Snow & Ash: Endless Winter (18 page)

That’s just frackin’ great! I’ve got a “mean girl” in my house. I guess she missed the memo that there’s no high school anymore and the apocalypse wiped away all that petty teen crap. Judging by the way her eyes and mouth tightened when Rex made that “like a sister” introduction, she doesn’t feel the same way. I ignore the “Oh goody” sarcastic mumble from her when Rex says we’ll tell them about our plans and head over to the kitchen to get breakfast started. I’m going to kill this girl with kindness until she lets it go. After all she’s been with Rex and Matty for the last seven years. I kind of understand her feeling territorial and I know how important these people are to Rex, they’re his family.

I start pulling out everything I need for a full on fry up breakfast and see Sasha watching me out of the corner of my eye as Rex fills them in on what’s happened to him and Matty over the last couple days. Her eyes almost bug out of her head when I set a bowl full of fresh eggs on the counter so I try and extend an olive branch.

“Sasha, would you like to help me make breakfast?”

I send a smile over to Rex when she turns her back to me as if she didn’t hear me. He’s got this clueless confused look on his face that makes me want to laugh a bit. I’m definitely not an expert when it comes to relationships with other kids my age but I have the wide wisdom of teen TV shows to draw from. I know that not everything I’ve seen on TV is real but I’m sure a lot of it was drawn from real life.

As soon as the bacon starts to send out its distinctive aroma, Marsh thrusts a hand up in front of Rex’s face cutting him off mid-sentence and strides over to me. He leans over the counter and gives me the biggest puppy dog eyes I’ve ever seen.

“Bacon Goddess of my dreams, please say you’ll marry me? I’ll just tie Rex back up to the nearest tree and we can live here together in bacon love forever. I…WILL…BE…YOUR…SLAVE!”

I let out a genuine laugh. This guy is seriously cute in a goofy, squeeze him and put him in your pocket kind of way. Rex elbows him aside with a fake snarl.

“Too late, finders keepers! She and her bacon glory are all mine!”

I shake my head in an amused way and send an eye roll at Sasha to try and include her. The flat hostile look I receive back tells me I’m not gaining any ground there.

The boys all descend on the video game controllers while I finish cooking the meal and Sasha walks around the room peeking through doors. I keep one eye on her as I cook and try and think of a way to connect to her. This girl will be living in my space soon enough and I don’t want there to be animosity between us. She doesn’t need to be my BFF but I refuse to have to tip toe around her in my own home.

There’s a minor male stampede when I call everyone to eat and the bacon induced moans from the boys fill the air above the table. At Rex’s prompting, I fill them in on Ben and my story and explain some of the features of our home. Rex takes over with our idea about moving the town’s groups up here to live. Marsh seems exited but Sasha just sits in silence picking at her food until she finally throws down her fork.

“Yay, super Skylar will save us all! Now can we go rescue my Mom?” pours out of her like sarcastic syrup.

Rex frowns at her tone but gives her an understanding nod.

“Marsh man, are they in danger?”

Marsh wipes his mouth with his sleeve before answering.

“I don’t think so. I checked on them a few times when the guard was called away. They’ve got a long chain on Dads ankle attached to the wall so he can still take care of patients and Belle’s free to move around the room to help out as his nurse. They stripped our rooms of all our supplies so they got what they wanted. I don’t think anything will happen until the scouts get back from the ski resort. Who knows how many of those guys got caught out in the weather that locked us down. I’m sure Pops is fine. He’s way to sharp for one of those idjits to get the drop on him.” He looks over at Sasha and pats her hand before continuing.

“We have time. There’s no point in us storming the gates without a solid plan. We should try and intercept Pops on his way back to the hotel so we’re all on the same page and he’s not ambushed. We also need to talk about how we go forward once we get Belle and Dads back. Skylar, it’s righteous of you to offer a spot for us here but it’d be pretty tight quarters with all of us living here.”

Rex and I share a knowing look before I push back from the table and stand.

“I don’t think space will be a problem. Why don’t you let Rex and I show you around a bit. There’s also some things here that I can give you to help with the rescue.”

Ben and Matty asked if they could stay and play more video games so I said yes but warned Ben that his chores still needed to be done after the tour. Rex and I led Marsh and Sasha into the cavern and showed them the grow area and animal pens. While we were there I collected all the eggs from the hen house and left them by the living quarter’s door in a basket. The cow would have to wait a bit for her milking.

Marsh was pretty excited about everything he saw but Sasha just scowled and followed behind us with her arms crossed. I decided to just leave her to her misery for now. Until her Mom was safe she wasn’t likely to change her attitude. I palmed open the door to the connecting tunnel and listened to Rex and Marsh talk about how cool it would be to skateboard in the long stretch of corridor. The barracks had the same effect on Marsh as it did on Rex the first time he saw it. He walked around in amazement as we showed him all the supply rooms and huge kitchen and washrooms. When we opened the door to the massive grow room with its empty beds and tiered shelving filled with pots waiting for plants he whooped in excitement.

“Sasha, your Moms will go spaz for all this space to grow her plants!” He spun around. “Sash? Sasha? Hey where’d she go?”

We back tracked through the room looking in doors but we couldn’t find her. I was silently fuming at her pouty behavior as we made our way back through the tunnel. Rex was starting to limp more even with his crutch so we’d have to wrap it up and get him on some pain killers before we set out for town. I had almost thought I could go with them to help if Sasha stayed back with the boys but she clearly wasn’t going to go for that.

We made it back to the cavern and after calling her name and getting no answer went to the door to the living quarters. I couldn’t believe how immature this girl was being. I stopped at the door to grab my basket of eggs but they were gone. A smile crossed my face. Even with a buddy to hang with, Ben was keeping up with his chores. Except he wasn’t.

The boys were exactly where we had left them, playing video games on the couch and Sasha was nowhere to be found.

“She left.” Matty replied when I ask him if he’s seen Sasha, never taking his eyes from the screen. I walk over and hit the power button on the TV to get his full attention.

“Matty, where is Sasha?”

He looks sideways at Ben before shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t know. She came back not long after you left and said she was going to get Ethan and Belle. She said you guys were going to meet her there.” He looks past me at Skylar. “That was really nice to give Sasha all those eggs for the people at the hotel. You’re really nice Skylar.” The kid blushes bright red and looks down at his feet.

I spin around and see Sky’s face has gone chalk white and her eyes are cold with fury.

“Sky, what is it?” I know Sasha’s desperate to get her Mom back but I don’t know why Sky’s so mad about her leaving.

“SHE TOOK THE EGGS.” Each word of that sentence could cut glass they’re so sharp. Now I’m even more confused. Sky’s mad over a few eggs? She’s been so generous to us that I don’t see her being this mad about a few eggs. When she sees my confusion she explains.

“Your “like a sister” is going to sell me out! She’s going to go and bargain with that Ted guy for her Mom. The eggs are the proof! She’ll tell him what we have and where we are in exchange for her MOM!”

My mouth falls open in disbelief. I know Sky has trust issues but there’s no way Sasha would do something like that. She might try and barter with those eggs for Belle’s freedom but she wouldn’t sell Sky and her brother out. Marsh is just standing and shaking his head. So I try and reassure Sky but before I can say a word she’s already talking.

“AIRIA, when did Sasha leave? How far has she gotten and why the HELL did you let her OUT?” She’s furious and not looking at me at all as she starts pulling outer wear from a closet. When she pulls her rifle from the closet my mind goes blank.

“Skylar Ross, Sasha Bennett left by living quarter’s exterior door thirty four minutes ago. She crossed southern perimeter sensor boundary eighteen minutes ago. Access level red restricts interior movement and entrance but does not restrict exiting with the exemption on Benjamin Ross as specified by you.”

Skylar groaned in frustration but went back to loading her rifle. I don’t know what to do. Sasha wouldn’t do what Sky claims but I don’t know how to make her believe that and what the hell does she plan on doing with that rifle?

“Sky, Skylar! What’re you doing?”

The look she gives me is cold and it’s like she’s looking at a stranger.

“I’m going to stop her.”

Marsh jumps between us with his hands up.

“Whoa, whoa, everybody take a chill pill! I’ll go and get her. She’s got less than an hour’s head start so if I motor I can reach her before she hits town. Rex, Skylar, get ready. Get that knee wrapped up and any weapons you’re willing to lend us so as soon as I get her back we can go. Skylar, I promise you I’ll stop her even if it means tying her to a chair here while the three of us goes and gets the rest of our people. But, I honestly don’t think that’s what she’s going to do. I think she’s just crazy with worry for her Mom.”

Skylar just stares at him for a moment and I think she’s going to push past him before she finally nods and goes to hand the rifle to Marsh but he backs away shaking his head.

“Uh, thanks but I’ll need more than a quick lesson before I use one of those. Besides, I’m just bringing her back not shooting her.”

I see Skylar roll her eyes as if she wants Marsh to shoot Sasha. Have I been wrong about this girl? Are her trust issues too big for us to overcome? The fact that she immediately thought the worst of Sasha even after I vouched for her says maybe they are.

It takes Marsh minutes to gear up and head out. I stand in the middle of the living room facing Skylar in the silence. I don’t know what to say and she’s not talking. Based on her cold expression there might not be anything left to say.

“Jones is dead boss.”

Ted Redford grunts in annoyance as he stuffs more supplies into a back pack.

“Good, that loser and Bo couldn’t even do the simplest task. Any luck finding the girl or that other punk?”

Mickey’s face is hard when he shakes his head.

“No, the men searched the whole hotel but came up empty. Those kids must’ve ducked out right away.”

Ted tosses the bulging bag at Mickey.

“Well, doesn’t matter now, although it would have been nice to have a second woman with us at the lodge. Let’s get a move on. I want to be clear of town before either the generator dies for good or anyone who survived the scout run makes it back here. Either one of those things can happen at any minute and I don’t plan on getting caught here with these losers.

It’s a good thing it was you that found that hunting lodge and not any of the men or we’d have to take them with us and dispose of them along the way.” He looks around the stripped down office and shakes his head. “I’m sick of sharing and carrying the dead weight around here. Grab the woman and I’ll meet you out back by the trailer.”

Mickey grunts again and shoulders the pack Ted had thrown at him before leaving to collect Belle.

Ted takes one more look around and smirks before leaving. It was a good gig while it lasted but he wasn’t going to go down with a sinking ship. All the gas from every vehicle and every tank had been drained of its last drop. When the generator failed there would be no way to pump the water that kept them going here for so long. Add to that the very good chance that those savages would be headed here to attack and he was cutting his losses. Now that he had that pansy soldier-boy’s supplies and woman as well as a new secure, hidden base, he was laughing.

Sasha stumbled on the uneven frozen ground in her haste and cried out when one of the eggs tumbled out of the basket and smashed open in front of her. She pushed to her feet and dashed a coat sleeve across her wet eyes. She was furious, frustrated and heartbroken all at once. She couldn’t believe Rex and Marsh. After all these years they were more interested in a stupid girl with her stupid bunker than saving her mom. Didn’t they care that Ted could be hurting her right now? She would show them. She would take the eggs and the location of Skylar’s cave of wonders and use them to bargain for her mom’s freedom. Once Ted knew what that girl had hidden away he’d let her mom go and
he
could move everyone up there. He and his men would be so busy moving everyone up the mountain that he wouldn’t give them a second thought. Rex, Matty and Marsh would be on the way down to look for Lance so they wouldn’t be in Ted’s sights when he got up to the girl’s door.

If Skylar wanted to share everything she had with everyone and be the big hero she could start by dealing with Ted and his men.

Sasha finally caught a glimpse of pavement and breathed a sigh of relief as she passed the last of the dead trees and stepped down onto the road. She finally knew where she was. She turned towards town and took two steps before stopping short. Just ahead of her and coming in her direction was Ted. He was pulling her mom along by a rope tied around her bound wrists. Just behind them was that big lug Mickey and he was pulling a small trailer that was heaped with goods covered by a tarp. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and started walking towards them. She didn’t know why they were out here but it would save her a long walk back to town.