Chapter Ten

A long walk it was for Jenna and Quentin when the horses did not return. Jenna leaned on Quentin most of the way, not talking, focusing on putting one foot in front of another. It took more than two hours for them to make it back to the inn and by then Jackie and Emma were organizing a search party. After numerous hugs and some fatherly chastisement from Gus, the group made a plan to meet in the evening and discuss a stalker so close to the inn.

With the curtains drawn back that evening, the low moon was on full display through the windows. Jenna fidgeted as she took a seat on the over-used couch in the main entryway. Her ankle, while bandaged, ached. It was just a sprain, but still painful. Emma had tried to give her a few aspirin from their dwindling amount of medicine, but Jenna had refused the pain killers. The group’s stash of medications were low, too low. Jenna was also frustrated at herself. She’d be hobbling around for at least a week and didn’t look forward to trying to weed the garden with her foot in a bandage. Quentin had already promised to take care of the horses while she was healing, that is, if they returned. .

Jenna looked around for a distraction, her attempt to make herself comfortable, failing. Even after cleaning up the inn, the furniture remained in various states of disarray. Mice had burrowed into the fabric of the couches, leaving holes where white tufts of material emerged like cotton balls. Chairs, while still comfortable, lacked cushions or had the frames repaired with odd pieces of wood scavenged from other areas of the inn. Jenna focused on the people, mostly cleaner and more well fed. She tried to gauge the attitude of the group. Were they mad Quentin and she had taken the horses out for a ride?

Quentin put a hand on her knee as he sunk into the cushions next to her. “You okay? How’s the ankle?”

“It’s okay. I’ll heal. More worried about the meeting. I hope we didn’t piss too many people off.”

“We didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t worry about it.”

“Humph. Aren’t you just the optimist.”

Peter took charge and called the group to order.

“Jenna and Quentin,” Peter began. “Why don’t you relate what happened today, but remember that there are kids in the room so keep the descriptions to a minimum.”

Josh and Kyle, the two youngest boys in the group at eight and ten, eyed one another, sharing a look. While not related, the two were as close as brothers, and Jenna knew they viewed Ford and Beth as their parents. Looking at Ford and Beth, who sat snuggled on a couch with the boys at their feet, Jenna was envious. In the middle of all the post-apocalyptic turmoil, Ford and Beth had found each other, and love. Further, they opened their hearts to the two orphaned boys.

She looked at Quentin, who gave her a shy smile and motioned for her to start the story.

“Well, I guess we got too comfortable. Both of us…” Jenna pointed to Quentin, “…didn’t even think about taking a gun out on the trails. That was incredibly stupid. As you all know, the horses showed up yesterday and we thought we’d try them out. If they were sound, we could have used them to help haul wood and stuff. I…”

“I forgot to tell you, Jenna,” Quentin broke in, placing a hand on Jenna’s knee. Caleb glared from across the room. “The horses came back just a little while ago when Emma was bandaging your ankle. Sorry, I meant to find you, but I got caught up talking to Peter about everything. I guess they like it here and like you. I wasn’t so sure they’d find their way home after what happened.” His hand moved from her knee to her thigh.

Caleb sent Jenna and Quentin a look she could not decipher.

“That’s great news.” Jenna smiled and gave him a quick, awkward hug. Relieved the horses were safe, she continued her story in a much better mood. “We were out riding in the woods, heading for the lake, but kind of meandering around on the paths, and it, the stalker, just came out of nowhere.”

“There only seemed to be one, but it spooked Jenna’s horse so that she fell off and had to fight from the ground,” Quentin added, looking mournfully at her bandaged ankle.

“I’m fine!” Jenna quipped and took up the story again. “There’s not much more to tell. We…” Jenna looked at Josh and Kyle before stating, “…disposed of it and then Quentin helped me limp back here. I don’t know if I could find my way back to where the stalker was. Could you, Quentin?”

“Not sure, but we have to try. I’m sorry I got you into this mess, Jenna.”

Jenna blushed as Caleb shot another look at the two of them. What was his problem? He ignored her for weeks, and now he was acting as if he wanted her gone.

Quentin, ignorant of Caleb attitude, took over the story. “It could have been worse, but it brings up a lot of questions about how the stalker got past the barriers we put up and if there are more like it, close by.”

“Maybe a fence is down,” said Gus. “We can run a perimeter check.”

George, his sleeveless T-shirt creased with oil and dirt, shadow of a beard highlighting his blazing eyes and stern demeanor, turned towards the others seated throughout the room. Like a preacher at the pulpit delivering a sermon, he began to rant.

“If there is one, there’s got to be more. The stalkers probably followed the horses in. We don’t want no more people acting stupid and heading outside without guns or weapons. We need to get back into military mode. As I’ve been telling the group since we got here, our lazy ways are going to get us killed. It’s a new world, people, and if we don’t want to be extinct, we had better be ready to fight and kill, and kill, and kill some more.” He stared at Jenna.

Jenna returned his glare, noting that even with the hot showers available, George looked greasy. His brown hair, tinged with grey, was slicked back and long against his neck. A film a sweat covered his brow.

“Be careful what you say, George.” Beth covered Josh’s ears and reprimanded George with a look almost as intimidating as his own.

“We’ve all got comfortable.” Billy rushed in to defend Jenna. “It’s been so peaceful. I go swimming in the lake every day and never take a gun with me. It’s the only place I find peace.”

Jenna gave Billy a warm smile. It was true. Billy had not only grown comfortable, but had grown up. She would swear that he had shot up a couple inches in height, his blond hair sculpted in spikes like Quentin. Billy, after the loss of his brother, stuck close to Quentin, emulating him.

“We shouldn’t have done it.” Jenna could admit when she was wrong. “I know it was wrong to go out into the woods without weapons and I’m sure Quentin would agree. I’m sorry.”

Bethany’s cat-like eyes blazed. The pout on her full red lips contrasted with her sumptuous, long black hair, straight and shiny, looking styled even without the aid of hair products and a straightener.

“It’s obvious that we need to be more careful. From now on, no one goes outside without some type of protection. It would be best if humans waited for us.” She indicated to the others around the room and her nostrils flared, as if talking to Jenna was beneath her. “If that’s not possible, at least travel in pairs or groups, especially down to the lake for water.” There was a murmur of agreement before Bethany continued. “As you know it takes a lot of water to feed and bathe all the people here. From now on, when we take the trucks down it has to be in groups. We can’t afford any more silly little injuries or…”

“We need to start a patrol again,” George cut Bethany off. She sent him a look that could freeze hell.

Bethany refused to be silenced. “Others will patrol at night, though we do it anyway when hunting, and humans during the day. Obviously, Jenna, you’ll be excused until your ankle is healed.” Bethany flicked her hair back, sniffing as if she smelled something foul.

“Sounds like a plan,” Gus, forever full of cheer, chimed in before George could add another comment. “It’s getting late now, so we will start the new rotation in the morning. Emma, Billy, and I will take the first shift. Quentin, Jackie, and George, you patrol second, and Ford, you and Beth, take the last shift. Peter, I’ll let you work on the night schedule.”

“Why don’t we plan that now.” Peter nodded at the others. “Let’s meet in my room.” The others began to stand and with that, the meeting officially adjourned. Jenna watched Caleb disappear around the corner. She attempted to get out of the chair, in hopes of hopping to the kitchen and offering to help, when Quentin came over to her carrying a Scrabble game.

“Jackie and Beth told me to keep you out of the kitchen. Your skills with a knife are bad enough when you can stand on both feet.” Quentin laughed, amused at the shocked look on Jenna’s face.

“I’m really not that bad a cook.”

“I think all the pieces are still inside.” He ignored her comment. “The mice didn’t want to learn any new words. Want to play? I bet I can beat you.”

“Sure.” Jenna sighed in resignation, knowing that no one was going to let her work tonight.

The game was competitive. Jenna and Quentin both wanted to prove their superior intellectual capacity. Jenna threw down FORAY and WAXEN to move ahead in score early on, but Quentin had a plan of his own. Halfway through the game, Quentin placed TAURINE on the board, earning a fifty-point bonus for using all seven tiles.

Jenna balked. “That’s not a word.”

“It is so a word. Don’t you remember all those energy drinks that had taurine in them? It was incredibly popular in 2010 before the end of the world. I used to love energy drinks. I really miss my iPhone too.”

“You are so lying,” she retorted. “Not about the iPhone, but about taurine in the energy drinks.” Jenna’s ankle throbbed and she was grouchy. She hated having Quentin beat her, and like an irate three year old, wanted to flip the board over and make an ungracious exit.

“Jenna, are you mad at me?” Quentin couldn’t stifle the humor in his voice.

“I’m not mad,” she practically screamed. “I just hate cheaters.”

“Jenna?” His chuckles made Jenna more irate .

“Fine. Have your stupid word. My turn, right?”

“Listen, I’ll take my word off the board under one condition.”

“What condition?” Jenna asked, suspiciously.

A smile followed the slight blush that crept across Quentin’s face. Freckles darkened by days in the sun highlighted his sunburned nose, which had begun to peel. His blue eyes lit up devilishly.

“Kiss me. One tiny little kiss, and I’ll forget all about taurine.”

“Really,” she joked, reaching out to kiss his hand. “Is that all?”

“No,” he pulled back, eying her roguishly. “A real kiss, on the lips.”

Jenna thought it over. This wasn’t the way her first kiss in more than five years was supposed to go. Her last kiss, before the end of humanity, happened at summer camp with Bobby Jackson, a thirteen year old, braces wearing, video game playing, counselor in training. Jenna looked over at Quentin and thought Why not? Quentin was sweet and kind, and looked gorgeous in his grey T-shirt and jeans. She didn’t give herself time to think. Instead, she leaned in, closing her eyes.

Their lips met. Quentin hesitated at first, as if he thought Jenna would back up, but she enjoyed the feeling of being close to him. His kiss grew stronger as he gently caressed his lips against hers and his hands traveled to the back of her neck, playing with the wisps of her hair she had piled into an unruly ponytail. Shivers cascaded down her spine. Then, it was over. Too quickly. Quentin pulled back a little, resting his forehead against hers.

“Hey,” he whispered. “Guess what?”

“What?”

“I win.”

Jenna’s happy laugh rang through the room as the two returned to playing Scrabble, not caring who won. Neither of them saw Caleb watching from the corner of the room, the look in his eyes murderous. As quickly as he appeared, he vanished outside to begin a night of patrolling the grounds and hunting.