After the Ending (27 page)

Harper lifted his hand from my forehead, his body no
longer shielding me from Jake’s penetrating gaze. Each of Jake’s cautious steps
brought the handsome, frustrating, confusing man closer to me. Too exhausted to
overthink things, I could only smile. “Thank you.”

The wrinkled brow shadowing his dark eyes softened. “I’m
glad you’re okay.”

Satisfied that he hadn’t completely dismissed my
gratitude, I let my eyelids close and fell asleep.

I woke the next afternoon feeling almost completely
rejuvenated. Although I was still tired, my body felt strong and healthy. Even
more surprising, I was starving. Shuffling into the hallway, I found Cooper
curled up protectively outside my door. I called him to come along as I headed
for the mess hall.

I ran into Sarah along the way, and after eating an early
dinner, she and I took Cooper for a walk. Luckily, the sun was still shining,
welcoming me to my second chance at life. As we walked, Sarah kicked the
occasional pebble, and I repeatedly threw a stick for Cooper to retrieve. Sarah
spewed all the gushy details about her and Biggs after filling me in on what
had happened while I was asleep. She giggled and gossiped, explaining in detail
what had taken place after Tanya found me unconscious. Her nonchalance made it
seem less real, which I strangely appreciated.

“What about Clara? What happened to her?” I asked.

“Jake tore the place apart looking for her. Sanchez had
Dave and Biggs put her in a holding cell because she’s obviously insane. Not to
mention they were worried Jake might kill her…he was
really
angry. Only
Harper, Biggs, and Sanchez know where she is—just in case. I think they’re
worried about Tanya, to be honest.” Sarah features pinched in confusion. “But
she’s the one who told them about you and she’s sick, so…”

Shuffling steps interrupted our conversation, and we
turned to see Stacey coming up behind us, her shoulder-length, dirty-blonde
hair pulled back into a stubby ponytail. She looked at me sympathetically. “How
are you feeling?”

“Much better, thanks. Sarah’s just filling me in on what
I missed while I was…out. How are you?”

“Oh, fine. Well, that’s not true, actually. I’ve been
thinking a lot about what happened to you, and I feel horrible about it.”

I looked at her, baffled. “Why?”

“It’s just that I feel like I should’ve caught on to all
this a lot sooner. I should’ve said something to you.”

“What do you mean?” Sarah piped in.

“It was obvious Clara didn’t like you, even though she
never went so far as to say she was going to try to physically harm you. I just
feel like I should’ve seen the signs or something.”

“Stacey, I appreciate your apology, really, but if we’re
placing blame, I’m just as guilty,” I said, trying to reassure her. “I knew
Clara didn’t like me, and I would’ve been able to see it coming if I’d paid
closer attention.”

“I guess, but I was with her in the gym the whole time
you were dying. I feel really shitty about it. I just hope you don’t think I
had anything to do with it.”

Knowing she was sincere, I nudged her shoulder. “Of
course I don’t. Clara’s a psycho. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d escaped from
a mental institution or something.”

“Well…that
may
be closer to the truth than you
think.”

“What?” Sarah and I asked in unison.

“Keep in mind that I don’t know her much better than you
do. She was only here about a week before you all arrived,” Stacey disclaimed.
“But, she tells Tanya a lot, and I’ve overheard some conversations that make me
think you might be onto something.”

“What?” I scoffed. “Like she was really in a mental
institution?”

“Maybe. I know Jake found her in a hospital. She told us
as much herself. I overheard her telling Tanya she couldn’t really relate to
losing a sister. She told us she hated her own family…that they might as
well’ve
locked her away in a dungeon. She made it
very
clear she’d never forgive them.”

“You think they put her in a hospital?” I asked.

Stacey shrugged. “It’s possible. She said she hadn’t seen
them in seven years and that her best friend was someone named Jenson. They
were very close until he did something to piss her off, so she said she taught
him a lesson. Knowing what she did to you, she probably killed the poor
bastard.”

“But why would Jake rescue her if she was locked away in
a crazy ward? Why was he even
in
a crazy ward?” Sarah wondered.

I thought about the dream I’d had of Jake and Clara when
they were in the hospital, and it all started to make sense. “I think she
reminds him of his sister,” I said. “So he felt like he had to help her.”

“His sister? How would you know that?” Sarah asked. “You
guys are barely around each other—except for when he’s saving your life,” Sarah
joked. She nudged me and giggled. “Have you two been spending
secret
time
together?” I gave her a flat look, and she cleared her throat. “Or not.”

“Oh!” Stacey chirped. “I forgot the whole reason for
coming out here. Harper wants you back at the barracks.”

The sun was setting, and I was getting tired, so I
conceded. We made it back to the barracks just as Dave and Biggs were exiting
with blankets and steaming mugs.

“There they are,” Dave said, smiling at us. “
Here.
” He handed me a cup of hot chocolate and a blanket.
“You’re gonna need these.”

“Um, thanks,” I said. “What are we doing?” I asked as
they ushered us around the corner of the barracks to an open field between the
pond and our building. I wondered why bench seats—presumably from a van—were
aligned end-to-end on the dead grass.

Sanchez strode around the corner of an empty building.
“It’s about time,” she said dryly. “The show’s about to start.”

“The show? But it’s dark.” My question was ignored,
again, leaving me both curious and confused.

The night was chilly, and I was glad to have a blanket to
wrap around me as I situated myself on one of the seats.

“I’m so excited!” Sarah squealed as she cuddled up next
to me.

“I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but what are
we doing?” I asked…again.

“You’ll see,” was all Sanchez said as she sat down beside
Sarah.

“We were going to do this when you woke up last night,
but you needed more sleep,” Sarah explained.

“Well, sorry to ruin your plans, but no one told me we
were having a
show
,” I said.

Just then a muffled thump sounded in the distance. A
dimly glowing rocket whistled as it soared high above us. With a thunderous
boom, it exploded—brilliant red embers burst forth and illuminated the sky.
Another bang followed, and I saw a second rocket fly skyward. It blossomed in
the darkness, and glittering shades of purple and green rained down, leaving a
smoky impression in their wake.

I had tears in my eyes before I could fully understand
the implications of the fireworks show. My heart caught as I realized it was
for me.

“Isn’t this great?” Stacey screeched. “It’s just like at
home, right?”

“It’s beautiful,” I said, wiping my eyes. “I can’t
believe Harper did this.”

As the sky flashed red and orange, Stacey’s face angled
toward me with a look of surprise. “Harper didn’t do this.”

Looking at her, I waited for confirmation, but somewhere
deep inside I knew—it was Jake. His quiet façade was just that. He was an
observer; he’d showed me that himself.

As the fireworks continued above us, I struggled to
understand the feelings that were swirling inside me. I was confused and
surprisingly happy, and I had so many questions. I suddenly felt sick with
nervousness.

“Are you alright?” Stacey asked, leaning in as I brushed
away another tear.

“I
told
you I liked fireworks,” I said, and she
and Sarah giggled. We sat, mesmerized, until the final twinkling colors had
faded from the sky and the last of the smoke had been carried off by the
breeze.

We all started clapping. “Bravo!” Sarah shouted before
reaching out to grab my wrist. “Come on, it’s freezing. Let’s go inside.” She
let go of me, stood, and wrapped her blanket around her shoulders. I’d been so
enthralled by the show that, for once in my life, I hadn’t really noticed the
cold.

“I’ll be in soon,” I said, rising. I walked behind the barracks,
stumbling through the moonlit night toward the place the fireworks had
originated. I had no idea what I was going to do, but I’d never experienced
such unexpected kindness. Between the fireworks and Jake saving my life, again,
I was unable to form any articulate thoughts.

Finally, I heard Jake’s muffled voice and knew he was
nearby. My steps became clumsier the closer I drew to him. I wasn’t sure he
understood the magnitude of what he’d done for me. Wiping away another tear, I
rounded a corner just as Harper and Jake exited a warehouse together.

“Hey, Baby Girl,” Harper said quietly and continued
walking back toward the barracks.

Jake was locking the sliding metal door as I approached
him. Time passed agonizingly slowly as I waited for him to face me. When he
finally turned around, a look of surprise filled his eyes. I could feel a
mixture of emotions emanating from him.

Without hesitation, I shrugged my blanket to the ground,
stood on tiptoes, and threw my arms around him. In the cold of the night, his
body was like a furnace, and he smelled faintly of sulfur. “Thank you,” I
whispered and felt his powerful arms wrap around me.

He held me tightly against his body. “I’m just glad
you’re okay.” The sincerity in his voice made my body pulse with unexpected
pleasure, and I was filled with a sense of calm. I reveled in the moment we
were sharing—one I knew I was lucky to have. Jake had given me the perfect
gift.

Dani

The days that followed my discovery of Grams’s fate passed
quickly and unremarkably. I worked around the ranch, getting to know the
animals and their needs. After assessing our supply levels, I knew that, before
long, I’d have to do another scavenging trip—to the feed and tack store in
Sebastopol. It would be a day-long trip, and I didn’t relish the thought of
getting back in the saddle so soon. My butt still felt like it had cushioned a
fifty-foot fall. I was surprised it didn’t resemble a purple and blue
watercolor painting.

In the back of my mind, and sometimes in the front, I
worried about Jason, Chris, and Ky. I worried that I would never see them
again, and that they would hate me if I did. But most of all, I worried that
Cece and her minions had somehow overtaken them and that they were dead.

The
nights
following my discovery were another
matter entirely, further fracturing the two worlds I inhabited: the fixed world
of reality and the fluid world of my dreams. In sleep, MG would join me—always
banishing my increasingly horrifying nightmares of Cam. We would then discuss
my Ability, increasing my use and understanding of it.

With each passing night, my relationship with the
mysterious man blurred. He had gone from stranger to instructor to partner,
until eventually we were friends. Our discussions grew progressively complex
and personal, filled with evaded questions and unexpected reactions.

While I was mucking out a particularly disgusting stable
stall, I recalled one especially confusing interaction.

Dumbfounded, MG
stared at me from across a round, wrought iron table. At my request for a
fully-clothed setting, he’d taken me to a Parisian café for some coffee and
pastries. In his swim attire, he was just too distracting—not that I told him
that, of course.

“You called how
many to you?” he asked, surprised.

“Well I didn’t
exactly count. Hmm…at least a couple hundred? But I didn’t mean to. I was
aiming for just the animals in the pasture.” I shrugged. “I guess my aim was a
little off.”

“I’ll say.” He took
a healthy gulp of his café au
lait
, nearly choking on
the steaming drink. “And when you dismissed them, they just left?”

I nodded. “For the
most part. I had to concentrate, but once I slipped into the right state of
mind, it was easy.” Smiling, I remembered their soft mental touches. “Most of
them said a goodbye of some sort, too. It was sweet…and odd.”

Holding up his
hand, he said, “Wait. You spoke to them, and they responded? All of them?”

I nodded again,
feeling too much like an oversized bobble head.

MG closed his eyes
and massaged his temples with his fingers, seeming to focus his thoughts. When
he finally spoke, he sounded apprehensive. “And you’re certain that woman heard
you?”

“Yes, absolutely.
And Jason too, even though I didn’t really mean to speak in his head.” I felt
more than a little proud of my rapidly increasing control over my Ability.
After I did something once—like call the horde of woodland creatures—it was
easy to repeat. I hadn’t had the chance to practice, but I was fairly certain
it would be that way with human minds as well.

MG whispered
something under his breath that sounded an awful lot like “Fuck” and began
methodically mauling his croissant. “Do you think you can do the same things
with people?”

“What do you mean?”
His darkening mood confused me.

“Can you
communicate with hundreds of human minds at the same time? Can they talk back?”

“Probably,” I said,
raising one shoulder. I knew from his reaction it was the wrong answer.

Sounding completely
resigned, he said, “I’ve come across quite a few people with Abilities similar
to yours, but none is as powerful. None can hear responses. You have to be
careful. You might be one of the most important people left alive, and we can’t
risk your death.” After a deep breath he added, “Dani, you need to go to the
Colony. You’ll be safer there than you are on your own.”

“I’ll think about
it,” I told him.

“Is that where you are?” I grumbled to the nearly clean
stall floor.
Would I go to the Colony if MG was there?

Thinking about going to Colorado to meet MG in person was
oddly alluring. In my loneliness, he was the only person I’d really interacted
with. He’d earned my trust by comforting me—listening to my struggles and
helping me with my exciting new Ability. And above all else, the thought of
hurting him with my presence didn’t muddle my insides like it did with Jason,
Chris, or Zoe. Plus, he was acutely attractive and had made his interest known,
which might lead to some pleasant diversions down the road. I didn’t, however,
think we’d ever move beyond a
mostly
platonic relationship. At least
life would be easier that way.

For some reason though, the thought of sleeping with
anyone besides Cam or Jason made me feel sick. Cam was gone, but Jason wasn’t.
Not
that it even matters…I might as well be his little sister. He doesn’t want me.
He never has and never will.

“Maybe I’ll just stay here forever,” I told Wings as I
passed her stall and headed further into the stable. I’d taken to speaking out
loud when mentally communicating with my non-human friends—somehow, it helped
me feel less alone.

“
Yes. Good. Stay with family,”
Wings responded,
poking her head through her open stall doorway. Of course, she didn’t actually
say “family,” though that was how my mind interpreted it. Instead, it was a
jumble of images and feelings revolving around our motley group of animals.

Oddly, her suggestion didn’t sound too bad. The heavy
workload around the ranch made the days pass quickly, and the animals offered a
certain level of comfortable companionship, especially since we were able to
communicate in a rather unconventional fashion. I could become a
post-apocalyptic pioneer—living off the land and growing old with nature as my
only solace. It would be a hard life but peaceful in its own way.

“Sounds lonely,” a male voice said from the far entrance
to the stable.

I swung around, pointing the shovel at the intruder.
Recognizing the man’s friendly face, I gasped, “Ky?”

“In the flesh.” As he approached, another man entered
through the open door. His striking resemblance to Ky—smooth, angular facial
features and straight, jet-black hair—barely prepared me for my friend’s next
words. “That’s my brother, Ben.”

“Your brother?” Shocked, I dropped my impromptu weapon.
It clanged loudly on the cement floor.

Ky stopped a few feet in front of me. “Yep. He found us
at our house back in Fort Bragg. He was…surprised, to say the least.”

I nodded and then leapt forward, throwing myself into
Ky’s arms. “I missed you!” I exclaimed, willing myself not to cry. I hadn’t
known what had happened to Jason and Chris after the whole Cece incident, but
if Ky was okay, it was likely that they were as well. “I miss you guys so
much!”

Ky wrapped his arms around me. “Me too, D. Me too.”

A moment later, I released him and approached his
brother. I extended my hand and said, “I’m Dani. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” he replied, shaking my hand quickly. His
voice, unlike Ky’s, was tinged with the faintest Japanese accent. “You’ve
caused quite a fuss. You’re…different than I expected.”

“Shut up, Ben,” Ky told his brother.

Turning my attention back to Ky, I asked, “How’d you find
me?”

“Remember what I said about the weird feelings I was
having?”

I nodded.

“Well, with Cece, I could feel her anger and hatred
building up until she did all that stupid shit. Now it’s happening with you,
except you’re giving off sadness instead of anger. I’m not sure how, but I
recognized the sadness as coming from you, and it got stronger the closer I
came to you—led me straight to you. And…it feels like you’re about to do
something really stupid.”

“Well I’m not going to kill myself or anything,” I said
defensively.

Ky looked at his brother, who nodded.
Seriously? Did he really think I was
suicidal? And what’s with the need for brotherly confirmation?

“No, but whatever you’re thinking of doing, it’ll leave
you
very
unhappy, even if you don’t realize it now. That’s why I can
feel the negativity—the sadness—pouring off you.”

Pondering his assessment, I realized he was right. I’d
been considering becoming a hermit, forsaking human contact altogether. Cutting
out Zoe and Jason, Chris, and even Ky, would leave me miserable for the rest of
my life. I could survive surrounded by only my four-legged friends, but in the
end, death would seem like a relief.

But I can’t go back.
I didn’t want to be alone,
but I also couldn’t stand the possibility that I’d endanger my friends again.
Damn
rocks and hard places!

Ky continued, “Come with me and Ben. We’ll take you back
with us.”

Shaking my head, I said, “But Jason and Chris…they almost
got killed because of me. I saw—”

“What’d you see?” Ky asked, narrowing his eyes.

Biting my lower lip, I sighed. “I saw Cece go after Jason
and Chris at my grandma’s house.”

After looking at his brother again and receiving another
nod, Ky whistled. “So it’s true. Jason said he heard you, said he was sure you
were out behind the house somewhere.”

I brushed his words aside. “You abandoned them! That
bitch and her sycophants nearly murdered them and you weren’t there!”

Ky held his hands out in front of him and stepped closer.
“Dani, you have to understand. Jason made us stay at his place while he and
Chris checked your house. Cece and her idiots followed him…they were supposed
to be looking for gas. The rest of us…we didn’t know what they were doing. We
were just following Jason’s orders.”

“Oh,” I said, my anger instantly dissipating.

“You don’t have to worry about her going after you or
anyone else. She’s long gone. So are John and the rest of her flock, and good
fucking riddance! I’m pretty sure she’s actually controlling them, and not just
with her
pu
—” Ky stopped talking and cleared his
throat. “I mean, I think she’s like me…but her thing is controlling dumbshits
who are stupid enough to touch her.” Ky shook his head in annoyance and
continued, “The only shitty part about them leaving is that they took the
Humvees and everything that was in ‘
em
.”

I had suspected as much—that Cece was gone—and felt
immense relief. It was short-lived. My stomach knotted as I registered the
implications of Cece being able to control other people.
How many can she
control? How does she do it? And now she’s out there somewhere…

“Please come back. If you don’t, I’m not sure how much
longer the rest of us can stand Jason. He was a cold son of a bitch before. Now
he’s rabid. He’s crazy moody, especially when he’s drinking. And by moody, I
mean completely unreasonable. He’s becoming impossible to—”

At his words, fury began coursing through my veins. I
tried to contain it, but seeped out anyway. “
And what would you do? Betray
him? Abandon him? Attack him? You’re just like her!”

“Holy. Shit.” Ky stared at me with wide, wonder-filled
eyes. “
No,”
he said tentatively in my mind. “
I’ll stand by him. I
promise…Is this real?”

Clenching my jaw, I nodded sharply. Remotely, I
registered the confirmation that I
could
hear human responses
telepathically.

“What’s going on?” Ben asked.

Ky shook his head. “It’s impossible.”

“Oh, but
your
thing is possible? Don’t be such a
hypocrite.”

“She can…she can…,” Ky stammered.

“I can talk in his mind. In anyone’s. I guess you could
call me a telepath.” I finished pointedly.

To my surprise, Ben simply nodded, accepting my claim
without argument or exclamation. I studied him.
What can he do? What about
Jason? What about all the people Zoe’s with? Holy crap…what about
all
of
the Survivors?!
My friends and I needed to stick together.

“I’ll come back,” I said definitively.

Ky and Ben just stared at me, and we stood in awkward
silence.

“So…I’m surprised Jason didn’t come with you.”

“He doesn’t know we’re here,” they said in unison.

Interesting.
“I
will
come back…tomorrow.”
Ky looked baffled, so I explained, “I have some issues I need to sort out.
Personal things. And, well, I can’t do it around Chris…she’ll get in my head
and try to do it for me.
I
need to do it.” I paused, wondering how
exactly I would sort out my feelings for Jason by morning.

“Ky, promise me you won’t tell Jason where I am.” I
stared into his brown eyes, and sensing his reluctance, willed him to give in.

Hesitantly, Ky nodded. “Fine. I won’t tell him…today.
But, I’m telling him first thing in the morning. You should probably be ready
for him to storm up here…”

“Great…,” I said unenthusiastically.
An angry
Jason…what a great way to start the day.
I took my sudden apprehension out
on Ben, who was nodding, again. “Why do you keep nodding?” I demanded, glaring
at him.

Wide-eyed, Ben said, “Oh, I…umm…I can tell when people
are lying—you’re not.”

Huh.
“That’s useful.”

He shrugged. “It can be kind of annoying. You’d be
surprised how frequently people lie about stupid things.”

“I can imagine.” Looking outside, I noticed it was dusk.
“You guys should get going. You know how the Crazies like to come out and play
at night.” I stepped forward to give Ben a brief hug. “I’m glad he found you
alive.” Ky’s hug was longer, punctuated by an eager “I’ll see you soon”.