Refuge From The Dead | Book 4 | Dead Winter, page 18
part #4 of Refuge From The Dead Series
“Shit!” Angie shouted. She looked around and Jess saw her looking at the woods. “Follow me. I know where we can go.”
A man ran up then. He was wearing cafeteria worker clothing and no coat. He looked stunned to see them. Jess made as if to keep running when the man spoke, his voice incredulous.
“Angie?!” he said.
Jess looked at the two. How did they know each other?
“John? What are you doing out here?” Angie said, glancing all around to make sure they weren’t being spotted by the dead.
“I was working in the kitchen but took a break out back. I heard the alarm. What’s going on?” He was pale and nervous.
“The dead got in the prison, or someone inside turned. They’re all over in there. People are trapped. I’ve got to get Jess away from here,” she answered. “Are you coming?” she asked.
He looked back uncertainly. “No, I can’t leave. I’ve got to stay and try to get those people out. They’ll need me here. Go on, get away from here.” He gestured for them to go and he went toward the front doors.
Angie motioned them to run and they followed her once more.
Jess and Jean struggled behind her. The field was harder to traverse, and Jess felt her calves and thighs burning. The weight of the baby was causing a stinging pain low in her stretched abdominal muscles. Her back ached and she was unsure if she could even go on.
She slowed more and more the further they got.
“Angie! Jess can’t keep up,” Jean said.
Angie hurried back and pulled her along faster. It helped enough that they made it to the tree line before she had to stop.
“I’ve got to…rest,” she said, bent over and gasping for breath.
The weight of the bag on her back made everything harder. She hoped they didn’t have to go much further on foot.
“Where are we?” Jean asked.
“This is where we waited when we took back the prison. We sat out here while…while Cam went in…There’s a shack a few miles through the woods. We can stay there and plan our next move.”
“A few miles?” Jess grimaced.
It would be full dark soon, and they had to travel several more miles in knee-deep snow.
“Let’s go. You can rest when we get there,” Angie said. “Give me your bag.”
Jess handed over her bag and Angie carried them both. Jess didn’t know how she did it. Adrenaline maybe. She started walking fast through the dimming woods. Behind them, the siren went on.
Was it a bad sign that nobody had turned it off yet?
Angie
It took them two hours to make their way to the old shack.
Jess cried with relief when they finally got to the clearing. Angie went in and made sure it was clear. It was.
Not a trace remained of the time they had spent here during the summer. Looking around, she had hoped to see something left behind. A discarded MRE pouch. A water bottle. Something that meant that Cam had been here. She felt none of his presence here.
What had once been, no longer was.
She threw down her gear and dug through the pockets, searching. When she finally found the lighter, she stalked back outside and gathered up enough small twigs to start a decent fire. She didn’t like it, but it had to be done. It was freezing and they wouldn’t last long without heat.
She only hoped the dead didn’t follow them and that the smoke and smell didn’t drift far.
After lighting a fire, she made sure Jess was fed and comfortable on her makeshift bed near the small wood-burning stove. Jean had made a cup of hot tea with her supplies and she and Jess sipped it.
Angie had no interest in tea or food or fire. She just didn’t care. Her only motivation for moving right now was to get Jess and Jean to safety. Then she would…she didn’t know.
She went out to watch.
The siren at the prison had gone silent shortly before they had gotten here, and she wondered if someone had shut it off, or if it was on a timer of some kind. She could only guess at the carnage there now. She hoped others were able to get out. She hoped even more that they were able to take down the infected and reclaim the prison.
If they hadn’t, a lot of people were going to be dying of exposure soon. They would have to leave on foot, and with the amount of older people and the remote location, she wasn’t sure many of them would make it…especially if the guards were all dead.
What the hell had happened there?
Chapter Twenty-One
Last Vestige of Civilization
Jim
Jim was growing more and more anxious about Angie with each day they were stuck here.
He knew how Jack felt, even though he thought he was coping better. Jack had taken to extreme physical exertion to cope, and Jim just drank a little more whiskey. He pretended it helped, and he wasn’t quite as desperate as Jack to be doing any sort of lumberjack competition.
Yesterday Jack had chopped enough wood to last them three winters. So that was good. Then, he started in with the pushups and sit-ups. By the time Jim had finished his daily chores, and three glasses of whiskey, Jack had graduated to pullups and burpees.
Jim suspected Jazzercise was next, and that wouldn’t be pretty. Jack in spandex was something nobody needed to see—unless Jess was into that kinky stuff.
He stopped that line of thought before it went any further. There were some things a man just didn’t need to think about.
“Got a spare?” Ed asked, nodding toward Jim’s glass.
“Sure thing. Pull up a chair,” he said, grabbing the bottle.
After he poured Ed a generous three fingers, he set it down and sighed. They were in the cabin and Jim was in a recliner near the fire. He had a good view out the window. It was dark, but he could see the snow drifting lazily down.
He hoped this was the last of it. They only had about one-hundred and sixty-two bottles of whiskey left. Probably not enough to make it through another storm.
“Did you really let Lily go off in the dark?” Ed asked him after taking a sip.
“Really did. She’s a grown woman, Ed. I can’t tell her what to do.”
“Cam would,” Ed commented.
“He sure as hell would, and she would listen to him. I’m not so sure she wouldn’t placate me, then sneak out later on her own,” Jim replied.
“You still shouldn’t have let her go after him. It’s not safe,” Ed said.
“Mac’s following her until she finds Nick. She’ll be safe enough,” Jim said with a grin.
“You’re a crafty one, Jim. I don’t mind telling you,” he said, raising his glass.
“I know it. Maybe they’ll sort things out finally,” Jim answered.
“’Bout damn time. Nick’s a good boy, he’ll do right by her.”
They sat there in silence for a while. Jim decided that the third glass should probably be his last, especially seeing as how he intended to get up early and try to leave this damned miserable place. At least long enough to go get Angie.
If she was healed well enough, he was going to bring her home. He missed her fiercely...missed her laugh, missed her smile, missed her kisses, missed her mouthwateringly beautiful pair of…
“Jim, you okay? You looked a little zoned out there,” Ed said.
“Yep, I’m good.” He wasn’t, but he wasn’t about to tell him why.
“I guess I’m going to turn in. It’s a little late for an old geezer like me,” he said, standing and stretching.
“Yeah, you and Cam are getting up in years. Why pretty soon we’ll have to install you both a pair of rocking chairs on the front porch,” Jim said.
Ed cackled at that, though he gave up trying to point out that he had a good twenty-odd years on Cam, and that Cam would probably bust his jaw if he suggested that he retire to a chair.
Jim allowed that maybe Cam wasn’t quite ready for a rocker, but he was creeping up onto the fiber supplementing years mighty fast.
Ed laughed heartily again and went off to bed.
Jim decided that he wanted a bath before bed. He needed one, and the hot water might help him relax enough to sleep. His sleep had been interrupted lately and he didn’t like it. Alertness was vital. He conveniently ignored the whiskey's deleterious effects on his mental state. Things weren’t that drastic yet.
He climbed the stairs, telling Cara and Natasha goodnight. Tanaka was out taking watch. He had generously volunteered to take Mac’s as well. He would wake Jim early in the morning for his shift. He would need to drink plenty of water before then, and maybe down a couple of Advil. The hallway was dark, but there was a lantern on top of the toilet.
He switched it on, and a yellow glow filled the space. He started the tub and removed his clothes. When the tub had a decent amount of water, he put one foot in, expecting soothing heat.
Instead, he got an icy shock.
“Son of a bitch!” he said out loud.
What the hell is wrong with the water?
He wrapped his towel around his waist and secured it. Then, bent down and let out the water. When it drained, he turned the knobs and felt the temperature. Cold. He turned off the cold water completely and turned on the hot full blast.
Still cold.
Something was wrong with the water heater.
He wearily got dressed again and tromped downstairs. The water heater was in the kitchen closet near the small pantry. He went in and felt it. It was cold.
He knelt and opened up the access panel to the pilot light. He saw no flame. The damned pilot light had gone out.
He turned the dial back to the pilot option and tried to ignite the burner. Nothing happened. There was a spark, but no ignition. The gas must not be coming through. He went back into the kitchen and tried the stove. Nothing there either.
Finally, it had happened.
They had been expecting it for a while now but had held out hope that maybe it would get them through winter. That hope was gone now. The gas supply was shut off.
He would check the gas main just in case, but he was fairly certain that was what the trouble was.
So, there they were…the last vestige of civilization was gone. He kicked the stove and took his ass up to bed. He’d be damned if he was going to bathe in cold water tonight.
◆◆◆
He was woken before dawn by a very tired Tanaka.
He sat up gingerly, expecting a doozy of a hangover, but was pleasantly surprised when all he felt was a mild headache and a need for coffee. Those could both be cured shortly. He slipped on his clothes, grabbed his parka from its hook, and walked quietly down the stairs, hoping that someone had already started a pot of coffee on the grill or fire outside.
He put his boots on in the kitchen and braced himself for the arctic temperature. Opening the door, he saw a glow in the fire barrel and the silhouette of Tanaka pouring. He walked over and stood as close as he could to the fire without actually burning to death.
Tanaka handed over the cup, and he sipped it gratefully.
“Thanks,” he said with a nod.
“No trouble. What time will you be leaving?” Tanaka asked with a straight face.
The corner of Jim’s mouth tipped up in a smile. “How’d you know?”
“Jack can’t possibly outdo his performance of yesterday, and you can’t possibly drink any more alcohol than you have recently. Not without becoming ill. You have terrible coping skills. One day, I will teach you mine. It is an ancient art that balances the mind and the body. It is much healthier.”
“What is it? Some sort of Tai Chi?” Jim asked him.
Tanaka grinned. “No. Fishing.”
Jim laughed and said they would do plenty of fishing together next spring at the lake. Tanaka took himself off to the barn to bed. Jim thought he was probably way more comfortable in there than they were in the cabin. It was warmer, that was for sure.
He finished his cup of coffee and did a quick round of patrolling. Once Nick got back, he, Jack, and Jonah would leave. In the meantime, he would check the Humvees over and get them de-iced. He wanted to put in extra ammo and supplies too, in case they couldn’t make it back here for a while.
Nick
Nick packed up his gear and sat down on the floor near the stone fireplace. The remnants of the fire were still smoldering and giving a small amount of heat. He would douse it completely before they left. No reason to burn the place down.
Especially now. He had developed a kind of fondness for the place. Maybe one day he would fix it up a little. It would always remind him of Lily and their first kiss.
He sat and watched her finish off her breakfast, which consisted of a brown sugar Pop-tart and a canteen cup of instant coffee. She offered him the other pastry, but he turned it down. He wasn’t really hungry in the mornings, and he would rather watch her eat it. Apparently, it was a rare treat for her, and she had moaned and closed her eyes as she had taken the first bite. He was jealous of the pastry.
“So good…I haven’t had one of these in a very long time,” she said, chewing slowly.
“Why not? The world is full of pop-tarts now,” he teased.
“Well, back at the mansion we could only eat certain things,” she said, then hesitated. He caught the look on her face and wondered what it meant.
“You’ve been with us for several months now…pretty sure we have a basement fully stocked with pop-tarts. Why not live it up?” he asked.
“I just…I didn’t want to get back into the bad habits. Junk food and all that,” she said, rubbing her palms on her thighs nervously.
He had a sudden flash of insight. There was more here than just that. He wanted to see if he was right.
He stood up and walked over to the log where she was sitting. He put his hands over hers, stilling the nervous gesture. He raised them up, one at a time, and placed gentle kisses on her palms. Then, he knelt in front of her and tipped her chin up so he could see her face.
“Lil…is this about your weight?” he asked bluntly.
She turned red then and lowered her eyes to the floor. “I’ve always been a little overweight. College was hard for me, the lifestyle and constantly going out. I gained a lot. I lost a little when…after we were…at the mansion. Even then, they gave us a lot of carbs.”
He felt his heart clench at her explanation. She continued and he didn’t interrupt.
“When you brought us back here and Cam started us on a routine, I thought I would start to lose the weight faster. I don’t want to be overweight.”
She was extremely embarrassed and he tried to think of how to word what he was going to say next. He squeezed her hands and pulled her up. When she stood, he took her place on the log and pulled her down onto his lap. He could tell that she was trying to keep some of her weight off of him. If she only knew how light she felt to him, she wouldn’t even be worrying about it.
“Lily, I want you to listen to me carefully, okay?” he asked.
When she nodded, he continued. “You are one of the most attractive women I have ever seen. When I first saw you, I thought you looked like an angel. Your hair was all messy, with curls all over the place. Your skin was pale and glowing. You are breathtaking. Your weight doesn’t make you who you are, and it certainly doesn’t make me less attracted to you.”
He stopped to make sure she understood. She was absently running her fingers over his hand and he tried to stay focused on what they were talking about.
“I want you to be healthy. I want you to be happy. If I thought for a minute that you were unhealthy, then I would do everything in my power to help you. I want you around for a long time. Look at you now. You are fitter and stronger than you ever were before, am I right?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, nodding.
“You are perfect just the way you are. I love your body. I love your curves and your softness. You are different than me and you fit me perfectly.”
He turned her around so that she was straddling him. “To be honest, I’m looking forward to stripping you naked and making love to every inch of you.” He moved her against him so she could feel just how much he looked forward to it and he saw her green eyes darken a little with longing…and lust.
“So, no more of this weight talk,” he said, gripping her curvy ass with his hands.
It was perfect. He didn’t know how she didn’t see that. He decided against telling her that he had already had a glimpse and loved what he had seen. He would sound like a creeper or something.
“Eat your damned pop-tarts, woman, so we can go home. I want a shower and a real bed tonight,” he said, hands around her waist.
“Oh? Me too,” she said with a flirtatious smile.
He gripped her waist firmly and brought her closer. “Don’t try to tease me, sugar. I can’t take it right now,” he warned.
She leaned down and gave him a long kiss before standing up.
“Maybe I wasn’t teasing,” she said seriously.
He gave her a look full of promise and she flushed. When he stood up to get ready to leave, she asked him another question.
“Why do you call me sugar?” she asked.
He smiled. “Because you are as sweet as fucking candy, babe.”
She grinned and took a bite.
“Don’t say fucking, Nick,” she said, whispering the offending word in a low voice.
The vulgar word coming out of her sweet mouth sent heat rushing through his body and he barely restrained himself from going over there and showing her what that word really meant. Instead, he contented himself with a wink and a reply.
“Okay, as long as you say it more…in the bedroom,” he hinted.
She covered her warm cheeks and laughed. They started for home.
◆◆◆
They got back in the early afternoon. He had let Lily use the snowshoes most of the way, but it was still slow going because she wasn’t accustomed to them and he had to break through the snow as well. His legs were burning by the time they got back to the cabin, and he knew hers must be hurting too. He would take care of that though.
