“They were up here,” I said scratching my elbow.
Nick turned sharply. “What do you mean?”
“They passed by the room. Then we saw them in the yard,” I said.
“I saw them in the yard,” Blair said as if making that distinction was important.
“Do they know you’re up here?” Nick asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
“Did you hear them say anything else?” Jamie asked.
“Not much. Their base is nearby, they’re gathering shit, but other than that they worked rather quietly,” Nick said, turning to me. “We’re going to have to get out of here. I really don’t think it’s safe here.”
“We don’t know anything about them. Why are we just assuming they’re bad guys?” I asked.
Nick’s mouth dropped open. “You heard what happened to that guy. I don’t want that to happen to you, me, or any of us.”
“We heard a gunshot, we don’t know if they killed that guy. Maybe they brought him back to their base or whatever,” I said, but I didn’t believe the words. Deep in my gut, I was nearly certain the men had shot that guy even though we hadn’t seen it.
“Sure, anything is possible I suppose, but it’s not really a risk we should take. Those weapons they’re carrying are serious shit. Probably not even something they got from the gun shop down the road,” Nick said.
My eyes shifted over to Maggie. She’d barely moved since they’d been back.
I leaned closer to Nick. “We can’t just leave her here. Besides, we’re not ready. Did you find any weapons?”
“Just more steak knives,” Bronx said.
“If we get out of the city,” Nick said pounding his fist to his palm.
“If?” Jamie said with a snort.
Nick glared at him. “When we get out, we won’t have to worry about them.”
“Maybe we should just take what we have and get out of here,” Bronx said with his hands on his hips. “We packed up a good amount of food and water.”
I stepped back away from the group. The intensity and desperation weren’t allowing my thoughts to come together to form a cohesive thought. Everything in my mind was a jumbled mess.
“Okay,” I said crossing my arms. “There are still things we need to get in order.”
“Like what?” Nick asked.
“You weren’t here when we packed up, you should find a bag and fill it before those guys take everything of use,” I said twisting my fingers together.
Nick’s head bobbed up and down quickly. “I can do that. Is that it?”
“Maggie,” I whispered, swallowing hard.
“I’ll talk to her,” Bronx said.
Before he could step away, the wind picked up and slammed the branches of the nearby tree into the window. The wind howled and screeched, and the window rattled.
I walked over to the window and carefully peered out. The dark maroon colored clouds hung low as they sped through the sky.
“A storm,” I said jumping back when the branch whipped into the window in front of me. It looked like gnarled fingers reaching out for me. “A big one I guess.”
The treetops danced around ferociously bending this way and that. Nick looked out the other side of the window, I could see the red sky reflecting in his eyes.
“This looks like the kind of storm when they usually tell you to go to your basement,” Nick said.
“There is no basement,” I said, not that it would have mattered. We wouldn’t have gone if there had been. “We should probably stay away from the windows.”
Nick nodded, but he didn’t step back. “Definitely.”
I sighed as I turned away from the window. Bronx was sitting next to Maggie, talking softly to her. She had her back to the wall, and her knees pulled up close to her chest. It didn’t look as though she were listening to whatever it was he was saying.
Rain started to pound against the window as I walked toward the kitchen. It was crazy how I hadn’t realized how small my apartment was before this point.
“Holy shit,” Nick said, looking at us over his shoulder. There was a fear in his eyes I hadn’t seen before.
“What?”
“Funnel cloud,” Nick said pressing both of his palms to his head.
I charged back toward the window and moved the curtain back without thinking. It wasn’t very likely that the men in gas masks would be down there during a storm like this anyway.
Debris was flying through the air as the twister ripped through the city. When I saw a car fly through the air and land in our backyard, I knew we were in trouble.
“Away from the window!” I said waving my arms frantically.
Nick grabbed my arm. “Hallway?”
“I don’t know,” I said shaking my head.
I grabbed Jamie’s hand and pulled him into the kitchen. He copied me as I ducked down behind the island.
The others squeezed in on either side of us just as the building started to shake. Jamie wrapped his arm over my shoulder and tilted me forward, setting his body slightly over mine.
Noises of things crashing outside caused my body to shudder and shake. With each noise, I thought the building was going to collapse.
Blair stood and screamed when a painting fell off the wall. Nick placed both hands on her shoulders and held her down. The wind was so loud I could barely hear him as he tried to calm her down.
It sounded like a plane was about to crash into the building. Something inside another apartment made a loud noise, and it felt as though the building was going to be sucked into the earth.
And then it stopped. As quickly as it had approached, it was gone.
We all stayed still, afraid it would start all over again if we moved.
“Stay here,” Nick said squeezing Blair’s shoulders before he stood. “I’ll check it out.”
We all stood, but none of us moved out of the kitchen. I stared at Nick as he cautiously walked across the floor toward the thankfully still intact window.
“Jesus Christ,” he said, raking his fingers through his hair. “Its… its….”
We all made our way over to the window. Blair dug her fingers into Bronx’s shoulder as she followed him.
Instead of competing for a view at my living room window, I turned toward my bedroom pulling Jamie along with me. We peeked out between the slats of my blinds, and I couldn’t hold in my gasp.
The yard was a mess. There were random pieces of wood and metal debris covering the yard. A tree had been uprooted and apparently thrown into the building. The tree that had been near my window had crashed into the side of the building and looked as though it had caused some damage.
“We’re going to check out the building,” Nick said from just outside my bedroom door.
“I’m coming with you,” I said stepping away from Jamie. I didn’t glance back in his direction because I knew he’d try to stop me.
“We’ll be right back,” Nick said to the others as he peeked out of the peephole.
I reached into my pocket and checked to make sure I had my key. We stepped into the hallway and froze before we’d even had a chance to close the door.
The far end of the apartment building where Jamie’s apartment had been wasn’t there any longer. Wood boards stretched out across the hallway, but between them, I could see the red sky and the rain as it fell down in heavy sheets.
“Let’s take a look that way,” Nick said jerking his chin over my shoulder.
I’d rarely gone down that end of the hallway. When I’d left the building, I always walked past Jamie’s apartment, down the stairs, and out to the parking lot. Now, there was no way to get through.
The floor seemed to squeak loudly as we crept down the messy hall. There was so much scattered junk I could barely find a square of the patterned carpet. It was like all the building materials from the destroyed end of the apartment were sucked into the building.
I followed Nick down the stairs to the first floor. The exit I’
d almost never used was blocked by a tree, and I could already see down the hall that the damage on the other end had been extensive.
It hadn’t just been the end of the hallway by Jamie’s apartment that had been destroyed. It was the whole side of the apartment.
There was no way out.
Sixteen
Jamie scratched the stubble on his chin. “This is good though right? That also means there’s no way in.”
“I still want to get to my grandma,” I said softly, avoiding his eyes.
“Yeah, I know, but we can take our time and prepare first,” Jamie said.
Bronx crossed his arms in front of his broad chest. “We’re nearly ready.”
“What about weapons?” Jamie asked.
Nick shook his head. “Now that we’re trapped inside that doesn’t seem likely. Unless we can find something in the remaining apartments, but honestly, I don’t know how safe this building is. I’m not sure we should be wandering around.”
“You know,” I said, smacking my hands down on the kitchen counter, “I could really use a mental break from all of this. I’m freaking exhausted. Can we figure this out later?”
The silence that filled the room chilled my spine. They all stared at me, and all of the eyes focused on me pinched my nerves.
“I’m sorry,” I said releasing a breath, hoping they’d turn away. “We’ve kind of all been through a lot. I just need to gather my thoughts.”
I stepped around Bronx and walked toward my room. Without looking, I knew all their eyes were still on me. I could feel it.
“I’m sure grandma is fine,” Nick said as I stepped in my doorway. “Storm was miles away from her.”
“Maybe I’m not fine,” I said, and I closed the door behind me.
My room was dark, with the faint hue of red splashing against my walls. The worst of the storm had passed, but the clouds still covered the sky. Rain was still coming down, showing no signs of easing up.
First, I sat down on my bed, but when that didn’t relax me, I laid down. My body was so tense every muscle ached.
The more I tried to relax, the tighter everything felt. My head hurt, and if it hadn’t meant going into the other room, I would have taken some headache medicine. But getting up and going out there would have only made everything tighten up more.
I wasn’t sure how much time had gone by, but I was startled by a light knock at the door. I sat up wondering if I had dozed off.
“Yes?” I said my voice a little rough.
“Hey,” Jamie said peeking his head inside. “I was just wondering if I could get you anything. You skipped dinner.”
“I did?” My room was pitch black except for the small amount of candlelight coming in the doorway.
A muscle in my neck twitched, and I winced. I tried to rub away the pain, but it only pulled the muscle harder.
“You okay?” Jamie asked in a soft voice as if worried the others might hear his question.
“Kink,” I said, digging my knuckle into my flesh.
“Here, let me help,” Jamie stepped into the room, leaving the door open a crack to allow the light inside.
He sat down on the bed next to me, his hands warmed my skin as he slid them over my shoulders. My body didn’t relax under his touch if anything it made me even more tense.
“Relax,” he said softly into my ear.
“Sorry, I’m trying… I’ve been trying.” Fingertips dug into the knot in my neck. “Oh, right there.”
“Here?” he asked, and I nodded. My head tipped back, and my body felt like jelly.
“Yeah, that’s the spot. That’s amazing. Where did you learn how to do that?”
Jamie chuckled. “I pulled a lot of muscles lifting heavy boxes.”
“You’re supposed to lift with your knees.” The words floated out of my mouth like little fluffy clouds.
I could feel Jamie’s breath lightly dancing across my neck. It felt cool against the warmth of my skin.
I turned slightly, and his hands stopped. Our faces were inches apart. Everything inside me tensed up again although this time it wasn’t painful.
His eyes were on my lips and mine on his. He wasn’t moving, but I wanted him to kiss me.
“A-hem,” Nick said, as he pushed open the door.
Jamie backed away and folded his hands in his lap. His back was stiff. All traces of the moment popped like a pin to a balloon.
“Oh, hey sorry,” Nick said. “Was just checking in. Wanted to see if I can get you anything.”
“I’m fine,” I said pressing my lips together. “You don’t need to worry about me. It’s my apartment.”
“Right, sorry. Just worried about my little sister you know,” Nick said tapping the door with his knuckle. “I’ll let you get back to it then. Door closed?”
The knot in my neck instantly returned as did my headache. I should have known that it wasn’t from what I’d gone through, it was because of Nick.
“Just go, Nick,” I said, and Nick closed the door tightly leaving Jamie and me in the complete darkness. I turned toward him, but I wasn’t sure I was looking at him it was so dark. “I’m so sorry about that.”
“It’s fine.” The bed squeaked as he got up. “I should go.”
“You don’t have to,” I said reaching out, but grabbing nothing but air. “My brother is an ass.”
Jamie chuckled, and I wished I could see the little wrinkles by his eyes. “Well I’m not going to argue with that, but I really should get back out there.”
“Oh, okay,” I said hoping the disappointment I was feeling hadn’t been noticeable in the tone of my voice.
I wasn’t even sure why I was feeling disappointed. There were so many other things I needed to be worrying about. I wasn’t even sure I understood what exactly I was feeling for Jamie.
All I’d known was how badly I wanted him to kiss me. It was apparent he hadn’t felt the same. He simply cared about me the same way he’d care about anyone he’d considered a friend.
“Hey,” Jamie said touching the side of my head in the darkness. “There you are.”
His hand slid down my shoulder until he found my hand. He pulled me to my feet.
“This is hard for me to say, but if things were different… it’s not right for us to be in here, and them out there, no matter how badly I wanted to kiss you.”
My chest squeezed inward as my breath caught in my throat. I felt him inching closer. I could feel his warmth even though our bodies weren’t touching.
“But we can’t hide out in here, while everything falls apart out there,” Jamie said.
I swallowed hard trying to find the right words to say. But I couldn’t find them.
“We don’t have to hide,” I said taking a step forward, stopping when my body touched his.
“It’s complicated.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” I said, looking up, struggling to make out the outline of his face.
Jamie’s body stiffened, and then I couldn’t feel him anymore. I heard him as he felt around the room searching for the door.
“Are you sure I can’t get you anything?” he asked as the door opened allowing the light back inside. His face was angled down, refusing to look at me.
“I’ll get something myself,” I said hugging my middle as I turned away.
“Okay, well if you need anything just let me know.”
My jaw stiffened. I turned back to tell him I could take care of myself and that I didn’t need him or Nick worrying about me, but he was gone.
Seventeen
I could hear Bronx and Nick talking in the kitchen. They were discussing going through the bags to make sure we’d have everything we needed. After they’d carefully go through the apartments, they could gather up any last-minute items.
When we were ready, we’d break a window and head out to my grandma’s. Nick was making plans without me. Without input from any of us. I wasn’t at all surprised.
I sat up on my bed and leaned forward until I c
ould see them in the kitchen. I was surprised when Jamie leaned forward resting his palms on the edge of the counter.
“What about Maggie?” Jamie asked.
“We had a good talk, and she says she’s ready whenever we are,” Bronx said.
Nick’s voice was soft. “Now we just need to convince my sister.”
I exhaled slowly. If Maggie was truly ready, then I guess it was time to go.
Maybe I’d been making excuses. Even though I wanted to go, I was afraid of what it was going to be like. Hidden inside my apartment just felt safer.
With what happened between Jamie and me, I was ready. At least I would be ready once we were sure we had everything we needed because it was still going to be a long walk. It was probably safe to bet that none of us had ever walked seventy-five miles before.
It would be better at my grandma’s, but I was worried about the part in between. Once we got far enough away that I didn’t have to worry about the men in gas masks, things would be okay.
After my awkward moment with Jamie, I just wanted to get away. He probably thought I was a desperate loser with how I’d acted.
I tried to shake the memory from my head as I closed the door to change. Might as well go out there and let them all know I was on board.
Nick and Bronx were already going through the bags when I stepped out of my room. They hadn’t even seemed to notice me standing there watching them.
After a few minutes, Nick must have caught a glimpse of me out of the corner of his eye. “Oh, hey sis, we’re just double checking our supplies.”
“I heard,” I said, as I loosely crossed my arms in front of my chest.
“How much did you hear?” Nick stood.
“Probably most,” I said taking a quick glance over my shoulder. Maggie was curled up on the floor staring into space. “You sure she’s ready for this? It’s a long walk. A really, really long walk.”
Bronx nodded. “Getting away from here will help.”
“She said that?” I asked softly.
“She did,” Bronx said looking up at me as he zipped a bag. He stood up and came over to me. “I think getting away from this place will be good for all of us. And not just because it could crumble to the ground at any moment.”
The Red Sky Series Box Set Page 9
