Break Free The Night (Book 1) (23 page)

“
You could run for help and come back
.
”

“
No
!”
she all but shouted
.“
I wo
n’
t leave you
.”
She spoke through grit teeth though instead of the growl of protest she had intended, her statement sounded more like a whine, a low plead.

“
Kaylee
,”
Jack started, his voice placating, but she interrupted.

“I’
ll boost you up, you can pull me up after
.”
The silence that followed was loaded with disapproval, but Kaylee was determined. She would not be losing anybody else today, not even for a moment
.“C’
mon
,”
she prompted, slapping her knee lightly as she knelt down.

“
But your han
d
—
”
he mumbled, his eyes shining down at her.

“
Will be fine
,”
Kaylee interrupted, the throb that pulsed through it making her words a lie
.“
Yo
u’
ll help me
,”
she amended.

“
I do
n’
t like it
,”
he grumbled but his placed his foot gingerly on her thigh. Kaylee wrapped her good arm around his leg to prop him
.“
Ready
?
”

“
Go for it
,”
she huffed, bracing herself as he pushed his weight unto her right leg.

“
I ca
n’
t reach
,”
he hissed, and she heard his fingertips scramble for a hold before he landed next to her.

“
My shoulder
,”
she gasped, feeling the sting of pain his weight had shot through her left side.

“
Kay,
I
—”

“C’
mon
,”
she growled, tugging at his shirt
.“
Get me out of here
.
”

It might have been her last demand and how she was asking him to take care of her, but he complied almost immediately. She grunted as he flung himself up once more, gritting her teeth when his boot found her collarbone, but she felt his weight shift as he caught hold of a loose crossbeam and hoisted himself through. She thrust him up with her good hand, giving him whatever momentum she could supply. His feet dangled in her face for just a moment, swinging so close she was almost kicked, before he disappeared from view entirely. There was a creak of loose floorboards, the beams groaning under the weight that was now walking across them. Then with a scuffling across the dusty boards, the silhouette of Jac
k’
s head appeared. Kaylee imagined him grinning down at her.

“
Ready
?”
he asked, a definable pleasure in his voice at being free of the basement. Kaylee stood shakily and extended her right hand in answer as he leaned lower to grasp her. Her feet left the floor and she was suspended in air that felt like pitch before her wrist scraped against the floor above. Kaylee scrambled to get her left elbow unto the floor. Jack grabbed her hurt arm, letting her right hand grip the floorboards, and he hauled her out.

She fell unto him, his arms encasing her, and he collapsed back unto the dirty floor. His breath came in heavy pants for a moment and she rose and fell with his chest as he breathed. She went to move off him, to let him draw breath with ease, but he tightened his hold, pressing her to him. She let her head settle into the crook of his neck and her eyes drift close.

This embrace felt different. His arms relaxed and his hands ghosted up her sides. One settled low on her back and the other cupped her neck, still holding her to him. His breathing softened and Kaylee thought she heard the sound of her name whisper past his lips.

“
Thank you
,”
she said softly, her lips moving over the skin of his neck
.“
You came after me. I do
n’
t know what I would have... Thank you
.
”

He squeezed her lightly
.“I’
ll always come after you, you idiot
,”
he said. His tone was light and teasing but his pledge seemed sincere. A shiver of irritation rolled up her spine.

“
Do
n’
t promise me things
,”
Kaylee replied, rolling away from him despite his grip and sitting up. She winced as her left hip throbbed against the sudden motion. But she did
n’
t want to hear promises only to have to remember them later when they were broken.

“I
—”

“
Seriously Jack
,”
Kaylee interrupted, glancing at him quickly before turning to get to her feet; his frown was dimly lit by the rising moon
.“
Yo
u’
re leaving soon with Quinton, I know that. Do
n’
t promise me anything when you ca
n’
t possibly follow through
.
”

Kaylee went to wipe her jeans clean but winced as her left hand pulsed a reminder to her. She left the grime alone, figuring there was no amount of brushing that might get it off. Instead she brought her good hand to her face and was surprised to find her tears had dried.

When had that happened?

“
We should get back
,”
came Jac
k’
s stoic reply. Kaylee thought he was going to say more but then they both froze, alert as the sound of their names were called from somewhere not too far away.

~

“
Kay
!”
Andre
w’
s voice was hoarse as he called out. He broke into a run in her direction, reaching her in moments. She grimaced as he caught her up in a hug, her side pulsing uncomfortably, but she gripped him tightly, happy to have someone she knew she could hold onto
.“
Sorry,
I’
m so sorry
.
”

             
“
I
t’
s okay.
I’
m okay
,”
she breathed and she heard him pull back a sob. He was shaking and he pulled her tighter against him. She could
n’
t help the moan that snuck past her lips.

             
“
I thought you said you were okay
,”
Andrew accused, leaning back and holding Kaylee just by the shoulders, his eyes raking over her frame.

             
“
Sh
e’
s alright
,”
Jack said, strolling up to them, his hand raised in acknowledgement to Quinton who was still making his way towards the group.

             
“
She can answer for herself
!”
Andrew shouted, tucking Kaylee back under his arm. The level of stress lent an edge to his voice that sounded very close to anger.

             
“I’
m fine,
I’
m fine
,”
Kaylee said, extracting herself from Andre
w’
s now suffocating hold and grabbing his hand
.“I’
m sore and bruised and my han
d’
s broken but i
t’
s not important. Andrew, what happened? Wher
e’s
…
”
She could
n’
t force her lips to frame that last word and the tears she thought she had stopped started again. The relief she felt upon seeing Andrew was ebbing and in it
s’
place a crushing sense of what was to come, the knowledge, the confirmation that her sister was forever lost to her.

             
“
Sh
e’
s in the firehouse. In Ann
a’
s room
.”
His voice was soft and hesitant; he swallowed thickly.

             
“
You should let her see for herself
.”
Quinto
n’
s voice was a deep, soothing rumble that lacked intonation. Without another word, Andrew turned, pulling Kaylee along. She limped beside him, terrified.

              It was all too much. The run from the firehouse had seemed so short this afternoon, when she had been pulled from the infected by Jack. His hand had been her lifeline, his arms her comfort. And now Andrew was tugging her along and the distance felt like miles. Her lungs just refused to fill with air and her steps felt boggy and slow.

              And somehow, it was not slow enough. Some recess of her mind wanted her to stall, to limp a little bit more, to pause just a tad longer between steps.

              Because her world would change when she saw what her sister had become.

              The night was very clear, the silence absolute. Every footstep echoed clearly against the cold pavement, each breath that was drawn whispered undeniably through the air. The blood pound in Kayle
e’
s temples and her throat hurt. She dragged her sleeve over her eyes to clear them of tears and was shocked to find she had stopped crying again without knowing it.

              Andrew was walking slightly ahead of her, pulling her along gently, and Jack came to walk beside her. His fingers brushed tentatively against her broken ones and Kaylee felt a sting of regret that she could
n’
t grip his hand like she had done so often for the past several hours. Her gaze flit to him and he was watching her. His expression did
n’
t change. He was
n’
t placating or pitying; there was no showy sense of understanding.

              Because he could
n’
t understand, not reall
y
…

              He just watched her and his head dipped into a slow nod. And she understood. She had asked him not to promise her things and here he was, ignoring that request already. Because in his silent nod there was a promise:
I’
ll be there for you.

              Before she wanted it to be, the fire station loomed in front of her. Backlit by the moon, the structure seemed dark and foreboding. Kayle
e’
s eyes traveled to where she knew Ann
a’
s window was but the glass was blacked out with dark coverings.

             
“
You found them
.”
Kaylee had never heard Bill sound so relieved. She wanted to smile at him but she could
n’
t remember how to rearrange her features to produce one. Instead she blinked, staring blankly beyond him into the garage and to the rope ladder that was lowered from the second floor. It hung limply against the firema
n’
s pole.

             
“
The
y’
re a bit banged up
,”
Quinton said, pushing past Bill into the garage and tugging on the rope ladder
.“
But yeah, we found them
.
”

              The word
they
stuck in Kayle
e’
s mind. Was Jack hurt? Had she not noticed?

Quinton put the bottom rung under his boot and held it there, gesturing for Andrew to climb up. Andrew turned to look at Kaylee; her eyes had drifted up to the circular opening. She did
n’
t know what she expected to see, Anna or her father smiling in reassurance. She knew, however, what she would
n’
t see.