Four (Their Dead Lives,1) (39 page)

As Jeff relaxed back in the chair, restraining himself, he realized he shared the same thoughts Kale had back in high school.
 

Such selfish thoughts. No wonder they left us.

ADDISON
 

Blue tiles were cold under his skin as he stretched across a kitchen counter. A window above the sink had two boards across it. A crack in the barrier gave him a view of the backyard. Two graves. Nasir and Lexington lowered the dead teenager in the first and covered him with dirt. Sofia helped Kelsey dig Scot’s grave. The young man’s body was covered in dirt and blood.
They bury their dead along with my hope.
He was tempted to bring a blanket to cover the hideous image of Scot, but stayed in the kitchen.
No point in anything now.
They finished the second grave, and the four of them put Scot in the ground.

Warm water from a plastic bottle wet his mouth. Sofia left the group as they continued filling the graves with dirt. Moments later, the hall floor creaked behind him. “You can help, you know.”

Addison kept his eyes forward as she approached. “
You know
my paranoia, yet you insist on helping them.”

“You would’ve seen Nasir either away. If anything, I sped up the process,” she breathed. “Addison, why are you worried about an old man, a little Barbie girl and a porn star with a heart of gold?”
 

He cocked his head to the side. “What they seem, what they were, none of that matters if they’re Embracers.”

Sofia stepped closer, saying, “You think I’m one.”
 

Yes.
But he said nothing. Addison lowered to the sink. Her hands wrapped around his shoulders and her warm breath blew across his ear. Her touch slid to his chest as her chin rested on his shoulder. “You can trust me, Addison.” The touch moved to his arms, down to his wrists, to his leather belt.
 

A slight tug.
 

Addison grabbed her waist, spinning her around, and yanking her close. They mashed their lips together in a frantic first kiss. She slipped her tongue quickly into his mouth. His focus was cut off by Brody’s face.
Trust no one, not even her,
Addy thought to himself, and this thought caused him to flinch away from her.

“What’s wrong?” Sofia touched his neck.
 

Fire scorched his bones. “What’s wrong? What
IS
wrong?” Addison slapped the counter. “I’m being followed, hunted. I know it. And it’s you.”
 

“Me? You came to me, Addison. You found me. How many times do I have to repeat that?”
 

Addison clenched his lips. “You knew I would, didn’t you?”
 

“Enough of this shit. I’m going back outside to finish the funeral. If you have any common decency, you’ll follow.” Sofia stormed out the kitchen before Addison had a response.
 

Common decency
, he chuckled inside,
damn that day.
 

Fifteen years earlier, he’d finished architect school. Later, he became a Professor of Architecture in Oregon. He taught less than two years before they came for him. He laughed at the offered task:
Underground vaults to save humanity? These guys are nuts.
However, not accepting the money would’ve been nuttier. And the chance to save mankind? He had to accept it. So he did, and was the youngest member of the Vault construction team.
 

He’d asked several times how they knew the apocalypse would happen, how they were certain the Vaults had to be created. No answer was given.
Just do your work
, they’d always admonished. Addison liked getting paid like a famous athlete, so he soon forced himself to forget
why
.
 

The underground Vaults — no one was supposed to get in, and no one was supposed to get out. But, as good as the money was, Addison felt uneasy. Much debate centered around creating a code to unlock all the Vault doors in case the apocalypse never occurred. The vote arrived at no code. The insanity of it all clawed at Addison for nights...until he went behind their backs.
Just in case
, he’d told himself,
just in case
.
 

A code he created was his and his alone — until that damned day.
 

Addison scowled at himself in the cabin’s kitchen. There was so much he did not know. The Embracers, where did they come from? What controlled them? Why did he build those Vaults if they killed everyone inside?
They were meant to be sanctuaries!
He smacked the counter again in frustration, glanced at the funeral outside, and forced his attendance.
 

Kelsey was on the back porch next to Sofia as Lexington and Nasir finished Scot’s grave. Addison stood silently behind them in the doorway.
 

“You were close to Scot,” Sofia said to Kelsey. “Boyfriend?”
 

“At one time. Is that your boyfriend inside?”
 

Sofia laughed. “No, but might as well be.”
 

Shut up, you wretched succubus.
Though to be fair, he still desired her physical beauty.
 

The diggers finished with Scot’s grave, and he’d become nothing but bones in the ground. No hero. Nothing.
Damn you, Brody. You gave me a hope I never should’ve had.
 

Nasir faced them all, while Lexington leaned over his shovel, dripping sweat. “Let us say something for our lost ones.” He asked Kelsey if she’d like to start. Her eyes were on Scot’s grave and Addison could see weak tremors crawling over her body. “Very well, I will speak for CJ,” said Nasir, stepping to the other grave. “I didn’t know him well. Not at all really. We spent very little time together but what I saw,” his voice drifted, “indeed he was crude at times, but this was in no comparison to his bravery. We shall remember him by his bravery, and thus, we shall receive his strength. Rahmat Allah Alaik.” He shut his eyes for several seconds.
 

Silence filled the forest. There were no moans, no stumbling nor sprinting feet, no screams—only peace.
 

Kelsey found the strength to speak. “I knew Scot a long time. I’m lucky for our time together, even during the hard times. To have seen him—” She sniffed and leaned down over his grave, pressing her hands into the dirt. “Scot was, well some thought he was an asshole.” She cried a laugh and shut her eyes against the tears threatening to flow. “And he was at times, but he meant well. His heart beat in the right place, and I’m glad he finally got to show it.” She kissed her hand above the grave and whispered her love to him.
 

Nasir addressed Sofia, even though he saw Addison in the doorway, “We’ve been moving enough these past days. I believe the time for rest has come. If it is okay with you, we would like to stay here.”
 

“Of course, that’s fine. Let me ask Addy and make sure.”
 

“They can do whatever,” he blurted behind her.

That night, Addison asked Sofia to sleep in a guest room with Kelsey. He needed to be alone. The bounty hunter and the porn star kept watch downstairs.
 

The master bedroom was a dark orange, lit by a lantern on a dresser. Although the bed had given him so much comfort the previous night, he was now sickened at the sight of it and cowered on the wooden floor.

Addison had found a Smith Wesson .38 and an ammo box in the cabin.
Maniac Mike’s gun?
The pistol shook in his hand. A 2-inch barrel with five round capacity; he loaded rounds three and four. The fifth bullet fell from his shaking fingers. His neck twitched back and forth, a strong exhalation broke loose, and he fumbled to pick up the final bullet.

The shut bedroom door glowed, looking like an orange portal. He wanted to walk through it and transport somewhere else. Footsteps outside, a girl’s voice, another voice responding, then silence.
 

Addison dropped the .38 on the bed and covered his face with both hands, rubbing his eyes under his glasses.
This isn’t worth it. This isn’t worth it.
 

With one hand still against his face, he dropped the other to the revolver.
This paranoia, this hell. I can’t do it anymore, I can’t.
His fingers wrapped around the gun’s small handle and slowly he raised it to his temple.
You were wrong, Brody. You were wrong about hope. You thought that kid out there could save us. You were wrong!
 

Addison touched the trigger.
One pull and the nightmare ends.
 

A gentle knock at the door. “Addy,” whispered Sofia from the hall. “Please, let us talk.”
 

The .38 shook against his head.
 

“Addy, please...” She touched the handle. Locked.
 

One second and this all will pass. Leave, you can leave now.
Addison closed his eyes and welcomed peace.

Sofia came to him, and her hair, lips, eyes, neck, breasts, hands, legs—all of her gave him peace.
 

They lay next to one another at dawn. Her naked body was wrapped in light yellow sheets, dimpled back facing him. All expectations were exceeded during their first, second, third, and fourth love-making sessions.
 

Addison wrapped his arms around Sofia, kissing her caramel shoulder. With every touch to her flesh, he thought about the .38 hidden below the mattress.

ALEC
 

The bandage around Nicole’s head was thick and clean. Her face was ghostly pale compared to her usual olive color, and Alec thought her so beautiful as he stared at her closed eyes, and her sleeping face, and he wondered where her mind traveled. He gripped her hand, rubbing a finger over her skin.
Screw the living, screw the dead, all I need is for you to survive.
He needed her here, needed to hear her voice, needed to feel life in her lips. Her face had kept him going since they first met, since that day in the well, since losing his brother.
 

If she were ever put beneath the ground, his own soul would be buried with her, and fear would cloud his mind, hate would fill his veins.

Dr. Dylan had told him Nicole suffered some head trauma but she should wake soon and be fine. Alec didn’t trust the doctor, but as he stared at her, he fought to keep faith or hope, or anything that would help bring her back.
 

A light knock, and the exam room door creaked open. “Homer,” Alec whispered without looking.
 

“How is she?” Jeff’s soft voice asked.
 

Alec turned, his head low. “She has to live.”
 

“She will.”
 

“You say that, but you don’t know anything.”
 

“I know this,” Jeff started, easing into the room and shutting the door behind him. A soft clank. “I know what happened to us in the well, it has more meaning than we ever—”

“Of all the things to say, when I’m so worried about her, you bring
that
up? Really, Jeff?”

“The Embracer came back, Alec. It took Kale. It—”
 

Alec let Nicole go, pushed off a rolling stool, and snapped his face right in front of Jeff’s, staring into those ice blue eyes. “If we
had
some kind of power, Nicole wouldn’t be like this. Brian wouldn’t be dead, and Kale wouldn’t be gone.” His lips shook, his gums filling with spit. “So don’t tell me there’s a meaning to us!” He huffed and returned to the stool, rolling it back to the bedside.
Sometimes, Homer, sometimes I want to gouge out your eyes.
 

“Look,” Jeff said, walking to the black counter, next to the sink, “I know what you’re going through—”
 

“No.” Alec turned to the side. “You have never been in love, not like this.”
 

Silence behind Alec. Jeff had no idea what to say.
 

“I’m preparing to leave soon with Evans. I know your help would be appreciated.”
 

“Leaving for where?”
 

“We need food. Hopefully find some weapons.”
 

Alec had a scalpel in his pocket, ready to stab anything that came for the exam room. “I’m not leaving.”
 

“Well, at least help around here? Keep watch and keep safe?”
 

I’ll watch over her.
“Sure.”
 

“Alec, I...”
 

“You can leave now. Good luck out there.”
 

A soft breath slipped from Jeff’s mouth. He stepped for the doorway but stopped at the edge of the bed. He touched the white paper covering it, fingers close to Nicole’s foot. “I doubt you can hear me right now,” he started, staring at her closed eyelids.
What is he doing?
He continued, “But I did give you and Sadie a promise. My nickname, Homer: I wish the story was better. Back then, I said it came from my baseball skills in little league, but . . . truth is, I just watched a lot of
The
Simpsons
. Hell, when my addiction to
South Park
got crazy, I tried to get everyone to call me Cartman.” He glanced at Alec, then touched her ankle. “Anyway, get back to him, Nicole.”
 

Jeff went for the doorway, when Alec stopped him. “Homer.”
 

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”
 

Jeff nodded. He wanted to say something, but fought the urge.
 

“Let me hear it,” said Alec.
 

“Kale.” The name came quickly. “When we’re fixed up, we have to find him.”
 

“Yeah, sure.”
 

“He saved us back then, Alec. He got us out of that well. We owe him this.”
 

“Where would we even look?”
 

Jeff grabbed the door, searching for an answer. “I, I just know we can find him. We have to.”
 

“You’re insane like him.”
 

Jeff let go. “Maybe.”
 

Alec shook his head. “Don’t come back in here, got it?”