“I’m just here for the ride,” Jay said. “I don’t have a horse in this race.”
“Maddie?” I said raising a brow.
“I don’t know, mom. It feels like we’re really close to her,” Maddie said with a shiver. Either the heater in the car didn’t work or it didn’t work well.
I blinked several times as I stared at the road ahead. My fingers twisted nervously together in my lap.
“I think we should hear what he has to say,” I said.
“He should have said it yesterday,” Maddie grumbled.
“I concur,” Blake muttered.
Dillon chuckled. “I was weak. I’ve had some time to think about things.”
Somehow, he’d heard them even over the sounds of the noisy car. He pressed his palms together and squeezed his eyebrows together.
“Please?” Dillon begged. “It would be wrong of me to let you go without telling you what’s going on there.”
“Fine,” I said. “We’ll come back inside and listen. But there is a chance, a good chance, it won’t change our minds.”
“That’s all I ask,” Dillon said.
Blake parked the car and we walked single file back into the hotel carrying our supplies back inside. We could have locked them in the car but Blake didn’t want to take any risks with the few supplies we had.
We went inside the room we’d been staying in and Blake sat down in the chair by the window. His fingers drummed rapidly on the table.
Dillon cleared his throat and then laughed. “I used to lead meetings all the time. I worked in finance. I’ve never been as nervous as I am right now.”
“There’s nothing to be nervous about,” I said. “Just tell us what we need to know about the base.”
“Where do I start?” Dillon said.
I smiled at him. “The beginning?”
“The beginning wasn’t that bad. I take that back… the beginning was horrible but after we arrived at the base, we were all fooled into thinking we’d been saved. It wasn’t until a week or two later that we realized we’d willingly entered what was essentially a prison.”
“A prison? Why would people be okay with that?” I asked.
“Because they’re given a bed and food,” Dillon said with a shrug. “Or maybe they’re all brainwashed and I’m not. My wife did see it differently.”
I shot a glance at Blake to gauge his reaction to Dillon’s ramblings. It was hard to believe that the thin man standing in front of us ever led a meeting of any kind.
“Their plan is to recreate the world but if how they are going about it is an indication of what it will be like… I don’t want to be any part of it and neither would you,” Dillon said assuredly.
“What is wrong with how they want things to be?” I asked.
“It’s all work, sleeping and being fed the bare minimum. I mean, look at me,” Dillon said holding out his arms. “I used to have muscles. I weight trained four days a week.”
Dillon drew in a breath as he closed his eyes. He was visibly trying to calm himself.
“The place is large but there are far too many people inside. It’s hard to move around unless you’re outside working. There is no freedom inside the building.” Dillon exhaled. “Some of the men and women are forced into groups and trained from sun up to sun down how to use weapons. They’re taught how to eliminate the sick. It’s like they’re building an army to go out and wage war on those beyond the bases.”
“The answer to getting rid of the sick is to kill them one by one?” Jay asked with a snort.
Dillon’s head bobbed up and down. “That’s what I believe they are planning to do. As far as I know, they have not initiated that plan but when they do, we could all very well be in trouble.”
“What do you mean?” I asked raising a brow.
“I don’t believe for a second that they’ll bother to take the time to determine who is sick and who isn’t. Just who is outside of their walls,” Dillon said.
Blake crossed his arms as he leaned back slightly. “Then why would anyone want to escape to be out here. If that’s true, you’re in more danger out here.”
“If they find me, yes, maybe,” Dillon said. “But they haven’t declared war on the sick yet. I have some time. Maybe I can get underground or somewhere they won’t find me. And maybe I’m just paranoid.”
There was a long silence in the room before he started speaking again.
“The base also has several scientists inside working in a lab. They’re tirelessly failing at developing a cure,” Dillon said taking in a slow breath. He looked at each one of us as he began again. “They keep sick inside the lab. It’s terrifying and truthfully, I think it’s only a matter of time before there is some kind of slip-up and everyone inside gets sick.”
“That’s frightening,” I said softly.
“It is,” Dillon agreed. “History will repeat itself. After all, the people running this base are the same as the ones that were in charge of the facility that started this whole mess.”
I blinked rapidly. “You’re sure about that?”
“Positive,” Dillon said. “It’s a powerful virus with no cure. This isn’t something to mess around with. Although, I guess it’s kind of late to say that, isn’t it? Really, we are so lucky to be alive.”
I swallowed hard. If Polly was inside the base, she was in even more danger than I had initially thought.
“Is there anything else you can tell us?” Blake asked.
“Not really,” Dillon said. “My day consisted of sleeping in a cot two feet away from another, waking and getting a small amount of breakfast before I had to go outside and shovel dirt.”
“Shovel dirt?” Jay asked.
Dillon nodded. “Imagine a giant building, like a psychiatric hospital. It’s fenced in and there is a humongous yard. Well, a portion of that yard was being dug so that we could grow crops there come spring. I didn’t complain about the job because I didn’t want to be in the kitchen or a janitor and I definitely didn’t want to help in the lab. I got to go outside and breathe fresh air. Of course, while I was out there, my wife was banging one of the leaders in his room. A room he had all to himself. I can’t decide which pissed me off more… that he’d stolen my wife from under my nose and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it or because he had a nice big room.”
“So, everyone is inside a building?” Blake asked.
“No, not everyone at all times. The army trains outside and the farmers are outside. Beyond that, everything else happens inside the main building,” Dillon said squinting as if he were trying to visualize the place. “I might be forgetting stuff. The lack of food and water and sleep has messed with my memory a bit.”
“It would be hard to escape from inside a building,” Blake said glancing at me.
I bit down hard on my cheek. Dillon had gotten away because he was a farmer or whatever. What were the odds that Polly had a job where she’d be outside?
I pressed my hand to my forehead and closed my eyes. I couldn’t think straight.
The only thing I knew for sure was that the clock to get to Polly was ticking even faster.
Chapter Five
My thoughts were rushing through my brain like floodwaters down a sewer drain. I wanted to get to Polly… to get her out of that place but what could I do about Maddie?
If everything Dillon was saying were true, it didn’t sound like it was a place I could bring Maddie. Maybe they wouldn’t keep us together. I didn’t want anything to happen to my daughter and I definitely couldn’t risk losing her.
Maddie stood and started pacing. “Mom,” she said stopping to look straight into my eyes. “We have to get Polly out of that place. It sounds worse than that outpost with James.”
“I know,” I said looking away from her.
How could I tell her there was no way in hell I was going to let her step foot into the base? I had to think of something. A way to get to Polly while still making sure Maddie was safe.
�
�I don’t think you understand what I’m saying,” Dillon said turning toward Maddie.
She shot him a look that caused him to wince. “I don’t think you understand that she’s my aunt.”
“I get it, she’s family and there isn’t anything I can say that will stop you,” Dillon said taking a step back. He didn’t want her to stab him with her words again. “But can you really blame me for trying? You seem like nice people. You quite possibly saved my life. I wanted to do the same for you.”
“Yeah, well, we need to help my aunt so we don’t have a choice,” Maddie said straightening her spine. “We’ll manage. We can take care of ourselves but thanks for the information.”
“Best of luck,” Dillon said. “But once you’re inside, I don’t think it’s very likely you’ll get back out.”
Maddie’s mouth dropped wider. “Isn’t there anyone you would go back there for?”
“Definitely not my wife,” Dillon said forcing a tight-lipped smile. The smile quickly faded and he looked down at his feet. “There was someone but he got sick along with everyone else. So, yeah, there isn’t a damn thing that could entice me to go back there.”
“I understand that you don’t want to go back,” I said twisting my fingers together. “But maybe you’d be willing to show us where it is?”
Dillon grimaced. “The only direction I want to go is away from the base.”
“It would be really helpful,” I said. “You’d be a big help. Maybe there is something you know that could lead me to her.”
“I don’t think I could,” Dillon said. “Then I’d just have to walk and walk to get back here. Can you blame me for not wanting to start over from square one?”
“We’ll give you the car,” I said without asking the others.
Blake’s jaw tensed but he didn’t say anything. I couldn’t even believe I’d just offered the car.
“Of course, if we don’t stay, we’ll just all leave together,” I quickly added.
“What do you mean, leave?” Maddie said sharply. “We’re not leaving the base without Polly.”
There was a long hesitation before Dillon sighed. “I get the car?”
“Yes, but not necessarily without us,” I said.
“So potentially a car and I don’t have to be alone out here?” Dillon said. “Fine, I’ll show you where it is but I won’t go back inside no matter what. There isn’t anything that will change my mind on that one.”
“Are you sure about this?” Blake asked not caring who heard him ask me the question.
I huffed. “I’m not sure about anything.”
“Let’s bring out the pillowcases and get back on the road,” Blake said getting to his feet. “I’m afraid if the car sits too long, it won’t start again.”
I could almost hear the sounds of the sad horns playing as we walked out of the hotel. It was like walking into a church for a funeral.
I hadn’t really planned what I would do if it ended up being impossible to get to Polly. Maybe that was because I never really imagined there would come a time when I’d see her again.
We got into the car and I closed the squeaky door behind me. The hinges were so rusted I almost needed to use both hands to pull the door closed.
Maddie grumpily squeezed between Jay and me in the backseat. Blake didn’t seem any happier to be seated next to the guy we didn’t really know.
The shocks on the car were completely shot and we bounced wildly with every bump on the road. They squeaked like springs inside of an old mattress.
I stared out of the window at the beautiful green scenery passing quickly by. I wasn’t sure how much time I had to come up with a way to get Polly without putting Maddie in danger. It might take seeing the base to know exactly what we should do. Maybe what I should do.
And it wasn’t just Maddie. I didn’t want Blake or Jay to get themselves into any kind of predicament on account of me.
Jay started to lean forward but Maddie turned and looked down her nose at him. The look contorting her face reminded me of the way Whitney once looked at me. He slipped back but he kept his hand on the passenger seat.
“I’d like to take this moment to reintroduce my idea of stopping to look for weapons,” Jay said.
“Weapons?” Dillon said with a small chuckle. “Like swords and chainsaws?”
Jay blinked at the back of his head. “Like guns.”
“Well,” Blake said flicking a glance in the rear view mirror. “Maybe we should think about it. What do you think, Kit?”
Jay looked over at me, pressing his palms down on his knees. “After what we heard, it’s probably for the best. We want to make it there and we want to have the upper-hand should an unfortunate situation arise.”
“This is all an unfortunate situation,” I grumbled. After a brief hesitation, a small breath seeped out between my parted lips. “I guess we should see if we can find something.”
“As long as it looks safe to check,” Blake added even though as far as I was concerned, it went without saying.
Dillon cleared his throat. “You know, I know a place we could check.”
I stared at Dillon’s profile, watching him as he kept his eyes on the road. The skin on his face was so papery-thin that I wanted to offer him something to eat.
“It’s not too far but I can’t promise there will be anything there,” Dillon said.
“What’s the place?” Blake asked.
Even though I couldn’t see Blake’s face, I could tell he was still quite wary of Dillon. Of course, I didn’t blame him.
“It’s a shooting range just out of a nearby town,” Dillon said. “Not far off the main road.”
“You’re familiar with the area?” Blake asked.
“Yeah,” Dillon said with a hint of a smile. “I grew up not too far from here.”
Blake chuckled as he glanced over at him briefly. “I wouldn’t have ever guessed. You seemed so lost.”
“Starvation does some weird things to a person,” Dillon said. “I’m pretty sure I had a lengthy conversation with a chipmunk one night. Nice woman.”
I smiled although I wasn’t sure it was completely a joke. Dillon must have sensed my smile because he looked at me over his shoulder and smiled back.
“Are you sure you know where you are now?” Blake asked and Dillon turned back toward the road.
“Yeah,” Dillon said. “I’m absolutely certain of where I am.”
There was a silence in the car before Blake tapped his fingertips on the steering wheel. “All right then, tell us where this place is.”
Chapter Six
Blake drove slowly as he approached the shooting range a solid two miles away from the little town Dillon had mentioned. On the corner, a quarter-mile back, there had been a bar that had probably been hopping not that long ago.
“My dad used to take me here when I was younger,” Dillon said looking around. “Hasn’t changed a bit.”
“You didn’t live here?” I asked.
“No, I mean, I did when I was a kid but then when I graduated high school, I moved off for college and never came back,” Dillon said. “Except to see my mom on holidays.”
My door squeaked noisily as I pushed it open. Dillon didn’t move. He looked like he was lost in thought.
“This might be the last place my dad took me before he killed himself,” Dillon said. “I was eleven.”
The silence was deafening.
“Sorry,” Dillon said shifting around in his seat. “I think I’ll wait in the car.”
“That’s terrible,” I said barely managing to get the words out.
Blake took the keys out of the ignition.
“Dark, huh?” Dillon said with a chuckle. “Anyway, there should be some stuff inside. Guns. Ammo. I think there is a good chance no one came here. This place wasn’t very well known.”
“We’ll be right back,” Blake said gesturing toward the building with a painted white wooden sign with faded blue lettering. There was only a single word on the
sign… Buck’s.
It was hard to tell from the outside what the place was. Maybe that’s one of the reasons Dillon thought no one would have come here. Driving by, I would have thought it was a rustic restaurant that was typically visited by locals and truck drivers that were passing through.
We walked up to the front doors that were made of logs with large metal handles. Blake looked at Jay in surprise when he found the door open.
“Got the knife?” Jay asked in a soft voice.
“Yeah,” Blake said as he adjusted his grip on the handle. He glanced over his shoulder at Maddie and me. “Stay behind me, okay?”
“Sure,” I said agreeing to his request because he was the one with the blade.
We entered the lobby, which had far too many pictures hanging on the wall. They were positioned less than an inch apart as if the photographs were wallpaper. Most of the pictures that I saw involved the same man or woman and usually next to a dead animal… mostly deer.
At the side wall near the window, there was a glass case filled with various sized trophies, plaques, and medals. If I went closer, I’d probably quickly learn the man and woman’s name.
The smell of wood was so strong it was as though I could close my eyes and convince myself that I was standing in the middle of a forest.
There was a desk at the front with nothing but a notebook and a pen sitting on top. It was open with the pen on a diagonal across the page.
The door to the back was wide open.
“Looks like whoever was here left in a hurry,” Jay said.
“Or maybe they didn’t leave at all,” Maddie said.
“Shh!” Blake said flapping his hand behind him like the wing of a baby bird first learning to fly.
Maddie’s brow furrowed. But she didn’t complain about being told what to do.
We only made it about six steps down a long hallway before the door behind us opened. A cool breeze hit me before I could focus on the person walking toward us.
“I got scared,” Dillon said. “Dammit, I hate to admit that.”
“Did something happen?” Blake asked.
Dillon shook his head. “No. My mind got the better of me.”
What Remains Series (Book 4): Evasion Page 3
