She had packed some before we’d left the resort but we didn’t have much. Leah had wanted to save the room for things that were more important, like food and clean water.
“Excellent,” Eli said holding out his hand. “This way.”
The three of us followed him single file. He stopped at the first door. “This is the bathroom.” To the right were two more doors. “Bedroom one and bedroom two. Take your pick.”
Heather lunged forward. “I’ll take the one by the bathroom.”
“That leaves you two with this one,” Eli said. “Hope sharing is okay? Otherwise, I have the—”
“Sharing is fine,” Leah replied hastily.
“Perfect. Meals are served at eight, noon, and five,” Eli pointed to a large clock hanging on the wall near the dining room table.
The layout of the cabin was a big open space except for the rooms. There were a few more doors, which I assume were Eli’s bedroom and closets.
“I carefully ration the food,” Eli said. “It could be years before things get anywhere back to normal. I’m sure you understand.”
“Yes, of course,” I said pushing my shoulders back.
I was tempted to donate what we had in our bags but I wasn’t sure how long we’d be allowed to stay. There was a chance we would need what was in them.
“Thank you so much for everything, Uncle Eli,” Heather said clasping her hands together.
“You bet, kid,” Eli said. “You’re all welcome to stay as long as you like but I should warn you. It’s not fun. There isn’t anything to do but sit around and wait for time to pass.”
What Eli may not have realized was that it was like that everywhere. Just some places were more dangerous than others.
“Well,” Eli said rubbing his rough palms together. “I have some work to attend to.”
“Right. Of course,” I said reaching out my hand to shake again. “Thanks so much for your hospitality. We really appreciate it.”
Eli grunted and snatched the towels from us. I watched him as I started to close the door. He was down on his hands and knees, wiping up the mess before I had the door halfway closed.
I locked the door and yawned. Leah was pulling out clothing for us.
The room was like a small hotel room but it was plenty of space for the two of us. There was a wooden dresser with a mirror, a large walk-in closet, and a king-sized bed. Near the only window in the room was a desk and a chair.
“We should change,” Leah said setting down my outfit on the bed. “He seemed really nervous, didn’t he?”
“I don’t think he liked the mess we made,” I said.
“I don’t think he likes us at all,” Leah said.
I shrugged. “He’s apprehensive. Can you blame him?”
“No,” Leah said. “But it’s making me jittery… like I just drank an entire pot of coffee.”
“Maybe he’s just a nervous guy,” I said. “I mean, he did have this place before everything happened. Clearly, he liked being hidden away.”
“I don’t know if we should stay here,” Leah said.
My finger moved along my chin. “You need to heal. We’ll give it some time.”
Leah peeled off her shirt and quickly pulled on the dry one. She folded up the wet clothes and looked around for somewhere to set them where they wouldn’t touch anything that belonged to Eli. After a moment, she placed them on top of our bags in the corner of the room.
Her eyes moved around as if she were looking for something. My brow wrinkled as I watched her.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I know it’s totally crazy but it feels like I’m being watched,” Leah said.
I understood the feeling. “It’s just because we’re in this new place. And our past experiences probably aren’t helping matters.”
“You’re probably right,” Leah said sitting down on the edge of the bed. She folded her hands in her lap. “I don’t feel like I should touch anything. It’s all so… perfect.”
The hard knock at the door startled me. I took a quick step back and tried to ignore the pounding in my chest.
Leah stood, gesturing at me to get the door. I pushed back my shoulders and inhaled deeply before opening the door.
The smile on my face pinched the muscles in front of my ears. It felt like I was a puppet whose strings were being jerked too hard.
“Hey there, Eli,” I said in an awkward, slightly higher pitch. I cleared my throat, still smiling.
Eli stared at me and blinked once. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”
15
Stevie
We ran out the back door and hid in a thick shrub. The little twigs scratched and stabbed at me through my clothing. I winced as one of the little branches sliced my cheek.
Blood smeared on the back of my hand as I wiped at the stinging cut. Shawn looked at me, his eyes focused on my cheek.
“I’m fine,” I whispered.
Shawn nodded. Surely, he could see it was just a scratch. “Think they can see us?”
“I sure as hell hope not,” I said scooting myself deeper into the torturous bush.
I couldn’t hear or see the men but I knew they were in the house. The rain picked up and fell harder, creating a mist around us. It was the first time I was thankful for the strange weather.
It was crazy to think about all the devastation caused by a device they hoped would help with climate change. Everything destroyed by one single choice.
One single event that we likely wouldn’t ever know more about. Most everyone was gone. The only thing that mattered now was survival.
Would the rain ever stop? I hoped so.
Would we ever see the sun again? I hoped so, because if we didn’t, life wouldn’t continue.
I couldn’t think about it. It wasn’t like there was anything any of us could do about it anyway. I exhaled as I wiped away the droplets of rain off my face.
“What if they stay there?” I asked.
“Then I guess we live in this bush now,” Shawn said.
He snapped his mouth shut when the men walked out the back door. They were laughing and having a good ol’ time.
There were four men and one bottle of what I assumed was vodka. Their jovial mood could likely be attributed to the liquor, which could quite possibly mean it would be a disaster if they found us.
They started walking toward us. I froze, hoping the mist was hiding us.
“Wait!” one of the men said bursting out, laughing as he slapped one of the others on the back. “This is the wrong way.”
“Are you sure?” the second guy asked.
“I’m like sixty percent sure.”
They all laughed. “Then we better turn around.”
The men turned and walked away.
I didn’t take in a full breath until they were gone. “That was close.”
“Yeah, but truth be told, I wasn’t that worried,” Shawn said raising the gun slightly. “I’m pretty sure I could have taken them all.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I said. “But maybe not before someone accidentally got killed.”
I carefully backed out of the shrub and stared up at the sky. We couldn’t go back. Not yet. And not without Jake’s medicine.
It seemed to me that there was one way that would ensure that we’d find it but it wouldn’t be easy. It also wouldn’t be safe.
“I have an idea,” I said even though I wasn’t entirely sure how I was going to tell Shawn what I was thinking. Maybe there was a part of me that was only telling him because I knew he’d talk me out of it.
“What’s your idea?” Shawn said crossing his arms. He looked up at the sky as if he’d see the answer.
“Before you say no, hear me out.”
Shawn’s brow wrinkled. “Okay.”
“We need to get medicine for Jake, right?”
“Right.”
“There is a place we can check for the medicine and it’s more likely to have it. Quicker and easier than roamin
g around checking random looted houses,” I said.
Shawn threaded his arms together in front of his chest. I could tell he already didn’t like what I was going to say.
“We can do it smart and careful,” I said.
“Just forget it,” Shawn said.
“I think I have to try,” I said. “I know it’s stupid and dangerous but there is a good chance it’s our only option.”
Shawn shook his head. “It’s not happening. We’re not doing it.”
“Well, I’m doing it,” I said as I turned and walked away from him.
“No, you’re not,” Shawn said jogging to catch up with me. “Gage would kill me if I allowed it.”
I snorted. “It’s not like you’re in charge here. You’re not allowing me to do anything. I’m just doing it.”
“Stevie, think this through,” Shawn said.
“I did,” I said stubbornly.
“Give it more than twenty seconds of thought,” Shawn pleaded.
Perhaps he was right. I hadn’t really given it a lot of thought but I also didn’t see any other way. It wasn’t like I could go back home without the medicine.
“How about this, we go close enough to see if finding medicine is even an option? If they left the medicine at the pharmacy, maybe it’s possible to get in and get out without even being seen,” I said.
“We don’t know our way around,” Shawn said. He shook his head. “This is like the worst idea ever.”
“Feel free to go back,” I said barely flicking him a glance.
Shawn chuckled. “Not a chance.”
“Then let’s do this,” I said.
“You’re absolutely sure?” Shawn asked.
I checked my pocket to make sure I still had the piece of paper with the medicine's name on it. “I’m sure.”
“Jake wouldn’t want us to do this,” Shawn said.
“I have to do this for him. We have to do everything we can for our people,” I said. “We work together. We’re going to watch each other’s back. That’s what we do. I’m convinced that’s why Gage and I made it this far. All of us.”
“Okay. Let’s do it then,” Shawn said. “I trust you.”
I nodded as I let out a breath. I was surprised he hadn’t put up more of a fight.
“Okay,” I said taking a step.
Shawn stuck out his arm to stop me. I turned to look at him.
“We’re just checking it out. If for any reason we’re in danger, we leave, right?” Shawn said.
“Sure,” I replied. I smiled at him. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
Shawn huffed. “Sometimes, you’re impossible.”
I shrugged. I was who I was. If someone was in need of help, I wasn’t able to walk away—especially someone like Jake Quinn.
Without further discussion, we headed north.
16
Joss
Allie and I helped Jenna to the sofa. The contractions happened three more times before they seemed to stop.
“I can’t believe this is happening again,” Jenna said looking into my eyes. “I think they stopped for now, though.”
“Good,” I said. “But maybe this isn’t the same as before.”
Jenna’s eyebrows formed a thick line. “Are you trying to scare me?”
“No, I just mean… well, the baby could actually come soon, right?” I asked.
“Oh,” Jenna said. “Um, I don’t know. I lost all track of time. It stopped, though, so I guess it’s not time.”
I smiled at her. “It’s probably whatever it was that doctor told you.”
“I wish it wasn’t so painful,” Jenna said.
“I’ve never had kids but I’ve heard it’s painful,” I replied.
Jenna exhaled. “I never really thought about what it would be like. Most of the time, I tried to ignore the fact that I was pregnant.”
“We’ll figure it out,” I said.
I helped Allie in the kitchen while Jenna rested. It turned out that the bear’s blood didn’t bother me. Apparently, it was only my own that caused me to get lightheaded.
“I’ll get some more water from out back,” I said. “It’ll probably take several trips before this mess is cleaned up.”
“Sorry,” Allie said.
“It’s fine. The meat will help us,” I said.
I carefully looked out the window before stepping outside. A shiver ran down my spine when the rain hit me.
I walked over to the side of the house where we collected the rain that dripped off the roof. Instead of picking up the pail, I leaned back against the siding and covered my face.
Tears streamed down my cheeks. I was worried sick about Jenna. The world we were living in was just too hard. I couldn’t take care of her.
I had no idea when winter would come but I knew that we wouldn’t survive when it did. We weren’t prepared for anything beyond a few weeks.
It was stupid of us to think we would have a chance to survive. All we’d been doing was delaying the inevitable. And now, with Allie here, we had another mouth to feed.
What the hell were we thinking?
It wasn’t like we could have turned her away. She’s been nothing but helpful, although a bit shy but really, who could blame her? We didn’t know much about her but it sounded like she’d been to hell and back.
My arms fell to my side and I looked up at the sky. I let the rain wash down over my face.
“What should I do?” I asked as more tears fell. Robby would have known what to do.
I desperately wanted him to answer my question… to guide me, but of course, I knew he couldn’t.
I missed him so much.
“Why did you have to go?” I asked as if Robby would suddenly appear.
Squishy footsteps caused my spine to straighten so quickly it popped between my should blades. Allie cautiously peeked around the corner.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
I quickly wiped the rain and tears from my face. “Yeah, sorry.”
“I started to get worried,” Allie said.
“Sorry. I guess I got distracted.”
“Who were you talking to?” Allie asked looking around.
I pulled in a shaky breath. I didn’t know what to say or where to start but somehow, the words started flowing.
She nodded as I told her everything from the store to seconds before he died. I didn’t tell her about the ring. For some reason, I wanted to keep that to myself.
“I’m so sorry,” Allie said. “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but it’s better to have loved than to never have loved at all. I’ve never had anything like that in my life.”
“It’s so hard to keep going without him here,” I said. “And without Caleb too.”
“They sound like they were really special people. I wish I could have known them,” Allie said.
I looked away from her, so I didn’t start bawling. “It’s so hard to lose someone you love that much. I feel like I’m missing a part of myself. Anyway, I just want a few minutes. I’ll be in soon, okay?”
“Sure,” Allie said quickly placing her hand on my shoulder. “If you do ever want to talk, though, I’m here to listen.”
“Thanks,” I said. I had no desire to talk to anyone. It was a mistake. I’d blurted out everything. Life was easier if I didn’t allow myself to think about him.
“I get it, though,” Allie said. “I haven’t talked to anyone about what happened to me when I was captured. It’s like I forgot how to be normal.”
I slowly breathed as the memories of everything started to fade. Everything around me began to clear and I remember where I was… in the painful present.
“Anyway, sorry for upsetting you,” Allie said as she walked away.
I huffed. “It wasn’t your fault. I was already upset.”
My voice had been soft. She probably hadn’t even heard me. I had no idea why I had just spilled everything to a complete stranger.
I was tired. That was pro
bably why.
After Allie left, I took in several deep breaths. I refused to let my mind wander back to him. I couldn’t fall apart. Not now.
We finished cleaning the kitchen while Jenna rested. I made a small meal for Allie and me and a bigger one for Jenna. If she noticed the portion size difference, she didn’t mention it.
Allie thanked me repeatedly. “So, delicious. Let me clean the dishes.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” Allie said. “Of course.”
I worried because I didn’t want her to feel like Jenna or I were forcing her to help. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel like she was here to serve us.
“If you don’t mind. It would be a big help and I’m totally exhausted,” I said.
“Yeah, it’s fine. Go get some sleep,” Allie said with a wave of her hand. “Sleep away those dark circles under your eyes.”
I laughed. “Pretty sure at this point, they are permanent.”
“Try anyway,” Allie said with a smile.
“If you insist,” I said.
“Help me up,” Jenna said.
I easily got her to her feet as Allie left the room. “Should we really leave her unsupervised?”
“Don’t be a worrywart,” Jenna said. She lowered her voice. “We’ll lock our door, just in case.”
“Ah, we just give the illusion of trust,” I said.
Jenna covered her laugh before it could escape. “I actually like having her here.”
“I do too,” I said. “It’s less lonely.”
“She’s a distraction,” Jenna said with a frown.
“Are you feeling any better?” I asked letting the seriousness soak into my face.
Jenna’s lips curled up. “Much. I guess maybe I’ve just been doing too much.”
“Probably,” I said holding her waist as we climbed the stairs side by side. “Sleep will do us both good.”
I locked the bedroom door. Jenna flopped into bed while I searched for a set of dry clothes to sleep in.
She was sleeping before I even undressed. It seemed as though the pain she experienced had worn her out.
It was early morning when I was awoken by a scream. My hand patted the empty space on the bed next to me.
The Reset Series | Book 6 | Striking Page 7
