The late afternoon sun hung low on the horizon, its fat yellow orb raining warmth onto her shoulder blades. She appreciated the heat for it stilled the nervous tremor in her spine. Every bone in her body screamed at her to turn around and run, and it took everything she had not to do precisely that.
Unlike her friends, she didn’t trust Kevin or his companions. Not only that, but the memory of being surprised and taken hostage earlier brought a flush of humiliation to her cheeks. We should’ve been more careful.
This thought pulled Nadia to an abrupt stop. “Lisa, Cat…one thing before we walk into the lion’s den.”
They turned questioning faces to her.
“Earlier, when Kevin and his men surprised us, it could’ve been the end of us. They could’ve killed us, raped us, tortured us, any number of things.”
“But, they didn’t,” Cat protested. “We’ve talked about this.”
Nadia raised a hand for silence. “No, we haven’t. You talked about it, and I listened. Now it’s my turn.”
“All right. Go ahead,” Cat said.
“The point is, we need to be more careful. We can’t afford to make mistakes like that anymore. It was stupid and reckless. Out here it’s just us. Nobody is going to rescue us if we get into trouble. There’s no Max or Martin to save the day. No Logan.”
Silence reigned for a few seconds before Lisa nodded. “She’s right. I’ve been thinking it too, and I’m betting you have as well, Cat.”
“Yes, I have,” Cat said.
“Okay, from now on, no more slacking off. We’re survivors, fighters…we’re strong, so let’s act like it. Agreed?” Cat and Lisa nodded, their faces grim. “And once we’re in there, we keep our eye and our ears open. We don’t take anything for granted. I don’t care how nice these people seem to be.”
“All right. We’re with you on this. Lead the way,” Cat said, waving a hand at the hotel.
Nadia turned toward the building and eyed it with care. Earlier in the day, Lisa had explored the area around it, reporting that all the back and side alleys leading to it had been blocked and the windows boarded up. Clever. That leaves only one entrance. Except…
Nadia’s eyes shifted to the roof. If the hotel had roof access, that would provide an alternate escape route. One from which they could jump to the lower adjacent buildings. I’d better locate that exit the moment we’re inside, just in case.
Comforted by the knowledge that they’d not only prepped their own vehicle, but also another hidden one with fuel and supplies, she marched toward the door. It opened with a creak to reveal a smiling Kevin who immediately stuck out his hand again. “Good evening. I’m glad you decided to join us, after all.”
“Sure thing,” Nadia replied, ignoring the proffered hand.
After a while, he dropped it back to his side, but his smile never faltered as he ushered them inside. “Come on in. Welcome to our humble abode.”
Nadia entered the lobby with a careful tread, her head swiveling from side to side to take it all in. The entrance area was quite large and smelled of the furniture polish that gleamed from the wooden furniture and floors.
A woman waited at the far end, wiping her hands on a faded blue apron that covered the front of her summer dress. She looked to be in her forties and was short and buxom with blue eyes that twinkled from a round face.
“Well, hello, dear. Am I ever so glad to see you,” the woman cried, rushing forward to grip Nadia’s arm.
Startled, Nadia pulled away, her hands moving to her belt by instinct. Her fingers grabbed the handles of her t-bars, but she stopped when Lisa stepped up and took her arm in a restraining hold.
“What are you doing?” Lisa hissed in Nadia’s ear.
“What? She touched me,” Nadia whispered back.
Cat quickly joined them, her smile warm and reassuring as she greeted the same woman who’d so upset Nadia. “Good evening, ma’am. Nice to meet you too. Excuse my friend, she’s a little shy.”
The woman’s smile had faltered, only to return with blinding force at Cat’s words. “That’s quite all right. I understand. You can call me Thelma if you like.”
“Thank you, Thelma,” Cat replied while Nadia stood watching with wary caution.
Kevin closed the door behind them and ushered the girls into a large dining room where a long table had been set with gleaming silverware and porcelain plates. Candles burned in every corner, and the atmosphere was warm and cozy.
Not allowing herself to be lulled to complacency, Nadia chose a seat closest to the exit and sat down with her back to the wall. This allowed her a clear view of both the activity in the room and the door.
Cat and Lisa sat to her left, and for the next few minutes, they were fussed over by Thelma as she provided them with glasses of fresh water from a jug and linen napkins.
“Now you wait right here while I put the finishing touches on dinner. Kevin will keep you company in the meantime,” Thelma said.
“Can we help you with anything?” Cat offered, causing Nadia to roll her eyes. Always the polite one.
“Definitely not. You’re our guests tonight so sit back and enjoy,” Thelma said before scurrying away.
Kevin took the seat at the head of the table and smiled. “It’s nice to see new faces for once. We’ve been quite isolated since the apocalypse began.”
“How long have you been living here?” Nadia asked, interested despite herself.
“From the very beginning. It took a while for the outbreak to reach us, but when did, it moved fast, wiping out half the town within a day. The rest followed quickly.” Kevin shook his head, his expression one of deep sorrow. “I could never have imagined such a thing. The horror as families turned on one another. Friends, neighbors…”
A solemn silence fell over the room as each of them thought back to the beginning, remembering those first terrible days. For Nadia, the thing that stood out the most was all the blood. Fresh blood, old blood, diseased blood…blood everywhere.
Kevin forced another smile. “But let’s not think of such terrible things today. Here we are, safe and sound, and here you are. Survivors like us. Fighters.”
“Amen to that,” Nadia murmured, taking a sip of her water.
“As for earlier today, I really hope you can excuse my sons and me. We didn’t mean to scare you, but not all survivors are friendly these days.” He shook his head. “When order fell, all the cockroaches came crawling out of their holes.”
“Your sons?” Nadia asked.
“Oh, yes. Steward and Mannie are my two oldest boys.”
“Where are they?” she said, looking around. “I haven’t seen them yet.”
“They came back from a patrol a few minutes ago and are washing up,” Kevin said. “It pays to be careful.”
“I see,” Nadia said.
“Don’t worry. They’ll join us in a minute or two.”
“Do you have any other kids?” Cat asked.
“I had two more. A boy named Adam, and a girl, Lila. They didn’t survive the outbreak.” Kevin’s face sagged at the words, the lines around his mouth changing to deep crags.
“I’m sorry,” Nadia said, feeling a hint of genuine sympathy for the man.
Kevin pointed to a series of framed photos on the wall. “My wife insisted on hanging these. She says she wants something to remember them by, but I just want to forget. Does that make me a terrible person?”
Nadia stared at the photos for a few seconds. They depicted a happy family: Mom, Dad, and four smiling kids. All taken well before the apocalypse. “No, it doesn’t. It’s normal, I think to want to forget.”
Kevin sighed. “What’s normal these days? Nothing’s the same anymore.”
“I know what you mean,” Nadia replied feeling sorry for the man. They all had their pain, their regrets. Some more than others
Silence fell once more, broken only when Mannie and Steward walked in, damp hair gleaming in the candlelight. They each wore a fresh shirt and it was hard not to re
turn their broad smiled in kind.
“Good day,” they greeted before sitting down and reporting their findings on patrol to their father.
The news was good. It seemed all was quiet for the moment. Kevin and his family had been smart. In a town as small as this, the dead were fewer and didn’t present quite such a deadly threat. A year into the apocalypse, their numbers had been trimmed even more, and now it was merely a case of keeping it that way.
Nadia eyed both the sons and their father as they spoke with comfortable familiarity. She was finding it harder and harder not to trust the family, but remembered her words to Cat and Lisa earlier. Take nothing for granted.
“Are there any more of you?” she asked.
Kevin hesitated for a second. “Guess I might as well be straight with you since you were honest with us. There aren’t any others. It’s just the four of us.”
“There were more people here before,” Thelma spoke from the doorway, a steaming casserole dish in her hands. “Over time, they either left, looking for greener pastures, or died, becoming one of the undead.”
“I’m sorry,” Nadia said, a sentiment Lisa and Cat echoed.
“It’s all right, darlings. It’s not your fault,” Thelma said, placing the dish in the center of the table. “Now, let’s forget about all of that and enjoy a quiet meal.”
“I’ll say grace,” Kevin said, extending his hands.
As Nadia gripped the fingertips of Lisa and Stewart, bowing her head, she reflected that this was the closest to normal she’d ever come. Even before the apocalypse.
Chapter 5 - Lisa
For Lisa, dinner was a surreal affair. Not since the apocalypse had she had such a warm and quiet meal between normal people. For that’s what the Jenkins family turned out to be. Ordinary people trying to survive in extraordinary circumstances.
Sure, the food was less than stellar. Even a woman like Thelma could only do so much with canned and processed goods. But the conversation was excellent, and the relationship between Kevin, Thelma, and their kids was something to see. It awoke in Lisa a longing she had long since buried. A wish for a family of her own one day.
Lisa’s lips twisted. Such a thing was not to be, however. Not for her. Life had made sure of that. Life and the men who’d permanently damaged her womb. There’d never be children for her. It was one of the reasons she’d left St. Francis and joined Nadia. There was nothing there for her her. Nothing but lonely nights. I don’t belong there. I belong with Nadia…outcasts, both of us.
“Thank you, Thelma. That was lovely,” Lisa said once all their plates had been cleared. The food might not have been five stars, but it was warm and filling. A bonus in these times and something to be thankful for.
“Oh, it’s my pleasure, dear,” Thelma said, bustling around as she gathered up the empty plates.
“I’ll help you wash up,” Cat offered, disappearing into the adjoining kitchen with Thelma.
Kevin looked around the table with a smile. “I think this calls for a celebration. Steward, it’s time to crack the bottle.”
Stewards eyebrows raised. “Really?”
“Why don’t you bring it out with a tray of glasses, and I’ll propose a toast,” Kevin added.
“Sure thing, Dad.”
Steward left the room, only to return with the required glasses and a bottle of premium brandy.
Now it was Lisa’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “That stuff costs a fortune, and you’re wasting it on us?”
Kevin shrugged. “Why not? We haven’t had a night like this in ages. We haven’t even seen anyone in months. Anyone decent that is.”
“You’ve run into others, though?” Lisa asked. “Bad apples?”
“A few times. That’s why we’re so careful now.” Kevin grumbled in his throat. “The world is dying, yet some people think they can do whatever they want. Murder, rape, steal…no better then a bunch of savages.”
Lisa nodded. “It’s awful, I know.”
Kevin regarded Lisa with a raised eyebrow. “You girls need to be careful. You let us sneak up on you way too easily before,”Kevin added.
Nadia shot him an irritated glance. “That won’t happen again.”
Kevin flashed her a bland smile. “That’s good to know.”
Lisa could feel the tension racketing up across the table, and cleared her throat. “So? How’s about that toast?”
Kevin poured each of them a quarter glass filled with the honey brown liquid and passed it around. Thelma and Cat rejoined them, and they each raised their drink in the air.
“To new friends,” Kevin said.
“New friends,” they all echoed before taking a sip.
The amber brandy swirled around Lisa’s mouth, setting her taste buds alights. It was a heady sensation as the liquor burned its way down her esophagus to puddle in the pit of her stomach. A warm glow spread to her limbs, and each muscle in her body relaxed as the tensions of the past few days leeched away.
Cat coughed and shook her head, pushing the glass away. “Thanks, but I’m not much of a drinker.”
Nadia snorted, her eyes alight with mischief. “Yeah? Remember that one day we skipped school and sat in my bedroom drinking my mom’s whiskey? You enjoyed it then.”
Cat grimaced. “A bit too much, I should say. Remember later that night?”
Nadia laughed. “How could I forget? You puked all over my carpet, and when you got home, your mom grounded you for a month!”
Cat groaned. “Exactly. I’ve never been able to drink the hard stuff since then. Give me a cider or a beer shandy, rather.”
“Wuss,” Nadia crowed.
Genuine laughter spread around the table, and Lisa was glad to see Nadia so relaxed. Even she’d come to the conclusion that the Jenkins’ were all right. Maybe all she needs is a bit of genuine warmth and friendship. The brandy can’t hurt either.
“Why did you pick this place to hole up in?” Lisa asked.
“The hotel is well-built, and it didn’t take much to turn it into a fortress. We boarded up the windows, blocked the alleys, and thinned the crowds from the roof,” Kevin replied.
“So there is roof access,” Nadia said. “I thought as much.”
“Indeed. It houses a water tank too which should last a long time, and with gravity in play, it means working plumbing for us. A generator heats the water once a day, and the local gas station provides our fuel via a hand pump,” Kevin added.
“As for food, I grow vegetables on the roof, and the stores are pretty much ours to use as we see fit. The boys go on runs every week as well as daily patrols to keep infected away,” Thelma said. “So far, it works, but it’s a lonely existence. I miss my friends and other people to talk to, you know?”
Lisa nodded. “I get it.”
“But now you girls are here, and I’m so excited, I can hardly sit still,” Thelma said. “Please, tell me you’ll stay the night.” She looked at each of them in a pleading manner, her lips quivering with suppressed emotions.
Lisa longed to blurt out her acceptance of the kind invitation, but hesitated, looking from Cat to Nadia instead. Cat nodded, a smile playing on her lips, but Nadia said nothing. Instead, she frowned at her clasped hands on her laps.
“Nadia?” Lisa whispered. “Please.”
Nadia sighed before tossing back the remains of her brandy and shoving the empty glass toward Kevin. “Fine. We can stay, but only if I can have more of this.”
Kevin took her glass and filled it along with his own before offering the bottle around. “Why ever not? Might as well enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Not for me, thanks,” Thelma said. “I have to prepare rooms for the girls, and then I’ll make some coffee.”
“Sounds good,” Kevin replied, his gaze warm as it rested on his wife’s face.
“I’ll help,” Cat offered. “I’m not much for drinking anyway.”
The two left the room, and Lisa relaxed into her chair with a sigh. “I can go for a proper night’s sleep in a rea
l bed.”
“Have you been on the road all this time?” Kevin asked.
“A few weeks,” Lisa hedged, not willing to reveal they were they were from just yet.
“Must be tough.”
Nadia grabbed her glass and took a sip. “Not really. We had fun times too, and as long as I can have that hot bath you were talking about earlier, I’m good.”
Kevin laughed. “I put the geyser on especially for you girls this afternoon. It should be piping hot by now.”
“You knew we were going to stay?” Nadia asked, her tone rising in pitch to match her flushed cheeks.
“Nadia, please,” Lisa said, flashing her friend a warning glance.
“Let’s just say…I hoped,” Kevin replied.
“We all did,” Steward said, smiling at her while his brother Manny nodded into his glass.
Nadia subsided with a huff, and silence descended as they all finished their drinks. It wasn’t long before Thelma walked in carrying a tray of coffee and packaged biscuits.
“Here you go, my lovelies. Nice and hot,” Thelma said. “Your beds are ready too.”
“Thanks,” Lisa said, helping herself to a chocolate chip cookie and a cup of coffee. It wasn’t long before her lids started to droop.
Cat blinked at her cup, while Nadia eschewed the coffee in favor of more brandy. It wasn’t long before her head began nodding too, and Lisa feared they’d all fall asleep where they sat.
Thelma noticed the state they were in and called it a night, hustling them all to bed. “Come on. Time to rest.”
Lisa paused by Kevin’s side on the way out. “Thank you for everything. It was very kind of you and your family.”
“It was my pleasure, Lisa, and I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he said.
“I’m sorry about Nadia too. She has…issues.”
“No, it’s okay, Lisa. I get it,” Kevin said. “It’s actually good of her not to trust us and to be so steadfast in her opinion. It might save your lives one day,” Kevin said before disappearing up the stairs.
Lisa followed Thelma and the girls to the room they’d share, thankful they’d be sleeping together. With Nadia’s neuroses, it was better that way, though Kevin’s comment did stick in her head. He was right. Nadia was entitled to her distrust and had good reason for it. She just had to learn when to let go of it and when not to.
Children of the Apocalypse: Mega Boxed Set Page 121
