by KC Luck
Lexi gave Jackie a smile. “Well, look what the cat drug in,” Lexi joked with a cough. “You’re looking a little rough around the edges.”
Jackie touched her hair and rolled her eyes.
“Only an older sister would so rudely point that out,”
Jackie said, but with a smile. “And you don't know the half of it.”
Again, Lexi could tell the woman was trying to sound as if she was making a jest, but Lexi was not buying it. She might be sick, but she was not stupid.
“Well, why don't you sit down and tell me all about it?”
Lexi said and slid over a few inches to give Jackie a place to
sit.
“Only if you agree to eat something,” Jackie replied raising her eyebrow. “I got a briefing from Alice and she told me you were a lousy patient. You know she’s worrying around in the kitchen trying to figure out things that you will eat?”
Lexi felt a twinge of guilt. She had no doubt Alice was doing precisely that. With a sigh, Lexi waved towards the door. “Go get whatever she wants to try to tempt me with and I will do my best.” As if by magic, Alice stepped into the room holding a tray. “Wait a minute,” Lexi said. “I think I have been manipulated.”
Alice gave a little chuckle. “I think you're right,” she said walking to the bed and setting the tray on the nightstand.
“Do you want one of us to feed you?”
Lexi used the little bit of strength in her arms to push herself upright. As she did, Jackie came over and helped fluff the pillows behind her back. “I will give it a try on my own,” Lexi said. “What is the soup du jour?”
“I thought you might be tired of chicken broth,” Alice replied. “So, I made you a bit of oatmeal. A little thin, but I thought it could be something you could eat.”
Again, Lexi's stomach rolled over at the thought, but she held out her hand for the bowl and spoon. “Thank you, Alice,” she said. “I'm sure it will be delicious.”
Alice chuckled. “Of that, I'm not so sure. But I did add a touch of brown sugar. Do you need anything else?” Lexi shook her head. “Well, then I'll leave you and Jackie to visit.”
“Thank you, Alice,” Lexi said as the older woman left the room and Jackie came to sit on the edge of Lexi's bed. Lexi forced herself to swallow a couple of spoonfuls of the oatmeal and then laid it in her lap.
“That's all you going to do?” Jackie asked. “Two bites?”
Lexi growled. “Since when did you become a nursemaid?” she asked.
Jackie gave her a broad smile. “Just being a caring little sister,” she said. “But if you eat a few more bites, I'll tell you what has been going on.”
Very curious as to what was happening while she slept, Lexi picked up the spoon again. “Start talking,” she said, taking another bite.”
Jackie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Well, our always interesting mayor took it upon himself to rally the townspeople and is a hair's breadth away from marching on the tent city to tear it down. Then, of course, there is the flu which has not gone away even though Anna educated people on how to avoid it.” Jackie paused, and a sad look came into her eyes. “But the worst thing is Taylor's friend, Grace.”
Lexi nodded. She thought the worst when they sent a soldier all the way to the farmhouse to get Anna. “So, she's been shot?” Lexi asked taking another bite.
Jackie pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “Yes,”
she said. “And Taylor is sick about it. She said it was only through luck Grace was not killed. Although her hip is a horrible mess. I saw more than I ever wanted to, thank you very much.”
“I see,” Lexi said. “Well, if anyone can help her, it will be Anna.”
Jackie nodded. “I agree,” she said. “I cannot imagine what this town would be like without her. She truly is amazing.”
Lexi smiled. “She truly is,” she agreed and then laughed.
“Do you remember how incredible she was in the Space Needle when the woman was having a baby?”
Jackie laughed in return. “I do,” she said. “It was a terrifying situation, and she kept a level head through it all.”
“What a night,” Lexi murmured as she remembered what it was like after the electricity failed.
“Yes, it was quite an event,” Jackie added. The night that started it all.
AS SHE AND LAURA RODE the horses into the cul-de-sac, Sam could not help but be disheartened. All the houses looked abandoned. Just a few cars were parked on the street or in driveways, but for the most part, it looked like people had evacuated. Where they went, she could not imagine.
Without needing to share a word, she knew Laura was just as disappointed. They came so far and were through so much only to quite possibly get to the address and find no one home. Scanning the different houses, Sam counted down the numbers until she saw the one matching what Mary March wrote on the envelope. “This is it,” Sam said quietly. As she reigned in Lester, Laura came up beside her.
“Do we just go up and knock?” she asked.
Sam shrugged. “I can't see any other way to handle this,” she answered starting to dismount.
“You don't think it will be dangerous?” Laura asked. Sam was not sure. There was always an element of danger in today’s world. Anyone could be hiding behind the closed blinds of these houses, but her gut told her there was no one.
“I think it'll be okay,” Sam said. “Do you want to come up with me?”
Laura nodded. “I do,” she said and climbed down from Honey. Together, they found a place to tie the horses to the back of a truck and then, hand-in-hand, walked up the front steps of the two-story house. Sam could not help but notice it was a cookie-cutter of the homes around it.
It was one of those neighborhoods built quick, cheap, and without originality. Not somewhere I would ever want to live, she thought, and her mind wandered back to the cute bungalow where Mary March left the letter. That is the kind of place I want.
While she approached the door, Sam raised her fist to knock. As she did, she heard the ever so familiar and always terrifying sound of a shotgun ratcheting.
“Stop right there,” a man's voice growled. “And raise your hands.” Sam didn’t hear the stranger come up behind them, and she wondered where he had been hiding.
Although, we could have been a little stealthier, she thought. Anyone looking out one of the upper story windows would've seen us on the horses from blocks away.
“Don't shoot,” Sam said. “We mean you no harm.”
“We'll see about that. What do you want?” the man asked.
“We're here to deliver a letter,” Laura replied. “From a woman named Mary March.”
There was a pause as if the man was considering what he had just heard her say. “Mary March? Is that what you said?”
he asked.
“Yes,” Sam added. “She left you a letter and we wanted to deliver it. Can we lower our hands?”
Again, a pause and then Sam heard the man sigh. “Yes,”
he said. “And I suppose you should come on in and tell me what this is all about.”
THEY FOLLOWED THE MAN around the back of the house. He cradled the shotgun in one arm but no longer held an air of threat around him. In fact, his whole demeanor changed to someone who was defeated. Unlocking the back door, he went inside the house and waited for them to follow. Laura and Sam stepped into a rather nondescript kitchen with a bunch of melted candles all along the granite countertops.
Dirty dishes filled the sink and trash was everywhere. It was clear he was surviving here since the beginning.
“So, let's see that letter,” he said as he rested the shotgun in the corner of the room. Sam reached for her pocket, and he held up a hand. “Let's go slow though,” he added.
Sam nodded. “I understand,” she said. “It's right here.”
She extracted the tattered envelope and held it to him. The man just stared at it for a moment before reaching out and gently pulling it from Sam's finge
rs.
“I can't believe you delivered this,” he said. “Did you know Mary?”
“Not exactly,” Laura said with a smile. “But she did us a favor, and we wanted to repay it.”
“Is she still alive?” the man asked. Laura shook her head and the man nodded. Rather than open it, he put it on the trash-filled island beside him. “I will look at it later,” he continued. “I'm not sure I'm ready.” Just then, there was the sound of something coming from the hallway. The man whipped his head around and an angry frown crossed his face. Laura followed his gaze and saw a young boy who could not be more than eight-years-old standing there. He was covered with filth, wearing dirty clothes, and looked far too skinny.
“Dammit, Henry,” the man snapped. “I told you and your sister to stay hidden until I gave the signal to come out.”
The boy cowered under the tone and looked at the floor.
“Shauna needs to pee,” he said quietly. Almost apologetically, Laura thought and her heart immediately went out to the boy. She had a sudden urge to pull him into her arms and give him comfort. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sam tense as if she wanted to do the same. Before either of them could move, the man strode across the kitchen and grabbed the boy roughly by the arm.
“You know these people could have been here to slit our throats, right?” he growled into the boy’s face. “Shauna should just piss herself rather than put everyone at risk.”
The boy trembled but did not respond. Letting go, the man
stepped past the boy to yell down the hallway. “Shauna,” he said. “Get your ass down here. I'll cover you to go outside and use the pit.” As Laura watched, a younger girl in a dress that may have been pink a few months ago but was a dull gray from grime, appeared. She held a tattered and stained doll in her arms and as much as Laura wanted to comfort the boy, her heart ached even more for the girl.
CHAPTER 33
lipping out of the bedroom where Lexi was finally Sasleep, Jackie found Alice in the kitchen. She was in her nightgown and robe, but there were two mugs on the island ready for tea. “Oh, you didn't have to wait up,” Jackie said.
“I know it's late.”
Alice gave her a smile. “I thought we could at least have a cup of herbal tea. It always helps me sleep,” she said.
“How is she?”
“I think she's better,” Jackie said slipping onto a stool at the island and watching as Alice poured hot water into the two mugs. “She was actually a little more talkative, which is a great sign, I think. Still, I'm not sure I would say she's out of the woods yet. I'll leave that up to Anna.”
Alice nodded. “Well, it gave us all a scare,” she said. “To see someone so healthy and young get so sick is always hard.”
Jackie started to laugh. “I wouldn’t call my older sister young,” she said accepting one of the mugs of tea from Alice.
Alice raised an eyebrow. “From where I'm standing, she's a young whippersnapper,” she said and settled onto a stool beside Jackie.
“Fair enough,” Jackie agreed with a smile, which turned into a yawn. “I think I’m about done for.”
Alice nodded. “It’s late and you have had a lot to contend with it seems. So, do you want to sleep in your old room tonight?” she asked. “I don’t mind letting you have it.”
Jackie shook her head. “No, I'll just make up a bed on the couch,” she said, starting to get up. Alice waved a hand at
her.
“Stay there. Let me grab some blankets and a pillow for you,” Alice said standing up and moving toward the hall closet where they stored the linens.
As Jackie waited sipping her tea, she heard footsteps on the back porch. I hope we didn't somehow wake Will or Callie, she thought. Or maybe they're just alarmed at a lantern burning this late and are checking to see how Lexi is doing? Watching the door, waiting for one of them to come in, she nearly dropped her mug when the figure of a man suddenly filled the doorway. He was so big he had to duck his head to step inside. Although Jackie had never seen his face clearly before, she had no doubt he was the giant of a man who was with the group who attacked her and her friends.
“What do you want?” Jackie spat out, her voice snapping with fury. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute, but she would be damned if she would show him any fear.
“Where's the nurse?” he snarled letting his eyes skim over the room before stepping closer. As the lantern light fell over him, Jackie noticed he was injured. There was a lot of blood on his shoulder and further down his chest. From the encounter with Taylor and Grace, Jackie thought. Taylor was confident she hit him and it was obvious the man was shot. Nothing could have made Jackie happier. I wish they killed him.
“Well, she's not here,” Jackie said with as much venom as she could muster. “So, get the hell out.”
The giant narrowed his eyes. “Maybe I'll just wait for her,” he said and moved further into the kitchen. “And keep you company.” An evil smile crossed his face, and Jackie glanced at the counter. On it was a wooden block with knives sticking out of it. She tried to estimate if she was fast enough to get to a knife before the giant intercepted her.
Maybe if I can get him to sit down first, she thought.
“If you insist,” she said glancing away as if disinterested in anything he did. “Have a seat.” She waved toward one of the stools on the far side of the island. The giant paused and looked at her with a mixture of surprise and suspicion. Jackie realized she was going to have to sell her offer a little more and disgust rippled through her. “What? Are you afraid of me or something?” she asked with a wry smile, and at this, the giant smirked.
“I could break you in half like a toothpick,” he said and stepped forward to sink on the stool.
“Whatever,” Jackie said and at that moment, she saw a flicker of movement coming back into the kitchen. She realized it was Alice and started to call out to warn the woman to run when she realized Alice had a large vase from the hall raised over her head. The giant seemed to sense her and started to turn, but the older woman was quicker than Jackie ever imagined. She brought the vase down and smashed it against the man's skull. It was not enough to break the heavy ceramic, and the giant managed to keep upright, but Jackie saw he was stunned. Seeing her chance, Jackie raced to the counter to pull a knife. Grabbing his head, the man snarled and whirled on Jackie knocking over the stool.
“Don't even think about it,” he said and lumbered toward her. She did not hesitate and grabbed the butcher knife from the block before turning. At that moment, the giant lunged and his momentum pushed his body into the knife Jackie held. They just stared into each other's eyes. Die, you bastard, Jackie thought and as if in answer, the man staggered back with a cough, and looked down at the handle of the knife protruding from his stomach. He slipped to one knee.
“You bitch,” he snarled. “I'm going to kill you for that.”
Jackie knew he meant it and tried to rush past him. He reached for her, grasped her wrist, and started to pull her back. Jackie was about to scream when in a flash, Alice
brought down one of the cast-iron frying pans on his head.
The giant went limp in a heap with a dent in the back of his head. The two women fell into each other’s arms and stood over him.
“Well, that was a lot more effective,” Alice said in a matter-of-fact tone, which caught Jackie so off guard she barked out a laugh.
“Yes,” she agreed. “Yes, it was.”
THE ROOM WAS DARK, lit by a single lantern turned down low on the nightstand beside her bed. Grace blinked her eyes open and felt someone near her. Looking over, she saw Meg resting her head on the mattress near Grace's shoulder.
The woman was asleep and looked so peaceful that, without thinking, Grace reached out and touched Meg's hair gently.
She felt so much emotion toward the woman.
Unexplainable, but strong. When she realized Meg was going to be the blood donor for her transfusion, she struggled to keep from letting her em
otions show. Why did she do that for me? she wondered. I have been nothing but cold to her. As if hearing her thoughts, Meg raised her head and looked into Grace's eyes. The moment held until Grace glanced away. The tenderness in Meg’s eyes was too confusing.
“Can I get you anything?” Meg asked. “Water? Soup?”
Grace shook her head. “Not right now,” she said playing with the hem of the blanket over her. “I just want to lay here.”
Meg smiled and sat back. “Fair enough,” she said. “We can just sit here. I don’t mind.”
Grace continued to avert her eyes and realized she was not being fair to Meg. I’m just a burden now, she thought and was not going to take advantage of Meg’s kindness any
longer. “Actually,” Grace started. “You need to get back to the Wind Dancer. Your crew needs your leadership.” A flicker of hurt crossed Meg’s eyes, but then it was gone. It was replaced by resolve.
“The ship is fine,” Meg replied. “I gave Jimmy orders to keep anchored just off the dock. We're not going anywhere.”
Grace shook her head. “No, that was never your plan,”
Grace said. “You told me you intended to sail south along the coast and explore. Not sit in the Columbia River.”
“Things change,” Meg said with a steely tone. “I'm not going anywhere until you're ready to go with me.”
Grace looked up at the woman’s words. Her heart swelled at the thought Meg cared so much for her she would wait, and yet, it was the last thing she wanted to hear. She could not cope with the emotions right then. Not when her future was so uncertain. I’ll probably never walk, she thought.
What good am I now?
Grace turned away again. “Meg, I don't want you here,”
she whispered and waited to see how Meg would react. For a long moment, the woman did not say anything. Finally, Grace glanced over and saw Meg was looking down at the floor. I've hurt her, Grace thought. After all she's done for me. It was everything Grace could do to stifle a sob. This is the right thing to do.
