Read Online Devouring The Dead (Book 2): Nemesis by Russ Watts - Free Book Online Page A

dropped the flowers at her feet.
    She looked at the socket on the wall . The freezer was still plugged in, but she knew it couldn’t be on as all power had gone off weeks ago. The freezer jolted again, as if it was trying to spring back into life. The frame wobbled and then toppled over, the boy on the beach falling face down into the candle wax. Moira reached out, her fingers touching the freezer’s handle, when another hand clamped itself on hers.
    She retracted her hand and spun around to see Harry behind her. Moira let out a long sigh, unaware she had been holding her breath. “ Shit, Harry, you made me jump.”
    “Let’s go, Moira, you ready?” In the dim light Moira saw the tiredness on his face. It wasn’t just the hunger or the fatigue of surviving; he was still grieving.
    “Yeah I just...”
    “No, Moira. We don’t need to know what – or who – is in there. Best to leave it be,” Harry said, lifting his hand to her shoulder.
    Moira tugged on the straps over her shoulder s, tightening them so the backpack nestled closely against her spine. She whispered to Harry. “What if they’re all right. What if someone’s hiding in there? I think a little boy lived here and...”
    “Moira, listen to me. Whoever is in that freezer is not alive. If it was someone hiding when we came in then how did they put the things back on the lid? If it was someone put in there for safe keeping then I’m afraid they would be long dead. That’s airtight and judging by how long those flowers have been dead, they would have suffocated days ago at least. I’m sorry, Moira, but no good can come from opening that lid.”
    Moira remembered the smile on the boy’s face. He was so happy. She wanted a part of that, a part of his happiness, to know he was still happy. Deep down though she knew Harry was right. There was no way the boy could still be alive, not now.
    “You’re right, I know. Let’s get home.” Moira gave Harry the best smile she could manage.
    Harry led the way back out of the house and Moira looked behind her as she left the utility room, the freezer bouncing on its feet one last time. Maybe one day she would see and experience real happiness instead of having to read about it in books.
    * * * *
    As Caterina dozed, Christina flicked though a wedding album she found buried in amongst a shoebox full of photos in the oak bureaux. The bride and groom were currently being showered in confetti and looked deliriously happy. In fact, everyone looked happy. As she turned the pages, she saw more smiling faces: women and men, old and young. She wondered if the people who had lived here were the wedding couple. The bedroom she shared with Cat offered no clues. There were no other photos on the walls or shelves, there was no wedding dress hanging in the closet, and no wedding rings at the bedside.
    Glancing at her watch, Christina saw it was getting late. The others would be back soon. They had decided they would eat as a group, and share out equal portions. The more they shared, the closer they felt. They chanced upon this house three days back and Christina managed to sleep well here. They had been on the road for days. Sleeping and resting was never easy with one eye open. She looked over at the silent Caterina, someone who seemed to have no problem sleeping. Even though Christina was no relative and only met Cat a few weeks ago, she felt proud. Cat was so young, but so strong to be going through all of this while nearly six months pregnant.
    Christina sat on the end of the bed waiting for Cat to wake and for the others to return, and turned another page of the album. The photo was of the bride and groom again, this time on the church steps with the priest in the middle, grinning foolishly as the sun bounced off his bald head. Christina remembered her own wedding only vaguely now. She thought at the time that she would never be happier, but her marriage only lasted a year. The wedding was at a small church, much like the