When All is Lost

Chapter 34

"Haven't you been?"

I blinked in surprise and my gaze snapped up from to table to search his. He looked at me with the love I remembered.

"You know I'm still mad at you," I told him.

"I know."

"But you aren't real."

His smile was soft as he answered. "No, I'm not."

The last of my anger melted away. "We should have talked more – about the things that mattered."

He nodded, his blue eyes crinkling at the edges. "We should have."

"I miss you."

"I know."

I stood from the table to take our dishes to the sink. I made it one step when something grabbed ahold of my ankle. Unable to stop my own momentum, I fell to the floor sending our dishes flying. I heard them shatter as I turned back to see what had tripped me.

The man with the dented skull stared back at me from under the table. His unblinking eyes held mine as he clutched my ankle with all he had.

I tried to scream but the sound got caught in my throat. I looked to Chris for help but he'd gone back to eating a meal. He was completely oblivious to my struggle as I started to get dragged by the man under the table whose tight grip pulled me closer.

"Kate."

I heard the voice, but I was helpless to respond. I was choking on my own fear as the dead man yanked at me again.

"Kate," the voice hissed.

Suddenly, I felt pressure on my shoulder and it was as though I had been shocked awake. Jolting upright, I clung to my chest feeling my raised scar over my thundering heart.

"Hey," Ian whispered, still holding my shoulder. "Hey, you good?"

I felt sick. I was so violently torn out of my dream that even as my mind cleared, it stuck to me like molasses.

"I'm good," I answered when I regained control over my tongue. A tremor ran through me and I felt Ian squeeze my shoulder tighter.

"Nightmare?" he asked.

"You could say that."

Ian nodded in understanding and let go of my shoulder. "Want someone to cover your shift?"

I shifted into a better sitting position, checking that I had both my pistol and ice pick. Ian still held Carlos's rifle. "No, I'm good," I told him. "Has anyone woken up Lewis yet?"

"Yeah, he's already taken my spot in the study."

I didn't like that. It was too soon to trust him with being at the back of the house where he could much more easily slip out in the dead of night. At least at the front of the house, he'd have to go through the front door where the sound of it opening or the change in temperature was likely to wake someone up.

Ian must have noticed my expression as his became amused. "You can switch with him."

"I think I will." I snatched up my backpack. It held the last of our food and I had no plans of letting it out of my sight.

Ian took my place on the floor by the fire as I stood. He tucked his hands behind his neck as he got comfortable, keeping the rifle and his knife as close as he dared beside him. "Let me know if you need anything."

"I'm good," I stated, steeling my mind for a long night ahead left alone with my thoughts.

Hurrying out of the room, I made my way to the back of the house, not wanting to leave the front without a lookout for long.