The Last Peak (Book 2): The Darwin Collapse (10 page)

Theresa screamed.

Mason tugged at the lighter wedged sideways in his pants. He yanked again and the length caught on the lip of the pocket.

The lead assailant lunged for him. He powered a front kick through the man’s stomach and sent him sprawling backwards. Several more parted around and then over their fallen brother.
 

He rotated the lighter and got it free. With a flick of the thumb, metal struck flint and a spark ignited the alcohol-soaked ball of cloth on the end of the broom handle. The ball flared to life with a rush of heat and light. The effect was miraculous.

Mason shoved his makeshift torch into the face of the nearest attacker. The sizzle and stink of burning flesh filled the air. The man dropped like a stone holding his face in his hands. The rest broke for the door in a panic.

“Theresa! Holster your weapon!”

In a daze, she managed to do so.

He spun her around and stretched out an arm on each side of her. He put the torch in his left hand and drew her Glock with his right.
 

“We’re going to walk out of here.”

He tried to move forward and she shoved her back into his chest.

“We can’t go out there! They’ll kill us!”

“They’re afraid of the fire. This is our best chance.”

“I can’t, Daddy! I can’t!” The hysteria in her voice made him want to hurt them. Kill them. All of them.

“We have to go. Now. I don’t know how long this thing is gonna last.”

Mason started forward again and this time Theresa hesitantly went along. He waved the torch in a wide arc. The creatures climbed over each other scrambling away. They melted away as Mason guided Theresa towards the storeroom and the exit beyond.

He pivoted right and left covering the full arc of the circle with the lone point of crackling light. The fire proved an effective deterrent. However, each time the flame drove them away on one side the animals on the opposite side edged closer.

They made it into the storeroom and found more of the creatures. Mason thrust the torch forward to wedge open a path towards the back door.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He whirled around and slammed the ball of flame into the face of a woman reaching for Theresa. The fire smashed into her cheek and some alcohol must've splashed off because the side of her cheek bubbled into a small sheet of flame. The others behind her immediately fell back, crouching and covering themselves.

Mason swung through the entire arc and reestablished their circumference of safety.

He thrust the torch toward the open door. A few creatures still ahead of them stumbled out into the night air. Now free of the cramped interior of the store, they fled together down the alley. Mason turned to face the doorway just as the leading edge following them made it to the threshold. He jabbed the torch forward. The edge shrank back into the mass of bodies behind.

"Dump the rest of the bottle in the doorway!"

Theresa tugged the bottle free and poured out the remaining half on the ground.

"Get back," Mason instructed. They cleared the puddle and he touched the end of the torch to the glistening surface. A flickering yellow and orange pyramid of flame leapt into the air. The flash of brilliance illuminated the terrified faces beyond.

Mason scanned the area and saw no additional threats. He grabbed Theresa's hand and took off for the safety of the Bronco.

They made it to the passenger door. Mason tossed the torch and hurried them both inside. He fired up the engine and slammed the pedal to the floor. The huge beast roared and its tires clawed at the pavement.

Theresa sat in the passenger seat with her knees up and her arms wrapped tightly around them. She mumbled something again and again as she stared blankly forward. The words were faint, but Mason caught it after a few repetitions.

"We're not safe."
 

ELIO LOPEZ
sat on the couch in the living room quietly tapping his foot with nervous energy. Even in the near total darkness, he knew that Beth and Iridia were also seated in the room. Beth had checked the time a few minutes ago and it was almost midnight. Theresa and Mason should've been back hours ago.

"Do you think something happened?"

It was the hundredth time he'd asked the question and he knew Beth wouldn't have any better of an answer than the ninety-nine she’d offered before. But it wasn't about the answer. It was more an involuntary expression of his circling thoughts.

"Mason can take care of them,” she replied.

He'd seen firsthand just how capable Mason was at protecting those he cared for. He also found out the truth.

That Mason didn't have a perfect record.

And that the one blemish that he knew about had resulted in the loss of his father.

He didn't hate Mason for it. He barely remembered his father. He wasn't even sure if the memories he did have were real or manufactured from old pictures and home videos. He went through a phase when he was younger of endlessly watching the videos, as if that would somehow bring him back.

They didn't.

While he didn't blame Mason, he also didn't forgive him. For his mother. Maybe his life would've been better having a father all those years. Probably. But for his mother, there was no doubt. He didn't know if he'd ever be able to forgive Mason for the suffering she’d endured. Even a decade after losing her husband, she awoke every morning and kissed his picture that sat on her bedside table.

No. For his mother, Elio didn't know if he could ever completely let it go.

It hadn’t been easy for her. And he was honest enough to know that his poor choices sometimes added to her burden. Elio chewed the inside of his cheek and felt strings of flesh tear away.

Was she still alive? Was she right this minute waiting for him to come rescue her?

Maria Lopez had always been the strong one. The one who never let Elio give up. She had to be alive. He knew in his heart that, somehow, she was. She wouldn't leave him alone in this dark, new world. As close as he’d grown with the West family, and especially Theresa, over the last many days, they still weren't his family. His family consisted of one person.

And she was out there, alone and waiting for him.

One way or another, Elio had to find her. And despite what Mason might say, he wasn't going to wait much longer.

Where were they anyway?

“Do you think something happened?”

The words spilled out before he could stop them.

And so the thoughts chased each other in an endless circle of anxious distraction. He sat there with his muscles rigid and his foot tapping out the beat of his frantic mind.

Something interrupted the pattern and he froze to figure out what it was. He jumped up and ran to the front window when he recognized the low rumble of the Bronco approaching. He parted the curtain and watched the big truck creep toward the house with its lights off. He ran out into the backyard and opened the side gate so they could pull through. He secured the gate and then raced to the passenger door just as it opened and Theresa hopped down.

He grabbed her waist as she wobbled and fell into him. Her head dropped to his shoulder and she broke into tears.

Mason came around the bumper and pulled them toward the house as Beth ran into his arms. He hugged her tightly as she fought to control her emotions.

"I was so worried you wouldn't come back. That something had happened and I’d never see either of you again."

"We're okay," Mason said.

"Why are you so late then?"

"Something did happen. We'll talk about it inside."

Elio's heart swelled with his arm wrapped around Theresa’s trembling body. The relief at finding her safe, but also something else. Something unfamiliar. He wanted to do something, to act, to release the surge within his chest.

He wanted to protect her.

Mason secured the kitchen door behind them while Elio guided Theresa into the living room.

Iridia kissed Theresa's cheek. "I told him there was nothing to worry about." The softness of her voice betrayed the uncertainty of her words. "I'll get you some water.”

Elio helped Theresa sit on the couch and then took a seat beside her. He pulled her close. Mason and Beth walked in with Iridia following behind. The LED lantern on the coffee table gave out just enough light so they could see who was who. He intertwined his fingers with Theresa's. She squeezed so tight it hurt.

Iridia handed the water over. "Here honey. Drink some. You need it."

Theresa accepted it and took a tentative sip. Then she took another drink which turned into her downing half the glass. She carefully set it on the table before leaning back into Elio's embrace.

"We ran into some surprises out there," Mason said. He said it so matter-of-factly that you'd think he was talking about what was for breakfast tomorrow morning. Mason launched into the story of what happened.

As Mason described how they escaped the store, Elio didn't know what to think. It sounded ridiculous. Like a big-budget Hollywood zombie movie. But he knew Mason wasn't given to exaggeration and he could feel the memory of terror emanating from Theresa's body.

However unlikely, Mason was telling the truth. He was describing their new world.

A world Elio's mother might’ve already encountered.

They sat around the coffee table quietly discussing what happened. Beth kept going back to the possibility that those people were desperate and mentally unhinged by what they'd experienced. Mason wasn’t convinced. He and Theresa kept saying how their attackers somehow didn't feel human.

"The bottom line is," Mason said, "things are getting more dangerous. The looters this morning broke into the house across the street. It had a red triangle painted on the door. They're getting more desperate or more bold. Add to that there are people out there behaving in ways I've never seen. Both threats lead us to the same conclusion. We need a defensible position." He paused. "And this house isn't it."

Beth sucked in a sharp breath. "You want us to leave our home? Where would we go?"

"Not far, hopefully. I want to check out the neighbor’s house tomorrow morning. Two stories surrounded by a six foot concrete wall. Made of concrete blocks."

"What?” Beth said. "Are we just gonna bust in and kick out the family that lives there?"

"I haven't seen the father or the daughter in weeks," Mason said. "Not that we ever spoke, but I'd occasionally see them pulling in or out of the security gate." He looked from Beth to Theresa. “When was the last time you saw them?"

“Not recently,” Beth said.

"I think you're right," Theresa said. "It's been a couple weeks, at least. Maybe they were on vacation when all this happened."

"Maybe," Mason replied. "I'm gonna find out tomorrow. That's my best idea for the short term. We don't have the supplies or manpower to defend our house against a determined assault."

Beth shook her head. "We're going to abandon our home?"

"I'd rather lose this house than lose one of you. Listen, it's late and we all need rest. Starting tonight, we're instituting night watch duty." He looked at the glowing watch on his wrist. "I'll take the first shift until four. Beth, can you take over from there?"

"Of course."

"Good. We'll continue this discussion in the morning. If anyone comes up with any better ideas, I’m all ears.” He helped Beth up and escorted her to their bedroom. Iridia trailed behind to her room.

Elio pulled Theresa up. She leaned heavily into him. "Will you walk me to my room?"

“Uh, sure." Elio's heart skipped a beat. A longing ache in his chest drew him towards her like rare earth magnets. The kind that are the size of a pencil eraser and yet pull like a tractor beam.

He walked to her room in a trance with his arm around her shoulder. He prayed that somehow their steps would never end, that the future would always find her at his side. With Theresa beside him, Elio knew he'd have the courage to face anything.

All too soon, they arrived at her door. He squeezed her shoulder and desperately wanted to go in for a kiss, but the roiling in his gut and the knowledge that her parents’ room was right down the hall kept him in check. "Good night, Theresa. I'm happy you made it back safely."

"Can we talk for a few minutes?"

The bubbling cauldron in his belly flared fire into his chest. His fingers tingled and he swallowed hard through the dryness in his throat. "Okay."

As they sat on the bed, the curled ball of black, fuzzy hair snuffled and coughed. Theresa leaned over and stroked Clyde’s head with the softest touch imaginable. The cute little chimp settled and his breathing became regular. She sat up next to Elio and slipped her hand into his.
 

Elio sat quietly trying to think of something to say. The booming of his heart didn’t leave space for ideas. His mind was blank. He literally couldn't think of a single thing. It was like his brain was unplugged from his body.

"Elio?"

He turned to respond and her lips touched his in the darkness. The soft contact blasted tingling echoes down to his toes. He stared in euphoric shock at her closed eyes. Tasted the salty sweetness on her lips. The tingling waves bouncing around his body concentrated lower and he felt his excitement stir.

She blinked her eyes open and paused mid kiss. She pulled back a fraction. Their lips smacked apart as the contact broke. "Are you just gonna stare at me?"

She smelled like summer sunshine. Her scent warmed his lungs and added to the pressure building in his underwear.

Did she say something?

She giggled and it sounded like the refreshing burble of a waterfall washing over him. Another part of his brain recognized that she was giggling at him, which sent him into a blind panic.

"Hello?"

A sliver of air separated their lips. Her breath brushed across his skin sending shivers down his spine. He realized with a start he was still in a stupor. He had to say something! He was acting like a total idiot!

“Earth to Elio.” She giggled again and it again splashed over him with equal parts ecstasy and terror. “Is this some new technique I haven't heard about?"