictures spoke for themselves. “It’s your sister, Sloan. She’s outside.”
“That can’t be right. There’s no way.”
Axel handed her Sloan’s phone and pointed at the picture of her and the kids. “That woman just showed up at our gate and is waiting outside.”
Britney’s chest heaved. “Sloan?”
“Come on.” Axel guided her out to the porch with the kids close at her heels.
“Oh my God!” Britney cried out, rushing for her sister. “How are you here?”
They collided with such force that they nearly toppled over. Then the twins got into the action. Carson hesitated at first, but Sloan dragged him into their group hug as well.
Axel watched their reunion with awe as he headed over to introduce himself to the man who’d climbed out of the driver side.
“Hey, man. I’m Axel.” He extended his hand.
“Lee Archer.” He shook Axel’s hand. “Thanks for letting us in. You have a hell of place here.”
Axel leaned against the Hummer and crossed his legs at the ankles. “How the hell did you get here? Better question, how did you survive all this time on the road?”
“Not on the road.” Archer kept his eyes on Sloan. “In a secret government bunker. We got overrun by whatever the hell these things are and lost almost everyone inside—the president, top military leaders. Only forty-two out of nearly two thousand made it out.”
“Shit. So you spent a year underground knowing the entire world was being taken over by the infected?”
“They told us an asteroid hit and destroyed everything. Then a few weeks back, me and a few of my men got sent up to the surface to collect soil samples. We were attacked. Everyone was killed but me and a buddy of mine. We got him to the infirmary and Slash—Sloan—patched him up. She thought he was going to be okay.” Archer dropped his head. “Then he started biting people. I assume you know the rest.”
