Praying for Grace (The Grace Series Book 5) Read online

  “In here,” he called back.

  I turned into his little room.

  “What’s up?” he asked while looking up from where he was perched on his bed, tying his boots.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Everything ok?”

  I shook my head side to side quickly.

  “Come sit.” He patted the spot on the bed beside him.

  “Gretchen’s waiting in the hall. Gus…how strong is your link with her?”

  He looked at me sideways. “Strong.”

  “Would you know if she has any secrets?”

  “Ayup. She doesn’t.”

  “You’re positive?”

  “A hundred percent.”

  I leaned in to whisper to him. “We have to leave. In ten minutes.”

  He chuckled. “Not funny, darlin’.”

  “It’s not meant to be,” I said as I grabbed my own tennis shoes from under the bed and slipped them on.

  Finally he looked at me with worry. “Talk to me.”

  “Moe and some of the others…” my thought was interrupted by one of the men in masks.

  “Moe and the others what?” he asked, poking his head into the room.

  I whipped my head around to face him. “They said clean-up will take a while. They want it done by noon.”

  “Weird,” said the man.

  “Kevin, brother, can you give us a few minutes?” asked Gus. His voice was commanding.

  “Sure. Just make this quick so we can get started. I have strict instructions to not start till your girl is up top again. Moe’s worried the fumes from the cleaners might hurt the fetus.”

  “We’ll be quick. Don’t worry. Gretchen?” Gus raised his voice a bit to call his friend in.

  Kevin stepped back into the hall and Gretchen took his place.

  “What’s up?” she asked, clearly nervous.

  “Can you gather up some supplies for Emmett? Diapers, bottles, clothes, formula?”

  “I think Katie already did.”

  “Double the supply?” suggested Gus. “We might relocate him to the houses for a while till fumes clear up down here. Could be days.”

  I hadn’t even told Gus what was going on yet, and was relieved that he was taking me seriously. As soon as Gretchen left the room, I turned to Gus.

  “They’re from the compound, Gus. I overheard them. Boggs is waiting for us with Abbey and Dan. We have to go. Now.”

  He placed his hands on either side of my face. His touch was so very gentle. Looking into my eyes, he asked if I was sure.

  CHAPTER 8

  Gus guided me down the bloody hallway to the sitting room while Gretchen finished packing baby supplies. I held onto Emmett and took the opportunity to nurse him.

  “Ladies, help me pack some supplies?” asked Gus.

  The masked guy walked up behind us. “Supplies for what?” He asked.

  “Gretchen and Zoe both need things day and night because of their pregnancies. I’m setting them up in one of the houses till the chemical fumes from cleaning clear out. It might be a week or so.”

  “Don’t take too much,” the man grumbled.

  “Kevin, I’m going to help them haul a few packs over and then be right back,” continued Gus.

  “We really need you here, man,” said Kevin as he ran a hand through his graying hair. “Just make it quick.”

  “Will do,” said Gus.

  “Be sure to pack some water for his formula? Some food too,” said Gus, directed at Gretchen.

  “Why food?” asked Kevin, his voice raised slightly.

  “Gretchen’s been feeling faint at night. Pregnant women need snacks on hand. We won’t take much, just a few nights worth of snacks,” explained Gus.

  “Fuck man, you’ll have to clear it with D’Andre.”

  “Who the hell is that?” asked Gus.

  “He’s the one in charge. He’s been out scouting for over a week but just got back.”

  “I’ll talk to him in the morning. Right now I need to get the girls situated.”

  Kevin looked irritated, but after a lingering silence he turned and left the room.

  “Gus? What’s going on?” asked Gretchen.

  “I’ll explain as soon as I can. I just need you to trust me, ok?”

  “Of course. Without hesitation. You know that,” she said as she placed a palm on his cheek.

  “We have less than ten minutes. Boggs said they’re leaving and I really don’t want to get separated again,” I said.

  “Three minutes, girls. Help me finish packing.”

  “We don’t have any more bags,” I said.

  “I’ll grab some paper grocery sacks from the kitchen,” said Gus. “Let’s get going.”

  In a group effort, bottles of water and cans of food were packed into the grocery sacks. Within three minutes, we were ascending the stairs to the outside. Voices were carrying from the gardens and front gates. It was difficult to say if they were angry or just overly excited. I kept Emmett close to my chest and hoped he’d keep quiet. We walked as a group around to the backside of the little stone building.

  “Boggs?” I called quietly.

  “Over here,” came his hushed voice.

  I walked in his direction and once I could see him through the fog I wrapped my free arm around him.

  “It’ll be light soon. We need to go,” he said loud enough for the others to hear.

  Abbey was standing next to Danny, holding his hand. She looked terrified. Katie was next to Boggs and looked hesitant.

  “Where will we go?” asked Gretchen.

  “No idea,” said Gus and Boggs in unison.

  “I know where they keep extra vehicles,” said Gretchen. “There’s a garage about a mile from here. They keep it covered in camouflage nets.”

  “Have you been there?” asked Gus.

  “Just once. Hoot took me. Where is he?”

  “Fuck,” mumbled Gus. “I’ll go get him.”

  “We need to hurry, Gus. Let me go,” offered Gretchen.

  “Can we trust him?” asked Danny.

  “Ayup. He’s Gretchen’s brother. They’re going to notice I’m gone soon. Let’s get Hoot and go.”

  “How will we get out? There’s just the front gate,” mentioned Danny.

  “Up and over. We’ll hope that the fog holds long enough to hide us from the guards.”

  “No,” said Abbey suddenly.

  We all turned to look at her.

  “There’s a better way,” she continued. “We can set them free.”

  “Set who free, Abbey?” asked Danny.

  “The Roamers they keep below. We could get to a safe place and then set them all free. Let them kill the bad people.”

  “Too dangerous. Who’d unlock them?”

  Abbey looked down at her feet.

  “I’ll do it,” said Boggs.

  I choked on my own spit.

  “Think about it. The perfect end to these murdering compound fuckers.”

  “What about the innocents?” I asked. “The kids here.”

  “We can’t think about that,” said Boggs, sounding cold-hearted.

  There was a moment of silence.

  “Not Trudy,” said Katie pathetically. “Please don’t let Trudy out.”

  Boggs sighed. “I’m not sure who she is.”

  “Then let me come with you,” she whimpered. “That way I can say good-bye to her, too?”

  “We can’t really say no,” said Gus. “Can you run fast?”

  “I can,” she answered.

  “Ok. Once they’re loose there’s no turning back,” said Boggs. “Katie, you stay right beside me. Period. And don’t get in the way. Got it?”

  She nodded. “Got it.”

  “I have a crazy idea,” whispered Gus. “The fog’s heavy. The people awake sound drunk as hell. Danny, Abbey, Zoe, and Emmett. We’ll get you into whatever rig they just brought in. Gretchen, do you know what the rig is?”

  “It’s a big truck with a c
anopy. I think a Chevy or Ford.”

  “Ok. Danny, I want you to get Abbey and Zoe around the perimeter and near the front gate. Gretch, you and I’ll go find Hoot. Boggs, brother, best of luck to you and Katie. Give the rest of us a couple minutes lead.”

  “Let’s go,” was Boggs’ answer.

  No more words were said as we parted ways. Emmett was beginning to stir in my arms, so I held him closer hoping my warmth would calm him. Our small group followed the perimeter of the wall, sticking to the darkest areas. The obnoxious laughter and hollering was growing closer and I knew we’d be to the main gate soon. We had skirted around the side of the base opposite the housing units, where Boggs and Katie were headed. Danny held a hand out to still us.

  “What do we do next?” I asked quietly.

  “Stay here with Abbey,” he said. “I just want to peek at the rig, scope it out. It’ll be best if I’m alone.”

  “Don’t go, Danny,” whimpered Abbey.

  “I’ll be right back. Stay with Zoe and the baby.”

  He left us. I heard someone in the distance yell out in surprise. Abbey found my hand and held on tight.

  “It’s started, Abbey. Stay close,” I urged.

  Ignoring Danny’s instructions, I pulled her forward, knowing we’d only be strides behind him. The yell turned to screams and a gun fired shortly after. Chaos began with the sound of boots running in the gravel and names being shouted. A knot formed in the pit of my stomach as more gunfire rang out. I could hear someone screaming for D’Andre, and before long the screams of alarm changed to those of agony. I had heard screams like them too many times in the past as people were ripped apart by the dead and eaten alive.

  “Abbey! Zoe! Get in!” yelled Danny. “Lock the doors behind you.”

  My handhold with Abbey was broken as Danny pushed her in the direction of the truck that Gretchen had described. The cacophony of horrific sounds grew louder, and notably closer.

  Smoke mingled with the fog and the beam of a flashlight broke through as someone ran in our direction. Before I knew what was happening, I was being pushed into the cab of the pickup. My left shoulder hit the door frame and I nearly dropped the baby. Emmett was screaming by now, but there was little I could do to soothe him. I held him near and placed a hand over his soft head. Abbey was on the bench seat beside me, already climbing over into the cramped back jump seats.

  Once she had toppled over the bench seat, she looked at me with wide eyes. A loud thud shook the truck. I whipped my head around, coming face to face with a grizzly sight against the windshield. An arm and shoulder lay across the wipers with fresh blood trailing down the hood. Abbey screamed from the back seat, causing Emmett to wail.

  “Abbey!” I yelled. “Take the baby! Quick!”

  I thrust him into her arms and scooted over toward the driver’s seat. The only light came from the unstable beams of flashlights as people ran about. Searching for keys, I ran my hands down the steering column, scratching my knuckle on something sharp. I mumbled a few obscenities as I continued to search with my injured hand. A body slammed into the driver’s door, causing me to jump and Abbey to scream again. I slammed my hand down on the door lock and began searching again for keys. Someone outside of the truck began screaming, begging for their life to be spared. Finally, and quite by chance, I found keys on the seat beside me. The windshield exploded in a flurry of shattered glass and the scent of blood and gunpowder hit us in a nauseating wave.

  “Zoe!” screamed Abbey.

  “Get out, Abs! We have to get out!”

  As I reached for the still-screaming baby, the passenger door was thrust open.

  “Danny!” shrieked Abbey.

  The boy turned just in time to see Moe stumbling toward him. The older woman was obviously freshly-risen and ravenous for a first meal. Her skin was pale gray and her yellow sweatshirt was covered in blood. Her long graying hair was plastered to her neck, which looked like it had been run through a meat grinder. Danny backed up against the cab the best he could and pulled the door closed on himself, blocking Moe the best he could.

  “Danny, get in!” screamed Abbey. “Get in!”

  Dan used the door as a weapon, trying to push the dead woman off of him. I looked back to my own door when I heard Gus screaming for me.

  “Zoe, let me in!”

  I popped the lock as quick as I could and scooted over toward Danny, who had just managed to knock down the beast that was trying to devour him. He and Gus scrambled into opposite sides of the cab in a flurry of commotion.

  I thrust the keys I had found toward Gus, who took them clumsily.

  “Where’s Gretchen?” I asked. “And Boggs?”

  “Gretchen’s in the back with Hoot. Not sure on Boggs and Katie. We need to go, though, darlin’.”

  “Not without him, Gus. I can’t.” I felt my stomach turn over.

  Someone, rather something, was on the hood of the truck and crawling toward the busted out windshield. I recognized it all too well as one of the children who had hunted us before. I doubted she was cute even when she had been alive. Something was unusual about her. I thought that perhaps she had been scrawny and plain in her life before. I was thinking about it too much. Her eyes were large and brown. They should have been clouded over and shriveled. Those eyes. If I could have melted into them, I would have. I knew her mouth was snarling at me. She stunk so badly. Her breathing was ragged and I knew it came from a dark cavernous hole in her chest, never making it in or out of her mouth, but her eyes made me not care. She was hideous, but her eyes were so beautiful. I couldn’t look away. Nothing mattered but those eyes. Not the gunfire around us, nor the smoke in the air, nor the screams, nor the person shaking my shoulder.

  My fascination with those eyes ended when someone crushed her head with a large rock.

  “Gus, the gate’s open!” yelled Boggs loudly. “Start driving to the left and we’ll get in back! Go! Go!”

  “Boggs!” I shouted.

  The corpse of the child-zombie still lay on the hood, albeit precariously. Gus must have started the engine while the girl had held me captivated. The truck lurched forward and stopped again, knocking me into the dash.

  “Sorry, darlin’, hold on!” shouted Gus.

  Danny was busy climbing into the back seat, his efforts made difficult by the motion of the rig. Someone was pounding on the side of the truck. Gus turned the headlights on, which did little to help him see in the mixture of smoke and thick fog. Several dark forms sped by, too fast to make out any details. Runners. I could tell by how they moved. I felt the truck bounce and turned when someone knocked on the small window that separated cab from bed. Katie was looking at us, yelling for us to go. Her eyes were full of terror.

  As the truck swerved to the right, I faced forward just in time to see the headlights fall upon a body being eagerly eaten by the dead.

  “Oh shit!” yelled Danny from behind me.

  I had already lost my ability to breathe and was lost in instant heartache as I stared at the pool of blood that surrounded the best friend I had ever known.

  “Fuck,” grumbled Gus. “Zoe, look away!” he barked as he sped up.

  “No, no, no, no, noooooo…” I groaned. “Stop the truck, we have to help him!”

  “He’s gone, baby,” said Gus harshly.

  “No!” I screamed as I began to scoot toward the passenger door.

  “Sit down!” huffed Gus, sounding angry with me.

  “I’m not leaving him,” I said firmly. Before anyone could stop me, I opened the door and jumped out, landing hard on the ground. I did my best to ignore the resulting pain in my right leg and stood, reorienting myself until I located the bloody feast taking place only yards away. I half-ran-half-stumbled away from the truck, which I knew was stopped now, and headed toward the handful of dead that were busy gorging on Boggs’ body.

  I could hear someone running after me, yelling for me to stop. Gus. Of course he’d be running after me. Another set of footfalls, coming up be
hind me fast. Maybe Danny. I didn’t turn to look. I continued on, not caring that I was walking into a jumble of evil flesh-eating creatures. The world was too fucked up to care now.

  “Grab her!” I heard a male voice yell immediately followed by a gunshot.

  One of the Roamers that was tearing flesh from Boggs’ leg fell sideways, dead from the gunshot. I fell to the ground as someone grabbed my waist. I fought them, crawling desperately toward Boggs’ broken body that lay in a pool of fresh blood and entrails.

  “Adam,” I wailed. “Adam…”

  The creatures turned toward us, already leaving Boggs’ body for living meat. I looked past them at Boggs, even though I knew he was lost to us. His face was unrecognizable, and most of his dark curls had been ripped from his scalp. One of his eyes was intact, staring blankly at me. His shirt was shredded and lying beside him in a combination of dirt and blood. His arm was gone, the flesh of his chest ripped away. Half of his cross tattoo remained, leaving no doubt in my mind that the body before me truly was that of my dearest friend. I heaved, vomiting onto the ground. My eyes blurred from the force of retching. Gus lifted me up and swung me over his shoulder. I looked back as two more dead fell. I saw that Hoot was the one standing with us, shooting. Gus ran with me toward the truck, Hoot in close pursuit. I beat my fists against Gus’ back and yelled.

  “Leave me here! I want to stay with him!”

  My words fell on unhearing ears. I was forced into the back of the pickup and joined by Gus and Hoot. The back of the canopy was closed harshly and the truck sped away. I forced myself to not cry. There was no longer a place for tears in this poor excuse of a life. I was angry, though. Angry at so many things.

  “Stop the truck!” I screamed.

  “Easy, darlin’,” said Gus as he scooted toward me. “We have to keep going. You know that.”

  “No we don’t. I don’t. I want to stay with him.”

  “No, Zoe. I promised him I’d always watch out for you and I intend to keep that promise. Always choose life, remember?”

  He attempted to wrap an arm around me, but I forcefully pushed him back and tried to scramble toward the canopy door.

  “No you don’t,” barked Hoot.

  I could hear Katie in the background talking to whomever was up front driving. I could hear Emmett wailing. My mind wandered briefly to the baby who I had grown to think of as my own. Abbey. She loved him too. She’d make a good mother. He’d be ok. As I tried to open the back window, I was pulled back forcefully. Hands dug into my hips painfully.