The Black Tide I: Remnants (Tides of Blood)

by Baileigh Higgins

  Privately, Andy told me what was really going on. The government consisted of a few surviving ministers and the army was running itself for the most part. Its soldiers were taking full advantage of the martial law to bully, rape, and even murder innocent people. It was an explosive situation. I didn't ask how he came by this information. It stood to reason he had a contact. Either way, I did not want to become involved.

  That night as I lay in my bed, I wondered where it would all end. My last thought as I drifted off to sleep was the hope that somehow it would all be okay and we'd be reunited with our dads.

  I awoke in the dead of night, struggling for breath with a calloused hand clamped across my mouth. My eyes flew open, but I couldn't make out the face of my attacker in the dark. “Told you I'd be back.”

  That voice.

  I lashed out, hitting him in the face. He growled, pushing my face down into the pillow as he straddled me. My hips bucked, trying to throw him off. He was too heavy, a dead weight on my chest.

  His hand tore at my shirt, the flimsy material coming apart with ease before he reached for my pants. My legs were entangled in the sheets and I panicked, unable to stop what was happening.

  The gun!

  I flung out my arm, reaching for the bedside table. Too far. With a grunt of effort, I strained, fingers stretching while the other hand flailed at his face. My nails raked across his cheek and he pulled back.

  “Bitch!” He slapped me across the face and my cheek burned from the blow. His one hand latched onto my throat while the other tore at the remaining scraps of my clothes. “Hold still.”

  His grip on my neck tightened. I choked, black spots dancing in front of my eyes. My struggles weakened, strength leaving me as hopelessness set in. He sensed my despair and laughed.

  “Give me what I want or I'll be paying a visit to your little sis after this.” He chuckled. “She looks so cute when she sleeps, don't you think?”

  Ice water flooded my veins, followed by the red-hot flames of anger. I stretched, desperate to reach the gun. The tips of my fingers scraped across the surface, scrabbling at the wood until they touched cold metal. A little more.

  My hand closed around the butt and I shoved the muzzle against his chest, pulling the trigger. A muffled boom echoed through the room, and a sharp pain shot through my wrist. He rocked back, then slumped to the side with a gurgle. I shoved him off and scrambled out of the bed, flicking on the light. “Oh, God.”

  My attacker was bleeding out on the carpet. The bullet had torn a hole through his back where it exited and judging from the sounds issuing from his throat, he wouldn't last long. With fingers gone numb, I dropped the gun onto the floor. The shreds of my pajamas were smeared and spattered with blood, my arms speckled in a fine mist. “Shit.”

  My voice sounded alien, a hollow echo throughout the room. I was in major trouble. Whatever they might say, the army was not my friend. They would not look kindly on the death of one of their own, no matter what he did or tried to do. From what Andy had told me, rape was common and the authorities turned a blind eye.

  My hands shook, the shivers extending throughout my body, becoming uncontrollable. Hysterical screams pushed up my throat, threatening to burst free until I heard Lexi's voice ring from the hall.

  “Ava? What was that noise? What's happening?”

  Lexi. I'd forgotten all about her.

  “It's nothing, sweetie. Just an accident.”

  I rushed to my closet, rummaged for a big sweatshirt and pulled it on over my torn, bloody clothes. With the nearest piece of cloth, I wiped the blood off my hands, face, and forearms.

  “Ava?”

  “Be right there, sweetie. Hold on.”

  With my heart banging in my throat, I ran to the mirror, checking my reflection. A faint bruise showed on my cheek and I brushed my hair over it. After a last quick look, I slipped out of the room, plastering a reassuring smile on my face. It was an effort to keep my voice steady. “Hey, sweet pea. Sorry about the noise.”

  Lexi stood silhouetted in the door frame of her room, hands pressed to the sides, eyes wide with fright. The light from her room lit the hallway, but I hoped it was dim enough that my appearance would pass.

  “What's going on?” she asked.

  “An accident. Nothing to worry about.”

  Her eyes flicked from me to the closed door behind me, lingering. “What kind of accident?”

  My hands were still shaking and I balled them into fists. “I was fiddling with Dad's gun, trying to load it like Andy showed me and I pulled the trigger. Stupid of me.”

  She frowned. “But I heard voices.”

  With a determined smile, I shrugged it off. “That was just my phone. I was listening to some tunes.”

  She hesitated. “I'm sure I heard something.”

  “Don't be silly, Lexi.” I shooed her back into her room. “Get back to bed. Everything's fine, I promise.”

  I had to wait a full thirty minutes in the hall before her breathing evened out, and she fell asleep again. The entire time was spent in mute contemplation of the wall across from me, waiting for my heartbeat to slow. When I was calm once more, I got up and faced the door.

  My hand gripped the knob.

  The door swung open with a creak, and I surveyed the wreckage of my room. My would-be rapist lay where he had fallen, crimson blood pooling beneath him. I picked up the gun, checking the load before approaching the body.

  With one hand, I rolled him onto his back. As I had suspected, it was the driver. The one who delivered our rations that first week and threatened me. I checked for a pulse but found none. His eyes had dulled in death, staring at me with mute accusation.

  A low sob escaped my lips. I was a killer. A murderer. The shaking returned and I wrapped my arms around me, rocking back and forth. This was more than I could handle and not for the first time, I wished my father were here. But he wasn't, and I had to deal with this myself.

  Hide the body.

  That was the only answer I could think of.

  While I was sure everyone in the neighborhood heard the shot, no one would investigate. Gunshots weren't that rare anymore. Perhaps, if I disposed of the body and kept quiet, nobody would know. The fact that a patrol hadn't come knocking on my door already was a good sign.

  I steeled myself to touch him, reaching out with trembling fingers. The bloody sheets and blanket on the bed needed to be disposed of, so I used it to wrap the body. My skin crawled as I gripped his forearms, pulling him onto the sheets. His flesh was already cooling, and I suppressed the urge to vomit.

  After wrapping him up and knotting the sheets, I grabbed his feet and dragged him out of my room. With a combination of pushing, pulling, and swearing, I maneuvered the corpse out the back door and into the garden.

  “Holy shit,” I gasped, wiping off the sweat that streamed into my eyes. “That wasn't easy.”

  Flashlight in hand, I went in search of a shovel. The next three hours were spent digging a grave as deep as I was able to, before tipping the body inside. My wrist throbbed the entire time, and I guessed I'd sprained it firing a shot at such an awkward angle. After filling in the hole, I hesitated.

  Should I say a prayer or something? What was a person supposed to do when they killed and buried someone in the middle of the night? Was there some sort of protocol?

  A hysterical giggle welled up as I considered the thought. Until it hit me again. I killed a man. The trembling returned and I crumpled into the dirt, tears dripping onto the disturbed soil. A swirl of emotions kept me on my knees until I realized time was running out as dawn approached.

  The grave stuck out like a sore thumb so I covered up the freshly dug earth with leaves and twigs. Not satisfied, I dragged an old garden bench over the spot, arranging a few potted ferns around it.

  “Hope that does the trick,” I said, examining my handiwork.

  I headed back inside to get rid of the blood on the carpet, spending the next half-hour on my knees with a bucket of
soapy water and bleach. Despite my best efforts, it wouldn't come out. The stain was too big. Instead, I covered it up with a throw rug.

  The hole in the wall was easier to deal with. I filled it up with a wad of cotton wool and stuck an old Bon Jovi poster over it. It was as good as new.

  It was coming on to six in the morning and though exhausted, there was no rest to be had yet. After a quick wash, I tossed my torn pajamas and dirt covered clothes into a plastic bag which I threw in the dustbin, then tidied my room. My appearance was a problem, though. As it was winter, I could cover up the various bruises on my body with long sleeves and a turtleneck but my left cheek was swollen and blue.

  Holding a bag of ice against it, I sat down on the step outside the kitchen door enjoying a rare smoke. I thought I deserved that particular one. The nicotine smoothed over the rough edges of my emotions, filling me with a pleasant buzz.

  The shock from earlier had passed. In its place, I now felt a curious sense of satisfaction. I had successfully defended myself against an attacker and now felt stronger, more capable of surviving.

  Once the ice did its job, I drank an anti-inflammatory and covered up the bruise with a thick layer of concealer. With my hair combed around my face, I looked fine.

  Perfectly normal.

  10

  Chapter 9

  As hard as I tried to keep busy, the day dragged on seemingly without end. No matter what I did, I could not forget what had happened, replaying the events of the previous night over and over in my head.

  Much as he deserved what he got, I couldn't get over the fact that I'd killed a man. I had blood on my hands. Worst of all was the fear that someone would come to investigate, only to find out what I'd done. They'd drag me away to who knows what fate.

  As it was, I'd been lucky a patrol hadn't been nearby when the shot went off. Or so I assumed, judging by the lack of soldiers breaking down my door. Still, the guy could have had friends. Friends who knew he planned on coming to my house and would question his disappearance. I prayed not.

  My eyes kept straying to that spot in the garden, visible through the kitchen window, while I washed dishes and prepared food. When I wasn't obsessing over the stain on the carpet or the hole in the wall, I watched the street, waiting for the soldiers to come. I'd already decided not to tell Andy. It would only cause him to worry and might implicate him in my crime, should the army find out.

  On top of it all, I had to act as if it was an ordinary day. I had to cook, clean, watch TV, and check the news just like any other day. Lexi of course, not being an idiot, knew something was off. She spent the day pestering me about it and deflecting her questions was exhausting.

  When the sun set, a new fear emerged. Fear of the dark, and what lurked within it. I huddled on the couch long after Lexi went to bed, unable to relax. My eyes were glued to the sliding door where my attacker had entered, using a screwdriver to break the lock.

  My sweaty hands gripped the gun, tightening whenever I heard a noise. Until a familiar knock sounded. One tap, pause, three taps, pause, one tap. Andy. It was a signal we'd decided on after the first time he visited.

  I blew out a breath, my taut shoulders slumping. He was here. I'd been praying all day he'd show up, afraid he wouldn't. My feet flew across the carpet and I opened the sliding door, throwing my arms around him.

  “Woah, what's going on?”

  I mumbled something, unable to talk. He placed an arm around my shoulders and led me to the nearest couch where he made me sit down, regarding me with a worried look.

  “What's wrong? Did something happen to you or Lexi?”

  I shook my head. “She's fine. I'm also fine.” After a moment's hesitation, I continued, “Nothing's wrong, really. I'm just glad you came.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Don't bullshit me, Ava.” He sat down next to me, prying the gun from my sticky fingers and placed it on the coffee table. “This isn't like you.”

  Despite my resolution not to tell him anything, I couldn't help myself. My eyes brimmed over, throat closing as the words came slowly at first then tumbled over each other in a stream of hysteria.

  When I was done, he pulled me close, holding me tight against his chest. His solid strength and warmth calmed me down. After a few minutes, I was able to pull myself together and leaned back, wiping my face with a sleeve.

  “You did good, Ava.” He looked me in the eyes, face stern to drive home his point. “You did the right thing. He would have raped you. Maybe even killed you.”

  A shudder passed through my spine. “I know...it's just...I'm a murderer now.”

  He took my hands. “No, you're not. You had no choice. Answer me this. Was there any other way to stop him?”

  After thinking it over, I had to admit. “No, there wasn't.”

  Andy sat back and his eyes narrowed. “If you ask me, shooting was too good for the bastard.” He laughed. “Hiding the body was pretty smart too.”

  “You think so?” I asked.

  “Of course. That was quick thinking.” He placed a hand on my knee and squeezed. “We can't let the army find out. This stays between us.”

  Silence fell, and I became acutely aware of his hand on my leg. A fizzing warmth spread up my thigh to the pit of my stomach, creating a pleasant buzz inside.

  Am I falling for Andy?

  Maybe I was.

  Question was, should I?

  What about Brian?

  I still thought about him all the time.

  Brian is gone. Accept it. Andy is not. He's right here.

  Our eyes met. Everything around us disappeared. For a moment, it was just the two of us. Nothing else mattered. Andy leaned in until his warm breath brushed my lips. He was going to kiss me and I wanted him to. Needed him to.

  “Andy? What are you doing here?” Lexi's childish voice broke the silence, shattering the moment.

  I slumped back in my seat as Andy turned away, stammering an explanation.

  Perfect.

  ***

  The one good thing that came out of the attack was that Andy finally convinced me to move in with them. I'd been holding out, reluctant to leave my home while Dad was still missing. It felt like a betrayal of sorts, a giving up of hope but it was time to face facts. It was not safe for us to live here anymore.

  “It'll be better. You'll see,” Andy said as he prepared to leave. “I'll protect you both.”

  My cheeks warmed at the words. It would be nice to be looked after for a change. For too long had I been the one everybody relied on. “Let me ask for permission first.”

  He nodded. “See you tomorrow. If you don't show, I'll come looking.”

  “Don't worry about us. We'll be fine.”

  He disappeared into the night and I settled down to wait for morning. There was no way I'd be able to sleep anyway.

  The next day I was up early, dressed in my warmest, waiting at the gate for a glimpse of the first patrol. I blew hot air onto my cold fingers, tucking them beneath my armpits and bounced from one foot to the other as I waited. I was both scared and excited. What if this sudden move looks suspicious?

  Not knowing was the worst. I had no way to tell if anyone was looking for the dead soldier or if anything could point them in my direction. All I could do was hope for the best. The dreaded truck rumbled around the corner and my heart jumped into my throat. Now.

  I raised my arm and shouted, flagging them down. The truck slowed to a stop and the soldier on the passenger side got out, approaching with caution. His uniform had a rank on it that I didn't recognize, and I hoped he had the necessary clout to approve our move.

  “Can I help you, Miss?”

  “Yes, please,” I stuttered. “My sister and I stay here on our own since our father went missing and—”

  “The Greene sisters?” A flicker of emotion crossed his face.

  Surprised, I could only nod. How did he know?

  “You're the ones asking after your father? Your friend too?”

  “Yes.” I brighte
ned. “Have you heard something? Do you know where he is?”

  The officer raised a hand, preventing any further questions. “No, I do not. I'll be sure to let you know if I hear anything, though.”

  “I see.” The brief moment of hope drained away, leaving behind a void of depression.

  “Look, I'm sorry about your father but I can't assign you any more rations or supplies if that's what you wanted.”

  His words brought me back to the present. “Actually, I wanted to ask if we could move.”

  “Move?” He frowned. “Move where?”

  “Not far. Just down the street to the house of a friend.”

  “Why do you want to move?”

  I swallowed.

  Tell him something. Anything but the truth.

  “It's...it's lonely here,” I blurted.

  He studied me with faded blue eyes until I thought I would melt beneath his stare. “Is your friend expecting you?”

  “Um...no. We haven't talked but he would want us there, I'm sure of it.”

  “Mm.” The officer eyed me with a shrewd look that told me he wasn't fooled. But there was no way I'd let slip Andy was visiting us on an almost nightly basis. “Fine. You can move. If you all test clean and the other family wants you.”

  “I understand.”

  “Are your bags packed? Said your goodbyes?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “You can't come back. Understand?” the officer cautioned. “Your home will be sealed, cordoned off.”

  I threw a look over my shoulder at the house. Now that the time was here, I didn't want to leave.

  “Better the devil you know, hey?” the officer said. “Make up your mind, Miss. Stay or go?”

  I sighed. There was no choice left to be made. “Go.”

  “Right then.”

  Everything was carried out with military precision. Lexi and I were tested, declared clean, then dumped on Andy's doorstep with our bags. After he confirmed that Andy and his family did indeed want us there, they too were tested before the officer gave me a final warning.