A Whisper in the Flame (The Ragers Series Book 1) Read online

  “Wow, so generous of you. Ah, I remember, kindness always was your best trait. No wonder we stopped hanging out,” I say, letting the sarcasm drip through every word.

  “Yeah, well, there’s the way out. You can go now if you’d like. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Oh, wait, please do.”

  “Will you two just shut up!” Camryn’s small voice shrieks at us, her temper flared. She shakes as she stands between the two of us, her head swinging back and forth at us with piercing stares.

  “Excuse me!” Shae says, now more annoyed than ever. I can see her stare turn cold as she bares into Camryn, causing the little girl to shrink into herself.

  “It's just… It’s just that you two don’t have to fight about everything. If there’s only, so many of us left in the world, why can’t we just help each other?”

  “It’s not as easy as that, Cam. You know that. We can’t just go taking in other people and letting them take our things. You saw what happened today. We can’t trust anyone. Especially, not her.”

  “Oh, really? And what in the world have I done that has been so untrustworthy?”

  “Stop it, okay?! You two are worse than a bunch of elementary school kids. I should know, I am one!” Camryn pouts at us, hunching her shoulders forward as if admitting defeat.

  With one look at Shae, we both burst into laughter. My annoyance dissipates like vapor in the wind. Camryn’s grows instantaneously in our laughter. She stomps her little feet at us and furrows her brows in what she thinks is a menacing look. Instead, it just allows the load on my heart to be momentarily lightened.

  “I’m sorry, Camryn. You’re right,” Shae says, pulling her baby sister into a hug. “I’ll be a little nicer from now on, okay?”

  “Promise?”

  “Well, at least I’ll try.” She giggles, giving me a half-smile for the first time in years.

  “Thanks for putting us in our place, Cam. I knew I always liked you.” I smile.

  Chapter 11

  It’s strange. Sitting here in the darkness with my old childhood best friend and her little sister. The breakroom is quiet, with only the low rumbling sound of Camryn’s little snores as she lays her head in Shae’s lap. Shae is leaning up against the wall, blinking her eyes and fighting sleep.

  No way she’s going to sleep until I do. No way I’m going to sleep any time soon. I can’t sleep. Not now. My brain won’t let me rest while my heart feels so thick with loss and anxiety. I’m fearful of what I might see if I close my eyes.

  My fingers wrap around the thin white plastic tag attached to an elegant cashmere sweater I took from the store's front. The upscale fashion boutique had two piles of these elegant soft sweaters. We decided to use them as pillows and blankets. We used the jeans, shirts, and dresses as pallets to break the floor's hardness while we rested.

  My new habit has been ripping these little bitty tags off, letting my fingers grow agitated with red indentions from the pull across my skin.

  “You okay over there?” Shae asks, using me to keep herself awake. I see her looking over me; her expression is full of judgment. I tug manically at the clothing tags, trying to ignore her stares. She furrows her brows, narrowing her dark eyes.

  “Fine.” I don’t need her opinion right now, thank you very much.

  She nods her head, puckering her lips but not asking anything else.

  “What happened?” I ask, turning the questioning to her instead. “To your parents.”

  “The same thing that happened to yours, I bet. They died.”

  “How?”

  Shae’s dark eyes flash at me in a hint of misplaced anger. I can see her let it go, sighing and tilting her head back to stare at the ceiling.

  “When the alarm went off, telling everyone to get home, my parents loaded us in the vehicle and tried to get out. Dad helped to custom-build his truck. It was his prized possession. The back's passenger seats were made to look like standard seats; instead, they housed secret compartments. Cam and I literally hid in the seats while trying to escape.

  “The bridge was closed, though; we couldn’t get past the gate to get onto the interstate. Dad wanted to take the back way out. He would go south instead. But they wouldn’t let him.” She pauses for a moment, her eyes narrowing in the memory.

  I wait, allowing Shae to continue on her own time. Needing to know what she went through to get here.

  “I heard him arguing with some of the guards. And then we were moving again. I listened to the scraping of the fence as they opened it for us. I was so excited. I started to open the seat up; Mom shushed me and pushed the door closed.

  “When we made it to the other side, Dad stopped again and was talking to someone. They started talking about the interstate, but then a loud truck started rolling up beside us. Mom screamed like I’ve never heard anyone scream in my entire life. Camryn was shaking beside me, and all I could do was quiet her and stay put. Dad was yelling, Mom, still screaming.

  “And then… there were two quick gunshots, and they were gone. I didn’t hear their voices anymore.” She pauses her story, her face a sullen rock.

  “Wow,” I say, not knowing what words could have any weight or meaning at this moment. Still, I continue, “I’m so sorry, that must have been terrifying.”

  “Camryn was starting to get hysterical. I had to quiet her because they came to the car and started searching. Of course, just looking at the car, it looked normal and empty. We waited there, for hours. I listened to voices coming and going. Listened to countless other cars pass by from downtown. Heard everyone load up and leave.

  “Once, I thought they were finally gone, I lifted the seat and peeked out the windows. It was empty. Completely deserted.

  “The sun was starting to sink, and Dad’s keys were nowhere to be found. We needed a place to camp out, so we climbed the fence and found a place to hide. Honestly, we’d probably only been here for thirty minutes before you came.”

  “Your parents were really good people, Shae. I’m sorry they’re gone.

  “Thanks.”

  We sit in silence for a while. Neither of us sleeping, but neither of us talking either.

  It's hard to feel like you know someone so well, but yet there is nothing you can do to make them feel better. We were friends, best friends, until one day we just grew apart. Now an awkwardness lingers between us, even as we try to reach out.

  “Do you know what happened to any of your family?” she asks, breaking the silence. “I heard people talking about how your mom showed up at school today and basically forced you to leave. Did she know what was going on?”

  “No, actually. She pulled me out because we received a letter from the Army saying they executed Will for treason.”

  “What?!” Her mouth gaps open at me.

  “It was all bullshit. Apparently, it was a staged trial, and Will was going to die from the get-go. Dad’s okay, at least, I think. Mom died. Her boss injected her with the virus. She stayed with me until the last second to help me escape.”

  “Damn. I’m sorry.”

  “So, what’s your next move?” I ask after a few more minutes of silence.

  “I’m not really sure. I know I don’t want to turn into zombie mush, so I’ll just do my best to steer clear. There’s plenty of places around here that are still pretty pristine. Maybe we can stay here for a while and just hop from place to place, eating whatever is remaining.”

  “Do you think they’ll come back?”

  “Who? The Army? No, I doubt it. What about you? What’s your plan?” she asks with mild interest.

  I look around the desolate room. Trying to decide if I can trust her enough to tell her what I know. If we’re the last people left, she might as well know.

  “I’m going to get to the base. My dad’s still there. It’s where Lauren was taken. I need to get to them.”

  Shae’s eyes bulge from her face for a moment as she takes in what I say. Her expression is surprised at first before turning into a scowl. She g
lowers at me like I am the most foolish person in the world.

  “You want to go to the base? After they tried to kill our whole town?”

  Yep, she definitely thinks I’m an idiot.

  “I know it sounds crazy, but Dad sent us a secret message. They have a cure. For whatever reason, they aren’t sharing it with anyone. I’ve got to get there. Mom wanted to convince them to release it or steal it and replicate it ourselves.” An idea suddenly forms in my head, “Shae, you and Camryn should come with me.”

  “Um, no way.”

  “Hear me out. You are just as smart as I am—”

  “Smarter.”

  “Fine, you are smarter than me. You have the mind for this. Think of what we could do if we were able to get the cure. We can help people. We can save lives.”

  “No offense,” Shae says after digesting what I’ve said, “but you and I aren’t exactly best friends. Just because we’ve both been through some things and we’ve lost people we love; doesn’t mean we work well together.”

  “We used to.”

  “We aren’t the same people we were five years ago, Emma.”

  “It’s not just about you and me anymore.” I fight, knowing I’m losing the battle.

  “Yes, it is. If the entire world doesn’t give a shit about anybody else anymore, then I can’t afford to either. I have to take care of my sister and myself first. I’m sorry, but I’m not letting you or anybody else get in the way of that.”

  “How can you be so selfish?” I spit. Resentment crashes through me. Isn’t this how we keep getting ourselves in these situations in the first place? Government officials, leaders, rulers. They keep putting their own agenda above the good of everyone else.

  “Who are you calling selfish? Don’t pretend like you’d still be trying to get to the base if you didn’t think your dad was alive there. If it was just you, you wouldn’t give a damn about trying to find a cure and get it out there for others. You’d be too busy trying to keep yourself alive.”

  “Don’t pretend like you know who I am anymore. You have no clue what I would and wouldn’t be doing.” My voice rises in frustration.

  “Yes, I think I do,” Shae speaks softly. She lifts Camryn’s head, sliding to the side, so she rests her sister’s little head on the pile of clothes below her. “I think it’s time for you to go now. You can take your righteous attitude with you.” She rises off the floor, standing over me with her hands on her hips, always looking down.

  “Are you kidding me? It’s the middle of the night.”

  “Not kidding. What better time to go than when it’s quiet and they can’t see you as well. Listen, it’ll be better for Camryn not to have to see you leave. She gets attached too easily. Come on, let’s go.” She gestures for me to get up, not backing down from her position.

  “Fine.” I gather my bookbag and stand up, shaking my limbs to wake them. I can’t believe she’s doing his to me again. Pushing me away. Just like before.

  We walk out of the breakroom, through the back storage area, and into the front of the store. It’s quiet and calm. No banging on the door, no shrieking. Just walls and racks of high-end clothing, purses, and perfumes shrouded in darkness.

  Shae walks me to the front door, and we both scan the darkened street. The streetlights still shine down on both sides of the road, illuminating the old cobblestone streets. A few shops on the streets have chains wrapped around their door handles, but for the most part, this area appears perfectly safe and secure.

  “If you want to get out of downtown, you’ll either need to get to the other side, which is a good ten blocks up, but will turn to back roads. Or you can take a right out here, head back to the front connecting road and take the interstate.”

  “The interstate won’t have as good of coverage.”

  “Nope. I’d definitely try to get through the thick of downtown and head out the backside. But if I were you, I’d find somewhere and sleep first. You’ll need to be on your toes, and right now, you look like you could get taken out by a gust of wind.”

  “Yeah, thanks,” I say. My nose flares with exasperation. She knows I need rest, but she’s kicking me out. She may be pretending to be helpful, but she doesn’t really care what happens to me.

  “Good luck out there.” Shae turns the lock on the glass door and holds it open for me.

  I nod my head, bouncing on the balls of my feet for a moment. Part of me wants to scream for Camryn to let her hear what her sister is doing.

  Shae would see me as nothing more than a cry baby. A petrified little girl if I did that. She probably already thinks of me that way.

  I won’t give her the satisfaction. I pull the cords on my backpack, looping my thumbs through the little woven fabric tabs, wrapping it tight across my chest.

  “Same to you,” I say, letting a cold bitterness saturate my voice as I step through the door into the quiet street. She closes the door, and I listen, staying still as she turns the lock back.

  Seconds ago, I felt anger and annoyance seeping through my body. Now, I only feel a wrenching, terrifying chill.

  Chapter 12

  The cobblestoned street appears empty and quiet, but my heart races with every step I take. What lingers in the dark shadows, between buildings, behind empty cars? My nose tingles in the chill of the cool night air.

  The wind is still cutting through the air, creating a sheer, chopping cold as it passes by. The night sky is dark, covered in blankets of heavy grey storm clouds. The streetlamps are my only reprieve, allowing me to peek down different roads and streets before deciding which way to go.

  I slow down more as I near the hospital; it's still a few blocks over from where I’m heading, but every street I pass has a growing presence of Infected. I hear them first, their feet dragging and shuffling against the ground.

  Easy. I think, trying to quiet the drumming of my heart. Blend in, move quiet and slow. Just keep moving.

  Every block I travel, my surroundings change. I’m nearly halfway to the other side of downtown, but being in the center, that’s where you truly know something terrible happened here.

  A soda can flies out from underneath my foot as I accidentally kick it. It makes a light trickling noise as it sweeps across the road, landing at the edge of the sidewalk.

  Crap. I stand still for a moment, praying for silence. Hoping that I didn’t draw attention to myself while I wasn’t careful.

  The streets here are entirely trashed. Chairs and tables are knocked to the ground, garbage is scattered across the street, but its source, the trash can, is not in its metal container. I don’t see it anywhere out here.

  A raindrop hits my head, then another, all in a barrage, it drips into my eyes, soaking me through in seconds, for the second time tonight.

  At least the sounds of the sky unleashing its fury can help hide the sounds of my footsteps. It's too wet, too dark. I have to find shelter before I make myself sick in this weather.

  Glass crunches beneath my feet with every step forward. The café’s window is shattered to bits. The missing trash can, as the culprit, lies on its side on the tiled floor.

  And then, I hear it. I hear the sound of them breathing, panting, rattling around. My heart flutters, almost stopping as the cold rainwater splashes my face and seeps into my eyes.

  I squint, hovering my hand near my eyebrows to keep the rain out of my sightline. My skin tingles and I can see mist coming out of my mouth with every heavy exhale my body makes.

  Four of them come forward in the darkness of the café. They drudge through the muck of chairs and glass, knowing they’ve got me.

  I back up, slow and steady for a second before bumping into a table. My feet move faster than my brain, carrying me forward to the building across the street. Its doors are chained and locked. I peek inside in a blur, checking for shapes moving in the dark.

  None. But I do see stairs.

  Behind me, two of the Infected are screaming. They’ve gotten stuck on the shattered glass of the caf
é, not even managing to make it out. The other two are out, stumbling towards me. With the screaming coming out of their mouths, more are bound to be here soon. I’ll be cornered if I can’t get up those stairs.

  ****

  I run over to the nearest chair and carry it across the street before throwing it into the shop window. I cover my face and crouch to the ground as shards of the broken glass storefront shatter into pieces around me. Then I leap through the broken window, running smack dab into an empty glass counter. Turning off of it, I see one of them covered in glass but still coming towards me.

  My head feels like its going to implode as I run to the back of the store, find the staircase, and dash up it. At the top is a hard metal door. Please let it be unlocked.

  My hand finds the round doorknob, turning it furiously in my sweaty palms. It clicks softly, throwing my body forward as it swings open. I slam it back shut, locking, and bolting the door from the inside.

  I stand there and stare at the door for a moment before realizing that I must be in the store owner's apartment. Boxes are on the floor, taped and stacked as if the owners were going to be moving. Some bigger furniture pieces are already gone like the dining room table and chairs. The owner must not have had time to finish packing or moving everything. There is a half-opened box with a tape gun literally hanging off of the side in the middle of the empty dining room.

  Looking beside the door, there is a keypad alarm, a camera, and a screen where community announcements are shared on a daily basis. The screen here is red with bold white letters stating to evacuate immediately. The owner must have given up after seeing this alert.

  Downstairs I hear a loud banging noise, like something being knocked over. I switch my eyes to the camera watching in dismay as an infected man comes raging up the stairs. His clothing is ragged and torn, his face dirty, swollen, and dark. He slams into the door as I gasp and fall backwards onto the floor. The door does not move, and he throws himself into it again and again and again, each time splattering the lens with blood and matter.

  On his fifth attempt to break the door down, he hits the door so hard that he knocks himself backwards down the stairs. Running to the camera, I see his limp body slammed against the wall at the bottom. Blood is pouring down his face and he is not moving.