Page 82 of The Island

Perhaps.

Would Matt and the others notice the broken window upstairs?

Worry about that later.

She wondered if there was any food around.

There was a sign that said TEA/COFFEE 2 DOLLARS, which meant there had to be a kitchen somewhere down here, and if there was a kitchen there might be a cupboard full of food. She walked back into the parlor and looked for a door leading to a dining room or kitchen.

Something didn’t feel right.

Had she missed something?

Maybe there was food in the other room in a drawer or something.

No, that wasn’t it.

The floorboards.

A pressure change.

She held her breath.

The sound of breathing.

There was someone in the house.

How could there be? The place was deserted. There was dust over everything.

It was her imagination.

Or a possum, perhaps.

The hairs on her neck were standing up. Her body knew, even if she didn’t. The ancient alarm bells were ringing in her limbic system.

Then the light came on.

22

She froze.

“Drop the bag and put your hands up or I’ll blow your bloody head off,” a voice said.

She dropped the bag of water bottles and put her hands in the air.

“Have a seat on the sofa over there. Nice and slow-like.”

Heather’s eyes adjusted to the light. The man was skinny, rangy, medium height, about sixty-five. She recognized him. He was the man who had warned them to leave yesterday morning. He was wearing shorts and a Hawaiian shirt with flip-flops. The shirt was encrusted with stains and hadn’t been washed for a long time. He had a stringy white-and-gray beard that dangled down to a point about eighteen inches beneath his chin. The shotgun was an old-fashioned, long double-barreled thing. It was impossible to tell if it was loaded or not. If someone was pointing a gun at you, you had to assume it was loaded.

She wasn’t sure if she could remember everyone who had been at the farm that day, but she didn’t think she would have forgotten that beard. Was it possible that he didn’t know what was going on?

“Sorry, I didn’t know this place was occupied. I was looking for some water,” Heather said.

“I’ll bet you were looking for water. This island is dry as a bloody bone.”

“Yes, it is. You’re probably wondering what I’m doing here. We broke down and—”

“Save it. I know who you are. Do you know who I am?”