Pike quickly bolted the door as soon as Mercedes was inside. The poor girl was covered in blood but unharmed. The gunfire continued just like thunder outside. “Military is moving in, deary. We have to move.” He grabbed her arm and yanked her towards the basement. She seemed to still be in shock. She made it down the stairs though, which was the important part. Fumbling in the dark, Pike found the latch he was looking for an a portion of the wall popped open. Shoving her in first, he made sure to hide any existence of their escape and locked the opening behind them. The darkness surrounded them like a blanket. He took a moment to take a breath before lifting a flashlight from the wall and flipping it on. The walls were lined with shelves of ammunition and weapons. He knew these passageways well. He’s been the one to create and stock them.
Taking a deep breath, Mercedes found her voice. “What is this place?”
“A hideaway. Come. There’s a shower and food this way.” He’d had it stocked for hiding if a deal went south. There was only one cot though. He cursed to himself, knowing that she would need it more than he would. Ushering her deeper in, he snagged some clothing from a shelf. “Go on and get out of those rags, shower up and put these on.”
She nodded some. “They… They just shot all those people down like cattle.”
He’d know that would be the military’s response. They would try to stop any form of infection dead it its tracks. “Quiet now, deary. We’ll be safe down here for a spell.”
When he finally heard the shower going, he let himself think. Why had he saved her? He could have gotten away a lot faster without her. But she had been kind, genuinely kind to him just before this all started. And if the world was going to hell in a hand basket, he wanted to hold on to just one thing that could give him hope.
Would she still be kind to him if she found out who he was? At the bar, she’d just assumed he was a normal business man. But his business was far from normal. He wouldn't be able to keep everything from her, but he could hide the worst of it.
She emerged from the shower in fresh apparel, her hair damp and falling around her solemn face. Even with the blood washed from her skin, he could tell she still felt dirty. He handed her a bottle of water. “Drink up,” he urged. “I’m going to wash up some then we’ll sit and have a chat.”
In comparison, the clothes didn’t fit too bad on her. The pants hung more loosely on her slender feminine frame and the t-shirt snugged slightly around her chest. Not the greatest match, but it would work.
Both cleaned and watered, Pike sat Mercedes down on the cot and crouched in front of her. She was fidgeting with the wedding band on her finger. The poor girl had been forced to drive a leg of a barstool into her husband’s head when he had become infected and tried to kill her.
“Mercedes?”
She looked to him with empty eyes.
“Deary, I know this is a hard time, but this is only a temporary shelter. Tomorrow, I’ll load up a truck and we’ll go to a better safe house.”
She swallowed. “Who are you?”
He sighed. “A survivor.”
Taking a deep breath, Mercedes found her voice. “What is this place?”
“A hideaway. Come. There’s a shower and food this way.” He’d had it stocked for hiding if a deal went south. There was only one cot though. He cursed to himself, knowing that she would need it more than he would. Ushering her deeper in, he snagged some clothing from a shelf. “Go on and get out of those rags, shower up and put these on.”
She nodded some. “They… They just shot all those people down like cattle.”
He’d know that would be the military’s response. They would try to stop any form of infection dead it its tracks. “Quiet now, deary. We’ll be safe down here for a spell.”
When he finally heard the shower going, he let himself think. Why had he saved her? He could have gotten away a lot faster without her. But she had been kind, genuinely kind to him just before this all started. And if the world was going to hell in a hand basket, he wanted to hold on to just one thing that could give him hope.
Would she still be kind to him if she found out who he was? At the bar, she’d just assumed he was a normal business man. But his business was far from normal. He wouldn't be able to keep everything from her, but he could hide the worst of it.
She emerged from the shower in fresh apparel, her hair damp and falling around her solemn face. Even with the blood washed from her skin, he could tell she still felt dirty. He handed her a bottle of water. “Drink up,” he urged. “I’m going to wash up some then we’ll sit and have a chat.”
In comparison, the clothes didn’t fit too bad on her. The pants hung more loosely on her slender feminine frame and the t-shirt snugged slightly around her chest. Not the greatest match, but it would work.
Both cleaned and watered, Pike sat Mercedes down on the cot and crouched in front of her. She was fidgeting with the wedding band on her finger. The poor girl had been forced to drive a leg of a barstool into her husband’s head when he had become infected and tried to kill her.
“Mercedes?”
She looked to him with empty eyes.
“Deary, I know this is a hard time, but this is only a temporary shelter. Tomorrow, I’ll load up a truck and we’ll go to a better safe house.”
She swallowed. “Who are you?”
He sighed. “A survivor.”