Yellow Heat - A Post-Apocalyptic Novel (The Red Sky Series Book 6) Read online

  “How do you two know each other?” I asked.

  “From Winnipeg,” Amber said with narrowed eyes. She seemed annoyed by my question. “We worked together.”

  “Oh,” I said forcing a thin-lipped smile.

  Peter looked up at the sky. “We should probably get moving if we want to make it to the next stop before it gets dark.”

  “How far are we?” Amber asked. “I think I got quite off course.”

  “Not too far from the next rest point. Maybe four miles,” Peter said.

  Amber bounced on the balls of her feet. She flashed Molly a smile. “Perfect. Can’t wait for a rest. I bet you can’t either.”

  Molly stretched her arm across her body and gripped her shoulder. “Yeah. Yeah, I can’t wait for a break.”

  Eleven

  It was dusk when we stopped. Peter pulled out a tent from under some branches behind a tree and dropped it on the ground near a pile of ashes.

  “This is where we’re staying for the night?” Molly asked her nose wrinkled up like a raisin.

  “Yeah, sorry,” Peter said.

  “It’s the only night we won’t have a roof over our heads,” Kellan added.

  Peter started to set up the tent while Kellan and Amber looked around for sticks. Nick, Molly, and I stood there watching them as if we didn’t know how to fit into their routine.

  It wasn’t long before there was a small fire going. The fire was for light… not for warmth.

  I wasn’t close to the fire but still, my cheeks felt red from the heat. Nick shared some of the food from his pack but it wasn’t enough to fill our bellies. Night fell quickly which was a relief because with it came some slightly cooler air.

  I took the first watch and the others crawled inside the tent. Each time the fire crackled, I thought someone was approaching. I kept my back to a tree but still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched.

  An hour or so later, the tent rustled and I hugged myself tighter. Sitting alone in the darkness hadn’t been easy. My mind had been playing tricks on me and I thought I’d seen something moving in the shadows.

  Kellan stepped out and a wave of relief washed over me. Not because it was Kellan but because I was no longer alone in the darkness.

  “Hey,” he said softly. “Be right back.”

  He walked off behind me. The noises of his steps were a lot louder than the cracks and pops of the fire.

  “Sorry about that,” he said coming back into view. “Had to use the men’s room.”

  “The men’s room,” I repeated with a small chuckle.

  Kellan sat down next to me, stretching his legs out in front of him. “Too hot to sleep in there.”

  “The others don’t seem to be having any trouble,” I said.

  “Peter can sleep anywhere.”

  “Yeah, Nick is kind of like that too,” I said.

  Kellan picked something off of the ground and ripped it into pieces. He sprinkled it between his legs before he picked up another.

  “Nick’s your brother, huh?” Kellan asked.

  “That’s right.”

  “It’s kind of funny.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Why is it funny?”

  “You two seem nothing alike,” Kellan said turning his head in my direction. “That’s a good thing. I didn’t mean any offense.”

  “None taken. You and Peter don’t seem much alike either,” I said.

  His head bobbed. “Never were. He’s always been the leader though.”

  “Nick too. Except I stopped following when we were kids,” I said.

  “I guess I’m still following Peter,” Kellan said sprinkling the pieces in front of him again. “He’s mad at me though.”

  “How come?” I asked.

  Kellan sighed. “I told him this was my last run. That I needed a break.”

  “Why would he be mad about that?”

  “He likes having me along, I guess. You know, because I’m such a pleasant traveling companion.” Kellan laughed at himself. “Really, I think it’s because he trusts me. He knows I’ll always have his back no matter what.”

  I nodded. There had been a lot of history between Nick and me, but I was pretty sure he’d always have my back. And I’d like to think I’d always have his.

  “Well, don’t let him bully you into doing any more if you don’t want to. It seems like a very difficult and tiring task.”

  “It is.” Kellan crossed his arms and tipped his head back. It looked like he was trying to see the stars through the branches above us. “He’s got kids to take care of though. He can’t stop.”

  “It’s too bad he can’t convince Marnie to go to Winnipeg.”

  “She’s not going to budge on the matter. It’s a sickness. A disease? Whatever it is, there isn’t anything that will make her change her mind. Peter has tried bringing her various medications, none of them have helped.”

  I shook my head. “They seem happy though. For the most part anyway.”

  “They do,” Kellan agreed. “It’s just too bad I can’t see them more often.”

  “Why doesn’t Peter just stay there?”

  “Marnie wouldn’t allow it at least not in the house. She’s said he’s welcome to sleep in the garage.”

  A gust of wind blew through the area. The branches creaked as they bobbed above us and the fire popped more aggressively.

  “Peter said you heard them talking,” Kellan said. “He said you know what happened between them.”

  “I didn’t mean to,” I said. “Is he angry with me?”

  “No,” Kellan said. “He just liked it better when you didn’t know. Peter doesn’t like people thinking bad things about him. He’s human though. He makes mistakes. We all do, right?”

  I nodded. “Well, next time he needs to have his arguments quieter if he doesn’t want anyone to hear.”

  “Next time?” Kellan asked with a curious grin.

  “Yeah, I hope there won’t be a next time,” I said.

  The wind gusted again. This time it lifted some of the leaves off of the ground in front of us and sprinkled them a few feet away.

  “It’s getting windy,” Kellan said.

  “Yeah.”

  I looked up at the sky but couldn’t see anything but the moon above. There were no clouds but that didn’t make me nervous that the wind was just the start of another attack.

  “Things will be different when we get to Winnipeg,” Kellan said. “You’ll see. You’re really going to like it there.”

  “What will I like?” I asked curious if he knew me as well as he seemed to think he did.

  “The not having to travel part,” Kellan said. “I think you’ll also like the having food, water, and shelter part. There are a lot of people there though. I bet that will be a negative for you.”

  I cocked my head to the side. He knew me better than I thought he would.

  “So, this friend you’re hoping to find… is he like a boyfriend or something?” Kellan asked.

  “Yeah,” I said.

  Kellan lowered his head. “Damn.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I desperately tried to think of something to fill the awkward silence that was making the back of my neck itch.

  “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” Kellan said. “Let’s pretend I didn’t.”

  “Deal,” I said.

  “I hope you find him,” Kellan added. “He’s a lucky guy.”

  I cleared my throat. “So, did you have a girlfriend before all this?”

  “I didn’t,” Kellan said picking at the side of his boot. “Peter’s always been the one.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t have guessed that,” I said. They were both good looking but Kellan had eyes bluer than a summer sky that could lure anyone in.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” Kellan said.

  “You should,” I said.

  We sat in silence for a long moment. Kellan shifted his weight and I thought he was going to stand. He pulled his legs closer an
d hugged them to his body.

  “You know, we don’t both need to be out here. Maybe you should try to get some rest,” Kellan said. “I don’t mind keeping watch unless of course, you don’t trust me.”

  I bit my lip. “It’s not that I don’t trust you… it’s just that Nick—”

  “Doesn’t trust me,” Kellan said holding up his palm. “It’s okay. I totally understand. I’d feel the exact same way in your shoes.”

  “Sorry,” I said unable to hold back my yawn. I was tired. It had crept up on me. “I’ll get Nick.”

  Kellan nodded. He looked up at me and grinned. “I’m going to stay up a bit longer.”

  I shook my head. “Suit yourself.”

  “Nick and I can have a nice long conversation,” Kellan said.

  “Oh yeah? About what?” I asked.

  Kellan scratched the side of his head. “I’d love to hear all his stories about being a police officer in the states. And I can tell him what it was like in Canada.”

  I forced a yawn and he laughed. I flashed him a little wave before ducking into the tent. The sticky hot, sauna-like tent.

  I probably wouldn’t be able to fall asleep, at least not until the two men started talking shop. At least when morning came, we’d be back on the road. I hated to admit it, even to myself but I was desperate to find Bronx… to see him again but I knew just how unlikely it was.

  It was the only thing I could think about. Finding Bronx or learning what happened to him occupied nearly my every thought.

  The sooner we got to Winnipeg, the sooner I could deal with my grief. I was anxious to release myself of the hope that tickled the back of my mind.

  I closed my eyes and I saw him. He was lying there next to me. I could smell him. Feel him. But I knew it was a dream.

  The heat was getting to me.

  Twelve

  We hadn’t stopped for food. The sun was already past its midway point but we’d put in several miles despite the heat.

  Peter and Amber led the way. Nick and Molly followed close behind them. Every so often, Amber would look back at us, flashing Molly a flowery smile.

  Kellan walked next to me. At first, I thought I’d be uncomfortable or maybe annoyed but it didn’t take long to get used to him being next to me. It probably hadn’t even been a mile before it felt like he should be there.

  He’d look in my direction every so often and smile. Kellan didn’t ask me if I was okay or if I needed anything, he just simply smiled.

  It wasn’t until sometime in the early afternoon before Molly started making noises indicating her desire for a break. She’d held in her noisy, random noise complaints for longer than usual.

  “Nick,” Molly whined.

  “Yeah, yeah,” he said waving his hand at her. “Hey Peter, we need a break.”

  Peter turned but kept walking backward. “You sure? The sooner we get there, the sooner you guys can hopefully find your friend.”

  Nick turned catching my eye briefly. “Of course, but I’d like it if we all made it there.”

  Amber grabbed Peter’s arm and held him until he couldn’t take another step. He tipped his head back and smiled at Amber.

  “Peter,” Amber said pulling him closer. There was an interesting look in her eyes and I was surprised I hadn’t noticed it sooner. The way she looked at him was intense. Fiery. Passionate. There was so much desire in her chocolate eyes it almost seemed to ooze out of them like wet mascara. “She needs a rest.”

  Amber let go of Peter and he lightly touched his finger to his lips. She grabbed Molly’s arm and led her to the nearest tree.

  It made me uneasy. And it looked like it made Nick even more uneasy but Molly didn’t think anything of it. She’d probably been waiting for the right time to ask Amber about her eye makeup.

  I followed them to the tree and I could feel Kellan close behind me. Nick and Peter stayed on the path looking around in every direction. They were discussing something but I wasn’t sure what.

  I stopped and turned to face Kellan. His head was bent down and he hadn’t noticed I’d stopped until he bumped into me.

  “Sorry,” he said with a laugh. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah,” I said as he reached out to steady me. “I’m fine.”

  Kellan looked into my eyes and quickly let his hands fall away. He sighed and all traces of the smile that had been on his face vanished. Kellan looked up at the sky and then down at the ground.

  “The sun is really drying everything out,” he said kicking the dust. It billowed up around his foot forming a cloud. I could almost taste the grittiness on my tongue. “We need some rain.”

  Kellan was right but I knew better than to ask for rain. It never was just rain… it would be rain and poison. Rain and death.

  “How was your talk with my brother?” I asked.

  “It was nice,” Kellan said. “Seemed like he was a good officer. Reminds me a lot of Peter in many ways.”

  I cocked my head to the side. “Oh yeah? How so?”

  “Like I said last night, they’re leaders. Bold. Brave. Cocky.”

  “You got that last word right for sure,” I said.

  Kellan looked as though he was about to say something but then he turned away. At first, I thought I’d somehow offended him but then I heard the noises.

  “What is that?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure.” Kellan looked over at Peter and Nick. Their expressions revealed that they both had noticed the sounds too.

  Nick looked at me and then at Molly. He jerked his head to the side and made his way over to Molly.

  Peter joined Kellan and me, crossing his arms as he approached.

  “What do you think it is?” Kellan asked.

  Dust rose up creating an orange cloud that camouflaged whatever was causing the particles to stir. Kellan stepped in front of me just as a large animal pushed its way in front of the cloud.

  It had a massive crown of antlers and eyes as black as coal. The deer’s eyes were wide and filled with both anger and worry. The buck wasn’t alone, there was a herd following close behind him stamping the ground.

  Kellan grabbed my arm and pulled me away. The deer were heading right for us and it didn’t look like they were going to stop.

  The dust swirled around in front of us as the group passed through the area. I could see them through the bits of dust and the deer in the herd weren’t nearly as large as their leader. Each one of them seemed to be withering away. Starving. Their ribs protruded and their legs were so thin it was almost surprising they were able to hold themselves up.

  “They’re probably heading for the river… looking for water,” Peter said.

  “That’s not good,” I said.

  “It’s fine. Don’t worry,” Peter said. He had a way of making me feel small and insignificant. “We’ll have enough and in Winnipeg water isn’t even an issue.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “It sounds wonderful. I wonder when we’ll actually get to see it.”

  There was a harshness to his expression that made me feel like backing away from him. I didn’t. I kept my feet firmly planted on the ground.

  “You’ll get there,” Peter said. “As long as you’re with me, you’ll get there.”

  Peter placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled. He was trying to offer me comfort but I didn’t feel any.

  It took everything I had inside me not to flinch away from his touch. He pressed his lips together into a tight-lipped smile before he turned and walked away, making his way over to the others.

  “Yeah, as long as you’re with him,” Kellan said swallowing hard. There was an unmistakable bitterness to his tone. “You’ll get there but only as long as you’re with Peter. It’s a good thing you’re with him.”

  Before I could say anything, he turned and walked away from me. I stood there by myself turning back to look at the space the deer had just come through. The dust floated around me and I watched it whirl around me as if I were trapped inside of a snow globe.
r />   I didn’t turn. I didn’t move until the dust settled.

  We began our travels not long after, taking the same path the deer had taken. After another mile or so the terrain changed.

  “This is going to be a bit of a hike,” Peter said placing his hand over his eyes to block the sun.

  There were steep hills covered with dead trees and thick branches. Molly twisted her fingers nervously.

  “This is the way the deer went?” Molly asked.

  Peter pointed at the ground. “Yes, see the tracks?”

  “How did they manage this? Isn’t there a way around?” Molly asked.

  “It would add too much time to our schedule and I know you folks are in a hurry. It’ll be okay,” Peter said with a smile. “You’ll be fine. We’ll take it slow.”

  “You’re sure about this?” Nick asked.

  Peter seemed annoyed. “I’m positive. We’ve gone this way many times without a problem. Isn’t that right, Kellan?”

  “Yeah, no problems whatsoever,” Kellan said looking out in the distance.

  “Let’s move,” Peter said waving us along as he took a step into the long, tan colored grasses.

  The ground beneath our feet was bumpy. We were walking on hardened soil will little hills and valleys that made it difficult to walk. The bumps poked up through my shoes and every time I stepped into a hole, I was afraid I was going to lose my balance.

  We climbed up a steep incline. I reached out grabbing twigs to help pull myself up. Countless times Molly lost her footing and slipped down a foot or two before digging her hands into the ground to stop herself.

  She shook her head as Nick helped her up. It looked like she was ready to sit down and give up.

  “I can’t do this,” Molly said softly to Nick.

  “It gets easier after this hill,” Peter said but it didn’t get any easier. In fact, going down was more difficult.

  My feet were numb and my ankles felt like they were made out of rubber. It was hard to keep a steady pace as the bottom of the hill seemed to be pulling me down.

  A hunk of dirt moved under my foot and I slipped. I started to fall but Kellan managed to catch me.

  “Whoa there,” he said with a smile. “I got you.”