Hunted_Falling Darkness_Book 3 Read online

  22

  The next morning, they were standing around waiting to go outside. It was like they were waiting for some kind of sign that would tell them it would be safe.

  They decided that first they’d attempt to recover the backpacks, and then they were going to go to the house. Together, they were going to walk right up to the front door and knock.

  But after everything that happened, none of them were all that excited to leave the barn. Kate pushed the thoughts of Will’s body out in the weeds from her mind as she combed her fingers through her hair.

  “Okay,” Ethan said pacing around like he was about to be in a boxing match. “Are we ready to do this?”

  “You guys can wait here,” Garrett said. “Maybe it’s better if I go alone. Then if something happens it’ll just be me.”

  “And what if you get jumped along the way? How many Unholy have you eradicated?” Ethan asked.

  Garrett looked away. “I wasn’t given the opportunity. Simon thought I wasn’t ready, but he was wrong. He was wrong about a lot.”

  Kate cocked her head to the side as she looked Garrett up and down. He was young, at least he looked young, but he seemed to have a certain fight in him.

  “I always get looked at like that,” Garrett said nodding at Kate. “I’m twenty-two, and just before all this shit happened, I dropped out of college. My dad wanted me to be a lawyer, and I wanted to piss him off. If you give me the opportunity, you’ll see I’m a lot tougher than most people give me credit for.”

  “Understood, but we’re all sticking together,” Ethan said. “At least for now.”

  Garrett offered him a single nod. “You got it. Ready when you are.”

  Nikki’s hand was at her neck twisting her black necklace charm between her fingers. She was trying to hide it, but she was terrified.

  Jasper rubbed her back, and she smiled up at him. Nikki didn’t want them to see just how frightened she was.

  Kate wasn’t sure how she felt. She was still numb, and if she let it, the pain could overtake her.

  “Ready,” Kate said.

  “Let’s go,” Ethan said leading the way. He hesitated at the door for a moment before he looked out of the small clean spot on the window.

  His hand moved up, and he unlocked the door. Kate’s heart jumped inside her chest as he opened the door and the morning air hit her face.

  The air was filled with the stench of The Unholy. It was so thick it felt like syrup at the back of her throat that almost made her gag.

  “It’s terrible,” Nikki whispered. “How many of them were there?”

  “Not that many,” Ethan said shaking his head. He continued toward the trees, leading the group through the area where they’d seen The Unholy feasting on Emily and Claire.

  The only sounds in the area were those they made as they waded through the tall grasses. As they stepped out toward the clearing, Kate could see that Emily and Claire’s bodies were no longer on the ground. They were out there somewhere, and Kate hoped she wouldn’t be the one to come across them.

  “They’re gone,” Ethan said, and it took a moment for Kate to realize he wasn’t talking about Emily and Claire.

  “Who would have taken them?” Kate said mostly mumbling to herself. It wasn’t like Emily or Claire would have any interest in the supplies. They wouldn’t have been smart enough to even think to hide them after they’d been turned. Nor would they probably have even cared to.

  Ethan didn’t answer, but his head turned toward the house. Kate followed his gaze and stepped closer.

  In the daylight from the clearing, she could see the house better. It was a rather large, two-story building with windows on every wall. She could tell, even at their distance, they were boarded up.

  “They must have been out here,” Ethan said.

  “Do you think they heard the commotion last night?” Kate asked.

  “Let’s go find out,” Ethan said taking Kate’s hand as they stepped out into the open.

  Kate couldn’t take her eyes off of the home. It was like she could feel eyes on them as they approached.

  They were about halfway to the home when Kate and Ethan nearly tripped over something. Ethan regained his balance and helped steady Kate as he looked down.

  “What the…,” Ethan’s voice faded as his moved along the ground.

  There was a long line of eradicated Unholy that seemed to go on forever.

  “Guess we found the source of the smell,” Kate said.

  “Guess so,” Ethan said watching as Jasper helped Nikki over the body. She looked as though she was afraid it might reach up and grab her.

  Kate crossed her arms. “Why are these here?”

  “I can’t even guess,” Ethan said pulling Kate along. “Maybe we should ask.”

  When they reached the overgrown backyard, Kate expected to be ambushed by whoever was inside the house. She was almost surprised when it hadn’t happened.

  They walked through the yard. Kate could tell that once upon a time, it had been a spectacular yard. They’d probably taken good care of it, she could imagine the flowers and plants that decorated the property.

  Kate sighed as she looked into the tilted, moss-covered, birdbath. It was filled with water, and if there hadn’t been dirt and debris floating around, she would have been tempted to scoop some into her hand.

  There was a porch with several chairs and a broken porch swing. The plants that had been in planters hanging from the ceiling hung down like dead snakes.

  When they got to the front of the building, they found several people waiting on the porch. All three of them were armed.

  “Good morning,” the man called as they stepped near the stairs. He adjusted the shotgun across his lap making sure they saw it.

  “Morning,” Ethan said.

  “Did you folks have a nice stay in the barn?” the man said, his face expressionless.

  Ethan nodded. “Our apologies, we thought the area was abandoned.”

  “Okay,” the man said as his eyes shifted over to Kate, then to Nikki, Jasper, and Garrett. He carefully examined them one by one. “So,” the man said, as he started to rock his chair back and forth, “what brings you around here?”

  “We’re just passing through,” Ethan said, taking a small step forward. The other two men holding their guns tightened their grip, and Ethan held up his palm. “We’re quite tired. Things have been rough.”

  The man stared at him. “Things are rough for everyone, aren’t they?”

  “Yes, sir,” Ethan said.

  “What’s your name?” the man asked.

  “I’m Ethan, this is Kate, Nikki, Jasper, and Garrett,” Ethan said.

  “Good to meet you, folks. I’m Mr. Earle, and these are my boys Scott and David. My wife’s inside.” Mr. Earle cleared his throat. “So, were you folks the ones making all that racket last night?”

  Ethan glanced at Kate for a brief second. “It wasn’t us, but it was part of our group. They’re no longer with us.”

  “They aren’t with you, as in they’ve run off, or they’ve become one of those creatures?” Scott said.

  “They’ve been turned,” Kate said. She felt small when they all set their eyes on her. “They stole our stuff.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Mr. Earle said, and Kate could tell he knew she was referring to the backpacks.

  Ethan’s eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. “Did you know there is a line of Unholy in your backyard?”

  “Unholy?” Mr. Earle asked.

  “The creatures,” Ethan replied.

  “It keeps them away,” Mr. Earle answered with a slight shrug. “Why do you call them Unholy?”

  Ethan let out a slow breath. “The last place we were staying called them that.”

  “Interesting,” Mr. Earle said. He started rocking again. “So, what can I do for you folks?”

  “We don’t get many visitors out this way,” Scott said.

  David nodded. “Especially none that walk right up to the house.”


  “Well,” Ethan said looking down at the ground for a moment before looking directly into Mr. Earle’s eyes. “Might you have some food or water to spare? And if you wouldn’t mind, maybe another night in your barn?”

  Mr. Earle stopped rocking. He shook his head. “No, that won’t do.”

  “We understand,” Ethan said taking a step back. “Sorry to have interrupted your morning.”

  “And our night,” Scott said with a half-grin.

  Mr. Earle covered his mouth and let out a cough that rumbled deep inside his lungs. “That’s not what I meant. What I meant, was my wife would be upset if I didn’t invite you inside for a cup of tea. Oh, and you can have your things back.”

  David stepped to the side and pulled the backpacks out from behind his father’s chair. He set them down at the top of the stairs.

  “We have several guest rooms upstairs,” Mr. Earle said. “It’s far safer in the house than it is out in the barn, because of the bodies lying around. Those creatures don’t like to cross over them.”

  Ethan turned to Kate. Neither of them knew what to do, or what to say. The idea of staying in a bed was something Kate wasn’t sure she could say no to.

  “Of course, while you stay, you’ll have to give us your weapons,” Mr. Earle said. “For safety reasons.”

  “Give us a minute,” Ethan said turning his back to the porch. The others huddled around.

  Nikki was nodding her head before Ethan even said anything.

  “Take your time,” Mr. Earle said as he looked away from him off toward the horizon.

  “We could really use a break,” Ethan said in a soft voice looking at Kate. It was as if he already knew she was going to be the hardest to convince.

  Kate blew out a heavy breath. “We don’t know anything about these people.”

  “You didn’t know anything about Simon,” Jasper said with a small shrug.

  “Exactly,” Kate said raising a brow. “That was against my will, mostly, and staying here will be by choice.”

  “We’ll have to give up our weapons,” Ethan reminded them all.

  Nikki chewed her lip. “He has to be at least sixty, and those guys, well they’d be outnumbered.”

  “Being out here, on our own… we’ll probably have to take risks,” Kate said. Her eyebrows squeezed together. “Is this one worth taking?”

  Kate noticed movement in the corner of her eye, and she twisted her head to see around Ethan. A woman stepped out on to the porch. She whispered something to Mr. Earle than clapped her hands excitedly.

  “Hello!” She called out.

  “Sorry, folks, this is my wife. She’s quite excited to have guests. If you stay, she’s planning to prepare a nice warm dinner.” Mr. Earle stood and held up a palm. The gestured reminded Kate of something Simon would do… something that was supposed to be comforting but to Kate, it felt like her bones being dragged over a cheese grater. “Make her happy and stay for the night.”

  Mrs. Earle clasped her hands in front of her and flashed them all a warm smile. “It would make my day. My month!”

  “She loves to entertain,” Scott said, and David chuckled.

  Ethan looked at Kate and then the others. Each one nodded in turn, and Ethan’s gaze shifted down to his hip. “We’ll stay the night.”

  23

  Mr. Earle’s wife, who insisted on being called Tricia, let everyone up the perfectly polished wooden stairs. Mr. Earle and his two sons stayed outside after taking their weapons. They had almost needed to pry the blade out of Ethan’s hand, but eventually, and reluctantly, he handed it over.

  “This way,” she said once she was at the top of the stairs. There was only one direction to go, to the right, but it made her smile to lead the way nonetheless. “The master bedroom and my son’s bedrooms are on the first floor, so you won’t be disturbed. I always wanted to run a bed and breakfast.”

  Tricia blinked, and her smile flickered for a moment as the woman appeared to be thinking of the past.

  “Once the boys were married and moved out Mr. Earle, and I were going to open one, but then all this happened,” Tricia said holding her hands together. “You know how it goes.”

  Kate smiled at the woman. She couldn’t help it. Her grin was nearly contagious. “This would have been a lovely place for one,” Kate said pressing her lips together and allowing them to curl upward ever so slightly. “You have a beautiful home.”

  “Thank you! We had it remodeled a few years ago in preparation. You might think it was a waste of money considering, but it’s made things a bit more comfortable since everything changed.” Tricia pulled back her shoulders. “Anyway, this is the first room. We only have four, so I can’t offer everyone their own room, unfortunately.”

  “That’s quite all right,” Ethan said. “Kate and I will be staying together.”

  “Hmm,” Tricia said with a wink. “Okay then!” She gestured to Garrett, Jasper, and Nikki. “This way, please.”

  Nikki looked over her shoulder but followed the woman the short distance down the hall. She turned her back and grabbed Jasper’s hand before whispering something into his ear.

  “Nikki and I will share a room,” Jasper announced and Tricia nodded before showing Garrett to the third room.

  Kate and Ethan turned to enter the room, but Tricia cleared her throat loudly in an attempt to get their attention. “Oh, please come down for lunch at noon. I look forward to seeing you all there.”

  “Noon?” Garrett said peeking out of his door. “How will we know when it’s noon?”

  “The sun?” Tricia said cocking her head to the side. She waved her hand as she shook her head. “I’ll ring a bell. Go on now, rest. I heard you all had a rough night.”

  “Thanks,” Ethan said as he ushered Kate inside the room, closing the door behind them.

  Kate looked around the room, peeking around every corner as if she were afraid there might be an Unholy hiding inside. The bed was made up perfectly with clean, lightly scented bedsheets. There were landscape paintings hanging on every wall, a closet and their own private, although not working, bathroom.

  Ethan walked around the room methodically before stopping in front of the window. He pulled back the curtains and looked at the overgrown world. Not far off, he could see the line of The Unholy that ran around the perimeter of the property.

  Kate sat down on the edge of the bed, her palms resting against the soft mattress. Ethan turned and looked at her as he closed the curtains.

  “A person could almost forget with the curtains closed,” Ethan said.

  “Almost.”

  The only problem was Kate didn’t need to look out the window to remember. Her memory of what had happened to Will was still at the front of her mind.

  She bit her cheek and tried to force her thoughts away. Kate didn’t want to cry because she wasn’t sure she could stop the tears if they started to fall.

  It was evident to Ethan as to where her mind had gone. She was thankful he didn’t mention it.

  “Want to rest?” Ethan asked sitting down next to her. “I’ll stay up even though I locked the door.”

  “I’m sure they have a key,” Kate said.

  Ethan nodded.

  “I don’t know if I can sleep,” she said looking down at her fingers as they twisted together.

  “Book?” Ethan asked as he gestured at the bookshelf.

  Kate shook her head. She didn’t think there was anything she could do that could take her mind off of what had happened.

  Kate didn’t even know if she went to sleep if she’d wake up. They were inside a strange house, with strange people, there was nothing safe about their situation. For all she knew, the people were cannibals that would eat them all before morning. Even though the clock on the nightstand wasn’t working, she still felt as though she could hear the minutes of her life ticking away.

  She let out a breath that made her feel as though she was being deflated and threw herself into Ethan’s arms. He didn’t say a
nything. He held her and pressed his cheek down against the top of her head.

  They stayed there glued together for so long Kate’s arm started to tingle. When she pulled back, Ethan lightly touched her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes.

  “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, you know that, right?” Ethan said.

  Kate nodded. “I know, but there is only so much you can do. Our time is very”—Kate swallowed as she searched for the right word— “limited.”

  Ethan wrapped his arms around Kate’s waist and gazed into her eyes. “I can’t lose you.”

  “I can’t lose you either,” Kate said airily as she inched closer. Ethan’s eyes glistened in the small amount of pale light that glowed around the edges of the curtain.

  It surprised her when she turned toward Ethan and placed her hands on the sides of his face. She could feel his rough beard tickling her fingers and palms.

  A small gasp escaped from between her lips just before she pressed her lips to his. They held still for a long moment, but then something took over. It was like someone was controlling her body as she straddled Ethan’s lap.

  “Kate?” Ethan whispered pulling back slightly. His eyes moved side to side as he gazed at her.

  She gave him a small nod, and without further hesitation, their lips moved together hungrily. They both needed each other more than they could ever express in words.

  Kate’s hands moved down Ethan’s strong, broad shoulders. Her fingertips gliding over every curve as she followed the lines of his arms. She moved her hands over his abdomen, hesitating as she reached the hem of his shirt. Ethan’s body tensed as Kate gripped his shirt and slowly raised it up his body.

  Her lips glided down his neck, and something rumbled deep inside him. Kate’s heartbeat pulsed deep in her veins, warming every inch of her body. She gasped when he twisted her shirt in his fist, pulling it tight against her.

  “I need you,” Ethan said in a deep voice saturated with need.

  Kate shivered. “I need you too.”

  Her words worked their way up his body like a flame moving up a fuse. When it got to the end something ignited deep inside him.