Roads Less Traveled | Book 5 | End of the Road

by Dulaney, C.

  Michael lowered his gun and whispered, “Do we know them?”

  Jonah said nothing, but he did finish rolling his cigarette.

  The three men stumbled to a stop a few yards away.

  Kasey took a deep, shaky breath and said, “Hello, Brad.”

  ✽✽✽

  Out of breath and dead on his feet, it took more than Brad thought he had left to stay upright. The fact Kasey had come out with her weapon down lifted the dread that’d been building with each step up the mountain. Adams stood close, one of Mort’s arms around his shoulders to keep him up. Brad shot them half a smile before looking back at Kasey.

  “Hey,” Brad said. A short chuckle burst from him, and he swayed a bit on his feet, then he panted to catch his breath. “Sorry we’re late.”

  Kasey snorted, then sucked in a breath like she was trying to take it back.

  Mort took in the people in front of them for a long moment, then nodded to Jonah. “Jonah.”

  Jonah, in turn, took a long drag of his cigarette, blew it out, and answered, “Mort.”

  Kasey’s eyebrows pulled together, but through her surprise she kept her eyes on Brad.

  “Sayin’ I didn’t expect to see you here would be an understatement,” Jonah continued.

  Mort chuckled. “Yeah, I’d say.” He glanced over at Brad. The boy gazed at Kasey like it was the second coming or something. His eyes shifted to her. “Ma’am. Sorry to show up unannounced. We lost our radio some time back, or we’d have called ahead.”

  Kasey took several deep breaths. Her hand clenched and unclenched around her rifle. She knew Brad, but not the other two. Jonah somehow knew the older man, and the way he held himself, the set of his shoulders, his relaxed jaw, told her he probably knew all three. How the hell that was the case, she didn’t have a clue. He did a lot of roaming around, Before, so it really shouldn’t have been surprising. But if Jonah was this calm, that told her they were okay.

  Probably.

  She and Brad hadn’t parted on the best of terms. He had a…way about him. Same as Jonah, in fact, except the details of it had been something that, in the end, she couldn’t live with. But he wasn’t a bad person, and he had been the one to warn her about the shit hitting the fan. She hadn’t believed him, or rather, hadn’t wanted to believe him. That’s what most of the fights had been about: her not wanting to believe. But when the world ended, and the dead started walking around, that small part of her that’d always wondered finally knew. And she’d lived with the guilt of it ever since.

  Several beats of silence passed, then Jonah whispered to her, “They’re no danger.”

  Kasey finally tore her gaze off Brad and fixed it on him.

  Jonah flinched.

  Meanwhile, Michael’s rifle inched upward, not aimed directly at the newcomers, but at the ready in case Kasey gave the signal. He kept quiet and alert, senses focused on Kasey and Brad.

  Kasey turned back to Brad and cleared her throat. “You the team Torrez sent?”

  The younger one holding up Mort said, “Yes.”

  Brad confirmed with a nod of his own, then held his hands out from his sides and to Kasey said, “Yeah. We came to help. Or bring you back to Blueville.”

  Kasey finally gave the other two a looking over. “You’re hurt.”

  “Little bit,” the younger one said. “And we’d sure as hell like to get off our feet, if it’s all the same to you.”

  “Adams, right?” Jonah asked.

  “Yeah.” Adams hefted on Mort and pulled his arm tighter around his shoulders. “This one’s getting heavy. You think we can wrap this up and sit down somewhere?” He grimaced and mumbled, “Yes.” Mort mumbled something back to him.

  Kasey looked over at Michael, whose face was already turned in her direction. She pursed her lips, the skin around Michael’s eyes relaxed a bit, and she nodded.

  “Give Jake the all-clear,” she said to him.

  Michael lowered the rifle and pulled the walkie from his waist. He keyed it once long, then once short. Kasey stepped aside, putting space between her and Jonah, and tipped her head toward the door of the main cabin.

  Jonah immediately stepped forward and grabbed Mort’s other arm. “I got him,” he said to Adams. He lifted Mort and walked him up the steps and into the house. Adams wilted but kept his feet, then limped inside.

  Michael waited. Kasey and Brad still stood staring at one another. Her hand didn’t hover over her sidearm, and the rifle hung so loosely from the other he was afraid she’d drop it. That told him she wasn’t debating whether to drop his ass right then and there. As for Brad, he didn’t look like he was in the shape to do anything, especially something as stupid as attacking her.

  Michael looked back and forth between them. Minutes stretched, and he finally said, “Kasey?”

  She took a breath like she’d forgotten to breathe. “Go on. Get inside and see to their wounds.”

  “You too, then.” Michael motioned to Brad with the barrel of his gun, and stepped to the side, flanking him. “Go on.”

  Brad eventually noticed the gun. “Alright.” He met Michael’s eyes. “Alright.” He picked one foot up, then the other, a concentrated effort to move forward and not fall over. He pulled himself up along the porch banister and through the open front door.

  Gus made a racket from inside, but it wasn’t growls and barks. It was his happy whine.

  Michael took two steps and was at Kasey’s side. “You know them?”

  “Just the one.” Kasey pinched the bridge of her nose. “I think Jonah knows them all, though.”

  “Yeah, kinda gathered that much.” Michael pulled his rifle sling onto his shoulder and took Kasey by the upper arm. “You okay with this? Say the word, and I’ll get them out of here.”

  Kasey shook her head a little too quickly. “No, it’s fine. Just…forget it. Stuff from before.” She jerked her chin toward the cabin. “And besides. If Jonah’s okay with them, then we are, too. Right?”

  “Jake’s not gonna like this.”

  “Sure he will. He’ll have someone else to play with now.”

  Michael laughed. “Come on. Let’s see what else they know.”

  “Yeah.” Kasey glanced behind her and let Michael lead her inside. “Sure.”

  ✽✽✽

  Jonah had Mort on the couch, his feet propped up on a kitchen chair, and was trying to peel the torn-up shoes off them when Kasey and Michael walked in. Adams sat on the floor with his back against the couch, legs spread out and arms hanging at his sides. His head tipped back and rested against a couch cushion. Brad, on his knees, played and rubbed all over a very happy Gus.

  “I can’t believe you’re still alive, you crazy little bastard,” he whispered to the dog. Gus answered by licking his face.

  Mort yelped. “Ouch! Goddamnit, Jonah. Watch what you’re doing.”

  Jonah winced. “Hold still and this’ll go quicker.”

  “What the hell do you think I’m trying to do?”

  “Makin’ this harder than it needs to be.”

  Mort covered his face. “I don’t know how the hell you did it all those years. Especially in those boots.”

  Jonah shrugged and ripped one shoe free. “Yeah, well. I’m tougher’n you.”

  The bottom of Mort’s sock was soaked through with blood. Jonah caught Michael’s eye, and Michael went straight through and into the large bedroom for the first aid supplies.

  Adams, eyes closed, mumbled, “Ask me if he’s about to cry.”

  Brad laughed and rolled over onto his back. Gus jumped up onto his chest and they wrestled a bit.

  “Yeah,” Mort said. “Fucking laugh, assholes. Your turn’s coming.”

  Kasey leaned against the kitchen doorway and took it all in. It wasn’t that long ago that it was her on that couch, and Jake tending to the stab wound on her back. That reminded her it needed checked, but she’d have Jake take care of it after his watch shift was over.

  Michael kneeled next to Jonah and rummage
d through the first aid bag. He pulled out a bottle of antiseptic and a roll of gauze.

  “Chrissake, Mort. Hold still,” Jonah said.

  Mort bit down on one of his fingers and whimpered.

  It hit Kasey then, all of a sudden. “These are the guys you used to run with.”

  The room fell silent at the sound of her voice. Brad shushed Gus and rested his hands over the dog’s back. Adams opened his eyes and looked at Kasey. Jonah’s hands froze halfway in pulling the sock off Mort’s foot.

  “Yeah,” he answered quietly. He didn’t look back at her. He kept his eyes on Mort’s sock.

  Kasey took a step into the room. “The one’s Phoenix was after.”

  Brad sat up so fast that Gus fell off and rolled into the floor. “How the hell do you know about Phoenix?” he asked.

  “I told her.” Jonah let go of Mort’s sock and shifted around until he looked up at Kasey. “She knows. They all do.”

  Mort swallowed. “Knows what, Jonah?”

  Jonah glanced over his shoulder at his old friend. “Everythin’.”

  Adams started to laugh and closed his eyes again. “Yep. That sounds about right.”

  “So you’re—” Kasey started. Many nights and many fights with Brad over his “gut feelings” and “dreams that weren’t dreams” ran through her head. She hadn’t thought about that stuff in years, not until she and Jonah had become friendly.

  Brad must’ve known what she was thinking; his hard stare almost stopped her from continuing. “We know this group, Phoenix, changed the terminators,” she said. “We figured most of it out, and Jonah filled in the rest.” She wiped her mouth. Her throat had suddenly gone dry. She waved a hand at Mort, turning her attention to him. She couldn’t stand the look Brad was giving her. “The assholes who fucked with the terminators, they used to hunt people like you. Like Jonah.” She nodded, mostly to convince herself. “Are you running from them? Is that why you’re here?”

  “No,” Adams mumbled.

  Mort shook his head. “What he said. Torrez did point us in your direction. We really are here to help, or escort you back to Blueville. And Phoenix is what they called their project. Making the…termi-nators? The company behind it is PhoenTek. They haven’t been after us, not for a long time. Not since… not since the terminators first showed up.”

  Adams licked his lips and forced himself to look at Kasey. “Ask me if PhoenTek is still hunting us,” he whispered.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Go on,” Jonah said, just as quietly. “Ask him.”

  Kasey raised a brow and looked down at Adams. “Alright. Is this PhoenTek still hunting you?”

  Mort, Brad, and Jonah clenched up and braced for the answer.

  “No,” Adams said. All the air rushed out of his lungs and he slumped against the couch. “Well that’s a fucking relief.”

  Mort closed his eyes. “I don’t know why we didn’t ask him that earlier.”

  Jonah patted his ankle. “Too busy runnin’. Same as me.” They shared a small, knowing smile.

  Michael spoke up, “Someone want to explain to me what’s happening?”

  “It’s his… thing,” Jonah said. He turned to Michael, still knelt next to him. “Mine’s trackin’, you already know that. His is answerin’ questions. Specific ones. Only yes or no, if I remember right.”

  “You do,” Adams said.

  Michael peered at Adams out of the corner of his eye. “Right.” He looked over at Mort. “What’s yours?”

  Mort opened his mouth to say something but looked again at Brad. The boy was still staring at Kasey, but this time not so adoringly.

  “I know what people are feeling.” Mort tapped his chest, over his heart. “Here.”

  Michael nodded again in that way people do when humoring children. He scooted around on his knee and said to Brad, “And what about you?”

  Brad clenched his jaw. “Ask her.”

  “Brad,” Kasey said.

  He sniffed once and turned to Michael. “I know when danger is around. And sometimes I know something’s going to happen before it does.”

  “Uh huh.” Michael flicked his eyes between Kasey and Brad. “Kase, why don’t you get something put together for these fellas to eat. Soon as we’re done dressing their wounds, we’ll put them in the next cabin over so they can get some rest.”

  Kasey lowered her face. “Sure.” She turned her back to them and went into the kitchen. Gus pushed away from Brad and followed her.

  Michael tore his attention away from the kitchen and looked Jonah up and down. He knew it, what they were trying to tell him without telling him. Clearly, Kasey had intimate knowledge of it. The words “psychic” and “medium” popped into his head and he almost laughed. He couldn’t test Jonah. The man had known him too long and he’d already seen what Jonah could do. Track things that left no trail, see shit in the dark that even a bobcat couldn’t see.

  He lifted his chin and stared down Adams. “Yes or no questions, right?”

  Adams lifted an eyebrow. “Yeah.”

  Jonah scooted around in his chair. “Michael?”

  Michael held up a hand to quiet him. To Adams, he said, “Was my high school girlfriend’s name Claire?”

  Adams smirked. “Yes.”

  “Did I get shitfaced drunk one night and ride a donkey into the barracks?”

  Adams didn’t hesitate. “Yes.” He snorted. “Dude. Good one.”

  Michael sat back on his heels and shook his head. I’ll be damned.

  Jonah spoke up, “Careful, Michael.”

  Michael met Jonah’s concerned eyes, but asked Adams one more question. He had to be sure. “Did I kill my mom that first week after the dead started walking around?”

  The smile disappeared from Adams’ face. “No,” he said.

  And there it is, Michael thought. They’re full of shit. He had killed is mom. Dad, too. It happened before he made his way to Blueville Correctional.

  “Phrasing matters,” Brad spoke up. He waited for the smirk to leave Michael’s face, then his eyes flicked to Adams. “Did he kill his mother’s corpse?”

  Adams swallowed. “Yeah.”

  Michael blinked, then got to his feet and strode into the back bedroom. Brad’s eyes followed him.

  “Well, this is awkward,” Adams said. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes. “But at least PhoenTek’s not chasing us. One less thing to worry about.”

  Brad shifted his gaze from the bedroom doorway to Adams and Mort. “They don’t need to. Their target was normal people all along, and the damn gabs, terminators, whatever you want to call them…they’re doing just fine. PhoenTek doesn’t have to do a thing. Am I right?”

  “Yeah.” Adams sighed. “Yeah, you’re right.”

  Jonah and Mort stared a long time at one another, then Jonah went to work on Mort’s raw and bloody foot.

  ✽✽✽

  Jake narrowed his eyes and studied Adams from across the kitchen table. Jonah had walked Michael down to relieve Jake several hours after dark, and now he sat, picking at a late supper. Jake never picked at his food, but he’d had a lot of information dumped into his lap after he got back, and he wasn’t quite sure just how well it was going to sit with him.

  Adams also picked at his food, but it was a late-night snack and he wasn’t really hungry after gorging himself earlier.

  “So,” Jake said. “You some kinda psychic or somethin’?”

  “Or something.”

  Jake chewed his lip for a minute and tapped the table. “I knew it. Superheroes.”

  “Jake,” Jonah called out from the darkened living room.

  Jake flinched and made a face. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “He doesn’t like to be called that.”

  Adams leaned back in his seat. “Can’t imagine why.”

  “Right?” Jake snorted and took a bite of potatoes. “Personally, I think it’s fuckin’ awesome. I mean, I’d pick flight or somethin’ like that, but whatever.”
/>   Adams inhaled and counted to ten. “We don’t get to pick our thing, man.”

  Jake winked at him and nodded. “Right.” Then he gave Adams a thumbs up. “Gotcha.”

  “And being able to fly is stupid,” Adams went on. “Like that could ever happen.”

  “Well, now you’re just bein’ mean.”

  “It’s true. Go ahead and ask me.”

  Jake snorted and shoved a forkful of green beans into his mouth.

  Adams folded his arms and hesitated. “Would be cool, though.”

  “Boys,” Jonah said. “Won’t tell ya again. Get to bed.”

  Jake made another face and mocked Jonah.

  Adams forced a frown to keep from laughing and shoved away from the table. “Catch you in the morning.”

  Jake shoveled in another forkful of potatoes. “You got it, dude.”

  Adams smirked, shook his head, and disappeared around the corner.

  Outside on the porch, Kasey and Brad sat on the steps about as far apart as they could get, each nestled up to the banisters on either side. The nights were getting colder; winter would be there before long. Kasey pulled her coat tighter and tucked her hands into the pockets.

  “Torrez said there was room for us?” she asked. Those were the first words she’d spoken to him since Jonah and Michael had tended to their feet earlier. And she still hadn’t looked him in the eye yet.

  “Yeah.” Brad’s voice was rough. He held his face in one hand, his elbow propped on a knee.

  “It doesn’t feel right.”

  Brad peeked through his fingers at Kasey. “What doesn’t?”

  She sighed. “Running.”

  “No,” Brad said. He dropped his hand away from his face. “It’s not running. It’s a…strategic withdrawal.”

  Kasey snorted. He smiled. There was hardly any moon that night, and it was so dark he couldn’t see the barn where it sat off away from the cabins. But looking over at her now, he could see just enough. There were a few extra scars scattered over this side of her face; forehead, cheek, jaw. And even though she stared straight ahead, he could tell her nose was more crooked than it used to be.