Charlotte would demand she leave.
Voices came from outside, agitated and only growing louder. Spike barked.
With her heart in her throat, Chris put on a fresh shirt, then smoothed her hair down with her hands.
She opened the door a crack. It was light outside, but the sun hadn’t risen yet. Despite the warm air, Chris shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, watching Tony and Charlotte talking outside.
“Tony? You’re home already?” Harry greeted his neighbour with a handshake. He turned to Charlotte who stood next to Tony, her cheeks streaked with tears, and opened his arms in invitation. Charlotte sobbed and buried her head in Harry’s shoulder.
Tony’s face was flushed as if they’d been running. He dropped his backpack onto the cobblestones. “We saw Emily on our way in, and she gave us a quick update.”
“I’m so sorry about Adam. We did everything we could,” Harry whispered. “Emily was with him to the end. Afterwards…” He retrieved a packet of tissues from his pocket and handed it to Charlotte. “I stayed with him through the night.”
Charlotte’s shoulders shook. She sniffled, mouthing a thank you, and wiped her eyes with a tissue.
Tony patted Charlotte’s back, looking uncomfortable. He cleared his throat. “The shops are empty. Wherever we went, we heard the same story. The army has confiscated everything. I don’t think there is still a chain of command in place.”
“They’ve gone rogue?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“And they’re armed to the teeth.” Harry frowned. “While we’re not. Apart from two shotguns and a handful of ammunition.”
“I know. We can’t keep up with the semi-automatic weapons they carry.” Tony nodded grimly. “Where is Chris?”
Chris opened the door fully and cleared her throat. Chestnut rushed past her and wagged his tail. All heads turned towards her and suddenly she didn’t know what to say. All she’d been doing since last night was to apologise.
She stepped outside. “Adam had appendicitis. We—I tried everything. I gave him antibiotics, but it was too late. The fever was already—I’m sorry.”
Tony’s stare hardened as she spoke.
Chestnut nuzzled Charlotte’s hand, and she let out another sob. “Was there…was there no doctor in the village?”
Chris swallowed. “I don’t—”
“You should have seen her. She was great,” Tom said, taking Chris’ hand. He squeezed it and flashed her an encouraging smile.
Charlotte dried her face with the tissue. “I know. Emily told us. I appreciate that you tried. I just wish—”
Hope spread through Chris’ chest. Charlotte wasn’t blaming her either. She exhaled slowly.
Charlotte doesn’t know you’re a monster.
Tony squeezed his sister’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go inside. Emily promised she’d have a cup of tea ready. I’ll be with you in a moment.” He turned to Tom. “Why don’t you go in, too. I have it on good authority that a mug of hot chocolate will be waiting for you.”
Chris froze. She wanted to object, ask Tom to stay, but no words came out of her mouth.
“But—”
“I’d like to speak to your mum alone, please.”
Tom scowled, and for a moment Chris thought he would refuse, but he trotted after Harry and Charlotte, Chestnut following them like a shadow.
With everyone gone, it seemed eerily still outside.
Tony scratched the back of his head, then swallowed visibly. “I know our sons are best friends, so I’ll get straight to the point. Someone killed Ron. He’s the pharmacist in the village. I found another dead body there and—”
“I know. It was—” Chris blurted out. She massaged her neck, struggling to find the right words. “I think Liam was his name. He was Matt’s son.”
“That’s right. Liam.” Tony nodded. “Tell me what happened.” He looked pale, his eyes narrowed as if considering his options. His eyes flicked from Chris to the house and back to Chris. He seemed agitated. Worried.
Did he know—
No. He couldn’t.
She’d made the pharmacy incident look convincing.
“Maggie and I were looking for antibiotics when we were ambushed.” Chris gestured at her face. “They knocked me out. I didn’t wake up until after they had gone.”
“Who’s they?”
“There were four or five of them. They were wearing ski masks.”
“Chris…” Tony hesitated, his mouth working wordlessly. “When Charlotte and I passed by there, we found Ron, of course. He’d been killed with a pocketknife which had Liam’s initials engraved on it. Liam lay dead next to an open suitcase which was filled with inhalers—”
“He was there for his son. Ron had given him all the inhalers and—”
“Why would Liam kill Ron?”
“I—” Chris swallowed. “I don’t know. He was fighting back, but they knocked me out, and I didn’t…” Her voice trailed off and she wiped her sweaty palms on her trousers. “I don’t know.”
“We found Maggie, too.” Tony scowled. “Both Liam and Maggie died from blunt force trauma to their heads.” He bent down, rifled through his backpack and pulled out an axe. “I found this axe next to Maggie. It’s mine. Emily said you’d set out with it yesterday morning.”
Panicked, Chris’ eyes flicked to the cottage door behind her. She had nowhere to go. “Yes. I took the axe with me. I must have dropped it when—”
“We found no signs of anyone else, Chris. And I found these—” He held up the two bags filled with medicine that Chris had hidden in the recycling bins. “Why would the robbers not have taken these?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered, her mind a cacophony of voices. She tried to ground herself: she was a nurse. She helped people. She’d tried to save Adam.
She’d done nothing wrong.
The back door opened, and Harry peered around it. “The tea is getting cold.” He frowned. “Is everything all right?”
Tom appeared in the doorway behind him. “Mum? What’s going on?”
“I didn’t…” Chris brushed her hair from her face with a trembling hand. “The men who attacked us, they must have…I was alone when I woke up.”
“Go back in the house, Tom,” Tony said.
“No. I want to know what’s going on. Why is Mum upset?”
James pushed past Tom, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Dad? You’re home! Have you found Mum?”
Tony scratched his stubble and sighed. “No, son. I—”
“You promised.”
Tony placed a hand on James’ shoulder, but James pushed him away.
“I’m trying, son. I really am. I don’t know where she is.” He turned back to Chris. “Look—”
Anger bubbled up inside her, and she raised her voice, jabbing her index finger at Tony. “Are you accusing me of killing Maggie? How dare you? After everything I’ve done for this family?”
Tom paled, approaching them cautiously. “Mum? What is he talking about?
Harry followed behind Tom, Charlotte and Emily bringing up the rear.
Chris threw her hands into the air.
Disappointment darkened Tom’s face, and he whispered, “You promised, Mum. You said you wouldn’t—”
“I didn’t,” Chris yelled. “I did nothing wrong. We were attacked and—”
How dare Tony accuse her of such a thing?
James blinked, then shook his head. “I don’t understand. Are you saying Chris killed Maggie?”
Chris scowled. “Liam, he…” She stuttered, her mind racing. “He’d killed Ron. He had taken the entire place apart when we arrived.”
Tom’s eyes narrowed as he watched her speak. She didn’t dare look him in the eyes. “It’s all lies again, isn’t it?”
Chris’ hands shook, and she curled them into fists.
Tony studied her with a gaze so intense, she felt it boring into her soul. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Emily clutching Harry’s
hand, her eyes wide, incredulous.
Frantic, Chris rubbed her face. “I didn’t hurt Maggie. I swear. I didn’t. Why would I?” Fleeting images of blood whirled through her mind.
Maggie’s face filled her mind like a ghost haunting her.
Monster.
Chris winced. I promise it’ll be okay, Maggie had said after Chris had told her about Lester. Sweet, reliable Lester. And then she’d—
No, she hadn’t.
Chris shook herself like a wet dog. She hadn’t hurt anyone. She wouldn’t. Not if they weren’t a threat. Her hand found the cut on her cheek, and she gingerly traced it from her eye down to her mouth. It still stung but was slowly scabbing over.
“I didn’t hurt anyone. I swear.” Tom was standing next to Tony now, and Chris scowled. “Did you come up with this—with this nightmare? Why do you keep accusing me of hurting people?” Anger burned in her chest. “First Dad, now Maggie. As if I’d ever—”
A violent burst of anger filled her chest, unlike anything she’d ever felt. It slashed at her. Demanding to be let out.
Every muscle in her body tensed, and Chris screamed, launching herself at Tom. He’d been telling lies. So many lies. Had told them she was dangerous and turned them against her.
He couldn’t do that. She couldn’t let him.
Strong arms wrapped around her torso, restraining her.
Chris looked over her shoulder. “Harry? What—” She tried to kick him, but Harry swiftly avoided her. Helpless, she struggled. “Tom! Help me!”
But her son just stared at her, a blank expression on his face. There was no anger flashing in his eyes. No fear pulling at the corners of his mouth.
Her stomach dropped as she realised that Tom’s eyes were empty. Something within him had died.
He was losing his empathy. His love for his mother.
“Tom has told me your story, Chris,” Harry said gently. “And for what it’s worth, I don’t believe you hurt Lester, but you have killed, and killing changes you. I think, perhaps, it has changed you too much.” He wiped sweat from his brow and turned to Tony. “What are we going to do with her?”
Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t kill people, and I don’t murder them. That would make me the same as her, and that doesn’t sound right to me.” He shrugged and looked at Chris. “At least not yet. But you have to leave. I’m not wasting resources keeping prisoners, and I can’t have you staying under my roof. Not after what you’ve done.”
Chris trembled. “I tried to save Adam.”
Tony ignored her and turned to Tom. “It’s good to see you, Tom. It really is. You’re basically James’ brother, and you have been for years. You’re always welcome here.”
Chris scowled. How dare he speak to her son as if she weren’t present?
“If I stay, she’ll come back,” Tom whispered. “She’s admitted as much. Death follows her wherever she goes.” A tear ran down his cheek, but his voice was flat, devoid of emotion. “She’s my responsibility. I’ll leave with her and look after her.”
James scowled. “Tom! I thought we—”
Tony raised an eyebrow, giving his son a hard look, but James refused to meet his eyes.
“I’m sorry. I can’t stay,” Tom said, looking at his feet.
Harry let go of Chris. She sank to her knees, studying Tom’s face. Did he still love her? He said he’d leave with her. Was he planning to—
No. He wouldn’t do that.
He wouldn’t put her down like a rabid dog.
She searched his face, looking for the little boy who used to cling to her apron, but he was gone. Her own son wouldn’t help her. Her gaze darted around, stopping at each person for a moment. They were gawking at her in a mixture of shock, disbelief and disgust.
“I’ll go pack,” Tom muttered.
Emily gave him a small smile. “I’ll help you.”
“Wait,” Chris said. “Are you…going to hurt me?”
He paused but didn’t turn to look at her. “Why would I do that?”
“Because you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you, Mum. I never have. It’s you who seems to hate everyone else.”
“Why? I have done nothing but protect people. All my life, I have protected people.”
“You didn’t protect Anna.”
“Of course, I did.”
“And you didn’t protect Maggie.”
“I didn’t hurt—”
“Just stop talking, Mum. It’s all lies. Everything coming out of your mouth is lies.” Bitterness coated his words. “You decide that someone is your enemy, and you attack them. You don’t think. You act. And then you make yourself look like the heroine. You’re not.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“I don’t know, but thanks to you, we have to find somewhere new to stay.”
She focused on his clenched fists.
And suddenly Chris realised that she was afraid of her son.
17
It was dark by the time they’d settled in Luke’s spare room. He’d helped them convert the sofa into a bed, and Sarah had immediately gone to sleep.
Anna drew the curtains closed before sitting down at the small, wooden desk. Papers were stacked next to a computer keyboard, and Anna realised this had been Luke’s office.
She set her torch down and covered it with a towel to dim the light.
They were safe.
By the time darkness had fallen, Sarah had finally relaxed, tentatively making jokes around the crackling fire.
Anna exhaled, letting the tension melt from her shoulders. She considered how fast the world had changed, and her thoughts drifted to Chris.
What would have happened if she’d believed Chris? If she hadn’t tried to poison her? Would they still be in her small flat on Fifth Avenue?
If John hadn’t robbed Chris, would she have let Sarah in?
Anna yawned, wondering if John had made it home or if he’d died, bleeding out in the street.
She traced the computer screen with her fingers. Two weeks ago, she could have searched the Internet for him. Now, she had no way of finding out.
Was Chris still alive? And Tom?
Had they gone back to her flat like she’d feared? Anna wondered if Chris had killed anyone else, then quickly dismissed that thought.
She was covered in his blood, Tom had said about his father. Anna would never forget the look on his face. He’d been terrified of Chris.
Stress did ugly things to a person’s sanity, and Anna felt a moment of pity for the woman. She’d stabbed Mike after he’d threatened Tom with a taser.
Anna wondered if Chris felt guilty.
She thought of Gus and Nellie. A part of her had wanted to kill Gus.
But she didn’t want to change. Didn’t want to turn into someone she no longer recognised. Didn’t want to lose herself.
If only Chris had let Sarah in. They could have healed together. Tom could have shared his grief, and he and his mother could have repaired their relationship.
And perhaps they could have gone back to bury his father. Together.
Anna opened her bag and removed the jar with her mother’s ashes and retrieved the photo of herself, her mother and her sister. She set it down on the desk and whispered, “We’re safer here.”
Anna sighed. She missed her flat. She absentmindedly stroked Oreo, raking her fingers through his soft fur. Letting her eyes wander around Luke’s office, she smiled. Of all the things she’d left behind, she missed her books the most.
And Luke’s walls were lined with bookshelves.
She stood and traced the spines with a finger. No dust. Luke took care of his books.
Sarah snored softly, and Anna turned around to look at her. A peaceful expression had settled on her sister’s face.
Luke knocked, opened the door a crack and peered around it. Upon seeing Sarah sleeping, he mumbled an apology, then whispered, “Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thank you for off
ering us a place to stay and a chance to prove ourselves.” Anna smiled at Luke. “I promise, we won’t let you down.”
Her mind foggy and confused, Chris stared up at the pale blue sky, the sun warming her face. Without remembering why, she followed Tom.
They were headed somewhere, but she didn’t know where.
Her son was walking two steps ahead, a desperate urgency underlining his brisk pace. His brown hair curled at his neck where it stuck to his sweaty skin. He was panting, and despite years of working on her feet as a nurse, she struggled to keep up with him.
Why are we running?
She couldn’t remember, only knew that she had to follow Tom. Her mind had splintered, her thoughts now jagged and incoherent. The fog pushed fleeting memories to the edges of her consciousness, leaving nothing but fragments.
Sweat trickled down her back where the weight of her rucksack pressed her damp shirt against her skin. She shivered.
A chocolate-coloured Labrador trotted along beside her son, his paws leaving footprints in the warm soil.
Someone yelled for them to stop, and Chris turned around. A tall boy with auburn hair caught up with them, breathing heavily. He skidded to a stop and doubled over, panting, hands on his thighs as he tried to catch his breath.
James. His name was James.
“I need to find my mum,” James said, ignoring Chris and looking at Tom. “You promised you’d come with me. We were going to bury your dad. My mum loves you. She’ll look after you. We’ll be safe with her.”
Tom wiped the sweat from his brows with the back of his hand. “You should stay here with your dad. He and Harry know what they’re doing. Tony wouldn’t lie, you know. He went looking for her, and he couldn’t find her. What makes you think you’d be able to?” Tom placed a hand on James’ arm. “It’s dangerous out there.”
“But you promised you’d come with me,” James repeated, his voice cracking. He looked lost, standing at the edge of the field, the tall grass reaching his knees. Giving Chris a long, pointed look, he added, “What are you going to do with her? She’s—”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let her hurt anyone else. Besides, she doesn’t remember anything. She’s hardly a danger in this state.”
Darkness Ahead of Us | Book 2 | Darkness Falling Page 16
