The Long Fall of Night: The Long Fall of Night Book 1

by AJ Rose

“You fucking idiot! Announce to everyone where we are!”

  “Oh shit,” Elliot muttered, shoving his gun in the waistband of his pants and moving toward them. Brian and Riley came out of the trees to their left, staying back, watchful. Brian kept Riley behind him, shielding him from danger. As Ash and Elliot reached the group, Jason was laughing.

  “Oh, come on! Shooting a deer would be just as loud. What’s the difference?”

  “The difference,” Elliot said, his face red. “Is that if you get a deer, we have something to eat. Not only have you now scared off anything we could have hunted, you did it to what? Kill a scarecrow?” He gestured at what had been Jason’s target, last season’s bedraggled dummy on a post amid the broken stalks of a harvested cornfield. “You’ve announced to the landowner we’re here, scared off anything Riley might have caught in his traps, and for what? A bit of fun?”

  Ash stared at Elliot. He’d never seen him so angry, or aggressive, let alone confrontational.

  Jason didn’t take kindly to it, either, getting up in Elliot’s face. “What are you gonna do about it?”

  “Charlotte already took away your fucking gun,” Elliot said, seeming to realize he’d put himself in the sights of a bigger man he didn’t know well enough to predict. With effort, he took a deep breath to calm himself. “It’s not just about you, all right? We’re trying to get out of this mess without anyone noticing us. Think you can manage to be a smidge quieter and less destructive?”

  Jason shoved him. Ash moved, standing between them to face the guy down.

  “Keep your fucking hands off,” he growled. “You want to fight, go punch what’s left of your scarecrow.” If his words weren’t enough, he was pretty sure Jason got the point when Ash curled his hands into fists, waiting for him to make a move. Wisely, Jason backed away.

  “Pushy little fuck is getting all bent out of shape over nothing. There’s no one here!” he cried, putting his arms out straight and spinning around, hollering into the trees. A flock of birds took startled flight. That was the only reaction to his shout, and after a few seconds, Jason grinned, self-satisfied. “See? If blowing off some steam on a scarecrow keeps me from punching his stupid ass for entertainment, isn’t it better for the group then?” He flung a look full of daggers at Elliot.

  Tim put himself between Jason and Ash, pushing his friend’s chest gently. “Okay, everybody calm down. Jason, we can come up with better ways to make this walking shit easier than shooting inanimate objects, can’t we? I mean, come on, what happens if we haven’t caught dinner tonight when we get to camp? More freeze-dried cardboard.”

  Jason’s nostrils flared, but he stood down with a grudging nod. “Yeah, whatever. These people are fucking uptight.”

  “I know,” Tim said with a grin. “We’ll find a frog to put in one of their sleeping bags or something, okay? Harmless pranks are one thing. Scaring off a snack is another.”

  “I’ll have him for a snack,” Jason grumbled, flipping Elliot off and stalking toward Aaron, Jennifer, and Charlotte. Aaron said something Ash didn’t catch, and Jason nodded as he walked past them, flopping to the ground where they’d set their packs.

  Tim faced Ash and Elliot. “He’s an idiot,” he said low enough Jason wouldn’t hear. “I’ll keep him out of your hair. But when he gets bored, he makes his own fun. Give him a job, something to keep him occupied, and it’ll be easier on all of us.”

  “We’re not his fucking cruise directors,” Elliot complained, but Ash snagged his forearm to keep him quiet.

  “Ask him if he’d mind entertaining Riley while we walk.”

  Charlotte opened her mouth to argue, having come over to pass Ash Jason’s gun.

  Ash cut her off before she could protest. “We’ve been playing roadside bingo and I Spy. All of us play, but it helps make this a vacation for Riley and not a scary trip across the country because normal life has fallen apart and people are killing each other.”

  Tim nodded in agreement. “Jason’s a little kid at heart, so that should keep him busy.”

  Elliot scowled as Tim moved off. “Why are we putting up with them?” he demanded once Tim was out of earshot. “Why didn’t we say ‘thanks for the deer meat’ last night and wish them a safe journey this morning? They’re going to get us killed.”

  Ash eyed Elliot. “Is that what’s been bothering you all day?” he asked.

  Elliot fixed his glare on Ash. “There’s something not right about those two. They creep me out. Tim may be playing nice, but mark my words, they’re trouble.”

  “Elliot,” Ash admonished quietly. “Aaron’s a medic. Charlotte could use a friend to help keep her from flipping out because she was attacked, her boyfriend’s dead, and her van is on the side of some road in Bumfuck, Ohio. And what Aaron said about strength in numbers isn’t wrong.”

  “It is if one of them fucks the rest of us over.” Elliot crossed his arms. His swearing was testament to his level of upset. “They’re reckless, and I can’t believe you’re going along with this. If one of us had pulled that shit, you’d have shut us down so fast, our heads would spin. Those two assholes are a waste of space.”

  Ash frowned. “You’re right. I won’t let it happen again. But we need them. Not the two assholes, but Aaron.”

  “Why?” Elliot scowled.

  “Because you’re not going to make it all the way to Seattle in these conditions without having another seizure, Elliot. I was deluded thinking I could protect you that much, and I’m admitting now I need help. As calm as you keep yourself, we’re in a fight for our lives, and we can’t exactly ask Aaron and Jennifer to stay and tell the other two ‘see ya, wouldn’t want to be ya.’ If it gets bad, then I’ll ask them to leave, but it’s only been a few hours. If keeping Aaron around means we have to keep the others, too, let’s try to make it work. Please?”

  Elliot looked defeated, his shoulders slumping. “I’m going to have a seizure because of those two,” he complained, not unreasonably.

  “Look, you told me after Russ died not to play field doctor because the next time, it could be you in trouble. That got my attention.” He stepped closer, putting a hand on the side of Elliot’s neck but nothing more affectionate in front of the others. He hoped Elliot could see it in his eyes. “I don’t want anything happening to you. Aaron can help. Jennifer’s a bonus. Between you, me, Charlotte, and Brian, we can keep the other two on a leash. Okay? Please, Elliot. I need you to understand.”

  Elliot’s nod was reluctant at best, and Ash let his hand drop, though he really wanted to pull the guy into an embrace and reassure him he meant it. They joined the others, and when Jason sneered at Elliot, Ash snapped his finger and pointed at the man.

  “Enough. Get along or leave.”

  Jason glared at him but lowered his head. Brian and Riley were the last to show up, now that the fireworks were over. Jason turned his attention to the boy.

  “You and me, little man. We need to come up with a game to play while we’re walking. Something better than lame roadside bingo.”

  Riley’s eyes went from troubled to eager, and the tension dissipated as they discussed various rules of some kind of Frankenstein alphabet game with Twenty Questions, and truths and dares as punishments for getting the chosen object wrong. Given they had no small game to skin and cook, they were on their feet sooner than later.

  They weren’t more than three minutes away from the farm with the remains of the scarecrow when an insistent buzzing reached Ash.

  “Everybody down!” he hissed, grabbing Elliot’s hand and diving into the ditch. The others were quick enough to follow, and the tall weeds Ash had cursed as a nuisance all morning made a decent barrier between them and the road ten yards away.

  A truck rumbled around a bend about fifty yards ahead, followed by another and another until there was a line of ten or more trundling along the asphalt. They were deep-throated, which told Ash they were probably diesel, but he didn’t dare raise his head to look.

  Army transports, pa
inted for the desert and situated high enough if one of the drivers looked over, they’d be seen lying flat out. They’d be questioned for sure why they were hiding. And then they’d be split up and put to work.

  “Heads down,” Aaron said as loudly as any of them dared to speak.

  They didn’t move until the caravan passed, and even then, they waited to make sure there wasn’t a second group or a straggler. After twenty minutes lying in the weeds, holding their collective breath, Ash raised his head and looked at Jason over Elliot’s still prone form.

  “That’s who’s around to hear you yelling and shooting shit.”

  Jason swallowed nervously. “Got it,” he answered. “Won’t happen again.”

  “It better not,” Aaron said, the first with the guts to get to his knees. The rest followed suit. “I’ll personally boot your ass in the opposite direction if it does.”

  “I said I got it,” Jason said sharply. “I made a mistake. I won’t do it anymore. Back off.”

  “Good?” Ash asked Elliot, helping him to his feet and pulling a piece of straw from his hair.

  Elliot nodded, and they melted into the trees as a precaution. They didn’t know how many more chances they’d have, but they’d just used one.

  * * *

  “Hey.” Brian’s voice was scratchy with sleep and the moonlight was bright enough to see how tired he was as he approached Ash, who sat on a rock just outside the ring of tents.

  “Hey,” Ash answered softly. “Sleep okay?”

  Brian nodded and yawned, jamming his hands in his pockets. “I kept waking up to check on Elliot, but for the most part, yeah.”

  Alarm stole Ash’s breath. “He all right?”

  “He’s fine.” Brian rushed to reassure him. “He was still upset about Jason, so I took it upon myself to make sure he wasn’t having trouble drifting off. It took him a while, and when he finally did, he was restless.” He glanced at the tent from which he’d emerged with a frown.

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah, he didn’t have any absence seizures. At least none I noticed. That’s a good sign.”

  Ash pulled the gun from his waistband and handed it to Brian. He stood and stretched. “Nothing exciting out here, and I’m wired enough to hear a flea circus, as my mother used to say.”

  Brian perched on the rock, which was situated on a slight rise, providing an excellent view of the camp they’d made in a stand of trees outside Pekin, Illinois. A few shadows moved, mostly small wildlife or the breeze through the trees, but otherwise, their resting place for the night was peaceful, save for the snores emerging from Jason and Tim’s tent.

  Ash wasn’t sure he’d be able to sleep and honestly, he could have used some exercise to stretch his cramped muscles. A walk, or hell, even running, though he wouldn’t dare such a thing at night. Or by himself.

  “Do me a favor,” Brian said in a low tone, breaking into Ash’s thoughts. “Stay with Elliot. I’m not comfortable leaving him alone. I think he’s hiding how stressed he is, and you seem to be able to relax him in a way no one else can.”

  Ash studied the man to see if he’d figured out the true nature of his relationship with Elliot, such as it was, but Brian simply let him scrutinize. He looked like a concerned uncle, though there was a knowing gleam in his eye. Ash knew he wouldn’t sleep, so he might as well be useful while someone else took the burden of the group’s safety for a few hours.

  “Yeah, okay. But if he wakes up and punches me because I’m not you, I get to pass it on.”

  Brian agreed with a chuckle, and Ash slipped into Elliot’s tent instead of his own. Elliot wasn’t a snorer unless he was exhausted, or like on the car ride up to Charlotte’s, in a funny position. Ash pulled off his shirt and jeans, sliding into Brian’s sleeping bag with a shiver at the cool air on his bare skin. He didn’t dare touch Elliot or otherwise alert him to his presence if he didn’t have to, so he nearly jumped out of his skin when Elliot spoke.

  “Get lost on the way to your own tent?”

  “No,” Ash whispered when his galloping heart slowed. “Brian suggested I sleep in here in case you have difficulty. That okay with you?”

  Elliot was silent for so long, Ash wondered if he’d fallen back to sleep, but he eventually answered, “I guess so.”

  They lay quiet, and Ash closed his eyes, listening to the night sounds and Elliot breathing beside him, waiting for the man’s inhales and exhales to elongate, but they never did. Finally, he looked over.

  The moon shone on half the tent, the shadows of the leaves on the tree above them swaying slightly. It was enough light to see Elliot studying him.

  “What?”

  “I don’t need a babysitter,” Elliot grumbled.

  “No, you don’t,” Ash agreed. “I’m not here for that. I’m not going to tell you to go to sleep or I’ll take away your TV time. Rest or not, I don’t care. But if you start seizing, I’ll be right here to make sure you’re safe. Today wasn’t one of your calmest, so if there’s anything I can do to help, I want to.”

  Elliot harrumphed. “Jackass deserved to get smacked.”

  Ash didn’t have to guess who he meant. “Yes he did. And the Army driving by put the fear of god in him. If he does it again, I’ll be surprised. So really, you have nothing to worry about anymore.” Elliot’s brown eyes were deep pools in the shadows of his face. Ash turned on his side and stared back. The air between them charged, and Ash wouldn’t have been surprised if his arm hairs stood on end. “I won’t let anything happen to you,” Ash murmured, sliding his hand toward Elliot in plain view so Elliot had plenty of time to rebuff him. He didn’t.

  Elliot pulled his arm out of the sleeping bag and reached back until their fingers touched. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For today. Keeping me from doing something I’d regret. Helping me get perspective. I can’t put my finger on why, but that guy bugs me. His body language or something seems off, like the carefree, extreme sports junkie is an act, and he’s hiding a different purpose. Tim, too. It feels like a con.”

  “After today, I won’t let them near a weapon if I can help it. We’re all watching them, so they won’t get the chance to do anything, okay?” Ash squeezed Elliot’s fingers, sliding his thumb along the ridges and valleys of Elliot’s knuckles. It was an intimate gesture, and Ash waited for Elliot to deny him.

  “If you say so,” Elliot said with a put-upon sigh.

  Taking a chance, Ash brought Elliot’s hand to his lips and kissed the backs of his fingers.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Taking your mind off things,” Ash answered.

  “You put a stop to this.”

  “And I admitted earlier today I made a mistake.”

  “You think it’s a good idea? I mean, what if you freak out and end up regretting the repeat?”

  Ash studied him, not hearing a rejection but not getting a go ahead either. “I like you, Elliot. We get along well, I enjoy your company, and we’re good at boosting each other when we need it. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Are you telling me you aren’t interested?”

  “Are you going to be a douchebag again?” Elliot countered, avoiding the question.

  “Probably,” Ash answered truthfully. “Will I close off again? I don’t know. I don’t think so, but I can be a douchebag and still want you, can’t I?”

  Elliot emitted a soft chuckle. “I guess how big a douchebag you are determines if you get me, regardless of if you want me.”

  “I’ll be nice,” Ash promised. Elliot’s teeth picked up the silver moonlight when he smiled. “To you. Anyone else, all bets are off.” He scooted closer, stopped by the side of Brian’s sleeping bag, but he wasn’t bold enough to climb into Elliot’s. He wasn’t even close enough to kiss him, so he did the next best thing. He turned over Elliot’s hand so his palm faced up, then kissed the dry skin at the base of Elliot’s thumb and worked his mouth toward the long fingers brushing his face. When he reached th
e tips, he let his tongue barely touch the warm, salty skin, leaving behind a hint of wetness. Elliot’s breathing sped up.

  Ash stopped, simply looking at his friend, the guy he’d realized he really cared about. Elliot’s face was a dichotomous mask of fatigue and intensity, and Ash wanted nothing more than to kiss him into oblivion, but he didn’t move. Elliot was aware of Ash’s desires, and if he was interested, he’d say so. Of that, Ash was certain.

  “Ash?”

  “Hmm?”

  “You’re an asshole.”

  “I know,” he agreed in a whisper. “But I don’t have to be….” Tell me what you want, and I’ll do it. Anything.

  “If you could have one thing right now, of all the possible things, what would it be?” Elliot asked, his face becoming open and vulnerable.

  Ash took his time considering his various answers. He’d want the power back and everyone safe, first and foremost, but he also knew there was something bigger. Still, finding a way to voice it was more than he could handle in the moment. It honestly scared him.

  “Your safety and happiness,” was what he settled on, knowing that if the power was back on, he’d still want that. “What about you?”

  “To believe you,” Elliot answered, his voice melancholy.

  “You don’t?”

  Elliot blinked at him. “I believe you think that right now, but if a genie showed up to grant wishes, I’d have to hear the words.”

  Ash let the backs of his knuckles brush Elliot’s cheek. “Elliot?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Shut up and kiss me.”

  Elliot closed the distance and settled hesitant lips on his, which made Ash sad. The last time they’d been together, Elliot had been aggressive and sure of himself. This kiss was soft, as though waiting for Ash to change his mind.

  To hell with that.

  Ash opened his mouth wider, inviting Elliot in, teasing him with flicks of his tongue. Elliot paused a heartbeat, still only half committed.

  “You can trust me,” Ash whispered, then grunted in frustration when he moved his hand to sink into Elliot’s hair only for the sleeping bag to stop him.