Afflicted

by Susanne Valenti

  Chapter Twenty Nine

  Lincoln

  I hurried upstairs, pulling the satphone from my pocket. The signal was patchy but still enough to receive messages. There were none. After my fall in the river, I'd been worried it might have gotten damaged but it was too well made to let a bit of water bother it. With a sigh of irritation, I shoved it back away and moved along the landing.

  I paused outside my parents’ bedroom, the old fear raising its head like a sleeping beast.

  My hand closed on the hilt of the knife at my waist but I forced myself to release it. No ghost would force me to draw a weapon. Fear only had power if I gave in to it. With a flick of my wrist, the door flew open and banged against the wardrobe behind it.

  I strolled into the room, ignoring the unmade bed and drawn curtains. He never would have stood for the place being so untidy. I guessed Diane had been enjoying the little freedoms allowed now. That unmade bed was like a broken chain. Pity she'd had to wait for him to die to get her freedom.

  I opened the wardrobe and shoved his shirts aside. The stale stench of his aftershave sent my mouth dry but I ignored it. In the bottom of the closet was a safe. I knew the combination - his arrogance had allowed that much. He never thought I'd have the balls to open it without permission. And I guess he was right. Until now.

  1234

  I imagined that was the code the safe had come with when he'd bought it. Anyone else would realise it was a security risk not to change it but I doubted he was smart enough for that.

  I pulled the door wide and removed a shotgun, four pistols and a revolver from the storage space inside. There was about two hundred dollars in cash too. I shoved the money in my pocket, wondering how long it had sat there.

  There was no ammo in the safe but I rummaged in the bottom of the closet until I found an old shoebox which was way too heavy to contain shoes. I flipped the lid off and found a jumble of bullets and shotgun shells. I could only guess at why he'd chosen to take them out of their boxes and pile them in together but it didn't matter. I could match the bullets to the guns with no problem.

  I took my hoard back out of the room, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders as I crossed the threshold. Some things were never going to change.

  I jogged down the stairs and dumped the shoebox and guns on the dining table.

  I couldn't wait any longer to hear from Kai so I dialled his number on the satphone and put it on speaker.

  My dad may have been the kind of slack-jawed asshole to fill his closet with guns but I doubted he had ever spent much time maintaining them. There were plenty of times that I'd seen him carrying one of the pistols in his waistband or even just sitting with it in his lap. But I couldn't remember ever seeing him cleaning any of them.

  While the phone rang, I quickly pulled the first pistol apart and set to work cleaning the barrel.

  “I told you I’d call when I had something,” Kai’s voice came through the earpiece.

  “Sir,” I corrected him, knowing full well he wouldn't use it.

  “Have you completed your rescue mission?” he asked.

  “Almost,” I replied.

  “So she's alive? That means I just lost fifty bucks to Santos. I hope she thanked you properly.” Kai sniggered like a twelve year old and I rolled my eyes.

  “Yeah her and ten of her friends. She's brought half the cheerleading squad and a handful of jocks back with her too.”

  “So does that mean you're ready to come back and join us? We're having a bit of trouble contacting anyone higher up and I think we'd all feel better having the whole team together again.”

  “We’re back at my house, just need to get them to Harbour City.”

  “Might be some issues with that…” Kai trailed off and I could tell he was holding back on purpose.

  “Just give it to me straight,” I sighed. Kai hated delivering bad news; if he was holding back, it couldn't be good.

  “It's just chatter at the moment. Hawker is working on confirming it and it's not been easy to get through to anyone higher up like I said-“

  “Just tell me,” I growled, time was precious and I didn't want to waste it while he minced words.

  “They're saying… that the cities aren't going to take everyone in. That they're going to lock the doors-“

  “When?” I snapped. If this was really going to happen, I needed to make sure Katy and Reese were inside before then.

  “That's just it - we don't know. It could be days, weeks… hours-“

  “Have you been given new orders yet?” I started to reassemble the gun I was working on. If what he was saying was true then there was no time to waste.

  “No sir. Like I said the higher ups have been quiet. We were moved to a new location further away from the city. They want us to keep an eye out for contaminated people and stop them from approaching The Wall. We’ve been maintaining our position here but have had no new orders for hours. It's almost like they've forgotten us.”

  I paused, Kai only called me sir when he wanted orders.

  “Stay together. I want you to keep trying to get hold of anyone you can and confirm whether or not they're closing the gates. And I want a timeframe if possible. In the meantime secure your position and protect any civilians you can. Your last orders were to defend the public against any personnel contaminated by the water so make sure you do. Stay vigilant and wait to hear from me unless you have any more information.”

  “Are you coming to meet us?” Kai asked before I could end the call.

  “Just as soon as I deliver this group to the city,” I assured him.

  “Our orders are to defend against contaminated people. Not ferry everyone to the cities,” he protested.

  “I'm not abandoning Ka- these people,” I said firmly.

  “Please tell me you're not pining after the girl next door?”

  “I'm doing my duty,” I growled. “You do yours.”

  “I'm just saying-“

  “You're saying too much Sergeant. Question my orders again and I'll be bringing you up on disciplinary.” I hung up on him before he pushed me into following through on my threat. I hated pulling rank and he knew it, hopefully it would keep him quiet for a while and I could ignore the ring of truth his words held. I hadn't been officially asked to come back in so my compassionate leave still stood. What I did with my time was my own business until that changed.

  I stood, rolling my shoulders back as I forced the irritation out of my body. Getting pissed off wasn't going to help any of us and I needed to keep a clear head if I wanted to get everyone to the city in one piece.

  My conversation with Kai hadn't been a complete waste though; it changed our plans. If they were going to be closing the doors to the city then I needed to make sure I got Katy and Reese there as quickly as possible. I couldn't waste time driving their friends around to their houses.

  Psyching myself up to go head to head with a load of high school kids moaning about things being unfair, I gathered the guns and ammo together. I wasn't too concerned about what the other kids would do but my main issue was with Katy and Reese. If they wouldn't agree to going on to the city without checking on their friends’ families then I might be in for an argument.

  I shook my head to clear it. If it came to it, I'd just tie them up and throw them in the back of my truck. Their parents had given me a sanctuary when I'd needed it and I'd get their children to safety whether they liked it or not.

  I jogged to the cupboard under the stairs and retrieved my pack. I gathered the rest of my things together while I was there, stuffing clothes into my bag and dropping my dad’s weapons on top.

  I headed for the door and had to force the smile off of my face as I stood outside. I doubted I'd be back again any time soon and the pressure of those four walls lifted away from me as I left them behind. I wished I'd be able to build a better relationship with my mom but the truth was that I couldn't. She stayed by his side, covered and lied for him and even if I could have understood all tha
t, she chose him too.

  I'd called her a few years ago, offering to take her away from him to live with me. Stupidly believing she wanted rescuing. But she'd thrown it back in my face, not even claiming fear as her reason. She told me she loved him. The man who'd beat her son black and blue every time he had too much beer or not enough.

  If I never came back it would be too soon.

  I headed round the side of the house to my truck and tossed my bag in the back. As I settled into the front seat, I realised I felt much more at home in it than I had in the house I grew up in.

  I checked my watch; it was nine fifteen. With a bit of luck we could get to the city by ten and I'd be able to see them safely inside before lunch. Then I could leave Reese and Katy Lewis in the past with the rest of this place and get back to my life. A knot tightened in my stomach as I thought of saying goodbye and I resolutely ignored it.

  I pulled my car around to their drive and parked up.

  I checked the satphone again just in case Kai had found out anything else. I was tempted to put a call in to Hawker too, she was always quick with ideas but I really wasn't sure what we should be planning yet. If the city really did close their gates then I'd have a whole load of civilians to deal with.

  A sharp tap on my window made me look up. One of the cheerleaders gave me a bright smile before slinking around the hood of my truck and opening the passenger door. She looked like she'd spent some time styling her platinum blonde hair and redoing her makeup. I wondered why she would have thought something so pointless was worth doing with everything that was going on.

  “Kaitlyn’s just rounding everyone up,” she said as she slid onto the seat and closed the door behind her. I raised an eyebrow questioningly and she leant towards me conspiratorially. Not so subtly offering a view down her shirt. “I called shotgun.”

  “Right. So what about Toby?” I asked.

  “Who?” She fluttered her eyelashes at me.

  “Your friend who was shot,” I explained. I could have sworn he was called Toby. Maybe it was Tony or-

  “Tommy?” she offered.

  “Knew it was something like that,” I sighed. Names weren't my strong suit. It was so much easier when everyone had them printed on their uniforms.

  “I dunno. That was totally gross. I mean you're a complete hero and everything but I sure as hell wouldn't have been able to pull those bullets out of him.”

  “Shotguns don't really have bullets like other-“

  “And I haven't seen him since you finished fixing him up. But as far as I know he's okay.”

  “Okay enough to get himself out here?” I pressed, wondering if she was being intentionally vague or just didn't care about him very much.

  “Oh umm, probably…” She shrugged unhelpfully and I bit my tongue as I opened my door.

  “Thanks Debbie.” I shut the door as she shouted something at me which sounded like she was repeating her name. Strange girl.

  I jogged up the drive and pushed the front door open. A few of the kids were lurking in the corridor and a blonde girl with fading sunburn let out a scream as she spotted me.

  “Sorry, Lincoln,” the brunette muttered as she shushed her friend. “He's helping us, remember Tara?”

  The blonde stared at me with wide eyes and I flashed her a kind smile. Some people just weren't cut out for dealing with situations like this. Hell I wasn't even sure if anyone was cut out for dealing with this.

  “You can head out if you're ready. We need to get going.”

  “Is there anything outside that we should be concerned about?” the brunette asked. Chloe maybe? Or Zoe? Trust my luck to get caught up with such a big group of new faces. I'd probably do best to just avoid using names all together.

  “It's all clear as far as I can tell but if you're worried then just wait for me. I'm just gunna get Tommy out in the truck. Have you seen Katy?”

  “You mean Kaitlyn?” the brunette asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “I think she's upstairs cleaning up.”

  I gave her a quick smile and took the stairs two at a time, calling Katy’s name as I went. She stuck her head out of the bathroom as I reached the landing, her dark hair falling forward over her face as she did.

  “What's wrong?” she asked, her eyes widening slightly.

  “Nothing,” I said quickly as I realised I'd frightened her. “Well nothing immediate,” I corrected.

  She glanced over my shoulder towards the stairs and stepped back into the bathroom, indicating for me to follow with a nod of her head. I moved into the room and pushed the door closed behind me. I guessed breaking the news to her was the best way forward. She'd probably know how to tell her friends in the nicest way possible that we wouldn't be able to go and check on their families.

  “So?” she prompted, concern glistening in her eyes. She still hadn't pushed her hair out of her face and my fingers twitched as I resisted the urge to do it for her.

  “I’ve been talking to some of my squad,” I explained. “And they're concerned that Harbour City might not be able to take everyone in at once.”

  “You mean we might not get inside?” she asked, taking a step towards me. “But my mom and dad are already in there-“

  “I know. Don't worry, I'm gunna make sure you get inside before they stop taking people. But that means we need to head there now. There's no time to go checking on your friends’ families.” I held her eye for several seconds as the information sank in.

  “You want me to tell them that we're abandoning their families?” she asked and I could tell she was struggling to keep her voice low.

  “It's not about wanting to,” I replied. “We need to go. If they close the doors before we get there-“

  “And you think that they'll just leave their families behind when I tell them that? You think they won't mind abandoning them?” Her jaw clenched and I got the feeling she was angry with me.

  “Look it's not about wanting to leave them behind,” I said, irritation lacing my words as she failed to grasp what I was trying to tell her. “There isn't a choice here. If they waste time checking up on houses that are most likely empty then you could miss your chance to get to safety.”

  “And you think I value that over my friends’ families?” Her voice rose and I took a step towards her angrily.

  “You don't understand. I made a promise to your mother to protect you and Reese. I told her I'd get you to the city-“

  “No matter what? So it doesn't matter what I want?” she demanded, glaring up at me.

  “You don't want to be safe with your family?” I asked incredulously.

  “Of course I do! But I can't just sell out my friends to get what I want. How could I live with myself?”

  “But you would live! Didn't you see enough last night to realise that you're better off in there?”

  “I did but that's not the point. I can't be that selfish; you just don't understand because you never had a proper family!”

  I clenched my fist as I fought to keep my temper in check. “That's what you think? That me trying to keep you alive is somehow proof that I'm the screwed up kid who never had a family?”

  “I never said you were screwed up,” she said but her tone was still defensive. “Just that you don't understand. You turned your back on your family but that doesn't mean that everyone else should too.”

  “I'm trying to make up for that now. You know why I left but I shouldn't have left everything behind. I shouldn't have abandoned you too.” I stepped forward again, my feet moving without me deciding they should. She tilted her head to look up at me as the distance between us was reduced to just a few inches.

  “I don't think you abandoned me,” she said softly, the fight going out of her. “You did the right thing. But I could never leave my mom and dad out here if I thought they were waiting for me. I've always had something with my parents that you didn't…” She looked away guiltily like she didn't want to be speaking those words to me. But I knew what she meant.


  “Love,” I finished for her. My stomach twisted uncomfortably as the shadow of my childhood raised its ugly head again. She couldn't know how many times I'd wished her family were mine. How much I'd wished for even one second when my mom would look at me the way hers had looked at her every minute.

  Her gaze met mine and her eyes filled with understanding. We didn't move for several seconds as we regarded each other in the dim light.

  We were so close that the distance between us almost didn't exist and yet it felt like a barrier. If either of us crossed it then something between us would change.

  The silence pressed in on us, stretching too long for it to be natural but neither of us seemed inclined to break it.

  Her fingers moved slightly, brushing against the back of my right hand and sending a spark of energy running across my skin.

  I reached for her, my left hand cupping the delicate curve of her jaw as my fingertips trailed into her hair. She tilted her head into my touch and I found myself looking at her in a whole new light. She wasn't the girl I'd grown up with anymore. She'd become something so much more.

  My thumb traced the line of her bottom lip as she leant towards me and I pulled her closer.

  The door crashed open behind us and I dropped my hand as I spun to face it. Reese looked at the two of us in surprise as he entered.

  “Oh hey,” he said with a frown. “I just needed to use the bathroom. Are we leaving soon?”

  “We were just discussing that,” I said as I took a step towards him, expanding the space between me and his sister. “My intel has put more pressure on us than we'd been hoping. We need to get out of here quickly and we don't have time to stop off on our way to the city.”

  “Okay so we just head straight there,’ Reese said as he glanced at me and then his sister. “Don't we?”

  “It means we can't drive around to check on anyone's families,” Katy said slowly, like she was talking to an idiot. “Do you really think they're gunna be happy with that?”

  “Well they don't have to come with us do they?” he said, using the same tone in response.