Darkfall

by Denise A. Agnew

  “Sam, we can’t—” she started to say.

  “Where else are you going to get a car around here? They aren’t growing on trees.” Sam smiled and headed out the door with a wave. “Local dealership even went out of business last week. Inventory kept getting smashed up.”

  When the door swung closed, she eyeballed her rapidly cooling meal and started shoveling it in to appease her appetite. “We can’t take his car, Ian.”

  Ian stared at the floor and didn’t say a word while she almost inhaled her meal. She shrugged, well-acquainted with Ian’s propensity to turn silent and stern when trying to puzzle out a hurdle.

  Finally Ian said, “When you finish eating, let’s visit Gillian and Phil. They’d probably love to see you.”

  She raised one eyebrow. “Ian, what about Sam’s car?”

  “I’m not sure. We could keep trying to contact Sentry Security and your father. I’ve tried more than once today to use my cell phone, and nothing is going through. It’s better if we find transportation again.”

  She chewed another bite. “The longer we wait, the more worried my father has to be getting. Second, we can’t leave Gillian and Phil here when they need help.”

  His expression cleared. “You’re right. We can’t leave them stranded. Let’s talk to them again.”

  After she’d finished her meal, she stood with Ian’s help. She felt very steady and normal. A few sore muscles and that was it. She eased into the wheelchair, even though she knew she could navigate the hospital without the help. They located Gillian and Phil’s room and Ian opened the door slowly. Gillian stood in borrowed green scrubs next to Phil’s bed. They looked startled as Ian rolled Gillian into the room.

  Gillian moved slowly as she walked toward Penny and Ian, her arm in a sling. She looked pale as snow, but her smile and the sparkle in her eyes showed genuine happiness. “Hey, you two.”

  Phil cracked a grin, but it couldn’t take away the dark circles under his eyes. “Look at who we have here. You guys all right?”

  “I’m feeling great. In fact I’m getting out of this wheelchair right now,” Penny said.

  Ian clasped her arm as she stood, then slid his arm around her waist. She leaned into him, more for the intoxication of touch and affection than a fear she’d fall.

  Gillian and Phil launched into an explanation of why Gillian wore the scrubs. She’d insisted on getting out of the hospital gown, which made her feel vulnerable.

  “I hate them,” Penny said, glad for the scrubs she’d snagged from a nurse earlier in the day. “Looks like Gillian and I are a pair.”

  “I hope you guys have hatched a plan to escape this Popsicle stand,” Phil said.

  Ian tightened his arm around Penny’s waist. “Not until the doctors say you’re well enough to leave. I have a feeling that’s going to be a few days.”

  Phil crossed his arms and then winced at the motion. “They’re not keeping Penny in here that long.”

  Penny eased from Ian’s gentle clasp and crossed to Phil’s bedside. “No. But I didn’t get shot. You two did.”

  Gillian gently patted her arm sling. “I feel great. Sore, yes, but not as bad as I thought I would. I need to get out of this place soon.”

  “You just had surgery…both of you,” Ian said. “Better to recover here in case there’s a complication.”

  Phil grunted. “Damned hospitals. Never liked them, and I’m not starting now. Time to get out of Dodge.”

  Gillian turned toward her husband and went to his bedside. She touched his forearm. “Now Phil, there’s no way you’re leaving here without a doctor’s permission. Like Ian said, both of us had surgery just yesterday.”

  Phil gathered his wife’s hand in his. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I just hate hospitals.”

  Ian jumped in. “We might have an option to get out of here after you’re feeling better, Phil.”

  “Maybe,” Penny said.

  Ian plowed right ahead. “There’s a guy…a nurse here the in the hospital. Sam Graver. He has an old car he wants to loan us to get to Buckleport.”

  Tension seemed to drain out of Gillian’s shoulders. “We know him. He was here earlier today. Seems like a nice man.”

  “I agree. And I think if he’s still willing to loan us the car when the time comes, we should take him up on it,” Ian said.

  Phil sat up straighter and winced. “I agree. We don’t know if we’ll get another chance like this.”

  “Ian and I need to find somewhere in the meantime to hole up until you can leave the hospital,” Penny said.

  Ian kissed the side of her forehead. “We’ll find a place. We’ll let you know where we’re going and check on you every day.”

  After they all agreed to the plan, Ian and Penny returned to Penny’s room. After a doctor declared Penny fit to leave the hospital, they located Sam at the nurses’ station, and headed to the cafeteria for Sam’s break. They sat in a table in a quiet spot of the cafeteria and sipped coffee.

  “Looks like you’re ready to get out of here,” Sam said. “You’ll want the car, I hope.”

  Penny reached across the table and pressed Sam’s hand. “Are you sure it’s okay?”

  “Absolutely, girl. I wouldn’t have offered otherwise. What about Phil and Gillian?”

  “They’re staying at least another couple of days. But we need some place to stay.” Ian shifted in his chair and leaned his forearms on the table. “Any recommendations with everything that’s going on?”

  Sam took a small notebook and pen out of his scrubs pocket and scribbled an address. “I’ve got a rental property that isn’t occupied right now. You can have it free of charge while you’re here. It’s already stocked up with food and other provisions.”

  “Are you sure?” Penny asked, bowled over by his generosity.

  Sam patted her hand. “Of course, girl.”

  “Thank you, sir. You don’t know what this means to us,” Ian said. “But we’ll pay you for our time there. It’s the least we can do.”

  Sam stayed silent for a moment, then he nodded. “All right. If you want.”

  Penny exchanged glances with Ian. “Of course. We’ll never forget this.”

  Sam waved one hand. “You’ll pay me by surviving this damned situation. Now listen, you have to drive through an old part of town, but it’s generally safe. Well, it used to be until everything went to hell. I haven’t been able to get there in a month, so I’m hoping it wasn’t broken into. It’s a Victorian…built right before nineteen hundred. Last tenants left in February on the way to Canada. They were good people and paid up their rent, but they wanted to get as far away from that volcano as they could. There’s a garage around back to secure the car and all the locks are good. You shouldn’t have any problems.” He reached in his pocket for his keys and slipped another set of keys off the ring. He handed them to Ian. “On your way out of town, drop these off at the hospital.”

  Ian insisted the older man quote a rental price for at least two days, then promptly paid him in cash. After staying only a short time, Sam took them to the parking lot and showed them where the loaner car sat. They thanked him, Penny hugging him and Ian shaking his hand with a promise they’d return the car as soon as possible. Ian and Penny visited Gillian and Phil with news of where they planned to stay.

  When they left the hospital and got into the car, Penny felt a release of emotion. It was barely in the fifties as they left—the weather had turned misty with a threat that it would fall into the low forties. Thankfully they’d retrieved all the belongings they’d packed into Phil’s SUV, which included Penny’s coat and purse. Even with the comfort of a car around her, she couldn’t stave off all her fears. Before she buckled her belt, she started to shake.

  Ian hadn’t started the car yet, and he turned toward her. He touched her hair, his warm hand cupping the back of her neck. “Hey, you all right?”

  She swallowed hard around the lump in her throat. “Physically, yes. Mentally, I don’t know. I g
uess I’m more rattled by what’s happened than I realized.”

  “We’ll make it through. I promise you.” The warm roughness in his voice caressed her.

  She leaned into his touch. “I know.” He leaned in to kiss her, and she returned his affection full force. The kiss lingered and love stirred inside. As they drew back from the kiss, she said, “I’m selfish. I hope Phil and Gillian heal quickly. I can’t wait to get out of this city.”

  As they went through an older part of town, Penny mourned the fading beauty of Bangor. When she’d lived here before she’d loved the city. Driving through an older part of town to reach the rental, she noticed how run down it had already become. Trash littered sidewalks, a couple of homes side by side lay destroyed by fire, their blackened hulks as grotesque as nightmares.

  She drew in a harsh breath. “Wow. Look at this place.”

  “Damn shame.”

  She shook her head, unable to say what she was thinking. Unsure she knew what she was thinking at all.

  “I can’t believe how long it’s taking us to get out of Bangor. Only around thirty thousand people live here, Ian. It’s not like it’s a big city.” She knew that amounted to nothing more than griping, but it slipped out anyway.

  “I know. Things are fucked up, but we’ll take whatever challenge this apocalypse gives us and find our way to Buckleport.”

  She didn’t want to ask him how Buckleport had changed since January. She could only imagine.

  They passed through two checkpoints, or Checkpoint Charlie as she’d started to call them—the governor’s State of Emergency rules declared that everyone would be indoors by six that night and they had two hours to spare. Finally they made it to the address Sam had given them. A large Victorian home, obviously well taken care of and superbly loved. Weeds grew in the front yard, but everywhere looked like that lately. Light blue paint gave the Queen Anne style home a cheerful air despite the gloomy weather.

  “This is gorgeous,” she said in awe as he pulled into the driveway that led to the back. “But the windows are boarded up. He didn’t say anything about that.”

  “Probably a good idea. At least that affords some protection.”

  “Hope it stays in one piece for Sam,” she said. “I imagine he’ll need the rental income as the economy continues to suffer.”

  Because the power was off they opened the garage door by hand. The garage was basically empty and clean.

  Ian shut the car off and scanned the area, ever watchful. “We’ll close the garage after we get out. Let’s get our stuff quickly and get inside.”

  She didn’t mind his clipped statements, aware he’d fallen into a military or operational mindset. She understood that—after all her father was a retired general.

  They unloaded their belongings from the trunk, which amounted to a large backpack for her that also contained two sets of scrubs for Ian, razor, underwear, and not much else. Ian was obviously used to living with few amenities, yet still looked loaded for bears with his vest, his weapon in the holster, and an attitude that said no one should try messing with them. Rain started to splatter down in earnest as darker clouds covered the area, so they hurried. Before they could get to the back door, a deluge started.

  They entered the back door of the property and found themselves in the utility room. Ian tried the light switch. Nothing. Ian grabbed a flashlight out of one of his utility pants pockets and shone it around the area. Gloom darkened the windowless room. The light moved across a washer and dryer.

  “Let me go first,” he said softly.

  She kept her voice low as she shut the back door behind her. “You don’t think anyone’s hiding in here do you?”

  “Probably not. But we’ll be cautious.”

  Using their flashlights, they crept through the big kitchen and every room on the lower floor. They entered a large office and den combination room, two reception/living room areas and into the foyer.

  “Looks like the basement door was back there in the kitchen. I’ll check that now,” Ian said.

  “I’m not staying here alone.”

  She couldn’t see the protest in his eyes, but his tone definitely told her what he thought. “It’s not safe.”

  “It may not be safe up here.”

  He moved back down the hallway. “Stay behind me.”

  A quick inspection of the old cellar revealed no intruders, and after that they went upstairs and checked the four bedrooms. Everything was a bit dusty but otherwise clean. They decided to stay in the master bedroom, and Penny checked the closet for linens and found some that had been laundered. They located candles they could use to conserve battery power on the flashlights.

  After changing the bed, she sat on the edge and stripped off her shoes. “I don’t care if it’s still daylight. I’m so tired; I just want to sleep for a while.”

  “Not hungry?”

  “No.”

  “I’ll be downstairs for awhile. I’m starving.”

  She sighed and flopped back on the bed. Weariness wore her down until her head felt heavy. “Knock yourself out. Wake me up in an hour and I’ll eat.”

  When he headed downstairs, she noticed he left the door open. The bed embraced her in comfort, and the exhaustion pulled her down into sleep.

  * * * *

  Just as Sam had said, the pantry was stocked with an insane amount of provisions. Some of it had to be cooked, and from what Sam had told them, the gas and electricity had proven sporadic for some time. Ian decided to eat a protein bar and wait until Penny woke up before making anything more substantial. He polished off the snack in a few quick bites. Used to eating on the run, he knew he’d need more. He found an unopened bag of beef jerky and took it with him to the front living room area. He lit a pillar candle and switched off the flashlight, then sat in a big, comfortable easy chair that faced a living room window. A thousand thoughts ran through his mind, few of them productive. He was worn down, but it wasn’t as if he hadn’t been worn down before.

  Get your head in the game, asshole. His inner critic threatened to rear its head again. He should be used to this shit by now. This running around as if he’d stepped into a war zone again. There’s a difference. True, there was, and he hadn’t analyzed it. In war zones he didn’t have a woman he cared about with him. Admired. Wanted with an ache so powerful he thought he might double over. That was the damned difference. Facing that music meant he couldn’t pretend anymore. He couldn’t claim in any fiber of his being that he wasn’t worried how this would turn out. When they returned to Buckleport she might decide his occupation and his life didn’t matter to her. Yeah, that was possible. He fell asleep thinking about it too damned much.

  He heard footsteps on the staircase sometime later, and as he awakened he realized he hadn’t dreamed. Or that he didn’t remember them. His body went on high alert until he saw the sweep of a flashlight and heard Penny’s voice.

  “Ian?”

  “In the living room.”

  Her flashlight went across the living room entrance, and he blinked in the harsh light. A second later she clicked it off and came toward him.

  He held up the bag of dried meat. “Want some jerky? Isn’t bad.”

  “Is it salty?”

  “Not really. Some natural shit.”

  She laughed, and the sound lifted his spirits. “Well, if it’s natural shit, I have to have some.”

  She took the bag from his hand, stayed standing. The bag rustled and he listened. He liked this quiet moment, this ordinary space in time where they said nothing and did nothing requiring quick thinking and even faster movement. Penny sank to the floor at his feet, still munching. After several moments of silence, she put the bag aside and came up on her knees. She scooted between his parted feet and placed her hands on his thighs. He jerked and so did his cock. Her touch hardened his thigh muscles in reaction and his cock thickened. Everything inside him stilled as he thought of what could happen next. He relaxed and swallowed. Her palms smoothed up and down his thig
hs and sent ripples of hot need straight to his cock. His erection went spike hard.

  “Ian?”

  “Yes.”

  A single word was all it took. Penny reached for his belt buckle, undid it. She wasn’t messing around. Thank God. She wrestled with his zipper, and he lifted his hips and shoved his pants down his thighs. Raging anticipation made his hands clench into fists. His cock was rock hard and he wanted to ask her to touch him before he lost his mind. She made a little humming noise, perhaps of approval. Then, oh yes…she touched and stroked. He let his head drop back against the chair as she worked him over with her right hand. She enveloped him in her mouth, tasting and licking with teasing strokes that brought gasps from his throat. He didn’t care what he sounded like as he groaned. Her tongue tortured and teased, her mouth so hot and slick. As she pleasured him, he knew he wouldn’t last long. She groaned, and the vibration around his flesh tingled. His hips lurched up in a little, quick, irresistible desire to aid her in jerking him off. He wanted more, so much more. She went faster, her mouth an instrument of torture and delight.

  “Penny.” His breath rasped. “Want to be inside you.”

  She released him. With swift movements she pulled her sweater over her head, unhooked her bra. His mouth watered at the thought of having those sweet, round globes in his hands. She yanked off her boots and they thunked to the floor. Almost frantically she worked at her pants and dropped them to the floor. He shifted in the chair and made room for her as she straddled him. Heaven wasn’t far away.

  “Easy,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  As she clasped his shoulders he anchored her hips. “You won’t.”

  She sounded breathless and excited, and that turned him on even more. As she eased over him, her sweet, hot body touched his cock. He hissed in a breath as his entire body twitched. She inched down. Down, as she enveloped his flesh in hot, wet tightness. Oh, yeah. Wet. The realization turned him on even more. Giving him a blow job had turned her on. As he caressed her hips, she settled to the root, his cock imbedded deep within. He closed his eyes and savored the sensation of her internal clasp. She clenched on him, and he hissed in a breath. She shivered under his touch. Before he could make another coherent thought or word, she eased up. Down. So slow. So excruciatingly slow that he didn’t think he could stand it. He could shoot off inside her right now. Instead he gritted his teeth and found restraint. Relentless, she caressed him, her tightness so incredible he considered going insane with pleasure. One moment blended into another, until nothing remained but their bodies flowing, moving, their breaths escaping. She leaned forward and kissed him, thrust her tongue into his mouth. He fed on the hot strokes, the carnal caress above and below. Finally she released him from the kiss, riding him with power, slamming up and down on his cock as she gasped and groaned.