Broken Dreams (34 page)

“No and no.” He rubbed the back of his neck. I was so worried. Something was seriously wrong. I worried that he had some sort of terminal illness or was about to stroke out. Then I remembered the vials and needles in his pack.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah.”

“What are the vials and needles for?” He stiffened. “I took your pack, and there were some in there.”

The seconds ticked away while I waited for a response. Henry chewed on his lip as he wrestled with his thoughts. He took a couple deep breaths, and I thought he was about to let everything out.

I sat silent, but not patient. Then I decided to add a few more words into that tangled web of thoughts that was wrapping around and choking off his mind. “My thought is anything that is in your pack would be for use in the moment. I can’t see why you would carry needles for the moment, unless you were sick or something.”

“Well…” Then he whispered, “Fuck me.” God, I wished that I could. My body missed his. He did know how to formulate intellectual sentences. I had heard them before. But he seemed at a loss here. “I must have forgotten to take them out at some point when I found them.” It was a plausible answer, but I had a feeling that he was feeding me yet another line of bullshit.

Goddamn it, I wished he would just tell me the truth. He wouldn’t even look at me. Couldn’t he see how much all his deception was tearing us apart? What the fuck was wrong with him?

“There is so much you don’t know, or would not understand. And now is not the time to discuss all of this.” I was pissed, and my attitude was about to come to the forefront and stomp all over the conversation.

“When
will
it be time? You keep saying shit like that, but you never give up the information. How do you know that I wouldn’t understand? Do you think that you are so far above me intellectually that little old dumb Elaina couldn’t get it?”

“No! That’s not what I’m saying.” He growled in frustration. “Because, Elaina…just fucking because!” he shouted, and then grabbed his head. I recoiled toward the window. “I’m sorry,” he whimpered. “It’s a lot more complicated than you think. I can’t just blurt out whatever it is you are looking for. There is so much to it. It needs a lot of detailed explanation and background information.” He inhaled sharply, then rubbed his temples. I could see his joints stiffening. His muscles seemed tight, and life was fading from his face.

“Henry, please tell me what’s wrong. You’re hurting, or sick, or something. There is something wrong with you! You are scaring me!”

“Shit,” he whispered to himself. I could see his struggle, and I could see it was paining him to keep whatever it was from me. I felt sorry for him, but I deserved to know what was going on. Yes, I felt entitled.

“Complicated or not, Henry, I deserve to know what is going on with you!” I yelled back.

He cringed. “You do, and I understand that you do. But…”

“But what?” I was so pissed.

He was lost. He began rambling. “If I confide in you, I will break the trust of many people. Many would get hurt or killed, including us and everyone around us. I can’t risk that.”

“The trust of others? Who gives two shits about the trust of others, Henry? And you can’t tell me? What the hell?” I threw my hands in the air.

“Ugh! Damn it!” He slammed his fist down on the steering wheel again. “Please. Please just give me some time to figure this out, okay? Just drop it for now.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“Please, I beg you…” He paused again. “Let’s just concentrate on devising a plan to get to your parents’ house.”

“I’m so fucking worried about you,” I mumbled.

“I know. I’m sorry I’m doing this to you.” Then he choked out, “To us.”

I was incensed that other people knew of his health circumstances, but he couldn’t tell me? I would bet my last sheet of quilted toilet paper that Sophie knew. I didn’t respond to him. I just stared out of the windshield.

Henry drove us down the off-ramp, and there was a gas station across from it. He looked around, pulling straight across into the lot. Sophie pulled up next to us. He turned to me after he shut off the truck.

“We will discuss this in the near future. I promise you. Just know that I love you with everything that I have, and I have your best interests at heart right now. I want to tell you, believe me when I say that. This is tearing me up.” His voice cracked. “It’s tearing
us
up.” He looked up toward the roof and exhaled, trying to hold back his emotions. I saw him wipe his cheeks with his sleeve. “I can only hope that, someday, you will take me back and wear your ring again.” He paused. I know he wanted to curl up into a ball and cry like a baby because I did, as well. “Please, just stay put for now.” Back to business, I supposed.

“Aye, aye, captain,” I mumbled. I didn’t even look at him. He grumbled something unintelligible, and made sure his Sig was loaded. Then he jumped out, and went to the driver’s side of Sophie’s truck.

I decided to stay put, doing what I was told to do for a change. I got out my Sig and checked to see how many rounds were left. I rotated around in my seat, scanning the area for anything living or undead that could possibly be roaming out there.

Chapter 15

ophie got out and slammed the door shut. She put her hand on Henry’s back, giving him a quick rub, and guiding him away from the trucks. They stepped several feet away for another one of their private discussions, scanning the area while they talked.

“So what’s the plan, Stan?” Sophie narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you all right?”

Henry shook his head. “I’m hurting big time, and we just had another major fucking fight.” His jaw trembled, and he jammed his thumb and forefinger under his aviators and into his eyes to stop the tears from pouring out. “It’s not looking good for us. It’s bad, Sophie. I’m feeling hopeless at this point. It’s killing me, but I’ll still do anything I can to protect her.” He fought his emotions with a valiant effort. After several long and loud exhales, he looked back at Sophie.

“Henry…I’m so sorry. I can see how much this is hurting you.” It thrilled her that Henry and Elaina were fighting, but she didn’t want to see him so upset.

“I love her so fucking much.” He groaned in pain as he spoke.

“Is it your joints? You look like you are stiff.”

“Yeah. I think every single one is screaming.”

“Shit.” She lifted up his aviators and didn’t like what she saw.

“Tell me about it. I almost feel like I’m going to fade out soon. It’s becoming unbearable.”

“We need to find you a fix, or we are going to be in some serious trouble.”

“Yeah, sooner rather than later would be great. I’d prefer to stay on this side of the earth.”

“Maybe we should tell them? One might volunteer for a draw.” Sophie was getting really concerned because Henry was looking really bad. His body was stiff, and his eyes were faded.

He shook his head. “No. Absolutely not. You were right before. It’s not the right time yet. Elaina is still really pissed at me, and barely talking to me. Once we get to her parents’ place, I can pull her aside and talk to her about it, get her to understand. I know she would be willing to defend me. Then we can go from there.”

She could see the torment it was causing him, and decided to change the subject. “Well, how do we get to their parents’ place?”

“About a mile up the road, we will come to the middle of the village. The first light is a four-way. We have to turn right and go down about a block. It’s on the right.”

“All right then. I’ll follow.” Sophie looked around at the gas station. It was a rather decent sized convenient store, as well. “You want to hit up this place first?”

“Sure.”

“Maybe there’s someone inside you can drain.” She let out an evil chuckle.

“Yeah, I can only hope. Sadly, if there is, I’m sure Elaina will refuse to have sex with me later. Christ, it feels like it has been an eternity since we’ve been together.”

“I’m always available.” She winked at Henry.

“You know I won’t do that to her. She’s it for me. It’s Elaina or no one. I don’t want anyone else ever again.”

“Right. Well, I was just kidding anyway.” She wasn’t, but he didn’t need to know that. “Let’s tell them what our plans are.” Sophie walked to the front of the trucks where she could see both groups and waved them out.

***

Henry walked gingerly behind Sophie. I caught a glimpse of him, and he looked to be in a considerable amount of pain. Each step causing him more and more distress. I didn’t want to care so I didn’t show him I was concerned. I was just so angry.

It was pretty quiet outside. I looked over at Claire, knowing that she was probably disgusted with me for choosing to ride with Henry. Quite frankly, I was disgusted with myself. It set us back further than before. The black hole in my chest seemed to be getting larger by the second.

Stupid fucking love. It was going to kill me.

I looked down as I felt Claire wrap her warm, slight hand around mine. Maybe she forgave my momentary lapse of stupidity. I hadn’t forgiven myself yet, though. I shouldn’t have ridden with Henry because our relationship was hopeless. We weren’t ever going to see eye-to-eye on this whole thing. I was going to be lost watching him for the rest of our lives, unless he decided to leave me. He and his girl, Sophie, would probably run off into the sunset together.

“Alright, clan,” Sophie said. “We’re going to check out this store before we take off again. Two of us will stand guard outside and the rest of us will go in. Then, we’ll head to your mum’s.” She looked at both Nick and me. “Volunteers?”

“I’ll go in.” I was still pissed at Henry so I knew that I could take my anger out on an undead if there were any inside.

“In,” Nick said curtly, as he looked at me and nodded.

“Claire and I will stand guard.” Claire nodded at Sophie. I looked over at Henry, and he was leaning against the push bar on his truck, rubbing his temples. Okay, fine, I did care. It killed me to see him in so much pain. I was such a damn softie.

“Henry’s not feeling well.” He looked up at me. “Maybe he should stay in the truck, and let us handle this.” The tension in the air was thick. Sophie looked between the both of us.

Henry shook his head. “Sorry, love. I won’t let that happen.” I sighed. Always trying to be the hero. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to prove his manliness, or if he was just barking mad. I decided to go with the latter.

“Whatever. I was just trying to help you out. You are obviously in no shape to fight.” I rolled my eyes. They would end up in a permanent roll if I kept it up.

“I understand that, and appreciate your efforts.” His words were short and precise. He spoke more to be polite than anything else. The entire group was looking back and forth between us, like they were waiting for the train wreck to obliterate one another.

Sophie clapped her hands together. “So it’s settled. Henry, Elaina, and Nick inside. Claire and I’ll be outside. Let’s do this, bitches.”

Even though I was still upset with Henry, we used our usual entering routine. He counted to three, I pulled open the door, and he entered first. We went up and down the aisles separately, and I found nothing.

Nadda. Zero. Fucking zilch.

Absolutely nothing. Literally. All of the store’s stock looked to have been cleared out. There were random empty boxes lying around. There wasn’t even a single stick of gum left. Of course, since I didn’t see any gum, I was now craving it.

I began to salivate while I was daydreaming of that minty fresh flavor in my mouth. I closed my eyes, and I could almost feel myself chewing it.

“Elaina!” I heard Nick yell. I jumped, and my eyes popped open.

“What?!”

“Nine o’clock! Nine o’clock!” I whipped my head around to my left, and there was an undead woman about five feet from me. How the hell did I miss that? I panicked. I didn’t even have my Sig out and ready.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” I looked to my right and, lucky for me, I was in the aisle that ended at the wall. I screamed like the sissy girl that I was, and ran down toward the wall. Thinking fast, I pulled the shelving unit over and it crashed to the floor, taking the undead woman down with it.

I could hear her still growling and struggling, trying to get out from underneath the twisted pile of metal. I looked around, and saw the side door was open. She must have wandered in from there. I heard another moan, and then I saw Nick lying on the floor.

“Oh, my god! Nick!” I screamed as I ran toward him. He was reaching up for me when I got to him. I could see the life fading from his eyes. I collapsed down next to him, trying to figure out what had happened. Then I saw it. He had a nasty bite wound on his arm. Blood was oozing out, and forming a small pool on the grimy floor.

“Nick, no! No! Please…stay with me.” I looked for something to cover his arm with. He reached his bloody hands to my face, brushing his knuckle against my cheek.

“Elai-na-na…” he garbled. “Sh-sh-oot m-me.”

“No! No, no! Nick, it’s going to be okay. I’ll help you.” I looked around for Henry, but I didn’t see him. “Henry! Henry! Help me! Someone, please…” I sobbed as I yelled for help. I heard the front door open with haste.

“Elaina!” Claire yelled. “Where are you?!”

“Toward the back! Oh, Nick, don’t you dare die on me. Do you hear me? You stay with me!” I held my hand over the gaping bite mark on his arm, applying pressure, trying to slow down the bleeding. I heard Claire running down the main aisle.

“Nick!” Claire slid down next to us in the ever growing pool of blood. She took his hand, and he weakly smiled at her. His eyes closed, and his breathing was staggered.

“My Claire…s-s-so…beau…tiful,” he whispered. Claire cried on his chest.

“Damn it! Where’s Henry? He can help!”

“No, Hen-ry…,” Nick managed to stutter out, then the life faded from his face.

“It’s too late. It’s too late, Elaina!” Claire said, while she sobbed on his chest.

“No! Henry can help. Where is he?”

“It’s too late!” she screamed at me.

“Hold on. Nick, please! I am going to find Henry.”

Claire grabbed my arm just as I tried standing up. She pulled me back down to meet her face. “Listen to me! It’s. Too. Late.”

“No! No, it’s not!”

“He’s dead! He’s fucking dead! Look at him!” She was screaming at me through her tears, trying to reach me.

I couldn’t look at him. In my heart, I knew that he was gone, but I didn’t want to accept it. I couldn’t accept it. I
refused
to accept it. Claire looked around the store.

“What happened in here?”

“I don’t know.” I started to cry again, and I rested my head on Nick’s chest.

“You didn’t see what happened?”

“No, not really. We went down the aisles separately. I didn’t even have my Sig out. I was in that aisle.” I pointed at the shelving unit that was in a twisted pile on the floor. I continued to sob. “This is entirely my fault!”

“Elaina…no, it’s not your fault.” Claire was trying to reassure me through her tears. “We have to…you know, since he was bit.”

“No! Leave him be!”

“He’s going to turn! We have to! I’d rather it be us than someone else!” What was left of my heart felt like it was ripped out and trampled by a herd of elephants.

I was angry that she would even suggest shooting Nick. I closed my eyes, picturing Nick and I as kids. He was my only family member left, that I knew of, and he was gone. My stomach churned when I opened my eyes. The pool of blood was growing around Nick’s lifeless body.

“Elaina, please leave, and I’ll give him a true death.” She pulled me up.

“No. Let me say goodbye.” Claire let go of my arm, and I knelt back down. I took his limp cold hand. “I love you, Nick. I promise I will find Mom. I promise you. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you. I’m so sorry.” I kissed him on the forehead, as my sobs choked out from my throat.

Claire put her hand on my shoulder. I stood up, my clothes wet with Nick’s blood. She looked directly into my eyes. She had tears running down her face. I nodded at her, and headed toward the front entrance.

Just as I reached for the handle, I heard a muffled yell. I stopped in my tracks. “Claire, did you hear that?”

“Yes. Shh…” We heard it again. The muffled yell was coming from the back of the store. I ran toward the sound. “Elaina, I have to take care of Nick before it’s too late. Leave, and then we can send Sophie in to check it out.”

“I have to find out who or what that is. It might be Henry!”

“It’s probably undeads in the back room somewhere. Get out of here!” I crept closer to the back door, completely disregarding Claire, who was still yelling at me to leave.

There was a restroom and an employee breakroom door. I listened at both, barely breathing.

Nick’s death was looming over me like a heavy weight. I was trying to put him out of my mind when I heard the muffled yell again. I thought it sounded like Henry, but I wasn’t one hundred percent certain.

Without a doubt, the noises were coming from the breakroom. I looked back at Claire, and waved her to the door. She shook her head. I waved at her again with a little more aggression. She let out a reluctant sigh, and came to me after she kissed Nick on the forehead.

I held up my hand, showing her three fingers, then two, and then one. I pulled open the door and was met with the end of a shotgun to my forehead. Claire screamed.

“One more step an’ I will blow your fuckin’ brains out.”

I estimated that the badass gunslinger was around fourteen. I could see over his shoulder, which made it obvious that he hadn’t gone through puberty yet. Henry was tied up on the floor, blood all over his chin and shirt.

The only thing I could think of was how the hell did this scrawny punk ass kid get Henry down? Both Claire and I held our hands up. “Let’s have a chat about this first,” I said.

“There ain’t nothin’ to talk about!” Who did the punk ass kid think he was, hollering at me like that?

“Have you ever heard that elementary poem ‘Don’t Say Ain’t’?” It probably wasn’t the best time for me to throw out some proper Elaina attitude.

“Shut up! I’ll do it! Maybe I’ll shoot him firs’, and make you watch him die!”

“Whoa there, cowboy. Let’s calm down and chat about this,” Claire said, always the practical one. I thought about kicking the little punk ass kid in his little boy tomatoes, ripping the gun out of his hands, and turning the table on him. But if Claire or I had reached for our Sigs, I had a feeling that our foreheads would have been peppered with pellets.

“Wha’s to chat about?” His skinny little lip curled up into a snarl.

“This, you fucking idiot!” I yelled.

Claire kicked me in the calf. “Shut it, Elaina!”

Henry was scream mumbling in the back on the floor. He had a scarf tied around his head like a gag. He was yanking his arms, trying to free himself from a rope that hogtied his hands and legs behind his back. “Let’s just calm down and talk about this. Maybe we can work out some sort of deal.”

Not only was she practical, Claire was diplomatic, unlike me, who would rather smartass my way out of shit. I couldn’t believe she wanted to make a deal with the prepubescent punk ass kid. Then I noticed the offer of a deal got his attention.

“What kind of deal?”