“Here you go, dearies. This is your bedroom. There’s a bathroom attached to it, and I stocked it with whatever you might need. As you’ve probably noticed, we use candles. The generator is mostly there to heat the water once a day so we can save on fuel.” Thelma pointed at the beds. “There’s a mini fridge too with bottled water and snacks, though it’s not cold.”
“That’s okay,” Lisa replied. “This is more than any of us could’ve hoped for.”
Thelma beamed. “I’ll see you at breakfast, I hope. Don’t be late, and sleep tight.”
“Thanks again.“ Lisa closed the door with a soft click, gratified to spot a key in the lock. She turned it, sealing them inside before turning to Cat and Nadia. “Happy?”
Cat threw herself down on one of the single beds with a whoop of joy, giggling when the feather duvet exploded around her. “Of course!”
Nadia flopped down on a chair and pulled off her boots, wiggling her toes in the air with groan of relief. “Me too.”
“Good. Who wants to bath first?” Lisa asked.
“Me,” Cat cried, scrambling off the bed and sprinting to the bathroom with the speed of a gazelle being chased by a lion.
Lisa watched her with a shake of the head before falling onto her own bed. The soft mattress enveloped her tired muscles, and her body seemed to melt into the blankets. “Ah, this feels good.”
“You’re telling me.” Nadia walked past, and Lisa’s ears perked to the sound of liquid sloshing around in a bottle. She sat upright in time to see Nadia sipping neat brandy from the bottle and gasped. “Did you steal that?”
“Yup,” Nadia replied with a nonchalant shrug. “So I did. There’s still half a bottle left. Want some?”
“No!” Lisa glared at the girl. “You shouldn’t have done that. They’re our hosts.”
“So? They won’t miss it. You saw for yourself. They’re good people.” Nadia lay back on her bed and took another big swig. “Too good to get drunk.”
Her tone was bitter, and Lisa searched for the right thing to say. “Nadia. What’s up with you? You’re not yourself. You haven’t been for a while now.”
“What the hell would you know?” Nadia asked, her tongue slurring the words as the potent alcohol took effect. “You don’t know me. Not the real me.”
“Tell me what’s wrong,” Lisa insisted. “How can I help you if you won’t let me in?”
Nadia stared at her for a second, her turquoise eyes as striking as ever against her pale skin. “That’s just it. You can’t help me. No one can.”
Lisa watched in horror as Nadia upended the bottle, her throat working as she swallowed the last of the brandy before letting the empty container slip to the floor. She turned her back on Lisa, curling up into a little ball. Not long after, soft snores indicated she’d fallen asleep.
The bathroom door opened and a ball of steam billowed into the room followed by Cat dressed in a fluffy nightgown, her hair wrapped in a towel. She stopped short when she noticed the empty bottle and sleeping Nadia.
“What’s going on? What did she do?” Cat asked.
“She stole the bottle and drank it all before passing out,” Lisa replied. “I really don’t know what we’re going to do with her. She’s angry and bitter.”
Cat sighed and sat down on a chair. “I was afraid of this. Nadia’s always been what you’d call…troubled. I don’t blame her. Not with her family history, but…I don’t want to see her go the same way as her mom.”
“Her mom?”
“A drunk and an addict.”
“I see.”
“Nadia’s little brother Bobby drowned when he was little because her mom had passed out. She had a string of shitty step-fathers too. Each worse than the last. Now, with Caleb and Logan gone, and her a carrier…it doesn’t look good for her.”
Lisa eyed the sleeping Nadia with a frown. “Talk to her in the morning, won’t you? You’re her best friend. See if you can get some sense into her head.”
Cat nodded. “I’ll try. God knows, I’ll try.”
Chapter 6 - Cat
The next day, Cat waited for Nadia to wake, hoping to get a moment to talk to her. As luck would have it, though, she never got the chance. Not only did Nadia avoid being alone with either her or Lisa, but she also jumped at the opportunity to go on patrol with Manny and Steward.
Cat reluctantly watched her friend go off with the two boys, worry gnawing at her stomach. “This is bad.”
“Maybe patrolling all day will be good for her. She can work off some of that anger,” Lisa said with a shrug.
“Maybe,” Cat said though privately she doubted it. She knew her friend, and Nadia was too far gone for something as simple as activity to bring her back from the edge. “I’m keeping an eye on her, anyway. I’ll know the moment something’s wrong.”
Luckily, Kevin never mentioned the stolen brandy, preferring to pretend nothing had happened, a fact Cat appreciated. Instead, he welcomed the girls with open arms, giving them the run of the hotel and making them a part of its daily routine.
While Nadia went on patrols, and Lisa worked with Kevin to improve their defenses, Cat helped Thelma with her rooftop garden. It was a chore she much enjoyed. Being out in the open air and sun without worrying about infected sneaking up on her was a novel feeling. With the wind in her hair and dirt between her fingers, she planted, pruned, weeded, and watered the precious crops.
The vegetables and herbs provided welcome relief from the bland store foods Nadia and the boys took from the neighboring shops, and whenever they had time, Thelma taught her how to use the plants for medicine.
The days passed slowly, slipping by in a never-ending cycle of working, eating, bathing, cleaning, and sleeping. Cat settled in with ease, allowing the routine to bring balance back to her life. Her former fears and anxieties melted away, and though she still missed her friends back in St. Francis, she knew they were safe and protected.
Lisa likewise appeared to fit in well, and her serious manner gave way for more light and laughter. She got on well with the Jenkins family, especially Kevin, and he took it upon himself to teach all of them everything he knew about guns and self-defense, which was quite a bit. Many an hour was spent cleaning weapons and sparring against each other as he trained them.
Suppers were a hearty affair, a time when all of them could sit down and relax. It turned out Steward could tell a mean story while Manny had a stash of jokes hidden away as long as his arm. Kevin’s wealth of general knowledge and Thelma’s kind manner added to the atmosphere, one rich with warmth.
During this period, even Nadia seemed to shed most of her hostility and anger, though she remained quiet and withdrawn. This worried Cat, and one night, she approached Nadia who stood on the edge of the roof around sunset, watching the streets below with a somber expression.
“How are you doing?” Cat asked.
“Okay,” Nadia said with a shrug.
“No, I mean, how are you really doing?”
“I’m fine, Cat.” Nadia’s shoulders grew stiff, and she wrapped her arms around her torso. “What do you want?”
“I’m worried about you, that’s all.”
“Don’t be.”
“Why are you acting like this?” Cat protested. “I’m your friend.”
“I don’t need any more preaching, okay?” Nadia said. “I’ve done what you and Lisa wanted. Isn’t that enough?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m still here, aren’t I? Even though I hate it. I’m behaving. No drinking, cutting, or acting out.”
“You don’t like it here? Why didn’t you say so?” Cat asked.
“Because you and Lisa are happy here. Even though you don’t belong. None of us do.”
“How so?”
Nadia turned on Cat. “Look. You can pretend all you want that you’re part of this…this family, but it’s an illusion. You didn’t stay at St. Francis because you knew it wasn’t for you. The same applies here.”
“But�
��”
“You can lie to yourselves if you have to, you and Lisa, but I know better. We don’t belong here. Our place is out there.” Nadia flung her hand over the horizon, her movements wild. “Doing something.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Something important. More than just sitting around and eating our heads off.” Nadia shook her head. “It’s the only way any of this makes sense. The people we’ve lost…everything.”
“I didn’t know you felt that way,” Cat said.
“Well, now you do,” Nadia said before stalking back inside the hotel with swift strides.
Cat was left perturbed by Nadia’s words. Was she right? Were they fooling themselves? Trying to live normal lives in this hotel with the Jenkins?
She let Nadia be after that, still mulling over the questions raised by their conversation. Sure, she’d left St. Francis out of loyalty to her friend, but also because she’d felt restless, like her life was meant to be lived elsewhere. Lisa had felt the same, and now they were here, playing house with the Jenkins.
“What’s wrong, dear?” Thelma asked the following afternoon as they weeded the herb garden. “I can tell something’s bothering you.”
“It’s Nadia. She’s not happy here.”
“Ah, yes. I already know that, dear.”
“She thinks we’re fooling ourselves by staying here, acting like everything’s okay, when in truth we don’t play well in groups.”
“And are you? Fooling yourselves?”
Cat stared at Thelma. “I don’t know. I mean, I like it here.”
“But?”
“I still feel restless. Like there’s more out there for me.”
“Is that why you left your old home?” Thelma asked.
“That, and because I wanted to help Nadia too. She’s had a rough time lately. Very rough.”
Thelma was silent for a bit before saying, “Well, friends and family are important, and they should always look out for each other. Especially now.”
Cat nodded.
“But you also have a responsibility toward yourself and your own happiness. If that means staying here, you should.”
“And if it means going?” Cat asked.
“Then I won’t stop you, dear. None of us will,” Thelma said with a sad smile.
“Thank you. Your support means a lot to me, Thelma.”
“No problem, dear. You’ll always be welcome in my home.”
Later that night, Cat posed the question to Lisa. Nadia had passed out early, her figure forming a slight hump in the bed next to theirs. Faint snores emitted from her region, and Cat was confident she wouldn’t wake.
“So what do you think?” Cat asked, squeezing the excess water out of her hair with a damp towel. “Is she right?”
Lisa frowned, slipping a pair of summer pajamas over her head before crawling into her bed. “Well, yes. This was only ever temporary. This isn’t our home. In that case, I’d rather go back to St. Francis.”
Cat blinked, taken aback. “But you looked so happy, I assumed you liked it here and wanted to stay.”
“Of course I like it here. They’re nice people, and Kevin’s been teaching us a lot of stuff we can use. Stuff we’ll need on the road.”
“So you’re using him?”
“Not using. I’m learning from him, and he knows that. We never said we’d stay,” Lisa said before gazing intently at Cat. “Do you want to stay? Is that what this is really about?”
Cat’s mouth opened, but she didn’t know what to say. Was it?
“Because if you want to stay, you can, Cat. You’re a grown woman. You can make your own decisions,” Lisa continued. “I’ll be sad to see you go, though.”
“I don’t know,” Cat admitted. “I like it here. I like the people. It’s warm and cozy. Safe.”
Nadia stirred in her bed before rolling around. Her eyes peeked at them over the edge of the duvet. “Safety is an illusion, Cat. Remember that. It’s the zombie apocalypse. Nowhere is truly safe anymore. Even places like St. Francis carry risks.”
“I guess you’re right,” Cat said.
“I go on patrols with Manny and Steward every day. Trust me, the dead are out there. Waiting.”
With those comforting words ringing in her ears, Cat climbed into her own bed and prayed for sleep that never came. The next morning before sunrise, she finally gave up and got up.
A bit of cold water soothed her puffy eyes, and she dragged her hair into a ponytail before setting off in search of coffee. Thelma was up already, cooking porridge on the gas stove for breakfast.
“Morning, dear. Up so early?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” Cat said. “I need coffee.”
“Over there. Grab a cup.”
“Thanks,” Cat mumbled, nursing the hot brew between her palms while stifling yet another yawn.
After breakfast, she went about her usual chores, albeit without her usual cheer. Instead, she was preoccupied with thoughts of death and the infected.
“Are you all right, dear? Not coming down with something, are you?” Thelma asked at one point, clearly worried.
“No, I’m fine, it’s just…I feel like something’s wrong,” Cat said, rubbing a hand over her forehead.
“Wrong?” Thelma asked, her bright button eyes fixed on Cat’s face. “In what way?”
Cat shook her head. “I’m not sure. It’s just a feeling.”
“I think you should lie down for a bit and rest. You must be tired,” Thelma said, pointing at the stairs. “I’ll bring up a cup of chamomile tea to soothe you and help you sleep.”
“Thank you,” Cat said, making her way toward the stairs. She was barely halfway, though, when the front door burst open, and she paused. “What the―”
Nadia blew inside like a whirlwind, her face even paler than usual. “Thelma. Kevin. Please, hurry!”
Steward followed behind her, half carrying a wounded Manny who bled heavily from a wound on his neck. A cloth was pressed to it, but already the blood had seeped through, staining his chest and shirt with crimson.
Cat gasped and ran toward them, but Nadia stopped her. “Don’t. He’s been bitten.”
Cold fear raced through Cat’s veins, and her eyes jumped from Manny to the open door behind him. Nadia slammed it shut and bolted it before turning back to her. “Don’t worry. There aren’t more coming. It was just…” Her eyes fixed on Manny’s grey visage and she blanched. “Just the one.”
Thelma stormed forward with Kevin close on her heels and together, they rushed Manny up the stairs. Steward followed, but only after asking them to stay below and wait. Family would take care of family. For the first time in days, Cat felt like an outsider.
After a few moments, Lisa joined them at the bottom of the stairs, and together they waited. An ancient clock on the wall ticked by the minutes, each seeming longer than the last. Cat wrung her hands together on her lap, expecting the inevitable, yet fearing it.
When the gunshot finally came, it sounded unnaturally loud in the close confines of the old hotel, and she jumped at the sound.
It was over.
Manny was dead.
Chapter 7 - Nadia
“What happened to my boy?” Thelma asked, her face swollen with tears, her voice thick with grief.
They all sat around the kitchen table nursing a shot of whiskey from a bottle Kevin had dug out of the cabinet behind the old bar. Ordinarily off-limits to everyone and locked behind solid oak doors, today, everyone needed a shot.
Nadia glanced at Steward who met her gaze with saddened eyes. He appeared to have aged overnight, his face worn with sorrow. Deep furrows cut through the skin on either side of his mouth.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. We were out on patrol as always. Everything was quiet. We were walking along, and I guess we weren’t paying as much attention as we should’ve, because we rounded a corner, and this infected man just jumped on Manny. It…it happened so fast. I tried to stop him, but…” He stumbled in
to silence and buried his face in his hands.
“We…I…we tried to help him, we did, but it was too late. The zombie had already bitten Manny, so we ran back here carrying him,” Nadia added. “I tried to stop the bleeding, but there was so much. I’m sorry.”
Thelma buried her face in her arms, sobbing, while Kevin patted her back. He looked from his son to Nadia, and she squirmed beneath his gaze before stilling herself with an effort of will.
“Is that what happened? All of it?” he asked.
“Yes, Sir,” Nadia said meeting his eyes with her own and setting her lips in a firm line. “All of it.”
Steward nodded again, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “That’s it, Dad, and I’m sorry. I should’ve protected him, I…it’s my fault.”
“No, it’s okay. I believe you, and it’s not your fault, but this is exactly the sort of thing I’ve warned you all about over and over again.” Kevin leaned forward, placing his arms on the table. “You can’t let your guard down. Not ever. It’s too dangerous, and now your brother’s paid the price.”
Nadia lowered her eyes, staring at her hands, the nails bitten to the quick. Kevin’s voice faded to a distant murmur as he continued to preach his warnings to the table while Thelma’s crying created a background orchestra to the pain and guilt she felt. Guilt she knew Steward felt as well, for everything he’d told his dad, everything she’d corroborated…was a lie.
Yes, they had been on patrol, but not on the regular routes laid out and approved by Kevin. Instead, the trio had been branching out, going further and further from the hotel in the past few days looking for action and adventure.
Nor had the infected surprised them from around the corner of a building. No, they found it wandering about, and instead of killing it straight away, they decided to bait it, to play with it. It’d been her idea to torment the zombie and get a measure of revenge for Logan. My idea and look what happened. One mistake, and Manny is dead. This is all my fault.
Children of the Apocalypse: Mega Boxed Set Page 122
