“We might as well get going. Max could be at the house already,” Anna yawned. Her eyes were red and stung from lack of sleep. She had been up for the better part of forty-eight hours, and it was wearing on her. She pulled out into the street and headed home. She had to dodge wrecked and abandoned cars, but the road was mostly free of zombies. They were back at the house in less than fifteen minutes. Max’s truck was nowhere to be seen.
“It’s okay, Anna,” Emily said. “He’s probably on his way here now.”
“You’re probably right,” Anna replied, even though she couldn’t help but worry about him.
“We should get some of this stuff unloaded while we wait for him,” Emily said.
“Better yet, we should have the guys come out and unload it,” Anna said. “I’m so tired.”
They went inside the house where Damon had been waiting and had opened the door for them. Anna pulled him in for a tight hug. “Are you doing okay, kiddo?” she asked him.
“I’m good Mom,” Damon said. “I’ve just been worrying about you guys. Everyone’s in the kitchen and family room. We knew you might be checking in with dad here at midnight, so we’ve been hanging around waiting.”
Anna saw Frank and Junior standing off to the side. “Would you guys mind unloading the SUV? We did some major shopping at the pharmacy,” Anna said.
“No problem, we’ve got it,” Frank said as Junior nodded. They headed right out the door to start bringing the bags in.
Anna was surprised to see Lucia, Joey, and Michelle in the kitchen. At the sight of her best friend, her eyes immediately filled with tears, and she rushed over to hug her.
“I’m so sorry, Michelle,” Anna said as they embraced. Michelle’s body was quickly racked with sobs as she hugged her best friend and let it all out. She felt like she would never run out of tears for Jesse.
Damon, Joey, Lucia, and Emily moved to the family room to give them some space. Joey and Lucia couldn’t stand seeing their mother cry; seeing her raw grief caused both of them to tear up as well. Damon tried his best to comfort his best friend while Emily pulled Lucia close as the tears fell.
The loss of Jesse was felt heavily by everyone, and it would be a while before any of them would feel normal again. Michelle feared she would never feel like herself again but knew she needed to be strong for her kids. She’d taken a day for herself to grieve and try to sleep through the pain, but she knew that her time to cope with the initial shock of their loss was over. She would shed many more tears and would always have a hole in her heart, but her kids had to come first from this point forward.
Voices coming from the front door pulled everyone out of their grief for the moment. Frank and Junior had brought all of the bags and left them just inside the door, hoping not to disturb the family, but when Max and Maggie walked in the door, they all started talking at once.
Max hurried to the kitchen and family room area and was relieved to see Anna in one piece with no new injuries. He immediately noticed everyone’s red eyes and realized he had interrupted some grieving time, but everyone pulled themselves together quickly. It seemed to be the new normal that they were all being forced to grow accustomed to. Everyone said their hellos then they were ready to plan for whatever was next. He looked around the room with pride as his eyes met those of each person, and without fail, he saw determination and strength on every face. It was time to make a new plan, and he felt confident that each one of them would do their part and do it well.
Chapter 21
Night 4
“How are the perimeter checks going?” Max asked Frank and Junior.
“They’re going well,” Junior said. “The yard hasn’t been breached yet. The connecting back yards have been free of the dead, too. We’ve killed about a dozen or so zombies in the street out front just to be safe. We don’t want any to linger near your house or the Wright’s place next door, so we’ve been taking them out.”
“None of them have shown any interest in either place,” Frank added.
“Good to hear,” Max said. “As long as they don’t discover us in here, we should be safe for a little while. I’m not sure how much longer the power will last, so it could get uncomfortable once we lose the AC, but as long as we’re safely hidden, we’ll figure out how to deal with the heat when the time comes.”
“Frank and Junior have been keeping everyone well fed,” Damon said. “You and mom should eat some real food before you head out again, Dad.”
Max nodded his thanks to the guys then turned to Anna. “Before we head back out, Anna, we should talk about it for a minute. We need to make another plan for how and where we’re going to search, and you need a break. You can barely keep your eyes open, and you’ve been up for two days straight,” Max said.
Anna immediately disagreed, saying, “We’re all tired, Max. Imagine how tired Camille must be out there. You know I can’t rest until my baby is home safe.”
“I’m not saying that you should just stop searching and stay home. I think you need to eat something, maybe take a shower, and sleep for a couple of hours before you head out again. If you and Emily keep going without getting at least a little bit of rest, you’re more likely to make a mistake out there,” Max said. “You could run off the road, get surrounded, and anything could happen. I can’t lose you, Anna.” Max pleaded.
“What about you? We can’t just all take a break,” Anna insisted. “We have to keep searching.”
“I had a nap yesterday, and you know me, I don’t need much sleep,” Max said. Desperate to get Anna to agree to take a break, he said, “Eat, sleep, do what you need to, and I’ll be back in four hours to switch places. I’ll rest up when you head back out.”
“I just can’t, Max,” Anna started, then yawned.
He gave her a look, then smiled, “You can’t even argue with me without yawning. Please, Anna, stay home and take a quick nap.” He watched her expression closely as she came to a decision and felt instant relief when she nodded.
“You promise me you’ll be careful out there,” Anna said.
“You know I will. I love you, baby,” Max said.
“I love you too, Max,” Anna said as she stifled another yawn, and he grinned.
“Damon, I don’t know if Emily is familiar with the showers or bedrooms,” Max said. “Get her set up, will you?”
“Sure thing, Dad,” Damon said.
“Then you kids need to get some sleep, too,” Max said. “Michelle and the guys can handle everything else until I get back.”
“Until we get back,” Maggie said. “I’m still your second set of eyes out there.” Max nodded.
With everyone settled or about to be, Max gave Anna a hug and a kiss. “I’ll see you soon. I love you,” Max said. “Thank you for staying. I mean it, thank you,” he said as he took her face in his hands, stared into her eyes, and kissed her. His wife was so stubborn and so protective of their children that Max was almost surprised that he had talked her into getting some rest.
“You’re welcome, but in four hours, I’m leaving whether you’re back or not,” Anna said with a trace of a smile. Max just shook his head because he knew without a doubt that in four hours and one minute, Anna would be back on the road.
“Ready Maggie?” Max asked as he took the radio Anna held out to him.
“Let’s go,” she answered, and they headed out the door.
Anna and Emily both grabbed a quick bite to eat then retired to their showers and beds, leaving the kids, Michelle, Frank, and Junior in the kitchen.
“I appreciate you guys doing all of the cooking today,” Michelle said. She was used to being in the kitchen herself. It almost felt strange to her to have someone else feeding everyone.
“Happy to do it,” Frank said.
“I’ll take over in the morning,” Michelle said. “Between feeding everyone and doing perimeter checks, have you guys gotten any sleep?”
“We napped here and there,” Junior answered. “We’re used to it at the fire st
ation. We keep odd hours and sleep when we can.”
“I don’t mind doing the next perimeter check if you guys want to get some rest,” Michelle offered.
“No can do, ma’am,” Frank said. “We do everything in pairs now. We can’t have you going out there alone, especially not at night.”
“It’s Michelle, no need to call me ma’am,” Michelle said. “I’ve slept all day, so after your next round, why don’t you guys get some sleep? I’ll keep an eye on things. By then, Anna and Emily will be up, and Max should be back.”
“That sounds good to me,” Frank said.
It was nearly 1:00 in the morning, but the kids weren’t ready for bed. All three of them were heaping plates full of food leftover from a late dinner. Michelle realized she hadn’t eaten all day, so she joined them. There was so much food that Frank and Junior put together another plate for themselves then everyone got comfortable in the family room to eat and hang out.
“So, do you guys have a pole at the fire station?” Joey asked.
“Most of them don’t nowadays, but our station is older, so we still have one,” Frank said.
“Do you leave your uniform and your gear next to the fire truck like they do in the movies? So you can just step right into it?” Damon asked.
“We do. Everything is all ready to go, so when a call comes in, we can put our gear on, get in the truck and go out the door as fast as possible,” Junior explained.
“That’s pretty cool,” Joey said. “I thought about maybe becoming a firefighter, but I guess that doesn’t matter anymore.”
Frank put his hand on Joey’s shoulder and said, “You’d have made a fine fireman, son. We would have been lucky to have you.” Joey grinned at the praise.
“So, did you climb ladders to save people from burning buildings?” Damon asked.
“We were on an engine that supplied the water, and we were the hose men,” Junior said. “We’d hold the fire hose to put out the fire. We didn’t ride the ladder truck, which is what you’re thinking of.”
“That’s sweet,” Damon said. “How many guys have to hold the hose? I mean, it must be pretty heavy.”
“It’s usually takes at least two men to control it once we turn the water on,” Frank replied. “It’s pretty damn heavy.”
“Alright, alright,” Michelle said. “It’s late, and you boys need to get to bed.” She looked over at Lucia and started laughing. Everyone else turned to see what had made her laugh. Lucia was sound asleep, sitting up with a plate of half-eaten food on her lap. Everyone laughed, but she slept right through it.
Just as Joey was about to startle her awake by getting right next to her ear to say her name loudly, Michelle stopped him. “Enough, Joey,” Michelle said loudly. “Off to bed. I’ll take care of your sister.”
“Careful Mom, you’re getting loud,” Joey teased.
“What if there had been a zombie right outside the window when you raised your voice?” Damon joined in.
“We could be surrounded right now and not even know it all because you couldn’t keep your voice down,” Joey jokingly admonished her.
Michelle gave the boys a lethal look that made them both instantly shut up.
“Goodnight Mom,” Joey said in an exaggerated whisper with a little grin.
Both boys turned from the room, and Damon quietly said, “Your mom’s temper is back. I told you she’s scary as hell.”
“I heard that!” Michelle said with a little laugh, and the boys hurried down the hallway to Damon’s room. It made her happy to see the boys acting like themselves. It felt good to laugh and smile, even if only for a couple of minutes.
“I’ll clean up after I get Lucia to bed,” Michelle said as Frank and Junior started to clear the dishes. “You two could use a break.” Michelle gently woke Lucia then told her to go to bed. Lucia nodded sleepily and made her way down the hallway.
Michelle gathered all of the dirty plates and got ready to wash dishes. Frank and Junior were hanging out for a few more minutes before they had to do their next perimeter check. They didn’t force any small talk on her, and she was grateful for it. They seemed to be good men, and Jesse would never have brought them home if they hadn’t been. She’d just had enough conversation for one evening and was glad to lose herself to the mindlessness of washing a sink full of dishes. When she was about halfway done, they excused themselves to head outside. She was relieved to have a little time to herself. Her thoughts were focused mostly on Jesse and her children and moving forward now as a family of three. Of course, they were all family with Max and Anna and the kids, but she was the head of her little family now and knew she would do anything she had to do to keep them safe.
It was after 2:00 in the morning before Michelle had the kitchen cleaned up to her satisfaction. She checked the fridge to see what fresh food they had left since they knew the power wouldn’t last much longer. She wanted to make sure that nothing went to waste. The frozen food would probably last another day or two when the time came, and she figured the men could grill it out back if the neighborhood was still quiet. After sleeping for most of the day, she felt wired and wide awake. She always took comfort in cooking and baking, so she pulled out the ingredients to bake some blueberry muffins, chocolate chip muffins, and banana bread. It occurred to her that there would be very few baked goods in their future, so she decided to make some cake, cookies, and cinnamon rolls too. By the time she finished baking, everyone would probably be waking up, and she would make them a proper breakfast. She got lost in her baking and enjoyed a couple of hours of peace and quiet.
Chapter 22
Day 5 Early Morning
Anna awoke to the delicious aroma of baked goods coming from her kitchen. She checked her phone and saw that her alarm was about to go off, so she hit the button. As she walked out of her room feeling recharged, she headed for the kitchen to see what smelled so good. The counters were full of muffins and desserts, and Michelle was in the middle of making several other things. Emily had been asleep in the family room and walked into the kitchen just as Anna did.
“Wow, it smells good in here,” Anna said. “You’re doing some serious baking.”
“I just wanted the kids to enjoy as much as possible before we lose the ability to bake,” Michelle said. “And you know me. Baking is my happy place.” Anna walked over to hug her friend. Michelle hugged her back and didn’t break down in tears. All of the time in the kitchen was doing her some good.
“Morning Michelle, Anna,” Emily said with a yawn. She still felt a little tired, but that nap had done wonders for her.
Michelle handed them muffins and coffee so they could get a little something in their stomachs before they headed out again. They definitely needed the caffeine. “Eat and drink, both of you,” Michelle said in the motherly way she spoke to her children.
“No word from Max?” Anna asked. He was due to be home soon. She smiled to herself, thinking of him worrying about her leaving if he was even one minute late. She’d give him at least five minutes. She sipped her coffee and watched the clock.
“If you’re worried, you can call him on the radio,” Emily said. “But I’m pretty sure he’ll be here on time or very close to it. He doesn’t want you taking off again without him.”
“I’ll give it a few more minutes. When I’m done with my coffee, I’ll be ready to head back out,” Anna said. “Hopefully, he’ll be here by then.”
Frank, Junior, and the kids were all still sleeping. It had taken some persuasion on Michelle’s part to get the men to take a nap. She had promised to wake them when Max got home.
“I restocked your backpacks for you even though you haven’t been eating much. They were still nearly full when you brought them in. I added some muffins and a few more bottles of water,” Michelle said. “You’d better start eating more.” Anna just nodded in response. Michelle was in mom mode right now and was doing her best to take care of everyone.
“What all are you baking,” Anna started but stopped abr
uptly when she heard a noise at the front door. She jumped from her chair so quickly that it nearly fell over. She hadn’t wanted to admit it, but she’d started to worry about Max and was so relieved that he was home. Anna removed the lift bar, opened the door, and nearly jumped for joy.
“Camille!” Anna exclaimed. “Oh baby, I’ve been so worried about you.” Before Camille could say a word, Anna wrapped her arms around her and held her tight. Camille sobbed into her mom’s chest and hugged her back. They both cried tears of joy and relief and couldn’t let go of each other. Camille had been hoping and waiting for this moment for so long. She’d been so afraid that she would never see her mom again and had dreamt of her mom holding her in her arms. It was one of the things that had kept her going through it all.
Michelle and Emily were stunned and watched from the kitchen. Camille showing up at the door was the last thing that anyone had expected. Both women teared up with the joy of seeing mother and daughter reunited. Michelle loved Camille as if she were one of her own and had to force herself to wait before running over to hug her. She knew Anna and Camille needed a few minutes to themselves.
Anna finally loosened her grip on her daughter and held her back to take a good look at her. “Are you injured? Does anything hurt?” Anna asked.
“I’m okay Mom,” Camille said through her tears. “My knee is sore from twisting it, and my shoulder and wrist hurt from when I drove into a telephone pole. Nothing serious.”
“When you wrecked… you drove?” Anna asked in surprise. Camille had never even sat in the driver’s seat before.
“It’s a long story, Mom, but I’m okay,” Camille replied. “I promise.”
Anna had a million questions but, for the moment, settled on hugging her daughter again. She led her to the little family room off of the kitchen to sit down. Michelle brought her a glass of water and a plate of muffins. “I missed you, kiddo,” Michelle said as she gave her a quick hug.
“Emily, do you mind grabbing the radio for me?” Anna asked. She didn’t want to leave her daughter’s side. Emily handed it to her a moment later. Anna pressed the button to call Max, and he responded immediately.
SUBURBAN JUNGLE: A Post Apocalyptic Zombie Survival Thriller (Chronicles of the Undead: Book 2) Page 16
