A Visitor
They’d put her in Mae’s room down at the end of the long hallway and closed the door for now. She mumbled things here and there but had yet to regain full consciousness.
“Remember, if we see him, we don’t know where she is,” Sloane insisted. “We’ll just tell him we haven’t seen her at all. We must go about our day as if everything is normal so he doesn’t suspect we’re involved.”
“Okay, but how long can we keep that up? We can’t hide her forever,” Mae said.
“We’ll do it for as long as it takes. She can’t go back there. Wren, you keep watch and if you hear anything, yell. We’ll do our rounds, check to see if the basements are draining, and come back as soon as possible.”
“Okay,” Wren said.
Sloane had mixed small electrolyte packages from her food stores with water and they’d poured trickles of it into the girl’s mouth at short intervals. She swallowed and managed to keep it down so Sloane decided to do it again in an hour’s time and hoped the girl regained consciousness soon. For now, they made their way across the street and let Ace outside. He did his business while she and Mae checked the hoses. Mae kept watch while Sloane had her back turned.
So far, none of the other remaining neighbors had shown themselves, and she suspected most of them had fled around the same time the Carsons did. Still, she couldn’t be certain, and that was why they needed to maintain vigilance. Of all the people she wouldn’t want to end up on the block alone with, it was Doug Sperry. Unfortunately, though, that appeared to be exactly what had happened.
“Okay Mae, I think the basements are over half empty. By this time next week, we’ll begin scrubbing the walls and straightening things up.”
“Great Mom. I can’t wait to smell like bleach,” Mae said. She could always count on Mae to come up with something dour.
“It gives us purpose, Mae, don’t you see?”
“No… but whatever you say,” Mae said.
“That’s my girl.”
Once they’d finished and the canine brigade was assembled, Mae tried to trick them with a ball. She pretended to toss it as the four animals sat on their haunches, watching her. She mock-threw the ball but hid it behind her back. Oakley, Sally, and Ace all jetted toward the phantom ball while Baxter, the unsuspecting mutt with the spotted coat, trotted behind her after having spotted the secret Mae hid behind her back.
Sloane chuckled, again finding ‘joy in the journey’.
“You’re the smartest dog,” Mae said.
“Okay, come inside so I can check on her.” Sloane didn’t want to say Nicole’s name out loud for fear that Doug could be watching them and hear her.
She locked the door, and as the dogs milled around on the main floor, Sloane ran up the steps. “How is it, Wren?”
“Fine, Mom. I haven’t seen anything.”
“Have you heard Nicole at all?”
“Nope. I think she’s still sleeping. We’re not going to let her go back to him, are we? She’s in really bad shape.”
She didn’t know what to say. That depended on Nicole, but for now the answer was no.
“We’ll get her well and make that decision later.”
She left Wren on watch and then approached Mae’s room. She opened the door and found the girl blinking open her eyes.
“Nicole. Hi sweetheart. How are you feeling?”
She looked confused, like she didn’t know where she was, which of course, she didn’t. “Where am I?”
“Do you remember coming down here this morning?”
She took her time to answer. “I think so.”
“Do you know where your father is?”
“He’s asleep in his chair.”
“When’s the last time you’ve eaten anything?”
“It’s been a while. He’s…confused. He forgets that I haven’t eaten.”
She helped the girl sit up and made her drink more of the electrolyte water.
“After you finish this, I’ll give you a little oatmeal if you feel like you can keep it down.”
“Thank you, Sloane,” Nicole said and would have cried had she the tears to spare.
“Nicole, it’s okay. Don’t get upset. We need to get you well.” She knelt down after hugging the girl and sat at her level. She needed to have an agreement with the girl if she was going to be able to help her long term.
“Listen. Your father’s having some problems. He may come here looking for you. If he does, I want you to hide if you hear his voice. Can you do that for me?”
“He’s…he’s not well. He doesn’t mean to hurt me…” she tried to explain.
“I know, Nicole. You don’t need to make excuses. I understand, trust me I do, but you must survive and in order to do that, you need to save yourself from him. So if he shows up here looking for you, you need to keep quiet and hide. I’ll come up with an excuse. Once you’re better, we’ll talk about what to do next, okay?”
She hoped the girl would go for it, but the emotional strain was too much and the girl’s eyes became heavier. She slid down into the veil of sleep again and Sloane covered her back up. In another hour, she’d get her to drink more liquid and try a little oatmeal, a little at a time.
Not one second after she shut the bedroom door, she heard Wren’s alarmed voice. “Mooom!”
She doubled her steps and ran to her room.
“What?”
“He’s coming,” Wren warned.
Sloane sidled up to the window. Doug walked side to side at a quick pace. In his right hand, a butcher knife swung back and forth. He swiped at his own leg as he went.
“Mae, get up here. Now.” She hefted the AR-10 and chambered a round before handing it to Mae and positioning her to aim at the door. Wren already held the shotgun. “No matter what you hear, do not leave this room. If he enters, shoot him. Empty every bullet you have into him. Don’t stop at one. I love you both.” She quickly left and locked the door behind her before they could cry.
She reached the front door right as he began pounding on it.
“Sloane…Sloane!” he yelled.
She had her Glock and the other pistol out and ready.
“What, Doug?”
“Open the door. I need to talk to you,” Doug said.
He sounded scared and Sloane almost felt sympathy for the man, but not enough to endanger herself or her children.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Doug,” she said.
“Sloane…Sloane…listen to me,” he said and then Ace ran up to the window, having recognized the danger in the man’s voice. He growled at Doug through the glass and followed with vicious barks.
“You’re not safe with Trent here. He’s trying to take everything I have. Once he takes all of my stuff, he’ll come after you.” He paused as though trying to remember something. “Oh, and Nicole’s gone. I can’t find her. I think he took her, too. You haven’t seen her, have you?”
She bit her lip. He was truly insane. Even though Nicole was missing, his stuff still came before his child.
“No Doug. I haven’t seen her. I talked with Trent earlier today. He’s been busy cleaning his basement. He’s not concerned with you, Doug. Try to calm down. I’m sure Nicole will wander back home later tonight or tomorrow. Don’t worry about her. If she shows up, I’ll send her home. Okay?”
“I’m warning you, Sloane. He’ll kill you for everything you have. You better listen to me. I’m going to get him before he gets me. This time I’ll get him…” he said as his voice trailed away to a mumble.
Ace barked again and growled at his retreating form.
She peeked around the doorframe and looked through the window to where he had stood. Red droplets of blood stained her concrete stoop. Perfect rounds of crimson red marked a splattered trail both to and from her door. She could not let Nicole go back with him. She’d have to continue the deception.