Flash Series (Book 2): Immune Page 4

  Understanding his concerns, I consider all angles. “They couldn’t have gone much further.” I’m banking on the fact that they knew I’d return for them. “Once we find them, we’ll return to the car. If everything goes as planned, we’ll return to the house and retrieve the blankets and clothing. Try to get at least one blanket in your pack, just in case we can’t make it back.”

  We start out the front door; the sun’s peeking over the rooftops of the houses surrounding us. We’ve traveled from the city to a suburb. If it weren’t for the debris in the yard, you’d think everyone was safe in their beds, still sleeping.

  Once we make it to the front gate, we notice two figures walking down the broken street. We move quietly, hiding within the trees, planning to let them pass. As they approach, recognition sets in. I know them.

  Hopping the small fence in record time, I race toward them. “Deagon! Sophia!”

  They halt at hearing their names. Once they realize it’s me, they begin sprinting the remaining distance, slamming into my chest. Deagon hugs me tightly, his emotions revealing his relief. Sophia clings to me for dear life, sobbing into my shirt.

  “Ian.” Sophia’s soft voice cracks around my name. “It’s been so long. We didn’t know… I’m so glad you’re all right.”

  “Yeah, man.” Deagon slaps me on the shoulder and squeezes. “Glad you made it.”

  “We saw the other place. Where’s everyone else?” My heart pounds, waiting for bad news.

  “We had to escape in a hurry. I’m not sure what you found…” Deagon pauses. “They took Lisa, and Hugh went after her. We haven’t seen them. I don’t think they made it.” He closes his eyes, trying to stay strong.

  “I’m sorry.” I shake my head. “They didn’t. We put them to rest before we finished looking for you all.”

  “Thank you,” Sophia says, crying quietly.

  “Naveen? The baby? What of them?”

  “They’re good. Quinn too,” Deagon reassures.

  A huge weight lifts off my chest, and I exhale. “How far are they?”

  “Not far. Only a couple of blocks,” Deagon replies, prying his sister from my arms.

  “Good.” I nod, satisfied. “Deagon, Soph, this is Mason and Luke. They live with me in the caves. Mason, Luke, this is Sophia and Deagon.”

  “Hi.” Sophia smiles and nods.

  “Hey. Nice to meet you. Thanks for coming to get us.” Deagon shakes both of their hands.

  “Let’s get the others and head home.” We turn and begin walking back from where they came from. “What were you two doing out here? How’d you know where we were?” Dumb luck rarely happens.

  “A dream I had,” Deagon states.

  We eye each other, understanding that Deagon sounds like some of us. “What do you mean you dreamt it?”

  “Last night, a really hot chick in my dream told me we should come over to Palomino Drive to look for you.”

  I shake my head, confused. A few of us have developed gifts that are similar to what Deagon is describing. “Well, tell her thanks for me, I guess,” I laugh. I’ll take any amount of luck at this point.

  “Oh, believe me, if I see her again, I’ll do more than tell her thank you,” Deagon smirks.

  Sophia slaps the back of his head and rolls her eyes. “Don’t be a perv.”

  Deagon glares at his sister, rubbing the back of his head. She’s in her early twenties, and only a year younger than her brother. They fight like teenagers over the dumbest things. I knew this all too well, having shared a living space with them.

  I smile, realizing I’ve missed their banter, thankful we made it in time for the rest of them.

  Chapter 6

  Lillie

  “James, watch your language.” I glance at Azami, who’s stopped drying off to stare at him.

  He smiles at her. “Sorry, Az. I stubbed my toe.”

  She giggles and returns to what she was doing.

  “James, let me explain.”

  “Damn right you’re going to explain. Tonight, after she goes to bed, I want to know everything. Leave nothing out.”

  I nod, tears already threatening spill.

  James swallows hard, pulling a hand through his hair roughly. Another trait he and his brother share. “I can’t believe you hid this from me.”

  “I can explain.” I look to Azami, who’s rubbing her little hands across her eyes. She’ll be passed out shortly, too soon for me to tell this story.

  James nods and walks along beside us to the room. He’d opted to stay with us while Ian was away. But after tonight’s conversation, I don’t have high hopes for him staying.

  Once we enter the room, Azami is already passed out in my arms. She occupies my days, trying to keep me busy, and keep my mind off the rescue party. In doing so, she tuckers herself out. With her growing more each day, I make her a bed where James had been recovering. Azami needs a space of her own, and this spot fits her perfectly, serving as her bedroom area. After pulling the cover over her sleeping form, I dread turning around. I can already feel his eyes burning through the back of my skull.

  As soon as I turn, he pins me with his stare, daring me to evade the conversation. “Now talk.”

  I have no idea where to start. I’ve moved past it, but James hasn’t had the time to process the situation like I have. I feel terrible. “What I told you was the truth, but it’s not exactly what you think.”

  He cocks up his brow. “Then explain it to me.”

  I do. I tell him everything, starting with the moment I ran into that horrid group, the journey before we met him and up until now, leaving nothing out. He now knows what his brother did and why. I even tell him what Ian did to that group later. His anger is a visible force. It doesn’t seem to matter to him, the why behind it. He’s still pissed beyond belief.

  “And that’s it. You know everything.” I stay silent for a moment, waiting for him to say something. “Don’t hate me for not telling you,” I whisper. I couldn’t bear it.

  His eyes snap to mine. “Lil, that will never happen. I’m pissed that you didn’t tell me sooner, but this isn’t your fault. Ian, however…” he grinds out, shaking his head.

  “James, you have to understand the situation. If he hadn’t…Do you know what would have happened to me?” I choke on a sob. “They were not nice people. His actions, no matter how despicable they were, saved my life. I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t, and neither would Azami.”

  My words seem to shake him, especially when I mention Azami. His words are still strained, but some of his anger has subsided. “Still. It’s not right.” He comes closer and reaches out, taking my hand. “Are you okay with being here? We can leave. I didn’t realize what sort of position I’d be placing you in coming here.”

  I squeeze his hand tight in mine. “I’m more than fine. Ian and I worked through our issues a long time ago. We didn’t want to hurt you, and that’s why we didn’t tell you the truth. I wanted to save you from this. I wanted you to have your brother back. But now… I don’t know if you can ever forgive him.” Tears cling to my lashes, threatening to drop.

  He looks away, unable to meet my eyes, and I know I’ve hit the nail on the head. James was there when I woke with night terrors about that day. He soothed me back to sleep, holding my hand to keep me grounded through the nights. Now that I know the whole story, the nightmares have vanished. I’ve let it go and moved on. It will take him time to do the same.

  “I don’t think I can ever forgive him for hurting you like that.” He leans in to kiss my cheek, then moves to the bed. Pulling the covers over him, he positions himself to face away from me.

  I climb in after him, my breath still shallow with panic. I stroke my hand through his hair, just like I used to. “I’m sorry, James. I love you, and so does Ian. Please understand the position he was put in.” My tears finally fall. I just decimated his relationship with his brother.

  ~~~~~~

  Sleep evades me, my mind too busy with questions and scena
rios. When the sandman finally claims me, I sink into a nice dream. I see Ian settled on a couch in small, quaint living room. He crooks a finger at me, beckoning me, and my body reacts. Before I know it, I’m straddling his hips on the couch. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know this is a dream, but he seems so real, so warm. I’ve missed him so much.

  I lean back as he kisses up my neck and my breath hitches when he finds the sensitive spot behind my ear. He glides his hands down my bare skin, curving around my ass, pulling me tighter against him.

  “I miss you something terrible.”

  I kiss him softly. “I miss you, too.”

  His stills, then glances around. “Do you hear that?”

  Before my eyes, Ian slowly starts to fade, which is so not fair; I was just getting started. Instead, I’m propelled into another dream. I’m sitting in a living room with a family of five. The house is obviously post flash, but they look happy. There are two young men and two young ladies, one with a baby. Unaware of their relations, I enjoy their easy banter. They obviously know each other well.

  The youngest of the two guys looks straight at me. I glance behind me, checking to see if someone else has entered the room. I look back at him, and he smiles at my confusion.

  I point a finger at my chest. Me?

  He nods and points. “Yes, you.”

  “Can I help you with something?” I ask him.

  “Sure can. You’re a nice treat.” He takes my hand and pulls me to my feet. Soft music plays in the background and we begin to dance.

  “You have a nice family,” I tell him, missing my own.

  He smiles. “Thanks.”

  “How long have you been here? Your home is lovely.” His face sags in sorrow. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “We’ve been here about a week. Our old place was ambushed by the infected. They broke in while we were making dinner, took two of us, an elderly couple.” He shakes his head, still clearly upset about the attack. “I… I don’t think they made it.”

  “That’s terrible. I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  He shakes his head. “We’re already waiting for help. Ian should be back any day, if he made it back to his caves, that is.” Shock washes over me at Ian’s name. My dreams act as warnings. This is my chance to help them.

  “Ian’s okay,” I assure him. “He’s at a white house on Palomino Drive. I just saw it. He’s coming.” Smiling, I feel as if I’ve solved all their problems.

  My words perk him up and he returns my smile. “Thank you for the dance.” He leans in and kisses my hand, as his entire living area disappears.

  ~~~~~~

  Stretching awake the next morning, I feel well-rested. My hand grazes the pillow next to me, coming up empty.

  When I walk into the kitchen, I find James and Azami having breakfast. James meets my eyes, and I know something has changed. He holds my gaze for a moment longer, but breaks the contact and looks down into his plate. His earlier joking is now replaced by a more serious façade. Can he ever forgive us?

  I grab a small bread roll from the counter before taking a seat next to Azami, mumbling a quiet ‘good morning’ to everyone.

  “Hi, Momma!” Azami exclaims, standing on the bench to hug me tightly.

  Her little body squeezes me tightly, helping to wash away my troubles. My mood instantly lifts. “Morning, baby girl. How’d you sleep in your new bed?” I push the hair out of her face.

  “Good,” she giggles, pronouncing it perfectly. She pats my cheek the way she loves to do and whispers in my ear. “He’s not mad at you, Momma. He’s sad.”

  I play with her hair a moment longer. She told James that Ian is her real dad. She’s too young to understand any of this. “It’s going to take him some time, honey.”

  I look over at James. He’s watching us out of the corner of his eye, listening to our conversation. Sending him vibes of support, he seems to understand with a tip of his head before turning to eat again.

  Azami’s forgotten her breakfast. “Momma, tan we go simming?”

  The closer we come to winter, the less we garden. It’s our turn in the rotation to have the morning off. “Sure, baby. We should probably wash your hair again.”

  She starts to pout, causing James to break his silence when he laughs at her antics. She smiles over at him, causing his face to light up even more.

  Our small moment of reprieve is broken when Dane walks into the kitchen, looking irritated. Walking over to the food, he plates his breakfast, loudly. Normally, his aunt joined him, but lately, I’ve noticed them apart more than together.

  “Morning, Dane,” I greet him.

  He responds with a grunt.

  I look at James, hoping to assess his take on the situation, but he shrugs, letting me know he doesn’t have a clue. After Dane finishes loading up his plate, he moves to the furthest seat in the corner, separating himself from everyone else in the room. Granted, there are only a handful of people in the kitchen, but Dane is normally social, especially during meal times.

  We finish our food shortly after and wash our dishes before heading to the pool area. James opted out, volunteering to help with the gardens today. I understand his need to work off his aggression.

  Azami and I spend the morning playing in the water. Her swimming has improved tremendously, even for a toddler. Watching her climb out and jump back in over and over, sends a rush of happiness through me. With her birthday coming up, I want to have an actual celebration for the first time. Turning three only happens once.

  Dane’s shout travels down the tunnel from outside. I jump up from dangling my feet in the water and move to the cave entrance, trying not to draw Azami’s attention. She’s still in her own world, swimming and playing.

  Dane’s upset that someone working the garden didn’t complete the task to his liking. Rosie’s voice joins his, attempting to calm him down. Eventually, they leave the area, moving back toward the sleeping tunnel. Dane’s temper is more flared than normal. It may have to do with he and Rosie fighting, or he’s on edge, waiting for Ian to return with the other group. Whatever is disturbing him has certainly placed him in a foul mood.

  After collecting Azami and braiding her hair, we leave to find James, still working in the garden. He smiles at us as we approach. The physical labor seems to have helped him work off some of his anger.

  “Hey.” I smile at him, holding Azami’s hand so she won’t run off to play in the dirt.

  “Hey,” he returns cheerfully.

  “So, what’s going on with Dane? Why was he so upset? We could hear him hollering all the way outside.”

  He scrunches his eyebrows, concentrating. “Jeremiah planted the garden wrong. Dane had it mapped out, what should be planted and where. He accidently planted the potatoes with the kale, instead of the kale with the spinach. Honestly, it doesn’t make any difference.”

  It’s not like Dane to overreact about such things. Any of the winter vegetables can be planted together, so something else must be bothering him.

  We watch James for a bit longer, before moving to the kitchen to help Sarah with lunch. Most of the time we alternate chores within the group, but Sarah is by far our best cook, so more days than not, she’s on kitchen duty.

  Shortly after lunch, Azami rubs her eyes, letting me know it’s time for her nap. I pick her up and she starts patting my back, like I do to her when she’s tired. A warm smile spreads across my lips. She’s truly the sweetest thing ever created. On the way back to our room, we pass Dane and Rosie’s room. Not that I’m nosey, but their conversation trickles out into the hallway. Their words are whispered, but louder than intended.

  “What is going on with you?” Rosie asks.

  “Nothing.” Dane answers her gruffly.

  “Something is obviously bothering you, Dane. Are you worried about the boys?” Her voice is soothing.

  “Possibly.” His voice seems confused and unsure now.

  I move away from the door,
not wanting to eavesdrop on their discussion any longer. Winter is hard inside the caves. The cold seeps in, making it hard to maintain the garden and normal living arrangements. This would be our first winter in the caves, but we’ve been stuck in a storm or two, and it’s nothing I want to repeat, no matter how inevitable it is. Not to mention Ian, Mason, and Luke are still out there, searching for the others. Dane has a lot of weight on his shoulders. I hope for us all they make it back soon. It seems that I’m not the only one having a hard time with their absence.

  Once I make it to my room, I place Azami on her new bed where she curls up on her side, quickly falling asleep. I cover her with a blanket and stand over her, watching her breathe. There are times in her life when I look at her and realize how fast she’s growing. Am I ready for that?

  Chapter 7

  Ian

  We make it to the others with no further incident. Deagon takes us around the side of a building with boarded up windows. As we walk through the door, Naveen hands Gage to Deagon and begins to cry. I walk over and hug her tight, holding her until she cries herself out. In the small amount of time I’d spent with them, they’d become another part of my family. Quinn walks up and slaps me on the shoulder, then reaches over to shake hands with Luke and Mason.

  Naveen finally releases her death grip and wipes her eyes. “Sorry,” she says, sounding embarrassed. “I’m just so happy you’re here.”

  “Me too.”

  She takes Gage back. “How’d you find us? After we ran, we weren’t sure you’d locate us.”

  “Fortunately, we have Luke.” I gesture over to him. “He’s our tracker. Usually for hunting, but he’s good at finding people as well. This here is Mason.” I turn back to look at her. “I’m so glad we found you. I worried after we discovered the other place in such disarray.”

  “Lisa and Hugh, did you find them? Are they okay?” she inquires, worriedly.

  I open my mouth to answer her, but Deagon beats me to it.

  “No. Ian said they’re both gone.” He turns to me. “You said that you gave them a resting place, yes?”