Dead Of Winter (The Rift Book II)

by Robert J. Duperre

  “I’m trying to be,” he groaned.

  “No, you’re not. You’re treating her like a convenience. You feel bad, she makes you feel better. You got a problem, she fixes it. But it’s like pulling teeth the other way around. I mean, you’re everything to her, and sometimes you treat her like she doesn’t exist.”

  “That’s not true. I just get…depressed sometimes.”

  “Fine. Everyone does. But you…you’ve got a self-destructive streak a mile long, buddy. So snap out of it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I need you.”

  He leaned back and stared at her, wide-eyed. “Excuse me?”

  “Not in that way. I need you to be there, to be strong. You’re the one folks look up to, you know. They might fight you, but in the end everyone trusts your choices. You gotta be strong. You gotta man up. You gotta, well, get over yourself.”

  Josh leaned forward and chuckled. “You said ‘man up’” he said.

  This elicited a laugh from her, as well. “That’s right. And it’s all I have to say right now.” With that she stood up and headed for the door.

  When she stepped inside she paused and turned back to him one more time. “By the way,” she said, “I might not love him now, but I think I’m headed in that direction. And honestly, it’s something I look forward to. I think you should, too.”

  He stood up and followed her in, this time not allowing his eyes to watch her ass as she walked. He headed straight for Kyra, knelt on the floor, and leaned into the couch. He stared at her sleeping face for a long while, contemplating what Jess had said.

  “I have to appreciate you,” he whispered. “I promise I’ll try.”

  He removed Meghan, positioned her on the other end of the couch, and wrapped his arm around the woman carrying his child. He still wasn’t sure what he felt but he at least took comfort in her presence. Jess was right. He was using her. Even when he’d acquiesced when finding out about the pregnancy it had been because it was convenient to do so, not because he actually felt it. Shame smothered him. In reply he lay down beside his lover, clutched her tight in his arms, and allowed the steady rise and fall of her breathing to carry him off to sleep.

  * * *

  “We can’t stay,” Josh said. Afternoon sunlight poured in through the windows. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the requisite hollers of disapproval but none came. The only sounds were the laughter and bickering of the children, who were in the other room eating lunch. When he looked at his troupe again, gathered in the house he’d spent the night in, they simply stared back. Their expressions were blank.

  “Okay, wasn’t expecting that.”

  Luanda stood up. Josh braced for a tirade. She surprised him by not lashing out; instead, she put her hands together and started clapping.

  “Bravo,” she said.

  “So…you don’t have reservations?” he asked.

  Luanda creased her forehead. “Just one. How are we going to do it?”

  “Do what?”

  “Leave.”

  “Well, I hadn’t really thought of that.”

  “It would be nice to get that plan in order before we head out,” she said sarcastically.

  Josh winced. “C’mon, Lu. I wasn’t gonna just start walking. Of course we need a plan. That’s why I asked everyone over. So we can get everyone on the same page.”

  She nodded before sitting down again. “Good.”

  Josh paced back and forth. He didn’t know what to say or which direction to steer them. He felt like he always did, like he was doing things by the seat of his pants. Even the decision to call everyone together had been spur-of-the-moment. He’d stepped outside, seen the sun shining overhead, and decided it was time was right to consider moving on. He never stopped to think of how they could pull it off.

  “Let’s see,” he mumbled. “We obviously can’t walk. Too much distance between here and there, and the kids can’t take it…and Emily, I know you can’t, either. But maybe if we find a transistor radio somewhere, we can find out if there’s some folks out there. Maybe we can hitch a ride.”

  “Or,” Colin stated, “we could just drive ourselves.”

  He watched his friend sit up on the hearth. His chest plunged outward with pride.

  “How we gonna do that?” asked Josh.

  “We get a car. Or a few of them.”

  “Uh, don’t know if you’ve noticed, but those’ve been in sparse supply lately. Shit, we haven’t seen any in months…at least none that worked.”

  Yvette tentatively raised her hand from the back of the pack but then dropped it when Josh pointed at her. She hid behind her hair and burbled to herself.

  “What is it, dear?” asked Emily, her old voice quavering.

  “Nu…nothing,” Yvette said.

  “C’mon, woman, out with it!” yelped Colin. He stood up and ushered her forward. “You got an idea, just say it.”

  The timid older lady lifted her head and said, “There are dealerships nearby.”

  “Oh?” said Josh.

  “Yes.” She dropped her head again and started rocking.

  “Well, that’s helpful,” muttered Alice.

  Josh was about to say something insulting, as well, but an idea struck him. “Hold on,” he said. “I think she’s on to something. Yvette, how do you know that?”

  “We’re in Norton. My brother used to live near here. I recognized it by the supermarket. There are a few dealerships just past where we came in. In the other direction.”

  “What makes you think there will be any working?” Jessica asked.

  Josh answered for her. “Look around you,” he said. “Everything seems to be pretty well preserved. Don’t know why, but I’m not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. And if the rest of the town’s the same as here, I’d say it’s a safe bet any cars we might find out there will be, too. Is that what you were getting at, Yvette?”

  The woman nodded.

  “Good.” He clapped his hands together. “So what do you say we get some grub, then Colin and I head out exploring?” He stared directly at Luanda when he said, “You think that’s a good enough plan, Lu?”

  She beamed. Josh felt like he could faint.

  * * *

  Josh didn’t have a watch and had to rely on the position of the sun to tell the time – a skill he’d never needed and therefore never came close to mastering. As they walked down the snowy, wet street, he tried to calculate it in his head. The sun’s lower on the horizon. Might be two o’clock. Then again, I think we’re into March now, and I’m not sure if we’ve set the clocks forward yet. Does that happen in March? Damn, I can’t remember. All he did knew was they still had a few hours of sunlight left. With a shake of his head he focused on running his tongue over his teeth, clean for the first time in what seemed like forever. That fact alone brought him solace. It didn’t matter that his gums were still sore and bleeding.

  Colin treaded quietly beside him. Neither had said a word since they left the house. Not that this was uncommon. There was an unspoken understanding between them that sometimes no conversation was better than a bad one. Colin was fond of saying that sometimes small talk was more uncomfortable than no talk at all.

  They passed the supermarket and followed the twisting road as it crossed yet another residential section. Time ticked silently by. Josh began doubting Yvette’s memory. But before long, when the sun started to dip towards the mountains, they found themselves on a straightaway. Ahead they spotted a row of traffic lights and, further in the distance, large buildings. There were also parking lots filled with automobiles. Lots of automobiles.

  “Looks like we found ‘em,” whispered Colin.

  They strode up the steps of the first dealership they came upon, an upper-end used car lot. Josh stared with wonder at the hundred or so hunks of steel and fiberglass resting idly in their spaces. The snow that surely covered them only a few days before had melted away, leaving their bodies polished and gleaming.

  “
So, how we gonna get one?” he asked.

  Colin bent over and picked up a piece of broken concrete. He gritted his teeth and hurled it at the door. Glass shattered and rained down. “After you,” he said.

  They strolled into the building. Josh allowed Colin to take the lead. He saw the look of determination on his face and decided it best to let him have his way. After all, just like always, Josh felt at a loss for answers.

  The reception counter ended. Colin led him to a large door marked Garage and shoved it open. Inside were twenty or more cars, from a few compacts to sedans to a fleet of SUVs.

  “The ones outside have been sitting out there all winter,” explained Colin. “Who knows what kind of damage the weather did to them. Most of the batteries are probably fucked.” He spread his arms wide. “These babies, however, have been safe and sound. And probably gassed up, too. All we need are the keys.”

  “And where do we get those?” asked Josh.

  “Manager’s office.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “C’mon, man,” he replied with a grin. “It’s not like I didn’t do every job under the sun back home.”

  It was only a short walk down the hall before they found what they were looking for. Colin tried the door but it was locked. He grunted and tried again. The veins in his neck bulged as he tried to force the brass knob to turn. It wouldn’t budge. He stepped back and kicked the door. It shook but nothing else happened.

  Josh put a hand on his shoulder. “Step back, brother,” he said. “Let me try.”

  He took a running start and rammed his shoulder into the door. The wood creaked under his weight and his shoulder yelped in pain. He backed up and tried again. This time he heard the wood crack. One more, he told himself. Again he gathered his feet, bent at the waist, and collided with it. Only this time he didn’t stop moving forward. The door flew open as the frame splintered. He went tumbling to the ground.

  Josh rolled over and raised his fists in the air. “Yes!” he shouted. “Just like Harruq!”

  Colin stepped up to him. “Harruq? Who’s Harruq?”

  “C’mon, you know. The half-orc. From that fantasy series I was reading?”

  “Sorry, bro, but I don’t read fantasy no more,” said Colin with a smirk. “I went and done growed up.”

  The room was surprisingly small given the huge dimensions of the building. On one side was a tall filing cabinet and water cooler, on the other a desk. Colin stormed upon the latter and tore through the drawers.

  “They gotta be in here somewhere,” he muttered as he searched one after another. His frustration grew and he hurled papers across the room. “Dammit!”

  Josh leaned against the filing cabinet. He pressed the release on the top drawer and slid it open. Inside was a metal box. He flipped up the top. Keys attached to bits of paper stating make and lot number dangled from the felt interior.

  “Found ‘em,” he said.

  Colin, suddenly over his anger, hurried over. “Smarty,” he said. Together they sifted through the makes and models until they had a hold of four sets of keys marked with a G. They chose the SUVs, thinking they’d prove much more practical than the Mustang Josh had his eye on earlier.

  On their way back to the garage Josh looked his friend over. He appeared in high spirits and it bothered him a little that their conversations had been so sparse. “So,” he said finally, “how you feeling?”

  “Fine,” replied Colin.

  “Just fine? No more than that?”

  Colin grinned and patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Josh. I’m not ignoring you. I’m not mad at you. I just got things on my mind.”

  “Things like Jess?”

  “Something like that.”

  “You love her, don’t you?”

  He nodded. “Seems that way. But she’s hard to read. I can’t tell if she feels the same. It’s kinda annoying.”

  Josh thought of his conversation with Jessica the previous evening and decided to stretch the truth. “I’m sure she does,” he said. “And if not now, she will. I mean, who doesn’t love you, man?”

  With a chuckle, Colin said, “I can think of one dark-skinned lady who may not.”

  Josh laughed. “Okay. I’ll give you that one.”

  They arrived at the door and Colin opened it. Before he could step in Josh grabbed his arm. “I do love you. You know that, right?”

  Colin nodded. “Of course I do.”

  “Can I have a hug?”

  With a roll of the eyes Colin stepped in and embraced him. It was short-lived, however. A few seconds after it started he wiggled out of Josh’s grasp and fixed him with a cockeyed stare.

  “Let’s just go,” he said with a hint of humor in his tone. “I don’t wanna get all mushy. Might make me question my orientation, and I’m not ready for that kind of confusion.”

  Opening the bay door proved difficult without electricity, but eventually Colin and Josh were able to pry it open with a crowbar enough to snap the connections to the automatic system. It flew up on its track, bouncing once it reached the top. When each slipped into one of the SUVs and found that the gas tanks were indeed full they stuck the keys in the ignition and turned. For Josh it was a few painful seconds of turning over before the engine roared to life. The one Colin hopped in started up quickly. Josh nodded to his friend and pulled out of the garage. Dusk had already settled over the land by then.

  The road was treacherous and slippery. Josh maneuvered as best he could, letting the automobile’s headlights light the way. He tried to keep his eyes focused on what lay in front of him but movement off to the side caught his attention. There appeared to be something following his slow progress in the gloom just beyond the trees. Then the shrieking began, just as it had the previous two nights. This time, however, it was deafening.

  A pair of shadows darted from the woods. Josh slammed on the brakes and slid to a halt. He glanced to his right to see Colin inching up beside him. He lifted his hands as if to say, “what?” Josh let his sight trail from Colin back to the road.

  Two four-legged creatures stood in the beam of his headlights. Their muscular bodies were covered in hairless flesh that sagged like ill-fitted suits. Long, sharp fangs protruded beneath the remains of canine noses. Thick, gelatinous saliva dripped from their maws. Their eyes glowed.

  They were the biggest, ugliest dogs Josh had seen in his life.

  One of the dogs reared up on its hind legs and yowled and the other followed suit. Once again the air was filled with their primal screams. Josh covered his ears and allowed his head to turn. He looked at Colin, whose gaze was focused straight ahead, at the monstrosities before them. His mouth lipped the same words Josh spoke.

  “Shit.”

  * * *

  “Shit!” Colin screeched as he stared at the beasts in the road. Their muzzles dropped while their eyes flicking from one automobile to the other as if trying to decide which one posed the bigger threat. He froze in place, terrified to move. The blaring of a car horn came next and he glanced over to see Josh pressing on his steering wheel.

  Idiot, thought Colin. I’m sitting in the best weapon I could hope for.

  He lifted his right foot and went to stomp the gas petal. The two mutant dogs, oblivious to him, turned their snouts in the opposite direction, swiveled on their burly legs, and took off. Colin threw the SUV into park, opened the door, and leaned out.

  “That’s right, fuckers!” he screamed. “You can’t take me!”

  He heard Josh yelling his name. He peeked at his friend to see him pointing at the woods. Colin glanced over his shoulder and spotted numerous silhouettes moving at a rapid pace through the trees. He cocked his head and listened. Growls and snorting reached his ears. He then looked back at Josh, whose eyes were wide as dinner plates.

  Colin slid back into his seat, slammed the door, and hit the gas. He realized the direction the advancing horde was headed and he panicked. Home. Jess. He spun the wheel and kept the pedal pressed to the floor
but had trouble keeping the large vehicle under control.

  The two creatures that had crossed before them were nothing but jumping dots in his headlights. He took a deep breath and eased off the gas, allowing the tires to catch on the slippery road. Then he eased it back down and gained speed. Josh’s headlights flashed in the rearview mirror, which he slapped aside as to not get blinded.

  In a matter of seconds he’d gained ground on the beasts. They were now clearly visible, huffing their deformed bodies across the packed ground and acting as if the large vehicle closing in on them didn’t exist. Colin used this to his advantage and gently pressed down the gas even more. The SUV came upon the first dog. It didn’t even offer a glimpse back when it disappeared beneath the front bumper. The vehicle bucked twice and Colin, who hadn’t strapped in, whacked his head on the ceiling. “Yow!” he exclaimed, and proceeded to rub his bruised scalp with one hand while steering with the other.

  He missed the second dog, which veered out of the way at the last moment, but the sound of two more nauseating bumps a second later told him Josh had gotten it. He slowed down and allowed his friend to catch up. They exchanged worried glances while they drove. Their street wasn’t far away.

  They flew down the road and came to a sliding halt. Their temporary homes stood on both sides of them. People were still outside – children, mostly – and they all looked up, waving and jumping with excitement, when Colin and Josh exited the vehicles.

  There were things other than people rummaging about in the trees, however. Colin could hear the pattering of their pawed feet. He raised an eyebrow to Josh, who replied with a knowing bob of the head.

  “I’ll get this side,” Josh said. “You take the other.”

  They took off in opposite directions. Colin could hear his friend yelling behind him and joined in. “Everyone!” he screamed. “All of you, get inside! Now!”