“He’s still dying?” Griffin asked.
“No.”
“Then what could be so bad?”
Max took a deep breath, convincing herself that Alex didn’t mean for her to keep a secret from him. “Immune. She thinks he’s immune.”
Griffin sat silently, staring at Max. She could see the wheels moving and pieces falling into place for him. She didn’t need to explain it to him. He had been a part of everything the family had been through. He knew what threatened them and what risks they had.
“We aren’t telling anyone else?” He finally asked.
“No. My guess is Alex trusts everyone, but Liam. With fewer people actually knowing, there’s no chance of a slip up,” Max explained.
“What’s the story we’re going with?”
Max looked at him and smiled. Since he came back into her life months before, she hadn’t expected the feelings from their childhood to sweep through her. When she first went to find him, it was purely because she didn’t want Jack to lose a father she never knew about. But the moment she saw him, it was hard to mask the feelings. Every time he stepped up and understood her and her siblings, she loved him even more.
“That we don’t really know. That we are assuming we treated him fast enough that the infection didn’t spread,” Max explained.
Griffin nodded thoughtfully. “That’s not going to hold up for long.”
“Doubtful, but its all we have. We have to protect him. And no one needs their hopes up,” Max replied.
Griffin looked out the window and nodded his agreement. The silence was only punctuated by the quiet Aerosmith that Griffin still had playing through the speakers. Max struggled to sit there saying nothing, so she started telling Griffin about Steven Overturf. Griffin watched her and listened patiently.
“I’m not sure I like knowing the name of someone I didn’t know, but I found his dead body,” Max finished.
“It makes it all too real,” Griffin agreed.
She had known he would understand, and it made her feelings feel more valid. Even when she was struggling with where to go from one point to another, Griffin offered her that understanding. She knew it was making her better. A better mother. A better sister. A better member of their group.
The sun started to lower in the horizon and Alex brought up not driving in the dark over the walkie. With the agreement of the other vehicles, Rafe began to scout a place to pull off the road that would be safe. They also needed more fuel, so it couldn’t be the middle of nowhere. He led the caravan off the freeway at a sign that boasted an outlet mall. When he turned into the mall parking garage, Max groaned.
“I hate malls,” she muttered.
Jack had sat up in the back of the truck and was watching as they drove to the top of the parking garage.
“I don’t think this one is one we’ll be camping in, Mom,” Jack said.
“Thanks, kid. Just the reminder I needed.”
Early in the apocalypse, Max and Jack found themselves holed up in a mall with a small group of survivors. Max hated the smells of the mall and the wide open space indoors, with still small places to hide. As Max should have expected, the mall was broken into by a group of scavengers. However, they didn’t ensure the infected didn’t get in as well. In the end, the mall was a tomb to many of the people they had met.
Rafe parked his truck facing the exit of the parking garage level. Margaret and Max parked on either side of him, with the RV parked to the side, taking up a row of spots. The top of the parking garage was wide open, with few cars. It was fairly easy to see if anything was coming at you. The adults all exited the vehicles and met in the middle of their small row.
“I figure up here we can see what’s around and keep an eye on each other if we have to scavenge further away,” Rafe explained.
“Good idea. Plenty of vehicles we passed on the way up here too,” Alex replied.
“Seems this place was open for business when the infected showed up. People never got the chance to get to their cars,” Cliff added.
“Right, but then we assume they are nearby as infected. No one lets down their guard,” Alex said.
Everyone nodded their heads. Without much instruction, everyone knew what their tasks were. Max went to the bedding she had been able to grab from the theatre. She made sure everyone had what they needed to sleep in their tents. Issac started setting up tents for everyone that wasn’t sleeping in the RV or the SUV.
Cliff and Smith rolled one of the older model vehicles that was parked nearby to the entrance of the parking garage floor. When that car didn’t completely block the entrance, they found another they could move and rolled that to the other side. It would prevent a quick getaway, but it would keep any infected from surprising them.
With tents set up, Margaret began to prepare their dinner with the outdoor cooking set up she had created. It was early, but cooking for the group was a bigger process now that they weren’t on the compound. Alex had Cliff and Smith go to siphon again, with hopes that they would end up with more fuel in the parking garage. Issac volunteered to join them with his rifle. They were thankful to have the gun at their back.
Rafe worked out a schedule for an overnight watch. Someone would always be awake, keeping an eye out for any threat. They were more concerned about living threats sneaking up on them, since the infected gave themselves away pretty easily. Alex went through the weapons and made sure everything was ready on the off chance they needed to fight their way out.
The kids were finally released once the parking garage level was completely checked out. The stairs were a concern, but they told the kids to keep close to the cars. And the parents were all very strict about them even thinking about going down the stairs. Candace was given the task of watching them and keeping them safe.
By the time dinner was served, Cliff, Smith and Issac had returned, stinking of gas. They filled the vehicles again and planned on continuing after they ate. It would go slower in the dark, but having a full reserve was necessary to keep going. They didn’t want to be caught without gas at the worst time or when they were crossing a long expanse of road that didn’t have any places to fuel up.
Max stood at the edge of the parking garage and studied the different stores below. As far as she could tell, the stores ranged from clothing to jewelry to purses. The only food shops were what looked like a fancy cheese and wine shop and a couple fast food places. They would have to check all the places the next day. She hoped they had better luck, but she knew it was unlikely.
“There’s an urgent care building on the other side,” Charlie said when she came up behind Max, causing Max to jump.
Charlie laughed, “Sorry. Figured the great Max Duncan could never be caught unaware.”
“I was just planning tomorrow in my head. What about the urgent care?” Max asked.
“Rafe is going to take me to scavenge supplies if there’s anything left. But if they have crutches, that could really help Griffin,” Charlie replied.
“Do you need help?” Max asked.
“I’m sure Rafe and I can handle it. But an extra set of hands would be great in case we do find the crutches. We’re going to head there now. Are you in?”
Max nodded. She owed Charlie a lot for helping Griffin with his leg and for everything the little doctor did for the group. Max couldn’t turn her down when she asked for help. Letting Charlie know she would meet them in ten minutes at the stairs, Max left to get ready.
When she went back to her tent to grab extra weapons and her pack, Griffin was there to meet her. Without a rolling chair, he had no way to move around without pain. Someone had helped move him to sit on a folding chair next to the tents. Max knew he could tell she was up to something just by the way she walked over.
“Where are you going?” He asked.
“Urgent care across the parking lot. Going with Rafe and Charlie,” Max answered. She emptied the last few random items from her pack so she’d have plenty of room for supplies.
&
nbsp; “Ok,” he replied.
“That’s it? No arguments?” Max asked, skeptical.
“I think I’m coming to terms with the fact that we can’t be together all the time. And with my leg, I have to trust you not to make stupid moves. I know Rafe will keep an eye out for you,” Griffin said.
“That’s very mature of you,” Max laughed.
“It’s not a laughing matter, Max. I know you grew up differently and have skills. But you’re still one person. Just be careful, alright?”
Max crouched so she could be eye level with Griffin. She laced her fingers with his and smiled at his serious look. When he didn’t smile back, Max worked on making her face match his.
“I promise.”
Chapter Nineteen
Looking down into the stairs, the belly of the parking garage seemed extremely dark. The sun was still shining its last rays, but they would definitely be coming back in the dark. Max had a large flashlight in her pack and a smaller one in her back pocket. No amount of flashlights were going to make moving through the parking garage in the dark not creepy.
“Ready?” Rafe asked her.
“You lead, I follow, brother,” Max replied.
Rafe rolled his eyes and looked to Charlie and back to Max.
“Charlie stays between us. She’s not helpless, but she way more valuable than we are,” Rafe said. He continued when Charlie opened her mouth to protest. “No, don’t start.”
Charlie shut her mouth, but she glowered at him. Max could imagine they would be having a conversation later. Not that she could disagree with Rafe. A doctor who knew what Charlie did was priceless in the infection they were dealing with. Not only did she have the firsthand knowledge of what it was, she was also an experienced emergency room doctor that could field treat other issues.
Rafe began to descend into what Max was calling the beast in her head. The only sound was their boots hitting the metal steps as they climbed down. That small sound still echoed as they came down into the next level of the garage. Max looked around in the dim light. She could tell what was cars and pillars. So far, she wasn’t finding anything that moved.
They were down two more flights of stairs when they saw their first infected. It rambled a row away, but didn’t seem to know how to get around the cars to get to the moving group. Max kept her eyes on it as they continued to go down the steps. If it suddenly got smart to the issues, she wanted to be ready to end it immediately.
They were clear as they came to the exit door of the parking garage. There was a small window in the door and Rafe looked out, while Max turned to watch the garage. She squinted, her eyes struggling to figure out for sure what was beyond the nearest vehicles.
Rafe carefully opened the door just as Max heard the shuffling in the garage. It was too loud to be just one infected. Charlie and Rafe both looked back, and Max’s gaze met theirs.
“Better to get out now,” Max whispered.
Rafe nodded and went out the door with Charlie on his heels. As Max backed up to the door herself, she started to see the infected coming from between cars and behind pillars. Her heart thumped a few times as she tried to count them, but it was impossible to tell them apart. Thinking of the rest of their family five floors up, Max quickly made a decision.
The door to the parking garage pushed out. Max was sure they would eventually open it accidentally from bumping up against it. However, she wanted to draw them out, away from their camp. If they had to fight them, doing it in the open was easier than the pitch black of the garage. She looked around and found a large rock nearby in a desert like landscape. Grabbing that, Max pushed the door open and put the rock to keep the door from swinging shut.
Turning to make sure Rafe and Charlie were clear, Max started to tap on the door with her tomahawk. The sound echoed through the level and the shuffling increased. The general sounds of grunting, hissing, and growling were louder as the infected locked on to what was making the noise. Max backed away from the door and walked down the sidewalk to meet Rafe and Charlie.
Rafe didn’t need explanation for Max’s plan. He knew what she was thinking. They moved down the path toward the road, waiting to see if the plan would work. When the first infected began to show and stumble through the door, they turned toward the urgent care building. Their movements would continue to draw the infected out and when they returned, they would need to engage them to get back up to the camp.
They crossed the deserted street to the parking lot of the urgent care. There was a car crash at the entrance of the parking lot. Max imagined people getting sick and running to the facility, however there had been no saving them. A pair of infected approached them and Max nodded to Rafe before running toward them on light feet. She rolled her shoulders once, preparing herself for the impact that was about to come.
With her tomahawk in one hand and her knife in the other, she took in the two infected. One of them, a tall lanky woman, was wearing ripped scrubs. Max imagined she worked at the clinic and things didn’t end well for her. The sadness didn’t penetrate into Max’s mind, she pushed all her thoughts back to focus on her objective.
Running at the first infected, Max ducked under the reaching arms and sliced deeply into the back of its leg. It crumpled to the side without the tendons holding it up. Max continued beyond it to reach the second infected. This one was also female. Max could only guess that by the long hair. The rest of the body was so mangled it was impossible to tell how it was even still moving. She quickly swung her tomahawk and sliced into its skull.
Turning back toward Rafe and Charlie, Max walked to the first infected. She swung down the spike of her tomahawk and ended the infected on the ground. Wiping the gore on the scrubs of the infected, she looked around to make sure there were no more surprises. Movement from the car she was crouched next to almost made Max fall on her butt.
A face popped into the window. Max jumped up, covering up her shock. Quickly, Max found the car to be contained, and turned back to join Rafe and Charlie. The sound of a car door opening caught her off guard again and she spun with her weapons at the ready.
“Wait, please,” the woman stuttered.
“What the hell,” Max gasped.
Looking at the woman standing in front of her, Max stepped back. She stared into her face, just to make sure. Her eyes were a brilliant green, not the black of an infected. Reddish blond hair stuck out in all directions from a hasty bun in the back. She held her hands up in surrender, but her eyes flicked all over the place. Max thought of a scared mouse caught in a trap.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you. Please. Don’t leave me here,” the woman rushed out.
Rafe and Charlie came to flank Max, looking at the woman. The group had good reason to be wary of new people. It was always toss up if that person needed help, wanted to help, or wanted to do something much more nefarious to them.
“Who are you?” Max asked.
“Chell Lynn. Oh my god, you are the first living I’ve seen in days,” the redheaded woman said.
“Why were you hiding in the car, Chell Lynn,” Charlie asked. Her voice much softer than Max’s.
“I was running from those things. It was the only thing I could think of. I’ve been in there for two days. I had to lie down the whole time. Every time I tried to move, they would catch sight and try to get me again,” Chell Lynn replied.
“Running, alone?” Max asked. Rafe and Max were on the same thought as they both turned their heads from side to side to check all the corners of their surroundings.
“Yes. I’ve been alone for… well… since...,” Chell Lynn trailed off.
“Since when?” Max prodded.
“My family. I lost my family. I’ve been alone since then,” she finished.
“I’m sorry,” Charlie answered.
“It wasn’t our fault. We were attacked by another group. They wanted our supplies. My husband hid me. But when everything went quiet, they were all dead,” Chell Lynn choked on her words.
“Yeah, can’t really trust many people,” Max replied.
That comment caused Chell Lynn to back up. Fear creased her face and she looked back to the car that she had been hiding in.
“What she means is,” Charlie said, shooting a look at Max, causing Max to shrug. “There are bad people out there. We know because we’ve seen them too, dealt with them. But that’s not what we are.”
“How do I know?” Chell Lynn asked.
“I guess you don’t really know. We’re here to collect supplies. You are welcome to join us. Get things you might need,” Charlie said. Rafe gave her a sharp look, but Charlie just patted his arm.
“Are you all related or something?” Chell Lynn asked.
“Or something,” Charlie replied with a sweet smile.
“He’s my brother. She’s his... what would you say she is, Rafe?” Max said, needling her brother. He shot her a look that said she would pay for this later.
“She’s my girlfriend,” Rafe mumbled.
Max laughed out loud and Charlie blushed. Chell Lynn looked at them as if they were completely off their rockers.
“Like I said, you’re welcome to join us in the clinic. If you need somewhere safe to stay, you can come see the rest of our group. I’m sure Rafe and Max here would agree. I’m Charlie, by the way.”
Chell Lynn nodded to them. She shuffled from foot to foot, seeming to weigh her choices in her mind. She finally nodded, reaching into the car to grab a grubby purse that hung across her chest. Max figured there weren’t many supplies in the small bag, so she wondered why she was carrying it at all. The next question Max wanted to ask was how she had survived this long on her own.
Rafe took the lead again as they headed toward the clinic doors. Charlie followed, and Max gestured to Chell Lynn to go next. She didn’t know the woman, and it would take more than a sob story for her to suddenly trust her. The redhead moved timidly, clearly not ready to face any threat that may come their way. Max sighed audibly, earning her another look from Charlie.
At the doors of the clinic, they found them locked. They weren’t glass doors, so Rafe set to picking the lock. Max stepped through the overgrown greenery in the front and peered into the building. She couldn’t make out much but was sure she saw something moving. She tapped on the glass, trying to draw any infected out.
Sundown Series | Book 5 | Vengeance Page 24
