The Omega Protocol Chronicles (Book 1): Exodus (29 page)

“She’s just scared. She wants to find her brother and sister. Think about what y’all would do if ya lost each other. Probably fight to hell and back for the chance to see each other again.”

Audrey turned back to look out the window, silent, but he could practically hear the wheels spinning in her head. It didn’t take long for her to put her thoughts into words.

“We have to help her.”

That sure wasn’t what he was expecting to hear from her. “What? Why?”

“Because me and Hannah could have been alone like her but you came and helped us. Do onto others as you would have them do onto you. We have to help her.”

“We can’t go helpin’ random strangers,” he explained.

“Why not?” Hannah asked.

“Strangers can be dangerous. Remember that woman was just holdin’ a gun to my head.”

“You just said that was a mistake,” Audrey pointed out with more glee than he thought was needed. “What if it was me or Hannah out there, trying to get back? Wouldn’t you want someone to help us?”

Well hell, the kid could put him on one hell of a guilt trip. Still, woman had put a gun to his head, might have offed him if the girls weren’t around to see it. She wasn’t the type of person he should let around the girls.

Then again, plenty of people would have no problem saying his type shouldn’t be around the girls neither.

But suppose he picked her up and the second his back was turned, she took what was theirs and left them for dead.
If she was fixin’ to do that, she would have shot ya dead from the start
, a voice in the back of his head pointed out. She had her chance to do something but she didn’t. She couldn’t be that dangerous.

“Come on, Jackson, it’s the right thing to do, you know it,” Audrey pleaded with him and Hannah was quick to get in on the act. “Yeah, Jackson, she looked real sad. We shouldn’t leave her alone. I wouldn’t want to be alone.”

Fucking kick in the gut right there, especially when she threw in the bottom lip quiver. Damn kids already learned how to play him like a fiddle. He cursed under his breath as he pulled a sharp U turn and headed back the way they came.

Subject File # 750

Administrator - What was your first impression of Jackson?

Subject - That he had a van I wanted to steal.

Administrator - Okay, your second impression then, when you decided to go with him.

Subject - That he was more forgiving than I would be in his situation. He should have left me after what I did. He’s a better person than me.

Veronica expected the knot in her belly to ease up when the van vanished around the corner but it was still there, twisting her all up. She wasn’t sure if it was guilt from trying to carjack a father with his daughters or fear at being left alone again.

When she had heard the van coming down the street, she had ducked into the trees, fearing that it could be the locals still out looking for her. When the van had stopped and she spotted the West Virginia license plate, she had been overwhelmed with relief. Not only was it another human being, it was one who hadn’t tried to kill her yesterday.

She had spent her morning going through the subdivision, the place eerily quiet and foreboding. It had been a ghost town, the empty houses with their dark windows looming in the grey morning mist. She had felt like the only person left in the world as she went from deserted house to deserted house, looking for a vehicle to take. She had found a few cars left behind but she couldn’t find the keys to any of them and she had no idea how to hotwire a car.

When she had walked out of the subdivision and made her way back into town, that feeling of foreboding followed her. The birds still twittered in the trees and squirrels scampered from branch to branch but those were the only noises to be heard. All the sounds that people made were gone and the silence seemed to press in on her.

So when she saw another person, a moment of relief washed over her. She wasn’t the only person left in this miserable world. It was only then that she was able to think clearly and saw the opportunity that was being presented to her. A running vehicle with only one occupant. She could take it, she just had to move fast.

It hadn’t been until one of them spoke that she noticed the two girls in the backseat. Seeing them staring at her with fear had her pausing and that was enough to give the man the drop on her.

As she lay on the ground, staring up at him, he had looked like a giant. Tall, wide shoulders and thick arms that aimed the gun at her head. In that moment, she had thought it was all over for her and she made a silent apology to Quinton and Claudia for leaving them.

Except he had let her go...and left her alone again.

She had to fight the urge to beg him not to leave her alone but shame had her biting her tongue. She had no right to ask that after what she had done, no matter how scared she was of being alone again.

She shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts. She didn’t have time to waste bemoaning her situation. What she needed to do was
change
 her situation.

She shouldered the weapons bag and got herself moving again. She had just crossed the intersection when the rumble of an engine sounded and she turned to see the van heading back towards her. For a moment, she thought the man had come back to finish the job and she took her shotgun in hand but he kept his hands on the steering wheel when he came to a stop beside her.

“Look, we ain’t got much in the way of gas, that’s why we’re here,” he called out to her, “But the girls want to do their good deed for the day and help ya out. Ya want to hitch a ride with us?”

The girls watched her from the back and their sweet smiles had her throat tightening with emotion. She had held a gun to their father’s head and now they were offering to help her. Maybe there was still some hope left in the world.

“Thank you,” she croaked out. “I appreciate the help.”

“You can toss your bag in the back,” Jackson called out to her and the back hatch popped open. She put the bag in the back along with the shotgun, keeping her Glock holstered, just in case. She was grateful but she wasn’t stupid. After what had happened at the sheriff’s station and on the road, she wasn’t going anywhere unarmed.

She slid into the passenger seat and held out a hand to the man. “I’m Veronica Alpert. Thank you for this.”

“Name’s Jackson. That’s Audrey and Hannah back there,” he replied, shaking her hand quickly before shifting the van into gear. “Ya said ya were lookin’ for your brother and sister. Where they at?”

She couldn’t help the bitter laugh that slipped out. “That’s the million dollar question. We got split up yesterday.”

“That how ya got all banged up?”

She looked at her reflection in the side mirror, seeing for the first time the state she was in. Scratched and bruised, dirt and dried blood smeared on her face, her bottom lip cut and already swelling. She was quite a sight.

“Part of it. Listen, this town, it’s bad here. The infection swept through, took a lot of people and the ones who’ve survived have lost their damn minds.” She glanced at the reflection of the girls in the side mirror, mindful of what she was saying. “They’re dangerous. You’ll want to get out of here ASAP. There’s supposed to be an auto shop about a mile east of here. The phone book said it was at the corner of Lincoln and Eighth. That’s where I was heading. There should be cars and gas there.”

Jackson eased the van onto the road, heading in the direction she had pointed. “So ya want to tell me about these crazy locals.”

“We ran into them yesterday,” she replied, a wry smile twisting her lips. “Or rather, they ran into us.”

She recounted the story of what had happened since she had arrived in Maryville, Jackson keeping his eyes on the road but the occasional raised eyebrow told her he was still listening.

“Sounds like ya had a pretty shitty day,” he said when she finished.

“That’s putting it mildly,” she said with a smile but it faded as she thought about earlier. “I hope that helps explain a little bit about why I pulled a gun on you. I’m sorry about that, by the way.”

Jackson lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Don’t worry ‘bout it. If I had the same kinda day, I’da done the same. Sorry ‘bout your lip.”

“Nothing to apologize for. It was a smart move,” she said, relieved that they understood each other.  

“Miss Veronica?” She looked back at Hannah who had her forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Where are your brother and sister now?”

“They’ve gone to a camp in the woods,” she replied, hoping that she was speaking the truth.

“Can we go camping?” Hannah asked and Audrey snorted derisively.

“We already decided we’re going to the beach. Remember, dummy?”

“I’m not a dummy!” Hannah cried out, hands fisting on her hips as she glared at her sister.

“Don’t call your sister a dummy,” Jackson told them and Hannah stuck her tongue out at Audrey, causing the older girl to do the same right back.

It was like watching a scene straight from her own childhood and a wistful smile tugged at her mouth. Bickering with siblings was something that even the apocalypse couldn’t stop.

Still, beneath the amusement, there was a pang of longing. She wished it was her and Quinton picking on each other, Claudia not taking a side and instead laughing at every insult.

She
had
 to find them.

“So where were y’all headin’ when ya ran outta gas?” Jackson asked. He spoke in a casual manner but she could tell by the hard set of his shoulders he wasn’t just trying to make conversation. He was interrogating her, just doing it in a friendly manner.

The reassuring weight of her gun against her hip and the fact that she was pretty much out of options had her answering honestly.

“We were heading to a cabin my family used to own. We had been holed up in my parent’s house for a while but looters came through, lit the place on fire and that brought the infected.”

“Your parents?” he asked and she shook her head.

“They didn’t make it out of the house,” she choked out, her throat tight with emotion.

“The freaks killed our parents too,” Audrey said in a soft voice. Veronica turned to face the girl, not sure she had heard her right but her haunted eyes told Veronica it was the truth. She had just assumed that Jackson was their father and she wondered what his relation was to the girls.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Veronica replied. “It’s not fair.”

“Jackson saved us,” Hannah told her. “Now he’s taking us to the beach.”

She was too young to understand the seriousness of the situation and Veronica envied the girl’s youthful innocence. God, what she wouldn’t give to be able to bury her head in the sand and forget that the world was crashing down around her.

“So how are you related? Brother? Cousin?” Veronica asked.

“Just a neighbour,” Jackson said, turning the van onto Lincoln Avenue. “I picked ‘em up on my way outta the park.”

Veronica was suddenly struck with a terrible thought. She didn’t want to entertain it but she couldn’t stop it from popping up in her mind. As a teacher, she was a mandated reporter and had been trained to spot signs of abuse in her students and had developed a sort of radar. Now it was pinging at that idea of a man of no relation taking two young girls under his wing. Of course, it was possible he truly was a good Samaritan but there was also a darker possibility.

“Why would you do that?” she asked, her voice sharper than she intended it to be and he looked at her with confusion.

“Ya really askin’ me why I’d help out a coupla defenceless kids?”

His voice was incredulous but she knew that could just be a put on. Her hand drifted to her gun, shifting in her seat to make it easier to pull it from the holster.

“Audrey, Hannah, I promise you that nothing bad will happen if you tell me the truth. I’ll protect you,” she began but Jackson was quick to interrupt her.

“The hell ya talkin’ ‘bout?”

She ignored his question but watched him from her peripheral as she continued to question the girls. “Has he done anything to upset you or make you uncomfortable?”

“Ya can’t be fuckin’ serious!” Jackson cried out and he slammed on the brakes, the van jerking to a stop. She had her gun in her hand in less than a second, facing him with cold determination but he made no move to grab his own weapon, instead just glaring at her as his hands clenched the wheel. “I ain’t a kiddie diddler. That’s fuckin’ disgustin’ is what it is.”

She wanted to believe he was being sincere but she couldn’t trust him, not when it came to the safety of two little girls.

“Girls, don’t be scared. I promise you aren’t in trouble, you just need to tell me the truth.”

“Jackson has been nice to us,” Audrey said, her eyes darting between the two adults and Veronica could see the confusion there. She didn’t seem scared and she wasn’t looking to Jackson for cues on how to answer the questions which were good signs.

“He swears a lot,” Hannah piped up, “And he never says please or thank you but he let us eat cookies for dinner yesterday.”

In her experience, these weren’t the answers of children that had been abused and she breathed a sigh of relief. She holstered her gun and turned to face Jackson, who was still glaring at her in disgust.