“Hello!” he shouted.
Ethan took a small step forward. “Hello.”
“I mean you no harm,” the man said shifting his shoulder back. He rubbed his arm, massaging the muscle with his knuckles. A slow smiled spread across his face. “I come in peace.”
“We’re just passing through,” Ethan said. “We don’t want any trouble.”
“Perfect,” the man said slapping his palm against this thigh. He started wheeling his cart closer, his eyes darting from person to person until he stopped again. The man reached out his hand toward Ethan. “Name’s Ronald, and I’ve got wares… things you might be interested in.”
Ethan’s nose scrunched up. “Wares?”
“That’s right, sir. Plenty of goods. How about you take a look, but please, please don’t touch anything.”
Ronald untied the end of a thick piece of tarp and pulled it off of the top of his cart. The items inside the cart seemed to glow as if they were from another planet.
There were boxes of food, water, clean clothing, first aid kits, and more. Things that could keep them alive for additional days, but they didn’t have anything to trade.
Ethan swallowed as he looked at all of the items. He looked like a man in the desert seeing a mirage only a few feet ahead. “We don’t have anything we can—”
“What can we get for this?” Will asked breathing out as he walked toward the man. He clutched the bottle of heart pills so tightly his knuckles were white.
“Hmm,” Ronald said tapping his finger to his chin. “People like their medicine. I’ll give you four waters and two boxes of food.”
Will looked at the bottle and then back at the man. “It’s worth more.”
Kate’s heart felt as though it bounced into her stomach. She wasn’t sure if negotiating was worth the risk.
Ronald nodded. “You could be right. Five waters and three boxes. That’s as high as I’ll go.”
“Done,” Will said.
They exchanged the goods, and Will tucked the extra food and water into the backpack he’d been carrying. He tightened his grip on the strap and looked over his shoulder as though he was afraid someone would sneak up on him to steal the newly acquired items.
“Anything else you might be interested in?” Ronald asked.
Ethan’s eyes were on the first aid kit and a tightly knit blanket that was still inside its shiny plastic packaging. “I’m sorry we have nothing else to trade.”
“Oh, but you do,” Ronald said with a sheepish grin that made wrinkles sprout at the corners of his eyes.
“No, we really don’t,” Ethan said nodding at the man. “We should be on our way.”
“Well, hang on now,” Ronald said, and Ethan’s body stiffened. “Take another look. There’s lots in there.”
Ethan forced a tight-lipped smile. “Thanks, but as I said we don’t have any more we can offer.”
“You need to think outside the box,” Ronald said. “I see something I want, and I’m willing to make a fair trade. Are you sure there isn’t anything else you’d like? Maybe this blanket? Several of your crew look like they could use a change of clothing.”
There was no question in Kate’s mind that the man was good at his job. He’d been able to spot the items that had drawn Ethan’s interest.
“We need to be on our way,” Ethan replied in a brisk tone.
“Well, hold on now, at least let me propose a trade,” Ronald said with a sparkle in his eyes.
Ethan crossed his arms. “Go ahead.”
Somehow Ronald’s smile grew larger, but there was a darkness that made Kate’s skin crawl. His hand raised, and his finger stretched out. “The clothes and the blanket… for her.”
Chapter 17
Kate followed the aim of his finger and looked over her shoulder. Emily’s eyes were impossibly large as she shook her head.
“No,” she whispered as she took a step back. Emily looked terrified that Ethan would grab her and throw her at the man. “Please.”
“The rest of my food supplies,” Ronald said upping his bid.
Ethan shook his head.
“She’s a person!” Claire said grabbing Emily’s arm.
“Not happening,” Ethan said.
“I can throw in two more bottles of water,” Ronald said.
Ethan’s left hand slid around his side. Kate couldn’t see, but she knew his fingers were hovering just above his gun.
“We’re not trading her,” Ethan growled.
“OK, how about her?” Ronald asked his finger jerking over to Kate.
Ethan exhaled slowly. “I suggest you pack up your things and move along.”
“I don’t want to keep them… just the goods for a little of their time,” Ronald said holding out his palms. His eyes moved down over Kate’s body, and when they landed on her hip, she pulled out her gun.
Kate took three steps forward, the barrel of her gun aimed right between his eyes. There was a sour taste at the back of her throat, but she ignored it.
“Okay, okay!” Ronald said, pulling the tarp over his cart with shaking fingers. “I gave your friend such a good deal too, and this is how I get treated for a simple request.”
“Would you rather I just take all of your things? Leave you with nothing?” Kate said, her voice so low it hadn’t even sounded like her own.
The man hurried to fasten his tarp. He looked down at his feet, glancing up at the gun once before he started to move away from them. “I meant no harm. Good day.”
They stood there watching him as he wobbled away. When he was a fair distance, Ethan cleared his throat.
“Let’s move,” he said, and everyone started inching forward.
“Is this what we have to look forward to?” Emily asked. “Unkind people and floods of The Unholy?”
“Let’s hope not,” Ethan said.
Sullivan laughed but turned away from the group when everyone turned to him. “I think we’ve been pretty lucky so far.”
“Oh?” Claire asked her hand on her hip. “And what do you know about it? I remember you sitting in Simon’s bar, drinking until you passed out.”
“That’s because I was trying to get rid of the memories,” Sullivan said, looking down at his feet. “If you remember correctly, I hadn’t always been with Simon.”
Kate tilted her head to the side and looked Sullivan up and down. The only thing she knew about the man was that he was a diabetic. Apparently, he had also been an alcoholic.
“Where were you before you joined The Way?” Kate asked.
“Out here,” Sullivan said. “Taking care of what remained of my family. Doing what I needed to in an attempt to keep them alive, but there’s only so much one man can do. I was lucky to find The Way. I think we all were.”
Kate’s eyes darted to Ethan’s, and Sullivan hadn’t missed the movement.
“Oh, Jesus Christ, before you get your undies in a bundle, let me just say that Simon was an asshole and deserved to die. I was just as happy as most when you took him out, but we had it pretty good inside that fence. That’s all I’m trying to say.” Sullivan let out a sigh. “I don’t think we’ll ever get that again.”
Kate wasn’t sure how to feel, after all, she felt the exact same way as Sullivan did, but after being betrayed, she wasn’t sure she could trust him. There was always a chance Sullivan should have left with Maya but had gotten stuck with Kate instead.
The group hadn’t walked far when off in the distance behind them they heard the horrific noise they’d heard before. It was the bone-chilling screech of The Unholy.
Kate didn’t know where the noise had come from, and she didn’t care, but if she heard it, that meant that nearby Unholy could have heard it too. Something rustled in a patch of tall grasses just off of the road to their right.
“We need to move,” Kate said. Ethan’s head was already bobbing in agreement before she’d finished her sentence.
He waved his hand in front of them without a word, and the group marched forward.
Each step was careful and soft on the cracked pavement, but it wouldn’t matter how quiet they were if The Unholy came their way. They needed to find a shelter and fast.
The group was almost moving at the pace of a slow jog when Kate spotted an RV tipped over on its side in the ditch. It was rusted and covered with weeds and moss, but for the most part, it was intact.
“Up there,” Kate said between breaths.
“Stay back,” Ethan said looking around the area. “I’ll check it out.”
Ethan ran ahead, and Kate was tempted to follow. Jasper tapped her on the shoulder, and she spun on her heel, her knife in hand.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to… just wanted to tell you that I’ll go with him,” Jasper said glancing at her blade as he took a step back and started to run away. Nikki was at Kate’s side before he’d gone more than five steps.
Before they even got over to the RV, Ethan was on the road waving them forward.
“Let’s go,” Kate said, and they picked up their pace.
When they were closer, Kate could see the windshield had several long cracks running through, but it was still in one piece. The driver’s side door was dented inward, and the window was broken.
“Is this safe enough?” Kate asked.
Ethan looked around. “We don’t have any other options. Maybe they won’t come through the area.”
And as if cued, The Unholy in the distance screeched again. The silence that surrounded them after the noise ended was haunting.
“Get inside,” Ethan said. Jasper stood on top of the RV and held open the door.
Kate stood there watching as her group lowered themselves down in the hunk of metal one by one. Will tapped her on the shoulder and her body shuddered as if woken from a dream.
“It’s our turn,” Will said jerking his chin toward the RV. “Ready?”
“Yeah, um, okay,” Kate said.
Kate, Will, and Ethan stepped up to the RV. Ethan hopped on and took the door from Jasper.
“Get in,” Ethan said, and Jasper nodded before lowering himself down.
Kate looked down into the vehicle and caught Jasper’s smiling eyes. She hadn’t realized her fear had been so obvious.
“I’ll help you,” Will said as he lowered himself down.
“What’s wrong?” Ethan asked softly.
Kate shook her head. “Looks cramped.”
“Better than catching an incurable disease,” Ethan said raising a brow.
“Right,” Kate said and climbed down with Will’s hands around her waist. She hadn’t needed his help, but she didn’t refuse it.
After Ethan joined them and closed the door, the area darkened. Kate could see their glowing eyes all peering forward, along with the shapes and shadows of the insides of the RV. When she turned to look out of the cracked windshield, she couldn’t see much of anything.
There were weeds behind the spidery cracks, hugging the cloudy window, but beyond that, she couldn’t see what was out there. She couldn’t tell if The Unholy were making their way down the road.
Ethan stood at the front of the group. He crouched down and tried to look out of the window, but Kate didn’t think he could see anything either.
She felt Will’s breath against the side of her neck. His breaths were rapid, and she could sense the tension in his body even though he was several inches from her.
There wasn’t anything they could do but listen… and wait.
Sweat beaded up on Kate’s temples. Being inside the plant surrounded RV was like being in a sauna.
She wiped the side of her face against the back of her hand as she shifted her weight back and forth from one foot to the other. Will eyed her for a moment before a noise at the back of the RV drew his attention.
Kate looked over her shoulder and spotted Emily curled up in a ball. She had one arm wrapped around her legs, and the other hand was over her mouth muffling what Kate was sure was whimpers.
Will pushed his way to the back of the RV and sat down next to Emily. He whispered into her ear, and she nodded at everything he said.
After a few minutes he reached into the backpack he was still carrying and pulled out a bottle of water. He helped her to silently take one of her pills.
Kate turned forward and noticed that Ethan was moving around as he tried to look out of the window. She took a step forward, and something squeaked softly but enough to draw Ethan’s attention.
He turned and held up his palm. His eyes were wide, glassy and filled with fear.
Kate stopped, but Ethan backed away from the window moving slower than a turtle. It took several minutes before Ethan was back at her side.
Their eyes connected in the darkness. Kate watched as a drop of sweat dripped down the side of Ethan’s face.
Ethan brought his lips next to Kate’s ear. “They’re here.”
Chapter 18
Every muscle in Kate’s body tensed when she heard the first moan confirming their presence. She couldn’t see how many were out there, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a lot.
The sounds of The Unholy’s feet scraping against the road outside seemed to echo inside the RV. It felt as though the temperature was rising and couldn’t help but feel like she needed to crawl out of her skin.
She turned back, and the others looked just as frightened as she felt. Claire was a statue carved out of ice. Emily was shivering even in the heat as tears streamed down her face.
The hand of one of The Unholy slammed into the broken windshield, and Kate covered her mouth with both hands. She wasn’t afraid of one Unholy, but she was afraid of the crowd that she knew was outside the RV.
Ethan slid his hand around Kate’s shoulders and held her close. They watched as The Unholy moved its face closer to the window as it tried to look inside.
It must not have seen them because it continued on, dragging its hand against the exterior as it made its way around the RV. Kate’s eyes followed its movement until she couldn’t hear it anymore.
The moans and groans seemed to increase as did the sounds of them moving through the nearby weeds and over the rocky road. Kate wanted to be strong, but she probably felt the weakest she’d ever felt. Weaker than when she was on her own, struggling… starving.
She was at her breaking point. Kate just didn’t know how she could keep swimming to the surface, only to be pushed right back down to the bottom.
She turned into Ethan and pressed her face against his chest. Fear kept her from screaming out her frustration.
It felt as though hours had passed when the sounds of The Unholy ceased. Everyone was still too frightened to move.
“I’ll go check,” Ethan said, his words mostly absent of volume.
Kate grabbed his hand tightly, not wanting to let him go. If she lost him, she didn’t know how she could go on.
Ethan leaned in and kissed her cheek. “It’ll be okay.” He squeezed her hand and pulled free as he tried to offer her a reassuring smile. “Promise.”
Even though she knew that wasn’t something he could promise, she let him go. It wasn’t like they could stay in the RV forever, it was far too hot, and Kate was already minutes away from having a meltdown.
“What’s he doing?” Emily whispered in a panicked breath.
Will instantly tried to soothe her, but it wasn’t working. Emily’s hands started to move over her body as if she was looking for her misplaced keys.
“He’s going to let them in here,” she said her voice rough and jagged like broken glass.
Kate couldn’t make out Will’s cotton soft words as he rubbed Emily’s arm, but she could tell they weren’t working. It looked as though Emily wasn’t even hearing what he was saying.
Kate turned back when Ethan pushed the squeaky door open. He apprehensively pulled himself up and looked out of the opening. She watched him as his eyes moved around, carefully looking in every direction.
Ethan exhaled as he lowered his gaze. “It’s clear.”
He pushed himself up and r
eached his arm down. Kate looked over her shoulder at the others and drew in a deep breath before stepping over to take his hand.
The air outside of the RV felt twenty degrees cooler. There wasn’t an Unholy in sight.
Kate hopped down to the ground and walked through the weeds to the front of the RV. She placed her hand on the bumper as she stepped around the front end.
Her heart seemed to stop when The Unholy stepped around the other side of the RV. It stared at Kate for a moment before it moaned and opened its mouth.
She pulled her blade out as she waded through the thick weeds that felt as though they were trying to pull her back. The Unholy didn’t move, but its jaw dropped lower. It wasn’t coming for her, it was going to scream out for help.
“Shit,” Kate said forcing her legs to move faster.
Just as she reached The Unholy, she heard a strange noise rumbling inside its disgusting body. Kate slammed the blade into its head, yanked it out, and stabbed it again.
Her blade pulled out easily, it was as though the creature was slowly deflating. She kicked The Unholy and stepped back as she watched it drop to the ground.
“Jesus, Kate,” Will said standing several feet behind her.
“It was hiding,” she said after she sucked in a sharp breath.
“Feel free to call for help next time, okay?” Will said his hands shaking ever so slightly at his sides.
Kate turned, her face expressionless. “Did it seem like I needed help?”
Will’s head jerked back slightly as if he’d been slapped. “Um… no, I guess not, but—”
“I’m fine. It’s fine,” Kate said as she moved past him. She hadn’t been able to draw in a full breath until her feet were firmly on the road. She wasn’t fine.
The wind blew through the nearby weeds making them hiss as they writhed like a thousand dancing snakes. Even though Kate welcomed the cool air against her skin, she didn’t like the stench of The Unholy that filled the air.
“Ready?” Ethan asked stepping up behind her. Kate turned and was surprised everyone was on the road considering she hadn’t heard anything but the wind.
Falling Darkness Series - A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller - Books 1-3 Page 43
