Break Free The Night (Book 1) (24 page)

              Emma.

             
“
Can you climb
?”
he asked, watching her with worry lining his face.

             
“I’
m fine
,”
she answered through numb lips
.“I’
ll be fine
.
”

             
“
Come on Andrew, Bill
,”
Quinton called out, shaking the ladder
.“
Best to let her see. Climb up so you can help her
,”
he added, sensing Andre
w’
s hesitation.

             
“I’
ll be right behind you
,”
Jack whispered as she watched Bill and then Andrew disappear through the floor. She did
n’
t answer; she did
n’
t need to. Quinto
n’
s face was expressionless as she gripped the worn rope. Her left hand shot slivers of pain up her arm but she ignored it, looping her arm over the rung and pulling herself up. Jack was close behind, and he stayed there through her struggle up the ladder, his shoulder brushing against the backs of her legs until Andrew and Bill reached down and pulled her up.

             
“
Bill
?”
Nic
k’
s voice rang strangled from the stairwell and Kaylee could hear the sound of descending footsteps.

             
“
They got her, Nick
.
”

              And then Kaylee was truly crushed as her father caught her up in his arms. His embrace was terrifying, not in strength or force, but in how desperate it was. Nick was sobbing openly into Kayle
e’
s shoulder, gripping her as though she had come back from the dead. But Kaylee could
n’
t find the means to cry now, she could
n’
t sob or laugh or relax or breakdown or comfort. Her impatience was growing because there was something in the way everyone kept telling her sh
e‘
just had to se
e’
that was
n’
t quite right.

             
“I’
m sorry Dad
,”
were the words she found herself saying, realizing as she said them that she had broken her promise to him. She had
n’
t kept Emma safe, had
n’
t watched over her properly. The prickling of tears stung her eyes but she blinked before they could form.

             
“
Kay, honey, i
t’
s okay
,”
he said, pulling back to look her over.

              But it was
n’
t, it could
n’
t ever be okay again.

             
“
Sh
e’
s not infected
.
”

              The room filled with that awful ringing kind of silence as Kaylee stared up into her fathe
r’
s desperate face. His eyes were bloodshot and wildly hopeful. She took a step back, fearful.

              Because he had gone crazy, he must have. This is what everyone was telling her she had to see. Emma was bitten. Kaylee knew she was. And so she must be infected. Because every one of them, the thousands,
millions
, of people who were bitten before Emma had been infected. And the man who bit her had blood festering in the sores of his mouth. She had seen them. There was no chance she escaped.

             
“
We do
n’
t know that, Nick
.”
Anna descended the stairs. Her voice was soft and careful, a lifeline thrown through stormy waters.

             
“
I do
n’
t understand
,”
Jack cut through, coming up behind Kaylee and gripping her shoulders. She was glad he did, it felt as though she would fall over
.“
Explain, please
.
”

             
“
Emma was bitten. But you know that
,”
Anna began, her voice hushed. Kaylee saw Andrew shoot her a reassuring look before he snuck off towards the stairs; she shook her head and refocused on Anna, attempting to absorb every confusing word
.“
She was bitten but sh
e’
s showing no signs of infection
.
”

             
“
No sign
s
…
”
Kaylee trailed off, the words forced out over a heavy tongue and through dry lips.

             
“
Sh
e’
s not twitching or trembling, no yellowing of the corneas, no breathing rate deceleration, her memory and speech capacities appear intact
,”
Quinton listed off.

             
“
And sh
e’
s still awake
,”
Bill added.

             
“
Bu
t
—”

             
“
We do
n’
t know yet what it means
,”
Anna interrupted Kayle
e’
s confused start
.“
It could mean that it progresses slower in some people
.
”

             
“
Or
,”
Nick interrupted, that sick look of hope still flashing in his eyes
,“
or it could mean sh
e’
s immune. She could have some genetic fluke, some biological protection. She could save us all
.
”

             
“
Nick, do
n’t
…
”
Anna trailed off at the fierce look in Nic
k’
s eyes as he directed his glare towards her
.“
It could mean that, yes
,”
she confirmed in a small voice.

             
“
Le
t’
s not get ahead of ourselves
,”
Quinton said calmly, leveling his gaze at Kayle
e’
s father
.“
Sh
e’
s safe for now. W
e’
ll have to wait and see
.
”

              Nick looked as though he was about to argue but Kaylee interrupted
.“
I want to see her
.
”

              The group started and turned their gaze on her. It was Quinton that answered
.“
You know where she is
.
”

              Kaylee nodded and headed for the stairs, she noticed Quinton grab Jac
k’
s arm as he made to follow her. No one else even attempted.

              Andrew was by the cot positioned in the center of the room and though Kaylee knew she was there, she could
n’
t see Emma around him. A single lantern hissed and cracked as it burned on the bedside table. Andrew looked over his shoulder as he heard her approach and moved to the side.

              Emma burst into tears as the sight of her sister. Kaylee ran directly to her, eyes raking over her body. She was clean, the dirt and grime washed from her by somebody, most likely Anna. Her clothes were changed and her hair tied back, one leg of her sweatpants rolled to her knee to expose two crescent shape wounds that marked her calf. The reddened gashes were jagged at the edges, though they appeared clean, and they came so close together they almost formed a complete circle.

             
“
Yo
u’
re okay
,”
Emma sobbed
.“I’
m s
o…
happy yo
u’
re okay
.”
She hiccuped and bit her lip through her tears, turning her head into her shoulder. Andrew raised a hand to wipe her tears from her cheek and it was then that Kaylee noticed her arms and legs were bound to the sides of the cot.

             
“
Why is she tied up
?”
Kaylee demanded, her jaw tight with anger even as her eyes spilled tears of relief.

             
“
Dad and Quinton insisted
,”
Andrew explained in a soft, placating voice
.“
Just until w
e’
re sure sh
e’
s okay
.
”

              Kaylee knelt near the head of her siste
r’
s restraint. She fingered the rough gauze that bound her wrist
.“
Em,
I’
m so sorry
,”
she cried, losing what little control she had left and burying her face into her siste
r’
s shoulder
.“
I should have gotten to you, should hav
e
—
”
but she broke off as her tears threatened to choke her. She drew a ragged breath and let her tears fall unto her siste
r’
s prone body.

             
“
Do
n’
t Kay
,”
Emma whispered
.“
I would have been eaten alive if it were
n’
t for you
.”
Kaylee shuddered and drew back.
 “
You and Jack. Where is he? Is he alright
?
”

             
“
H
e’
s
,”
Kaylee paused to look behind her, instinctively searching for Andrew as she went to answer.

             
“
Andrew left
,”
Emma supplied, watching Kaylee carefully. Kaylee met her leveled gaze; she had
n’
t notice Andrew slip out.

             
“
Jac
k’
s okay. Hurt some too, but not too badly I do
n’
t think
,”
Kaylee said in a hushed tone
.“
He saved me. I do
n’
t think I would have made it i
f
…”

             
“
But you did
,”
Emma whispered, tears still sparkling on her eyelashes. Kaylee nodded, attempting a small smile that faltered as Emma continued in a small voice
.“
I do
n’
t know what any of this means, Kay. I do
n’
t understand
.”
She pulled at her restraints and sighed, letting her head fall heavily unto her pillow.

             
“
Dad thinks yo
u’
re immun
e
—”

             
“
And Anna thinks
I’
m just slow to develop it
,”
Emma interrupted, her eyes trained on the cracked and dusty ceiling
.“
Or maybe I wo
n’
t have any of the symptoms, but
I’
ll be a carrier. Maybe I could infect you right now, maybe my saliva and blood is already changed. I keep waiting, you know, for the first twitch
.”
She paused and flexed her fingers, straining her neck to look down at them.