“Last time I was here, the news was on. There was some story about two guys who had held up a few convenience stores in the St. Louis area.” I raise my eyebrows when I turn to face Axl. “You know anything about that?”
He chuckles but shakes his head. “We didn’t hurt nobody.”
“You told her that shit?” Angus grunts and looks around. “Figures. Never could keep your trap shut. Don’t matter now, though. All that money we got was worthless less than two weeks later. Might as well be out of a board game.”
“You robbed stores?” Ginny asks from the booth she’s sprawled out in—the same one Angus and Axl were sitting in the last time I was here.
“Needed some cash,” Angus says with a shrug. “Let’s get them bodies out and get a fire started. That kid pack more gum wrappers and batteries?”
“He did,” I say, dropping my pack on top of the table so I can dig through it.
“Good. We’ll need to boil some water if they don’t got none.”
“Where’s Jim?” I ask, looking around. He came in with Dax but didn’t come back out. As far as I can tell, though, he isn’t around.
“Kitchen,” Dax says as he heads that way. “I’ll go see if I can help him.” He ducks through the door, muttering about how he’s the one who’s supposed to be in charge. As if Angus shouldn’t waste energy using his brain just because he’s immune.
Angus ignores Dax and says, “Rambo, you head on back and see what kinda canned food they got. I’m gonna look for knives. Big ones they used for cuttin’ up meat. We’re short on weapons, and it don’t hurt to be prepared.”
He heads after Dax, and Axl is right behind his brother. Parvarti goes too, moving behind them without a word.
“I want to check you over,” Joshua tells Ginny when everyone else has disappeared into the kitchen. “It was a long walk today. How are you feeling?”
“Like I walked a hundred miles. My feet are killing me and my ankles feel like they’re about to explode.” Ginny leans her head against the wall and lets out a deep breath. “I’m exhausted.”
“Let’s get your shoes off so I can take a look.”
Ginny doesn’t fight Joshua when he moves to take off her shoes, but she also doesn’t help. Her eyelids are so heavy that I doubt she’s going to be able to stay awake much longer, and I’m glad. She needs the rest more than any of us.
“Your ankles are swollen,” Joshua mutters.
“Not a surprise, is it?” she says without opening her eyes.
“You need to drink more water and you need to stay off your feet the whole time we’re here. Hopefully, we can find a car so you don’t have to do this again tomorrow.”
“That would be nice,” Ginny says through a yawn. “But right now, I just want to sleep.”
The booth she’s lying in is so narrow I doubt she’ll be able to sleep without falling off. We need to figure something else out.
I pull on the table, smiling when it moves easily, then drag it out into the aisle.
“What are you doing?” Joshua asks.
“Trying to make something that’s a little closer to a bed,” I say, turning toward the booth across from Ginny.
Just like the table, it moves with little effort, making it easy for me to push it over until it’s right up against the one Ginny is already lying on.
I stand back and smile. “Now she has twice as much room.”
“You’re my hero,” Ginny says, scooting over so she can curl up on the double benches. She rests her head on her crossed arms and closes her eyes, and within seconds I’m pretty sure she’s out.
I turn and head toward the kitchen to see what the others are doing, whispering to Joshua, “I’m going to see if Axl needs any help.”
“Sure you are.” The doctor chuckles.
I stop and spin around to face him. “Was that a joke?”
He shrugs and his grin doesn’t fade, and I find my own smile growing. Joshua doesn’t joke around much, and after the way he acted on the bus, I sure didn’t expect it from him now. Maybe the distance will help him move on.
“Sounds like Angus might be rubbing off on you.”
“Lord help us,” Joshua says, his shoulders shaking with laughter. “He’s been better lately, but he’s still Angus.”
“I couldn’t have said it better,” I reply, heading back toward the kitchen.
I find the back door open and Dax and Jim struggling to drag a body out. It used to be a woman, and she’s wearing the uniform I remember from my last visit here: orange dress and barely white apron that’s covered in stains. The skin clinging to her bones is so gray and decayed that it’s hard to believe she was ever a living, breathing person, and there are bites covering almost every inch of her flesh. Her face looks as if it’s been gnawed on, whether by a zombie or rats or some other creature, I’m not sure, but there’s so little left of her features that whatever it was definitely went away with a full stomach. It’s her hair that stands out, though. It’s short and jet-black, so dark and fake-looking that no one would ever mistake it for being natural. I remember it from the last time I was here, and seeing it stuck to her decaying and mutilated corpse sends a jolt through me.
“She got me a cup of coffee when I stopped here,” I say, shaking my head.
Angus grunts from the other side of the room, where he and Parvarti are busy piling cans of food on the counter. “Yup. Served us, too. I recognized the name on her uniform. Doris.”
“Hope she didn’t suffer too much,” I say.
“Who cares?” Angus practically growls. “Everybody we pass probably died in pain. Why bother sheddin’ a tear for her?”
“Because I met her, I guess. I saw how hard she worked and the kind of life she lived. I doubt anyone working in a place like this had it easy.”
“Stupid,” Angus mutters. “You had a shit life. Who felt sorry for you?”
I’m not surprised Angus doesn’t understand, and I’m not interested in arguing with him about it.
“Whatever,” I say, heading out the back door.
15
JIM AND DAX are heading back toward the building when I step out, and Axl is behind them. They dragged the waitress’s body past the dumpster, over to where a second body is already laid out. Even though I should be used to bodies, there’s something about seeing the woman lying under the setting sun that makes me sick. I don’t know why. There are bodies everywhere these days, and I didn’t really know this woman. What’s more, the limited interaction I had with her was unpleasant. To put it nicely.
Dax walks by me, barely glancing my way even though he’s spent most of the day with his eyes glued to my ass—when he wasn’t staring at my tits, that is. Jim, on the other hand, nods as he goes by.
Axl stops by my side. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I say, then sigh. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s this trip or losing more friends or exhaustion. I don’t know for sure. I just know that everything makes me want to cry today.”
“Not a surprise,” Axl says, glancing back toward the waitress. “Every place we look there are dead bodies or a whole lotta nothin’. It’s bound to get to you.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
He pulls me against his chest, and I wrap my arms around him, resting my head on his shoulder. We haven’t been really alone since we left Hope Springs, and it’s wearing on me.
“I miss our house,” I whisper. “And our bed.”
His lips brush against my hair. “Don’t need a bed.”
He has a point.
I turn my face toward his, raising myself up on the tips of my toes until our lips meet. Axl’s mouth moves against mine, coaxing my mouth open. His tongue slides over mine as his hands move down my back to my waist. Then up under my shirt, his fingers trailing along my spine. Leaving tingles behind.
Within seconds, our kissing becomes more desperate, and suddenly all the death that has surrounded us since our bus drove onto that bridge slams into me. All I can think about right now is being with Axl. Just in case it’s our last chance. In case a horde attacks us while we sleep or we get killed by a group of assholes on the road tomorrow. I want to hold onto this moment and be together.
My hand moves to the button of his jeans, and with one flick of my wrist, I have them undone. Axl groans against my lips when I slip my hand inside. He kisses me harder, his teeth clamping down on my bottom lip.
“What the hell?” Angus calls, startling me so much I let out a little yelp.
“Shit.” Axl pulls away and buttons his jeans.
Angus heads our way, shaking his head like he’s ashamed of us or can’t believe we’re making out in the middle of all this. Like he has any room to talk. How many times when we were on the road did I walk up on him and Darla fooling around? Too many.
Of course, given our current circumstances, I can’t really be angry about it.
Angus stops in front of us. “I’d tell you two to get a room, but there’s a serious shortage of workin’ hotels these days.”
“No shit.” Axl’s hand slides down my arm, and he laces his fingers through mine, but it does little to ease the ache inside me.
“What’s going on?” I ask, knowing Angus didn’t come out here just to give us shit.
“We found us a truck. It’s got a half a tank of gas, and even though it ain’t gonna be comfortable, we can fit everybody in if we use the back.”
“It’s not like there are cops around to pull us over for breaking seatbelt laws,” I say.
“Not that it’d stop us, anyway.”
Angus turns and heads toward the front, and Axl follows, pulling me with him. Even though I’m glad we have a truck, I’m pissed Angus couldn’t wait until later to tell us. We were just getting somewhere.
“It work?” Axl calls.
“Gonna need you to test out them hotwirin’ skills of yours to know for sure. It’s been sittin’ there for a couple months, so who knows.”
“What are the odds the battery will still be good?” I ask, trotting to keep up with the brothers, who are walking faster now that they have a purpose.
“Hard to say,” Axl replies. “Depends on if it was in good shape to begin with.”
We round the corner to find Jim sitting in the driver’s seat of a rusted-out, barely white truck that has to be over thirty years old. Dax stands at his side. He turns to face us as we head over, and his eyes go to where my hand rests in Axl’s. The frown that had already taken up residence on his face deepens.
So much for the smile that seemed to be tattooed on his face before we left Hope Springs.
I look away from Dax. He doesn’t have a claim on me, and I’ve told him more than once that I’m not available. I gave myself to Axl months before I met this guy. By the time Dax came into the picture, there was no contest. Not for him or anyone else. No matter what else happens, I can never really regret the zombie apocalypse wiping out the population. If it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have this man at my side and my life wouldn’t be worth living.
“Your brother says you’ll be able to get this thing working,” Dax says, crossing his arms. The challenge in his voice is thick.
“I’ll see what I can do.” Axl doesn’t even glance the other man’s way.
“If you can get this thing started, I’ll kiss your ass,” Jim says, sliding out of the driver’s seat.
“Not me.” Dax waves toward the truck. “Help yourself. I’m going to head inside and get some dinner, then rest up for tomorrow. Angus, you’re with me.”
“Fuck that,” Angus mutters. “I’m gonna get this truck workin’ so we don’t gotta walk again tomorrow. Hollywood ain’t gonna make it much longer like that, and we’re wastin’ time. We got nearly five hundred miles to cross. You know how long that’s gonna take us on foot?”
“A fucking long time,” Jim says.
“Doesn’t matter.” Dax shakes his head and points toward the diner. “You’re my responsibility and I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“A month,” Axl says from under the dashboard.
Jim turns back to the truck, and Dax’s eyes snap toward Axl.
“What did you say?” Dax asks.
“If we keep goin’ on foot, it’ll take us a month to get to Atlanta. Assumin’ we can do twenty miles a day, that is.”
“How do you know that?” Dax snaps.
“‘Cause I can add,” Axl says as he jerks the wires out from under the dashboard, not even looking Dax’s way.
“It sounds about right,” Jim says, looking back at Dax.
“It is.” Axl shakes his head. “We can walk
maybe
two and a half miles an hour, if we’re lucky. Assumin’ we walk eight hours a day—which is pushin’ it—that’s between sixteen and twenty miles a day.”
“Which means it will take us around thirty-one days to walk five hundred miles,” Jim says, backing up Axl’s claims.
Dax stares at Axl, not saying a word. The expression on his face tells me he’s trying to work it out for himself. Either he’s successful or he decides to just take Axl and Jim’s word for it, because Dax shakes his head and turns back toward the diner.
“Whatever,” he calls. “Get the truck started or not, we’re heading out in the morning, and I need some sleep. Angus, come on.”
“I ain’t a dog!” Angus calls.
“No, you’re a pain in the ass who just so happens to be the only hope for the human race, and I don’t give a damn if you want to go in or not. You’re coming with me so I can keep an eye on you.”
“Bastard thinks he’s runnin’ things,” Angus mutters.
“He’s a pain in the ass all the way through,” Jim says in agreement.
“Just go,” Axl calls. “I’ll get this goin’ and we’ll be right behind you.”
Angus grunts but follows Dax—like the puppy dog he claims not to be. I have a feeling he doesn’t hate the idea of breaking open a can of food while lounging inside the diner.
“Keep a lookout, Blondie!” he says, then pauses to shoot a look at Jim. “Blondies?” Angus purses his lips for a second, then shakes his head before heading off after Dax, who is glaring his way.
“We’ll shout if we need your help,” Jim says, waving him off even though his back is already turned to us.
“How’s it looking?” I ask when the others are gone.
“Ain’t bad.”
Axl shoves his knife back into its sheath. His torso is blocking the wires from view, so I can’t see exactly what he’s doing. Not that I know anything about hotwiring a car.
“How did he learn to do this?” Jim asks, trying to get a good look into the truck as well.
“He had a troubled youth,” I say with a shrug.
I turn to face Jim, looking him up and down. We haven’t spoken much, and I don’t really know anything about him other than the fact that Jon trusted the guy with his life, but he’s made more than a couple comments about Dax. He apparently doesn’t have much respect for the guy either.
“You don’t like Dax.”
Jim doesn’t blink, and his expression doesn’t change. Talk about a poker face. “That a question?”
“An observation.”
“The end of the world brings out all kind of assholes—” he pauses and looks me over, “—which I’m guessing you know something about.”
I nod, and Axl pauses in the middle of stripping wires so he can look our way.
“We’ve had run-ins with a lot of different people out there,” I say.
“I figured.” Jim glances back toward the diner. “I don’t know everything that went down, but between the things Jon told me and the stuff you and Ginny have said to each other—along with the fact that she’s trying to erase her past—I’d guess it was pretty bad. Which means I don’t have to tell you to watch your back.”
Axl stands, the wires under the dashboard forgotten. “What’s he done?”
“Cowardice is the biggest thing I can accuse him of at this point, but I haven’t had a good feeling about Dax from the beginning. Jon felt the same way, which is why he asked me to keep an eye on Ginny if anything ever happened to him. I promised him I’d get Ginny to Atlanta, and I don’t plan on going back on that. You guys seem like good people, so I just thought I’d pass that information on.”
Jim pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lighting one as the three of us stand in silence. He takes a long drag, tossing his head back when he exhales. Smoke floats into the air, and I watch it drift off, wondering once again what we’ve gotten ourselves into with this asshole as our leader.
“We’ll be okay,” Axl says after a second, climbing back into the truck.
Jim nods, and I’m still thinking everything he said through when the truck’s engine roars to life a few seconds later. Axl only lets it run for a few seconds before turning it off and scooting out. He wipes his hands on his pants even though they don’t look much cleaner than his palms do.
“The thing’s got two tanks, but only one is full. That should get us ‘round two hundred miles, so we’re gonna hafta find more gas if we wanna drive the whole way.”
“Every little bit helps,” I say, wrapping my arms around him again. “Can you imagine walking for a month?”
“It’d take us longer than that,” Axl replies, shaking his head but pulling me closer. “Hadley—”
“Ginny,” I correct him, shooting a look Jim’s way even though the cat is out of the bag. He doesn’t seem to be paying attention to us even though he’s only two feet away.
Axl shakes his head. “Can’t get used to that.”
“Whatever her name is,” Jim says. “She isn’t going to make it that long.” Guess he’s paying attention after all.
“How much time do we got ‘til she’s due to have that baby?” Axl asks.
“Six weeks,” I say.
“Shit.” He lets out a deep breath. “She shoulda stayed behind.”
“You know why she didn’t.”
“Yup, and we woulda made the same decision, but that don’t make it the smart thing to do.”
“You not make an intelligent decision?” I say with a smirk. “I don’t believe it.”
“Yeah, well, when the people you love are in trouble, it clouds your judgment. I ain’t no different than anybody else on that point.”
Axl kisses me, but it’s cut short when Jim clears his throat.
“Think I’ll head inside. Give you two a chance to be alone.”
Jim heads off, but I don’t tell him goodbye. I’m too busy thinking about what would have happened behind the diner if Angus hadn’t interrupted us.
“Speaking of being alone,” I say. “How do you feel about picking up where we left off? We have a truck and it’s getting dark. Seems like the perfect opportunity.”
“You know how long it’s been since I had sex in a car?” Axl asks, grinning.
“No idea and I don’t want to know, either,” I say, pushing him back toward the open door of the truck. “All I know is this may be our last chance to be alone for a while, and I want to take advantage of it.”
We climb in, and Axl’s mouth is on mine before he’s even had a chance to shut the door behind us. It’s been a long time since I had to fool around in a truck, but it seems natural with Axl. I climb onto his lap, straddling him as he pulls my shirt over my head. His mouth attacks mine, and he has my bra undone in seconds and his hands are on my breasts.
Since we don’t have a lot of time, it only takes me a few minutes to slide off his lap. I undo his pants, and my own zipper comes down just a couple seconds after his. Then we’re both squirming around in the cab, trying to wrangle ourselves out of our pants. The second they’re gone, I’m back on Axl’s lap, lowering myself on to him. Closing my eyes as we move together.