Another quick glance into the hallway and Kevin slipped out, pulling the door shut behind him. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he made his way back across toward the lab. He strode down the hallway as though he owned the place and noted immediately that the assigned guard was missing.
Without thinking, he trotted toward the lab, stepped inside and locked the door behind him. He made his way to the incinerator and unzipped his duffel. He reached below his clothes and grabbed at the bedding, tugging it free.
He quickly stuffed the thin cotton sheets and wool blanket into the incinerator and flipped the switch, nodding as the lights on the indicator flashed red. He smiled to himself as he backed away, watching as the lights shifted, indicating the secondary burn.
He turned and exited the lab, the duffel swinging from his hand as he worked his way to Broussard’s room. He pushed open the door and dropped the duffel onto the mattress.
“Why yes, mister cop-guy. I did return to my room and get my underwear and toothbrush, but I have no idea what happened to my bed stuff. It was there when I left.” Kevin laughed to himself as he flopped onto the narrow mattress. “Catch me now, fuckers.”
Simon could feel his excitement grow as the sun slowly set. As soon as it was dark enough, he intended to march his troops to the Cager’s compound and burn the whole fucking thing to the ground.
He could feel his fingertips tingle as the excitement grew and his chest tightened with each breath. He clenched his jaw and rolled his head on his neck, popping the joints.
“You okay?”
He turned and saw the new woman he had claimed as his own staring at him. Simon felt a growl forming from deep inside and he picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder. “I will be.”
He pushed past the group of Quee preparing for war and kicked open the double doors leading to the back of the store. He tossed her unceremoniously onto a pallet of dry goods then began pulling at what little remained of her clothes.
She quickly assumed the position, her head turned to the side, a distant look in her eyes. Simon paused and gripped her jaw. “Look at me.”
She gave him a blank expression, an empty stare. He tugged at his own clothing. “I’m about to go to war and kill all of the slow, dumb ones.” His jaw clenched as he waited for her to respond. “For you. For all of us.”
She blinked.
“Damn you, say something!” He slapped her across the cheek and her head remained turned, her eyes unfocused.
Simon growled low in his throat then plunged into her angrily. He searched her face for a response but she remained like a corpse, unmoved. He thrust harder and harder, hoping to pound a response from her, but it was if she had left her body.
He slowed and tilted her face back to meet his own. He hovered just over her, staring deeply into the blood red orbs of her eyes. “I’m here,” he whispered. “Be here with me.”
For the slightest moment he could almost swear that her eyes focused on him, and he smiled. But just as suddenly they went dead again and he felt his anger rise.
“Fine. You want to play the dead fish?” He thrust into her as hard as he could, biting and pinching at her most sensitive areas. He abused her body in every fashion that he could think. If she wouldn’t be party to their coupling, she would suffer from it.
When he finished he rolled off of her, gasping for breath. He tugged at his pants and sat up on the pallet of goods. “Time to kill some Cagers.”
He slapped at her inner thigh. “Don’t go anywhere, darlin’. I’ll be home before you know it.”
Chapter 22
“Go!” Patricia tugged at Trevor’s sleeve. “Now!”
“Go where, Peanut?” Trevor bent low to meet her worried gaze. “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”
“Go!” She pointed through the window of their RV, away from the compound.
“Go?” Trevor asked quietly. He sat down gently and pulled her close. “Where do you want to go?”
He had been amazed at her improvement since interacting with the other children. She had begun to use simple words and was becoming more and more expressive. She could say “eat” and “sleep” and “potty;” that was pretty much the extent of her vocabulary.
Until now.
He gave her a worried look. “I don’t understand, Peanut. I thought you liked it here?”
She shook her head and pointed out the window again. “Go. Now.” Her voice cracked and he saw a tear run down her cheek.
“Did something happen? Did one of the other children hurt you?” He sat upright, his fatherly instinct rising to the surface.
“Go!” She practically yelled then collapsed into his lap.
A hard banging on the door of the RV had him alert and his fight or flight response maxed. He gently peeled her from him and stood. “Who is it?”
A soft voice replied, “It’s me. Donna.”
Trevor’s face twisted in confusion. He glanced back to Patricia, who was now sitting up and staring through the tinted windows of the RV.
He opened the door and was surprised to see his “ex-wife” standing at their stoop. “May I come in?”
“Actually…” Trevor glanced at Patricia again. “I think we were about to hit the road.”
“You’re leaving?” She seemed nervous and worried.
Trevor nodded slowly. “Patricia wants to go.”
“So the kid wants to split and you’re just gonna do what she says?” Donna planted her hands on her hips and stared him down.
Trevor felt a flood of old feelings wash over him then forced them back. “I’m her dad now. So yeah. If she wants to go, we go.”
“I always knew you were a complete pushover.” She raised a brow at him tauntingly.
“What did you want, Donna?”
Donna sighed and averted her gaze. “I was…” She
