Page 16 of The Forever (When the World Fell #3)
Liv
“ N ow it’s just us again. Tell me what you think’s really going on here.” I clicked my seatbelt into place, still shaken from what I’d seen out there—or more to the point, not seen.
Remy pulled away from the curb and drove to the next intersection, heading west as Gabe suggested. “Someone’s been maintaining the town,” he said. “Not just at the start, but now. Today.”
“It’s too clean and organised,” Gabe agreed.
“And more work than one or two people can handle,” Cruz added. “It has to be a bigger group like ours.”
“Hopefully, a group exactly like ours,” Jonah said as his knee jittered up and down beside mine. “You know, normal.”
“I knew what you meant.” I wished the thought of a team of humans tidying up a town eased my concerns, but it was so outside my experiences post-pandemic that the hairs on the back of my neck rose.
With a frown, I stared out the side window, moving my attention from one area to the next. I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched, but there were too many places for people to hide and no chance of spotting them while we were driving. “Why, though?” I said absently. “Why would they do that?”
My stomach had been a ball of knots from the moment I noticed the missing infected. I wouldn’t expect to see them in large numbers this far from other places, but to have none in a town where the main road was still open and operational? Strange.
Cruz cupped my knee and swept his thumb back and forth. “That’s the part we need to figure out if we’re going to stay here.”
“ If?” My head swung in his direction. “You’re already having second thoughts?” It was too soon to make a big decision like that, especially when every person in our group deserved an opinion on their futures.
He kept his eyes on the road as Remy turned another corner and left the business district behind.
We entered the first residential street—and none of the dead were wandering around in this area, either.
“Not serious doubts,” he said. “Not yet.”
The houses were mostly orange or yellow brick, built around the nineteen seventies or earlier, with matching brick fences and garages separate from the houses. No windows or doors were smashed, but the grass and gardens were just as unruly as the other places we’d passed through. Strangely, it calmed my nerves seeing signs of neglect. If the street had been mowed and well maintained, I would have been yelling at Remy to floor it and get us out of here.
“I think you’re right about it being a group doing the cleaning and maintenance here,” I said, “and what are the chances of a gang of thugs putting in all this effort? People like that thrive in chaos and don’t care one bit about mess.”
Surely that meant they weren’t dangerous—but then I reminded myself serial killers could be neat and methodical, too, so I should stop assigning personality traits to people I hadn’t met yet.
“Why don’t we agree to be cautiously optimistic?” Cruz said. “People worked hard to board up all those businesses as if they plan on using them again, which means they care—or they did at one point.”
Remy pulled over in front of a white weatherboard house with blue shutters. The yellow starfish and seahorse on the front door gave off a welcoming vibe that I hoped carried through to the interior.
“Maybe we’ll find out who they are today.” I jumped out and grabbed my backpack.
While the rest of the group did the same, Ro stepped onto the footpath and her eyes locked with mine, her expression matching all the emotions whirling around inside me.
We both knew exactly what we were risking here—and how terribly it could all go wrong.
In a new location with an unknown presence potentially lurking, this could be our biggest mistake yet.
We split up to clear several houses on both sides of the street, making sure the homes surrounding our base didn’t contain any threats, dead or otherwise. Infected were loitering in three of the houses—our second sign of normality since we’d arrived in town.
When we were done securing our surroundings, Cruz and I parked the cars outside homes we weren’t occupying and went inside the white house with the starfish and seahorse on the door.
It had been a well loved family home at one point, with toys scattered over the worn carpet, and an arts and crafts station set up in a corner of the kitchen. Four bedrooms contained enough beds for most of us to sleep in, and the lounge room had an oversized corner couch where those on duty could keep watch overnight.
None of the dead needed to be cleared out before we made ourselves at home, which left a stale smell in place of decayed flesh.
As each of us busied ourselves with our separate tasks, I wandered into the kitchen to set my backpack down, catching sight of Remy and Gabe through the rear window.
The twins were checking the stability of the fences surrounding the property, and Gabe suddenly gripped the top edge, catapulting himself up to look into the neighbouring backyards. Whatever he saw there must have satisfied him, because he dropped to the ground and returned to the house with his brother.
Their relaxed gaits influenced my mood, and I breathed a little easier knowing we’d locked in our temporary residence.
While the others set out food on the dining table, I retrieved the magazine article from my back pocket and unfolded the pages, smoothing the folds on the kitchen counter.
Elbows resting on the bench and forehead in hands, I blocked out the noise and searched for clues.
There were six photos, a larger one as the focal point on each page, with smaller images scattered throughout the article.
The first page showcased the house in its entirety: a grey building with a flat roof covered in rows of angled solar panels. The high fences around the boundary were only just visible, made up of what looked to be cast iron—another detail to keep an eye out for when we went searching.
I reminded myself it might not look the same anymore, but it gave us a starting point, and the thought of seeing it in person for the first time had my heart fluttering.
Gabe leaned in beside me and pulled the second page toward him. “See anything useful?”
“Just checking out the fencing.” I pointed at the bigger picture. “Black iron from the looks of it.”
“Mmm.” He surveyed the photos, then tapped his thumb on the image centred on the second page. “See the skyline? No trees or houses on this side, which means it could be near a cliff.”
“Maybe.” It could also be a five or ten-minute drive away, close enough to still be classified as Bridgehill, but far enough away that it would take longer than we wanted to find it. The pristine condition of the town had me suspecting the house would already be occupied, too, but I kept those thoughts to myself.
The bigger blocks of land were always further from the town centre, so we’d need to widen our circle—and keep widening it until we eliminated every possibility. We only had a few hours left to play with before it got dark, but it gave us enough time to make a decent start.
“You want to go out on the first run?” he asked, slanting me a look.
“I do,” I said with a smile, wondering how he’d read me so easily. “I need to keep moving.”
Cruz came up on the other side of me and rested his hand in the middle of my back. The warmth from his palm penetrated my shirt, and his nearness sent my pulse skittering. “What are you two looking at?”
Gabe pointed out the features we’d already discussed, and Cruz took his time checking out the images. We’d both seen the photos countless times, but the details were more important now. It was no longer just an idea we hoped to turn into reality one day.
The thought sent a subtle tremor through me, and I tried my best to keep my expectations realistic. I wanted this too much, and I didn’t know what I’d do if the dream was ripped away from me.
With his usual perceptiveness, Cruz slid his hand up my spine and clasped the back of my neck, giving me a firm squeeze as if he’d picked up on my nerves. “Might as well make the most of the daylight and get a team out there.”
“We were just saying the same thing.” Gabe straightened and gave the photos one last look. “Why don’t Jonah and I come out with you two—split into pairs and cover more ground? Remy can monitor things here.”
“Sounds good.” Cruz’s hand lingered before leaving my neck, and I immediately missed his touch. “If you and Jonah cover the eastern side of town, I’ll take the west with Liv. We can meet back here in an hour.”
Gabe nodded. Then we stared at one another in shock as a car passed by—not down our street, but close enough for the sound to carry. Moving fast.
“What in sweet fuckery is going on in this place?” Ro said from the dining room.
“I don’t know,” I answered, more confused than ever, “but we’re going to find out.”
“Better leave our packs behind and head out on foot.” Gabe folded the article and handed it back to me. “Until we know more, we’ve gotta stay off the radar of whoever’s running this place.”
Being in a car only increased our chances of being seen and trapped, and now wasn’t the time to stumble onto new people—not until we’d learned more about the town and its inhabitants.
“Make sure you bring that rifle,” I said to Cruz.