She stopped. Did his body just tense up? No, that was just her imagination. He hadn’t moved at all, hadn’t reacted at all. He continued to stroke her hair and breathe in the same steady pace.
“Say something,” she whispered, desperate to hear his voice.
He stirred underneath her, and his arms tightened around her body. She lifted her head, placed her chin on his chest, and looked up at him. It was dark, but she could still see his eyes and the curve of his lips, and she was sure he was looking at her, too.
In the darkness, he said, “You’re with me now.”
She waited for him to say more, but he didn’t.
That was it. Four words.
It was all he wanted to say. All he needed to say.
She wanted more, but there was no more. She let those four words sink in and realized it was all she needed to hear from him. They were comforting and freeing and protective all at the same time.
She laid her cheek back against his chest and dozed off soon after.
She woke up again sometime around midnight, and for a moment forgot where she was. The slow, calm rhythm of his breathing and the rise and fall of his heartbeat reminded her that she was still in his room, on his bed, sleeping against him. His arms still wrapped around her, tight and protective, warm and secure, and so familiar and natural that she wondered how she ever managed without them.
“You’re with me now,” he had said.
She smiled in the darkness and drifted back to sleep.
CHAPTER 33
WILL
They gathered in full gear in the Entrance Hallway, at the bottom steps of the Door, Will doing the same last-minute checks on his weapons and equipment that he always did before a mission. He carried the Remington 870 with him, the tactical shotgun complementing his M4A1, with the Glock in a hip holster. It was his standard gear, though in the Army he carried a Sig Sauer 229, but he had become a convert to the Glock in civilian life.
The big, burly Davies was there with him, checking his G36. Like most of Ben’s people, Davies had trained on the G36, but he added a Remington 870 shotgun to his arsenal anyway to take full advantage of the silver shells. The facility had an Armory that, besides a fully stocked rack of G36s, also carried Remington 870s and an assortment of Glocks. There was plenty of ammo, so much that Will wondered how Campbell had managed to hide it down here without the ATF knowing. The G36s themselves weren’t illegal, but he was sure so many in one place might have been.
Davies grew up around this area and was familiar with Dansby. He volunteered to take them, because like most of the men in the facility, he wanted to shake off cabin fever. At six-two and carrying at least thirty pounds more than he needed, Davies had a bit of clumsy in him, and reminded Will a bit of an older Ted.
“What’s the population of Dansby?” Will asked.
“Three hundred or so,” Davies said.
“Or so?”
“About there, yeah. Last I checked, anyway.”
“When you say ‘or so’ do you mean ‘or so’ in the fifty-plus range, or ‘or so’ in the less-than-fifty range?”
Davies seemed to give the question some serious thought. “I don’t have any idea. But the last time I was up there, about three years ago, I was told they had about 300 or so people in town.”
“That’s what they told you. ‘Three hundred or so.’”
“They might have said an exact number, but all I got out of it was ‘300 or so.’ Sorry I can’t be more precise than that.”
“Okay. Three hundred or so it is, then.”
Danny turned the corner, checking his shotgun as he walked. They were both wearing stripped-down versions of their usual tactical assault vests.
Danny flashed Will a wry grin. “We should get going before I get shot in the back.”
“We wouldn’t want that to happen,” Will said. “More trouble in paradise?”
Carly and Danny had become like an old married couple the last few months. Will had never seen Danny simultaneously so happy and so miserable in his life.
“FYI: Carly blames you for me going on this run,” Danny said.
“Why would she think that?”
“I might have said it was your fault I’m going on this run. Or something to that effect.”
“Must be nice playing house.”
Danny smirked. “I just do it for the sex.” He looked over at Davies. “This place, Dansby. How big of a town are we talking about?”
“About 300 or so,” Will said. “Right?”
“Or so,” Davies nodded.
“I don’t get it,” Danny said.
Will said, “Davies isn’t sure exactly how many people there are in Dansby, but he believes there are, possibly, ‘300 or so.’”
“So are we talking about ‘or so’ as in fifty-plus range or ‘or so’ in the less-than-fifty range?”
Davies looked annoyed. “Man, I don’t know. Three hundred or so, okay?”
Danny grinned. “Okay, just wanted to make sure. The only thing worse than jumping into a combat zone with your dick in your hand is not knowing how many people will be trying to kill you once you land.”
“You mean in case they’re all ghouls?”
“Either that, or they’ve been turned into horny farmers’ daughters. In either case, I’m in big trouble.”
It took Davies a few seconds to get the joke, but then he grinned and pointed at Danny. “Nice.”
“Thanks, I’m here all week,” he said, then glanced over at Will and rolled his eyes.
The last person to arrive was Lara. She looked odd with the gun belt around her waist, though he had gotten used to seeing her in combat boots and camouflage pants. She wore a T-shirt and jacket, and her hair was in a ponytail.
“Shouldn’t I get a shotgun, too?” she asked.
“Do you want one?” he said.
“Can I think about it?”
“Take your time.”
“Really?”
“No.”
She made a face.
He grinned back, then clicked the radio clipped to the front of his tactical vest. “Ben, we’re good to go.”
Ben said, through the radio, “Opening in five…four…three…”
When he got to one, the slab of concrete above them began moving, and a crisp ray of sunlight slithered through the small, widening gap and splashed across his face. The facility was a godsend, and there was no doubt they were vastly safer down here than on the surface, but he still craved the sun and took every opportunity to go outside.
Lara walked over and stood next to him, stuck her face into the shaft of sun, and closed her eyes. “God, that feels good.”
He took a moment to watch her in the sunlight, the way the brightness glinted off her blonde hair. He liked the pointy curve of her nose, the thinness of her eyebrows, and the small shape of her mouth. She had very small lips, but they were perfect for her frame, and they were very soft and responsive when kissed.
She must have felt him staring, because she opened her eyes and looked at him and smiled. They looked at each other in silence for a while, enjoying the moment. He remembered her in his arms last night and decided he wanted to do that again.
“Seriously, get a fucking room,” Danny said behind them.
They stepped out into the familiar circular clearing. The grass had gotten much taller since he had been up here a few days ago, and the blades were now all the way to his knees. Soon, there wouldn’t be much of a clearing anymore, and the woods might eventually retake this patch of land. To keep the woods at bay, they would need a lawnmower. A big one, too. And maybe a dozen machetes or so, and a week carved out just to do some landscaping…
Behind him, the Door continued to open in its usual, ponderous way. Because it was so massive, and the titanium slab so thick and heavy, just the act of opening and closing was a process that filled the clearing with a loud, grinding noise that seemed to dominate the entire area. He wondered if the ghouls inside the woods knew each time the Door opened and closed just from the sound and vibrations.