“
The
y’
re everywhere
,”
she muttered, sinking lower into her chair and now unable to block the noise from her mind
.“
Ther
e’
s no escaping them
.
”
“
I disagree
,”
he said calmly, turning his head to squint at her
.“
You all have yourselves so locked up in here, in the middle of a city, where they surround you all the time, you do
n’
t know what i
t’
s like in the countryside, in the woods. My school was swarming with them, biting and devouring everything in sight and I barely made it out alive. I had no one when I escaped, no food, no plan. But I found the trees, learned to hunt a bit and fish. Sure I was skin and bones by the time Quinton scooped me up, but I was
n’
t eaten, I was
n’
t infected. They do
n’
t run to those places
.
”
“
How long
?”
Kaylee asked, her voice quiet as she attempted to imagine foresting for food and being all alone, as Jack had been. She shivered even though the sun was quite warm.
“
Six months
,”
he answered and his voice was just as soft as hers had been
.“
It was a long six months
.
”
Kaylee nodded and her eyes drifted to her hands as she reflexively open and closed them around her empty mug.
Six months.
She could
n’
t even begin to imagine how horrible that must have been. Six months with no help, no contacts, no knowing if anyone else was out there or where was safe. Six months without speaking. She could
n’
t even imagine going anywhere near that amount of time without her father or Emma.
Or Andrew,
she added as an afterthought.
“I’
m sorry
,”
she offered
.“
It must have been horrible
.
”
“
It was
n’
t great. But i
t’
s different if yo
u’
re with someone. Now I have Quinton at least
,”
he conceded, but he smiled as he turned to look at her. She wanted to ask about his family but had a sinking feeling in her gut not to. They lived in New York. Kaylee knew what had happened there: an absolute massacre
.“
What about you? Ho
w’
d you get stuck in a firehouse? I would have picked a high rise myself
.
”
Kaylee sighed, her eyes leaving his and flitting over the horizon to the high rise they had been holed up in. She raised her arm to point
.“
See that one over there? Count ten stories up and six from the right and yo
u’
ll find my old room. We had waited there, just like Red Cross told us all to, bu
t
…”
The infected got in, had been in really when they closed the place up. It was still spreading slowly and people were still hoping for a cure. Her neighbors and friends had refused to turn their sick relatives in and as a result it only took a few days before the infection spread and the apartments were overrun.
Kaylee went very quiet as she remembered the night they had fled. The halls had been full of twitching bodies. She remembered very clearly running past a man who had been bleeding from the mouth, though whether it was his blood or the blood of one of his meals to this day she did
n’
t know. Fingers grabbed and teeth snapped and she remembered her father carrying Emma and her mother pushing her along and Andrew running from his hall to catch up with them and Bill and Anna slamming fire doors as they all passed safely through. They had practically flown down the stairs, leaping bodies as they awoke, their eyes dark yellow, their hands convulsing.
The lobby was filled with people rushing for the door and the infected were swarming around them causing a scrum at the exit. Kaylee remembered turning to see a ten-year-old boy that she had passed out Halloween candy to not so long ago, climbing over the crowds and sinking his teeth into the neck of his father. Blood was slick on the tiled floor and the group slid and tripped, before turning to follow Bill who had taken a fire extinguisher and smashed out a window. They ran for the twilight of the street, ran from screaming and terror to the abandonment of the pavement.
Kayle
e’
s mother Susan was the last to make it to the window and she stopped suddenly at the broken glass. She had locked eyes with her husband first, Emma cradled in his arms, her head tucked into his shoulder, before turning to Kaylee. She had smiled weakly as she showed Kaylee the bite mark on her arm but the smile faded as her hand betrayed her with that first twitch. Fear replaced the gentle assurances that her mother had been trying to convey and Kaylee had sobbed before Andrew had grabbed her around the waist and tugged, hauling her to the firehouse and her new home.
“
They got in
?”
Jack asked, startling Kaylee from her reminiscing and dragging her forcefully back to the present.
“
They were already in
,”
she whispered, angry at the tears that were forming as the memories assaulted her.
“
You lost someone
,”
he said and Kaylee could feel his eyes on her but she refused to meet them.
“
Has
n’
t everyone
?”
she asked evasively, turning away and patting her sleeve over her damp eyes.
“
But you lost someone that night
,”
he prompted and Kaylee let out a small breath before turning her eyes on him. He was watching her intently, not a trace of judgment in his features.
“
My mother
,”
she answered in a soft tone
.“
She was bitten and stayed behind
.
”
“I’
m sorry
,”
he said, offering a condoling smile. She nodded and took a deep breath before returning her gaze to her empty mug, the spoon rattled against the side as her hands shook slightly.
“
So where are you going? Somewhere cold
?”
she asked after a few loaded moments in attempt to change the subject. Jack laughed and Kaylee looked up in surprise.
“
You are damn perceptive
!”
he said, grinning at her
.“
Somewhere cold. Because no oranges, right
?”
Kaylee nodded sheepishly and he laughed again.
“
Well, yo
u’
re right. W
e’
re going somewhere cold
.
”
“
We
?
”
“
Quinton and me
,”
he clarified, though his gaze had now turned on her and he lifted one eyebrow
.“
Unless yo
u’
d care to join us? I mean I have to say, I thought
I’
d be disappointed when I finally saw you with a shirt on but
I’
m not, yo
u’
re still very pretty. I do
n’
t think
I’
d mind you tagging along
.”
He smirked at her and Kayle
e’
s jaw dropped.
“
Yo
u…
yo
u
—
”
she spluttered at him, her cheeks heating up but he interrupted her.
“
Handsome bastard
?
”
“
Just bastard would do
,”
Kaylee muttered, crossing her arms as she set her gaze on the far wall. Jack was unaffected by her shift in attitude and he laughed as she frowned.
“
So, for how long do I have to tolerate your presence
?”
she asked through set teeth.
“
What, you mean your not tempted by my offer?
Kaylee scowled, turning in her chair to face him as she answered but was interrupted by a throat clearing in the doorway.
“
Am I interrupting
?”
Andrew was standing in the doorframe, shifting from foot to foot with nervous energy even though his eyes were bleary with too little sleep. Kaylee smiled widely as he eyed them suspiciously. She jumped up, throwing her mug into the now empty camp chair where it rattled against the spoon. Running towards him with her arms outstretched, Andre
w’
s mouth finally quirked up into a grin.
“
Yo
u’
re okay
?”
he breathed into her, holding her tightly as he asked.
“
Mhmm
,”
Kaylee murmured, pulling back a bit and looking him over
.“
You overreacted, did
n’
t you
?
”
Andre
w’
s eyes dipped to the rooftop and he smiled sheepishly
.“
I was worried, so was everyone
.
”
“
Silly boy
,”
she chastised lightly, grinning up at him.
“
Anyone else up
?”
Jack interrupted, standing and stretching before walking over to the pair. Kaylee felt a flush creep up her neck without really understanding why and she pulled out of Andre
w’
s embrace, he letting her go only grudgingly.
“
Your friend
,”
Andrew answered, his tone had a slight edge
.“
But no one else. We do
n’
t normally get up so early
.
”
“
So I was told
,”
Jack said, scooping up Kayle
e’
s mug and spoon with his own and turning once to scan the sky
.“
Nice clear day though and we have some scavenging to do, s
o
…
”
he trailed off and headed in the direction of the stairs.
“
You will consider my offer though, right
?”
he asked, turning suddenly to look at Kaylee from the mouth of the stairwell. She grit her teeth.
“
To be eye candy for you and your friend? Oh sure,
I’
d just love to
,”
she answered, hoping the sarcasm dripping from her voice would put him off. She could hear his laughter as he descended the stairs.
Kaylee turned back to Andrew and noticed his raised eyebrows, his look of agitation.
“
Sorry
,”
she offered, shrugging through her blush
.“
H
e’
s kind of an, a
n
…”
“
Yeah, h
e’
s an ass
,”
Andrew supplied through grit teeth
.“
Do
n’
t get me wrong,
I’
m glad w
e’
re not alone. But, I mean seriously! After all this waiting we get some jackass eighteen-year-old and a grisly old man with plans of world domination. You should hear them talk! According to them ther
e’
s an underground force somewhere up north that the
y’
re escaping to, some place where the infected never penetrated and you can live free and clear of all this shit
.
”