The door opened to dawn’s light filtering through trees. The darkness of the sky was chased away by the rays of sun that streamed through. The back of the theatre backed up to a strip mall, but at the end of the alley trees beckoned. Max took a moment to breathe the fresh air. All the people living together in the movie theatre hallway could cause smells that Max didn’t want to think about at the moment. Unwashed children, food smells, and the remnants of popcorn and spilled soda didn’t mix well. When the wind blew, they would open the end exit door just long enough for the air to sweep in and take some of the toxic smells with it.
When the two entered the woods it was dark, long shadows still hid their secrets as the sun slowly decided to wake. Max clicked on a small flashlight, keeping it pointed at the ground. So far none of their checks had produced people nearby. The city seemed almost empty of anything still living. The local supermarket had been ransacked, but whoever had taken the items didn’t seem to live in the city proper. The Duncans assumed if anyone still lived in the city limits, they were on the outskirts. Their standard practice continued to be if survivors didn’t bother them, the Duncans steered clear as needed.
The silence was peaceful and Max appreciated it as she listened to the far off call of birds or the chirp of insects. They had hiked a mile into the forest before the sun illuminated the space between the trees. Griffin stopped and lifted his face to the sun, closing his eyes for a moment.
“It’s times like this, that it’s great to be alive,” he said. Max didn’t say anything, just grunted her agreement. The warm sun did feel fantastic when they didn’t see it all the time.
“Don’t you think it’s time to talk things out with Alex?”
“You too? Everyone seems on me today,” Max bit out.
“Well, I’m on you all the time, but you don’t usually complain,” he joked back, not taking offense at her tone. Which was just like Griffin. Max could flail and yell, and he took everything in stride. He knew her well enough to know what her mind was like.
“You know what I mean,” she replied.
“I do. I heard Rafe. I pretended I didn’t, hoping you would tell me. But it’s pretty clear I’m going to have to drag it out of you.”
“There’s nothing to talk about, Griffin.”
“You’re still angry.”
“Hell yes I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” She demanded.
“So, you’re angry that your sister isn’t perfect? Like you are? Is that what you think, Max? That you’re infallible?” His words were accusatory, but his tone was light.
“I know I make my own mistakes. But this one, it was too big. She could have ended this all. Instead she let her emotions get in the way and she missed the kill shot,” Max said.
“Max, she had just seen someone that had become her best friend murdered in cold blood. You know what she’s told us. She didn’t even realize she was pulling the trigger. She wishes she hadn’t at all,” Griffin said. He turned to put his hands on Max’s shoulders. He massaged lightly, then ran his hands to her neck. Using his thumbs to push her chin up so she was forced to meet his gaze.
Max knew Alex grieved deeply for Marcus Kline, the man she had picked up on her way to their Montana compound. Before she ever met Marcus, Alex was forced to kill her husband, Blake, when he was turned into a zombie. Max knew her sister would never recover from that in her heart. Then to make things harder, she had to witness Callahan executing Marcus in front of all of his soldiers. Max hadn’t been close to Marcus, but she admired his last words being a warning to the Duncans. He knew they weren’t far away, and he wanted them to know what he did. He must have known his life was forfeit. Part of Max did grieve with her sister, how could she not, she did love Alex.
“That’s just it. Not taking the shot wasn’t the option. She should have just made the shot like I know she can! And now we’re hiding out in a freaking movie theatre. We can’t even go home.”
“I think Alex is as upset about that as you are.”
“You wouldn’t know. She’s so busy making everything so homey.”
“She thinks that’s her job, Max. You need to be more understanding where Alex is concerned. Seeing Marcus killed wasn’t the only thing she had been through. Don’t forget about her killing a man with nothing but a belt and her bare hands.”
Max thought about the stories Alex had told them about the Dead Brothel. The Noble Lord was dead, but Max hadn’t missed the times Alex woke with a scream. More than once she had seen Alex in the middle of the night, covered in a cold sweat as she paced the halls. She didn’t think anyone noticed, but Max knew a part of her was damaged. Major Callahan was the reason Max understood what Alex was struggling with. And killing that man was the number one thing on Max’s to do list in the apocalypse. Callahan had tortured Max until she was sure she would die, because he was after her brother.
“I’m just not over it, Griffin. And I can’t just force it,” Max said.
“Ok,” was all he said. The one word felt weighted, but he leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before stepping back.
“Let’s go find some meat,” he said.
Chapter Two
Max carefully sighted her shot. Her breathing was even and calm. In the next exhale she squeezed the trigger smoothly. Alex might be a better shot at a long distance, but Max was a hunter to be rivaled with. The wild turkey she had been aiming for flailed once before falling dead to the forest floor. Griffin chuckled next to her.
“Bird never had a chance.”
“Well, that’s the point, right?”
“That’s three turkeys now. I’m not sure we want to take down many more without a fridge to store the meat,” Griffin said.
Max knew he was right. And the light was starting to dim as the trees shadowed over them. She enjoyed the freedom of hunting and being alone with Griffin in the woods. It was peaceful for her turbulent soul. Together they retrieved the third bird and strung it up with the other two. Max loved that Griffin didn’t even grimace as he threw the rope over his shoulder. He was her match in every way, and throwing them into the apocalypse made that even more apparent.
They chose a small clearing for their camp so they were able to have a small fire. They were far enough from town that any living would be too far to see the light. The infected didn’t know how to sneak, so they were sure they’d hear them if they were to ramble into the area. While Max set up their tent, Griffin rigged a pulley on a tree to keep the turkeys from any natural predators. They worked in comfortable silence. Max was thankful for the one relationship she didn’t have to try hard to make work. Griffin loved her even when she was acting as Max-like as possible.
“Wasn’t the big game I was hoping for,” Max said as they sat around a small fire.
“We don’t have anywhere to put a deer anyway,” Griffin said.
“Maybe. But maybe we could have smoked it and made it last a big longer that way.”
“Sure, I guess. Turkey for a few days will do everyone good. Packaged food is only going to go so far.”
Max thought about the supplies they had at the theatre. She was thankful they had packed all the preserves and items that were stored in the root cellar. With their meals they had some powdered and packed items, but they always made sure to have fresh fruit or vegetables as a side. Charlie was always in doctor mode, worried about everyone’s vitamins and health, so she hovered when it came to meal plans. It drove Max a little nuts, but she would never be rude to Charlie, mainly because Rafe would smack her upside the head.
“So you’ve gotten to be out in the wilderness. You’ve gotten to shoot some stuff. Are you ready to talk now?” Griffin asked.
Max looked at him. The fire light caused shadows on his sculpted face. But she could see his eyes clearly enough to know he was playing with her, even though he was serious about making her talk. She could tell when he wasn’t going to let something go, and he was digging in now.
“The nightmares came back. After Alex missed the sh
ot. Callahan had me again, and he was furious that he had been shot. He kills me in the end,” Max said quietly.
“Max, why haven’t you talked to me about this?” Griffin asked. He scooted closer, his leg pressed against her. He took one of her hands in his. His touches warmed her down to her core, and it helped her talk.
“You have your own demons when it comes to Callahan. You carry around so much guilt that I wish you’d let go. I didn’t want to add to that.”
“I can’t just let go of the guilt of allowing you to be beaten,” Griffin said, his voice gruff with emotion.
“I’ve said this a million times, but I’ll say it again. It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know how bad things were behind those doors. And once you did, you got me out.”
“No one would let Callahan get his hands on you again. Especially Alex.”
“In my head, I know that,” she said.
“Then why are you still so angry?” He asked.
“Because I’m still part Mitch Duncan,” she replied. She used her free hand to rub at her forehead, feeling slightly ridiculous with her explanation.
“What does that even mean?”
“It means I was raised by my father. Raised to never miss. Especially when something so serious was involved. And when we did miss, Dad was always lecturing on how we needed to be better. That being just ok at shooting wasn’t ok. And here we are, one of the most important shots she could have taken, and she missed the kill shot,” Max said.
“No one is going to make every shot, Max. Even your dad had to know that. Sure, he wanted you guys to be as perfect as possible. But in reality, misses always happen.”
“I know that, that’s the problem. But when I look at Alex, all I see is that missed shot. Not my sister. And the fear I have settles deep and I can’t get rid of it.”
“Hopefully time will help. Because the fear you are feeling isn’t going to help you in this fight, Max. You and your siblings need to be united to take Callahan down for good,” Griffin said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her into his body.
Rafe was always saying they were stronger together, Max knew that was true. Even if she was angry with Alex, she would still have her back no matter what the fight. However, even she could admit the easy teamwork that they typically flowed with wasn’t there right now. And it was Max’s fault. She leaned into Griffin’s embrace, glad she was with the one person that wasn’t going to accuse her of being ridiculous. He may not agree with her behavior, but he would support her and work through her issues with her.
They decided to go to bed a short while later. Max kicked dirt over their embers, ensuring they didn’t start a forest fire. That was the last thing they really needed, they already had an apocalypse to handle. Their small two-person tent was cozy, and they unzipped their sleeping bags so they could touch while they slept. Max had grown used to having Griffin sleep next to her. The times they either had watch, or one of them was on a run into town, Max would struggle in their bed alone. The old Max would have found her behavior as weak. But the Max now wanted that connection, loved her little family and was thankful to have Griffin back in her life.
Maybe it was the talking about the nightmares, but it didn’t take long for Max to realize she was stuck in one. It was similar to those she had been having the over last week. She was strung up in the cement room again. This time there was blood oozing from wounds all over her arms and torso. Major Callahan stood across the room, arms folded across his chest, looking like he always did. Not a hair out of place. He watched her bleed on the floor, his look dismissive and disinterested, as if her life slipping away was nothing more than an insignificant moment in his day.
In her dream, Max fought with all her might. She struggled against the restraints, crying out when the metal cut into her skin.
“This isn’t real!” She screamed.
“What makes you say that, Maxine?” Callahan said slowly, as he walked toward her. He slowly circled her, reminding her of a predator getting ready to finish off its prey.
“I know I’m dreaming. You don’t know where I am. You can’t take me from my family!”
“Funny you say that, Maxine. Because your sister shot me, I came back for you. I missed our talks,” he said slowly.
“Alex wouldn’t let you take me,” Max whined quietly. She looked down at her bare feet scraping along the concrete. Blood seemed to pool and grow as she watched, and she could feel herself grow weak.
“Your sister didn’t care what I did with you,” Callahan taunted.
Max cried out as she felt a blade slide across her skin again and she knew Callahan was cutting into her back. As the scream ripped from her throat, she could hear her name being called from far away. She knew it was Griffin, and it reminded her she was in a nightmare. She tried to shake the dream from her mind, realizing it wasn’t her shaking herself, but someone was shaking her. She finally forced her eyes open and Griffin’s fearful face was above her.
“You screamed,” he said quietly.
“Nightmare,” she moaned, turning into his chest to bury her face in something real.
“Shhhh, it’s ok, babe. I got you. Nothing will touch you,” he crooned as he wrapped both arms around her and laid back down. Sleep came again, but the last thought Max had was how good Griffin’s chest felt under her face.
Morning came, cool and still in the forest. Max and Griffin packed up quickly, ready to get their fresh food to camp before it couldn’t be eaten. By midday they reached the alley that led to their theater entrance. The growling was the first indication that they weren’t alone in the area. Max stepped into the parking lot from the alley to find four infected wandering the area. For a split moment she wondered what had drawn their attention, but she pulled her tomahawk, ready for the fight.
When she tapped her blade against the concrete building, the noise drew the attention of the mindless monsters. Their heads swiveled her way. Their eyes, onyx pits, studied their potential meal for a split second before their bodies followed the need and stumbled her way. The closest to her was a small man, still wearing his coveralls that were covered in black substances. Max didn’t question whether it was oil from his previous life or dried blood. She was sure she didn’t want to know. She flipped her tomahawk in her hand a few times, warming up. The tactical axe fit her hand like a piece of her own body, and she didn’t have to think or plan as she sliced into the infected’s head.
Griffin was to her left, handling a lanky man that was wearing nothing but boxers and a white tank top. Max imagined he was watching tv in his favorite recliner when something came up behind him to rip the side of his face off. The exposed pale bone moved grotesquely as he snapped at Griffin. Max had to look away before seeing him ended, as a third infected rambled toward her. She didn’t worry about Griffin, she knew he had the skills to handle himself. The infected that came toward her was missing an arm, and Max wasn’t exactly sure what to think of that. Instead of dwelling, she stepped forward and embedded her tomahawk into its head.
Before Max even turned, Griffin had taken care of the last infected. They took the time to drag the bodies from the parking lot. Dead bodies were normal now, however they could indicate living people nearby. They didn’t want to leave a neon sign to their current home base. They dragged the bodies into a nearby store they had already cleared out. Once they were out of sight, Max and Griffin carefully circled back to their entrance door and waited for any other surprises. The parking lot and alley were both quiet and empty, making it safe for them to open the door carefully. Max slid in before the glasses could break and disabled their alarm system.
“Hello?” Max called loudly, making sure everyone knew it was them that came into the theatre.
“Momma?” Jack’s voice drifted from the hallway to Max.
Max and Griffin took turns embracing their daughter. Issac took the turkeys and went with Cliff to the parking lot to finish cleaning them for cooking. The old man was well versed in hunting and
how to clean your kill. Push come to shove, Max knew exactly what she needed to do. But if she didn’t have to, she was happy to pass along the responsibility. She felt fulfilled knowing they brought fresh food home when they could and knew everyone would eat well.
Max and Griffin headed to their tent to put away their gear and change clothes. When Max emerged, Alex was propped against the wall across the hallway. Max knew she was waiting for her, but she started walking down the hall toward the common area.
“I’m glad you’re back. Anything strange out there?” Alex asked.
“Nothing stranger than zombies,” Max replied.
“You know what I mean,” Alex said with exasperation lacing her words.
“No. There was nothing different or strange in the woods. We didn’t really go near any of the town, just headed straight out.”
“Ok. Good to know. We’re gathering after Issac and Cliff are done with the turkeys. Family meeting,” Alex said.
“For what?”
“Be sure you and Griffin are there, and you’ll find out,” Alex replied with a tight smile. She walked away, heading toward one of the theaters with supplies.
Max was curious by nature. Could be downright nosy. Not because she always cared about things, but she wanted information. To be ready for anything coming her way. Alex not telling her what the meeting was about was going to needle Max until the meeting. She grabbed a bottle of water from the concessions counter. They had no way of keeping things cool, but they left out bottles of water, cans of soda, and small juice boxes for anyone to drink throughout the day. They had things easy on the compound with their running water, it was hard to adjust.
She sipped water and thought about home. Part of Max’s anger was lodged in the fact that they had to leave their haven. Everyone had gone through hell to reach the Duncan compound. And why wouldn’t they? Their father, Mitch Duncan, built an almost self-sustaining home for his children. He always knew something bad was going to happen to the world. Maybe at one time he acted pretty crazy about his theories, but Max always respected his lessons. She always found herself wishing he were alive to see how right he had been, though even he couldn’t have imagined walking dead being the cause.
Sundown Series | Book 5 | Vengeance Page 2
