Deadlocked 2 by A. R. Wise Read Free Book Online Page A

boat."
    "Mommy," said Kim from the cabin. Her hands grasped the sill of the broken window as she watched us.
    "Stay in there, honey. We'll get you in a minute."
    Annie crawled up beside me and pointed at my bare midriff. "Does that hurt?"
    I looked at the side of my stomach where she pointed. I had taken my clothes off in the water and was left in my underwear as I bled from too many places to count. Annie poked at a long gash that ran from the bottom of my ribs and over my thigh. The broken glass of the cabin's window that Billy had pushed me through had caused it. It didn't hurt until I saw it, then it started to burn as it pulsed blood.
    "I'll be fine, sweetie. Go sit…" I said as the world became murky. My head lulled back and forth as the boat spun beneath me. The loss of blood had caught up with me and I fought a losing battle to stay conscious. The acrid stench of the bomb's aftermath became the dominant sensation that I could discern as my vision faded. I could taste the chemical smell. The back of my head hit the deck and there was no pain. No more pain.
     
    "We should buy a boat," said David as his toes dangled in the water off the side of the dock.
    "No we shouldn't," I said. I was in a sundress, with my hair tied in a bun and my nails painted red. I gazed at them in delight. They were long, thick, and the polish made them sparkle in the sunlight. I'd spent a long time getting ready and was happy with how I looked. It was a rare thing to feel pretty these days.
    My husband took my hand in his. He ran his thumb over my knuckles with sweet affection and guided me to his side. I slipped my loafers off and sat beside him. I looked into Hailey Bay and tested the water with the tip of my toe. It was cold and there were shapes moving beneath the surface.
    "There's people down there," I said. It should have terrified me, but I wasn't frightened as long as David was there.
    "Don't worry," he said as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. "They won't hurt you."
    I laid my head on his shoulder and ignored the people in the water. They stared up at us longingly. They couldn't have him. I wouldn't let them. David was mine.
    "I love you," he said to me. He kissed the top of my head and I closed my eyes in contentment.
    "I love you too, David. I love you so much. I want this moment to last forever."
    An engine rumbled and choked as it tried to start before it sputtered out. I felt David look to see where the noise had come from, but I didn't open my eyes. I didn't want to see. I held on to him tighter.
    "He's going to get that thing going soon," said David. "You'll have to go with them."
    "I don't want to."
    He put his finger under my chin and lifted my head to look at him, but I kept my eyes closed. "Look at me," he said with a laugh.
    "No." I teased him. He pecked me once, quick, and then returned for a longer kiss. Our lips slipped between each other's and I didn't want to let go. I opened my eyes and looked into his. "Please don't make me go."
    The engine rolled and the dock rumbled beneath us.
    "You can't stay here," said David. "You wouldn't like it here."
    "If you're with me then I'll be fine. I'll be happy."
    "It hurts, Laura." His voice had changed to a more serious tone. "If you stay with me, it hurts. Always."
    "What do you mean?" I asked.
    "You just have to trust me on this one. It hurts here. And it gets so cold where I go at night. I don't want you to feel like that."
    "What are you talking about?" Nothing he said made sense to me as he pulled his arms away. He moved a few inches away and tried to get me to leave.
    "We'll make it cold for you. And the pain never ends."
    "I can feel it." A stinging sensation ran along my side and I looked to see that my dress was beginning to soak up blood from a wound on my stomach. Then I looked down at my left foot and saw a zombie chewing on it from below the surface of the water. "It already hurts." I let the creature continue to eat me.
    "Then it's already