Kick at the Darkness (24 page)

“What? How did they know we’re here?” Parker swiveled his head and caught sight of the camera mounted high on a tree. The camera moved, sweeping the area. “Whoa. Security system. How do they still have power? I guess we should talk to them? They might have information.”

“I guess.” Adam was rigid, gripping the handlebars.

The hum of an engine reached Parker’s ears, and he grabbed the pistol out of the pack and clicked off the safety. He hoped he’d never have to shoot anyone who wasn’t infected. They waited on the bike, Mariah’s engine still running. When the black SUV came around the curve in the driveway, Parker glimpsed
The Pines
written on the side in dark green. The vehicle came to a stop, and two men in matching forest green rain coats and jeans climbed out. The passenger, a young man in his twenties, carried a shotgun, but pointed it at the ground.

The middle-aged driver closed the SUV door and raised a hand to tip his cowboy hat. “Howdy.”

Adam nodded. “Morning.”

“Where are you coming from? East or west?”

“West,” Adam answered.

“How are things looking out there?

Parker spoke up. “Not great.” He gave them a brief rundown on what they’d seen on their journey. “But we made it through. Uh, obviously.”

The younger man said, “Glad you did. Some of our people are from Denver. They barely made it out.”

“You’re headed east?” The driver nodded toward the horizon.

“We are,” Parker answered. “Have you heard anything from out there?”

“We have a couple who came to us last week from the coast. From what I understand, things are looking pretty grim.”

Although it wasn’t unexpected, it was still a blow. He’d tried not to think too much about his parents since it only upset him, and when he did, his chest tightened like there was a python around him.
Are they alive? Is Eric? Are Jessica and Jason? Even if they are, will I ever see them again?
Adam squeezed his knee gently, and Parker managed to suck in a breath. Yeah, this was why he tried not to think about it.

The driver went on. “You’re welcome to stay here. We’ve got lots of space, and the way we see it, there’s strength in numbers. We’ve heard stories of people turning on each other. That’ll be the end of us for certain, even if this sickness isn’t. So we’ve got rules here.”

“You can get cleaned up and have a good meal. It’s a nice resort. But no pressure,” the passenger added.

Adam and Parker shared a glance.

“We’ll let you discuss it while we turn the vehicle around. You can follow us back if you like. If not, we wish you safe travels.” The driver tipped his hat again.

“I think they seem okay?” Parker whispered.

Adam nodded. “He’s telling the truth.”

“How do you know?”

“I can hear his heartbeat. It’s steady. When people lie, they give off all kinds of signals. Their hearts skip around, sometimes just a little, but enough. He seems honest.”

“Whoa, you’ve got a werewolf lie detector? That’s awesome. Also you should have mentioned that, jackass.”

For a wonderful moment, Adam smiled. “You’re a terrible liar anyway.”

The SUV headed back down the driveway slowly. “We should check it out, yeah? Hot food would be pretty amazing right about now.”

Adam nodded. “If it doesn’t feel right, we’ll leave.”

They followed the SUV down the long, winding driveway, and Parker flicked the safety back on his pistol. The drive was paved, and the asphalt was pristine. As they rounded a corner, a tall wooden fence came into sight. It had to be twenty feet high, made of logs that blended into the natural surroundings. A huge metal gate was half open across the driveway. A young woman in a guard’s booth smiled and waved as they drove in. With an electronic whirr, the gate slid closed behind them. The SUV stopped, and the driver unrolled his window.

“Christy, we’ve got two visitors. Sorry boys—didn’t get your names. I’m Steve, and this is Jake.”

The girl popped out of the booth, her blonde curls swaying as she pulled up the hood on her green uniform coat. “Welcome!”

“Thanks. I’m Parker, and this is Adam.” He indicated the fence with this thumb. “Are you sure this place isn’t a prison? What’s with the security?”

“Anti-paparazzi,” Christy answered. “This was supposed to be the hot new escape for the rich and famous, where they could come and commune with nature and have total privacy. We were getting it ready for the grand opening. It was supposed to be next week, but obviously that’s not happening.” Her smile was forced. “Oh well. At least we’re alive, right?”

Parker smiled back. “Yeah. Thanks for letting us in.”

“Of course! It’s not safe out there. I can hardly believe the things people have told me. I was lucky to be up here.”

“When’s your shift over?” Steve asked.

“Not until noon. I’ll see you all later.” With another wave, Christy returned to her stool in the booth, shutting the door firmly.

They drove on, and when they came around another bend, Parker gasped. “Holy shit.”

The hotel was massive—a gorgeous three-story wood and glass building that stretched across the center of a large clearing. There were mountaintops every way Parker looked, and it felt as if they were nestled right in the heart of the Rockies. Even in the sleet, the view was impressive. They pulled into a lot off to the side. He and Adam both hesitated to leave Mariah. “I guess she’ll be okay out here, right?” Parker asked.

Adam didn’t seem convinced, but nodded.

Jake motioned for them to follow the flagstone path to the hotel. “Come on, we’ll get you settled.”

In the grand lobby, with a cathedral ceiling, sky lights, and exposed brick and wooden beams, a group of people greeted them. They ranged in age from children to seniors. A woman of about fifty with charcoal hair knotted into a sleek bun and angular, black-framed glasses stepped forward. She wore a crisp blouse and trousers.

“I’m Angela Yamaguchi, the general manager of the Pines.” She smiled tightly. “At least I was. My duties have changed somewhat, but I’m still in charge of keeping everything running smoothly here.”

Parker raised his hand and waved to the group before unzipping his soaking coat. “Hey, everyone. I’m Parker.” He waited for Adam to introduce himself, but when he glanced over, Adam was staring at someone in the welcoming committee. “Uh, this is Adam.” He nudged Adam with his elbow, and Adam nodded a hello.

“Wonderful to meet you both.” Angela smiled. “We’ll make all the introductions later, since I’m sure you’d both like to rest and clean up. We have hundreds of rooms, so you can each have your own, or you can share a suite. Whatever you’d like.”

“We’ll share a room,” Parker said. Anyone who didn’t like it could bite him. (Well, not literally.) 

Angela nodded to a man near her, who was about thirty, Hispanic and incredibly hot. “Perfect. Ramon? Do you want to go tell Chef we’ll have two more for breakfast?” To Parker she added, “We can have it sent up to your room if you’d like.”

“Of course.” With a smile, Ramon disappeared down a hallway off the lobby.

“Right this way.” Angela motioned them toward the grand staircase in the middle of the lobby, her heels clicking on the slate. “All of our guest rooms are on the second and third floors, offering maximum privacy and mountain views.” She paused at the top of the stairs. “Sorry. It’s hard to snap out of hotel mode. It’s been more than a year of preparation for opening.” She smiled ruefully. “Sometimes I find it a challenge to accept these new circumstances we’re living in. But I’m sure they’re only temporary.”

God, Parker wished he could believe that, but any semblance of his old life seemed impossibly out of reach. He forced a smile. “Let’s hope so.” Adam said nothing, and Parker wasn’t sure he was even listening.

Angela pointed down to the hallway Ramon had disappeared. “The kitchen and dining room are at the end of that corridor. We eat dinner in the staff lounge in the basement since the main dining hall doesn’t have any window coverings and we’ve been told the infected are attracted to light.”

“Yes, they definitely are,” Parker confirmed.

“As an eco-focused facility, we fortunately have some solar power and our own greenhouse. Part of the appeal of the Pines was that we were going to offer locally grown organic food all year long. We weren’t fully stocked for opening yet, but Chef is doing the best he can with what we have in the freezers and greenhouse. Everyone is welcome to eat breakfast and lunch in the dining room, or to take a plate to their room anytime. Our only rule is that food isn’t wasted, and that we clean up after ourselves.”

Parker glanced at Adam, who really seemed to be spacing. Worry clenched his gut. Adam definitely needed to catch up on his sleep. Parker turned his attention back to Angela. “We’ll follow the rules, no worries. How many people are staying here?”

“With you two, we have seventy-three. Forty were staff, and the rest are a mix of family and friends who escaped Denver and were smart enough to come here, and travelers like yourselves.” She pointed to the other side of the foyer. “There’s a full gym, indoor pool, and ballroom in the west wing. For now, we still have electricity. We have a very powerful generator to back up the solar power, but we’re hoping we won’t have to overuse it. With winter coming, it’s a concern.”

“Have you had any creepers up here?” He didn’t add
yet
, although it was only a matter of time.

She blinked. “Creepers? That’s quite a…descriptive word. So far we haven’t encountered any. We do have a strict lights-out policy. Currently it’s six p.m., and all blinds must be closed, and lights in rooms with windows extinguished—so that includes all guest rooms. Even with the wooden Venetian blinds, which were specially designed for absolute privacy, from the outside light does escape around the edges. Every room is equipped with flashlights that use electromagnetic induction. We have a stock of emergency candles, but obviously they can be a dangerous fire hazard, and we prefer to keep them out of the guest rooms. Anyway, you just need to shake the flashlights to activate them. These flashlights are for inside use only, and never around an uncovered window. We can’t be too careful.”

Parker nodded. “Right. Sounds logical. If you have power, can you go on the internet? Have you found out anything about what caused all this?”

She sighed. “
We
have power, but our ISP apparently doesn’t, so we can’t get online. Phone lines are also dead, and we don’t have cable or a television satellite since part of the mandate for the resort was that it was a retreat from the world. Staff were going to have satellite TV access, but it hadn’t been installed yet. Amazing how dependent we’ve become on technology, isn’t it? We do have a transmitting radio that was intended for emergencies. We have shifts manning it so the bands are being monitored twenty-four hours a day. There’s scattered information from all over. It seems to be mostly rumors, unfortunately. We’re working on extending our range.”

“Do you have notes on what you’re hearing?” Parker asked.

“Of course. Logs are detailed and filed daily. I’ll be happy to show them to you. And once you’re settled, if we could sit down and get some notes on your experiences it would be greatly appreciated.”

“Sure. Do you know what the worldwide situation is?”

She sighed heavily. “I’m afraid it’s not positive from what we’ve heard. There are rumors a group claimed responsibility. The Zechariahs, they call themselves. God sent them to cleanse the earth—you know, all that end times nonsense. But as I said, it hasn’t been confirmed.”

Angela continued walking, leading them down a hallway decorated with enormous framed watercolors of the mountains. Parker’s mind spun.
The Zechariahs. Wonderful. Nutso zealots with biotechnology was just what the world needed
.

Angela put on a wide smile, firmly changing the topic. “And lest you think you have some long, boring evenings ahead, we’ve been having movie nights in the staff lounge, which is in the basement, as I mentioned. Everyone is welcome to attend. We have quite a Blu-ray collection.”

Boring evenings sounded goddamn amazing, actually. “A movie would be pretty awesome, right?” Parker nudged Adam.

“Uh-huh.” Adam smiled wanly. “Thank you. We appreciate your hospitality.”

“As I’m sure Steve told you, we believe there’s strength in numbers. We want to build our community here so we can face whatever challenges the future brings together. The Pines was founded on the ideal of sustainability and teamwork.” She grimaced. “Sorry for the corporate speak. I mean, let’s be honest. This place was designed to be a hideaway for the filthy rich. But I wanted to run it on teamwork and striving for a common goal. That goal used to be providing our guests the best and most discreet service. Now it’s survival.”

“I’m not sure how long we’ll stay, but count us in for the team while we’re here,” Parker said.

Angela smiled and adjusted her glasses. “Excellent.”

She led them down the second-floor hallway of the east wing. “For now, you’re free to use all the electricity and water you want, within reason, of course. Normal amounts. I have a suite on the third floor that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.” She opened the door to a stairwell midway down the hall. “We’ve locked the elevators since we don’t want to risk anyone getting stuck if there’s a power issue.”

On the third floor, they followed Angela to the end of the hall. She pulled a key card from her pocket and slid it into the door. The light went green.

“What happens to the doors if there’s no power?”

“They won’t lock, except for the safety chains inside the rooms. We’re hoping it won’t be an issue.” She opened the door. “Here you are. Someone will bring your breakfast tray shortly. Don’t expect any more pampering, but we like to give our new friends a warm welcome. Please come down later for lunch, or you can sleep and join us for dinner. You’re free to do whatever you like, really. Everyone is expected to clean their own rooms, and our only other guideline is that we treat everyone here at the Pines with respect and remember the golden rule. I’m assuming you learned it as children.”

“Absolutely. Do unto others, etc. That sounds great. Right, Adam?”