Afflicted

“Watch me closely,” he said as he flicked a catch on and off. “This is the safety. If you want to fire it you slide it off, like this - then squeeze the trigger.”

“Linc, I dunno if I should-“

“Of course you shouldn't. But I want to know you can defend yourselves back here if something unexpected happens. Would you rather I show someone else?”

I glanced at the others nervously but none of them volunteered. “No. I can do it.”

“Show me.” He passed me the gun and I took it, feeling the unexpected weight in my palm. The silver metal was cold in my hand and I slowly wrapped my fingers around it, trying to banish the fear that went with holding the weapon. I could kill someone with a twitch of my finger. I hoped I'd never find out just how easy that would be.

>

I flicked the safety on and off while Lincoln watched me and he nodded in a satisfied way.

“When you aim it, hold it straight in front of you using both hands. Keep your eyes open and squeeze the trigger slowly. Show me.” He saw my hesitation and laughed. “It's not loaded.”

“Oh okay.” A weight lifted off of my chest as I raised the pistol and aimed it at my house. With a deep breath, I flicked the safety off and squeezed the trigger. There was a dull click and I flinched slightly, somehow expecting it to go off despite Linc’s reassurance.

“Good. Let me load it.” He took the gun from me before loading it in quick, practiced movements and handing it back.

I held it nervously, keeping my eyes on it as I rested it in my lap.

Lincoln jumped into the driver’s seat and started up the engine.

I twisted around, looking back at my house one last time as we pulled away onto the street. I wondered if I'd ever come back to my childhood home, somehow feeling like this was goodbye.

Chapter Thirty One

Lincoln

The road stretched away before me and I drove my truck straight down the middle of it. I had to resist the urge to accelerate more, remembering the people who were perched in the truck bed behind me. Time was slipping away from us and instead of being reassured by my team’s silence, I felt concerned.

Reese drummed his fingers on the dashboard in a way that seemed impatient but I guessed was more like nervous energy.

“Your friend’s family weren't home then?” I asked, mainly to distract him.

“No. Jason’s mom and dad work in the city and his little sister goes to a preschool attached to her office. They were there yesterday and obviously never made it home. He thought that would be the case but he had to check. I hope you weren't waiting long?”

“No. You got back right on time.”

A cat hopped into the street ahead of me but it leapt up onto the roof of a car before I even touched the brakes.

“You ever seen a cat jump like that before?” Reese asked as he craned his neck to look at the tabby. It turned its amber eyes on us as we passed.

“Cats jump all the time,” I hedged though it did seem like a pretty impressive leap from a standing start. If the contamination was already causing changes in the animals in the suburbs then we could be running out of time even quicker than I'd thought.

I turned a corner onto a wider street and slowed as I took in the scene ahead of us.

Parked cars and houses had their windows smashed. Glass littered the street and smoke spiralled from a few of the buildings. It looked like someone had started a riot in the street.

We progressed along the tarmac slowly as I scanned the shadows for any threats lurking within them. It seemed like whoever had caused the destruction was long gone. Nothing moved between the houses and no sounds punctured the silence.

“That's Lacey's house.” Reese pointed to a building on our right a little further up the street. It was a big detached house with red brickwork and a large garage to its right.

I eased the truck up beside it and cut the engine as I frowned over at the house. The front door was wide open and hanging off the hinges. The front windows were smashed too, jagged glass lining the frames.

“I'd better check it out alone,” I began as I caught movement in my rear view mirror.

“Mom!” Lacey yelled as she leapt from the truck and started sprinting for the door.