Daisy and the Dead | The Complete Series | Books 1-6 Read online

  16

  Daisy

  We went back and forth for hours, trying to come up with a plan everyone could agree on. It was starting to feel pointless. When we stopped to eat, I went to the bathroom. There was so much blood on the toilet paper, making me despair even more. This was it. It was over and there wasn’t anything I could do about it except to tell Elijah when we were alone.

  I went back to the cafeteria. This time everyone sat closer together as they talked, which was good. We needed to everyone to be on the same page or it wouldn’t matter if we came up with a plan or not.

  Grey shook his head. “There’s no fucking way I’m leaving Kat again!”

  Dave let out a string of curses. “We can’t all leave to check the gun ranges. It needs to be a group of us.”

  “I get that. What I’m saying is it ain’t going to be me!”

  Harper said, “Dave, we can go. You, me, Noah, and Jeff.”

  Rocco said, “Thanks a lot. Just going to leave me behind.”

  “Dude, you’re injured. Not much you can do for us out there, except be biter bait.”

  Everyone began to bicker again. Elijah met my gaze. This was bad. He knew it. I knew it. Hell, everyone knew.

  I said, “We’ll come up with a plan. We always do.”

  My voice gave away my disbelief that we’d find a solution.

  Nikki cleared her throat and said, “I’ll go out there and give them what they want. Maybe one death will be enough for them to stop.”

  Dave, Noah, Rocco, Jeff, and Harper talked at once.

  “No fucking way!”

  “Nikki! You can’t!”

  “Over my dead body.”

  “You’re not going, I am!”

  “Did you really think we were going to let you do this?” Dave said the last part.

  I could see how much they cared for her. But, she was right. Someone was going to have to go out there and talk to Air. See if he could be reasoned with. It was literally the only thing we hadn’t tried. There would be no lies, tricks, or schemes. Just one person talking to another.

  My pulse pounded in my neck.

  Making sure no one was watching, I slipped away from the others.

  This was madness.

  I should turn around right now and forget this crazy idea.

  But, this might be the only way.

  Opening the back door, I stepped outside. The cold air was a shock against my skin. Goosebumps rose on my arms and I rubbed them away. Quietly, I made my way down the path. The watchtowers were empty, as it wouldn’t do any good to put our people in danger.

  Air and his men waited just outside the second gate. They sat around a small campfire and I caught a whiff of some sort of meat roasting.

  “Lady. To what do we owe this pleasure?”

  “I came to talk.” I was so proud that my voice didn’t quaver.

  Air and the man to his right exchanged a smile. “You are brave, lady. None of the others have your courage. What is it you wish to speak about?”

  “What will it take for you to leave us alone? To go away and never come back?”

  “We told your Boss what it would take days ago. Surrender those inside. The time has come and gone for that offer.”

  I nodded. “I understand that. What deal can you make now?”

  He looked me up and down. “Lady, you are brave. Do they know you are out here, fighting for them all?”

  “I’m fighting for myself, too.”

  “You are very brave, lady. But it will do no good.”

  My pulse pounded in my ears. It was too late to back down. There had to be another way to convince him to end this.

  “Air-”

  “The only way this will end is death. Do you submit?”

  My breath caught in my throat and Elijah’s face crossed my mind. What if this was the only way? Would Elijah forgive me for doing this to save the others? I knew him, if he were asked to do the same, he would. I just wished I could have told him-

  “Lady, I’m waiting.”

  “How will I know you will end this after a death?”

  “You have my word. Our people will be gone before your blood has stained the ground.”

  “Where will you go?”

  “Back to our home.”

  I inhaled, praying Elijah would forgive me.

  “I submit.”

  1

  Elijah

  Everyone had finally stopped bickering, for now. I glanced around, noticing Daisy wasn’t in the room.

  I asked Jo, “Did Daisy say she was stepping out?”

  Jo shook her head. “I didn’t even notice she was gone.”

  I stood. “I’ll be right back.”

  Maybe she needed some air? I certainly knew the feeling. We’d been talking for hours and with no solution in sight. I stepped into the hallway and didn’t see her. Unease crept up my spine, into my chest. Where was she?

  I did a quick check of our room. Nothing. By now, the unease was warring to become full-fledged panic. I went back to the cafeteria.

  “Does anyone know where Daisy is?”

  Everyone grew silent, looking around, as if they, too, had just realized she was gone.

  “Did she go back to your room?” Kat asked.

  “No. I just looked.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “When was the last time anyone saw her?”

  Grey stood. “Don’t panic, Boss. We’ll find her.”

  I nodded but was drowning in fear. Where was she?

  James, one of Grey’s men, ran into the room, radio in hand. His eyes were wild, and I knew right away this had something to do with Daisy.

  “Boss, they want to talk to you.” He held out the radio, hand shaking.

  Grey met my gaze as I took it.

  “This is Elijah.”

  “Hello, fearless leader of the group. How do you fare on this winter night?” Air’s voice said on the other end.

  My hand tightened. “What do you want?”

  “No need to get snappy, sir. We just wanted to talk.”

  Sir was a common enough word, but it felt like a warning. Or a cry for help.

  Where in the fuck was Daisy?

  “Talk about what?”

  Air replied, “There are many subjects that would suffice. The weather. The brave and the Dead.”

  Grey whispered to me, “I don’t like this.”

  “I don’t either.” To Air, I replied, “Who are the brave?”

  “Shouldn’t the question be, who are the Dead?” There was a pause. “We had a visitor tonight. Wanted to talk about peace.”

  No! No! No!

  Grey took the radio from me. “This is Grey. Do you have Daisy?”

  “You are not who we want to talk to, Long-beard. Put your leader back on.”

  Sweat beaded on my forehead and I felt like I was going to pass out. Grey handed the radio back. My fingers tingled, and I feared I was going to drop it.

  “Are you there, fearless leader?”

  “I am.” My voice cracked. “Do you have Daisy?”

  “The lady came to talk peace today. Something no one has done before. Something we respected. Her efforts were in vain, though. We do not want peace. We want heads.” He paused. “Have you looked outside? It’s a beautiful night.”

  My legs gave out and I sat on the floor. No!

  Dave said, “I’ll look.”

  He went outside. It felt like he was gone for a million years. Finally, he came back. I couldn’t read his expression.

  “There’s a head on a pike. Dark hair. Looks like her.”

  A moan left my lips.

  Dave went on. “I went to get a closer look. It wasn’t her, Eli, just meant to scare us.”

  Air spoke over the radio. “The time has come for you to pay. And you will pay. This is just the beginning. The end is yet to come.”

  I gripped the radio. “You better not fucking hurt her.”

  There wasn’t a reply.

  Dave helped me to my feet and said, �
��She’s alive. That’s a good thing.”

  Grey added, “We’ll get her back.”

  Kat let out a sob. “Boss, we need to get her back. She… she…”

  Kat swayed on her feet, passing out. Grey caught her in his arms. His eyes were wild as he held her to his chest.

  “She’ll come to in a moment. It’s stress,” I said, trying to regain control of my emotions.

  But deep down, this felt like something more. Something bad. And the worst part was there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.

  2

  Daisy

  Air and his men sat several feet from me, warming their hands by the fire. My entire body shook from the lack of warmth and I was too cold to even think about trying to escape. Not that I could. They’d worked me up pretty good after taking me from the hospital. I think they’d enjoyed hitting me, too. My sides were still throbbing from where they’d kicked me.

  But death never came and now I realized how fucked I was.

  “Pl-please let me come closer to the fire.”

  Air glanced over his shoulder. “We do not sit in the same space as females. You will just have to make do over there, lady.”

  The anger I’d felt the last few days snapped, like a rubber band breaking. I didn’t even care if they hit me again. I was so fucking tired of all these games.

  “Then at least free my hands so I can make my own fucking fire.”

  He smiled at my outburst. “Careful, lady.”

  I glared. “Fuck you.”

  He nodded and one of his men came over to me, slapping me across my already bruised cheek. Tears filled my eyes, but I didn’t cry. I wasn’t going to let these fuckers see an ounce of weakness from me. Not when I didn’t know what their plan was.

  Air and his men continued eating as if I weren’t even there. They talked in low tones that I couldn’t hear and that worried me. When they were finished, he came to me.

  “You may go to the fire now. We have left you scraps.”

  I didn’t want to eat their food, but my stomach rumbled in hunger. He pulled a knife from his belt and fear rushed through my veins. He gave me a smile before cutting the binds on my hands, but I was certain he’d enjoyed scaring me.

  “Do not think of running, lady. You will be dead before you reach the door.”

  We were in the old shopping mall, only ten miles from Elijah. But it might as well have been a world apart. Nodding my understanding, I rubbed the raw skin on my wrists. They’d tied the ropes tight to ensure I couldn’t slip from my bindings. It was the throbbing in my ankle that’d kept me from running, though. I wasn’t sure if it was bruised or broken. I could put weight on it, but it hurt like hell.

  A piece of advice from Elijah came trickling back to me. He’d said he had a patient once who had walked around on a broken ankle for a month before going to the emergency room. When asked how he was able to stand on it, the man had told Elijah it was because he tied his work boots so tight that it didn’t hurt.

  I glanced at my ankle. My boots were tightly tied right now. What would happen when I took it off? Would my foot swell? Would the bone be broken? The thought of finding out made my stomach churn.

  Air gave me a little shove and I hobbled to the fire. The warmth from the fire beckoned me from several feet away and I increased my pace. There, in front of the fire, was a plate with literal scraps on it. A few rat bones with bits of fatty meat. Two carrot slices. A single potato. My hands shook as I reached for the plate. It was better than nothing. At least they hadn’t spit on the food. I wasn’t sure I could handle that.

  Air said, “Eat up. This is your only meal.”

  He didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t ask him to. I prayed my death would be soon but was starting to have doubts. Using my fingers, I ate every fucking thing on the plate, ignoring the hollow ache in the pit of my stomach.

  The men moved around me, setting up tents and unrolling sleeping bags, trying to protect themselves from the elements that managed to slip through the cracks and holes from the unkempt building. When I was finished, I put the plate on the ground and turned to Air.

  “Where do I sleep?”

  “You will sleep with me.”

  My stomach roiled again, and bile crept up my throat. I shouldn’t be here, with these men whose intentions I didn’t know. Why hadn’t I thought of that before? Why had I left the protection of my home to try to end this?

  “No. I won’t.”

  “You will, if you wish to be protected.” He looked me up and down. “My men have not lain with a woman since we left our home in Vinita. You would be wise to let me guard you, as my willpower is much stronger than theirs.”

  “Why haven’t you killed me yet?” The words left my mouth in a rush. “That’s what we agreed on!”

  He came toward me, smiling. “Lady, things change in war all the time. And you will die, just not today.” He brushed a piece of hair behind my ear. “Come. Sleep.”

  Tear filled my eyes and I blinked them away. “Just sleep?”

  I was so fucking tired, but what if this was a trap? What if I got in that tent and he raped me?

  He didn’t reply. Instead, he went to one of three tents his men had put up. Looking around, I realized the others were watching me with intense expressions on their faces. One of the men adjusted himself, looking right at me. While I didn’t trust Air, sleeping with him would be better than being out here, alone.

  Taking a deep breath, I went into the tent.

  Air held his sleeping bag open. “Come, lady. Let us sleep.”

  I prayed I wasn’t making another huge mistake as I moved toward him.

  Elijah, please find me!

  Elijah

  I ran my hands through my hair. We’d searched the area around the hospital several times and came up empty handed. It had been hours and we had no fucking idea where Daisy was or if she was even alive.

  Grey touched my shoulder. “We’re going to find her.”

  I nodded but didn’t reply. Instead, I grabbed my coat and went outside. Snow was falling, covering our tracks, which meant Air’s tracks would be covered soon, too. Not that there had been many in the first place. That fucker knew what he was doing, sweeping the ground as they left.

  Cursing, I got in one of the trucks. Dave opened the passenger door and climbed in next to me. His eyes were red around the rims from exhaustion. I could only imagine what I looked like.

  “Which way do you want to go this time?”

  Gripping the steering wheel, I replied, “Fuck, I don’t even know. I just need to be out there, looking for her.”

  Dave said, “Let’s go east. We didn’t go very far last time. Maybe we missed something.”

  With the heavy snow coming down in the night sky, it was damn near impossible to see shit. I drove east, hoping we’d see tracks or something. Anything. But the only thing we found were tracks from a few stray biters.

  Dave cleared his throat. “Eli, I’m sorry. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have come here.”

  “No, it’s my fault. I was the one who couldn’t protect her.”

  But my sweet Daisy had tried to protect all of us by going through those gates to talk to Air. To try to reason with him. I let out a string of curses.

  When I was finished, Dave said, “I’ve never met someone like Air before. The way he toys with people is sick.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  Dave shook his head. “No, but it should give you hope. He didn’t kill her right away which means he wants to fuck with you. He’ll keep her alive long enough to attack us again. We just need to make sure we’re ready.”

  “What in the hell do you propose we do?”

  He eyed me. “You need to get some sleep. You’re not going to do anyone a lick of good if you’re worn down. Tomorrow, we’ll go check out those gun ranges, just like we’d talked about.”

  “You can’t expect me to leave!”

  “I can and do, Eli. You have to think long term
here. Air didn’t kill her, but he might. We need to be ready to get her back and we can’t do that without guns.”

  Fuck. He was right.

  He said, “I can’t say that I know how you’re feeling. If I were in your shoes, I’d probably be doing the same thing. But we need to be wise about this or Daisy will die.”

  Hearing the words made my stomach sour.

  “You’re right.”

  If she was alive then I needed to do whatever it took to get her back. I turned around and drove home. Grey was waiting for us outside, not giving a shit that it was snowing.

  “See anything?”

  “No. Dave had an idea though.”

  Grey said, “He can tell me over a cup of coffee and some food.”

  I appreciated Grey’s thinly veiled attempt to shove food down my throat without outright telling me I needed to eat. We went inside. Everyone was sleeping, but, when we got to the kitchen, we were surprised to see Cooper looking out the window. His eyes were red, as if he’d been crying. He, too, had lost so much this week.

  He asked, “Is she back? Did you find her?”

  I shook my head.

  Dave asked, “Coop, can you fix us something to eat? And bring out a pot of coffee?”

  “Will do.”

  Grey, Dave, and I sat at a table in the cafeteria while Cooper cooked. Dave caught Grey up on his plan.

  Grey nodded. “I agree with Dave. Air is playing a game. We just need to figure out the rules.”

  I sighed. “I’m not sure there are rules.”

  “Then we’ll get enough ammo to go in there and kill them all.”

  I knew what he was trying to do, but all I could think about was Daisy and how scared she must be. Was she wondering why we hadn’t come for her yet? Did she know where they had taken her? Was she even alive?

  Standing, I said, “I’m beat.”

  When I got to our room, I stopped. There were reminders of her everywhere. Her brush. A vase with dried daisies she’d picked in the spring. Her backpack. It was too much. Being in here was like being surrounded by a ghost.