Survive (Sundown Series Book 2)

by Courtney Konstantin

  "We got her and Cliff outside of the shelter first. They found the car we drove in. Callahan's men drove it off one of the exits inside the shelter. We hot-wired it, and Cliff took it deeper into the city. We have a planned meet up." Griffin explained. He then motioned to Turner, who pushed Private Smith into the room.

  "The Major won't forget this. He'll find you," Smith stammered.

  "He can try," Griffin replied.

  Turner and Griffin strung Private Smith up the same way they had left Max. He was taller than Max, allowing him to touch the ground with his feet. Griffin and Turner securely tied him to the hook and then circled the rope with duct tape. Lastly, Smith's mouth was covered with tape. Turner smacked him on the cheek.

  "In case you get the crazy idea to scream, kid."

  Griffin walked to Smith and looked him in the eye for a moment. His face was angry and stark.

  "You helped do that to her? You beat a defenseless woman while in the custody of the government? Nod your head," Griffin said in a low menacing voice.

  "I'm not exactly defenseless," Max mumbled.

  Smith's eyes were wild with fear. He looked from Griffin to Turner, whose face didn't hold a better expression. He then looked at Max. His eyes pleaded with her to vouch for him, she supposed. She thought back to the multiple tortures, the pain, the humiliation, all at Callahan's orders. Smith never hesitated to follow those orders, whether it meant to hurt Max or not.

  She turned her back on him. That was all Griffin needed. Max listened as fists struck flesh. Smith grunted and his cries for help were muffled by the tape. She couldn't help but grimace at the noises, feeling like they were a reminder of her time in the cell. Her mind was torn as she wanted Callahan and his minions to get what was coming to them. But also, Smith was young and probably scared and doing whatever he needed to save his own skin.

  Finally, Griffin stepped back from Smith. The soldier was bleeding from the cheek. Griffin had avoided his nose, not wanting to completely suffocate him by breaking his nose and leaving his mouth covered with tape. Breathing hard, Griffin flexed his red knuckles and looked over at Max. He went to her and put his arms gingerly around her.

  "I'm sorry. I needed to do something," he murmured into her hair. She just nodded her understanding.

  "Can we get out of here?"

  "Yes. We figured out a weak spot where we can sneak into the city beyond the controlled zone. That's the direction Cliff and Jack are waiting."

  Turner led the small rebellion group. Max was in the middle and Griffin brought up the rear, keeping an eye out for anyone that might sneak up on them. They got to the entrance of the building and slowed for Turner to check and make sure the coast was clear. He checked his watch before stepping out. Griffin quietly explained while they stood still that they had timed the watches since they had arrived, learning how the shelter worked. It was like a predictable machine and they knew exactly when they could sneak out.

  A hand stuck back into the door and motioned them forward. Stepping into the crisp clean air was like life entering into Max's body again. She breathed deeply, bringing the oxygen deep into her lungs. She hadn't smelled anything fresh for days and the feeling was wonderful. The cool air caressed her bare skin, causing her to shiver. She could smell the trees and vegetation nearby. As well as the smells of gas and food being cooked. Not all of the smells were pleasant, but every one of them brought Max joy.

  Griffin squeezed her arm, encouraging her to move faster. She grinned like a loon at him, so happy to be stepping foot outside again. Griffin just grinned back but pushed her forward. Turner was following a slim path between the gate and the building they were leaving. The cell seemed to be in a large concrete structure at the edge of the shelter. Of course, Callahan would do that, he wouldn't want anyone to hear or know what he was doing. Max had made enough noise to wake the dead, but it didn't seem like anyone passed close enough to ever hear.

  Following Turner, Max squeezed between the wall and fence and stepped carefully. Her coordination felt off, possibly from hanging for so long, or from dehydration. Turner had just reached a corner when he stopped and crouched down. Max looked through the chain link and realized that the other side of the fence was a steep grassed hill. At the bottom, concrete jersey barriers were lined and stacked. Max assumed it was to fend off the infected, though from that distance she couldn't see any.

  The sound of metal being moved caught Max's attention and she looked down to see what Turner was doing. Slowly he pulled apart two sections of the fence that had been cut open. He quickly slipped through and held it open for Max. She tried to crouch down, but the pain lancing through her body caused her to fall to the side. Griffin was with her immediately helping her up. Between the two men, they were able to move Max through the open fencing. Griffin followed quickly after.

  Immediately after all three of them were on the other side of the fence a soft beeping sounded, and Turner hit the grass. Griffin followed and pulled Max with him. Getting to the ground quickly took the breath from Max and she began to hyperventilate trying to get air back into her body. Turner turned off the alarm on his watch and they waited. Max laid her head on the grass and closed her eyes for a moment, thinking if she just rested she would be ok to move again. She hadn't meant for the blackness of exhaustion to suck her down again.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Her head jostled around, waking her from sleep. The feeling of floating gave her a queasy feeling in her stomach for a moment. Max opened her eyes to see Griffin's determined face above her. She was cradled in his arms as he walked quickly away from the shelter. She cursed in her head realizing she had passed out again.

  "Griffin," she said quietly. He stopped abruptly in surprise and looked down at her.

  "Damn, Max, you gotta stop doing that. It scares the crap outta me."

  "Sorry."

  "Don't be sorry. I'm sorry. We pushed you too hard too fast. You are probably feeling like hell."

  "Hell is one way to put it," she replied, grimacing as she felt her injured ribs pressed against his body.

  "This is hurting you?" He asked. She nodded slightly.

  They were in the city, away from the shelter. The shine of the lights from the camp could still be seen, so they hadn't gone far. Griffin stepped closer to the building they were walking by and placed Max's feet on the ground carefully. He held her waist softly as she got her bearings and found her balance again. Her head was still spinning and for a moment she was afraid she was going to pass out again. She placed her uninjured hand against the nearby wall and leaned in, taking deep breaths to calm her body.

  "We can't stay here long, Max. They will figure out you are missing soon," Turner whispered.

  "I know. I'm sorry. I just can't seem....to....focus," Max mumbled her reply as she started to fall again. Griffin was there, holding her up, before scooping her back into his arms.

  "I'm sorry this hurts, but you can't walk. We have to get you to the car," he said as Max cried out softly from the movement. She nodded her understanding and buried her face in his shoulder to try and deal with the pain. Now that she wanted to pass out, the pain seemed to keep the black at bay.

  "How long? How long was I kept in there?"

  "It's been six days since I visited you when you were first taken there."

  "What made you come for me?" Max asked. Six days. The pain she felt and the condition her body was in made her feel like it had been weeks, not just six days.

  "The doctor," Griffin started to say but was stopped by Turner. They had come to a small alley. Turner stood at the corner of the entrance, and Griffin leaned against the wall behind him. Taking out a flashlight, Turner flashed down the alley two short shots, then one long, then two short again. A car started up and headlights illuminated the alley.

  "Momma?" Jack's voice came from the car.

  "Jack!" Max called back to her.

  Griffin walked down to the car and opened the back door.

  "Jack, honey, move over a
bit. Your mom isn't feeling so great, need to give her a little room." He smiled fondly at the girl as she immediately obeyed his request. Max wondered how they had been together while she had been locked up. He carefully placed Max in the seat before sliding her into the center and climbing in next to her.

  As soon as they were all in Cliff pulled out of the alley and headed the opposite direction of the shelter. The city was pitch black around them, night swallowing the buildings in places giving Max a surreal feeling. The headlights were the only light beside the moon, which wasn't full enough to help illuminate things. The darkness made Max nervous, but they had no choice but to run in the night. If they had waited until the sun rose, Callahan would have been in Max's cell for his daily conversations.

  Max turned back to Griffin, "The doctor?"

  "Oh right. The doctor came to us yesterday. She was really upset and wanted to speak with me. Once we found a chance to talk alone, she told me about your injuries, and what she thought was happening to you in there."

  "We had already decided it was time to go," Turner added from the front seat. "Things were...off...there. And they wouldn't stop mentioning taking Jack."

  "Right. So, we had prepared, cut the fence. Snuck out once at night to find the car. Moved it to the alley. Made sure our supplies were loaded up. We had been planning on coming to get you in a few days. But the doctor came and she didn't think you would make it," Griffin said. Then in a smaller voice, he added, "She was afraid you were giving up."

  "I told her that I wouldn't give Callahan what he wanted, and to make sure you knew that," Max replied.

  "She told us that. So, we moved up our timeline and came to get you as soon as night fell. What was it that Callahan wanted so badly?"

  "Rafe. He wants my brother."

  "Why would he want your brother?" Turner asked.

  "Callahan said Rafe knows about the plague. He even claimed that Rafe knew how to cure it," Max replied.

  "How could that be possible?" Griffin asked.

  "I don't know. Callahan spun a good story about how it could have happened. But no matter what he said, I know my brother. He would never keep the cure hidden. Rafe is a good man. He would want to help people."

  "What proof did Callahan have?"

  "He didn't give me proof. But he knew things. Things about Montana, about Rafe and Alex, about our home."

  "And when you didn't answer him?"

  "Take your pick," Max said, weakly gesturing to her body.

  "I'm so sorry, Max. I should have been there sooner. I asked daily to see you, but they always had excuses for why it wasn't a good time. I would never have guessed it would have gone so far," Griffin said. He took her injured hand in his and looked down at the brace.

  "Doctor said she thinks it's broken. She did what she could for it," Max said softly. "Tell me, what else did you see that was weird at the shelter?"

  "They had scouting parties in and out every day, but they never brought anyone back. We assumed they were looking for living people. You also weren't the only one Callahan was questioning. We saw people drug away to the same building you were in. A lot of the soldiers were rough and inappropriate with the survivors. Something that would typically never be allowed in a military installment," Griffin explained.

  "They aren't looking for the living. I think they are looking for my brother. And anyone associated with the place he was working. Callahan claimed they had been at my home," Max grimaced and looked away for a moment.

  "What is it, Max?"

  "He claims they burned my home down," she replied quietly.

  "What?!" Griffin exclaimed, pulling back to look at her.

  "Ouch," Max muttered as she caught herself from sliding sideways.

  "Sorry...sorry," Griffin said as he propped her back up next to him. "What do you mean he burned down your home?"

  "He knew things about the way the house on the compound looked. Said they were after Rafe. But that he escaped when they burned the house," Max's voice was flat and emotionless. She couldn't bring herself to believe that her home was gone. Or to imagine her brother running from a fire.

  "You don't really believe that, do you? Why would they attack Rafe if he had something they wanted?"

  "None of it makes sense, Griffin. My family, we aren't important in the world beyond our compound. The whole thing is so confusing."

  "Do we still go to Montana?" Cliff asked from the driver's seat. He didn't take his eyes off the dark road, the headlights slicing a path through the upended cars and debris littering the streets. Max thought for a moment, gazing out of the windshield. If the walls were still around the compound, it would still be a safe place to stay. They would have to rebuild. It would take time, but it was worth it if they could survive the plague there. And her sister, Alex, would be going there.

  "Yes. It's still the safest place I know," Max replied finally.

  They drove through the night. Getting away from the city had been easy after they put distance between the shelter and themselves. When dawn started to break, the car was running on fumes. Griffin and Turner worked together to siphon a few cars that were stopped or crashed along the freeway. By midmorning, everyone was exhausted and the car reeked of gas fumes. Max slept through most of the stopping and the morning. Jack curled up against her mother carefully and slept peacefully.

  Deciding they were far enough away now to get rest, Cliff pulled the sedan behind a small farm store that stood on the outskirts of a small town. They hid among bobcats and tractors. Nothing moved around the area, alive or infected. Using jackets in the windows, they blocked out some of the light and sleep came easily, despite the tight conditions of the sedan.

  Max came awake with a start. Her face was pressed into Griffin's chest, his arm carefully draped around her. He was breathing deeply, a soft snore coming from his open mouth. She laid still for a moment, evaluating the pains she felt, trying to determine what had awoken her so suddenly. The loud sound of an engine near the sedan answered her unspoken question.

  "Cliff," Max said, her voice hoarse at first. She cleared her throat and pushed herself into a painful sitting position. "Cliff!" She said to the front seat, louder this time.

  "Max, what is it?" Griffin asked, awake now that she was talking and moving. She tried to lean forward to shake Cliff, but her ribs protested and she fell back against the seat gasping. As she sat the sound of the engine came louder now, and Griffin shot forward to shake Cliff. The man sat up quickly, eyes wild and unfocused.

  "There's someone here," Griffin said quietly. Turner was already pulling the jackets from the windows to get a view from the outside. He cursed out loud when a military-style Hummer appeared on the other side of the equipment they were hiding behind. As if they immediately spotted the movement, the Hummer took off for the end of the row and started to turn in their direction.

  "Cliff, let's get the hell out of here," Turner said as he grabbed his rifle and checked the safety. In a panic, Cliff reached under the steering column to work with the wires. Max tried to sit forward to see what he was doing. She could hear the electric sound of the wires touching but it took a few tries before the car turned over and stayed on. The Hummer had rounded the building and was barreling toward the front of their car.

  Cliff threw the sedan into reverse and looked behind him. Max ducked out the way, air escaping her mouth in a rush as the pain in her ribs tore through her. She laid into Jack, who took her uninjured hand in her little hands. Max turned her face into her daughter's and kissed her cheek quickly. Then they were both thrown into Griffin's side as Cliff performed a crazy turn to get the sedan facing the other way.

  Looking over her shoulder, Max could see the Hummer was on their bumper. It was hard to see into the vehicle, but she could see at least the driver, one soldier in the passenger seat and another that was leaning forward yelling at the driver. No Callahan. But of course, he would send his minions after her. He'd never lower himself and come after her himself. Staring at the soldiers,
she wondered what their orders were. Obtain her and bring her back. Or kill her so she couldn't tell others what was happening under Callahan's command.

  "We need to go faster," Max said to Cliff, as they slid onto the small road the equipment company sat on. He pressed his foot further on the gas, but their little car wasn't going to be a match for the Hummer's powerful engine.

  Coming to a four-way stop, Cliff didn't slow the car, he just sped straight through it. The road was surrounded by woods on either side, their direction taking them more into the mountains and forest. They came upon the small town they were planning on coming into and scavenging. There was no time for that now. The Hummer just followed them through the small streets and buildings.

  "Maybe I can lose them in town?" Cliff said uncertainly.

  "Maybe we should pull over, I'll give myself up. Then you could go to Montana. Keep Jack safe," Max said in a quiet voice to Griffin.

  "No, absolutely not. Plus, do you really think if we pull over, they will let any of us go at that point?"

  "We aren't going to outrun them," Max said.

  Griffin looked over his shoulder now, and his face was set in grim lines. He turned back around and grabbed his rifle as well, checking the safety and preparing himself for a fight. Max felt useless. She could probably shoot with her uninjured hand, but supporting a gun with her broken hand was going to be hard. Her tomahawk was in the trunk with the rest of their weapons, because not everything would fit into the small sedan cab.

  Cliff took a sudden turn, and then another, winding them through some of the small city streets. Max prayed that they didn't find a dead end street in their wild race to get away from the Hummer. The large vehicle had to turn slower, each turn gave them a little breathing room. But once they were turned the soldiers could speed up and come after them again.

  They came to the end of the small town and Cliff took the remaining street that seemed to lead them back to the main street they had entered on. The gas pedal was pushed to the floor but the sedan just couldn't go any faster in the small amount of time. Suddenly they were bumped forward. The soldiers were done playing cat and mouse. The Hummer bumper connected with the sedan again, pushing them forward. Cliff struggled to keep the car under control.