“So much for subtlety,” Cole mutters under his breath.
The others enter the tiny, rundown shack before I do. I get halfway through the door when the familiar scent of decaying flesh hits me. Nausea creeps up my insides as I look around. A thin, dirt-streaked blanket lies on the floor to my right. An empty metal bowl sits on top of a crudely made stand behind it. Zeus’s tail whips past it, and it topples sideways. Next thing, I’m scrambling to catch it so it doesn’t clatter to the ground. The bowl lands perfectly in my hands, but unfortunately, I can’t keep my balance, and I stumble and fall forward with a whoosh.
“Nice save,” Cole says quietly. He takes the bowl from my hands and helps me up.
“Do you think that woman has the same thing Alyssa had?” I wipe the sweat off the back of my neck and then wipe my hands on my pants.
“Doubtful,” Bruno says.
“Then what’s killing her?”
“Could be a million different things. You heard her … Sinners no longer get medical care.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I say with sadness.
“I’m always right, Miss Lexi,” Bruno says with an exaggerated bow.
“Oh please,” Grace says, giving Bruno a look of annoyance. “Does anyone have water?”
“Not me; my pack’s gone,” I say.
“I’ve got a little left,” Bruno says, holding out a bottle. “I guess I’ll share it with you.” He winks at Grace, who takes it from him. Her hands are so small compared to his.
“Glad to see chivalry isn’t dead,” she says. She glances at the bottle and shakes it, raising an eyebrow. “There’s not a lot left. Are you sure? You need your strength too.”
“You know me, I can go for days,” he says.
“Oh, Lord,” I say. “TMI.”
Grace laughs and raises the bottle to her lips, allowing the water to pass over them. She lowers it and holds it out for Bruno. “Take the rest.”
“Did you get enough?” His eyebrows stretch up to his hairline.
“Just take it,” she says in a firm voice.
He drinks the rest of the water. Then he tosses the bottle and plants a huge kiss on Grace’s mouth unexpectedly.
“You always take good care of me; that’s why I love you, woman,” he says. His bear hug lifts her slightly off the ground before he lets her toes touch back down.
I turn toward Cole, who lowers his backpack and digs his water out.
He twists around and gives me his last bottle. “Here,” he says. “I have a bottle left. Just make sure Zeus gets some.” He wipes sweat from his face with a hand towel from the safe house and says, “All right, so let’s set up a perimeter for now. Once we rest, we’ll focus on finding supplies.”
“Roger that,” Bruno says, letting go of Grace.
I gulp the water down like it’s air, allowing it to dribble over my chin. I’m beyond caring about how I appear. I wipe my face with my forearm and hand it back.
Cole takes a sip, then gives Zeus the last bit to slobber over. When Zeus is done, Cole smashes the bottle between his hands and tosses it on the ground.
Grace seems disturbed. She’s looking around the small space as if she can’t imagine how this will work out.
“This place is as good as we’re gonna get,” Bruno says, a hand on her back.
“Meaning?” Grace asks.
“We’ve got something resembling shelter,” Cole says. He touches a flap of the hut and lets it slide between his fingers. “It’s a large area. The guards’ll have a harder time finding us.”
“But it’s contaminated with something,” I say. Cole scrunches up his face at me. “People don’t die in numbers like that unless someone’s either shooting at them or they’re sick with something … bad.” Cole tilts his head.
“Now there’s a pleasant thought,” Bruno says.
We all go silent. I don’t know if any of us thought things would be so bad here.
I feel like I’ve got the heebie-jeebies, and I itch all over. After I scratch my skin red, I remember the woman from earlier whose skin looked like she had scratched it to shreds.
I don’t have what she has.
“Cole!” I shoot up into a sitting position, clothes clinging to me like a latex glove while I tremble.
“Hey, I’m here, you’re safe.” He pulls me into his arms, securing me against his chest, and rocks me. “Deep breaths. Breathe.”
“You were gone, I couldn’t find you,” I say and try to steady my breaths as my lip quivers. “You left me … and I ran everywhere and you were just … gone.” My lungs gasp for air, and he places his hand over my heart.
“It was just a nightmare, Lexi,” he says with a voice so familiar, so strong, and so loving. He holds me tighter, but it’s not tight enough.