Broken World (Book 3): Mad World (20 page)

“Thought you was watchin’ Mitchell,” I say.

“You guys were done.” He keeps starin’ at the screen, like he’s watchin’ a movie.

“He give you any trouble?”

Brad shrugs but don’t look away. “Never saw him. It’s the middle of the night. Why would he be up anyway?”

I nod, but he still don’t look at me. What’s he starin’ at so hard? There ain’t nothin’ on the screen but zombies. And the truck. Was he watchin’ us hide that key?

“It’s gettin’ late,” I say.

Brad finally looks at me. He nods and heads back toward the common area. “See you folks in the morning.”

I pucker my lips. “Don’t trust that guy.”

“Never met a Brad that wasn’t an asshole. Remember the one you used to play ball with, back in the day? How I beat the shit outta him?”

“I remember.” ‘Course I remember. Angus got arrested. “I think it’d be best if we moved that key.”

Angus spits on the floor. “I’m on it.”

21
Vivian

ARTHUR’S SITTING IN THE COMMON AREA BY HIMSELF when I walk in. It’s early—not even seven—and Axl is still asleep. I didn’t want to bug him, and the condo was too quiet.

Arthur looks up and smiles. He’s always so happy. It’s a nice thing to have around. “Good morning, Vivian.”

“Morning,” I say, taking a seat next to him. “What are you doing up so early?”

“I’ve always been an early riser.” He’s still smiling, but his face is pale. There are bags under his eyes, and he’s thinner than he was when I first met him. It’s like he’s slowly shrinking away.

“Have you been feeling bad?”

“Oh, nothing more than usual. Tired mostly. It’s not going to be long for me, Vivian. I knew it before this all started. The cancer should have taken me last year.”

He doesn’t seem sad, just resigned. But it hurts me, deep in my bones. There’s been too much death lately to think about someone else going. Especially Arthur. There aren’t many people who are able to make living underground cheery. We’ve been a pretty depressed group. Of course, that’s to be expected after everything we’ve been through. But somehow Arthur doesn’t seem to let it get to him.

“I’m sorry.” My voice is thick, and I think I’m really saying it to myself. Pretty pathetic.

“You know, in some ways I wish I’d gone before all this started.” He frowns and tilts his head. “Does that sound ungrateful?”

It’s the first selfish thing I’ve ever heard him say, and it’s not like I can blame him for feeling that way. If it weren’t for Axl, I’m sure I’d have the same thought.

“No.” I have to pause so I can swallow the lump clogging my throat. “I think it’s normal. I’m sure we’ve all had moments like that. I know there have been times when I’ve thought it would’ve been better if the virus had taken me.”

He pats my leg, and that same easy smile is back. “You’re going to be fine. You and Axl are tough, you’ll make it through this. And you’ll bring people with you. We wouldn’t have made it this far if it hadn’t been for him, you know.”

My throat tightens, and I have to blink away the tears. “That’s what I’ve been telling him.”

“He’s a good man.” Arthur exhales and leans back, closing his eyes. Maybe he’s in more pain than he’s letting on. “I’m ready for this all to be done.”

I guess that’s my answer.

I can’t think of a thing to say, so we lapse into silence. It’s nice, though. Relaxing. Arthur is good company to have.

A few minutes later, the elevator opens and Parvarti comes out, follow by Jessica. I haven’t really seen Parv since Trey was killed. She looks awful. Her face is swollen and her hair’s a mess, but she and Jessica are talking. Jessica knows something about loss. She had a fiancé before the virus hit. Maybe she and Parvarti can get through this together.

Footsteps pound up the stairs, and Angus comes stomping into the room, followed by Axl. He still looks groggy. My heart sputters, and I jump to my feet. Can’t we go twelve hours without a major crisis?

“You seen Mitchell?” Angus growls.

“No,” I say, shaking my head and turning to Arthur, who is now fully alert. “You were here first.”

“I haven’t seen anyone this morning, and I’ve been up for an hour or so.”

Axl swears and runs his hand through his hair. “Brad ain’t in his condo, either.”

I can’t see the connection. “So?”

Axl purses his lips and looks like he’s trying to decide what to tell me. Is he keeping something from me? “We loaded some supplies last night. Set up an emergency plan for gettin’ out. Brad watched Mitchell’s door while we loaded the truck.”

“We gave them the perfect chance to plan their getaway,” Angus growls.

He heads toward the control room, and Axl follows. I run after him with my heart pounding. They set up an emergency plan and didn’t involve me? And why would Brad run out with Mitchell? He’s a coward, but he’s safe here. He wouldn’t be interested in what’s going on at the Monte Carlo. Would he?

Angus shoves the door to the control room open, and Al almost falls out of his chair. “What the hell?”

“You been watchin’ them screens?” Axl asks.

Al nods and glances over his shoulder before looking at the brothers. His cheeks get red and he looks down at his hands. “Yeah. I mean, mostly.”

“Shit.” Axl steps forward. “Al?”

Al looks up, and he cheeks get even redder. He grins like he’s about to reveal his greatest achievement. “Lila was here for a few hours and we—” He looks back down and squirms in his chair. “You know.”

Al and Lila? Seriously? When did that happen?

“God dammit,” Angus yells, pushing Al’s chair out of the way. It rolls to the other side of the room and hits the wall. Al almost falls out of it.

“The Sam’s truck is still here!” he yells.

Axl studies the four monitors. He won’t stop shaking his head. “So are the cars.”

“They didn’t take a damn helicopter and they didn’t walk.”

My stomach drops. The fuel truck. “Did Brad still have the key to the fuel truck?”

Angus and Axl both spin around at the same time. They have identical expressions on their faces.

“Dammit!” Angus kicks a trashcan across the room. It slams against the wall and spills the contents all over the floor. Including a couple used condoms.

Axl swears under his breath and turns to Al. “Can you see the fuel truck from down here?”

Al is shaking in his Nikes when he pulls himself out of the chair and steps around Angus. He acts like he’s afraid if he gets too close, Angus will hit him. “I can move the camera.”

None of this makes sense. How would Mitchell and Brad have walked out of the shelter and driven off without anyone seeing it? “But wouldn’t the alarms have gone off if they’d gone out there?”

Al shakes his head, but doesn’t look away from the monitor as the camera slowly pans across the surface. “We had to turn the motion sensors off after the zombies showed up. They would have been going off like crazy.”

That makes sense. “And there’s no alarm on the door?”

“Not unless you break it down. Mitchell had the code.”

He stops moving the camera and stands up. Nobody moves. There’s a blanket spread across the top of the fence, flapping in the breeze. The fuel truck is gone.

“They climbed the fence,” I whisper.

Angus swears again and glares at Al, but Axl steps between them. “Lay off, Angus. It ain’t his fault. We shoulda taken the key.”

“Damn kid,” Angus mutters.

“Like you never skipped out on work so you could get laid,” Axl says. “There’s nothin’ we can do ‘bout it now. They got the truck. We’re just gonna have to get the other one.”

My stomach has dropped so low it’s on the floor. Under my feet. “Before
they
do. Brad knows where it is.”

Angus’s lips pucker even more. “I gotta get a drink.”

He storms out, and Al sinks into the chair. He puts his head in his hands and stares at the floor. Poor kid.

Axl slaps him on the back. “Don’t worry ‘bout it. We’ll make it work.”

Al nods, but he doesn’t look up. I think he’s afraid he disappointed Axl.

I grab Axl’s hand and pull him out of the room. My face is hot, and I’m mad at Axl for the first time in a while. He made plans and didn’t include me? It doesn’t make sense.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” I say when we’re in the hall.

“No need. We took care of it.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Seriously? That’s all you have to say? I want to be involved in all this! You can’t leave me in the dark because of what happened in Vegas.”

Axl’s stormy eyes flash. “What happened? You mean you gettin’ kidnapped and almost raped? You mean me barely makin’ it in time—” His voice catches in his throat, and he looks away. “I ain’t gonna lose you. Not if I can help it.”

My heart aches. I pull him close and wrap my arms around him. “Death is always going to be a possibility for us now. We’re just going to have to deal with it.”

“No,” he says firmly, wrapping his fists in my dress and pulling me closer. “Not if I can do something ‘bout it. You’re gonna stay here and you’re gonna be safe.”

He’s talking about going to get that other fuel truck and leaving me behind. Which will never happen. I can’t let it. He doesn’t realize that letting him out of my sight will hurt me as much as it would hurt him if I ran off while he stayed behind. I can’t let him go off and leave me here alone to wonder if he’s okay.

His mouth covers mine, and the argument dies on my lips. Another time.

***

I jerk awake with my heart pounding in my ears. My body is drenched in sweat, and I’m gasping. The pounding gets louder. More shrill. Why won’t it stop?

It’s not my heart.

When I jump out of bed my legs get wrapped in the sheets, and I end up falling on my face. The room vibrates from the alarm and throbs through my skull. Drowning out my own racing heart. It can only be one thing.

“Axl!” I shout, trying to be heard over the wailing. He doesn’t answer.

I kick my legs, trying to untangle them from the sheet, and pull myself up. The bed’s empty. Where the hell is he? Before I can do anything else, the door flies open and light pours into the room. Axl rushes toward me, grabbing my dress off the floor and flinging it my way.

“What is it?” I yell.

“Don’t know.”

I pull the dress over my head and grab some underwear while he runs for the closet. My hands shake. I almost fall over when I pull the underwear on. Axl digs through the closet until he finds his pack. He pulls out a couple guns and some knives. He must have stashed them here. He’s always prepared. Thank God for that.

Axl thrusts a knife into my waiting hand and pulls me out the door. Every light in the condo is on, and Hadley and Jon stand in the middle of the living room looking as terrified as I feel. The wailing hasn’t let up. It even seems like it might be getting louder.

“What’s happening?” Hadley screams.

Axl throws a gun to Jon. “We’re gonna check it out—”

The wailing stops, and none of us moves. The silence is even more threatening than the noise.

Axl and Jon lock eyes, and dread shoots through me like an icy bullet.

Axl turns toward me. “You two stay here.”

I nod even though I want to argue. I can’t leave Hadley alone.

Jon opens the front door, and the scent of death drifts in. Axl swears, and Jon coughs. My stomach lurches. Hadley whimpers. My legs turn into something solid and root themselves to the ground. Like they’re buried in a grave of my own fear. I should comfort Hadley, but my legs won’t work. The men step out into the hall, and just before the door shuts, someone screams. Every hair on my body stands up.

“They’re here,” Hadley whispers.

“How did they get in?”

She doesn’t answer. Not that I expected her too. Neither one of us moves. I stay frozen in place, staring at the closed door with my knife clutched in my trembling hand. Waiting for Axl to come back. Praying he does.

Minutes pass, and my body starts to shake.

When the door finally swings open, Hadley screams, and my heart jumps to my throat. Axl rushes in, but Jon isn’t with him. Where is he? Dead? Helping others? There’s no time to ask.

“Come on!” Axl motions for us to move.

My feet finally break free, and I fly toward the door, grabbing Hadley’s hand as I go by. Axl grips my arm and jerks me forward. Toward the stairs. There’s screaming behind us. Moans fill the air, echoing off the walls. The atmosphere is thick with rot and blood, and the combined smells make me gag. The sound of a gunshot rings out, and I jump.

“What’s going on?” I scream. I don’t even recognize my own voice.

Axl pulls me faster, and Hadley yelps behind me. “Zombies! They’re everywhere. Somebody let ‘em in!”

We turn the corner and a body lurches at us, clawing at the air right in front of Axl’s face. He ducks and pushes me back against the wall as he brings his knife forward. The blade sinks into the monster’s neck. Black goo sprays everywhere, coating the wall and Axl’s arm. But the thing doesn’t go down.

Axl swears and jerks the blade out. He stabs it upward this time, and it hits the zombie just below his cheek, then sinks into its useless brain. The monster falls and rolls down the stairs, knocking Hadley down a few steps. I grab her hand and haul her back up just as Axl pulls me forward.

The clinic is on the next floor, but all the lights are off. The hallway and stairwell are dark, and I can’t see a thing. Not even the shape of Axl in front of me. Footsteps pound on the stairs ahead and behind us, but it’s impossible to tell how close they are. Or whether they’re human. My arm shakes, and Axl squeezes my hand tighter, pulling me with him as he climbs.

Hadley screams behind me, and her hands slips out of mine. I jump and lose my grip on Axl’s hand as I spin around to find Hadley. It’s too dark though, I can’t see a thing.

“Hadley?” I whisper, trying to keep my voice down. The pounding in my ears nearly drowns out the sound of my own voice.