One day, they came across an old black Jeep parked in a secluded portion of the forest, probably left by an owner who had been attacked while on a fishing excursion. Among his many so-called “talents” as he called them, Colin had no problem hot-wiring the vehicle. Haven was dying to hear how he’d learned that particular skill, but he told her it was a story for a rainy day. They drove the Jeep back to the lake house, relieved to have another form of transportation aside from the boat. When he looked around in the trunk that night, he came across a tire iron and gave it to Haven so that she could defend herself and her family against any threats without using her gun.
Another day, she came across his bagpipes. He desperately wanted to show her what beautiful music they made and how well he played, but he knew that playing them would only draw the zombies to their hideaway. He almost melted when she said that if she ever got married, she would walk down the aisle to bagpipes. Colin promised her that when everything was over, he would teach her how to play them.
Most of all, he tried to keep her distracted from her grief of losing her grandmother, always finding something for them to do to pass the time. Sure enough, her spirits seemed to lift.
Some days they would patrol the area in the Jeep, Colin driving while Haven navigated. Every once in a while, she undid her ponytail, letting her dark waves cascade behind her in the wind. He always pondered what she was thinking in these moments. Often, he would catch her smiling at him admiringly. When he would return the grin and look at her questioningly, she would simply shake her head and lean back in the seat, closing her eyes as the icy air washed over her.
While they were not as plentiful as they had been in the previous weeks, the ever-present threat from the infected still existed. Every now and again, they would run into a zombie or two not far from the boat house, but they would dispatch the undead silently and effortlessly, a truly formidable alliance.
Haven pointed out that she was surprised the ones from her grandmother’s hadn’t figured out how to find them. She half expected them to swim across after seeing them determinedly chase her family into the water when they had barely escaped with their lives. She hoped it wasn’t possible in their seemingly mindless state.
When Colin would jump into the lake for an invigorating swim, sometimes heading out quite far, Haven thought he was truly going insane. She would wade into the water up to her knees for practical purposes, such as bathing, but beyond that was out of the question. She didn’t like the idea of swimming around almost naked without her weapon with the possibility, however slight, that the dead might be lurking beneath, their decaying faces shrouded in the murky water as they reached for her limbs. Even though Colin laughed at her, she stood vigilantly on the dock as he swam, weapon ready in case she needed to protect him.
In a relatively short amount of time, the two became close friends. He had to admit that he was deeply attracted to Haven, and that she fascinated him more than any other woman he’d ever met. To his surprise, his attraction went beyond merely sexual chemistry. This was perhaps the first girl he had developed a friendship with, but with whom he hadn’t had sex. To his even greater astonishment, he eagerly looked forward to their long conversations and walks along the beach each day. He’d questioned his own masculinity and sanity when he thought about how intolerable and silly he used to find such things, but if he was honest with himself, with Haven, it was effortless. He wanted more.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take him long to discover that she had a boyfriend by the name of Houston, and while he was pretty certain that the lucky bastard was dead by now, he kept his thoughts to himself. Haven often spoke of him, and when she did, her features softened, her lips turned prettily into a smile, and her cheeks flushed with emotion. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that she was genuinely in love. Colin found it terribly ironic that the one woman he had ever been able to imagine a future with was already taken by another man. And while Haven was completely convinced that Houston would find her, Colin felt differently.
He figured the best way to go about pursuing a romantic relationship with her was to wait until she accepted that Houston wasn’t coming, and that he was either dead or a festering zombie.
Ultimately, Colin was happy to be a part of something, to be needed in a way that was completely different from anything he had ever experienced before. He had decided early on that he would protect Haven’s family the same way he would his own. And even if Haven didn’t see him as anything more than a friend for now, he would be the best friend to her that she had ever had until she grew to see him as something more later.
Chapter 25:
Houston and Texaco had managed to lose the town’s residents the day after they fled Petersburg. By coating himself and the dog in cold mud and keeping up a steady jog for several hours, the creatures had lost track of them and dispersed in the forest.
A day later, he found a small stream, and ignoring the icy chill of the water, he had rinsed off the mud caked to his face and body. Realizing he didn’t have time to wash his clothes and wait for them to dry out, he had discarded them and changed into his last clean shirt and jeans. He wished he had another jacket as this one was heavy with dried mud, but it kept him warm, and that was all that mattered then.
Going into Petersburg and witnessing first-hand the lifelessness of the quiet, relatively secluded town had been unsettling. Petersburg was much smaller than Haven’s town, and the disease had ravaged it wholly. Seeing that, Houston wondered if anyone would be spared, safe from the outbreak. Why had other countries not intervened to help the U.S. military and law enforcement contain the situation? Why hadn’t all of this been resolved by now, returned to a sense of normalcy? He had a sinking feeling that the horrendous plague had spread all over the world, that there wasn’t going to be any rescue mission. He, like those still left, was entirely on his own.
Houston paused mid-stride and stared up at the gray sky framed by statuesque pine trees. The air was freezing, uncharacteristic of mid-November, and it chilled him to the bone in spite of his warm jacket.
The cold weather had forced them indoors as of late. He and Texaco had come across an old cottage nestled in the forest, one that had been abandoned for a long time. It had needed a lot of work to even be considered inhabitable. He had shredded bits of cloth from the tattered curtains and rolled them up to stuff into the broken windows in order to keep the cold out. Houston could handle that. He hadn’t expected much when he found the house. But on the second night while rummaging through the rotted pile of wood near the fireplace, he carelessly lifted a log without looking beneath it first and found a very startled rattlesnake. The frightened snake immediately took off and disappeared in a hole in the floor, but Texaco continued to randomly bark at the dilapidated floor whenever a rustle could be heard beneath them. Houston couldn’t decide if he felt safer indoors or outside and was ready to move on, but the weather had been so bitter, sleeping outside would have proven a stupid decision. So far, they’d stayed in the small structure for the past four days, eating what remained of their food run in Petersburg and sleeping the day away next to the fire in the frosty, run-down home.
It was frustrating how long the hike to Haven and her family was taking them. The temperature was so cold that to remain outside for long periods of time had become dangerous. He was shocked at how quickly the weather had turned on them. One day, it was crisp and refreshing; the next, it was arctic and miserable. While he had improvised a makeshift sweater for Texaco, their clothing did little to protect them against the harsh, unexpected winter winds.
He shivered and rubbed his hands together. They needed firewood. He picked up a few fallen tree branches and broke them into smaller pieces to take back to the house. All of his experience as a wilderness guide for youth camps had finally paid off. He’d managed to snare a couple of rabbits the day before, and for the two of them, it had been a wonderful feast. He had saved a little so that their diets would extend beyond sugar, but he planned on doing some more hunting
before they set out on their trip in the morning.
He was almost back at the house when he felt it. A barely noticeable wetness on his face.
He took off one of his gloves and touched his cheek. Mentally preparing himself for yet another wave of disappointment, he held his exposed hand in the air.
A tiny white substance landed and melted on his fingertips.
Houston couldn’t believe his eyes. Or his misfortune.
Snowflakes.
Winter had arrived, and with it, the opportunity to hasten his journey had vanished.
***
“Well, would you look at that?” Colin remarked, looking out the window as puffy white flurries floated gracefully to the ground.
Haven frowned. “Winter’s come early this year. I’ve never seen it snow this soon before. It’s only November.”
Brett poured some broth into the bowls on the small table in the center of the room. Haven and Colin had come back with a deer the day before, and the two of them had skinned it and, along with some potatoes scavenged from the forest, used the succulent meat to make a delicious stew.
“We don’t get that much snow in these parts, especially this early. Must be one of those fluke winters. We’re going to need warmer clothes,” he said.
Haven pulled at the thread of her sweater. “We could take the Jeep out and raid some of the houses along the lake. I’m sure those things left Grandma’s a long time ago.”
Colin nodded. “Even if they didn’t, the cold should slow them down a wee bit.” He reached for a bowl, handed it to Haven, and grabbed another for himself before digging in energetically.
Brett raised a brow at Colin. It was obvious that he had feelings for his sister that extended beyond friendship, although Haven didn’t really seem to notice. Whenever he was alone with the Scot, he brought up Houston to remind Colin that Haven’s heart belonged to someone else. He had a feeling that Houston was dead, but if his sister believed that he was still alive, it was part of his duty as her brother to make sure Colin respected that until she was ready to move on.
He had to admit that Colin hadn’t done anything inappropriate thus far. If anything, he had been a blessing to the group and was skilled, easy-going, and useful. Brett figured in another life, the two would have been great friends, but right now, ensuring that his sisters were safe was his main priority, and Colin hadn’t earned all of his trust just yet.
In this new world, Brett had quickly realized that one couldn’t let one’s guard down so easily. Seeing the two trucks outside of his grandmother’s house when they had been surrounded by the undead made him wary. The fact that Cade Foster and his men were willing to risk exposure to flesh eaters just to sit across the street from their home on Clear Lake caused the hairs on his neck to rise. He sighed, the realization that the carefree college days of his previous life were over, never to return again.
Brett seldom slept more than a few hours every night, his Glock never further than mere inches from his hand at all times. Often, he would wake up in a sweat, panicked, out of breath. He’d have horrible nightmares that he couldn’t remember the next morning. They left him with a tight knot in his stomach, a feeling that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. All he knew was that he needed to be aware of everything, of any changes in their surroundings, of any sounds in the night, and this inclination forced him to scrutinize every single aspect of their existence.
He glanced at his younger sister. Faith picked at her food, seldom looking up from her bowl. She had gotten thinner and weaker as the weeks wore on, although on rare occasions he could coax her into finishing any leftovers from her meal by the end of the day. He was frustrated with Haven for making her feel so guilty over their grandmother’s demise. Faith’s reaction to the situation had been a human one, and Brett didn’t blame her at all for what happened to Rosemary. Just because Haven would have behaved differently didn’t make Faith’s delayed response to assist their grandmother bad or unforgivable. He was certain that Haven’s treatment of their sister was part of her way of coping with the loss of their grandmother, but when such a coping mechanism was visibly destroying Faith’s will to live, enough was enough.
Aside from Faith, the rest of the group was still strong. Haven, Colin, and Brett did push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups daily, and a couple of times a week, Brett trained Colin and Haven in hand-to-hand combat should they lose their weapons and be forced to rely on brute force. Brett had them practice what they garnered from his lessons on one another. Haven took immense delight in using what she learned on Colin, and every now and again, she would use her speed and agility to cleverly disable the large Scotsman. The two would always end up laughing on the forest floor, completely out of breath from the exertion, while Brett rolled his eyes and told them to practice again.
Haven sipped at her soup and sat back for a while. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was worried about the onslaught of an early winter. Certainly, there was plenty of firewood to keep them warm. They were in a forest, after all. However, there was no way to safely have a fire inside the cabin without burning the entire structure to the ground. They also didn’t have sufficient clothing or blankets to stay warm. This meant that any warmth they could derive would need to be sought out of doors with a bonfire, carrying with it several implications. For one, the smoke from a constantly burning fire would alert others, both the living and the undead, that they were nearby. It also meant that they would need to remain outside often. While the shelter didn’t provide much in the way of safety, it did serve as a small barrier to the elements and other more ominous threats, like the roaming creatures hungry for their flesh.
She knew that they needed to find a new home, but she didn’t think that they were ready to move on. So much had happened in the last couple of weeks. They were slowly recovering, gathering themselves and growing stronger, but they were still broken and weary. If they were to move as a unit, they needed to be strong, mentally and physically.
The lake house wasn’t anything fancy, but it was secluded and safe for the time-being. At the end of the day though, Haven wasn’t prepared to permanently leave everything that she once loved and held familiar. She wasn’t ready to give up on the hope that Houston was going to find them.
She turned to Colin who was leaning back in his chair studying her.
“What is it?” she asked in a low voice.
“You’re worried. I could spot that look from a mile away.” He smiled.
“Maybe,” she mused, but she didn’t return the grin.
He leaned forward towards her and said so that only she could hear, “What’s on your mind? How can I help?”
She cast an appreciative glance at him. “Winter’s here. We’re not ready. We should have planned better for this.”
“Eh, we couldn’t have known, Haven. You barely got out of your grandmum’s house alive. We’ve just got to do the best we can with what we have. We can scavenge for supplies tomorrow. How’s that sound?”
She nodded. “Sounds good. I guess we should turn in for the night, try to stay as warm as possible with two blankets.”
“Well… we could always give them the blankets and figure out another way to stay warm. Just trying to think of the well-being of the group.” He stretched, locking his hands behind his head and gazed up at the ceiling.
Haven eyed him skeptically. “Gee, that’s generous of you,” she said sarcastically.
He winked at her mischievously. “Did you know that ‘Colin’ actually means ‘generous’ in Scotland?”
She chuckled and punched him playfully in the shoulder. “You wish.” She rose to her feet. “I’ll take first watch. Get some rest.”
“Nah, I’ll stay up with you. I’m not tired. Anyways, it would be very picturesque to watch the first snowfall of the year from the rooftop. What do you say?”
Brett walked over to them. “You guys mind if I join you? I’m not too eager for sleep as of late.” Dark circles rimmed his eyes.
Haven looked
at him with concern. “Brett, you look awful. You need to rest. Let Colin and I take care of it.”
He sighed and rubbed his head. “Yeah, I guess. Just be on the lookout for anything. I’ve been having all these...” He paused, not eager to enlighten them with his horrific nightmares. “Never mind.”
Haven and Colin exchanged glances and shrugged. “Don’t worry, little bro. We’re always alert. We make a good team,” she assured him gently, her lips pulling into a sympathetic smile.
Ten minutes later, the pair sat on the roof as the snow fell, sprinkling everything with a powdery layer of white. Colin pulled a tarp around them, doing his best to keep Haven out of the cold. He was surprised when she leaned against his shoulder, her eyes closed.
He thought she was sleeping when she said softly, “Thank you for understanding. For being my friend.”
He almost told her how he felt, the words nearly slipping from his lips, but he stopped himself at the last minute. Instead, he said nothing and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
That evening, a surprising two feet of snow covered the ground. It was the last night they would stay at the cabin.
Chapter 26:
Haven curled up deeper into her blanket on the cold wood floor. Dim light peeked around the corners of the aluminum foil pressed into the windows. She glanced at her watch and saw that it was a quarter past eight. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked around. Colin lay close beside her, his arm thrown over his face as he snored sporadically.
She blinked twice. For the briefest of moments, he had resembled Houston. Flashbacks of the years with him, all of the obstacles they had surmounted and the adventures they had undertaken, overwhelmed her. Haven couldn’t explain it adequately to the others, but she felt that he was alive and well, that he would find her. She hadn’t seen him in so long, but she knew that eventually, they’d be reunited once more. In the midst of the world’s end, it was the only thing that gave her a glimmer of hope. And in spite of all of the death, despair, and danger that surrounded her, she would desperately fight to hold on to that hope.
The Good, the Dead, and the Lawless: The Undoing Page 27
