Daisy and the Dead | The Complete Series | Books 1-6 Page 9

  Juan’s eyebrows lifted as he began sewing Elijah’s skin together.

  “He told you his name? Good. To answer your question, yes we both worked here before.”

  I had no idea, but it made sense as to why Juan was allowed to run the kitchen. Elijah trusted him.

  Juan asked, “Bertha died, didn’t she?”

  “She was shot in the head,” I confirmed.

  We were both silent as he finished sewing the torn skin. Elijah stirred once, but then passed out again. When Juan was done he cleaned the newly stitched skin again and then stood.

  “We need to wake him up. We’ve wasted too much time already.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “There an access ladder on the other side of the roof. Hopefully it hasn’t been discovered yet.”

  My stomach dropped. “And if it has?”

  “Then we’re going to go down the hard way.”

  He grabbed a bottle of water and motioned for me to get out of the way. When I was standing he poured the bottle over Elijah’s head until it roused him.

  “Juan… thank you.”

  Juan grasped his shoulder. “We need to go, my friend.”

  Elijah sat and I rushed to his side. He winced as I hugged him, but I didn’t care.

  “You saved me,” he murmured, pressing his lips against my temple.

  “Just returning the favor.”

  I helped him to his feet and he swayed before regaining his balance. Juan led the way, keeping low. There was shouting from below and the awful screams of animals being slaughtered. I ignored the sounds, but I couldn’t ignore the scent of fire in the air.

  “They’re burning down the building,” I cried out.

  “They want to make sure that if I live I don’t have a place to rule,” Elijah said.

  Juan motioned for us to be quiet as we reached the ladder. I pressed my head against Elijah’s good shoulder, inhaling his spicy scent. We were so close…

  “There’s too many down there.”

  I bit my lip. “So we take the hard way.”

  18

  Juan led us through a maze of pipes and air conditioning units until we reached a part of the roof covered in Spanish tiles that sloped downward.

  Juan pointed. “This is our last hope. It’s about a ten-foot drop if we don’t fall off first.”

  “But Elijah won’t be able to hang on.”

  Elijah gave me a tight smile. “I’ll figure out a way.”

  “I’ll go first. Then Daisy. Boss can come down last.”

  Juan didn’t wait for a reply and sat on his bottom, scooting down the tile. When he reached the edge he turned and grasped the drainage pipe with his hands and lowered his body. He gave me a quick smile before letting go. My stomach churned. What if I slid too fast? I’d fall off and probably break something.

  Elijah grasped my hand and lifted my knuckles to his lips. “You can do this, Daisy. I’ll be right behind you.”

  I nodded and imitated the way Juan had gone down. I wasn’t expecting the tiles to be so slippery and tried to slow my fall. I reached the drainage pipe and held onto it, ignoring the bite against my fingers as metal cut flesh. I swung my legs over and then dropped.

  Ten feet wasn’t very far in the grand scheme of things, but it hurt like a motherfucker when I landed, a sharp pain shooting through my ankles. Juan helped me to my feet and we waited for Elijah. I tested my limbs while we waited, making sure I hadn’t broken anything.

  Elijah reached the edge of the roof and swung his legs over. Oh my god. He was going to jump! I opened my mouth to protest, but he was already on his way down. He landed on the ground with a loud thud that made my eyes water in sympathy. Juan and I helped him to his feet and he moaned, leaning heavily on me for support.

  “Now we need to get to the barn, if it hasn’t burned down,” Juan said as we creeped forward.

  “What’s in the barn?”

  “Hopefully the getaway car.”

  We reached the edge of the building and I peered around the corner. Slaughtered animals were everywhere I and gasped as a zombie feasted on a fallen horse.

  “The barn’s still up. I don’t see any humans.”

  That was all they needed to know.

  Juan must have seen through my act because he said, “I’ll go first.”

  He pushed past me and cursed.

  I let Elijah use me as a crutch and he said, “That bad, huh?”

  I nodded. Together we followed Juan toward the barn.

  “Where is everyone?”

  I didn’t want to jinx us, but come on… where in the hell was everyone?

  “They’ve taken everything they could so there isn’t a reason to stick around to see the dead invade,” Juan said.

  Juan opened the barn door and relief spread throughout my body when I saw Elijah’s black car sitting there, intact.

  “Key’s on the beam,” Elijah said as he climbed into the backseat.

  I knew he was about to pass out again. I closed the door behind him and got in the passenger’s side while Juan got the key. He patted the beam and then his face lit up with joy. He held the key up and rushed over to the car. The engine started and Juan peeled out from the barn, hitting a zombie as we left.

  I kept my pistol in my lap, unable to relax. We had two gates to get through and many miles to travel before I’d feel safe. Juan patted my knee.

  “You did good tonight.”

  I smiled. “You did, too. I had no idea you were such a badass.”

  He grinned. “I learned from the best.”

  I looked back at Elijah. “Is he going to be okay?”

  “I hope so. What about you? How’s your wound?”

  I looked down and saw blood on my shirt. I touched my shoulder, wincing. “I think the bullet went through.”

  “We’ll check it out later. Just put pressure on it.”

  We were silent as we drove through the first gate. It was wide open and zombies were already roaming around which meant the other gate was probably open, too.

  “Think any of the people in the houses lived?”

  Juan shrugged. “Maybe, if they were lucky.”

  Several of the houses were on fire, which was probably drawing the hordes inward.

  “Who was the leader of the other property? Was he killed tonight?”

  “I doubt it. He’s a smart man. He wouldn’t jeopardize his own life unless his men weren’t successful.”

  “And was this a success?”

  Juan pointed to a burning house. “You tell me.”

  We came up to the last gate and Juan cursed. It was locked, which was strange.

  “I’ll open it. Pull the car forward and I’ll hop in. Be ready for anything.”

  Juan got out of the car before I could object. It would make more sense for me to open it. He went to the large gate and lifted the first beam. I slid over to the driver’s seat and waited. The second beam was stuck and he used his fist to knock it loose. It finally gave and he tossed it to the side before giving me a thumbs-up.

  The gate opened on its own and I cried out. Juan saw the look on my face and turned at the same time a zombie reached out and bit his arm, blood gushing everywhere. Juan shoved it away, but another one was right behind it. As the gate opened my heart dropped even more. The biggest horde I’d ever seen came toward us and Juan met my gaze one last time before being overcome by the dead.

  I gripped the steering wheel and pressed the gas pedal. There were so many that I didn’t know if the car could make it through. Bodies smashed against the hood as I drove. I swear to god I’d never heard so many teeth snapping together. And the smell… I gagged and floored the pedal. Bile rose up my throat and I fought the urge to vomit.

  I could see a clearing ahead that was free of zombies. I drove toward it, using it as a beacon of hope. Elijah moaned from the backseat and I reached back, trying to assure him. But how could I when the car jerked from driving over the dead?

  Finally the tire
s left flesh behind and met the smooth pavement. Tears fell down my cheeks as I drove. I’d lost two good friends tonight and I still wasn’t sure Elijah would make it. I couldn’t bear to think about what would happen if he didn’t. All I could do was drive and hope.

  19

  I’m not sure how long I drove, but finally exhaustion took over my body. Elijah still hadn’t woken up and I was getting worried. I pulled over and locked the doors before climbing into the backseat. It was tight squeeze, but I managed to snuggle up against Elijah without hurting his injured arm. And then blessed sleep took over.

  I slept hard with no dreams, waking once to check on Elijah before falling back into a dark world of sleep. My body was worn out and my mind was willing to give in to the escape.

  A loud scraping sound woke me up and I jumped, seeing a zombie’s face pressed against the window. Judging by the sunlight filtering in it was midmorning. I looked down and found Elijah staring up at me.

  “Hi.”

  I smiled at him. “Hi.”

  “How long was I out?”

  “Long enough.”

  I moved so he could sit up and he winced with pain. He looked down at his bare chest.

  “I remember Juan helping. Did he-”

  “No.” I swallowed. “There was a huge horde at the hospital.”

  He nodded and then said, “But we’re here and alive. That’s what matters.”

  Inhaling, I smiled. “Yes, that’s what matters.”

  “And now we head toward Texas.”

  I hated to even ask. “And if there’s nothing there?”

  He pulled me against his chest, holding me close. I closed my eyes, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

  “Then we keep moving until we find a new home. As long as we’re together everything will be fine.”

  We both knew that things might not be easy, but he was right. As long as we had each other then we’d find a way to survive. I caressed his cheek before kissing him.

  “Thank you, Elijah.”

  He smiled that heart-dropping smile at me as color returned to his face.

  “For what?”

  “For saving me.”

  He kissed me back. “You’ve got it all wrong, Daisy. You saved me. I was dead inside, but you changed everything.”

  We stayed cuddled in each other’s arms for a bit longer before moving to the front seat. Elijah held my hand as I started the car.

  “Ready for this?”

  I kissed his knuckles. “I’m ready for anything as long as you’re here.”

  1

  Then

  Everyone wants to be on top, but no one wants to do the fucking work. They’d rather sit back and let someone else get their hands dirty. But sometimes you have to put a motherfucker in his place. Which is what I was about to do.

  Slinging my jacket over my shoulder, I passed through the lobby, ignoring the puppy eyes Marianne shot my way. Fucking her had been a big mistake that I couldn’t seem to escape. She kept hoping I’d take her back. Wasn’t going to happen. She wanted way more than I was offering.

  Outside I walked past my men, who kneeled. They were wise to stay out of my way. I got into my GTO and peeled out of the driveway. I’d have to hurry to catch up with the scavenger group, but I needed to find them all unaware. It was time to see if I was being lied to.

  The coordinates were simple enough and I saw their trucks ahead. I parked behind the vehicles and got out on foot. They were sloppy, leaving footprints in the dirt. When I reached a wooded area I tracked the smashed grass they’d trampled on. Idiots.

  The woods gave way to a clearing and the scent of fire assaulted my nostrils. I hurried and came upon a few of my men shoving a few measly items into their bags.

  “What in the fuck happened here?”

  They jumped and weren’t able to hide their shock. Good.

  Locke stepped forward and said, “Boss, we didn’t know you were coming out today.”

  “Clearly.”

  His throat bobbed. “We found this camp and McNeil got trigger happy.”

  “Where is he?”

  Locke pointed. “He saw a barn and wanted to check it out. Fitz went with him.”

  I clipped my head in acknowledgment. “Finish up here and take care of the dead.”

  Locke was one of the few men I trusted to do as I said. Turning, I went in the direction he’d pointed. McNeil was getting too damn cocky for his own good. Time to teach him a lesson.

  The dilapidated barn loomed ahead. They were crazy if they thought there were still supplies inside. The damn thing was barely standing. A flash of red caught my attention from the second floor.

  So… maybe they would find something…

  I reached the barn and stepped over a biter with its head blown off.

  Fitz spoke from inside, his loud voice carrying. “Must have fallen down. We better go before someone comes looking for us.”

  McNeil asked, “Think someone’s up there?”

  “Nah. Let’s go.”

  There was a moment of silence and then the loud boom of gunfire. I threw open the door and stormed inside. Fucking McNeil held a pistol in his hand, looking upward at the loft.

  “What in the fuck are you doing?”

  Both men dropped to their knees as I got closer. McNeil shot Fitz a look telling him to keep quiet. Fitz trembled next to him, as he should.

  “Boss! We didn’t know you were here,” McNeil said. “We were checkin’ the-”

  “I don’t give a fuck what your excuse is. Why are you wasting my bullets like that? Did I give you permission to shoot the air? Huh?”

  McNeil’s voice cracked. “No, Boss. I’m sorry, Boss.”

  I didn’t buy his apology. This man was a snake and I’d had enough of him.

  I turned to Fitz. “Did you find anything at the camp?”

  “Only a few supplies, Boss.”

  “And what did you do to the people at the camp?”

  Fitz did glance at McNeil this time, who swallowed loudly.

  “Ah.” I turned my attention back to McNeil. “Am I to assume you took it upon yourself again to take care of the situation?”

  “Boss, I swear it’s not like that. They ran. I didn’t have a-”

  I moved so fast that McNeil had no idea what was happening until the blade was slicing across his throat. His eyes were wild as he grasped at the wound, but my aim had been precise. He’d be dead before he hit the ground. He met my gaze as his eyes clouded over and then he was gone.

  “I never liked that prick,” I said with disgust. “Take care of him.”

  Fitz pulled a knife from his boot and pushed it into McNeil’s temple.

  “We’ll move his family closer to the main base and make sure they’re taken care of. How many kids did he have?”

  Fitz’s throat moved as he swallowed. “Three, Boss.”

  “They’re better off.” I placed my hands on my hips. “Now… what are we going to do about the person hiding above us?”

  There was a light cloud of dust from the loft that fell down as whoever hid moved. Amateur. Obviously it was someone from the camp my two men had wiped out. Couldn’t blame them for hiding, but I needed to tie up all loose ends before we left.

  Fitz looked up at the loft. “Boss, we didn’t see anyone in here. Just a biter outside.”

  I scanned the room. My men were trained to be better than this. The ladder. Fucking footprints. The dust. They should have fucking realized someone was in the barn, too.

  “Try again. See anything that stands out, other than this ladder that was so clearly nailed into the post that’s now on the ground?”

  Fitz stared at the ladder as I tapped it with my boot. Overhead there was another rustle and some dirt sprinkled down.

  Fitz hesitated. “Boss?”

  “The signs are all around us. Small footprints leading to the two marks where the ladder stood. The door being ajar. The dust falling from the loft as whomever is up there tries to hide…”
>
  There was an intake of breath above and I sighed.

  “Come now, whoever is up there. Come on down.”

  Now

  I cried out as fiery pain shot through my shoulder. Opening my eyes I found Daisy leaning over me, tears running down her cheeks.

  “Sorry. Your bandages needed to be changed.” Her forehead creased. “Should the wound still be oozing so much?”

  I didn’t want to alarm her. Luckily, my body saved me from responding and I passed out again.

  2

  Then

  “I’m only going to ask once…”

  I tapped the ladder with my boot and Fitz lifted it, putting it back in place.

  “And don’t even think about jumping out that window. My men are out there and will catch you before you have time to catch your breath.” I paused. “One…”

  Nothing, but I wasn’t surprised.

  “Two…”

  Really?

  “Thre-”

  A soft voice exclaimed, “I’m coming!”

  I crossed my arms and waited. Fitz couldn’t keep the look of surprise off his face. A leg clad in baggy pants swung over the loft and a booted foot tentatively found the first step before climbing down. Her clothes were too big for her small frame, reminding me of a runaway teen.

  She reached the floor and turned to face me. Air rushed from my lungs. She was fucking beautiful, even with dirt smeared on her face. She took a step away from me and I followed, pinning her between my body and the ladder. Her blue eyes were wild, but she didn’t run. Instead, she looked me over, her face turning pink. This woman had no idea that her pretty little face gave away every single thought.

  Reaching out I plucked a piece of hay from her hair and she grew very still. A smile played at my lips. What had this fawnlike creature so scared? I could guess…

  “What’s your name?”

  “I… I…”

  Fitz stepped forward and struck her across her face, as he would anyone from our base who didn’t answer me. But she didn’t know the rules. Yet. Her eyes filled with tears and she cupped her cheeks, as if that small action would soothe her pain. And damn if it didn’t make me want to punch Fitz.