Laughing, the stranger stepped towards her, “You ain’ gonna shoot me,” he speculated, “If you was, you already woulda.” Pausing, he waited for her response.
“Don’t move!” she called loudly, attempting to retreat, but finding herself blocked by the wooden trough behind her.
He nodded, laughing as he took another giant step.
Pulling the trigger, she caught her breath at the sight of the blood spewing from the back of his head, and the sound of his body falling to the ground. A moment later, she could hear a voice calling her name, “I’m in here!” she shouted, lowering her weapon and working her way past the corpse, not daring to move too close to it.
Making his way inside, Caleb caught her, wrapping his arms around her and hugging as tightly as he dared. He could feel her tremors, his eyes taking in the scene. His fingers weaved their way through her silky auburn locks, they searched for her warm scalp. Sliding her cap out of the way, so that his face pressed against her, “It’s ok,” he breathed onto the top of her head, “We got ‘em all, little bit.”
Overcome with emotion, the girl began to sob loudly, clinging to him with the darkness of the barn heavy around them. Allowing her to do so, he waited for her spasms to subside, before he crowded her changing existence with the discomfort of their reality.
“Bailey, listen,” he finally pushed her head back, searching her eyes, “Everything’s gonna be ok, but we need t’ move.”
“I killed him,” she whined, tears spilling over to streak down her face.
“Yeah,” he placed his lips against her forehead, “I’m sorry, Bailey. You didn’t have a choice. You know that,” he stated more firmly.
Pulling herself away from him, she wiped at her streams of sorrow, only glancing at the lifeless form. “Where is everyone?” she demanded, realizing they had no prisoners and no one to interrogate but each other.
“I don’t know,” he shook his head slightly, aware of her muddled state.
“We need to get help,” she allowed the pistol to dangle from her fingers, holding it towards him. Her mind leaping to his phone, she stepped towards their car, “I need to call the police,” she stammered.
“The police?” he demanded loudly, “For what?”
“My brothers are gone,” she moaned, “I need the police to help us find them.”
“Bailey!” His voice loud, he shook her firmly, trying to reach through her fog of confusion, “We’re in the middle o’ nowhere. They are rioting all over the country, an’ civilization is in turmoil. Do you really think the cops are gonna care about two lost little boys?”
She stared at him, her green eyes glowing in the dim light. A moment later, she stammered, “Caleb?”
“Yeah,” he stroked her back with one hand, his other shifting to her jaw, “It’s ok. We’re gonna be fine,” he nodded. “An’ we’ll do what we can t’ find them; I promise.”
“Hey!” another voice cut into their conversation, and Carson came bolting in from the entrance, throwing his arms around his older sibling. “How did you get here?” he screamed.
Registering the younger Cross, Bailey sniffed loudly, “Carson! Where are the boys?”
“I dunno,” he whimpered, then burst into actual tears.
Taking charge, the taller male guided them both out into the drifting snow, “Come on, you two. We need to get someplace warm, and get set up.” Looking down at his younger brother, he continued, “Is anyone else here?”
“No,” the red-headed boy sobbed. “I been alone for days. Since they took them.”
“Ok, then we need t’ find where we’re gonna hunker down. Which building is th’ least damaged, do you think?” he continued to grill the boy.
“Our house ain’ so bad,” he shrugged.
Taking that as a positive, Caleb loaded the pair into their vehicle, and drove them around to their quarters, parking in the back next to the kitchen and the rear entrance. The three of them grabbed a few items to carry inside and gathered in the familiar space to regroup. Having a look around, he discovered that all of the windows were intact and the front door would close. The structure seemed warm, and he asked absently, “Have you been hiding here?”
“Yes,” Carson admitted, “But there’s no food.”
“It’s ok,” his brother clamped him on the shoulder, “Bring in the rest o’ the boxes, an’ we’ll get situated here.” Turning to Bailey, he continued to give commands. “We have electricity. You can cook us a meal, an’ I’ll gather their weapons an’ Jeep, in case we need them.”
Nodding, the girl set to work, finding her way to the kitchen, only to discover the stove didn’t come on. Searching for the breaker box, she reset the flipped switches, returning to her task a moment later.
Carson placed the boxes on the counter and floor, then hauled in a jug of water. Discovering the smaller bottles, he opened one and chugged it, hardly taking a breath while he did so. Then, returning to his chore, he gathered the blankets and pillows, placing them on the sofa, along with the bags of clothes.
Caleb returned shortly thereafter, carrying the weapons and ammo he had collected from the dead men. “We’ll have to search the buildings,” he stated calmly, laying his spoils on the table, “See what we might be able t’ find that’s of any use t’ us.”
“There ain’t much,” Carson countered, “The cops took everything they could carry. Including the people.”
“The cops?” Bailey’s mouth hung open, “The police did this?”
“Yeah,” he took a step back, unsure about her obvious anger, “They came with a helicopter, an’ – ”
“Wait,” Caleb cut him off with a raised hand, “We want to hear all about it, but first things first. We need t’ get the meal prepared, an’ nourish ourselves. We need water, an’ figure out where we’re gonna rest. Has anyone else been here, besides the cops, us, and the guys we killed?”
“No,” Carson shook his red locks. “It’s been just me for a couple o’ days, until you got here.”
“Ok, then we can feel pretty safe staying here in the house,” he reached out, grasping his brother’s shoulders, one in each hand. “You did good, watchin’ th’ place. Go spread out the blankets in the living room, an’ make us some pallets so we all have a place t’ sleep.”
“What’s wrong with the beds?” Bailey demanded.
“I want us all in the same room,” he replied calmly, watching his brother move to do as he was told. He cut his eyes over at her, “I think we’re safe, but who knows for how long.”
“Ok,” she nodded, returning to the pans, and preparing the meal. A few minutes later, she noted that Carson had dragged an actual mattress down the stairs, and assumed it was for her.
Finishing the food, she placed the items on the table, and the trio sat down to eat. The silence only broken by the sound of three hungry people, they consumed their first good meal in at least twenty-four hours. Watching the others, Bailey noted that Caleb kept an eye out the windows, not looking forward to any surprises.
When they had eaten, she cleared the mess, and the boys helped her wash and put the utensils away. Moving to the living area, they spread out, choosing their spots.
Caleb opted for the couch so he could see out, and down the road through the legs of the water tower. Bailey stretched out on the make-shift bed that the younger Cross had prepared for her, while Carson tossed blankets across the oversized chair; his accommodations for the night.
“Now,” Caleb indicated his younger sibling with an open palm, “You can give us your story.”
Vengeance is Mine
Carson studied his older brother for a moment, then turned his attention to the girl. “Are you really one of us?” he demanded.
“One of you?” she breathed, as if he had punched her in the gut, “Yes, of course. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t!”
The boy didn’t look very convinced, frowning beneath his flame-red hair. “There was a fight, among the menfolk; the same day the cops came. Mom said it
had to do with you,” he glared at the girl, then shifted it to his brother, “An’ somethin’ to do with you. An’ ‘Manda’s baby. They was really pissed about that.”
“’Manda had her baby?” Caleb inquired quietly.
“Yeah,” his younger sibling supplied, “Only it wadn’yours.”
“I know,” the older Cross stated flatly. “How did you find out it wasn’t mine?”
“Kathy said so,” Carson turned his palms to the ceiling. “Soon as it was born, she came over to the diner, where everyone was waitin’ an’ eatin’ lunch. After that, the menfolk called a meetin’, only it was private, an’ everybody got locked out. Even mom an’ the rest o’ the wives.”
“When they came out, they tied up Devon… an’ they beat ‘im with a long stick. Then they untied him, an’ he married ‘Manda.”
“He married Amanda!” Bailey gasped.
Caleb chuckled, “I guess we know who the baby daddy is,” his eyes flicked over at the girl. Nodding to her, he felt relieved that her faith in him had been justified. “So, when did the cops come?”
“That same day,” Carson continued. “Things had calmed down after all that business over th’ weddin’, then all at once this helicopter comes over an’ flies around, real low like they’re lookin’ us over. Then it lands over on the airstrip.”
“The sheriff gets out of it, an’ some o’ the menfolk go over t’ meet him. They stand there for a long time, talkin’, ‘fore things get loud. I could tell dad an’ Pete was shoutin’ at the guy, wavin’ their hands around an’ pointin’ at stuff. An’ the next thing we know, they’s both on the ground, bein’ shocked by one o’ those zapper things.”
“A Taser,” Caleb supplied.
“Yeah,” the boy shrugged his agreement. “They got that. An’ some of the others got shot.”
Bailey could feel the color drain from her face, “Who others, Carson? Who got shot?”
“Some o’ the menfolk. They left their bodies layin’ out on the ground, too. That’s when a whole mess o’ cops showed up. They went to gatherin’ up people, an’ tyin’ us up, so I hid, an’ they didn’ find me.”
“They took all our stuff,” Caleb finished for him, his clear blue eyes seething with anger.
“Yeah,” the boy hunched his shoulders. “All our stuff an’ all our people. ‘Cept me, an’ the one’s I buried.”
“Did they get it all?” Caleb’s eyes darted over at Bailey for a moment, “You know, any of the special stores?”
Carson followed his gaze, “Naw, only what they could see. I ain’t touched ‘em though. Too scared to go in there alone, so I jus’ ate what I could find. I killed a big rat in the barn yesterday, after it started to snow. It wadn’so bad.”
“A rat!” Bailey exclaimed, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two males, momentarily in shock.
“O’ course,” Caleb praised his younger sibling, “That was good thinking. I bet you did alright.”
“Ok,” Bailey pushed the disgusting image aside, “What are special stores then?” she inquired calmly, not fooled by their attempt to keep her in the dark.
“We have a few things hidden,” Caleb grinned, “Sounds like they didn’t get it either. Pisses me off that they took the rest. What the hell gives them the right t’ steal our stuff?”
Bailey shrugged, “Eminent domain, maybe?”
Running his fingers through his blond spikes, her friend grunted, “That’s some shit right there. An’ that applies to people, too?”
“Maybe they were arrested for trying to stop them,” Bailey sighed, realizing that was only plausible for the adults. “I don’t really know, I’m just guessing here. What I do know, is that we need to get them back. And they better hope to God my little brothers weren’t hurt in the process. I already killed one man, so I’m going to hell. What’s a few more going to hurt now?”
“Jus’ be careful with that kinda thinkin’,” Caleb warned her softly.
“What?” her eyes grew wide with an innocent stare.
“Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord,” he quoted for her. “Thinkin’ about gettin’ even with someone doesn’t make for good choices.”
“That may be true,” she agreed with a small nod, “But they better watch their backs, just the same. We’ll get our people back, or there will be hell to pay, one way or another.”
Caleb stared at the young woman, rocking his jaw side to side. An’ here I thought she was the meek an’ quiet type.
Won’t Ever Be His
Caleb awoke to an eerie silence the next morning; one he had never heard before. Sitting up on the sofa, he glanced out the front window, staring down the road. It remained pitch black, and he thought he should be relieved; but he wasn’t.
Something was missing in the small community. Almost as if he should be hearing the heartbeats of the people, asleep in the houses around him. Sighing into the darkness, he hunched over, so that he rested more comfortably, but could still see down the stretch of snow-covered pavement. A few minutes later, he became aware that Bailey’s eyes were watching him in the dim light from her makeshift cot.
“Hey,” he whispered to her.
“Hey, yourself,” she retorted softly.
Grinning, he offered her his hand, guiding her to stretch out beside him, and wrapping her in his arms beneath the blanket. Out flat on her back, his body positioned above hers, she felt awkward. “I’m not used to lying in bed with men. And yet here we are, for the second time in two days.”
“This isn’t a bed,” he countered evenly, “An’ neither was the other time.”
“We’re on cushions and wrapped in blankets, and it’s night. Humor me,” she giggled.
“Humor you?” his thumb traced her lips softly, “Do you wanna share my bed?”
Bailey studied the blue eyes above her, “I didn’t say that,” she whispered.
“Hmm,” he nodded, “You’ve got playin’ coy down to a science.” Lifting his head, he looked towards the gate in the distance again. “I don’t like this. It doesn’t feel right.”
“It shouldn’t feel right,” she caught his fingers, lacing them with hers. “Our friends are dead or missing, and our families are scattered. The world is in chaos, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“Yeah,” he agreed with her assessment, “But it’s more than that. I need t’ check on somethin’. But we’ll wait until sunrise. After that, we need t’ make a plan.”
“What do we do until then?” her heart began to beat wildly inside her chest, her excitement getting the better of her as she squeezed his palm that pressed against hers.
His lips curling oddly, he removed his digits from her grasp, using them to graze her jaw. “You realize, I’m not gonna touch you. Not like that,” he whispered hoarsely.
“Like what?” she panted, hoping he would stop toying with her.
“You remember that day at the barn, when we heard… someone… you know…” he could play that game, too.
Bailey only stared at him, unable to say any more.
His grin grew wider, “Come on, I know you remember. I imagine you’ve thought a lot about that day.”
The color instantly rose in her cheeks, having flooded her face from her chest moving upwards. “Ok, yes. I know that day.”
“You told me you wanted it t’ be perfect. Your one an’ only, soulmate forever,” his finger traced her neck, detecting her warmth.
“I didn’t say it like that,” she denied.
“Doesn’t matter how you said it,” he breathed, his face inching closer to hers, “I know how you meant it,” he froze, his air brushing against her inflamed skin. “I would never take that from you, Bailey. I want that for you; for you to have… exactly that.”
Her green orbs stared at him, her body stiff with fear. “I don’t understand,” her voice trembled. “I thought you wanted me. All this time,” she inhaled sharply, “Oh God, how stupid of me!” she reached up, grabbing his arms and chest to push him away. I’m rea
lly ready and he’s throwing it away?
Using the weight of his body, he forced himself across the top of her, “Stop!” he commanded slightly louder than he intended, his gaze darting over to his slumbering brother. Pausing to be sure the boy still slept, he whispered quietly, “Don’t go away mad.” His tender tone returned, his blue eyes bore into her, “I didn’t say I didn’t want you. Ok?”
She lay beneath him, her tremor easy to detect. “Please, get off of me.”
“Sure,” he stroked her again, fighting the temptation to kiss her, “If you promise me one thing.”
“If you’ll let me up, I’ll promise you anything.”
He smiled, aware he may have passed on his only chance to have her, and she would never be his, “It’s not really a promise if you don’t intend to keep it.”
Bailey clenched her teeth, causing the muscles in her neck to flex, “Fine, just tell me what you want. Please.”
His blue eyes wide, Caleb could feel the pant start deep inside, his lungs taking on a will of their own, and he grew afraid he would lose his nerve. Raising his hand, his fingers slid into the edge of her hair, his palm grazing her forehead before it moved across the shiny auburn strands. With the intimate caress, he could feel her soul, her very being beneath him.
The girl stared up at him, caught in the sound of the air as it rushed in and out of his open mouth. The look on his face said it all, and she wanted nothing more than to be his. Completely… irrevocably… his. “I promise,” she whispered. She lifted her face, and he tried to pull away, but she moved quicker, her hands looping his neck and the back of his head, her lips finding their way to his.
A moment later, he was free, tearing himself away before he did anything stupid. Anything we might both regret. “I’m sorry,” he managed between deep gasps. “That wasn’t right o’ me.” He sat on the couch next to her, and she worked herself into an upright position as well.
“It’s ok,” she grinned, unexplainable joy dancing inside her, as if a thousand butterflies had taken flight behind her breasts. “I understand.”
The Irrevocable Series Boxed Set Page 32
