As the World Ends (4 page)

Roan stood perfectly still, listening intently to the sounds of the night. It must have been a small animal who’d rustled the bushes. Patience, he thought, giving it another minute before he proceeded. The aches in his back and legs from sitting crossed-legged for the last couple of hours needed to be stretched. Reaching his right arm over his head, he pulled at his wrist, trying to work the stiffness out of his gun hand. The joint cracked like a cannon in his ear, vibrating down his arm. Holding his breath, he dare not move. Did the sound echo in the night air or did it just seem that way? He held his position for another ten minutes. Exposed, he decided to walk to the edge of the woods for partial cover. Scouting around the bushes with his flashlight, he saw the footprints, not one set, but two. The moon was only a quarter tonight, making it hard to see. In the morning, at first light, he’d explore the area. In the dark, he couldn’t distinguish the size of or shape of the prints. Man or woman? A delicious thought struck him. What if they belonged to his video girl?

Rob heard the guy’s joint crack only because he was listening intently for any kind of noise. Seeing the light when the man flicked on his flashlight, Rob followed its path.

He turned his head back to Lauren’s and whispered, “He’s heading this way. Get up as quietly as you can, and we’ll move to our left.”

“Okay,” she whispered back.

They stood together, almost by design, anticipating each other. Moving off to their left Rob sensed more than heard the man moving around. A quick look over his shoulder told him they had moved just in time. The man stood in the exact spot they had vacated. A decision needed to be made. Stay and fight in the dark, or run and fight another day.

He chose to run and fight another day. Taking Lauren in his arms he spoke softly into her ear. “He’s getting closer. We’ll head to the truck. Do you have your watch set for the direction?”

What a stupid gift, she had thought when he gave it to her. A GPS watch and compass, but right now, she said a silent “thank you” to him.

“Is it set for a silent read-out?”

“Yes.”

“Good, did you put your night vision goggles into your purse, like I asked you to?”

“Yes, I’m all set, let’s just get away from him,” she whispered, fear engulfing her, making it difficult to breathe. She put her goggles on like he asked. Shaking, she put her arms around him for comfort.

“It’ll be all right, Lauren. I promise.” He rubbed his hand up and down her back.

“I know.”

“Oh, shit,” bounced off the night air. They both froze. The guy must have walked into something.

“Oh, shit,” Roan swore, bending to grab his shin.

He never saw the tree trunk and walked straight into it. The pain vibrated down his leg. Turning around he sat on the stump, rubbing his leg continuously. The plan to sneak up on the couple had backfired. Searching for them in the dark was unrealistic. His leg throbbed, and he was sure they’d heard him, so much for the element of surprise. Daylight would be soon enough to track them.

The night goggles gave them a clear view of the man’s every move. Rob and Lauren held their breaths. Twenty feet in front of them, the man stopped. What would he do next? Rob wondered. Lucky for them, he didn’t have goggles.

“We have the advantage right now. You’re going to have to wait to pee.”

“Maybe,” Lauren answered.

He glanced over at her, and she had a small smile on her face. He nodded at her. Movement out of his peripheral vision had him turning back to the man from the cave. The guy now stood by a tree with his dick in hand, relieving himself. Rob watched as the guy wagged it, put it back into his pants then zipped his fly. The details the goggles let him see amazed Rob as he watched the guy turn and head back to the cave.

They waited five minutes before continuing deeper into the woods. The minute they hit a clearing, Lauren dropped her pants and relieved herself. She never thought peeing could bring such joy.

As they approached their SUV, Lauren raised her eyes upward and said a silent prayer of thanks. Once inside, snuggling into each other they crashed for the remainder of the night. Rob set his watch for six o’clock. He wanted to be up before the sun.

In the pre-dawn light with Lauren’s head in his lap, he stroked her hair as she slept. His mind focused on what he needed to accomplish today. Lauren needed to stay in the car after she woke up, so he could seek out the cave dweller. Sure, she’d give him a fight, but he rehearsed his agrument. First though, he wanted to explore the other caves in the area to see if they offered protection and a good strategic position, in case they need to defended life and limb.

Thoughts rolled around in Rob’s head. What was the deal with this guy, did he have a wife with him? A family? Was he crazy? How did he know about these caves? Would they have to share their food with him? Was Lauren safe around him? He tried the radio again, frustrated that even the emergency broadcast systems were down. Shutting it off, he leaned his head back against the seat.

“You’re going to burn yourself out in a matter of days, Rob, if you don’t rest.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. Don’t worry about me. I need to stay focused.”

“The guy in the cave worries you.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“He’s an unknown factor.”

“What kind of answer is that?”

“The truth. What do we know about him? Nothing. Is he a nut? Why’s he here? Did he just happen to stumble into our cave, or did he know about it all along? Questions I don’t have answers to, Lauren.”

“Why don’t we find another cave away from him?”

“I don’t know if they’re as good as the one we originally picked out. We’ll search today until we find one.”

“Oh,” she sighed.

Her stomach had become uneasy after spotting the man last night. She couldn’t explain it, but in her whole life before something bad happened, her stomach would go queasy. It was an instinct she relied on to keep out of trouble. Right now, it rolled like marbles on a hill. She snuggled into Rob and prayed. Something she hadn’t done since her childhood.

CHAPTER FIVE

By the time the sun came up, they had walked four miles. Rob seemed pleased when they found another cave, Lauren not so much. It was smaller, about the size of a master bedroom. At least he could stand up straight in it. The entrance was small, only allowing one person to pass at a time. It widened the further in you went. Even though this could be used to their benefit, he knew it would make Lauren antsy. She’d need to keep her claustrophobia at bay.

As they settled in, Lauren unpacked a can of SPAM and handed it to Rob to open.

“Who would have thought that my mouth would water for a slice of SPAM,” Lauren remarked.

“Anything at this moment would taste great. I’m starved.”

It wasn’t their usual fare, but at least it took their hunger pains away. Lauren searched her bag and brought out a pre-packaged iced coffee and twisted the cap off. After taking a sip she handed it to Rob.

“I have to say, this is the best breakfast I’ve had in a long time.” Rob smiled at her.

“Funny, isn’t it? Two days ago, I would never have eaten SPAM, no less enjoyed it. Yet, here we are, eating a romantic candle-lit breakfast.” Lauren rested her chin on her knees and stared at Rob.

They had lit the candle because even in daylight the cave was dark. Deciding it was best to deal with the man in their territory, they’d wait him out. Let him make the first move. All Rob wanted was a quiet day. His nerves on edge from the events of yesterday and last night. Hopefully, the cave dweller, as he had come to refer to him, stayed in his area today and didn’t cause them any trouble. He stared at Lauren unable to read her thoughts, her facial expression a blank. Was he making the right decision?

“It did hit the spot. What are you thinking?”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. You seem to be somewhere else.”

“I’m disconnected.”

“Disconnected…” He understood. Their current reality cast their previous lives in a surreal light. Lauren’s intuition sometimes disconnected her from the present, but he’d come to respect it throughout their marriage. It opened her up to things he could only imagine. Those very premonitions he believed had saved their lives a few times. He smiled at the memory of her causing a scene on the flight to Florida. She wanted off the plane. It was good enough for him. After an argument with the crew they let them off. Later, they learned the flight was cancelled due to engine problems.

“Anything we should be worried about?” He studied her.

“I don’t know…it’s not a joyful disconnect. I’m antsy and queasy.”

“Oh, boy.”

“We have no control over it, so don’t worry. I missed making love to you last night.” She changed the subject.

“Me too.”

“You romantic devil, you. If you don’t stop being so wordy, I’ll just blush,” she joked.

“I’m a man of action,” he said, grabbing her and cupping her breast.

“Mmmm, exactly what I like.” She reached for him. Massaging him through his jeans, he got hard as she struggled to open his fly. He moaned into her ear as he unbuttoned her shirt. Next, he fought with her bra before he got it unsnapped.

She unzipped his jeans and inched them down his hips, watching her concentration waver as he sucked her nipple, first gently and then nipping it with his teeth. Happy the sensation sent her over the edge.