Chapter 44

  Adam unslung his pack and dropped it at his feet. "You said they were gone when you got here. Was there any sign of where they went, or was it like the rest of the neighborhood?"

  The sound of the shower turning on drew Amir's attention down the hall. "Yeah. It was eerie. The whole area's deserted. Some of the cars are missing too, but I think those are from people that were either already gone, or left right away."

  "It definitely looked that way. We didn't check the houses because... Well, you made it across the city. You know," Adam said, watching the shadow cross Amir's face and confirming his suspicions.

  Samantha pulled a notebook out of her backpack. "I've been thinking about keeping a journal of the creatures we've come across. I'm not sure what good it will do, but keeping track of them somehow feels..."

  "Like you're not going crazy," Layla said from the kitchen. "I took pictures on the way here for the same reason, but with our phones dead, I guess it doesn’t matter.”

  "Yeah." Samantha took off her cap and ran her hands through her tangled hair. Adam could see she was chasing some thread, piecing together a puzzle only she could see. “When did you make it here?”

  "We decided to leave the day after we received that message,” Amir said, picking at his nails, still balanced on the arm of the couch. "We barely got out of my apartment building. These things that looked like caterpillars were eating their way up through the foundation. The building started to lean and we decided to risk the fire escape. The building came down right after we got out. It just fell in on itself."

  Natalie stared at Amir. "Jesus. Did anyone else make it out?"

  Amir shook his head. "Just the four of us. We didn’t see anyone else.”

  Hector came back from the shower, sighing contentedly. "I’ll never take showers for granted again."

  "Is that why you smell like the inside of a Bath & Body Works?" Natalie got up and grabbed her bag before Hector could answer. "I'm calling next."

  "No you don't! I live with you. There won't be any hot water left,” Samantha said, following the taller woman down the hall.

  Adam sniffed the air, raising his eyebrows at Hector. "You do smell like a walking air freshener."

  Hector rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

  "Well, I wish we'd found Stephen, but thanks for taking us in." Adam glanced at the windows. "None of us wanted to be out there after dark, especially with those tunnels.”

  Amir and Rashid looked confused and Adam caught himself. "Sorry, I mean the holes in the backyards. They look like tunnels. Quiet during the day or not, you couldn't pay me to go near one at night."

  Adam felt guilty baiting the other men. He knew pushing them for information could backfire, but he couldn't take the chance they knew something about Stephen or his wife's disappearance.

  Just a little more, he thought.

  "We tossed a brick down one. You know, just to see how deep it was," Adam said and Marcus stiffened, but Amir and Rashid maintained their poker faces. "We waited over a minute and nothing, not a sound. I did okay in math, but I'm not sure how deep that would make them. A few hundred feet? A mile?"

  "Almost two miles..." Rashid muttered, looking uncomfortable, his expression darkening by the moment. "I don't know how a hole that deep could maintain integrity. The pressure alone would cause it to collapse." He glanced at Amir, but his brother's face remained distant and unreadable. “I’ve been doing engineering work for over ten years, and I’ve never seen holes like that without significant reinforcement.”

  "It's doesn't matter,” Amir said, cutting off the exchange and glancing around the room. "We all know the world is broken. There are holes in all of the backyards. Maybe they lead all the way down to hell. It doesn't matter. What matters is... we keep breathing." He put his hand on Rashid's shoulder.

  For a fleeting moment, Adam saw an echo of his own people in these strangers. Then he wondered when they had become his people, what he was supposed to do with that responsibility, and why he felt so fiercely protective of them. Now that he did, though, he agreed. That was the new rule, the entire point to everything: just keep breathing.

  "Adam. Earth to Adam." Natalie's voice cut through his reverie. He realized he'd been staring off into space and stood up a little too quickly.

  "Yeah, sorry. Spaced out for a second."

  "Your turn. There's still some hot water left," Natalie said, making a guilty face. "I think."

  "The spaghetti will be ready by the time you're done," Layla added. She had several pots going on the stove, and the smell was making his mouth water.

  “I’ll be quick.”

  Adam walked down the dark hallway until he reached the last door. Another candle burned on the bathroom counter, illuminating the small bathroom in a soft orange light. He paused before the mirror, and for a moment, the face that stared back at him seemed more foreign than ever. Each time he saw himself he felt more like he was seeing someone else, and that stranger was getting harder and harder to recognize.

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  None of the evidence of the recent tribulations showed on his face, save for a little dirt. He turned the water on, the pipes making a soft knocking sound, and he shrugged out of his clothes. The hot water raised goosebumps along his skin, while tiny currents of electricity sparked and danced into the stream. It took over a minute before he was able to relax and enjoy the sensation, the sparks fading bit by bit.

  He washed quickly, the water turning cold as he finished. Adam felt a little gross dressing back in his dirty clothes, but he wasn't quite ready to scavenge his friend's underwear.

  Maybe tomorrow.

  The smell of the meal made his stomach growl again, more insistent this time. Voices drifted down the hall to greet him and he took a moment to enjoy the sound. The idea of other survivors was a comforting prospect, and it settled into his brain like a warm blanket.

  Layla had already set out the plates when he returned, steam rising from his plate on the breakfast bar. From the looks of it Hector was already halfway through his, a thin line of sauce running down his cheek as he wolfed down noodles. Natalie and Samantha weren’t far behind.

  "If you don't hurry, I'm afraid you might miss out,” Layla said, handing him a bottle of water with a gentle smile. She walked into the living room and sat next to Rashid.

  "She's not wrong, Hector might beat you to it," Natalie said, pulling her plate away when he pretended to reach for it.

  Adam sat down and took a bite of the steaming noodles, savoring the warmth as much as the flavor. "Hector, you planning on coming up for air any time soon. Or should we send the coast guard?"

  Hector took a moment to wipe the sauce off of his cheek. "I'd been eating stale pastries for a week when you came along. This is the first decent meal I've had since this shit started. Is there chicken in this?"

  Layla nodded, a pleased expression spreading across her face. "Yeah, but it's canned. Unfortunately. I'm glad you like it. I know it's not much, but I like cooking."

  "That's why I married her!" Rashid took a bite and Layla swatted him.

  Amir ate in silence, methodically clearing his plate bite by bite. Adam couldn't help but wonder... if things had been a little different, would that be him, lost and alone even while surrounded by people? He felt a sudden surge of gratitude for his companions, their presence continually helping him to keep his head above water.

  Hector yawned and put his empty plate on the counter. After the last few days they were all tired, and the first not-so-subtle hints of his own fatigue dragged at the edges of Adam’s mind.

  Marcus walked his dishes into the kitchen, grabbing Hector's on the way and dropping both into the sink. "The others don't drink, but I figured you guys might need one,” he said, retrieving a six pack of beer from a cupboard and dropping it on the counter. The bottles landed with a thunk that sounded like music to Adam's ears.

  "Oh... Absolutely," Samantha said, taking a bottle from Marcus.

  Natalie's eyes bulged. "You hate beer."

  "I also hate apocalypses, but here we are!" She gave her wife a cheeky smile, before cracking the bottle and taking a long drink, grimacing. Marcus passed a bottle to Adam, Hector and Natalie, taking the last two for himself.

  "Sorry, they're not cold." He shrugged apologetically, returning to his chair with the bottles.

  Adam took drink, the earthy taste drowning his tastebuds. "Fuck me..." He laughed. "Sorry, I mean that's good." For a moment he could almost believe things were back to normal, the world hadn't gone to hell, and he was just having a drink with some new friends.

  They drank in silence, each lost somewhere in their own thoughts. Samantha stretched, placing her empty bottle on the counter with a soft click. "You were right. I still hate beer, but that felt good. What's the sleeping situation here? I don't mind sleeping on the floor."

  "There's a guest bedroom. I've been sleeping in there, but you can take it for tonight,” Marcus said, pointing down the hallway with his beer bottle. "I'll take one of the couches. Rashid and Layla have the other bedroom. There's an office for anyone else."

  Sleep was starting to sound good, really good. Adam took another pull from his beer, savoring the taste.

  "You really haven't had any problems here?" Natalie asked, sounding a little skeptical. "With everything out there you don't even have the windows boarded up."

  Marcus leaned back in his chair, crossing the legs he didn't have two weeks ago. "It's been quiet since we got here. Honestly… it's the only reason we've stayed. The holes are weird, sure, but nothing else has even wandered into the neighborhood."

  "It's like we're protected," Layla said, leaning forward, her expression intense. "As long as we mind our business and stay quiet, nothing seems to bother us." She glanced at Amir who maintained his sullen silence.

  Hector yawned again, and the contagion of it spread to Adam. He drained the last of his beer and dropped it on the counter beside Samantha's. His eyes drifted to the windows, and for a moment he missed the shuttered windows of his condo. It felt like a lifetime since he'd been home.

  "Maybe tomorrow we can scavenge some of the other houses for boards. Hector already has a hammer. We'd just need nails-and I'm sure at least one of these places has some." Natalie made a face like she'd tasted something bitter.

  Amir nodded, keeping his eyes down. "That's a good idea. Honestly, you're right. We should have done that days ago. I think I saw a tool cabinet in the garage next door. We can check that tomorrow."

  "I'm sorry. Maybe I'm just tired, but I'm a little confused,” Natalie said, picking at the label of her bottle. "You said you didn't check the other houses, but then you said you scavenged food from them?" Adam let his mind drift, only halfway listening to the conversation.

  "We didn't want to check the houses," Amir explained, a note of irritation entering his voice. "Like I said. But Stephen didn't keep much food, and delivery's not really an option anymore."

  "That makes sense,” Natalie admitted, but kept picking at the bottle.

  Amir finally looked up, and Adam saw a flicker of anger cross his features. "You know. I don't really appreciate being questioned, especially after we brought you in-"

  "We understand." Layla cut in with a friendly smile. "You've had a rough time of it lately, I can see it on your face. But it's safe here, at least for now.”

  Natalie laughed bitterly, but kept her eyes on Amir. "I'm not sure it's safe anywhere."

  "Fair, but I'll take whatever reprieve I can get,” Marcus said, offering her his second beer. "You look like you could use this more than me."

  "Thanks." She took the beer from his hand, but didn't open it. "I think part of it is just how fast everything went downhill. It hasn't even been two weeks and it's all over. I just keep wondering..."

  "Hmm?" Marcus looked genuinely interested. Adam wondered if he should let him know she was married, just in case he didn't see the ring. The thought was so normal and at the same time out of place he had to stifle a laugh, clearing his throat instead.

  "I'm just wondering when you're going to stop lying and cut the bullshit," Natalie said, delivering the line like a hammer blow and shattering the room.