by Dawn, M. K.
“Oh.” Archer cleared his throat. “That.”
Sloan cocked her head. “You’ve noticed changes as well?”
“Nothing too alarming. She just seemed a little bit more jumpy than normal.”
Jumpy seemed a bit flippant. “It’s more serious than being jumpy. I’m concerned. As is Axel.”
“Why didn’t you just go talk to Britney?” He stared out into the distance. “Or me?”
“Axel came to me. Asked me not to say anything in case he was misinterpreting her behavior.”
“Just the jumpiness?” He was prying, pressing her for additional information. “Is there more?”
“You know I can’t speak to you about my patient’s condition.”
“Dammit, Slash!” Archer sprung to his feet. “Britney’s not your patient, she’s your sister!”
Sloan’s muscles went rigid. “Why are you yelling at me?”
“I’m sorry,” he said in a hushed tone still laced with irritation. “It bothers me that you haven’t talked to me about this. That you haven’t talked to anybody until Axel brought it up.”
She sat quiet for a moment, deciding how much she wanted to tell him about Britney’s history with mental illness. “She has always had anxiety, to an extent. After our father died, it got measurably worse until she met John. Which is why I didn’t bring it up. It wasn’t until today I realized how bad she’d truly gotten.”
“Axel told me about Rainey.”
Sloan dropped her head. “I assume the stress of learning about the severity of Rainey’s condition was Brit’s breaking point.”
Archer knelt before her. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“Rainey asked me not to.” Sloan rolled her neck. “I have to abide by my patients’ wishes or they will no longer confide in me.”
“Patients?” Archer lowed his head and studied her intently. “Are there others that have specific medical needs that we’re unaware of?”
“We? You need to be a bit more specific.”
Archer clenched his jaw. “We, as in the Council.”
“Individual medical ailments are not the Council’s concern.”
“The hell they aren’t!” Archer scraped his hand through his hair. “We are in charge of the safety of this community. That includes their health.”
“That’s absurd.” Sloan stood, needing to get back to her run. “It’s like asking a city council to be kept up to date on each of their citizen’s health. One does not affect the other.”
“How can you be so narrow-minded? Take Rainey, for example. She’s the only schoolteacher we have. What if she gets too sick to teach? Or, God forbid, dies? Same goes for everyone else. Each person plays a vital role in the community. If they’re sick, something’s not getting done. Which affects everyone.”
Sloan averted her eyes. “It was never my intention to put the whole community in danger. I’ve never had to think of individual illness in such a broad scale.”
Archer took her hand in his and pulled her close. “This world is new to us all.”
“Two years isn’t exactly new.” Sloan allowed herself to sink into his embrace.
He laughed. “To be fair, we spent the majority of year one trapped underground.”
“Don’t remind me.” Sloan lifted her head from the crook of his neck. “Do you ever miss it?”
“The Bunker?” Archer glanced up at the blue sky. “Some of it, but not the being trapped underground. That part, I don’t miss at all.”
The snap of a branch caught Sloan’s attention. She whipped her head to the tree line just beyond the fence. “Did you hear that?”
“Yes.” Archer removed his gun from its holster. “But I don’t see anything. Do you?”
Sloan shielded her eyes from the sun. “There’s something out there.”
“Are you sure?”
“I saw movement; I’m sure of it.”
Another snap of a branch, and Sloan stumbled backward. “Shit.”
Archer brought a finger to his lips and mouthed, Shh.
Goosebumps prickled Sloan’s skin. In the middle of nowhere, if they weren’t hunting, there was only one reason to stay quiet: the infested.
She inched closer to Archer, determined to get a better look. The sun peeking over the tips of the trees made it impossible to see anything but shadows.
Minutes ticked by, and neither spoke.
It wasn’t until Sloan could no longer handle the silence that she said, “Is it gone?”
An ear-piercing growl ripped through the air, sending birds in all directions.
Archer aimed his gun and fired two shots, all before Sloan could comprehend what had happened.
On the other side of the fence, a dead infested laid motionless. Its vacant eyes—not as black as she remembered—were fixed upward.
Archer sprinted for the horse and grabbed the reins. “We need to get back and tell the Council.”
She understood his concern. It was the first infested they’d seen near their property in eight months. And if they’d learned anything about the monsters in the last year, it was they never traveled alone.
CHAPTER FOUR
Britney stood on the fifteen-by-ten-foot stage and called the town meeting to order. “If you would all take your seats, please, we’ll get started.”
A hush fell over the crowd, and everyone settled onto their lawn chairs, logs, and picnic blankets. Some still had their plate of food in hand. Others sipped on their drinks. Most seemed to be in a good mood, laughing and cutting up during dinner; at least, those who didn’t know why they’d called this meeting.
“Thank you.” Britney peered at Axel then at Archer. “Our heads of security will now proceed.”
She slumped back into her chair, feeling stupid for her informal introduction. Truth be told, she didn’t know what to say. They had promised safety within their small community. She prayed it was a promise they could still keep.
Axel rose from his chair and cleared his throat. “Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for coming.”
A few people whispered to those sitting beside them. They were probably just as surprised at Axel’s formality as she was.
For a brief moment, Axel gawked at the crowd before dropping his head. “Shit.” He massaged his temple, turning his attention back to the anxious onlookers. “I’m going to start by saying that Archer and I still believe...know...are certain—”
Archer stood and placed a hand on Axel’s shoulder. “Want me to take over?”
“God, yes.” Axel hurried back to his seat. He was a lot of things, but a public speaker wasn’t one of them.
“Over the past week, we have intercepted and killed three infested outside the northern fence.” Many in the crowd gasped, but Archer continued, “Each of the infested were alone. None penetrated our borders. The first incident occurred last Monday afternoon. We believed it to be an anomaly as no other infested were seen by patrols in the days that followed. But yesterday, two more were killed, each separately. We’re not sure why they’ve started showing up again. It’s been months since we’ve seen an infested so close to home. But, what we must remember is that this is the world we live in. Whether we see the infested on a daily basis or not, it’s important that we never become lax when it comes to the safety of our community.”
The crowd remained silent, not that Britney expected anyone to speak. Not yet. Not until they were sure Archer was done. The way he carried himself, protected those who lived here, he unintentionally became the leader of their small little town. Whether he liked it or not.
“Are there any questions before I continue?” Archer asked.
“Those infested?” Sam, an outspoken middle-aged man, called out. “They didn’t damage the fence, did they?”
“No,” Archer replied. “We have closely examined the fence and front wall. There has been no damage. And no injuries. I took out the first infested. A couple of my other men took out the others. No one has come in contact with them.”
&
nbsp; “Are there more out there?” Angie called out, hand on a jutted hip. “Have you even checked?”
Britney held back a laugh. Angie was great at stirring up trouble. And one of the things she loved the most was getting under Archer’s skin.
“Thank you for asking, Angie.” Archer forced a smile that only the Council could see. “As far as we can tell, there are no others lingering around the perimeter. But, as you know, we have no control over where the infested go. All we can do is be prepared in case they show up.”
“Which they now are,” Angie added before returning to her seat with a grin.
“Three,” Archer huffed. “And as concerning as that is, we have to remember that we’ve been living on borrowed time. For us to go so long without seeing an infested is pretty damn impressive. Plus, our borders have not been breached. No one has been bitten. We’re still living in, what I believe is, the safest place possible. But it’s not perfect. The Council still believes it’s in the best interest of the community if we initiate a lock-down of sorts.”
Side conversations picked up before Archer could continue. Some people became angry. Others looked upset.
Britney fought the urge to interject. Shouldn’t they hear what the Council decided before jumping to conclusions? It wasn’t like they were trying to lay down the law. They only wanted to keep everyone safe.
“We understand your concerns.” Archer’s voice boomed over the tizzy. “Lock-down wasn’t the right word. That’s not what we meant.”
“What do you mean?” Sam asked.
Archer turned to the other council members, his eyes pleading. “Someone want to step in? I’m kind of drowning out here.”
Axel drew in a long breath before taking Archer’s place in front of the group. “Settle the hell down and shut up!”
The abrupt silence caught Britney off guard.
“Thank you.” A sly smile crept across Axel’s face. “Now, as Archer was saying, the Council has come up with a couple safety precautions that we hope each of you will follow. Until further notice, everyone needs to buddy up. No one goes anywhere alone. Following the old rule of thumb: safety in numbers. Everyone should be armed with their weapon of choice at all times. Again, this is not to infringe on anyone’s civil rights; it’s just a matter of safety. If you have yet to pick a weapon of choice, come find either me or Archer, and we’ll get you trained up on something ASAP.”
Britney kept a close eye on the faces in the crowd. The anger had faded, replaced by fear.
Before she could even think about what she was doing, Britney jumped to her feet. “This is not because we think somethin’ bad is goin’ to happen. We just want everyone to be prepared. In fact, these are probably things we should be doin’ all the time. I mean, you never know.”
Axel scratched at the scruff on his chin. “That’s true. We should always be cautious but...”
“But what?” Britney didn’t understand his hesitation to agree with her.
“Did I say but?” Axel quickly backtracked. “That’s not what I meant. We should always be prepared and aware of our surroundings. Safety is our number one concern.”
Britney took her seat once again, not sure if she wanted to thank Axel for agreeing with her or bite his head off. Something about his tone screamed condescending, but maybe that was her being oversensitive.
“Speaking of safety,” Archer interjected, “we have upped the patrols not only within the homestead but along the borders. Armed guards will be posted round the clock.”
“What about the supply run tomorrow?” Shifter called from the front row.
“I was just getting to that.” Archer could keep his temper in check better than anyone Britney knew. “We’re still going on the supply run as scheduled but will be cutting the number of people going down to five. That way the farm is not left shorthanded in the off chance something happens.”
Britney straightened in her seat as Archer continued, but she couldn’t concentrate on what he was saying. The Council had discussed the possibility of trimming down the size of the squad, but not this much. Twenty usually made the trip. Which seemed like a lot when they first suggested the number, but it worked. Kept everyone safe. It allowed them to get the max amount of supplies in the shortest amount of time. How were they even going to make it work with five people? Who would keep guard while the others gathered what they needed?
Her chest tightened at the thought. For a second, she felt as if she couldn’t breathe. The world blurred, and her pulse raced. Not here. Not in front of everyone.
“Brit,” Sloan whispered in her ear, “close your eyes and take deep breaths. Picture your happy place. A place you feel calm and secure. Focus on that image.”
Happy place? Was there even such a thing anymore?
***
Britney watched from the window of the house as Archer and Axel finished loading the SUV and hooking up the trailer. Shifter and a solider from The Bunker, Blair Smith, inspected under the hood.
Sloan emerged from the basement with a small sack of canned food in hand. “You should go say goodbye.”
“Is that all you’re plannin’ on takin’?”
Sloan lifted the bag. “We’re only going to be gone a few days. Terrance said there are plenty of stores in close proximity to the hospital where he found you and Axel. Some are bound to have the supplies we need.”
That sounded like poor planning, but Britney wasn’t going to argue. “Did he also happen to mention how many infested were lurkin’ around there?”
“He did.” Sloan frowned. “But as I told him, I don’t see how the information is relevant. It’s been over a year since he or anyone else has been there. Just because that’s the way the hospital was doesn’t mean it’s in the same condition now.”
“But it could be.” Britney couldn’t understand why Sloan and the others couldn’t see the danger they might be walking into.
“So could every road and every store we enter.” Sloan made her way to the door but stopped short and faced Britney. “I’m going to see if I can find some anti-anxiety medication for you while we’re at the hospital. I know you don’t believe anything is wrong, but you nearly had a panic attack in front of the entire town. That’s not normal for you. Even after Dad died and you were under so much stress, you always kept your emotions at bay in the company of others.”
Even though Britney agreed, she couldn’t say the words. “Whatever. I’m sorry I’m not as stone-cold with emotions as you are.”
Sloan sighed. “I have to go.”
“Go.” Britney returned to staring out the window. “Tell Axel I say bye.”
“You should tell him yourself.” Sloan exited the house, leaving the door cracked.
Britney mumbled a slew of curses and plodded over to close the door. September mornings were pretty damn cool, and she didn’t want the temperature in the house to drop.
As she reached for the door, it swung open and Axel stepped inside. “Hey.”
Britney stumbled back a few steps, startled by his sudden appearance. “Hi.”
“I wanted to come tell you guys goodbye before we headed out.” He glanced up the stairwell. “Kids still asleep?”
“Well, it’s still pretty damn early. Last I checked, the sun hasn’t even come up yet.”
Axel reached for Britney, but she moved out of range.
“What’s going on, Brit? You’re usually hanging out as we pack to leave. Then, you throw yourself in my arms and kiss me goodbye like no one’s looking. Now, you won’t even let me touch you?”
“Why now?”
Axel furrowed his brow. “Why now what?”
“Why do you have to go today? When all this is happening?” She dropped onto the couch. “I need you here. We need you here. What if something happens while you’re gone? What if the infested get in?”
Axel took a seat beside her. “Remember when me and the bikers were living in tents on your front lawn? And then, the infested showed up and we hid in the basement?
Then, you talked us into fighting. Into saving the animals the infested were slaughtering.”
“I remember freezing when faced with the infested.” The infested ended up being her in-laws.
“But you snapped out of it. And you fought.”
Tears burned Britney’s eyes. “So many people have died. So many people I loved.”
“And you’re scared it might happen again.”
“Might?” Britney choked on the word. “When is more like it.”
Axel pulled her into a hug. “You can’t think like that. Can’t live like that.”
“I don’t want to,” she sobbed. “I hate feelin’ like this. Absolutely hate it. But I can’t help it. Everything scares me. And the thought of somethin’ bad happenin’ to you or the kids or Sloan...I can’t breathe.”
“You’re going to get through this, Brit. We’ll help you get through this.” He moved her so she was forced to look him in the eyes. “You are the strongest woman I have ever met. And that’s saying a lot because my mom was a complete badass.”
Britney chuckled through her tears. “I spent so long being strong. I’m mentally exhausted.”
“We all are. Hopefully, after this supply run, things will settle down again.”
“That’s the problem. Things will never settle down. Never be secure. Not when those things are roaming free.”
“There has always been evil in the world. This is just a different sort of evil.”
Britney wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I know. And I was anxious back then, too. But what’s goin’ on now...it’s different.”
A horn blared from outside. “That’s my cue. Archer’s ready to hit the road.”
“You got to get there with plenty of daylight to spare.”
Axel planted a quick kiss on her forehead. “I know how you hate goodbyes.”
“Please be careful.” Dread filled her belly. “I have a bad feelin’ about this.”
“We’ll be back in a couple of days. Hold down the fort while we’re gone.” He exited the house with a small wave.
She collapsed back onto the couch, still unable to shake the feeling that everything was about to change.
