“I didn’t do any of those things,” Jay said.
“What did you do?” Maddie asked.
Jay’s eyes were wide. “I buried them.” He swallowed hard and his eyes became glossy. “In the backyard.”
“Shit,” Blake said.
Whitney came back into the room, looking down at herself as if something had been out of her place on her body. She narrowed her eyes and looked around the room when she saw everything was in order on herself.
“What’s going on?” Whitney asked.
“Jay buried sick in the backyard,” Blake informed her.
Whitney shrugged. “Well, it’s not like they can dig their way out… can they?”
“Is the back door locked?” Blake asked.
“Always,” Jay said taking nervous steps toward the hallway. “But I’m going to double-check to be sure.”
Blake took an abrupt step away from the window. “Car.”
The noises of the storm drowned out the sounds of the car. None of us moved as if they would somehow be able to hear us inside the house.
“They’re gone,” Blake announced seconds later as his shoulders relaxed. “They didn’t slow. I think they’re still looking around for us… the SUV.”
“That means you guys will have to stay,” Jay said. “You’ll have to wait until they give up.”
“What if they never give up?” Whitney asked.
“Well, you can stay as long as you like,” Jay said.
“We can’t stay,” I said. “I mean, at least not long.”
Jay shook his head. “Why not? There isn’t anything out there. At least, nothing good.”
“How do you know?” I asked. “You haven’t left.”
“How could there be anything good out there after what happened?” Jay asked.
“My sister might be out there,” I said hugging myself. “I don’t have the option to just sit around.”
Jay lowered his gaze. “Sorry.”
“We’ll have to wait,” Blake said keeping his eyes on the road outside the window. “Our chances of reaching Polly are better if we don’t run into James’s men.”
“Who’s James?” Jay asked.
“It’s a long story,” Whitney said flopping down on Jay’s couch.
Jay raised a brow. “We’ve got time, right?”
Chapter Five
Jay sat next to Whitney as she told Jay everything that happened at the outpost. He touched her shoulder when tears rolled down her cheeks as she talked about what happened to Dax.
I swallowed hard and dashed to the bathroom. Not only did I not want to hear Whitney talking about it, but I also didn’t want anyone to see me cry.
When I came back out into the living room, everyone was sitting down. Blake was near the window, frequently taking glances between the curtains. The room was nearly pitch black. Day had gone away earlier than expected thanks to the storm clouds.
We were staying at least for the night. I’d given the gun back to Blake but he hadn’t kept it on Jay. At some point, he must have decided that he didn’t think Jay was a threat or at least that he wasn’t going to do anything stupid at the moment. Honestly, I didn’t think he would either.
“It must have been hard to walk away from all of those supplies,” Jay said compassionately. “Things are getting rough out here but I haven’t traveled more than a mile away from from this place. I’m sure there are still lots of supplies out there somewhere.”
“It was hard. They had everything,” Whitney said crossing her legs. “And more was being brought to them regularly.”
Jay nodded. “Guess that’s why they were so desperate to keep you. The more they get, the better.”
Whitney’s head bobbed as she looked around the living room. “This seems pretty cozy. You haven’t had anyone come around here?”
“Nope,” Jay said. “Well, not since a day or two after everyone was sick. Someone came knocking but I was too afraid to answer the door. They left and it’s been quiet ever since.”
“Maybe you missed your chance to be taken to one of the outposts,” Maddie said.
“Maybe. But it doesn’t sound like I missed much after what Whitney just told me,” Jay chuckled. “But it’s all right. I’m not sure I could have left this place. At least, not then. It would have been too hard. Now, I’m going to have to find somewhere to go soon. I’m running out of food and water and won’t be able to stay here.”
The wind picked up, causing the house to moan. It felt like the walls were going to collapse down on top of us.
“Don’t worry,” Jay said smiling at me. “The walls are sturdy.”
I forced a thin-lipped smile. The temperature in the room felt like it had dropped at least fifteen degrees. I rubbed the prickled skin on my arms in an attempt to warm myself.
“I don’t have any way to heat the house,” Jay said gesturing toward the pile of blankets. “That’s why I have all these here. It gets cold at night.”
“It’s only going to get worse when winter comes,” I said even though I meant to keep the thought to myself.
While we were further east than I’d ever been, I imagined the winters wouldn’t be much easier than they had been back home. Maybe they’d even be worse.
I didn’t want to think about it… but at some point, and sooner rather than later, we would need to prepare.
“Well, like I said earlier, there are two bedrooms upstairs,” Jay said. “You guys are welcome to take them but I prefer to sleep on the couch.”
“Um,” Blake said his eyes still on the window. “I’m not sure I can leave my post.”
“No one is going to come here,” Jay said. “You’ll be fine upstairs. Not to mention the window faces the street and if anyone is driving a vehicle in a three-block radius, you’ll probably hear it.”
Blake raised a brow. “Not with this storm.”
“You got me there,” Jay said with a gentle smirk. “But it’s unlikely anyone is even out there right now with these winds.”
“Pretty soon, we’re not even going to be able to see our way around,” Whitney said nervously.
“And neither will anyone outside. Pitch black, in the pouring rain.” Jay scratched the back of his neck. “Pretty dangerous out there.”
Blake laughed. “Yeah, yeah, you already convinced us to stay. Damn, you really are lonely. We’ll take the bedrooms.”
“Excellent. Help yourself to whatever you need in the kitchen and grab a blanket, oh and take one of these,” Jay said reaching over to the small table at the side of the couch. He held out two small kid-sized flashlights.
Blake took the black one and I took the pink one.
“Only use it if it’s absolutely necessary,” Blake warned.
I nodded, even though I hadn’t needed the warning. “Maddie and I will take a room.”
Blake looked disappointed but it only lasted half a second. He knew there was no way that I’d leave Maddie in a room by herself.
What had he thought? That I’d be in the same room as him? After Dax, I couldn’t go there. Ever since we’d met, there had been some kind of connection between Blake and me that I hadn’t understood. It was a feeling… unlike anything I’d ever experienced.
It didn’t matter, though. All that mattered was keeping Maddie safe and finding Polly. I couldn’t let something like what happened between Dax and me happen again. Going through that would just be too painful. I wasn’t sure if I could survive another loss like that.
I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts of Blake. They shouldn’t have been there in the first place. I wasn’t sure how or why they had crept in but maybe it had something to do with the fact that he’d be sharing a bed with Whitney.
Whitney had been in love with Blake for years. Even though the idea of it made my stomach turn, she should have him. Someone should get to be happy amongst all the turmoil.
It wasn’t going to be me, so it might as well be Whitney. Happiness was a stranger I’d never know.
�
��Here,” Jay said handing me two poorly folded blankets. “Take these.”
“Thanks,” I said taking them from him and holding them to my chest.
“Think you’ll need more?” Jay asked. “There might be more in the linen closet upstairs. I’m not sure my wife had always done the laundry and folded it. I’m an asshole for not having done more to help out around here.”
I smiled at him. “This should be fine.”
“Well, don’t be afraid to check upstairs if you need more,” Jay said forcing a smile. “And if you need anything, just ask.”
He handed two blankets to Whitney. She patted the top with her hand and chewed her lip.
“I run kind of cold,” Whitney said. “I think I’ll need another.”
There were four blankets still on the end of the couch. Jay shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted his weight.
“Linen closet is at the end of the upstairs hallway,” Jay said.
“Okay,” Whitney said with a smile. I wasn’t sure if she expected him to hand over another blanket or go upstairs and get one out of the closet for her. “Well, ready to go up, Blake?”
“Um, sure,” Blake said taking another look out of the window.
Maddie and I followed them up the narrow stairs. I glanced back at Jay at the bottom of the stairs watching us.
“Good night,” Jay said.
“Night,” I said.
Blake and Whitney took the first room, the one where the window would face the road. Maddie and I took the room on the right and even though it was completely dark in the room, I knew it was a child’s room… Jay’s daughter’s room.
Blake came back out of the room with the flashlight in hand. He peeked his head into the open door.
“You guys okay in here?” Blake asked.
“Yeah,” I said spreading one of the blankets down on the twin-sized bed.
“Think you’ll need another blanket?” he asked.
I shook my head. “We’re good. At least I think we will be.”
“Well, if you need anything, I’m just across the hallway, okay?”
“Yeah, of course,” I said with a quick smile.
The floor outside the room creaked as Blake walked down the hall toward the closet. I stood there listening to his movements as he looked around for another blanket for Whitney.
“Mom?” Maddie said.
“Hmm?” I said turning to face her.
“You should take the bed,” she said.
I shook my head. “No, no, no, you need your sleep.”
“So do you,” Maddie countered.
“I’ll be fine on the floor,” I said. I bit my lip before I mentioned it was better than sleeping on the concrete in our basement. “Come on, lay down.”
Maddie flopped down on the bed. “I don’t need you to tuck me in, mom.”
“Maybe I need to tuck you in,” I said giving her arm a little squeeze. “Get some rest. Blake will have us on the road the second this storm stops.”
“Good,” Maddie said as she turned over on her side. She exhaled and her body softened. “Love you, mom.”
“Love you,” I said hugging myself.
I walked over to the window, shivering with each step. My fingers trembled as I pulled back the curtain.
There was so much wind and rain that I couldn’t see much of anything outside the window. The sounds of the rain were like thousands of pens being clicked at different intervals.
The wind was violent as it threatened to lift the house off the foundation and send it swirling through the air. It was quite possibly the worst storm I’d ever seen. The air was so charged that the hairs on the back of my neck felt like they were standing on end.
There was a pounding against the stairs and then a knock at Blake’s door. Seconds later, a knock at our door caused me to gasp.
Jay pushed the door open and flashed his light on the floor. “You both need to come with me.”
Chapter Six
“Whoa, what’s going on here?” Blake said stomping into the hallway with his shirt off.
Jay’s eyes were wide in the darkness, almost glowing. “We need to get to the basement.”
“The basement?” Whitney said with a sharp gasp from behind Blake. She was holding a blanket over her shoulders. “I don’t want to go in a basement.”
“The winds are strong. I saw the neighbor’s siding fly past the front window,” Jay said. “Think it might be a tornado. Pretty sure the worst place we can be is up here.”
“Lead the way,” Blake said gesturing toward the stairs.
The sounds of our feet pounding against the stairs was like a child pounding on upside-down ice cream pails. It sounded like we were loud but there was no way anyone could hear our steps over the storm outside.
The winds screamed in pain.
The rain smacked the house angrily.
Maddie grabbed my arm tightly as we walked through the kitchen. It sounded like someone was trying to bust their way in through the back door.
“It’s just the wind,” Jay said as if he’d read my mind. Although, maybe he was just trying to calm Maddie.
I was worried that it might be Jay’s wife and daughter out there trying to get inside and out of the storm. If they had been out there, though, we probably would be able to hear them begging for help.
Probably.
Jay and Blake both lit the stairs with their flashlights as we descended into the basement. My hand was wrapped about the pink flashlight but it wasn’t on.
It sounded like a semi-truck was driving over the house as the beams of light danced around the unfinished basement. There were tons of boxes and containers, broken furniture, bags of junks and overflowing boxes.
The floor was concrete and there were no windows to light the area. There was no doubt there were spiders and other creepy crawlies everywhere.
It was dark in the basement other than the light from the flashlights. The lack of seeing our surroundings only intensified the noises above.
“I’m scared,” Maddie whispered into my ear.
“Me too,” I whispered back as I squeezed her closer to me. Her warmth was a comfort. “We’re going to be okay.”
It felt like hours had gone by before the winds died down. Of course, being trapped in the gross, dark, and scary basement could have been part of the reason why it felt as though it had taken forever for the storm to die down.
“I think we can go up now,” Jay said lighting the stairs. The flashlight flickered and he hit it with the side of his hand. “You guys can wait down here while I check it out.”
“That’s fine,” Blake said. “We’ll come with you.”
“I’m not sure I can handle another minute in this basement,” Whitney said.
Jay chuckled. “It’s not like I’m going to lock you down here or something.”
“What makes you even say that?” Blake replied suspiciously.
“Because I know you guys don’t trust me,” Jay said. “I guess I don’t know why you would, considering I’m practically a stranger but I know you should. I’ve never locked anyone in a basement and I don’t plan to start now.”
We followed Jay up the stairs, stopping with each step. I could still hear the rain but the winds stopped and the back door was no longer rattling.
“Still too dark out there to see anything,” Jay said slightly pulling back the curtain by the sink window. “We should all try to get some sleep while it’s still dark.”
I didn’t get much sleep. It was hard to sleep in the new place but it wouldn’t matter where I was, it would always be hard to fall asleep.
I wrapped my blanket around my shoulders and looked out of the window. The neighborhood was a disaster zone.
There were all kinds of scraps scattered all over the yard for as far as I could see. Even though it was a complete mess everywhere, I couldn’t take my eyes off of the backyard where I could see exactly where Jay had buried his wife and child.
I placed each of my steps as ca
refully as I could so I would be able to leave the bedroom without waking Maddie. She needed the sleep and I knew that she did because I was beyond exhausted.
It was impossible to silently walk down the steps but that didn’t stop me from trying. The door to the room where Whitney and Blake were in, was closed.
I tried not to think about it. I tried not to think about them in the same bed. It wasn’t like it was anything new. Really, it wasn’t any of my business.
Jay was standing at the window. “Did you see this?”
“The mess? Yeah, I saw.”
“Look at this tree,” Jay said pointing to the side. “There is no way we’ll be able to get out of the front door. Wonder if one of the neighbors had a chainsaw.”
“Like Blake is going to let you touch a chainsaw with us around,” I teased.
Jay smiled. “Good, because I’m kind of hoping he’ll do it. I have no idea how to work a chainsaw. Just think if this had come down any closer, it would have destroyed my house.”
“Good thing we were all in the basement, though,” I said.
“Yeah,” Jay said looking back out of the window. “My wife was always worried about tornadoes. She’d always have us going into the basement for the warnings.”
“I’m sorry,” I said swallowing hard. “It must be hard.”
Jay nodded. “Did you lose anyone to the sickness?”
“Yeah, my mom and my husband,” I said shifting my gaze to my feet.
“Ah, so you can relate.”
“No, not exactly. My husband was an asshole.”
Jay laughed. “I wasn’t expecting you to say that. Sorry about your mom, though.”
“Yeah, she had cancer. It’s kind of hard to believe but she was at one of the facilities where this all started,” I said biting my cheek. “I have no idea why I told you that.”
“It’s fine. I’m easy to talk to,” Jay said. He hesitated as if he was waiting for me to continue. Jay cleared his throat. “I checked the back and we’ve got a small problem that your friends aren’t going to like. Well, you’re probably not going to like it either.”
What Remains Series (Book 3): Infected Page 3
