my nose. There was no time to mourn, no time to be bothered by smells, no time to think negatively. I walked to Boggs and wrapped my arms around him.
“We need to get out of here, kid,” he whispered. “As soon as we can.”
“What’s going on, Boggs?” I asked just as quietly as he had spoken.
“We don’t want to panic Abbey or Kelsey. Aldo didn’t really have any bites. Gus is wondering if there’s something dangerous here. Something that might infect the rest of us.”
“Serious?” I asked.
“Yes. Serious. We’re each going to pack two boxes of food and get out of here. Don’t go near the bodies, ok?”
“No problem there,” I said. I looked back to where each of the corpses lay. Pools of blood surrounded each, and the mess of human flesh splattered on the back wall was sickening.
“If you, Emilie, and Susan can each pack a box of canned goods we’ll carry them out to the step van.”
“Abbey wants her books,” I said without much emotion.
“Nathan already has them out there. Gus has packed up the guns they had stashed here. We’re going to take both the van and their Suburban back with us. I’m hoping you can help Kelsey bring Abbey up the stairs and out to the vehicles in about ten minutes? Don’t let Abbey look at the mess.”
“ Yeah, sure. No problem.”
He hung his head. “Abbey reminds me a lot of you at that age, Zoe.”
“Does she?” I was surprised to hear that.
“ Yeah. She seems smart, kind, a bit oblivious…”
He leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips.
“Let’s go,” we heard Gus say as he was descending the stairs.
Boggs broke our embrace. I looked around and saw Em and Susan already filling boxes with cans from the bar. They were both taking their jobs very seriously. It was uncannily quiet with everyone focused on a specific task.
“Done,” said Emilie quietly.
“Me too,” added Susan.
“Think you can carry them up the stairs?” asked Nathan. “Or are they too heavy?”
Susan tested the weight of the box she had packed. “It’s not bad. I can manage.”
“Zoe, is it safe for us to head out to the car?” asked Emilie.
I listened to my own head for a brief moment. “Yes,” I said. “I think so.”
Boggs looked at me as I was packing up supplies near the woodstove. I smiled back weakly.
“Ok, mine’s full too,” I said.
“Here, I’ll carry it up for you,” answered Boggs.
“I’m fine, Boggs. Really.” I looked at him sternly. “Let me get some fresh air.”
He studied my face for a moment.
“Oh, Ladies, will you make sure the seats in the suburban are all clear? The boxes should go in the van,” said Gus as he walked down the stairs toward us.
“Sure thing,” said Emilie as she and Susan began climbing the stairs with their boxes balanced in their arms.
I lifted my own box and situated it on my hip to help haul it outside. It was a bit heavier than I anticipated, but I didn’t dare let Boggs see that in my expression. “See you in a few,” I said as I followed the other girls up the stairs.
Finding my way to the front door and out of the house was easy. Susan and Emilie had left the front door open, and daylight streamed in. The fresh air was a welcome relief from the stench in the basement.
“This thing is huge inside,” I heard Susan say. She was referring to the old Suburban which had fading blue paint and several dents in its body.
“Think it’ll get us all the way to Puget Sound?” I asked. Both women turned at the sound of my voice.
“I hope so, Zoe,” said Emilie. “Let’s get these boxes into the van and make sure the SUV is ready to haul us out of here.”
I set the box I was carrying on a park bench that sat awkwardly at the edge of the yard, near the step van. The boards were weathered and sagging and I hoped it would support the weight of the box. I walked to the van and carefully opened the swinging back doors.
“Here,” said Susan. “I’ll climb in and haul the boxes forward.”
“We need to get out of here, kid,” he whispered. “As soon as we can.”
“What’s going on, Boggs?” I asked just as quietly as he had spoken.
“We don’t want to panic Abbey or Kelsey. Aldo didn’t really have any bites. Gus is wondering if there’s something dangerous here. Something that might infect the rest of us.”
“Serious?” I asked.
“Yes. Serious. We’re each going to pack two boxes of food and get out of here. Don’t go near the bodies, ok?”
“No problem there,” I said. I looked back to where each of the corpses lay. Pools of blood surrounded each, and the mess of human flesh splattered on the back wall was sickening.
“If you, Emilie, and Susan can each pack a box of canned goods we’ll carry them out to the step van.”
“Abbey wants her books,” I said without much emotion.
“Nathan already has them out there. Gus has packed up the guns they had stashed here. We’re going to take both the van and their Suburban back with us. I’m hoping you can help Kelsey bring Abbey up the stairs and out to the vehicles in about ten minutes? Don’t let Abbey look at the mess.”
“ Yeah, sure. No problem.”
He hung his head. “Abbey reminds me a lot of you at that age, Zoe.”
“Does she?” I was surprised to hear that.
“ Yeah. She seems smart, kind, a bit oblivious…”
He leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips.
“Let’s go,” we heard Gus say as he was descending the stairs.
Boggs broke our embrace. I looked around and saw Em and Susan already filling boxes with cans from the bar. They were both taking their jobs very seriously. It was uncannily quiet with everyone focused on a specific task.
“Done,” said Emilie quietly.
“Me too,” added Susan.
“Think you can carry them up the stairs?” asked Nathan. “Or are they too heavy?”
Susan tested the weight of the box she had packed. “It’s not bad. I can manage.”
“Zoe, is it safe for us to head out to the car?” asked Emilie.
I listened to my own head for a brief moment. “Yes,” I said. “I think so.”
Boggs looked at me as I was packing up supplies near the woodstove. I smiled back weakly.
“Ok, mine’s full too,” I said.
“Here, I’ll carry it up for you,” answered Boggs.
“I’m fine, Boggs. Really.” I looked at him sternly. “Let me get some fresh air.”
He studied my face for a moment.
“Oh, Ladies, will you make sure the seats in the suburban are all clear? The boxes should go in the van,” said Gus as he walked down the stairs toward us.
“Sure thing,” said Emilie as she and Susan began climbing the stairs with their boxes balanced in their arms.
I lifted my own box and situated it on my hip to help haul it outside. It was a bit heavier than I anticipated, but I didn’t dare let Boggs see that in my expression. “See you in a few,” I said as I followed the other girls up the stairs.
Finding my way to the front door and out of the house was easy. Susan and Emilie had left the front door open, and daylight streamed in. The fresh air was a welcome relief from the stench in the basement.
“This thing is huge inside,” I heard Susan say. She was referring to the old Suburban which had fading blue paint and several dents in its body.
“Think it’ll get us all the way to Puget Sound?” I asked. Both women turned at the sound of my voice.
“I hope so, Zoe,” said Emilie. “Let’s get these boxes into the van and make sure the SUV is ready to haul us out of here.”
I set the box I was carrying on a park bench that sat awkwardly at the edge of the yard, near the step van. The boards were weathered and sagging and I hoped it would support the weight of the box. I walked to the van and carefully opened the swinging back doors.
“Here,” said Susan. “I’ll climb in and haul the boxes forward.”
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