and placed his front feet on the ladder, barking and snarling. Eden wrapped her arms around her legs, drawing them as close to her body as she could.
“They can’t climb ladders, can they?”
“If they try, I’ll kick it away. I don’t think they can, though.” Still, he scooted closer to her, away from the opening.
She couldn’t help herself, she leaned her head against his shoulder, huddling into his warmth because the attic was cold. He curved his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer. Snuggling into him was surprisingly easy, and she found the scent of him reassuring in this nasty place.
Beneath them, the dogs circled. So strange for Eden to see breeds she’d grown up with gone feral. The shepherd mix that was apparently the leader braced his front paws on the fourth rung of the ladder and growled, drool dripping. Through her fear, she felt sorry for the dogs, who must be starving.
“You didn’t want me to shoot. Why?”
“We don’t know who else is in town. Just because we haven’t seen people doesn’t mean they’re not here. A gunshot would be heard for miles. But if it had come to it, I would have shot them. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.”
The shepherd tried to put its hind leg on the bottom ladder rung, only to slip off. Thank God.
“I hadn’t had a dog since I lived at home, until I got Huck,” he said, his voice low and conversational, soothing. “And I didn’t want one when he started following me. I kept trying to chase him off. But he’d get closer every night, until one morning I woke up and he was snuggled against my side, just like he belonged there. Couldn’t send him off then. Some nights he was the only thing that kept me going.”
She wanted to ask him more about his journey but now was not the time. “Seems weird to talk about pets when these things want to eat our faces off.”
He chuckled and drew her closer. His heartbeat was calm beneath her hand. How did he do that? She tried to will her breathing to match his.
Some of the dogs lost interest and tore into some of the taxidermied animals, then growled in frustration to find them lacking in flavor and sustenance. They returned to pace around the bottom of the ladder. The shepherd jumped, and hung a bit on the rungs. For a moment, Eden thought the dog would make it up the ladder, but he slipped and fell, hitting his side on the floor with a yip of pain. When the other dogs stuck their noses close to him, he bounded to his feet with a snap of his teeth.
Eden ducked back against the wall and closed her eyes. “Maybe we should close the door.”
“I’d rather see what they’re doing. Maybe they’ll leave soon. But we should stay here for a bit until they forget about us. Then we need to get out of town.”
“I wonder where the nearest refugee camp is.”
“Probably not too far. But we need to be careful in the approach. We can’t tell them where we’re from. I don’t even think we should tell them our real names. We don’t want to tell them we’re from the island. The fewer people that know about that place the better.”
“That’s what my dad said.”
“We should hide our weapons, just take a handgun each. That won’t raise suspicion. Most people must be carrying something these days.”
“Okay.”
“I don’t care to let them know I was a SEAL, either. No telling what they’re doing with military men. I wouldn’t be surprised if they conscripted them. So we should come up with a story. I’m thinking it’s best to say we’re married.”
“We don’t have rings,” she said, then cursed herself. What a dumb thing to think of.
“We sold them for food. We’re newlyweds, at least we were when it all went to hell. Still, going to be tough to convince them we’ve been traveling together almost a year if we don’t know each other better. So you follow my lead, and I’ll follow yours.”
She nodded, her heart nudged in her throat. “We should make up
“They can’t climb ladders, can they?”
“If they try, I’ll kick it away. I don’t think they can, though.” Still, he scooted closer to her, away from the opening.
She couldn’t help herself, she leaned her head against his shoulder, huddling into his warmth because the attic was cold. He curved his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer. Snuggling into him was surprisingly easy, and she found the scent of him reassuring in this nasty place.
Beneath them, the dogs circled. So strange for Eden to see breeds she’d grown up with gone feral. The shepherd mix that was apparently the leader braced his front paws on the fourth rung of the ladder and growled, drool dripping. Through her fear, she felt sorry for the dogs, who must be starving.
“You didn’t want me to shoot. Why?”
“We don’t know who else is in town. Just because we haven’t seen people doesn’t mean they’re not here. A gunshot would be heard for miles. But if it had come to it, I would have shot them. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.”
The shepherd tried to put its hind leg on the bottom ladder rung, only to slip off. Thank God.
“I hadn’t had a dog since I lived at home, until I got Huck,” he said, his voice low and conversational, soothing. “And I didn’t want one when he started following me. I kept trying to chase him off. But he’d get closer every night, until one morning I woke up and he was snuggled against my side, just like he belonged there. Couldn’t send him off then. Some nights he was the only thing that kept me going.”
She wanted to ask him more about his journey but now was not the time. “Seems weird to talk about pets when these things want to eat our faces off.”
He chuckled and drew her closer. His heartbeat was calm beneath her hand. How did he do that? She tried to will her breathing to match his.
Some of the dogs lost interest and tore into some of the taxidermied animals, then growled in frustration to find them lacking in flavor and sustenance. They returned to pace around the bottom of the ladder. The shepherd jumped, and hung a bit on the rungs. For a moment, Eden thought the dog would make it up the ladder, but he slipped and fell, hitting his side on the floor with a yip of pain. When the other dogs stuck their noses close to him, he bounded to his feet with a snap of his teeth.
Eden ducked back against the wall and closed her eyes. “Maybe we should close the door.”
“I’d rather see what they’re doing. Maybe they’ll leave soon. But we should stay here for a bit until they forget about us. Then we need to get out of town.”
“I wonder where the nearest refugee camp is.”
“Probably not too far. But we need to be careful in the approach. We can’t tell them where we’re from. I don’t even think we should tell them our real names. We don’t want to tell them we’re from the island. The fewer people that know about that place the better.”
“That’s what my dad said.”
“We should hide our weapons, just take a handgun each. That won’t raise suspicion. Most people must be carrying something these days.”
“Okay.”
“I don’t care to let them know I was a SEAL, either. No telling what they’re doing with military men. I wouldn’t be surprised if they conscripted them. So we should come up with a story. I’m thinking it’s best to say we’re married.”
“We don’t have rings,” she said, then cursed herself. What a dumb thing to think of.
“We sold them for food. We’re newlyweds, at least we were when it all went to hell. Still, going to be tough to convince them we’ve been traveling together almost a year if we don’t know each other better. So you follow my lead, and I’ll follow yours.”
She nodded, her heart nudged in her throat. “We should make up
Similar Books
