Read Online The Last Peak (Book 2): The Darwin Collapse by William Oday - Free Book Online

 
    Empty.
    He eased the door shut behind her and brought his mouth to her ear. “Leave your light off until we need it.”
    She nodded. She took a deep breath and immediately regretted it.
    Even through the N95-rated filter, the air stank of rot and disease. The Pearson’s didn’t have a pet, so the most likely source of the stench wasn’t hard to figure out.
    Mason tapped her shoulder and waved for her to follow.
    As they moved deeper into the darkened house, a wild scream bubbled up in her throat and threatened to tear free.  

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

    In the living room, cords hung out of the wall above the fireplace where a huge flat-panel TV once hung. All of the family pictures that had lined the mantle were now on the ground, images trampled and glass shattered. The cabinets on either side were either open or missing the doors altogether. Old VHS tapes and newer DVDs were scattered all over the carpet. A large, irregular patch of charred black in the middle evidence that a fire had briefly burned.  
    Mason motioned her on. She took a step.
    CRUNCH.
    A plastic DVD case cracked apart underfoot. The sound shattered the silence like the gunshot that starts a horse race. They both froze, expecting a response and thankfully not getting one.
    They moved through the kitchen and on toward the back of the house. The stench grew stronger. They encountered nothing living through the remaining rooms and finally came to the closed door that was Holly’s parent’s room.
    The odor was so thick Theresa could feel it on her skin.
    Mason turned to her and whispered, “Stay out here. You don’t need to see this.”
    She nodded. She had no desire to add some gruesome scene of decomposition to the material that already invaded her nightly dreams.
    He opened the door just enough to slip through and disappeared inside. The light from his headlamp bounced dimly back into the hallway through the opening.  
    Theresa’s chest started to hurt. A dull ache that squeezed tight, making it difficult to breathe. She sucked hard through the filtered mask that was beginning to feel like a plastic bag. Her fingers tingled and her head swam. Her pounding heart echoed in her ears. She leaned against the wall trying to catch her breath.
    Mason appeared and shut the door behind him.  
    “Holly’s parents are gone.”
    Theresa slumped to the floor. Tears cascaded down her cheeks and soaked into the cotton mask. She heard a low moaning and was only dimly aware that it was coming from her mouth.
    Her father pulled her up with ease and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry.” He held her in place as her numb legs supported no weight.  
    Something inside Theresa broke free and the dam behind her eyes collapsed. A river of grief flowed from her soul and onto his chest. He held her tight until the torrent eased to a trickle. “I can’t believe she’s gone, Daddy.”
    “I know, honey. I know.”
    “I want my best friend back.”
    Another wellspring of anguish billowed up, but then sputtered when there was nothing below it to continue building the pressure.
    “Can I go to her room?”
    “I’ll go with you,” he said.
    “Can I do it alone?”
    Mason considered and then answered, “Yes. Just be careful. I’m going to look through the kitchen to see if anything useful might be left.”
    “Okay.”
    They walked together back to Holly’s room. Theresa clicked her headlamp on to the dim setting.
    “You sure you want to do this?” Mason asked.
    “Yes.”
    “I’ll check on you in a few minutes.”
    She stepped into the bedroom that was once occupied by her best friend in the world. The place was a total mess, which wasn’t all that different from when Holly had lived here. She sat on the mattress on the floor and looked around. A torn Death Before Life movie poster hung from the wall above Holly’s bed. Holly used to say she loved waking up with Ryan’s hot body on top of her.  
    A choked giggle escaped Theresa’s lips as she