Shattered World (Broken World Book 2) (15 page)

When we found her, Axl held me while I cried and Angus took care of putting her down. But I was there. I saw the bullet go into my baby’s brain. Saw her crumple to the floor. That was the moment when my world shattered into a million pieces.

My hands shake as I pick up the backpack. Tears fill my eyes and I try to make myself unzip it, to look inside. But I can’t. I just can’t face it right now. If I open it, the floodgates will come down, and I’ll never be able to put everything back in place again. Never be whole.

I toss the bag aside and wipe the tears from my face as I climb to my feet. I want to get out of here so I can focus on something else. Anything else. I grab Axl’s duffel and stumble from the room. Not caring if Angus hears me as long as I don’t have to be in that room anymore.

17

I DON’T MENTION EMILY’S BACKPACK to Axl when I get back. Maybe we’ll talk about it one day, when things have settled down. But not now. It’s too hard for me, and I know it would be for him too. He loved that girl, which makes me love him just a little bit more.

Axl raises an eyebrow when I toss his duffel bag on the floor in front of him. “You askin’ me to move in?”

My smile doesn’t quite feel genuine. “Your clothes need to be washed. I was going to do laundry later anyway. Figured I do yours too.”

He nods and starts digging through the duffel for clothes. His body is stiff and he won’t meet my eyes. He’s uncomfortable too. Why?

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothin’. Let’s just get some food.”

He gets dressed without looking at me. He has something on his mind, but I let it go. Axl typically says what’s he’s thinking. He’ll tell me when he’s ready. I have no doubt about that.

The common area isn’t empty like I expected it to be. Winston, Nathan, and Hadley sit on one side of the room, talking quietly. Angus and Darla are on the other side, still at the bar.

Axl stops when we walk in, and his eyes go back and forth between the two groups. Angus looks up. He purses his lips as his eyes grow hard. His face is flushed and his eyes bloodshot. He’s drunk. No way I’m going near him when he’s like that. Especially not when I have no idea how he’s going to react to Axl and me.

“Go on over an’ sit with Hadley,” Axl says. “I’ll get us some food.”

I don’t argue. He obviously doesn’t want me near Angus right now either.

I join the group on the other side of the room, but it isn’t any more relaxing than being with Angus would be. They’re all worried, Hadley especially.

“What’s going on?” I ask when I sit next to her on the couch.

“Just keeping an eye on James.”  Her voice is tense, and she glares at Nathan. She really doesn’t believe James is going to turn.

If only I could muster up even a shred of hope that he’ll pull through this. But I can’t. There probably isn’t going to be much to hope for in this life from here on out. Not being eaten alive by the undead, that’s about as much as a person can wish for these days.

I glance toward Axl, standing on the other side of the room talking to Angus.

Love. That’s another thing to hope for. Just a little bit of love, if you’re lucky.

“Hadley doesn’t think he’s going to change,” Nathan says.

I tear my eyes away from Axl. It isn’t easy. He and Angus seem to be having a very heated discussion about something.

“I just think we shouldn’t make any decisions until we know for sure,” Hadley says defensively. “You yourself said you’ve never seen it take this long for someone to turn. Not when the infected area is so close to the brain. Maybe some of us are immune! It’s possible.”

Nathan shakes his head. He’s still holding his gun, and his hand flexes around it. “But we killed the last several people in our group before it got this far. It could have taken this long for them to turn, but we didn’t wait to see.”

“And they could have been immune.” Hadley’s voice is firm and stubborn.

Does she really believe it, or does she just need it to be true so she can hold onto her sanity? Either way, she’s wrong. I don’t understand this virus any more than the others, but I do know James is going to end up just like Emily. We were all immune when this thing killed most of the population. But whatever it is in our bodies that fought off the infection when it was only airborne can’t protect us from the virus once it enters our bloodstream. We’re just as susceptible now as all those other people were before.

“When’s the last time you checked on him?” I ask Hadley.

“About thirty minutes ago. He didn’t have a fever at all and he didn’t even seem that sick anymore. He actually talked to me!”

Nathan exhales and runs his hand through his blond hair. “I keep telling her that means the end is closer. She won’t listen.” His words are clipped like he’s getting impatient with her.

“Because it could also mean he’s getting better,” she snaps, and her green eyes flash. She looks like she’s ready to jump up and punch Nathan in the throat.

They glare at each other for a few seconds, then Hadley gets to her feet in a huff. “I’m going to get something to eat.”

She stomps off just as Axl comes over with a box of food. He glances at her briefly as she walks by, and his cheeks turn a little pink. He must be thinking about Hadley saying he was cute. It makes me smile and helps ease the tension in me.

He sets the box on the coffee table. It has some canned food and coffee, a big box of granola bars along with some other snack food. My stomach growls, and I grab a granola bar greedily. I rip open the package and wolf the thing down in two bites. Like I haven’t seen food in a week. It barely makes a dent in my hollow stomach. Damn. I’m hungrier than I originally thought.

Axl leans back and opens a bag of chips. “So what’s up the actress’s ass?” he says between bites.

A few crumbs fly from his mouth and land on his shirt. I snort out a little laugh and wipe them away. Axl’s lips pull up into a smile. It’s amazing how such a small gesture can turn me into a pile of goo.

Winston scratches at his beard like it’s bugging him. It’s growing out of control. “She’s still in denial about James.”

It’s the first word he’s said since I sat down. He barely batted an eye when Nathan and Hadley were arguing a few minutes ago. But he’s thinking things through, I can tell. He must have something else on his mind entirely.

“You gonna tell me what you’re thinkin’?” Axl asks.

Winston rubs his eyes. “The food is good. That solves one big problem for the time being. But we’ve got quite a few other issues going on still.”

I take a handful of chips from Axl and lean back next to him as I wait for the bad news I know is coming. I want to snuggle up against him and get comfortable—I always feel stronger when I’m near him—but I don’t know how Angus would react, and right now he’s on the other side of the room glaring at us.

In between flirting with Darla, that is. I do my best not to look that way, but it isn’t easy. It’s been ten years since I saw her face and I was pretty sure I never wanted to see her again, but now that she’s here, I can’t stop myself from staring at her.

“Let’s have it, then,” Axl says.

“We’ve got the obvious issue, which is fuel. We’re going to have to make another run soon so we can get some. It isn’t going as far as we thought it would. Then this James thing is a problem. He knows all about the control room and the security, but no one else really has a clue. Al’s telling me he can figure it out, so we’re going to get him on that right away. Hopefully, that will work. Then there are the gardens. I don’t know the first thing about the aquaculture thing and neither does anyone else. What I do know is those plants are a mess, and even if we can get them back in shape, it’s going to be a while.” He stops talking and sits back a little, but I get the feeling he isn’t done.

Axl must too, because he leans forward just as Winston sits back. His eyes narrow, but he doesn’t look pissed. At least not at Winston. “What else?”

Winston glances toward the bar where Angus and Darla are still at it. Why the hell don’t they just grab a few bottles and go to his condo? Angus throws back the last of his drink, then looks our way. He presses his lips into a little sneer. Shit. He’s sticking around so he can keep an eye on everybody. Like he’s in charge or something.

“We have a problem with your brother.” Winston tears his eyes away from Angus and looks down at his hands. “I hate to bring it up like this, I know you two are close, but it has to be said.”

“What’d he do?”

“He was real mad when we came back without you.”

Axl purses his lips and tilts his head toward Winston. “He give you that shiner?”

“He was out of control. Screaming at everyone, trying to leave right away so he could go find you. Wouldn’t listen to reason. I took the brunt of his anger.” Winston glances up, and I can tell he hates putting Axl in the middle of all this. “He wants to be the one calling the shots from here on out. He took the keys to all the cars.”

I knew Angus was a hothead, but I didn’t think he’d risk our safety like this. He’s a racist prick, but even he has to know if we don’t work together, we’re done for. Locking people underground isn’t exactly going to help us bond as a group. We need to pull together so we can get through this.

Axl purses his lips and shakes his head. He looks like he just tasted something bitter. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Axl, you’re a real good man and an asset to have around. We need people like you if we’re going to make a go of this thing and survive. But we can’t have someone down here who’s a danger to others.”

“I said I’ll take care of it,” Axl says again, but this time his voice is hard. Angry.

Winston doesn’t look hurt or even surprised. He just nods, then he relaxes a bit like he trusts Axl and he knows it’s going to work out now.

“What we gonna do about the fuel then?” Axl says, changing the subject.

Winston shakes his head, but anything he was going to say is cut off by a scream. It’s coming from the upper level where the control room and holding area are. It’s slightly muffled, but I’d know that scream anywhere. I’ve heard it in dozens of movies.

“Hadley,” I say, jumping to my feet and dashing toward the stairs.

The others follow, even Angus and Darla. Hadley must have gone in to check on James. It’s the only logical explanation. If she didn’t take proper precautions, he could be attacking her at this very second.

I’m halfway there when it hits me that I’m unarmed. Even if I get to the holding cell, I can’t do anything to help her. I glance over my shoulder and see Angus right on my heels. He has a gun. Probably had it to intimidate the others. I don’t care right now because it will help Hadley.

The door to the holding cell is ajar, just like I knew it would be, and Hadley is nowhere in sight. My heart jumps to my throat, and I have the sudden urge to scream. She has to be inside. Why wouldn’t she listen?

I reach the door first and jerk it open the rest of the way so we can see what we’re dealing with. It’s a small room, only about six feet by six feet, with nothing but a toilet, a sink, and a bed inside. Hadley and James are both in the room. Hadley stands on the bed with a pillow in her hands, pressing it against James while he tries to get at her. It’s her only defense as he does his best to bite and claw at her through the pillow.

Being weaponless doesn’t stop me from running in. I grab James by the hair and jerk him away from Hadley. Then shove him to the other side of the room. He’s strong, but I caught him off guard. He stumbles back and slams against the toilet.

Angus is in the doorway, and I know I don’t even have to look to make sure he takes care of James. Angus won’t hesitate. He steps forward with his gun raised as James charges again, putting a bullet in his brain before he can even take two steps. The gunshot echoes through the room, making my ears ring, but I can still hear Hadley’s sobs.

I grab Hadley’s face between my hands and look her over. She looks okay. Shaken. Scared. But not hurt. “Did he get you? Are you bit or scratched?”

Her entire body trembles, but she manages to get out a few words. “No. I’m okay.”

Tears stream down her face as she looks at James’s body crumpled on the floor. I’m not a real touchy-feely person, but I hug her anyway. She needs comfort.

“I needed him to be okay,” she says, sobbing into my shoulder. Her voice and body shake from the devastation.

I was right. This wasn’t about James really. Not because Hadley is selfish or callous, but because she needed to believe he could be saved. That all this wasn’t hopeless. Now her hope is shattered.

“I know,” I whisper. “It’s alright.”

She won’t stop shaking, so I lead her out of the room, ignoring the others as they show up and begin talking about what to do with the body. Trying to block out the pungent odor seeping from the bullet wound in James’s head. The smell isn’t as intense as it is from the ones that have been dead for a while, but it still makes my stomach lurch.

I lead her back to our condo and sit with her on the couch while she cries. She doesn’t talk, and I don’t either. Sometimes a person just needs to cry it out. Before long, she’s fallen asleep.

There’s a blanket on the back of the couch, so I cover her up. The gesture feels oddly maternal, which just makes me think of Emily again. My throat tightens, but I try to force the pain back down. I’m so tired of feeling tired and lost. With the way things are now though, I guess I should get used to it.

The door to the condo opens, and Axl walks in with the box of food. Angus is with him. Great. He’s alone though, so I can be glad of that. At least he didn’t drag my mom in here with him so I’d have to sit through the two of them drooling all over each other.

“She okay?” Axl asks.

“Are any of us? She just needed to believe there was some hope for the future.”

Angus grunts and throws himself in a chair. I don’t want him here. He’s still drunk, and the images of him and Darla flirting in the common area are still strong in my mind. Not to mention the bruise on Winston’s face. He’s a tyrant and a prick, and I don’t want him near me right now. But I keep my mouth shut. He’s still Axl’s brother, and loving him means loving all of him. Even Angus.