Find Me (Life After the Outbreak, Book 2) (18 page)

I stepped light and took my time, making my way around bodies and junk in the street. I wanted to blink my eyes and find myself on the other side of town, but that wasn't going to happen, so I continued, one step at a time. A dog barked up ahead, and I knew that wasn't going to be an uneventful stroll through town. Dogs seemed to all but disappear since the outbreak. The only time you saw them was with people, and that was rare. I wasn't sure if they had the smarts to find a safer place or if they were being used for food, but whatever it was, dogs were scarce. I could only imagine the barking didn't help.

My heart thumped hard in my chest, and I was sure that anyone lurking around was bound to hear it. That was a chance I had to take. My mind was made up. I was heading toward my family home. If I didn't find Will by then, I could regroup there and decide what to do.

The barking got closer with each step I took. It was a high-pitched yappy sound like one of those tiny dogs celebrities carried around in over-priced handbags and adorned with diamond studded collars. My hand gripped the bow hard and forced the blood back, leaving my knuckles snow white and stretched so tight they ached. I didn't want to be out there alone. I would have given almost anything to have Janet by my side. Even Hadley would be better than being out here alone, and she had zero self-defense skills.
 

The hair on the back of my neck prickled up, and I swore I could feel eyes on me. I wasn't alone. I had another half mile to get through the town, and the possibilities of what could go wrong plagued me. There was no evidence that whoever was out there meant me any harm, but just because they hadn't made a move so far didn't mean I was safe. I had enough experience to know nothing could be taken for granted.
 

I made it past a hardware store, pharmacy, and a small cafe. The storefronts were in decent shape, as if they were just closed down for a holiday weekend, not abandoned for almost two years. It was rare to see shops that weren't broken in and clearly looted. Chances were, they had been cleared out, but I couldn't help but wonder if maybe there was untouched treasure waiting inside. I pushed thoughts of inspecting the shops out of my head and hurried down the road. I just had to clear one more block of shops and the car dealership.
No big deal
.
 

I made it nearly to the end of the block when the yapping mixed with growling became piercing. The place was eerily quiet otherwise, and I stopped to look around. From around the side of one of the shops, the source of all the noise came running and nipped at my feet. It was a fat little long-hair Chihuahua, and it wasn't happy to see me. Its overgrown hair flowed down from its ears and face, making it look like an evil gremlin who had been fed after midnight.
 

I knelt down and extended my hand to the beast so it would see I wasn't a threat. It sniffed my hand and growled with its teeth bared. One good kick and the thing would be history, not that I would have done it, but the thought did cross my mind. I gave it a scratch on the back of the head, and it slowly started to wag its tail. The collar around its neck said its name was Precious. Sewer Gremlin would have been more fitting.
 

For a moment, I forgot my surroundings and petted the little dog. Janet would have smacked me in the back of the head and lectured me until my ears bleed for such behavior. It was stupid, and I realized that as I heard footsteps behind me. I stayed crouched down with the dog and waited. There wasn't much I could do at that point. I was in a bad position.
 

"Hands over your head and stand up nice and slow," a male voice with a slight southern drawl said from behind me. He was calm, but serious, with the kind of authority one didn't question.
 

I held out my hands and stood. He inched his way around in front of me with his bow pointed at my head. The dog renewed its barking and stood by the man's side.

"Look, I don't want any trouble, I'm just passing through trying to get home." I heard more footsteps behind me but was afraid to turn around.

"You alone?" he asked, never wavering with his aim on my skull. He would kill me in an instant if he thought I was a threat, but at the same time, I didn't get the sense that he meant me any harm.

My eyes dropped for a moment to remember Janet. "Yes. I am now."

His eyes softened a bit, and I knew he understood exactly what that meant. A young girl, maybe thirteen or fourteen years old, came from behind me and snatched up the dog. She slid behind the man and clutched the animal to her chest. He looked a little young to be her father, but anything was possible.
 

He looked me over with narrowed eyes and stepped forward to look through my bag. I had a gun and knife in there that he must have seen in addition to the knife on my belt and bow slung over my shoulder. It would be strange to find someone walking alone without weapons, so it couldn't have been a surprise to him.
 

He stepped back and stared into me as if he was trying to figure me out. After a moment, he lowered the bow and extended a hand. "Name's Jay."

That seemed like a good sign. I took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Andi."

The girl peeked out from behind Jay and stepped forward a bit.

"That's Jenny, and you've already met Precious, the current thorn in my side." He smiled and slung the bow over his shoulder.
 

I let out a breath, and my panic dialed down. "Very nice to meet you." I held out my hand to Jenny, and she looked up to Jay for permission before inching forward to take it.

"What way you headed? There's a massive horde heading in from the west." Jay shifted on his feet and shook out his leg as if it was bothering him.

I scratched the top of the dog's head and avoided the question about which way I was headed. Jay seemed like a decent guy, but I didn't know him and wasn't about to just offer up where I was going. "Not so much anymore. The military group took out the majority of it. There's still stragglers and possibly more on the way, but they finished off hundreds."

Jay smiled. "Smart not to tell a stranger where you're headed. I'm guessing you were with that military group that went to work on the horde, but something tells me that's not where you're going now."

I smiled back and stayed quiet.
 

"Well I suppose I should send you off on your way then." Jay looked down the road then checked behind him.

My stomach let out a loud rumble. Food had been the last thing on my mind.
 

Jay pursed his lips together and took a deep breath before looking behind him once more. "I supposed you could stay for lunch before moving on, if you want to."

I peered around Jay in the direction he kept looking. As much as I wanted to trust him, I could tell something, or someone, was back there. Until I knew what that was, I wasn't about to let down my guard.
 

Jay noticed my hesitation and called out behind him. "Mira, come on out here, would ya?"

A sassy little brunette dressed in black jogged over. She kept her hand on the knife in her belt and eyed me critically.

"Baby, this is Andi. She's passing through. I invited her to lunch, if that's all right with you?" Jay put his arm around the woman, and it was obvious they were together.

Mira narrowed her eyes and brought her hand up to her hip. She wasn't sure I could be trusted and she wanted me to know. She looked up at Jay and opened her mouth to protest.

Jay ran his hand through her hair and smiled. "It's fine, Mir. It's only a meal. Remember when we used to have people over for lunch?"

Mira huffed. "Yeah, but we knew those people."

"Look, it's no big deal. I don't want to cause trouble. I'll just be on my way. It was nice to meet you all." I pushed my pack back onto my shoulder and prepared to leave.

Jay gave Mira a look and she caved. "Hold on. You're welcome to stay," Mira said through clenched teeth. She wasn't happy about it, but I got the feeling she did what Jay wanted, regardless.

I thought about telling her no thanks, but I really was hungry and wondered if I could convince them to let me spend the night. Even though I didn't know them, I liked my chances with those three rather than out there alone.
 

"Are you sure?" I directed my question at Mira. It would be easier to stay, but if she really was against it, I would rather go.
 

Jay nudged her and flashed her a sweet smile. He slid his arm down around her waist and pulled her against him. She giggled and playfully pushed him away. I waited for them to finish their flirting. A twinge of pain in my chest reminded me that I might never see Will again.

Jenny cleared her throat loudly and rolled her eyes. "Don't you two ever get tired of each other?" She put the dog down at Mira's feet and sat down on the curb behind them.

Mira laughed, her mood softening. "It's fine if you stay. If Jay thinks you're okay, then it's all good." She looked back at Jay, serious this time. "I trust him with my life."

"Great, now let's get some food. I'm starving." Jay smacked Mira on the ass and led me toward lunch.

We went behind a fence and around back of the shops. Jay pointed out several areas to be careful of because he had traps set all over the place to help ensure their safety. It was a good thing I didn't try to check out any of the stores. At the very least, I would have lost an arm or leg. Jay was serious about that shit and wasn't afraid to maim or kill anyone who could be a threat to the people he cared about. Good thing he decided to trust me.

Jay led us into the cafe from the back. The doors and windows were covered in iron bars and metal sheathing. From the front, everything looked normal, but apparently, there was a doormat rigged to an electrical charge that would fry anyone who stepped on it. Jay used everything in the hardware shop to secure a couple of the buildings to keep them safe and to get rid of anyone who tried to get in. Personally, a little warning would be nice.

The place smelled wonderful. Mira lifted the lid on a large pot of steamy goodness. She let me peek inside and see that it was some sort of stew. Small chunks of meat floated in a thick sauce with fresh carrots, potatoes, and a few other vegetables, probably from a garden. I wasn't sure what animal the meat came from, but I didn't need to know.
 

My stomach growled in anticipation. "It smells amazing, Mira."

She flashed me a proud smile and started scooping portions into four bowls that Jenny handed her. She passed one to each of us, and we sat down at a cozy table in the corner.

"So, do they have food like this on the military base?" Jay asked and stuffed a huge forkful of stew into his mouth.

"Occasionally, though it never tastes this good." I savored the meat a moment in my mouth. It tasted like beef, if that were even possible anymore.

Mira put her fork down and looked over me. "What's it like there?"

I wasn't quite sure how to answer that after the things I saw that I still didn't have answers for. "Well … it's sort of like a small community where everyone pitches in and works. The military is in charge, obviously. People have 'apartments', you could call them, make-shift offices turned into living space. Small, but it works. There's a medical center with a nurse or aid always on duty. They do have one doctor and a few medics, so generally, healthcare needs are covered."

"Are there kids?" Jenny asked, hopeful.
 

"There are some, not many. There is a group of girls about your age. I was in a training group with a few of them. There's some babies that were born after the outbreak, not many small kids."

Mira's eyes dropped, and I could tell I hit a nerve.

Jenny looked at Mira and frowned. "Jay and Mira had kids … before."

"I'm really sorry. I can't imagine losing a child." I thought about Janet and her son.

"Hardest thing in the world." Jay rubbed his hand over Mira's back and kissed her head. "But, we're still here and we have Jenny to look out for."

Jenny half smiled at Jay with sadness in her big blue eyes. It was a sadness I knew well. She lost everyone else in her life. She was like a younger version of myself, forever changed by a cruel world, never really knowing all she missed out on.

"Maybe we could go there?" Jenny asked Jay.
 

Jay frowned. "Maybe, but for now, we are safe here."

Jenny's face fell. She knew that really meant no way in hell were they leaving. Jay struck me as the type of person who would rather go it alone than take chances with the unknown. He did seem to be doing okay on his own so far, but then again, they had lost their children, so maybe not.

Jenny didn't question Jay's authority, but I saw a defiance in her eyes that told me the issue wasn't over.

"So, Andi, what were you training for … with the girls my age?" Jenny asked.

"Self-defense, weapons, survival. Everything you needed to be part of the military. Everyone had to pull their weight, so it was either get a job on base such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, and whatnot, or join the military."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "And you chose military?"
 

"Well, sort of. The training was grea,t and I needed it, but the only reason I picked it was to be with my boyfriend. Being left behind while he went out on missions wasn't something I wanted."

"Where's your boyfriend now?" Jenny asked, and Mira kicked her under the table.

I sighed. "Missing. He didn't come back from his last mission. That's why I'm out here, looking for him."

Jay gave me a sympathetic look as if he thought I was being delusional.
 

I looked at Jay and closed my eyes for a long moment. "Look, I know what the odds are, but are you telling me that if Mira went missing, you wouldn't even look for her? Dead or alive, I need to know."

He nodded and smiled down at Mira. "I get that. As long as you're not putting yourself at risk to look for him and you understand that your chances of finding him … alive, isn't great. Though, being out here on your own is really stupid. You know that, right?"