The McClane Apocalypse Book Ten

by Kate Morris

  “It’s ok,” she says. “I didn’t know, but he’s said a few things lately that made me think he didn’t want to stay on the compound.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Just hints. He feels like he could be helping in a bigger capacity if he spent more time in town. After the children came down with Scarlet Fever, he was running back and forth so much. Dave’s compound doesn’t have as many children on it as Pleasant View. That’s his specialty, pediatrics.”

  “Right, I remember. He’s really smart,” Paige says. “Would you stay on the compound or move with your uncle if he decides to?”

  “Move. I have to. He’s the only family I have left.”

  “Not true,” she says and reaches out to touch Sam’s knee under the pile of blankets they are sharing and huddling under. “You’ve got us. You’ve got me. You’re my little sister, ya’ know.”

  Sam smiles but worries Paige will see that it doesn’t reach her eyes. She does love her McClane family, Paige included, but she doesn’t trust herself to be around Simon with more frequency.

  “I know,” she answers quietly. It’s better than trying to explain the truth.

  A crackling comes across the radio. “I’m heading your way. Be there in ten,” Simon says to his sister.

  “Got it, over.”

  It’s nearly midnight again. She’s exhausted, just wants a hot shower and sleep, but that’s a long way off. She and Paige were disappointed when Cory radioed to tell them that Parker wasn’t there. That it didn’t seem as if he’d been there for about a week. What if he never goes back there?

  A soft knock on the back door to the patio causes them both to jump, even though they knew Simon would be along. Doesn’t matter. In situations like this, the nerves become frayed, and logic gets swept into the furthest reaches of the mind.

  “It’s just me,” his voice comes over the radio, to which Paige rushes over and lets him inside the house.

  He slings his pack to the floor and locks the door again.

  “What are you doing back so soon? Did you guys catch him?” Sam asks.

  “No, no sign of him or his men,” he explains and rubs his hands together in front of the fireplace. “We’re gonna watch the place in shifts, rest here, and trade out.”

  “Oh,” Sam says. “I could help with that. I’ll take a turn.”

  He ignores her as he checks in with Cory and makes sure his radio is in range. Then Simon looks at her. “What? Oh, no. Not necessary. Plus, I wouldn’t want either of you over there if Parker does show up. You could be spotted or…worse.”

  Sam mumbles under her breath, “No, I wouldn’t.”

  “Doesn’t matter. That was never part of the plan,” he says, obviously hearing her. “I’m not going to deviate from Derek’s orders. Taking breaks like this here is deviation enough.”

  “Want something to eat?” his sister offers, to which he shakes his head.

  “I’m just gonna crash on the sofa for a few hours until I need to relieve Cory.”

  “Don’t worry,” Paige teases. “We’ll keep you safe.”

  He pulls her close and hugs her, kisses the top of his sister’s head, and releases her just as quickly. “Just wake me if there’s danger.”

  Simon removes his headgear, places his rifle down on the floor beside him, and reclines on his back. Paige takes one of their four blankets and drapes it over her brother.

  “Get some rest,” she whispers.

  He says something back to her, which causes Paige to chuckle lightly, but Sam cannot hear his comment because she is in the kitchen wiping the dust out of two ceramic mugs. They found hot cocoa mix, and she has every intention on testing it out, even if it expired last year. It’s just powder. Should be safe. Famous last words.

  Using one of the jugs of clean drinking water, Sam fills a small saucepan she finds in a cupboard. Then she places it in the fireplaces off to the right. It doesn’t take long before it begins to bubble. Paige has gone off to scout for more items to take, this time in the basement. When she returns, her arms are full.

  “Here, Paige,” she whispers. “Let me help. What’d you find?”

  “Fishing tackle,” Paige explains. “And two brand new sleeping bags.”

  “Awesome,” Sam praises. “The sleeping bags we can use tonight.”

  “Yeah, I just wish I could take one to Cory,” she remarks with worry.

  “He’ll be fine,” Sam assures her. “They’re used to sucky conditions.”

  She chuffs, “You’re probably right.”

  “You, too. I mean, for bad conditions. What’d you guys do for warmth out there?”

  “Fires like this one. We got good at scouting out dry wood, looking for a place to stop for the night where we could either build a fire or that had a fireplace in it.”

  “Build a fire outside?”

  “Sometimes,” she answers. “A few times we just built a fire inside even if there wasn’t a fireplace. Not in a house. Like in a store or one time we did it in a library. There was plenty of ventilation. The roof had a huge hole in it. Plenty of updraft.”

  She chuckles, but Sam can see the pain in her eyes, the bad memories, probably fear, as well. She also knows she was close with Gavin, who was their traveling companion, and now he’s dead, too.

  From the sofa, Simon snores softly. How did he even go to sleep so quickly?

  “How’d you hurt your ankle?”

  She looks down where she is resting on her other foot and has her foot with the sore ankle balancing on her toes to prevent pain. Sam removes the pan from the fireplace with a potholder and pours the chocolatey liquid into the mugs. She returns to her spot on the sofa next to Paige and hands her one.

  “Mm, yum,” Paige comments, inhaling the rich aroma. “Find this here?”

  “Yeah, hope it’s still good,” she says.

  “From a packet?” her friend asks, to which she nods. “Then it’ll probably be good until the next end of the world.”

  They chuckle and sip. It’s nearly divine. She goes on to tell Paige of her harrowing night within the walls of that apartment complex.

  “Wow, I’m just glad Simon found you,” Paige says. “Could’ve been a lot worse.”

  “Yeah,” she remembers.

  “Were you ok working with him?”

  Sam considers this for a moment. “Sure. We did fine.”

  “That’s not what I meant. Were you uncomfortable having to be alone? I know you guys haven’t been getting along.”

  “Why? What did he tell you?” she asks, feeling a bit self-conscience.

  “Nothing. I just sort of picked up on it. Plus, every chance you get you leave the farm.”

  “I don’t live there anymore,” she says bluntly.

  “I know. It’s just that I wish things would’ve worked out between you and Simon. I want you to both be happy.”

  “I’m perfectly happy,” Sam lies. It probably doesn’t even come off as convincing or the least bit believable.

  “That’s good,” she answers. “I don’t think my brother is, though. He’s been a miserable sad sack for months. A real bear, too. I know he misses you a lot.”

  “He’s got you,” Sam points out.

  “Yeah, it’s not the same,” Paige says. “He loves me. He’s in love with you. Big difference.”

  “I don’t think so, Paige.”

  “He is. I know he is. Simon’s always been a little different. He has a hard time expressing emotion.”

  Sam would like to tell her how he didn’t seem to be having trouble with that when he pulled her onto his lap and was kissing her earlier.

  “I think it has something to do with being an intellectual,” Paige just keeps going. “He and our mother were a lot alike. She was like that, too. I’m quick to be angry and probably just as quick to feel other emotions, too. Simon’s not. He has to think about things for a long time, an annoyingly long time. I remember when we were both still at home, he must’ve been in junior high, probably around twelve
or thirteen, and he wanted a new computer something or other- motherboard, RAM, I don’t know- and it took him two months to decide which one to buy. He even had flow charts and graphs made up to show the different models and their reliability and statistical data about them. It was so annoying!”

  Sam laughs and then cups her hand over her mouth so as not to awaken Simon only a few feet away.

  “What?” Paige asks with her own laugh. “It was!” She offers a groan before continuing, “Anyway, that’s what I mean. I know you guys have had problems in the past. I know that he hurt you somehow. It’s ok. You don’t have to discuss your personal life with my brother with me. I just thought I’d tell you that I’ve seen it. I know Simon a lot better than anyone on the farm. He’s my brother. I figured it out pretty early on after I came to the farm. I saw the way he looked at you. When he’d catch me watching him, he’d look away really quick. He’s shy like that. Doesn’t express his feelings well. But I know this, he loves you very much.”

  Sam shrugs, not sure she believes her, not sure if she wants to, either. She doesn’t ever want to go through that again, his rejection and icy disdain for her feelings. She tried to run away from him but didn’t go far enough. Maybe she should suggest to her uncle they go to Fort Knox. Dr. Eliza Avery wanted Simon to live there. She said they could always use more doctors and researchers. She’d probably like having her uncle join their team. She’d probably hit on him, too. Harlot.

  “Why don’t you get some sleep?” Sam suggests. “I’ll keep an eye on the place for a while.”

  She rises to the disappointed expression on Paige’s face and takes her night-vision binoculars with her. She also accepts the radio from Paige’s outstretched hand.

  “Just sleep, ok?” she reiterates. “I’ll check everything out again. Then we’ll switch.”

  And she does. First, she goes to the basement, which is super creepy. Fighting down the childish urge to run, she makes sure the single, wooden cellar door leading to the back yard is locked and checks the rooms next. A guest bedroom, a media room, and a bathroom, as well as, the utility rooms are on this floor. Everything seems locked down and secure. The first-floor checks go a lot faster as there are less actual rooms to inspect. Sam goes upstairs and takes up a post in the master bedroom on a window banquette seat where she can observe the woods behind the house and also watch the side yard. Not much happens. For the most part, it’s an uneventful evening. She moves to the master bathroom and sits on the wide window ledge surrounding the jacuzzi tub.

  Growing bored, she roams around looking at the different bedrooms. There are three, plus a master, and three bathrooms on the floor. They must’ve had four children because each bedroom is decorated with children’s décor and belongings. Everything from toys, to a crib, to a teenage boy’s collection of skateboards hanging on one wall of his bedroom are still intact. It reminds her of her own family’s home, which makes her gloomy. Instead of dwelling on it, she goes back to the master and plops back onto her banquette.

  “Anything happening over there, big brother?” she asks into the radio.

  A few seconds later, Cory answers, “Nothing worth reporting. Couple coyotes ran by a little while ago.”

  “Exciting stuff,” she praises dryly. “Want me to send Simon over?”

  “No, let him sleep,” he says. “I’ve got this. If the idiot doesn’t come back tonight or tomorrow, we’ll be stuck here a while. No sense in running back and forth every few hours. I’ve got my girl here with me. She’ll let me know if she hears something long before I do.”

  “Your girl, huh? I’m gonna tell Paige,” she teases.

  He chuckles into his radio and says, “Now, don’t go playin’ me wrong, little sister.”

  They joke a few more transmissions back and forth and cut the connection for the time being. Sam moves into an office with a long L-shaped desk with built-in bookcases behind it. She twists the handle and opens the blinds just a tad. Pulling the huge leather office chair on wheels over, she takes a seat and stares out the window through her binoculars.

  “Hey,” Simon quietly says behind her, causing Sam to jump out of her skin.

  “Geesh! Are you for real? You almost killed me!”

  He smiles as he approaches. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you. Everything going ok?”

  She turns back around and answers, “Yes, boring, nothing to report. I talked to Cory. He said for you to just stay here and sleep. He’s got his dog to alert him over there.”

  “But no heat,” Simon points out.

  “I’m sure he found blankets or something.”

  He nods and perches on the side of the desk. “We did. Pillows, blankets.”

  “Sounds like you two were having a slumber party over there.”

  “Yes, we roasted marshmallows and painted each other’s fingernails,” he jokes right back, making her laugh.

  “Sounds fun,” she says and realizes it does actually sound fun. She and the other girls from the farm haven’t done anything like that in a while. It makes her miss them. Joking around with Simon also makes her miss him.

  “How long did I sleep?” he asks, consulting his watch.

  “About three hours,” Sam answers. “I figured I was too wired to sleep anyway- too much hot chocolate- so I let your sister sleep, too. She seemed too tired to stay awake.”

  “Oh, thanks for that,” he says and approaches the window, standing beside her chair. “You should’ve woke me, though. You also need to sleep.”

  “I figured I wouldn’t,” she says. “I can always tell if I’m going to be able to sleep or not. Tonight was a ‘not’ kind of night.”

  “Why? Is something wrong? What has you anxious?”

  She hadn’t meant to reveal too much. Lying is the only option now. “Um, no. Nothing.”

  “Are you sure?” he asks and rests his hand on top of her shoulder.

  “Yes,” she says quickly and rises. Needing to get away from him, Sam pushes the chair between them and leans against the window frame.

  “I just want to make sure you’re ok,” he says. “You’re my only concern in life right now, Sam.”

  The heat behind his gaze as he stares so intensely at her could catch the leather chair between them on fire.

  “That’s…” she says, her eyes drawn to his forearms, his sleeves pushed up to the elbows. Sam stammers. “That’s a weird thing to say.”

  Without pausing, Simon pushes the wheeled chair away and steps into her space. Her mouth goes dry.

  “Doesn’t matter,” he says pointedly. “It’s the truth. I care about you. I worry about your safety…”

  A light in the distance catches her peripheral vision.

  “What…what’s that?” she asks and even points as she peers over Simon’s shoulder out the window.

  He swings and stares, as well. After another three seconds, he says, “Sam, get back. It’s a van.”

  Inhaling sharply, Sam flattens against the wall where Simon joins her.

  “I’ve gotta get to Paige,” he says. “Come on!”

  Pinching her jacket between his fingers, Simon pulls her after him as he low squats and runs from the room. They rush down the stairs as Simon calls his sister’s name.

  “Paige, wake up!” he yells again, to which Paige stumbles into their view as they reach the first-floor landing and keep descending.

  “What the heck, Simon?” Paige asks confusedly.

  “Get ready to move,” he orders and grabs his pack, pulling it back on. “Sam, watch the front window.”

  “Got it,” she answers immediately and rushes there. “I can’t see the lights anymore. I think they turned.”

  “Keep watching,” he orders in a rush as he hurries around the room gathering their things.

  Paige does the same as Sam continues to scan through her night-vision binoculars this time. Taking a deep breath, she takes a few steps away from the window to grab her backpack, which she hadn’t unpacked yet. She also hadn’t removed her jacket
because the house was too cold.

  “Should we extinguish the fire?” Paige asks.

  “Too late for that now,” Simon tells her. “The smoke from the chimney is probably what they’ve seen anyway.”

  Sam steps back to the window and watches again. She switches from her binoculars to just spying with her own eyes.

  “Anything, Sam?” he calls over to her.

  “Nothing yet,” she answers, a ball of nerves.

  Simon says back to her, “Call it out if you do. Paige and I are gathering our gear.”

  “’Kay,” she returns and watches carefully. “Wait, Simon! I think I see their headlights again. Hold on…”

  “What is it?” he asks, trusting her fully and not running over to the window to have a look for himself.

  “I think there are two vehicles. Yes, I think so. I still see the lights. They’re getting closer.”

  “Shit,” Paige whispers as she pulls on her boots. “What’s going on?”

  “We need to move,” he says hastily. “We saw headlights when we were upstairs. Now, they’re back.”

  “Oh, no. Oh, crap, crap, crap,” his sister says in rapid-fire succession, still rushing around packing and gathering.

  “Simon!” Sam shouts. “They’re pulling down this street.”

  “What do we do?” Paige asks.

  Simon is already talking to Cory on the radio, “…don’t know. Get back here.”

  “I’m on my way,” Cory answers.

  The white, full-size cargo van pulls right up out front of the house and stops, the rear brake lights a beacon, even through the light snow that has started falling. Another vehicle, a truck of some sort, stops right behind it.

  “Simon!” she yells more loudly and runs toward him.

  He grabs her hand and says, “Let’s go. Paige, we’re going.”

  “I’m ready,” she says as flashlights bounce around outside.

  “Simon, downstairs. There’s a cellar door to the outside,” Sam says with nerves.

  He nods and leads them that way, allowing her and Paige to go ahead of him. Then he locks the basement door behind him and travels quietly down the stairs, too. She clusters together with Paige as Simon waits another minute at the base of the stairs. Then he moves toward them and shines his flashlight around, checking his surroundings. Upstairs, someone knocks on the front door, which seems a strange thing to do given the times in which they live.