Grim Rising (Aisling Grimlock Book 7)

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Cillian thinks that he can find answers in his vault,” I continued. “I knew you wouldn’t be happy about it, and I told my dad I wouldn’t lie.”

  “You still tried to distract me with wedding stuff.”

  “That was Mom. And, quite frankly, I kind of liked the idea of sitting down to talk with her and you about decisions. It was an option I didn’t think I’d have and when it fell in my lap … .”

  Griffin studied my face for a long moment. “Okay, let’s not add to this insanity by arguing,” he said. “I get that you didn’t want to lie, but hiding the truth is basically lying.”

  “Not really, and I didn’t intend on never telling you,” I argued. “I just didn’t want you to know beforehand because I knew you would try to stop them. I was going to wait until it was done and then tell you.”

  “And have a huge argument?”

  “I made Dad wait outside Victoria’s Secret this afternoon and I bought a bunch of new stuff with his credit card while he pretended he didn’t know what store I was in. I didn’t figure the fight would last all that long.”

  I expected the admission to further irritate Griffin. Instead, despite his best efforts, he cracked a smile. “I can’t believe I’m willingly marrying you.”

  “You still want to, right?”

  “I’m always going to want to. I think that makes me a sick man.”

  “I think that makes you the perfect man for me.” I squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry. Cillian was convinced there was information there that could help us. I don’t know if their phones will work inside a stone crypt. I’m guessing they turned them off so they wouldn’t draw attention to themselves. The last thing they need is someone calling and a security guard hearing the ringtone. I mean … they’re breaking into a vault.”

  “And what do they expect to find in this vault?”

  “Some dude who reportedly lived for one-hundred and fifty years and only died because his voodoo priestess was involved in a car accident right before New Year’s Eve at the turn of the century.”

  “Oh, well, that doesn’t sound weird or anything.” Griffin dragged a hand through his hair. “I don’t want to freak you out – that’s the last thing I want to do – but have you considered the fact that we’re not the only ones getting a friendly visit from the neighborhood zombies tonight?”

  I stilled, dread rolling through me. “What do you mean?”

  “Perhaps someone feels you’re getting too close,” Griffin replied. “And, by you, I mean your entire family. What if this is a way to make sure none of you ever discover what’s really going on?”

  I felt sick to my stomach. The thought that Dad and my brothers might be in danger from a zombie attack – and in a cemetery of all places – made me want to heave. I also wanted to punch somebody, but that seemed to be a counterproductive move. “We have to get over there.”

  “We do,” Griffin agreed. “We need to try calling first.” Griffin kept his hand on my shoulder as he led me to the group. “Jerry, try calling Aidan. See if you can get him on the phone. Make sure they’re okay.”

  “All right, but … what’s going on?” The look on Jerry’s face wasn’t friendly. “Are they not at the movies?”

  “They’re not at the movies,” Griffin confirmed. “As to where they’re at, well, we’ll discuss that later.”

  Jerry seared me with a hot glare. “You knew?”

  “Not now, Jerry. We’ll fight about it later.”

  “Oh, we’ll definitely fight about it later,” Jerry muttered. “I’m thinking that I’ll get my way on the swing band after all.”

  “We’re not getting a swing band.” Griffin extended a warning finger. “We need to focus on the problem at hand.”

  “I don’t see how the creatures outside will be that difficult if we fight as a unit,” Mom interjected. “They’re slow. There are four of us.”

  “Six,” Green corrected. “If you’re leaving, we’re going with you. I want an explanation first.”

  “I don’t have an explanation for you,” I shot back. “Someone is raising zombies and sending them after me. I have no idea who or why. If I knew, this would no longer be a problem.”

  “Because you would kill the perpetrator?” Green challenged.

  “Because we would arrest the perpetrator,” Griffin corrected. “Believe it or not, I didn’t fall in love with a killer.”

  “And yet bodies keep dropping wherever she turns up,” Green shot back.

  “Bodies keep turning up all over metropolitan Detroit,” Griffin said. “You have fifteen other bodies found in various municipalities. They all appeared out of nowhere but seem to have been dead for some time. Those fifteen other bodies had nothing to do with Aisling.”

  “The two in my jurisdiction did,” Green snapped. “She’s clearly up to something. I believed that before I knew there were zombies wandering around her father’s property.”

  “Open your eyes,” Griffin hissed. “The other bodies were zombies. Wow, I can’t believe I just said that.”

  I patted his back in a sign of solidarity. “I told you. You didn’t want to believe me, but I told you. If things weren’t so dire I’d do the dance again.”

  “Not now, Aisling,” Griffin growled. “You’ll do the dance once this is over. You’ll be naked when you do it.”

  “It’s a good thing Cormack isn’t here,” Mom noted. “His head would implode if he’d heard that.”

  “Aidan isn’t answering,” Jerry announced, his face twisted with worry. “I tried Mr. Grimlock and Cillian, too. All of their phones go straight to voicemail.”

  The news wasn’t a surprise, but it landed like a mule kick to the gut. “We have to get to them.”

  “Where are they?” Green asked.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Mom answered. “I have an idea, if you’re interested.”

  “I’m always interested in a good idea.”

  “Can you still gain access to your father’s keys for the Jaguar?”

  I nodded. “He keeps them in his office safe. He doesn’t trust Redmond and Braden not to take the car and cruise for women.”

  “That’s very smart of him.” Mom’s lips curved. “The Jaguar is fast and maneuverable. You should be able to drive it through this crowd.”

  “And?”

  “You and Griffin can take the car,” Mom said. “It’s in the garage, and I doubt there are any zombies in there. I will distract them on the front lawn, draw them in my direction until I’m sure you’re safe and away from the property. Then I’ll lock the doors and wait this out until you return.”

  “But … .”

  “She’s not going alone,” Griffin interjected.

  “Of course she’s not.” Mom sent him a “well, duh” look. “I never once considered that you would let her leave. The Jaguar is small but both of you can fit.”

  “What about me?” Jerry whined.

  “There’s no room for you, Jerry,” Mom replied. “You’ll have to stay with me. I promise to protect you.”

  It was a nice offer, and I wanted to believe Mom would do whatever it took to keep Jerry safe. I wouldn’t risk him, though. “There’s room for Jerry to come with us if Griffin drives,” I countered. “I can sit on Jerry’s lap.”

  “Your father won’t like the fact that you’re letting Griffin drive,” Mom pointed out.

  “No, but something tells me he’ll get over it.”

  Jerry visibly relaxed at the news. “That’s the plan I vote for.”

  “We can put the swords behind the seats,” I added. “That way we won’t go into the … where we’re going … unprotected.”

  “And where would that be?” Green asked.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Griffin replied. “I think that’s our best plan of action. The thing is … .” He broke off as he faced down Mom. “I don’t know that I can leave you here.”

  Mom smirked. “I can take care of myself.”

  “I know you can,” Griffin said, “but y
ou’re Aisling’s mother. If something happens to you, I’m not sure she’ll ever get over it.”

  “That’s a bit dramatic,” I muttered. “I’ve already gotten over it once.”

  “No, you didn’t,” Griffin countered. “That’s not the point, though. Leaving you here to fight these things on your own goes against everything I’ve ever been taught, everything I believe about myself.”

  “Griffin, I have been taking care of myself for a very long time,” Mom said. “I will be fine. If you take Aisling and Jerry, they’re your main concerns. You need to keep them safe.”

  “They’re always my main concerns.”

  “That’s kind of sweet,” Jerry sniffed.

  “Keep them your main concerns,” Mom stressed. “I believe I’ll have the better end of this deal. You’re the one who could be running headlong into danger.”

  Griffin didn’t look convinced, but he swallowed hard and nodded. “Stay safe.”

  “Keep my children safe,” Mom said. “That’s the most important thing. If I can manage to get away, I know where you’re going. I’ll be along when I can to help.”

  Even though I considered arguing further, I didn’t. Instead, I opened Dad’s safe, grabbed the keys to the Jaguar, and followed Griffin and Jerry to the garage. Green, who remained flabbergasted, put up an argument when he realized we were serious about leaving.

  “You can’t go out there.”

  “We have no choice,” Griffin said. “We have to get to the Grimlocks.”

  “And what about us?”

  “You let yourself into my father’s house,” I pointed out. “You were safe in your vehicles. I don’t think you’re in any immediate danger here. In fact, I’m starting to wonder if the zombies are here to make sure we don’t leave.”

  “I’ve been considering that, too,” Mom admitted. “When you’re ready to leave, text me.” She held up her cell phone for emphasis. “I’ll draw their attention to the front yard, which should give you a window for escape. Don’t waste that window worrying about me.”

  “We won’t.” Griffin grabbed my hand. “Come on, baby. It’s time to blow this joint.”

  I snickered as I shook my head, the sound guttural and forced. “That was lame.”

  “I know, but it made you smile, didn’t it?”

  I nodded. “For now.”

  “We’re going.” Griffin cast one final glance over his shoulder in Mom’s direction before disappearing into the kitchen. “Everything will be okay. Have faith.”

  I was trying. It wasn’t easy, though.

  ONCE INSIDE THE JAGUAR, doors locked and the seatbelt fitted securely around Jerry and me as I sat on his lap, I exchanged a weighted look with Griffin as I held my phone.

  “Are you ready?”

  Griffin started the Jaguar, smiling as the engine roared to life. “Oh, this thing is going to fly, isn’t it?”

  “Try not to wreck it,” I warned. “Even if we save his life, Dad won’t have much of a sense of humor if this thing gets scratched. Trust me. I know. I’m still hearing about the Dumpster incident.”

  “I’ll do my best.” Griffin nodded. “Text her.”

  I did as instructed, waiting for the answering beep before giving instructions. “Wait exactly two minutes before you open the garage door and then punch it. The gate should be open.”

  Griffin’s eyebrows jumped. “She opened the gate?”

  “I guess.” My stomach tightened as Griffin revved the engine. Things were about to get very real. Jerry shifted beneath me, pressing his cheek to my back. “Aidan is fine, Jerry. I would know if he wasn’t.”

  “Is that a twin thing?” Griffin asked.

  “It’s an ‘I can’t take it if it’s not true’ thing.”

  “Then it’s definitely true.” Griffin squeezed my hand. “Thirty seconds.”

  We waited, the time seemingly passing in short bursts that felt like hours. When the two minutes elapsed, Griffin punched the button to open the garage door and floored the accelerator.

  I scanned the yard as we passed, the faces nothing but a blur. I caught sight of my mother a split-second before Griffin escaped onto the road in front of the house. She stood in the middle of the yard, her sword busy as she slashed, her expression grim and focused. She looked sweaty and busy, but also unharmed.

  “She’ll be okay,” Griffin said, shifting the car and increasing speed. “Everything is going to be okay.”

  “I know. Just go. We can’t turn back, and I wouldn’t want to even if we could. We have to get to Dad.”

  28

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  The Jaguar was sporty, sleek and fun on a normal day. While trying to race to a cemetery to save my family from possible zombie attack, it was cramped and painful.

  Griffin never smiled during the drive, but he seemed energized when we parked, smoothly sliding out from behind the steering wheel and collecting his sword from the narrow spot behind the seats.

  I was much less graceful, tumbling off Jerry’s lap with a loud “oomph” as I tried to stretch the kinks out of my legs. “Never again,” I muttered.

  “Here’s your sword.” Griffin slipped my weapon into my hand, his eyes keen as they scanned the cemetery. “Redmond’s Expedition is here, but I don’t see anyone.”

  “Do you see any zombies?” Now that we were officially out of the house, Jerry’s bravado had slipped and he looked terrified. He also looked resigned. He wasn’t going to leave Aidan to fend for himself no matter what.

  “Not yet,” Griffin replied. “Do you remember how to get where we’re going?”

  I nodded. “We need to be quiet until we know what’s going on.”

  “Then we’ll be quiet.” Griffin flipped his sword to his left hand so he could use his right to hold mine. I didn’t have a free hand for Jerry, but that didn’t stop him from crowding me as we slipped into the darkness.

  The cemetery was quiet. Too quiet. I felt as if hundreds of eyes were trained upon me. Even if zombies were on the move, they didn’t have eyes as much as murky orbs. It was disconcerting, and every noise I heard – whether the sound of our own feet scraping against the pavement or a rustle of wind through the barren branches – I jolted a bit.

  “It’s okay, baby,” Griffin murmured, his lips close to my ear. I knew he was trying to make me feel better, but his words grated.

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I choose to believe it.”

  “Shh,” Jerry hissed. “You said to be quiet.”

  “So I did.”

  We must have made a strange sight. Two men and one woman, all dressed in heavy winter coats but without hats and gloves – we clearly weren’t thinking when we left the house – picking our way through a cemetery on a chilly February night. Oh, and we all carried swords.

  Yeah, if anyone saw us they’d call the cops for sure. We had “crazy” or “cosplay” written all over us.

  I remembered the way to the back section of the cemetery, releasing Griffin’s hand when we approached. It was dark, so I had to rely on my ears rather than my eyes for the initial part of the approach.

  I paused at the top of a small hill, squinting as I tried to spy any hint of movement. There were streetlights behind the cemetery, illuminating the small neighborhood there. They offered very little help to us, though, and it was only because I happened to be staring directly at the mausoleum that I caught a trace of action at all.

  Griffin saw it at the same time, lifting his finger to his lips to warn us. Jerry and I shot him twin looks of disgust, but followed him, crouching low and sliding in close to a tree so we had at least a modicum of cover.

  The moon, which was largely covered by clouds, peeked through a bit and revealed a scene that caused my blood to run cold. There had to be at least twenty zombies on the small hill, most of them surrounding the mausoleum that housed Oscar Santiago’s remains. The horde made it impossible for those inside the mausoleum to escape in any direction.

  “Oh, no.” I exha
led heavily.

  “I see it,” Griffin gritted out, his tone grim. “It’s still going to be okay.”

  I wasn’t sure how he knew that, but arguing seemed like a bad way to go. “We need to get the zombies away from the mausoleum. That will allow Dad and the others a chance to escape.”

  “I know.”

  “We need to be quiet when we do it, because if we attract too much attention from the neighborhood it won’t be good. We might accidentally draw bystanders too close. We don’t want that on our consciences.”

  “I know.”

  His tone was starting to grate.

  “I kind of want to pinch you,” I whispered.

  Griffin cracked a smile. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m thinking.”

  We lapsed into a silence for a few moments. I didn’t want to hurry him, pressure him to make the wrong decision, but patience isn’t exactly one of my virtues.

  “We need to move faster,” I added.

  “I know.” Griffin faced me directly. “I have an idea.”

  His face was flushed with excitement, causing my stomach to roll as I realized whatever he had planned would force us to separate. He wouldn’t willingly drag me into danger, but he was readying himself to take on the mob by himself.

  “What’s your idea?” Jerry asked.

  “I’m going over there.” Griffin pointed toward another mausoleum, this one much smaller, to our left. “I’m going get on top of it and call the zombies over. I want you two to wait here until the coast is clear – or clear enough that you only have a few of them to deal with. Then I want you to get the others out and start back toward the parking lot.”

  I immediately balked. “That’s the dumbest plan I’ve ever heard.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “I won’t leave you.” I jutted out my lower lip and crossed my arms over my chest, being careful not to poke Jerry with my sword in the process. “It’s not going to happen.”

  “You don’t have a choice,” Griffin said, his voice low. “I won’t be far behind you. In fact, here.” He pressed the keys to the Jaguar into my hand. “Put Jerry in the Expedition with everyone else. You drive the car. I know you’ll wait for me. I promise I’ll be right behind you.”