The Fall (Book 1) Page 9

  “Mom? Why do you stay with him? The two of you argue and fight more than anyone else I know. Maybe you shouldn’t be together.” Alice tried to hide the exasperation she was feeling, but she couldn’t help but smile at her daughter’s intuition.

  That much was true. She’d noticed it herself lately. She’d chalked it up to this situation, thinking it was the stress of living and depending on her ex-husband for everything that had done it, but now she wasn’t so sure. The more time she’d spent with Garrett lately, the more she was reminded of what they’d had together. Now that Austin was leaving, maybe they could play at having a family together again. At least, until this was over or until Austin came back. She still would do her best to carry this family, no matter who was in it.

  Garrett walked in with Jenny to announce that breakfast was ready. Jenny and Brooke were looking between Garrett and Alice and smiling. Garrett wanted to ask about what had happened with Austin, but he didn’t want to drive the knife deeper.

  “So…does that mean you guys are going to get back together?”

  The hope and the light in Jenny’s face were so beautiful that neither Garrett nor Alice wanted to put it out. That put them in an awkward position, because neither one of them could say what they really were thinking, and they didn’t know what to tell the girls to get them to stop prying. They both were too smart for their own good, and they would see through any cover-up.

  “Alice? Would you like me to fetch him back once he’s calmed down a little bit?” There was a moment of silence while she thought it over.

  “No. It’s fine. If he can’t be an asset and try helping us out, then he doesn’t need to be here. If he can’t earn his keep, then you might as well let him go.” She was upset, and that wasn’t something that Garrett wanted on her mind when she was supposed to be resting and recovering after her gunshot wound.

  Garrett finally had given up on the doctor that Sheriff Ramsay had promised. He was going to broach the subject of possibly getting her to lay down so he could take the bullet out. He didn’t want to do it now. The girls wouldn’t be able to sit there as support for her while they watched him digging around in her leg. He also needed Wren to stand watch. He’d hoped Austin would be her rock when that happened, but now that he was gone, maybe he should just wait.

  “That breakfast isn’t going to eat itself, you know.” Jenny’s bubbly voice cut through everyone’s thoughts, and Alice smiled at her.

  “Did you help make it?” She nodded vigorously, unable to answer since her mouth already was stuffed full of omelet. Once she was able to chew and swallow, she grinned at her mother.

  “I sure did. And I got the veggies from the garden and cut them up, too!”

  Her innocent enthusiasm for doing her share in feeding the family radiated from her face, and everyone could feel the warmth that came from it. Wren turned from the window, her own plate in hand. She smiled at the picture of a happy family in front of her. This was a good place to be when the world was going to hell after all. She could tell they all cared about one another, and if nothing else, maybe she would have a pseudo-family here when the world ended. She swallowed both the bite of omelet and the tears that were threatening to start, and turned her attention back to the street outside.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The sun already had begun setting when Wren approached Garrett. He was trying to talk Alice into taking a couple more pain pills so she could rest easily, but she was fighting him every step of the way. He’d managed to get her back to the main bedroom, but now he was going to stay with her, since Austin was out of the house. That made Wren the lookout.

  “Garrett? There’s a small group heading toward the house. I haven’t seen them before, and I don’t know if they look friendly.” Garrett’s face was drawn, but he didn’t betray any of the worry that he was feeling.

  He made sure Alice was comfortable, with both girls curled up on either side of her, reading her stories, then went down the stairs with Wren. As he got to the front door, a loud knock sounded. He didn’t jump, but it made his heart race nonetheless. He put one hand on the holster at his hip, checking to make sure the pistol was loose enough to grab in a hurry if he needed to do so. He swung the door open, hand on the grip. His face lit up when he saw the three people on the other side.

  “We figured you’d still be living in this old dump.” The man who spoke had a scar on his left cheek that bounced when he talked.

  Garrett immediately stepped outside and enveloped the man in a bear hug. This was none other than Max Patterson. The dark-haired, muscular, chin-stubbled, self-appointed ladies’ man with a scar on his left cheek had been Garrett’s best friend during his time in the army. He wasn’t looking to settle down, but he doted on children like they were the best thing in the world.

  “We thought we wouldn’t be able to find you after everything went to hell like it did. Then we got together and thought you probably hadn’t left this old rat hole.” His grin split his face from ear to ear, and it made Garrett smile, too. Wren had stayed back, her hand on her own gun, should she need to act.

  A woman stood out outside as well, hand in hand with the other man, and now she playfully shoved Max aside to get close enough to give Garrett a hug. The sunshine glinted off her ebony skin, making her look like a polished marble bust. She had a pistol on her belt as well, and she peeked over Garrett’s shoulder at Wren, offering the woman a friendly smile.

  “I thought I’d have to step in and play mother to all you boys like I did back in the day, but it looks like you’ve got someone here already to look out for you.” Wren looked from the woman to Garrett, and took a chance. She drew closer to the door and offered the woman her hand. The woman's exotic appearance was accentuated by her dark eyes and thick eyebrows that meshed well with her ebony brown skin.

  “I’m Wren. I wouldn’t say I’m that great at being a mother to everyone but I can shoot at least.”

  “Athena. Like my namesake, I’m pretty good with weapons and warfare.” Her warm yet boisterous voice washed over all of them, making them feel like the sunshine had grown hotter.

  That always had been one of Athena’s skills. She could make anyone feel at ease, even while she was skeptical of them. They never would know until it was too late. The third man walked up behind Athena, revealing his ginger hair, pale skin, blue eyes and medium height as he nodded to them without saying a word.

  “This is my husband, Ben. He’s not too thrilled with what’s going on right now, because it’s bringing back memories of what happened while we were downrange.”

  Garrett remembered suddenly that his PTSD was nothing compared to Ben’s. He’d seen things that would rip the heart out of any man. Ben spent his time trying to build projects and a garden, like Garrett, to try keeping his mind off the horrors of his past. Garrett stuck out his hand, and Ben shook it, showing him that his strong grip didn’t falter.

  “It’s good to see you guys again.”

  That was the truth. Granted, he wished it would have been under different circumstances, but these three had pulled him through the worst times in the military, and he always owed them for it.

  “Looks like you’re a little less nutty now that the apocalypse actually has happened.” The sarcasm in Athena’s voice let him know that she was toying with him. He chuckled.

  “So, what brings you guys here?” He tried to sober himself up, but he couldn’t get rid of the warm feeling of camaraderie that was back now that the four of them were together.

  “To be honest, we were a little scared of everything that had happened, and we knew you’d be prepared.” Max’s easygoing demeanor slipped a little, and Garrett could see that he really was afraid under the tough exterior.

  “Why don’t you all come inside so we can talk?”

  They silently did as they were told, and Wren made sure she locked the door and replaced the chain before going to join them for story time. They all were settled on various seats in the living room, and Garrett decided
he had to break the silence.

  “So, what exactly happened to you guys?” The three of them looked at each other, and Max decided he would start the story.

  “Well, the town we lived in kind of fell apart pretty quickly. There were mass riots and vandalism, it was like the worst apocalypse movies that you could imagine. Everything was destitute.” There was a sadness to his voice that betrayed to Garrett that it had gotten to him more than he was letting on.

  “We thought we’d get out of there before it really went downhill. It was worrying for us, and we thought that maybe you’d have some insight on the situation for us.” He spread his hands innocently.

  “That’s why we came to find you.” Garrett cracked a smile.

  Everyone used to tease him for his survivalist-prepper mindset, but he could bet that all of them would be glad to see him and get some answers from him now. He quickly shoved that thought to the back of his mind. He wasn’t the type to hold other people’s fears or mistakes against them.

  “Have you had any problems?”

  “Alice got shot in the leg by a neighbor yesterday, and she’s upstairs recovering. The girls are keeping her company, trying to keep her in bed.” He put his head in his hands, and now the tiredness was easy to read on his face. Ben cleared his throat and looked up meaningfully at Garrett.

  “Do you want me to go and have a look at her?” It suddenly came back to Garrett that Ben had quite extensive medical knowledge. He brightened.

  “Yes, please! The sheriff said he would send a doctor to come look at her, but I don’t want to hold my breath.” Ben nodded solemnly and headed for the stairs.

  “Is she in the master bedroom?” Garrett nodded.

  It seemed like forever ago since his friends had come to visit him and help him get the house ready for Alice’s arrival. He’d forgotten that Ben knew the layout of the upstairs. Once Ben was out of earshot, Garrett turned to Athena.

  “How is he holding up?” His voice was soft. Athena folded her hands under her chin and sighed heavily.

  “He’s doing okay, but unfortunately he still has his bad days. When they get bad, they get horrible.” Her shoulders slumped, and Garrett reached out a hand to give her some comfort.

  “So, you want to tell us why Alice and the girls are living with you? Last time I checked, she was married to someone else, right?” That stung, and Max gave him a sympathetic look. Garrett took a deep breath then launched into the story.

  “So, in the end, Austin decided he didn’t want to stay here. He packed his bags and left. Not that I really care, but I know he means something to Alice, so I offered to go back out there and find him. So far she hasn’t asked me to, and I’m not going to offer again. I don’t like the man, and the more he does, the less I do, but in the end, I’ll do anything for Alice. She knows that.”

  “Well, Alice was always smart, I’ll give her that. She knew she and the girls were better off with you. If he wanted to leave because he got his panties in a bunch, then he’s on his own. I mean, that was part of why we came to find you. You know what you’re doing and we know that if we need to be safe, the closer we are to you, the better off we are.”

  Pride swelled in Garrett that he was someone they would come to for safety, and that he was someone that not only his family would come to for help. Maybe his craziness wasn’t such a bad thing after all…

  Silence ensued for a little while, and Garrett could see that something was on Athena’s mind. She wasn’t very good at hiding her worries, and now was one of those times she was trying and failing. He waited until she finally glanced up at him, and gave her an encouraging smile. She gave him a lopsided one back, then looked back at her hands. Garrett’s shoulders slumped. He’d never been that good at getting people to open up to him if they didn’t want to do so.

  “Garrett?” He didn’t know what to say to encourage her to continue the thought, so he didn’t say anything.

  “Would it be okay if we stayed with you for a little bit?” She looked vulnerable, almost as though she was afraid he would throw them out. It hurt him to see her that afraid of something that he could do.

  “Of course! You three are as much my family as Alice and the girls. Don’t ever think that I would turn you away, even if the world was melting. I’d make sure I did what I could to help you.” The smile that lit her face was something so radiant and genuine that it warmed his heart.

  “Thank you so much! I honestly didn’t know where to go if you didn’t want us to be around. Ben needs stability, and I was doing the best I could. I’m nowhere near as good as you, though, and I was afraid I’d fail. Thank you so much for doing this.”

  “You know you’re family. You don’t have to thank me.” She put a hand on his arm in thanks.

  “I’m going to go check on Ben and say hi to Alice.” She made her way up the stairs, leaving the men and Wren alone in the living room.

  Garrett felt a little guilty that he hadn’t thought about Alice since Ben had gone up to check on her, but he didn’t want to say that. The silence stretched on, and Wren could see Max was fidgeting. It was obvious he wanted to tell Garrett something, but he wasn’t sure if he could trust her. She got to her feet.

  “I think I’ll go check on the girls. You know, make sure that they’re keeping busy.” With a smile, she went upstairs, too. Max watched her go. Once she was out of sight, he leaned in closer to Garrett in a conspiratorial way.

  “Are you prepared in the way of weapons?” That was Max. Always straight to the point. Garrett chuckled drily.

  “I’ve got a few, but anything you guys want to add would be welcome.” Max broke out in a real grin for the first time since the trio had walked in the door.

  “Don’t you worry, buddy. We came prepared.” The two of them did their secret little handshake that they’d had in the military, and found that neither one had forgotten any part of it.

  “Do you need some rest? I know there really aren’t too many beds, but I have blankets and pillows to make a nest. We’ve had worse.” Max laughed and shook his head.

  “Nah, not tired at all. You go on up to see your wife and I’ll watch the front door.” He winked and Garrett gave him one last pat on the back before heading upstairs to join the party that presumably was going on in the master bedroom.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Alice had been taken care of and now was sleeping blissfully with the help of some pain killers. The girls had been with their mother every second that day, and now were curled up with her in the big bed, snoring softly. It really was the perfect picture as far as Garrett was concerned. He closed the blinds and inched the door shut as quietly as he could. Wren was in the hallway behind him. She’d been sitting with the women, and now that her charges were all passed out, she felt she could get a break from the sick room. Garrett’s army buddies were downstairs, and they’d taken the time to bring all the weapons and supplies they’d had hidden in their vehicle into the basement. Now they were sitting in the living room downstairs, passing the time with a game of cards. Garrett and Wren joined them, and instant silence fell over them all. Each pair of eyes now was focused on Garrett, unofficially making him the leader.

  “I’m not sure how you guys will take this idea, but what if we went through town to try assessing the damage? It could tell us how bad this thing already has become, and we could see if maybe we could help people try to prepare for this being a long-term thing.”

  Garrett bit his lip. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help people, he just wanted to be smart about it. Seeing as the sheriff wasn’t being smart, that was the main reason Garrett had refused to help his efforts. A smile came to Athena’s face, and she looked at Garrett with a softness that he’d never seen on her face when she was in uniform.

  “I think that would be a great idea. Let’s use our vehicle. It’s pretty big, and we could take a few supplies with us if anyone is so bad off that they have nothing.”

  This was why he liked her. She was an instant mother
to anyone and everyone, caring for them, and trying to do whatever she could to make people happy and healthy. Ben gave her a look that only could radiate love, and it showed just how perfect the two of them were together. Ben had been damaged by PTSD and his experiences in the military. Athena was the salve that saved him from not only the world, but himself.

  “Alright, then let’s load up a few things.” The trio jumped into action while Garrett turned to face Wren.

  “Wren, I need you to stay here and hold down the fort for me, okay? The girls need you, and even though Alice never will admit it, she needs you, too. It really would be a load off my mind knowing they were safe with you. Do you think you could stay behind for me?”

  The older woman’s face softened, and she nodded, making a show of pulling her pistol out of the holster and checking the safety. That made him grin, and he went to help his friends. As he reached the steps to the basement, he saw the team was coming back up empty-handed.

  “We thought, if we walk around a little first, then come back with supplies for those who need them, we make ourselves a smaller target. Going out in a vehicle, and letting people know we have things in it could make them want to attack us and take what they wanted.”

  Garrett felt stupid for not realizing that sooner. He nodded, hoping this didn’t make him look stupid in front of them. He’d thought about it from a civilian standpoint, and they were thinking about it from the military standpoint. Had he gone soft? Had he just been out of the uniform for too long? He couldn’t be the leader of this operation if he couldn’t look at the situation from all sides. Maybe he should put Max in charge…

  The group left the house, and Garrett stayed long enough on the porch to hear the lock click and the rattling of the chain falling into place. They set out down the street, toward the wreckage. As they drew near, Athena gulped.