Chapter 27
Moving On
Zander and I talked for a while before returning to the rest of the group. We stood by the windows hand in hand, silently for the most part, until eventually he calmed down. I could tell he still felt guilty about what had happened with his father years ago, but at the same time, that frustration had begun to give way to something more powerful; determination.
Zander was hell-bent on figuring out what had really happened to his dad, how he and Gunther were connected, and where they had taken him.
We spent some time as a group recuperating and then scrounged up some more food, supplies, and weapons for each of us to bring along (Jake’s mom had a sweet set of lime green steak knives). Bella had gorged herself on stale bread and water and was now wandering aimlessly around the apartment, sniffing at anything and everything in her path.
The blood on my jeans had dried, stiff against my leg. The coppery smell and scratching against my skin was a constant reminder of what I had done. Jake raided his mom’s closet and returned with an olive-green pair of men’s cargo shorts, some comfy looking sweats and enough clean socks for everyone to have a spare set. I didn’t ask who the clothes belonged to, just thanked him, and retreated to the bathroom to change.
I stowed the sweats in my bag and left it in the hallway as I ducked into the washroom. I set the shorts and my knife on the counter, closed the bathroom door, and slipped out of my bloody pants. Those ratty old jeans had been at the root of many a spirited debate between my mom and me but they were one of the last remnants of my old life. I stared down at the wad of denim in my hands and, though part of me was sad to see them go, the rest of me never wanted to see them (or Gunther’s blood) again.
I wiped vigorously at the crimson stain on my thigh using some make-up wipes I had found in a drawer and slid the shorts on. They were a bit loose, but they were clean and free of blood. I rolled them over at the waist and sat down on the edge of the tub to lace up my boots. The finger I thought I had broken, was already feeling much better so I had them laced tight and I was ready to roll in no time. Unfortunately, the second I dropped the knife into my pocket, the shorts slid straight down off my hips, landing in a heap at my feet.
“Really?” I rolled my eyes and hiked them back up.
Holding my shorts around my hips with one hand and the bloody jeans in the other, I emerged from the bathroom. With my focus on wardrobe malfunctions, I didn’t see Zander standing just outside the door. I ran head on into his broad muscular chest. It was like walking into a brick wall. I screeched, startled by the collision. My hands flew up on reflex sending the wadded jeans and the baggy cargo shorts straight to the floor.
“Whoa,” Zander froze with his hands in the air and stepped back until his shoulders hit the wall. His eyes, wide in shock, raked over every inch of my exposed flesh. He quickly averted his gaze as I hastily yanked the shorts back up around my hips.
“I didn’t see anything.” His cheeks flushed and he struggled to hold back a smile. “Nope. Nothing at all.”
“What the hell, Zander?” I shrieked. My face felt like it was on fire. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“Sorry,” he laughed, still avoiding me with his eyes. “Wait, I thought you said you didn’t scare easy?”
“Ha, ha, very funny,” I groaned.
Zander ran his hands through his hair, looking everywhere but at me. When his eyes finally met mine, there was a glint of something raw there that made my stomach do a flip. The corner of his mouth twitched up and he reached below the hem of his shirt to the waist of his pants. My eyes followed them, fixated, as he slowly unfastened his belt. Try as I might and despite the panic rising in my chest, I could not convince my eyes to look anywhere else.
“Wha—what are you doing?” I took a small step back, my hearting beat wildly against my ribs.
“It’s okay, Liv,” he ran a finger down my arm, his voice dripping like honey from crooked spout. His copper eyes danced with mischief. He leaned in close and whispered, “I can give you exactly what you need.”
“Give me…what?” I stammered as my knees knocked together. My back collided with the doorframe behind me, and my eyes locked on his as he pulled his belt free from his waist.
“This,” Zander smirked, sliding a loose hair behind my ear as he draped the worn leather strap over my shoulder. “Looks like you need it way more than I do.”
Without another word, he breezed past me and closed the bathroom door behind him. His soft laughter echoed from inside. I smiled in spite of myself and found I was giggling, too. I shook my head at my own awkwardness and slid Zander’s offering through the belt loops of my shorts. I buckled the metal closure and pulled my tank top down over it. Every time I blinked, I saw the imprint of those brilliant copper eyes, staring back at me with a mixture hunger and mischief.
As much as I thrived on Zander’s touch, this game of cat-and-mouse we were playing had my stomach in knots, my heart in my throat, and my mind on all the wrong things. I mentally slapped myself and swore I would try harder to keep my cool around him from then on.
Micah and Riley were cuddled on the couch. They rose to their feet when I entered the room, but their hands stayed locked together. After what had happened at our foster parents’ home, the two of them seemed to have melted into one being. Riley needed comfort and Micah seemed to enjoy being the steady one in their relationship for a change. Bella lay at their feet and had no doubt been soaking up the attention.
“Hey, Bells,” I said, smiling down at my perfectly imperfect new friend.
She trotted up to my side, curled her slender body around my legs and nudged at my hand. She pressed against my leg for support as I scratched her behind her ears. Her tail wagged hard against the back of my legs. That silly dog had been in my care for less than an hour and I was already hopelessly in love with her. Our bond was almost automatic. Bella had managed to fill a small hole I hadn’t even realized was there.
“You guys got everything you need?” Jake asked, his jaw quivering a bit.
“Yeah, I think so,” I said, playfully flapping one of Bella’s ears. “You sure you will be okay here by yourself?”
“I’ll be fine. It’s you guys I was worried about,” Jake said, handing me a plain wooden box, about the size of my hand. “I think you should take this.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“Just open it,” he said, looking over his shoulder.
Inside the box was a small black handgun. It fit easily into the palm of my hand, its weight quite manageable. In a smooth groove above the textured grip was the word RUGER, and the silver slide at the top read 380 Auto. It was a gorgeous weapon, but it felt wrong in my hands.
“I can’t.” I placed it carefully down into its housing in the case, and handed the package back to him.
“No, Liv,” he argued. “It’s dangerous out there and it’s only going to get worse. Take the gun, please.”
“Thank you, Jake, but you and I both know that is a bad idea,” I laughed. “I would just end up shooting myself in the ass or something.”
“But, Liv,” he pressed.
“You keep it.” I placed my hand on his shoulder and met his eyes. “Please, Jake, do it for me? I would feel better knowing you had some way to protect yourself until your mom and sister come back.”
“Okay,” Jake’s voice quavered as he set the box on the table. Then he lunged at me, pulling me into a desperate hug. “Please be careful, Liv. I will be so completely pissed at you if you get yourself killed.”
“You too,” I whispered, returning his embrace. “It’s going to be okay, Jake.”
“I hope so,” he said. “Listen, Liv, just because you can heal faster than normal, doesn’t give you free license to do stupid stuff, okay? And if you or Zander start to feel sick—.”
“Hush.” I squeezed him harder and then released him from the embrace. “Just focus on keeping yourself in one piece, okay?”
Jake may have been s
trange, sarcastic and too smart for his own good, but he was also stronger than I could ever hope to be. In the last couple of days he had become a trusted friend and I was going to miss him dearly.
“Come here, little man,” Falisha said, sliding into my place as I stepped back. She draped her arm awkwardly around Jake’s neck. “When all this shit is over, me and you are having a girl’s day. Shopping, mani-pedis, the works. I’m talking full blown make-over, deal?”
“Deal,” Jake laughed, swiping at his eyes. “And my mom can fix that terrible weave for you.”
“Brat.” Falisha shoved him playfully and walked away.
I was sure I heard Falisha sniffle as she shouldered her pack, but she kept her back to us as she headed to the door to wait. Riley and Micah exchanged polite good-byes with Jake and resumed their conjoined status as they met Falisha by the door.
“You are an amazing kid, Jake. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise,” Zander said, crushing Jake in a bear hug. “We will see you soon, okay?”
“Sounds good,” Jake blushed as he returned the hug. He winked at me, fanning himself dramatically over Zander’s shoulder, giving me a thumbs-up.
A few minutes later, we were back on the road. One friend was safely at home but another had just joined our journey. Bella trotted in front of us sniffing at the air, her ears perked and alert as she scouted ahead. Riley had suggested we put her on a leash, but I had declined. It didn’t seem right to confine such a free spirit and something told me Bella wasn’t going anywhere.
It was nearly three in the morning, but it was still probably close to a hundred degrees. The wispy feathers of new clouds were finally starting to form overhead, scattering themselves against the charcoal sky. They lazed across the heavens, teasing us with the possibility of rain and a guarantee of a muggy day ahead. By sunrise, it would again be too hot for anyone to travel, whether on two legs or on three. We had lost time with our goodbyes and needed to pick up the pace.
My hair clung to my face and I scraped it out of my eyes with a huff. The cargo shorts, while functional and clean, offered little in the way of ventilation and the heavy leather belt around my hips was a sweat magnet. Still, I welcomed its weight and was grateful to feel like something might be holding me together.
“Ugh,” Riley groaned, tripping forward as the toe of her ballet flat caught yet another raised edge in the sidewalk. “This seriously sucks.”
Since Zander no longer needed it, we had left the cart behind in favor of easier mobility, but I was already starting to regret that decision. Between the heat, the weight of her pack, and her short legs, Riley was really struggling to keep up. I stepped out into the road where the terrain was smoother and the rest of the group followed. Bella seemed to sense our shift and darted out into the street ahead of us without so much as a backward glance. Her tail swished back and forth as she zig-zagged back and forth across the width of the pavement.
“I miss Stella,” Micah snorted bitterly.
“Right now, Micah,” I said, laughing. “Even I miss Stella.”
“No way, that raggedy old hag tried to steal my man,” Riley said, playfully nudging Micah with her elbow. “I say, good riddance.”
“Shut up, Riley,” Micah snorted, shooting Riley a dirty look. “Give it a rest already.”
“Wait, who’s Stella?” Zander asked.
“No clue,” Falisha shrugged.
“As of two days ago, she’s just a useless hunk of metal, like the rest of them.” Micah released Riley’s hand and kicked the bumper on a black Camaro as we walked past it.
“Sorry, babe,” Riley said, trying to soothe his building temper. “I was just messing around. I know you loved that van. Maybe we can get it working again.”
“What a fucking waste!” Micah kicked the car again and left a foot sized dent in the driver’s side door.
“Hey, easy,” Riley cooed. Threading her fingers through his, she gently towed Micah away from the battered car. “It’s okay, babe.”
“Right, of course it’s okay. Everything is great,” Micah muttered, his eyes fixed ahead. “Couldn’t be better.”
“Zander,” I said, trying to diffuse the situation. “I have been wondering about that. So, none of these cars will ever work again? Like, ever?”
“There is no way to know for sure,” Zander said. “There have always been competing theories on that. We do know that the EMP from the flare disabled anything electronic and pretty much any vehicle produced after 1960 would have some sort of electrical components. If, by some small miracle, you could find undamaged replacements, you are still left with the challenge of getting your hands on new circuitry and engine parts— not to mention finding fuel.”
“What about gas stations?” I pointed down the road at the Kwik-Star.
“That’s just it,” he shrugged, tossing a rock at a nearby stop sign. “All of the gas pumps are electric too. There are millions of gallons of gasoline buried underground, with no safe way to retrieve it. You could siphon gas from abandoned cars for a while, but eventually the fuel in the tanks would become stagnant and unusable. If you did get a car running, it would only carry you as far as its last tank of gas and then you would be stuck again.”
“Right,” I said, kicking a chunk of broken concrete ahead of me as we walked. “I guess I hadn’t really thought about that.”
“Yeah, apparently nobody did,” Zander slid his fingers through his hair. “Or they probably would have figured out a way around that by now.”
“Awesome,” I said, wiping sweat out of my eyes, and launching the rock I had been kicking into the side of a nearby house.
“You might wanna upgrade those shoes, Tinkerbell,” Falisha nudged Riley. “Looks like we’re gonna be hoofing it for a while.”
“Ugh!” Riley’s poetic response pretty much said it all.
Chapter 28
With a Bang
A few blocks later, we found ourselves at the Main Street stoplight. To our left was the main drag. To our right was the North Bridge; the big green monster that stretched across the Mississippi River. The bridge and its lesser used southern counterpart, connected Illinois and Iowa at the juncture of two middle-of-nowhere towns. I hitched up my pack and tightened the straps, absently wondering what things were like on the other side.
Were there survivors over there? For that matter, was there any over here? Aside from Gunther and Bella, we had not seen another living soul since we ventured out of the safety of the high school. My thoughts wandered to my little brother and part of me feared the worst. I swallowed the lump in my throat and refused to entertain the possibility.
My eyes darted all around, watching for any sign of movement within the azure glow that my fancy new night vision provided. Aside from the occasional bits of garbage floating on the faint breeze, there was nothing. The only thing interrupting the eerie stillness was the endless shuffle of our feet as we ambled toward the south end of town. The skeletal remains of trees scraped at the sky like tombstones in an ancient burial ground. The streets and sidewalks were littered with blackened debris, shredded car tires, and abandoned vehicles.
Everything looked deserted.
Dead.
We had just trudged past the old little league diamond when I started to feel that tug in my chest again. Bella’s ears shot up and she slowed her pace, forgoing the lead in favor of trotting along at my side. A soft rumble echoed in her throat.
“Liv,” Zander whispered, his hand clutching at his chest.
“I know, Zan,” I muttered. The pain doubled, stopping me in my tracks. “Goddamn it!”
Bella halted short at my hip. Her hackles raised and she lowered her head to the ground as if a predatory approached. She growled into the darkness ahead, her ears flicking every which way.
“What’s up,” whispered Falisha.
“I— I dunno,” I said, rubbing at the dull thrum in my chest. “Something just isn’t right. It’s like before, at the Community Center. I just can’t—”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake!” Micah dropped Riley’s hand and turned to glare at me. “Can we just go, already? Seriously.”
“Micah,” Riley said, grabbing for his hand.
“No, Riley.” Micah bit back at her, then turned back to me. “Liv, we are like maybe five blocks from my house. How about we discuss your psychic alien heartburn, later. For once, could something not be about you?”
“Take it easy, Micah,” Zander warned, one hand on his cousin’s shoulder.
“No, Z, this is bullshit,” Micah brushed Zander’s hand away and took a step back. “I’m just—God, you guys, I’m fucking over it, okay?”
“Micah,” Riley reached for his hand again, her brows knit in confusion. He dodged from her grasp, without even glancing at her.
“What? Is nobody else going to even acknowledge the giant elephant in the room?” His eyes shot to Falisha, then back to Zander and I. “No? So it’s just me, huh?”
“What are you talking about?” Zander growled, squaring off with his cousin.
“I’m talking about you, and this,” he jabbed Zander in the chest and then gestured wildly in my direction. “You two have this whole alien virus super-hero thing going on, and that’s all well and good, but what about the rest of us, huh? Jack shit, that’s what.”
“Take it easy, babe,” Riley said, shaking her head at his sudden tirade.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I sure as hell can’t see in the dark, punch through a brick walls, or leap tall buildings in a single bound,” Micah flung his hands in the air. “I am not super strong, super smart, or super-fast— I’m not super anything. I am just a stupid kid, alright, and this stupid kid that just wants to go home.”
Riley had tears in her eyes, but her expression was blank and unreadable as she stared at her boyfriend. Micah finally looked at her, deflating as his desperation replaced his anger. Zander stood tense at my side, ready to intervene if necessary, but I held his wrist and shook my head.
Killshot (Icarus Series Book 1) Page 24
