Side Effects: Book Two: Visions of Despair, Page 7

  “I don’t think it will help, Mitchel. Knowing him, it will just make him more stubborn. I’ll handle it, and if I need anything I’m sure Juliette can help," Kate said, practically shooing them out the door. “Go. Get Mike before all of the food I’m cooking goes to waste, you know I double everything just for that one. No one else can put down food like he can."

  Once they had all of their gear on, Mitch and Travis went out to the barn to pick up a few more things they would need before heading after Mike.

  “Do you know which way they were going?” Travis asked.

  “I think they’re going to Karen and Dave’s place. Gus has probably made that his base now that they have full reign of it. That’s what my instincts are telling me, anyway. I guess I should have asked Jimmy before we took off," Mitch replied.

  “No, I was thinking the same thing. We might even catch up to them before we get there. I thought I heard motors, though, so I think they were on snow mobiles," Travis added as they reached the barn.

  “What’s your boot size?” Mitch asked.

  “I’m a ten," Travis answered.

  “Nice, that’s Drew’s size, too, so his ski boots should fit. Will that work with your prosthetic?” Mitch asked.

  “Yeah, it should be fine. Nice that you have a pair. It’ll make getting down the mountain much faster," Travis responded.

  “We’re going to need some weapons, too. I’ve got my Glock; do you have anything on you?” Mitch asked.

  “Yeah, I’m packing. Nothing for the roamers, though. I’d like to have some kind of blade on me," Travis replied.

  “I’ve been modifying some old farm tools this week. I’m sure I’ve got something that will work well for you," Mitch assured him. “Just wait until you see these things, they’re pretty bad ass."

  Travis raised his eyebrows as he looked at Mitch, who was practically glowing with excitement, a radiant smile on his face. “Are you actually enjoying the zombie apocalypse?” Travis asked in disbelief.

  “Don’t judge, it’s been a long time since I was in some real hand to hand combat. You’ve only been benched for a couple of years. It’s been twelve for me. So yeah, I’m kind of enjoying myself. The call to fight courses through my veins. I was made for this," Mitch answered honestly.

  “I can see that," Travis said, shaking his head. “So where are these garden tools?”

  “In the back by the generators. I’ll grab a few while I check them," Mitch said, walking toward the back of the barn.

  “Looks like Mike didn’t make it this far. There’s nothing wrong with the generators. I’m not going to start them; the power should be back on soon. Might as well conserve the fuel," Mitch called out as he looked over the machines.

  Walking back in, Mitch stopped at a wall rack and pulled down his skis along with Drew’s. He opened the lid on the bench below and riffled through it until he found the boots he was looking for. “If you come over here, we can sit while we put our boots on," he called out to Travis, closing the lid and sitting to remove his snow boots.

  Travis emerged from his self-tour of the barn, grinning. “This barn is tight, Mitch! I could live in here," he joked.

  Mitch shook his head while he fastened his boots. “You want to live with the chickens, Travis, be my guest, but you’re more than welcome to stay in the house with the rest of us."

  “I’ve been thinking a lot about that, actually," Travis said, pausing to collect his thoughts. “I don’t know about going back to my place. Kind of seems risky, you know? I think there is safety in numbers now. The last thing I want is to die alone and then start munching on the neighbors," he laughed awkwardly, attempting to lighten the dark subject.

  “I meant what I said, Travis. This is where you need to be. We can go by your place and pack up whatever you want to bring back with you, but you're right, it’s not safe staying by yourself. I want you here with us. Besides, we can use all the help we can get, and you’ve got training."

  “Thanks, Mitch," Travis gripped Mitch’s shoulder in a tight squeeze. “Now, let’s get those fearsome garden tools so we can race down this mountain."

  Mitch walked over to the collection he had been working on all week. He marveled at the craftsmanship of all things made in the early 1900s. In those days, they took pride in their craft and things were made to last. Unlike now--things are made to look shiny and new but fall apart as soon as you start to break them in. He was glad that one of his hobbies had been buying old garden tools and farm equipment from yard sales in the summertime. There would be no shortage of weapons.

  He picked up two hand shovels that had been sharpened to a deadly point, as well as two more of the scythes that he had modified with a straight blade coming out of the front. Emily had certainly enjoyed using one yesterday. He couldn’t blame her, it was an efficient way to clear the roamers.

  Walking back to Travis, he handed him the modified tools and laughed at the look of wonderment on his young friend’s face. “Damn, Mitch, this might just be the coolest thing I’ve ever seen," Travis said, turning the scythe over in his hands.

  “Just make sure you don’t fall on the blade while we're going down the mountain. I don’t want to have to bring you back in pieces," he joked.

  Travis glanced at him with a deadpan face, “Mitch, I’m a Marine."

  “Exactly," Mitch replied with the straightest face he could muster.

  They held eye contact for what felt like an eternity before they both succumbed to the laughter that was forcing its way out.

  “Come on, let’s go get your boy back," Travis said, attaching his boots to the skis and making his way to the front of the barn.

  “I’m right behind you brother.

  Chapter Ten

  Juliette

  Juliette woke to the sound of angry voices. It took her a moment to gain her bearings and remember where she was. With that realization came the flood of memories from this last, horrific week, only to be followed by the memory of that kiss. As light and soft as it had been, the impact it had couldn’t be denied. She could lose herself in that man, choose to stay locked inside with him for a lifetime. Let the world go crazy outside those doors. She had everything that she could ever need right here inside this cabin. She closed her eyes and recalled the warmth of his presence, his earthy scent, and the gentle pressure of his lips. The smile that she felt curling up the sides of her mouth seemed foreign to her; with all the heartache of this last week, she wouldn’t have believed smiling again was even a possibility, and yet she couldn’t help herself. She allowed herself just a moment to savor the feeling.

  The voices outside her door were getting louder. She thought the louder of the two belonged to Mitch’s daughter, Emily. The other sounded like Kate. Although, she couldn’t figure out what it was they were arguing about. Slipping out of the bed, she pushed her feet directly into her shoes and grabbed a sweatshirt off the dresser. She kept the room prepared at all times because if she had learned anything it was that nothing was certain anymore, and the last thing she wanted was to get caught without shoes on if she needed to go.

  She stepped cautiously out into the hallway. The voices were much louder out here. “You don’t understand, Nana Kate! I CAN’T JUST LET THEM GO!!! I should be with them. What if he doesn’t come back? He might not make it back! I have to go!" Emily was insisting frantically. Her words hit Juliette like a punch to the gut and she felt her heart rate accelerate.

  “What’s going on?” Juliette questioned as she walked into the front room.

  Kate was standing in front of the door, blocking Emily’s way as she tried to push through, to no avail. “You are not leaving this house, Emily Grace, and that is final! Do you understand me?” Kate said in a voice that was no louder than usual, but clearly demanded respect.

  As the words washed over Emily, she began to sob. It was heartbreaking to watch. Juliette had only seen the tough exterior the girl had always projected. Whatever was happening was having a major impact on her.


  Glancing to her left, she saw Drew standing beside her shaking his head. “Hey, Drew, help a girl out. Tell me what’s going on," she said, trying to make light of the situation.

  “That asshole, Gus, took Mike when the power went out. Mitch and Travis went after him, and Emily is too damn stubborn! She thinks she needs to go out there, too," he finished, before walking over and wrapping his arms around his girl.

  “You have to stop this, Emily, it’s not doing anybody any good. Your dad is going to be just fine. He knows how to take care of himself, and you need to trust in that," he whispered to her as he wiped her tears away.

  Emily inhaled a shaky breath and then began searching the room with her eyes. When they landed on the boy, Jimmy, she relaxed and began to speak. “Did you see anything? Are they going to be okay?” she asked.

  What an odd question for a little boy, Juliette thought. She knew there was something that she was missing; Mitch had hinted at it last night, but this was just bizarre.

  “I think it’s going to be okay, Emily, just calm down. They’ll all be back soon," he told her in a voice that was all too knowing for someone so small. Juliette rubbed at the goosebumps that popped up on her arms as she listened to the exchange.

  “Alright, I know I’m the outsider here, but I need to know what’s going on. Why are you looking at him like he has all of the answers? I mean the full story--everyone has been hinting around at things, but we are too deep in an ugly situation to be beating around the bush about anything, so spill it. Everything," she said with an odd sense of pride at the authority she heard ringing through her voice.

  Emily turned to her, “It’s complicated, Juliette."

  “The truth is always the least complicated thing to share, Emily, so out with it. No excuses, I want to know what’s going on," she spat back.

  Jimmy walked over and took hold of Juliette’s hand, causing her to jump at the unexpected contact.

  “It’s okay, Juliette, let’s go into the kitchen and get something to eat while I explain this all to you. It might take a while and I’m really hungry for lunch," he said as he began leading her toward the kitchen.

  “You guys can all stay here," he called back over his shoulder. “I’ve got this."

  They reached the kitchen and Jimmy released her hand. He pulled out a stool from the counter and climbed up onto it. “Would you make me a PB&J, please? They’re my favorite," he said with a smile.

  How could she say no to that? “Sure, Jimmy, I’m a bit hungry myself."

  She busied herself with the task of making their sandwiches, feeling an unexpected calm wash over her in the presence of this unusual little boy. When she finished, she brought the plates over and took the seat beside him, trying to decide what to ask first.

  “Why does everyone keep asking you what’s going to happen? It’s like they think you have a key to the future or something," she decided to just dive into what she wanted to know the most.

  Jimmy took a bite of his sandwich and gazed at her thoughtfully as he chewed. Once he swallowed the bite and washed it down with a quick drink of milk, he began to speak, “Do you believe in things like that? People who can see the future?” he asked, passing the ball back to her court without really answering her question.

  “I don’t know, I’ve never really thought about it before. I’ve witnessed my share of miracles at the hospital where I worked. Breathing life back into people when all hope was lost, or when the heart was in no shape to start beating again, but then it did. I’ve seen those things. But what you’re speaking of, that’s a different kind of miracle, and I’m a seeing is believing sort of gal," she answered.

  “I can appreciate that," he replied before taking another bite of his sandwich. He chewed slowly, deciding on what to say next. “Your sister, Cordelia, she was always the jokester, right? I see her sneaking your car keys out of your coat pocket so that she could hide them in the couch cushions. Then after you had searched and searched and were just about to lose hope, she would pull them out with an elfish grin and just say, ‘Gotcha.’ You couldn’t get mad at her, no matter how hard you tried," he finished with a laugh.

  Juliette reached out and grabbed her right hand with her left, trying to stop the tremble before she dropped the glass that she was holding. She slowly lowered it to the counter, bringing her gaze up to meet his. “How, how did you know about that?” she stammered.

  “The same way that I know that Mitch and the guys will be fine--as long as things don’t change paths, that is. The past is easy, because it has already happened, there is no changing something that has already happened, but the future can change in an instant," he replied before popping the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth.

  Juliette just sat for a moment, not knowing what to say. She could feel the tears streaming down her face but she did nothing to stop them or brush them away. She was lost in the memory of her kid sister. Jimmy’s description of her was spot on. Cordelia--her little Cordy-- was always the mischief maker, but she was so sweet about it that no one was ever really bothered. Even as an adult, she would pull pranks on people, and her innocent little face always rescued her from the consequences.

  “I’m really sorry about Cordy. I know how much you loved her. The monsters are so terrible, taking everyone we love away," Jimmy whispered.

  Juliette took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and looked over at the boy sitting beside her. He had his own stream of tears running down his little face and her heart broke for him. Not once since he had shown up here had she thought about the reason for his appearance with Emily’s group. Honestly, she hadn’t thought about any of them. Her own pain was so enormous she didn’t have room for anyone else’s. She knew in that moment that she would have to make room. He had obviously decided to take on the burden of hers; she needed to do the same.

  “I’m sorry, too. I’m sure you’ve seen your share of loss since this began. How are you handling it so well? Maybe you could teach me because I’m a bit of a mess, if you couldn’t tell," she said with a forced laugh.

  “I lost my momma, and it’s tough, but I feel her here with me. I know she’s with me always, so that makes it easier. We can’t change what happened. The only thing we can do is move on from it, stronger than we were before," he explained, sounding so much older than his four years.

  “Wow, kid, if the world hadn’t just ended, I’d say that you could have your own TV show saving one poor soul at a time with your magic words," Juliette said, shaking her head at the thought.

  “So, do you feel better about everything, then?” Jimmy asked.

  “I guess. When do you think that Mitch will be back?” she asked.

  “I’m not exactly sure, but I don’t think it will take them long to do what they need to do, and then we won’t have to worry about that big meanie, Gus, anymore. He killed my momma, and a lot of other people, too. There’s no place in this world for people like him. Mitch will see to it that he doesn’t have a chance to hurt anyone again," Jimmy finished with a firm nod of his head and a hard glint in his eye.

  “How are you so sure that it will work out that way?” she questioned.

  “When I have these visions, sometimes I’ll see flashes of different ways things can go. In almost every flash this time, Mitch does what he needs to do to make things better," he finished with a shrug.

  “And what about the other times?” she asked, concerned.

  “What other times?” he asked.

  “Well, you said almost every time things work out, so what about when they don’t?” she asked.

  “Oh, I don’t pay any attention to that, I think if you think about something negative too much that you give it power, feed it energy, so I just pretend like I didn’t see it and hope it doesn’t happen," he said with a shudder.

  She wanted to ask more, but thought better of it. The last thing she wanted to do was lend power to a negative outcome. “Thank you, Jimmy, for explaining all of this to me, and for talking about Cordy with me. I
t’s nice to know that even though you didn’t get to meet her, in a way, you know her, too."

  “I wouldn’t be surprised to see her pulling pranks on you still. Be on the lookout," Jimmy said with a giggle.

  Juliette hopped off the bar stool and gave Jimmy a big hug. If she let her heart open up, she could love this boy for sure. She just didn’t know if that was the wise choice.

  Chapter Eleven

  Mitch

  The trip down the mountain had taken no time at all. “I hope we luck out with some horses or snowmobiles. Otherwise, it’s going to take at least a day or two to make it back up to your place," Travis said. He was keeping pace beside Mitch as they continued toward Dave and Karen’s farm.

  “One thing at a time, Travis. First, we need to get Mike out of there," Mitch replied. All sorts of scenarios had been running through his mind now that Dave’s place was in sight. He hoped Mike was okay, he knew he could handle himself, but he was also smart enough to know that he wasn’t invincible.

  “Let’s stop for a minute. We need to hash out a plan before we get any closer," Mitch said, imbedding his ski pole in the snow, effectively bringing himself to a stop.

  Mitch watched as Travis stopped beside him. The trip down had been exhilarating. It was nice to get out and just move after being cooped up in the house. Mitch was an outdoorsman, he always had been, but being a SEAL had reaffirmed it. It wasn’t uncommon for them to spend days, sometimes weeks, in the heart of an untamed savage land. Jungle, mountains, forest, desert--it didn’t matter--he always felt most alive outside, the further from civilization the better.

  “Woo-hoo, that was epic," Travis said in a low voice as he raised his snow goggles.

  “There’s nothing quite like it. I’ll have to remember to thank Mike, right after I smack him upside the head," Mitch said with a soft chuckle. A heavy sense of unease was beginning to settle into the pit of his stomach. He hoped his idiot friend was all right.