Volume Three
You Mess With the Bull, You Get the Horns
Mireille Chester
Copyright © 2012 by Mireille Chester
Published by Mireille Chester
Smashwords Edition
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
You Mess With the Bull, You Get the Horns
I must be dreaming, I thought. I gazed at my friends who were frozen in time. Lane was frowning, his hand still against his face where it had been running over his chin, a sure sign he was stressed. I knew that if he’d been able to move he’d be grinding his teeth. I took a deep breath and scoffed. He’d have a fit when he found out he’d been frozen. Alright. So, maybe the silver-eyed man wasn’t lying about being Time. Could he also be telling the truth about being Maxy’s father? And what about the bit about Mother Nature being Max’s mother? This whole situation was so farfetched I was getting a headache trying to process it all.
“Gabby?” Max’s voice broke and he cleared his throat. I looked up at him and grew worried at how pale he was. I mean, even for Max, this was a drastic lack of color.
“How are you holding up, Maxy?”
He ran a hand through his blond hair and inhaled deeply, the silver of his eyes disappearing behind a curtain of light lashes. Father Time, Death, or whatever he was called cocked his head to the side.
“Max?”
Maxy’s eyes found his. “Don’t talk.”
Time blinked in surprise.
“You can’t just pile all this shit on me and then expect it all to be fine. It’s going to take some time to process. And cut the concerned father crap.” Max turned back to me. “We’re fucked.”
I grunted my agreement.
“Okay. You’ve made your point. Unfreeze them.” Max didn’t look at his newfound father as he spoke the words.
Time gave a wave of his hand and the conversations that had been going on resumed as though they’d never stopped. Lane did a double take.
“What the… How’d you end up there?” He ran his hands through dark hair, his cobalt eyes wide.
“Daddy dearest needed to prove a point,” explained Max. “He froze time so we’d believe he was who he said he is.”
Lane’s jaw clenched. “You froze us?”
Time shrugged. “It had to be done. Now, you all need to leave.”
Max scoffed. “And go where? Glade found me once, he’ll find me again. And that’s another thing that doesn’t make sense. When he was here, he tried to get me to remember. If I’m the only one who can stop this, then why would he do that? Why not just leave me alone and get the job done before I remembered?”
“So, you remember?” Time looked hopeful.
Max shook his head. “No. Not a thing. I’m just going on what the two of you have said.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t want to believe a word of it and even though it doesn’t make a stitch of sense, I just… it’s a little hard to deny after everything that’s happened.” He glanced at the door and swallowed hard. “Christ,” he whispered. “Lizzy would have shit if she’d heard this.” He looked down at the touch of Jenny’s hand on his arm. She smiled.
“So what’s with the zombies?” inquired Jason.
“They are Glade’s army,” explained Time.
“But how? They’re humans. What’s he doing to them to turn them that way? I mean, are any of us going to catch it?”
Time shook his head. “It’s not a disease. Terra has many beings who would serve her cause. In this case, it is the earth sprites doing her dirty work.”
“Sprites?” John blinked. “Like the drink?”
Everyone turned to gawk at him.
“Yeah, Dude. That’s it. Mother Nature is using carbonated drinks to take over the human population.” Brent rolled his eyes and Grant snorted.
Time looked at them impatiently. “Earth sprites. Small impish elves, if you will. Terra finds those who have fought for her cause and the sprites possess them in order to walk in this realm.”
“And by those who have fought for her cause you’d mean like activists?” Jenny’s hand tightened on Max’s arm and he covered it with his own.
Time nodded. “Activists, outspoken individuals who took a stand in order to protect the planet and its creatures.”
Everyone turned to look at Lane.
“Looks like you were right about the vegetarians,” muttered Max.
Lane ran a hand over his face. “So how do we stop her?”
The amused looks directed at him turned to those of shock.
“It’s Mother Nature, dude.” Grant shook his head.
The only one to look enthusiastic about the question was Time himself. “She can be stopped.”
Max snorted. “She has elves taking over humans and a son that can kill us without touching us.” He fought the urge to glance at the door again.
“All of this will depend on you,” stated Time. “Only you can stop this.”
Max blanched and I put a hand on his arm.
“You’ll need to eliminate Glade.”
I blinked. “You want him to kill his brother?”
“It will be one or the other. I’m assuming you want Max to live through this.”
Max took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “What do I need to do?”
Time smiled kindly. “First, you need to remember who you are. Once that happens, you’ll know what needs to be done.”
Father and son blinked in unison. Max made his way to the door and opened it cautiously. A German Shepherd sat outside, his tail wagging at the sight of Max. Silver eyes met and held. Max frowned.
“Brat?”
The dog’s tongue lolled out of its mouth. Max ran a hand over his face and shook his head.
“You’re name’s Brat and you’re here to help… and you just told me that in my fucking head.”
Brat gave a happy yip and trotted into the shop.
“I’ll be right back.” Max closed the door behind him, his fists clenched. Brat came to sit at my feet and all the rest of us could do was stare at him.
“Well, I’ll leave you to it, then.” Time gave a nod and vanished into thin air.
“What the fuck! He’s not going to help us?” Brent was so pale I thought he might pass out. Brat nudged his leg with his nose and whined. Brent squatted and put his arms around the thick, furry neck.
“What did he say?” questioned Grant.
Brent scoffed. “How the hell am I supposed to know? He’s a dog.”
“He’d better be house trained,” mumbled John, “cause I sure as shit am not picking up after him.”
Brat turned his head in John’s direction, a low growl rumbling through him.
Brent laughed. “Dude, he’s here to help. Don’t insult him.” Some color returned to his face as he smiled and he stood, giving Brat’s head one final pat.
We all turned as the door opened and Max returned, his chest heaving, his knuckles bloodied. He stopped short.
“Where’s the old man?”
“He said he’d leave us to it and left.” Lane’s voice had found his calming tone.
“Wow…” Max made his way to the couch and sat down.
I made my way to his side. “Do you remember anything?”
He shook his head, closed his eyes, and hung his head back with a groan.
“Max?” Jenny held out a wet cloth. “For your hands.”
I watched as he took it from her with a shy smile. I had to admit this young woman shocked the hell out of me. After everything she’d been though, from her sisters killing her parents to the rest of the aftermath, she was managing to keep a very level head. Throw in the fact that she wasn’t even a tad bit afraid of Max and seemed to go out of her way to put him at ease and little Jenny was quickly becoming one of my favorite people.
“Do you need anything else?” she inquired quietly.
“I’m okay, thanks.”
Brat moved to Max’s side and gazed up at him. The latter frowned, engrossed by whatever was being relayed mentally.
Maxy grunted. “Huh. So ‘man’s best friend’ isn’t just a coincidence, then.” He turned his attention to the rest of us. “Brat says that all dogs will be hunting down yellow eyes. Apparently, when humans came to be, Time had a feeling Terra would try to interfere if things went bad for the planet. He designed dogs to watch over us.”
Brat’s tongue lolled out and I thought he looked quite pleased with himself.
“Does he know how you’re supposed to stop the end of the world?” Brent was kneeling by the dog again. I could have sworn Brat rolled his eyes.
Max shook his head. “He says he’s just a dog.”
“So what do we do?” Brent’s love of dogs didn’t seem to run in the family as Grant eyed the German Shepherd warily from over the back of the couch.
Max ran a hand over his face with a snort. “I guess I need to start remembering who I really am…”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Hello? Time?” Max’s low voice carried across the sleeping shop, though I could tell he was trying to be quiet. “Look, you can’t just tell me I have to save the world and then disappear. It’s been over a week. I don’t remember a thing…” He let out a frustrated breath.
Quiet footsteps came down the loft steps and made their way to the window where he stood in the moonlight.
“Do you think he’ll come?” Jenny gazed at the stars.
“Doesn’t look like it.” He sat on a box. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
I saw her silhouette shrug. “Lots on my mind.” He scooted over on the box and she sat beside him. “How are you doing?” she inquired.
“Oh, you know…” He didn’t elaborate. “You?”
“Oh, you know…”
The pair looked up into the night sky.
“I’m sorry about Lizzy.”
Max took a deep breath and put an arm around her. “I’m sorry about your parents and your sisters.”
Jenny laid her head on his shoulder.
I rolled over quietly and Lane pulled me to his chest in his sleep.
“Max?”
“Hmmm?”
“You’ll remember.”
He grunted. “Even if I do, all I’m going to manage to do is maybe accidently help Terra destroy us.”
Her soft chuckle surprised me. Max appeared to feel the same way.
“Why is that funny?”
“You. You’re funny.”
“Why?”
“Because you really don’t see it. You really think you’re this awful, scary, destructive thing.”
He scoffed. “That’s because I am. Jenny, I even managed to get exiled from an alternate dimension or reality, or whatever because I destroyed things.”
“But Time, Time brought you here, hid you from her because he knew better. He saw what I can see.”
“Yeah?” Max cleared his throat. “And what’s that?”
Someone shifted on the box.
“You might break things, Max, but you don’t hurt things. I haven’t known you very long, but I am observant. Between your meltdowns, you’re one of the kindest, warmest people I’ve ever met and even though you tend to focus on the times you break things, you actually spend a lot more time being that selfless person you don’t want to see.”
I smiled and waited for his response.
“I… I don’t know what to say to that.”
I peeked over my shoulder and watched as Jenny settled herself against him once again.
“Just take the compliment. There are a lot of people in this building who give a shit about you and it’s not because you break things. Maybe it’s time you see it, too.”
“I’ll try,” Max whispered.
“That’s all I ask.”
“Hey, Jenny?”
“Hmmm?”
“Are you a part of this? Were you sent here to help me though this?”
“No. Not that I know of, anyway.”
“K.” He paused. “Would you tell me if you were?”
Jenny’s laughter rang through the shop. “I don’t know! I guess it would depend on what my orders were!”
“Shhhh! You’re going to wake everybody up!” Max’s laughter was even louder than hers.
I fought the urge to join in as they tried to calm themselves.
Max took a few deep breaths. “Well, even if your orders are to not let me know, I’m glad you’re here.”
I could hear the smile in Jenny’s voice. “Me, too, Max. Me, too.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The air nailer kicked in my hand and I stood back to admire the shelf I’d just built. Slowly but surely, it was starting to be obvious we were going to be staying here for a decent amount of time and I was trying to get the shop more organized and multi family friendly. Lane smiled from where he was helping John, Max, and Jason frame in their new bedroom.
“Gabby! Lane! They’re here!” Max’s panicked shout was followed by Brat’s low rumbling growl.
My heart jumped in my throat and I turned to Lane who was running his hand over his face.
“I guess after two weeks without seeing one of them, it shouldn’t be surprising.” He grabbed a rifle and a bag of ammo and handed them to Pete. “Get in the office with Marie and Ashley. Do not come out.”
“Is Glade with them?” Jenny checked to make sure her rifle was loaded then checked the safety.
“No.”
Lane squeezed his shoulder. “Think you can do the whole ‘blast them to bits’ thing?”
“I have no idea. I’m not even sure how I did it the first time.”
We all stopped moving and watched as the door handle turned and the door slowly started to open.
“I forgot to lock it when I took out the garbage this morning…” Grant turned an ugly shade of green and I hoped he’d wait until after the fight to throw up.
If ever there was a slow motion moment in my life, this was it. I shouted Brent’s name as he launched himself at the door in an effort to get it closed. A hand closed around his wrist and jerked him through the opening. His scream of pain as he pulled the door closed on his free hand tore through me and my throat clenched.
“Brent!” Grant ran after his brother, his riffle held like a bat, Brat on his heels. The rest of us were a fraction of a second behind them.
I blinked rapidly to adjust to the sunlight reflecting off the snow. A pair of yellow eyes appeared on my right and I jammed the butt of my gun into the woman’s throat. Grant and Lane launched themselves into a group of five that were trying to take down Brent. The latter was swinging and punching for all he was worth, his efforts to stay on his feet amplified by his grunts as his hands, elbows, and feet connected with his would be killers.
One of the Yellow Eyes managed to pull him to the ground and Grant yelled, his riffle connecting with one of the freak’s heads. Brat’s jaws clamped on the back of a second one’s neck. Jenna’s rifle boomed from the window as she took out a couple of the stragglers that were still coming up the driveway.
“Gabby! Look out!” Max’s cry wasn’t enough of a warning and one of the freaks grabbed me from behind, the force of it making me drop my weapon. The Yellow Eyes I’d been facing off with grinned and came at me with renewed vigor, his hands going for my throat. Behind him, I caught a glimpse of Lane, frozen as he tried to decide who he should helping; me or Brent.
Robby helped him make up his mind by kicking the Yellow Eyes in front of me in the side and sending it sprawling to the ground. Shawn’s baseball bat caved his head in with a crack and a spatter of blood.
I threw my head back and cried out in pain as it connected with the second freak’s face. His nose broke with a sickening crunch and I felt the sandwich I’d just eaten start to fight its way out of my stomach. Max grabbed my arm and pushed me back toward the shop, throwing me through the door before closing it between us.
I ran back to my things and looked up as the door opened again before I could grab my bow.
“Gabby!” Jenny’s rifle followed the Yellow Eyes as the woman ran at me and I scrambled backward until I was pressed against the wall. “I can’t take the shot!”
The air compressor by my feet rumbled as it pressurized itself and I fell to my knees, grabbing the air nailer. The freak never slowed and I brought the gun up, my finger squeezing the trigger as hard as I could. The plunger on the nailer slid back as it connected with her forehead and the familiar sound of a nail leaving the nozzle was quickly followed by the thud of the woman’s body falling to the ground. I squatted back against the wall, my chest heaving with the sobs I was trying to keep down.
Jenny turned back to the window and let out a long breath. “They got them all.”
Lane burst through the door, his dark blue eyes scanning the shop until they met mine. “Christ, are you okay?”
I nodded and tried to pull myself together. He swallowed hard and looked back at the open door. I noticed everyone except for the twins and Max had made their way back in.
“What…” I cleared my throat and stood in a rush. “What happened?”
Jason put an arm around John and tears rushed down both their faces.
Lane wiped his arm across his face. “I looked up and saw you. I couldn’t move. I…” A tear rolled down his cheek. “When I turned back…”
I sprinted past everyone and fell to my knees beside Max in the snow. I looked at the twins through my tears, one of them lying motionless, face down, the other bent over with the force of his sobs. The blue and black bunnyhugs in front of me blurred and I blinked to clear my vision. Which one had worn which this morning? I reached over the blue bunnyhug in the snow and touched the black one softly.
“I didn’t lock the door.” Grant’s hazel eyes met mine. “I didn’t lock the door.”
“It’s… it’s not your fault.” I pulled him to my chest and wrapped my arms around him. “It’s not your fault,” I whispered.
Jenny made her way to Max’s side and handed him his coat. “Put it on.” She knelt beside him and put a hand on his knee.
Brat whined and Max looked up with a frown. “Brat says we need to move.”
“Now?” Shawn pushed away from the building.
“Now.”
The dog barked to emphasize his point.
“I’m not leaving him,” whispered Grant.
“None of us wants to leave him,” agreed John who’d made his way back outside.
Jason put a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll deal with this. Go deal with Lane.”
I glanced at Jenny as I entered the shop. She sat on the box by the window, her rifle on her lap, her face pale.
“Lane’s in the bathroom,” she whispered.
I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and listened outside the bathroom door.
“Lane?” My heart wrenched at the sound of his sobs. “Lane, come on. Open the door.” I turned the handle and kicked myself for thinking he might not have locked it. I pulled my jackknife out of my pocket and unlocked it from the outside. “I’m coming in.”
I decided to leave the light off for the time being. I shut the door behind me and flicked on the scented plugin to get a bit of light before shutting the door and relocking it. Lane sat in the corner by the toilet, his arms wrapped around his knees, his face hidden. Wide shoulders hunched and shuddered. I dropped the lids and sat on the toilet.
“It wasn’t…”
“Don’t.” His voice was muffled in his arms. “I was… right there and… and I… froze.” He turned his head to look at me, his dark eyes glowing with the red light of the plugin. “He screamed… I heard… I heard things breaking… in him…”
Tears spilled down my face and I sank to the floor in front of him so I could wrap my arms around him. Not finding any words, I held him, hoping it would be enough to ease some of the guilt he felt. What was I supposed to say? That it was alright? That everything was going to be okay? How could I try to talk him into thinking something when I didn’t believe it myself?
A soft knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.
“We have to move. Brat says we have an hour before another pack of Yellow Eyes shows up.” Max walked away from the door.
Lane wiped his arms over his face and used some toilet paper to blow his nose before standing.
I took his hands in mine and gazed up at him. He looked exhausted, broken. His bloodshot eyes met mine and he gave me a pitiful attempt at a smile.
“This isn’t all on you, Lane.” I reached up and put a hand on his face. “You have to let the rest of us do our share, too, okay?”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’ve spent the better part of my life taking care of people, Gabs, you know that. I’m not just going to quit now.”
“I’m not telling you to quit giving a shit. I’m telling you to take a step back and let us help you. You’re burning out.”
He shook his head. “If I start slacking and something happens to you… Christ, Gabby, I froze for a second and now Brent is dead.” He reached up and used the heel of his hand to wipe away fresh tears. “Don’t tell me it’s not my fault.” He inhaled deeply and managed to calm himself. “Let’s go. We need to get the trucks loaded.” He gave my hand a squeeze and marched out the bathroom.
I decided to start packing the bathroom since I was already in there. I grabbed one of the duffle bags from the office and filled it with absolutely everything I could find into it. Shampoo, pads, tampons, toilet paper, razors, scissors… if it was in the bathroom, it went in the bag.
Once it was full and the bathroom was emptied of all the necessities, I went to where the men had backed three of the trucks into the shop. Lane and Shawn were putting one of the deep freezes into the back of our one ton. As Jenny and Marie finished packing canned goods into boxes, Jason and John were bringing them to Pete’s truck. Pete and Robbie were grabbing backpacks and duffle bags full of clothes from everyone’s respective spots in the shop and throwing them into the back of the third truck. Max was sitting with Grant on the window box, both of them looking at the floor. Ashley watched the whole proceedings with wide eyes from her car seat.
I went to help Jenny and Marie with the food. The silence in the shop was suffocating. Other than the odd grunt or sound a box being put down, no one made a noise. I swallowed hard. I thought of Brent, how he’d been so amused at being put in the program.
He’d shook my hand then brought it up to his lips with a sly grin, his sixteen year old self just as confident and cocky as he’d been yesterday. If he’d been amused at being put in the program, then I couldn’t lie, I’d been shocked. Most of the kids we’d been given had temper issues, drug and alcohol problems, and came from miserable homes. The twins’ only downfall was to have been born into one of the wealthiest families in Prince Albert. A pair of spoiled brats, they’d grown up used to getting what they wanted and doing what they pleased. At the age of fourteen, they’d decided that stealing cars and going for joy rides was the thing to do. A few bail outs from daddy dear hadn’t helped to instill any responsibility in the boys.
I caught a glimpse of Grant walking into the back room and followed him.
“Hey.” He moved over on the bundle of four by fours so I could sit.
“Hey.”
“Is Lane okay?”
I nodded. “He’ll be alright. You?”
He shrugged. “Not good.” He swallowed hard. “What am I going to do, Gabby? He’s always been here. We’ve always been together…” He wiped his arm across his face. “Do you remember when he broke up with Melanie last year?”
“Yeah.”
“He was so upset. Not about the break up… I mean, I guess he was upset about that, too. He really did like her.”
When he didn’t elaborate, I put a hand on his knee. “I never did hear what happened.”
He scoffed. “She gave him an ultimatum. She said she was tired of me being around all the time. Told him it was time to grow up. It was either her, or me.”
I started to laugh and was glad when he smiled.
“Not a smart move,” I chuckled.
He shook his head. “No. And I mean, really, it was a miracle she’d stayed with him for as long as she had, right? I mean, dude was annoying. It’s not normal to sing that much. And dance. Who just drops whatever they’re doing, grabs another person, and just starts dancing to whatever song he happens to be singing? And he didn’t care who he danced with either. Remember when he grabbed Jason and tried to get him to dance?”
I snorted at the memory. “Jason looked like he was going to knock him out.”
“I know, right?”
He cleared his throat and put a hand to his chest. “It feels empty, Gabby.” Tears slipped down his cheeks and this time he let them fall. “It’s like half of me is gone. I… I keep thinking he’ll come waltzing into the room and I’m going to get to throw something at him and tell him he’s an idiot… But he’s not and I won’t.” A sob raked through him and I put my arms around him. “He’s gone… isn’t he? I mean… this isn’t just… a shitty dream anymore… This shit’s real… I’m never going to see my brother again…”
“I’m so sorry, Grant.” My sobs joined his and I held him, knowing there was nothing I could do that would make losing his brother any easier.
Jason cleared his throat. “We’re all set.”
Grant wiped his face with his shirt. “I’m just going to stay.”
Lane rounded the corner in time to hear Grant’s declaration. “You’re not staying.”
Jason and I watched as blue eyes stared into hazel ones. Grant was the first to look at the ground.
“I can’t leave him here,” he mumbled. “If I hadn’t fucked up, he’d still be here.”
Lane closed his bloodshot eyes and inhaled sharply. “They’d have found a way in if they really wanted to, Grant. This isn’t on you. I was standing right there when it happened. I froze.” He swallowed hard. “Christ, I am so sorry, Grant…”
“I was there, too, Lane. There was nothing you could do.” Grant took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’ve made my decision. I’m staying.”
Lane frowned. “Grant, if you don’t come willingly, I will knock you out.”
I raised an eyebrow at Lane and Jason’s eyes bugged out of his face.
“You wouldn’t hit me.” Grant looked fairly sure of his statement. “You hit one of us, they’ll shut down your program.”
Lane’s face hardened and Grant had the smarts to stand warily.
“Do you remember what’s happening out there? Do you actually think that if any of us makes it through this that anyone will give a flying fuck about the program? I get that you’re upset about your brother. We all loved him and we’re all hurting.” He took a step toward Grant. “But it is my job to keep you guys safe. Now, I get that I have done a real fucking shitty job of it, but I’ll be damned if I’m just going to just leave you here to die by yourself!”
Any noise that happened to be sounding through the shop ceased as Lane’s voice boomed through the building. Grant blanched and backed away from Lane as he started toward him.
“I’m not telling you again, kid. Get your ass into one of those trucks.”
Grant glanced at me and I shrugged.
“Don’t look at me. I think he means it.” Actually, I didn’t think, I knew. I’d seen this look on Lane’s face enough times when he was protecting something he loved. Whether it be me, his mom, or one of these kids, he’d do whatever was necessary to do the best he could to keep that person out of harm’s way. I knew that he thought he was doing the right thing by forcefully hauling Grant out of the building.
“You can’t just punch me!”
“I don’t want to, but I will.” Lane’s anger ebbed. “Grant. Please. I can’t lose another one of you guys.” He swallowed hard.
Grant bit his lip and looked from me to Lane to Jason.
Jason gestured toward the trucks with his head. “Come on, man. We gotta go.” He turned to Lane. “Give a holler if you need help carrying him to the truck.” He walked back to the others.
Grant’s eyes bugged out of his head. “You guys are just going to watch him do this?”
I shook my head. “No. I can’t watch him hit you.” I gave Lane’s arm a squeeze as I walked past him and followed Jason into the other room.
We all looked at one another, wondering if Lane would have to go through with his threat.
“Guys? Brat says we’ve got about five minutes.”
“How does he know?” Jenny scratched behind the dog’s ear.
“He says they’ve got dogs stationed all over the place to keep an eye on the Yellow Eyes’ movements.”
“So, they send each other signals?” John looked amazed until Max shook his head.
“They bark. You know, cause they’re dogs?”
We all relaxed as Lane appeared, his arm around a very conscious Grant.
“Where are we going?” Robby got into his truck and started it.
“Just follow me. I have an idea.” Lane started to one ton and put a hand on my leg before pulling out of the shop.
“So, were you really going to knock me out?” inquired Grant from the back seat.
Lane’s eyes met his in the rearview mirror. “Yeah. Yeah, I was.”
I smiled and turned my attention to the shop as it slowly disappeared in my side view mirror.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“What do you think?” Lane glanced my way as we pulled into the farmyard.
I nodded. “It’s beautiful. I mean, not that that matters. But wow!”
“You guys know who lives here?” Grant hopped out of the truck and looked up at the two story white house then gazed past it to the barn and shop.
Lane shook his head. “It’s been on the market for about nine months and has been empty for about three.”
I frowned. “How do you know that?” I grabbed my rifle and a duffle bag and followed Max into the house.
“Because I came to look at it a few times.” Lane dropped two bags in the still furnished living room, refusing to look at me.
My heart dropped. “You were going to buy another house? For… for you and Michelle?” The fact that I could be jealous of a dead woman was surprising.
His head snapped up and deep blue eyes met mine. “For us.”
“Oh.”
“Hey! I call the first room on the left upstairs!” Max ran out to the truck to grab his things so he could put them in there. “Grant, you can bunk with me. Dude, there’s bunk beds!”
“Where do you want to sleep?” I grabbed my backpack and duffle bag.
“Main floor.”
I nodded and walked down the hallway until I came to two bedrooms. “Pete? You and Marie can take the master. There’ll be more room for all of Ashley’s stuff in there.”
The pair nodded their thanks and I walked into the one across the hallway. The bed was a queen with a dark green comforter and yellow pillow cases. The curtains covering the large windows were a matching green with white flowers.
Lane dropped his bags on the bed and came up behind me. I leaned back against him, hugging his arms to me as he wrapped them around me.
“I was going to bring you out here the day after your birthday to look at it.”
I smiled. “Were you going to confess your everlasting love then, too?”
He scoffed. “No way in hell.”
“I think I would have figured it out.”
“You think?”
I nodded. “I don’t care how much you love me as a friend. Having a little house in town is one thing. Buying my dream home and putting all of the planning into it before you show it to me…” I turned so I could hug him. “Then again, who knows? Turns out I was pretty dense when it came to you.”
He chuckled. “You weren’t dense. You were stubborn.” He tilted my head back and kissed me gently. “I swear, I will never get tired of doing that.”
I ran my fingers over his stubble. “Come on. Let’s go see if they had a backup generator.”
“They did and unless someone looted the shop, there’re three big fuel tanks back there.”
“Well, let’s go start that puppy up. We’ll make a good supper.”
In the living room, Shawn was busy starting a fire in the beautiful fire place.
“Good news, guys! No more boiling water. This place is on well water.” A few amused cheers echoed through the house at Robby’s announcement as he walked back into the house. The cheers turned into all out whoops and hollers as the lights turned on.
Jason walked in through the back door, grinning. “Generator works.”
I laughed and hugged Lane tightly. I got to work starting a moose stew while the others finished unpacking.
“I’m not going to complain about the shop,” stated Jenny, “but I have to admit that being in an actual house makes this whole ordeal a tiny bit less horrible.” She added a cup of sugar to her dough and placed the soon to be bannock on the cookie sheets.
“Are you guys seriously making stew and bannock for supper?”
Jenny screamed as John picked her up and swung her around. I held my wooden spoon up, ready to fend him off.
“Johnny, it’s not like we’re making steak and lobster,” I laughed.
“Fuck steak and lobster! I’ll take stew and bannock over that any day!” He turned back to Jenny. “And you! You just made bannock, just like that!”
“Um, I guess…” Her eyes bugged out of her head as he got down on one knee.
“Jenny, you have won my heart. Will you marry me?”
“Um, Gabby?”
“Yeah?” I was laughing so hard I could barely answer her.
“Can I borrow your wooden spoon?”
I tossed her the spoon and saw Maxy watching her, a soft smile on his lips. Her eyes met his and I could have sworn the room brightened with her smile.
“Alright.” I took my spoon back from Jenny and got out of the way so she could put her bannock in the oven before going to sit on the couch.
“So, bannock from scratch, eh?” Max smiled and sat beside her.
“You’re not going to drop down on one knee, too, are you?” she teased.
He shook his head. “I’m more of a homemade buns kinda man.”
She grinned. “I’ll make those tomorrow.”
“Huh. Maybe Johnny had the right idea.” His smile softened at her blush.
I noticed Shawn watching the two of them and hoped he wasn’t going to turn into the overprotective big brother.
“Where’s Grant?”
“I’ll go check upstairs.” Jason took them two at a time and returned with a smile on his face. “He’s sleeping.”
Half of the crew yawned at the mention of sleep, Lane included.
Everyone retreated to their rooms to settle in while supper cooked.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I sat on the bed, hating that I was going to have to wake him up.
“Lane…” I whispered his name and ran my fingers through his hair.
His eyes flickered open and I sat still as he tried to remember where he was. His gaze met mine and he relaxed.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” He reached up and wiped the tears from his face. “I fell asleep?”
I nodded. “I would have left you alone, but you didn’t seem to be having a really good dream. Do you remember what it was about?”
He shook his head.
“Are you hungry? I can warm you up a plate.”
“I’ll just eat it cold. No need to waste gas just to start the microwave. You guys made sure the fridge and freezer were cold before you cut the power?”
I smiled. “Yes, boss.”
He sat up and pressed his lips to my forehead. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“You obviously needed it.” I took him by the hand and let him through the dimly lit hallway. Candle light flickered over the kitchen. I spooned some stew into a bowl for him, grabbed the last two pieces of bannock, and brought it to the dining room table.
“I could have got my own.” He took the bowl and pulled me down for a kiss. “But, thank you.”
“Eat.” I went back into the kitchen, poured the last of the stew into a bowl, and went to the living room. “Here you go, Brat.”
The German Shepherd thumped his tail against the floor and gave my hand a lick before getting up to eat the leftovers.
“How’s Grant?” Lane looked up from his spoonful of stew.
“Still sleeping. Max said he’d keep an eye on him.”
He nodded. “Everyone else?”
“Alright.” I shrugged. “They’re tired, sad, and stuck in the zombie apocalypse.”
Lane snorted. “Yeah. That’ll teach us for driving big trucks and digging for oil.”
“You know, you can’t really blame the woman. Humans have been destroying this planet for a while now. I just wished she’d waited until I was already dead before she threw her hissy fit.”
He grunted. “We have to get Maxy to remember who he is.”
“Any ideas?”
“No.”
“Yeah. Me neither.”
“Did you keep some stew for Grant?” Lane looked to where Brat was done licking up the bowl.
“Yes, I kept a bowlful for Grant. I found a box of those Melba crackers for him to eat with it. He doesn’t like bannock, remember?”
“Right.” He chuckled. “Only person on the face of the earth who doesn’t like bannock.” His smile left and he pushed his food away. “Or at least, he is now.”
I took his hand, knowing he was thinking of Brent.
“Lane, you have to quit blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong.”
“They rely on us, Gabs.”
I smiled as the thought rolled through my mind. “Do they? Do they need us, or do we need them?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, look at them. We started the program to help kids who had problems getting along with others, with society. Look at them. They’re a team, Lane. They’re working their asses off to stay alive and they’re making sure to do it together.”
He thought about what I’d said and gave a small nod. “They really are amazing, eh?”
“Yeah.” I tugged him out of his chair. “Come on. I’m exhausted.”
We made our way to the room we’d picked and I sank into the mattress.
“Oh, my god. I missed sleeping in a bed.” I sat up, pulled off my boots and jeans, too tired to bother finding my comfy sleeping sweats. Lane tugged his t-shirt over his head, slipped out of his jeans and boots, and dropped onto the bed beside me.
“Were mattresses always this bouncy?”
I laughed, crawled under the sheets and snuggled into him as he joined me.
“Lane?”
“Hmmm?”
“I love you.”
He smiled and gazed down at me, his fingers tracing my jawline. “I love you, too.”
His lips met mine softly and I sighed then shivered as his fingers tangled themselves in my hair. My heart quickened in my chest and suddenly, I felt like some innocent kid that had never been with a man. He nuzzled his way down my neck where his tongue left a trail along my collar bone. Lazy heat waves tightened in my belly and travelled down between my legs.
His tongue worked along my skin back up to my lips where he pushed himself between my teeth, his kiss taking on a more urgent feel to it. I answered him, eager to finally have him completely.
He rolled on top of me and spread my legs with his knees, his hard on pressing against me through our underwear. A flick of his hips against mine caused me to catch my breath, liquid heat spreading up my belly and down my legs.
His hand traced down one of my arms before pulling it over my head where it was quickly joined by the other. I arched against him as his tongue flicked my nipple through my tank top. He brushed his teeth over the material then sucked hard. I groaned.
The throbbing between my legs intensified and I squirmed under him.
“Lane.”
He moved on to my other breast. “Hmmm?” His hum vibrated through my nerves and I bucked against him.
“Lane, come on.”
He let go of my arms long enough to pull the tank top over my head before pinning me to the mattress once again.
“Come on, what?” His teeth worked over my breasts, first one then the other.
“Panties.”
He looked up with a grin. “I’m getting there.”
Instead of getting there, however, he moved back up to my mouth, catching my moan with his as he pressed his hips into mine once again. His hand cupped my breast and kneaded it. I felt him smile against my lips before his fingers trailed down my belly. He ran his thumb over the edge of my panties and pulled them down. He rolled partially off of me so I could kick them off before pinning me under him again.
His hand pressed between my legs, the heel of his palm pushing against my clit. I gasped and arched under him. His fingers slipped into me and he groaned.
“Christ, you’re wet.” He let go of my arms and I made quick work of pulling off his boxer briefs.
I wiggled my way back under him, legs spread, ready. My heartbeat drummed through my body, pulsing heat to every nerve ending I had. I reached down, grabbed his shaft and gave it a squeeze before guiding him where I wanted him. His eyes held mine as he pushed into me until he was fully sheathed. His groan vibrated through both of us.
His lips claimed mine once again and my fingers laced in his hair, my hips meeting his as he started to move in and out of me. Sweat slicked our bodies and added to the sensations as skin slipped against skin.
Lane pulled out slowly and waited until I looked up at him before thrusting back in. My mouth opened in a soundless gasp at the full feeling.
“Did I hurt you?” His eyes widened with worry.
“No. God, no. That felt good.” I reached up and ran a hand over his stubble. “You feel so good.”
He visibly relaxed and resumed what I soon came to realize was the worst form of torture. My hips twitched with every slow exit he made and my body rocked as he pounded back into me. The pressure started to build deep inside.
I groaned. “Oh, god, Lane.”
“Fuck, you’re getting tight.” He caught his breath and pushed in harder.
My entire body clenched as the pressure exploded through it, the blood rushing to every nerve and pore I had. Lane’s mouth covered mine and I caught his groan as he swelled inside of me. His hips jerked with his final thrusts while I pulsed around him, milking him.
He rolled to the side and pulled me to his chest, his lips on my forehead.
“Gabrielle?” Lane’s voice was husky and he cleared his throat.
“Hmmm?”
“We’re going to live through this.” He kissed me softly. “I finally have you. If Mother Nature thinks she’s just going to take that away from me, she’s going to be surprised at the outcome.”
“It’s not going to be easy,” I whispered, terrified at the thought of losing him.
“No fight worth fighting is an easy one,” he stated. “I think I remember a tiny little redheaded girl telling me that when we were twelve.”
I thought back and started to laugh. “I called out Big Bertha.”
“Right. Cause she called me your pet.”
“I think I still have a bald spot where she pulled out my hair.”
“I remember standing there, watching while she dragged you around and you yelling at me to stay out of it.”
“Man, she kicked my ass.”
“But she never did bug us again.” He grinned and kissed my forehead. “That one solid punch to the face seemed to scare her.”
“That’s cause I don’t think she’d actually ever been hit before.”
“So, Mother Nature is just another Big Bertha. Just a big bully who’s not used to being called out.”
“Now, we just have to figure out how to punch her.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Gabby! There’s horses in the yard!” Jenny was standing at the picture window, her face full of joy at the sight of the animals.
I joined her and was impressed at how healthy the three of them looked. Other than being a bit thin, it seemed they’d done alright for themselves since either escaping their home or being let loose. The horses spooked as Max came running around the corner of the house. His eyes bugged out of his head and he quickly backtracked, coming into the house through the back door.
“Holy shit! There’re horses in the yard!”
“Let’s try to get them in the pen. There’re halters in the barn and I think Robby said there was a bit of grain left in the hopper out back. Let’s get a pail full.”
Jenny nodded and left to go get the oats while I fetched the halters.
“Hey, guys…” I walked up slowly, making sure not to make any sudden movements. The bay mare flared her nostrils and snorted. “Easy girl.” I reached back into the pail and held out a handful of oats. The black behind her pawed at the ground nervously. I looked past her to the sorrel to make sure he wasn’t about to bolt.
The bay reached forward and breathed in the smell of the oats.
“That’s it, Bella.” Jenny shook the pail gently to let her know there was more.
“Bella?”
“Yeah. Just look at her. She’s all nervous and twitchy. Just like that chick off of Twilight.”
I tried to keep from laughing but a snort managed to escape my efforts. Bella shied away from me, her head and tail held high.
“Easy now.” I got a halter ready and took a step toward the black. She stepped toward me at the sight of the oats and the halter slipped over her nose without causing a meltdown. Jenny was there with the pail to let her get another mouthful while I did up the buckle.
“Think the other two will just follow us?”
“Here’s hoping.” I led the black toward the barn where Max was holding the gate open.
“We should call this one Vader. You know, cause he’s all black.” He grinned.
“He’s a girl,” I clarified with a chuckle. “Come one, Vader. Call your buddies in here.”
Instead of listening, the newly christened Vader put all of her attention into eating the small pile of oats Jenny had put on the ground for her.
“Ooh! The brown one’s coming.” Jenny held out the pail and let the gelding have a few mouthfuls before attempting to put on the halter.
“Two down, one to go.” Max grinned.
I caught a glimpse of Lane, Robby and Jason coming out of the woods behind Bella. Her ears twitched in their direction. Though I couldn’t hear Lane, I knew he was taking to her in that low, calming tone that seemed to work on everything alive.
He slowly took his belt off while still walking calmly toward the bay mare. I watched as she relaxed and knew she was under his spell.
“That’s a good girl.” He flashed me a grin as he led her past me and into the pen. “So… horses, eh?”
I shrugged. “It’s got to be safer for them here, right?”
“I’m sure they’ll appreciate some hay and a steady supply of water.” He scratched the bay behind the ear while she ate oats from the pile on the ground.
“That one’s Bella,” offered Jenny.
“And this one’s Vader.” Max noticed Lane’s amusement and grinned. “Yeah, yeah. I know she’s a girl.”
We all turned out attention to the small sorrel.
“Fatty Lumpkin.” Grant’s voice behind us caused me to jump.
Max frowned. “What’s that from?”
Grant’s smile was a sad one. “Lord of the Rings. It’s Tom Bombadil’s horse. Brent always said if he ever had a horse, that’s what he’d call it.”
We all took a minute to look at the small gelding. I put an arm around Grant and gave him a hug.
“That’s a good name for him.”
Everyone nodded.
“How are you doing, Grant?” Lane watched him closely as Grant took a handful of oats and fed it to Fatty Lumpkin.
Grant shrugged. “Alright, I guess.” He shrugged again. “Did you get anything?”
Lane, Robby, and Jason all shook their heads. Jenny snorted.
“I guess if we’re going to have fresh meat on the table, the women will have to go out and get it.” She stuck her tongue out at her brother and I laughed.
“We’ll head out first thing in the morning,” I suggested.
“Make sure you take Brat,” stated Max. “He can let you know if any of the Yellow Eyes are getting close.”
The German Shepherd appeared at the mention of his name.
“It’s too bad you’re not a bloodhound, Brat. We could have used a tracking dog today.” Lane gave him a pat on the head.
Brat gave him his version of an eye roll. Max and Grant went to get a couple of hay bales from the stack the owners had left behind and broke them open for the horses.
The day’s jovial mood was broken as Brat gave a low growl. We all looked to Max for the translation.
He blanched. “Glade knows we’re here.”
“Your brother is turning into one hell of a pain in the ass.” Jason ran his fingers through Vader’s mane.
“Brat said some of the dogs got close enough to hear some of his plans.”
A border collie trotted up the driveway and sat by Brat. It gave a sharp yip.
“Riley says Glade is going to be coming from the far field…”
Lane frowned. “I’m assuming he’s not coming alone?”
Riley growled and Max shook his head.
“Then we need a plan.”
I nodded and tried to keep the butterflies from smashing through my stomach. “Do you remember anything, yet, Maxy?”
“No.” His voice was just a whisper.
“It’s alright, Max.” Jenny took his hand in hers. “You will.”
Lane took a deep breath. “I think it’s time for a group meeting. If that dipshit thinks he’s just going to roll through us, he’s got another thing coming. We need to be ready for him. We will be ready for him.”
Fatty Lumpkin stomped his foot in what seemed to be agreement.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Do you think we’re ready?” I leaned my forehead against the door frame, willing my stomach to settle down.
“Hey. We’re as ready as we’re going to get. If we just stick to the plan, we’ll be fine.” Lane’s hand rubbed up and down my back. How he could sound so calm and sure of everything, I had no idea.
I took a few deep breaths, and gave myself a mental kick. It was time to suck it up and do what needed to be done.
“Okay.” I pushed away from the wall and tried to smile. “Let’s do this.”
Lane pressed his lips to my forehead. “Just remember Big Bertha.”
We walked out into the living room where the others were gathering. Marie had tears in her eyes as she hugged everyone.
“Be careful,” she whispered to me.
“Will do.”
Max gave her an extra long hug and ruffled her hair. “You know what they say about messing with bulls, right?”
She frowned.
“You mess with the bull, you get the horns.” He grinned. “I think I heard that in a movie once.”
She laughed. “I’m assuming you’re the bull?”
He shrugged. “Lane’s probably the bull. You know, he’s all protect the herd kinda guy…”
“Hmmm?” Lane looked up from the plans he’d drawn out.
“Maxy just called you a cow,” laughed John.
“Man, I did not! I just meant he’s kinda like our fearless leader.”
Lane grunted. “Right. Well, whatever you guys were talking about, we’ve got to get going. You all have everything?”
Everyone nodded.
Max knelt down beside Brat and Riley. “You guys stay here and help Pete and Marie hold down the fort.” He gave them each a pat on the head and stood. We all looked at the door then followed Lane outside.
“Does everyone remember what they have to do?” He glanced around until he was sure everyone was nodding. “Alright. Let’s get into position.”
We all clambered into our designated trucks.
Lane put a hand on my leg while I watched the trees go by.
“It will work. Don’t second guess yourself.” He gave my leg a squeeze.
“I wasn’t just my plan.”
“No, but you did have the original idea.”
I shrugged. “It’s not the Yellow Eyes I’m worried about. It’s what we’re supposed to do when Glade shows up.”
“There’s nothing we can do if he shows. The only one who can do anything about that is Maxy.”
“That’s what’s bugging me. He doesn’t remember anything. How is he supposed to do something about his brother when he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do?” I glanced through the rear window to where the topic of our conversation was sitting in the box, his eyes trained on the woods in search of Yellow Eyes. His eyes had bled back to green now that he was away from the dogs. Though he looked a shade paler than his usual pale, he seemed calm, determined even.
We pulled into the field where we were planning to make our stand. I glanced up to the tree stands we’d built the day before as we drove by them. The ground was nice and dry thanks to Mother Nature trying to bake the hell out of humanity the past two days.
Lane stopped and the other two trucks pulled up beside us. We all piled out and looked across the field.
“Anything, Maxy?” Lane’s jaw clenched at Max’s head shake. I reached over and took his hand.
“Jenny, you be careful, you got it?” Robby pulled his little sister into a hug. Shawn joined them and Jenny swallowed hard.
“You guys be careful. I can’t lose you, too.”
I watched as Jason, John, Grant, and Max all gave each other silent looks and pats on the back.
“Whatever happens, I want to see all four of you boys back at the house, okay?” I took a deep breath and tried not to let my fear show as I was suddenly engulfed in a group hug.
Max twitched and we all turned.
I watched, caught between panic at the sight of the Yellow Eyes emerging from the trees and the warmth in my chest at the sight of Max grabbing Jenny by the hand.
“Jenny?” He frowned and glanced to the left where a small portion of Mother Nature’s army was making its way across the field. “Look, I just…” He blinked and the silver bled into his eyes.
Jenny looked across the tall grass and wiped her arm across her brow. The sweat on her forehead fused with the dirt on her arm and left a mud streak. Max took the hem of his shirt and brushed it away.
“Don’t get dead, ok?” He relaxed as he looked into her eyes and she smiled. “Just… make sure you stay alive.” His eyes glazed over, completely silver, and a shiver ran through him. “Glade’s here.”
Jenny gave his hand a squeeze. “Be careful.” She stood on her tip toes and kissed him lightly on the lips.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Come back to me,” she whispered.
My eyes met Lane’s over their heads and I tried to smile. Dark clouds rolled toward us and the wind picked up, a sudden gust of it nearly knocking me off of my feet.
“Get in the trees, Gabrielle!” Lane sent a final reassuring grin in my direction before jogging to the one ton. Jason followed his lead and jumped into Pete’s half-ton, his bag of guns and ammo landing in passenger seat. Shawn slapped the blue cab to let him know he was ready to go in the box.
“Jenny! Go!” Max pushed her toward the woods and ran towards where John, Jason, and Lane were starting the trucks. I waited for her to catch up to me then sprinted toward the trees. The rain started to fall in a sheet.
“Stupid bitch isn’t fighting fair,” I yelled to be heard over the noise of what sounded like a waterfall. A lightning bolt stuck a tree somewhere nearby and the boom of thunder left a ringing in my ears.
“I think you just pissed her off!” Grant slung his riffle over his shoulder. “There!” He pointed to the tree stands.
He cupped his hands and boosted Jenny into her tree then did the same with me. They climbed onto their platforms as I watched, trying to keep the panic from taking over. They’d be fine. We’d all be fine. We weren’t going to lose any more people. I turned my attention to where the three trucks were driving closer to the mob of yellow eyes. One set of headlights turned on in the gloom and two more followed. All I could see was shadows and lights through the wall of rain.
I thought of the little farmhouse a mile behind us and hoped to god that Pete was going to be able to keep Marie and Ashley safe; that nothing was going to get there until we’d returned. I flicked the safety off of my rifle, raised it, and looked through the scope. Rumbles filled the air and it was hard to differentiate between the thunder and the sounds of the gun shots the men were letting off from the trucks. The three of them drove back and forth across the field, just ahead of the Yellow Eyes. Shawn, Max, and Robby knelt in the back of the trucks, their shots taking down human clothed sprites in an effort to keep them back.
My heart was pounding its way up my throat as the action slowly inched its way closer and closer to us. I kept glancing at the small clump of willows that marked the middle of the field. Three more passes and they’d be there.
“Hey, Gabs!”
I looked at Grant who was still staring into the field.
“I just wanted to say, you know… in case something happens.” He glanced at me and shrugged. “Just, thanks. You know. I don’t think you and Lane realize just how great you are to us.”
I swallowed hard. “I… Don’t talk like that, okay? Nothing’s going to happen.”
“No, really, Gabby.” Grant nodded. “Thanks.”
I could feel the tears trying to spring free and I blinked rapidly to chase them away. “It’s nothing,” I managed to mumble loud enough for them to hear.
“No, it’s not. It’s everything.”
Jenny straightened. “They’re coming.”
We all turned our focus toward the three trucks which were now speeding our way. I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from screaming as Lane hit a gopher hole and the jolt nearly shot Max out of the truck. He spread his arms, clamping his hands around the edges of the windows.
“Hang on, Max!”
I wasn’t sure if he heard Jenny’s yell, but silver eyes turned toward the trees just as a burst of lightning lit up the field. Robby was keeping an eye on the advancing Yellow Eyes, one arm clamped over the edge of the box while the other wedged itself into what little room there was between the spray in liner and the spare tire he had secured on the flooring. Shawn was sprawled out, his legs securing him in place while he fired out the back in a final attempt to lower their numbers.
The three of them charged at the woods, pulled u-turns, and backed up to the trees. John, Jason, and Lane grabbed their guns and packs and joined the others in the back of the trucks.
“Did you see Glade?”
Lane shook his head to answer my question.
“I don’t know how Time expects me to kill the fucker if he’s too chicken shit to meet me head on,” grumbled Max.
Part of me was relieved that Max’s estranged brother hadn’t made it to rendezvous. I wasn’t sure he was up to going blow for blow with someone who’d been honing his skills for, oh, his entire life.
“He’s here, I can feel him. I just can’t place where he is yet.”
I wiped wet bangs out of my face and attempted to get them to stay behind my ears. Lane’s deep blue eyes met mine and the need to feel his lips on my forehead was overwhelming.
“Are you okay?” He jumped out of the truck and made his way up my tree so that he could sit on the platform with me.
I nodded.
“Hey, we’ve got this.”
I leaned down so I could kiss him. His lips touched mine lightly before pressing to my forehead.
“Just keep shooting and when you run out of ammo, get the hell out of here, got it?”
I snorted. If he thought I was just going to leave him out here on his own, he was nuts.
“I mean it, Gabs.”
“Yeah, not likely.”
We all looked up as Jason fired a shot at the Yellow Eyes that were getting into range.
“I’m serious,” he called back over his shoulder as he jumped back to the ground and into the box of the one ton.
Instead of arguing, I raised my rifle and took aim. I took my time, making sure each bullet counted. There had to be close to sixty, maybe seventy freaks making their way toward us. All around me, rifles went off until all I could hear was a steady hum.
“Gabby, I’m out!”
I tossed Jenny a clip, made sure she caught it then resumed shooting. The crowd slowly but surely started to thin as first ten then twenty of the Yellow Eyes fell to the ground. I redoubled my efforts, a small spark of hope igniting somewhere deep inside of me. Below us, Shawn tossed a rifle to Jason. The odd shout indicated how we were doing on ammunition.
“Lane! Here!” I threw down my ammo bag, keeping my rifle and the shells I had in it.
He nodded, set the bag down and watched as I pulled out my bow and notched an arrow. I took a deep breath, steadied my aim, and threw in a prayer for good luck. Hitting anything with this wind was going to take a miracle. The arrow let loose and I whooped.
“Woohoo! Take that you fucker!”
Jenny grinned and reached over to bump bows, her ammo pack now sitting in the back of Shawn’s truck.
“I’m out!” Grant shouted for the rest of us to hear before jumping to the ground.
I let four more arrows fly.
Jenny jumped down and waved up at me. “I’m not hitting shit!”
“Hop in! I’m going back!” John started the truck, waited for Jenny and Grant to get in beside him, then peeled away from us.
“How are you doing, Maxy?” I jumped down from my stand, put my arrows in the quiver on my back, and strung the bow beside them over my shoulder.
“He’s hanging back!”
I took a quick estimate of the yellow eyes still on two feet. “What do you figure? About twenty?”
Lane nodded.
“I might be able to knock them out,” offered Max.
I shook my head. “You need to stay strong for when Gale decides to show his face.” I checked the ammo in our bags then hopped to the ground so I could keep firing.
“I’m out!” Robby caught the bag Shawn tossed him and reloaded. Four shots rang out and three Yellow Eyes fell.
“That’s ten! We can handle ten!”
We all nodded our agreement with Shawn’s declaration. Back at the house, we had more ammo, not to mention dogs. Ten Yellow Eyes was going to be a piece of cake. Everyone jumped back into the trucks.
“You’re all okay?” Jenny ran out of the house and nearly knocked Robby over with her hug. Shawn laughed.
“Of course.”
She turned her attention to Max and a grin split her face. His surprise and happiness was obvious as she threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around him. He brushed the wet hair out of her face and smiled.
“Miss me?”
She blushed. “Shut up.”
If he’d been planning on teasing her farther, his efforts were cut off as she laced her fingers in his hair and stood on her tip toes to kiss him. She’d obviously been holding back in the field just a short while ago. Robby raised an eyebrow, but kept quiet at the warning nudge Shawn gave him.
Max’s eyes were wide and his breathing slightly erratic when she pulled away. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he mumbled against her lips.
Everyone screamed as a bolt of lightning hit the ground a few feet from the house. The immediate boom of thunder made my ears ring.
Max grabbed Jenny by the arms and pushed her away. “Get in the house now!” He turned and ran towards me, pushing me in Jenny’s direction. “All of you! Now!”
“Glade?” Lane glanced around the yard, trying to get a fix on whatever was making Max panic.
“No! It’s her! She’s here!”
Another bolt of lightning connected with a tree just over the one ton.
“Come on, Max! Get in here!” I held the door with both hands, trying to keep it from blowing off of its hinges.
A flash of lighting blinded me and I blinked, scared by how close they were hitting.
“Maxy!” Lane pushed past me toward Max who lay on the ground in a heap. He grunted with the effort it took to lift him and carry him back to the house.
“Is he breathing?” Jenny knelt beside Lane as he lay Max on the ground. Lane went through the motions of checking for breathing and heart beats.
“He’s okay. He seems to be fine.”
Pete’s eyes were saucers in his head. “You guys… the storm’s done. Do you think that’s a good thing or a bad thing?”
John and Jason went to stand on the deck. Not a hint of a breeze disturbed the leaves in the trees where two minutes earlier, the trees themselves had been fighting to stay rooted.
Max groaned and everyone sighed with relief.
“What happened?”
“You got hit by lightning.” Jenny’s eyes filled with tears and she buried her face in his chest.
“Shhh. I’m okay. Really.” He frowned. “I could feel her. I remember that. She was here. But then Time showed up. I could feel him, too.”
“You getting hit by lighting… was that on purpose?” Lane looked livid.
Max closed his eyes. “I’m not sure.” He sat up suddenly, his face pale.
“What?” I knelt beside him, putting a hand on his arm. “What is it?”
“I…” He gently pried himself out of Jenny’s hold and got up slowly. We all watched as he made his way to the window. A shiver ran through him and he turned toward us, his silver eyes wide. “Holy fuck! I remember!”
To Be Continued…
Books by Mireille Chester
Adult Novels
The Chosen One Trilogy
Crossover
Journey
Destiny
Angered Seasons (the serial novel)
The Worst Birthday Ever (volume one)
Zombies, Aliens, and Meat-Eating Vegetarians? (volume two)
Young Adult Novels
Knights of Dorathan
Chael’s Luck
Tales of Quelondain
Tyler’s Story
About the Author
Mireille Chester was born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1979 and moved to Saskatchewan when she was eight. Writing is one of her many passions which also include reading, drawing, painting, animals, and the outdoors. She is a stay at home mom and wife.
Her first series, The Chosen One Trilogy, is the first of her adventures which are based in the world of Quelondain. The three stories, Crossover, Journey, and Destiny follow the adventures of Hayden Carlson when she suddenly discovers a world filled with magic and finds herself caught up in a war that could wipe out almost every being that lives there. The trilogy has been described as a great mix of epic and paranormal fantasy for adults.
Mireille lives with her husband and their three children as well as multiple animals. She hopes to keep readers entertained with her magical worlds and enjoyable characters.
http://mireillechester.blogspot.com is where you can learn more about her books and follow her blog.