Hunted_Falling Darkness_Book 3 Page 11

  Ethan slid his hand around Kate’s shoulders and held her close. They watched as The Unholy moved its face closer to the window as it tried to look inside.

  It must not have seen them because it continued on, dragging its hand against the exterior as it made its way around the RV. Kate’s eyes followed its movement until she couldn’t hear it anymore.

  The moans and groans seemed to increase as did the sounds of them moving through the nearby weeds and over the rocky road. Kate wanted to be strong, but she probably felt the weakest she’d ever felt. Weaker than when she was on her own, struggling… starving.

  She was at her breaking point. Kate just didn’t know how she could keep swimming to the surface, only to be pushed right back down to the bottom.

  She turned into Ethan and pressed her face against his chest. Fear kept her from screaming out her frustration.

  It felt as though hours had passed when the sounds of The Unholy ceased. Everyone was still too frightened to move.

  “I’ll go check,” Ethan said, his words mostly absent of volume.

  Kate grabbed his hand tightly, not wanting to let him go. If she lost him, she didn’t know how she could go on.

  Ethan leaned in and kissed her cheek. “It’ll be okay.” He squeezed her hand and pulled free as he tried to offer her a reassuring smile. “Promise.”

  Even though she knew that wasn’t something he could promise, she let him go. It wasn’t like they could stay in the RV forever, it was far too hot, and Kate was already minutes away from having a meltdown.

  “What’s he doing?” Emily whispered in a panicked breath.

  Will instantly tried to soothe her, but it wasn’t working. Emily’s hands started to move over her body as if she was looking for her misplaced keys.

  “He’s going to let them in here,” she said her voice rough and jagged like broken glass.

  Kate couldn’t make out Will’s cotton soft words as he rubbed Emily’s arm, but she could tell they weren’t working. It looked as though Emily wasn’t even hearing what he was saying.

  Kate turned back when Ethan pushed the squeaky door open. He apprehensively pulled himself up and looked out of the opening. She watched him as his eyes moved around, carefully looking in every direction.

  Ethan exhaled as he lowered his gaze. “It’s clear.”

  He pushed himself up and reached his arm down. Kate looked over her shoulder at the others and drew in a deep breath before stepping over to take his hand.

  The air outside of the RV felt twenty degrees cooler. There wasn’t an Unholy in sight.

  Kate hopped down to the ground and walked through the weeds to the front of the RV. She placed her hand on the bumper as she stepped around the front end.

  Her heart seemed to stop when The Unholy stepped around the other side of the RV. It stared at Kate for a moment before it moaned and opened its mouth.

  She pulled her blade out as she waded through the thick weeds that felt as though they were trying to pull her back. The Unholy didn’t move, but its jaw dropped lower. It wasn’t coming for her, it was going to scream out for help.

  “Shit,” Kate said forcing her legs to move faster.

  Just as she reached The Unholy, she heard a strange noise rumbling inside its disgusting body. Kate slammed the blade into its head, yanked it out, and stabbed it again.

  Her blade pulled out easily, it was as though the creature was slowly deflating. She kicked The Unholy and stepped back as she watched it drop to the ground.

  “Jesus, Kate,” Will said standing several feet behind her.

  “It was hiding,” she said after she sucked in a sharp breath.

  “Feel free to call for help next time, okay?” Will said his hands shaking ever so slightly at his sides.

  Kate turned, her face expressionless. “Did it seem like I needed help?”

  Will’s head jerked back slightly as if he’d been slapped. “Um… no, I guess not, but—”

  “I’m fine. It’s fine,” Kate said as she moved past him. She hadn’t been able to draw in a full breath until her feet were firmly on the road. She wasn’t fine.

  The wind blew through the nearby weeds making them hiss as they writhed like a thousand dancing snakes. Even though Kate welcomed the cool air against her skin, she didn’t like the stench of The Unholy that filled the air.

  “Ready?” Ethan asked stepping up behind her. Kate turned and was surprised everyone was on the road considering she hadn’t heard anything but the wind.

  “Yeah,” she said with a nod.

  “No,” Emily said with a sharp gasp. Her fingers shook as she pulled them toward her lips. She sucked in another breath the pulled her cheeks inward. “I can’t do this anymore.”

  Will dashed to her side and tried to look into her eyes. She moved away, trying to avoid his gaze.

  “Emily breathe,” Will said his voice strong and steady.

  “I am breathing!” she said pulling away from him. Her fingertips went into her hair and tightened around random strands. “I just want to be done with this. All of this!”

  Kate took a step closer worried about Emily’s increasing volume. She hadn’t told the others about The Unholy that had been waiting in the weeds. Will had seen it, but the others hadn’t. There could be more… waiting… nearby.

  “You need to calm down,” Kate said softly.

  “Calm down? You must be joking,” Emily said.

  Kate looked at Will, and then at Ethan. They both looked just as nervous as she felt.

  “Emily,” Claire said placing her hand on Emily’s arm, rubbing up and down. Comfort almost leaked out of her eyes. “We need to keep going.”

  “No!” Emily jerked away from Claire and in the blink of an eye was standing in front of Kate. Her hand jerked toward Kate’s gun, but Kate’s reflexes were quicker, and she stopped her from disarming her. “Please, end this for me.”

  Kate shook her head as all the moisture evaporated from her mouth.

  “I don’t want this anymore. If you won’t do it for me, let me end it for myself,” Emily said, clasping her hands together in front of her chest. “I’m begging you.”

  “No,” Kate said, her eyes shifting away as she tried to find more words. “I can’t do that.”

  “You can!” Emily said with wet, wide eyes. “I’ve seen it. We’ve all seen it.”

  Kate’s rapid breaths dried her throat. “I can’t. I won’t.”

  “Then give me your gun,” Emily said holding out her hand.

  Ethan abruptly stood between them, and Kate felt dizzy. The world around her was spinning faster.

  “No one is killing anyone,” Ethan said jerking his chin toward Will. “You’re going to pull it together, and we’re going to keep moving. We need to find something before we run out of time, and I can’t let you put everyone else at risk. You wouldn’t want that would you?”

  Emily’s eyes darted over to Claire, and then at Sullivan. After a long moment, she swallowed so hard it looked as though she might choke.

  “No… of course not,” Emily said. “But I… I just can’t….”

  Emily looked at everyone else, stopping when her eyes locked with Will’s. He gave her a gentle smile that even Kate found comforting.

  Will’s voice was soft and meant only for Emily, but Kate heard it nonetheless. “I know this is hard. You’re stronger than you think. You can do this. Ready?”

  Emily crossed her arms, and it looked as though her body was shrinking. She bit her lip hard and nodded.

  “Yeah,” Will said smiling. “Okay, we’re ready.”

  “Great,” Ethan said waving his hand over his head. He pointed in the direction, they’d been going before they had to make a pit stop in the RV.

  In a matter of minutes, they were back on the road. Kate ignored the pain in her calves and the numbness that seemed to be wrapping itself around her feet. She didn’t have a choice. Just like Emily, she had to keep going.

  19

  The sun was about to d
isappear when the barn came into view. Most of the red paint had been chipped off leaving behind a pale gray wooden building. There were copious trees and overgrown plants hugging the building which kept it well hidden.

  Not too far from the barn was an old two-story farmhouse that looked to be in wonderful condition considering. But of course, it would be far easier to clear the barn of any Unholy that might be trapped inside.

  Jasper stayed with the group while Kate and Ethan circled the barn checking the weeds and trees. Maybe the screaming Unholy from earlier had called them away, but Kate thought she could still smell them which made her think they couldn’t be too far.

  “Area’s clear,” Ethan said to the others before he opened the door at the side of the building. “Stay back.”

  Kate followed him inside, welcoming the scent of the wet hay over the putrid odor of The Unholy. The room was a large rectangle with several half-walls that looked as though they’d been used as stalls. There was a loft above with hay hanging over the side.

  They carefully checked every nook and cranny before inviting the others inside. The group was so tired from traveling they didn’t complain that there wasn’t a soft place to lay. They sat down with their backs against the wall, shoulders slumped forward… defeated.

  Ethan tried to wipe dirt off of the small window set inside the wooden door. It had been so caked on he’d only been able to clear away a spot roughly the size of a quarter.

  “Does it lock,” Kate said crossing her arms as she jerked her chin toward the doorknob.

  “Yeah, but I doubt it’ll hold,” Ethan said looking over his shoulder at the others.

  Kate’s lips pressed together so tightly they tingled as if they’d been stung by a bee. “Let’s hope that it will.”

  “I always do,” Ethan said flashing her a half-grin. He looked down at the ground for a moment before resting his palm on Kate’s lower back. She didn’t question him as he guided her around one of the walls and into a stall.

  Her eyes rested on the saddle and Kate couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to the horse that had lived inside the barn. She wondered if perhaps it had died, but if that was the case, where was its body?

  Her thoughts popped like a bubble when Ethan let out a heavy sigh that danced across her cheek. Ethan looked far more distraught than she’d ever seen him look before.

  “We’re going to have to figure out a plan soon, or at least something to tell the others,” Ethan said his voice low so that the others couldn’t hear.

  Kate knew he was right, but she didn’t have the answers. “There might not be anything out here.”

  “And if that’s the case we need to find a place to stay,” Ethan said. “For all of us.”

  She slowly shook her head side to side, her eyes focused on the ground at her feet. Ethan was right. They’d need to find a safe place to hide, food, and water. Start to rebuild, but of course, she didn’t know where… or how.

  “I was thinking… maybe tomorrow we check out that farmhouse. Maybe we could stay here, even if it’s just for a while,” Ethan said.

  “What about food? Water? We don’t have nearly enough in the backpacks to stay anywhere for even a short while,” Kate said, her arms dropping heavily to her sides.

  “I know that, but maybe we can find enough around here. It used to be a farm, maybe there are some plants or even some wild animals we could trap.”

  Kate snorted. “What do we know about trapping animals?”

  “I’m doing the best I know how to, Kate. We can’t… they can’t keep walking forever.” Ethan spread his arms out. “They need a break.” He pointed at himself and then at Kate. “We need a break.”

  Kate covered her face with her hand. It felt as though she was being pulled in multiple directions. There was a large part of her that wanted to keep going, and another part that wanted to find a place to stay.

  Deep down, she knew the odds of finding true help were unlikely. Everything and everyone was gone or would be soon.

  “Okay,” Kate said. “We’ll check it out. Maybe there are other abandoned places not too far that might have supplies.”

  Ethan nodded and flashed Kate a smile. He pulled her into his arms, and she pressed her cheek against his solid chest.

  “It’s all going to be okay,” he said before kissing the side of her head.

  Kate wanted to argue, shout at him that there was absolutely no way he could know what would happen, but she didn’t have the energy. And it wouldn’t have done any good.

  “You know,” Ethan said backing away slightly so he could look into Kate’s eyes. “If that house works out, it’s big enough that we could have our own bedroom.”

  The way he looked at her warmed her body in all the right ways. She let the feeling warm her for a few minutes before pushing it away.

  It would be nice to have alone time, but it wasn’t going to happen inside the empty horse stall. Kate shifted her weight back. “So, what’s the plan for tonight?”

  “Stay inside, we’ll take turns with Will and Jasper keeping watch,” Ethan said.

  Kate glanced over her shoulder, but the stall wall blocked her view of the others. She was tempted to offer to keep watch the whole night because she wasn’t sure she’d be able to get any sleep inside the barn. Of course, there wouldn’t be any point in making the offer, Ethan wouldn’t ever allow it.

  Ethan pulled her back into his arms and held her. His fingertip hooked under her chin and tilted her face, so she had no choice but to look at him.

  She didn’t know what he’d seen in her eyes, but whatever it was caused him to press his lips to hers. Ethan’s soft lips helped her forget about the world outside. It helped her forget about those that they’d lost, and it helped her to not think about those that they would lose.

  Kate released a quick breath that dried her parted lips. “We should join the others.”

  “Should we?” Ethan said with a smirk that jolted her pulse.

  Kate nodded even though nearly every fiber in her body wanted to stay hidden away with him forever. That couldn’t happen. At least not yet.

  Kate took his hand and led him out of the stall. She could tell by the effort it took to pull him along that he was dragging his feet. He too wanted to stay hidden with her.

  “All right,” Ethan said after clearing his throat. “Everyone get some rest. Never know what the morning will bring, and we need to be ready.”

  Ethan squeezed her hand as he stepped away to talk to Will and Jasper. He had the group move to the wall far from the door.

  “I’ll take the first watch,” Kate said stepping in front of Will.

  “You sure?” Ethan asked.

  “Yeah, I don’t mind going first so you guys can catch up on some sleep,” Jasper offered.

  Kate rubbed her elbow. “I don’t feel tired right now. I prefer the first watch.”

  Will and Ethan exchanged a glance.

  “I’ll go first, then Ethan, Jasper and Will,” Kate said forcing herself to sound more authoritative.

  “Okay,” Ethan said.

  Kate could feel someone standing close by. She turned, and the others followed her movement. Garrett was standing behind them with his hands shoved into his pockets.

  “I’d be happy to help,” Garrett said.

  “We’ve got it figured out for tonight, thanks,” Ethan said.

  It wasn’t just Kate that was apprehensive of the others. She wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to trust any of them, and especially not the way she trusted Ethan or Will.

  “Okay,” Garrett said sounding truly disappointed. “If there is anything I can do, just let me know.”

  “We will,” Kate said offering a tight-lipped smile.

  She wanted to trust him, but maybe the only trust she could give had already been given away. Garrett had offered to take Ned’s place when Lincoln forced him to leave.

  There had to be a good guy inside unless he wanted to keep his enemies closer. Maybe he needed t
o be with them for some plan to take them out. And then again, maybe he was just a guy that wanted the same things she did… to find a place they could truly be safe.

  20

  Kate stood at the window, listening through the door. She could hear the trees as they creaked in the wind, but she didn’t hear any moans of The Unholy which was all that really mattered.

  A few of the others whispered in the darkness, but it wasn’t long before the inside of the barn was completely silent. If The Unholy were out there, Kate would definitely hear them.

  When her turn was over, and Ethan came to relieve her from her duties, her eyelids were so heavy she could barely keep them open. She laid down on the floor near Will, watching Ethan alternate between leaning against the wall and pacing before she finally fell into a deep slumber.

  Her dreams were of the days before the disease changed the world. One of them was of her working… sitting at the desk, taking calls, setting appointments… every mundane task she used to do at her job. Every minute felt real, but there was a part of her that knew it was all just a dream.

  It was her third or fourth dream about past realities when she woke up with a tear leaking out of the corner of her eye. She couldn’t remember the dream, at least not all of it. The only part she could remember was seeing her mom’s face right before she wrapped her arms around her.

  Kate quickly wiped the wetness away from her eye and sat up. Her eyes were still closed as she pressed the heels of her hands against them.

  When she pulled them away, she noticed something wasn’t right. Cool air tickled her warm cheeks, and she noticed the door was opened just a crack. As she got to her feet, she saw Jasper lying on the ground, his head turned to the side, and his arms splayed out awkwardly at his sides.

  “Jasper?” Kate whispered, glancing behind her. The others were still asleep.

  She pulled the door closed, locked it, and rechecked the lock before dropping to her knees at Jaspers side. Kate lightly shook him.

  “Jasper! Wake up,” she said in a voice slightly louder than a whisper. He didn’t move, and his eyes didn’t open.