Days Since...: Jenny: Day 986

Chapter One

The floorboard let out a sharp crack. Matt’s head spun around, his eyes wide as he mouthed, “Be careful!”

Jenny couldn’t help but wince. Her head creaked up and down with a slow nod. She forced a hand to her chest, trying to keep the pounding of her heart from echoing beyond her body. Deep breaths. She pressed each subsequent board lightly with her boot, testing each one before moving forward.

Matt waved for her to hurry. Jenny threw her hands in the air. “Which is it?” Her whisper was fierce.

“Both,” he snapped back. Matt reached for her, and Jenny grabbed hold—their pulses racing together, hand in hand. She mirrored each of his steps toward an open door at the end of the hallway. “Stay close…”

No shit.

Jenny kept low behind Matt as he peeked through the gap in the door, attempting to clear the bedroom before deciding on whether to enter. The bathroom and office down the hallway were passed by—there was nowhere to hide. Matt gave her hand a squeeze and tried to ease his way between the door and its frame. The door moaned as his oversized coat caught the doorknob, pushing it inward. He pulled Jenny through and faced her. “Through the window there.” He tried to bring her with him, but she freed her hand from his.

“We need to hide.” Her eyes scanned the bedroom. The gap below the bed was too small. Too predictable. “What’s in here?” She opened the door. A closet—a nest of laundry filled the bottom—the smell of mold and body odor. Above the pile, a steady trickle of water from the ceiling pecked at a windbreaker jacket. Can’t afford any noise. Not a sound. She pitched the jacket to the side.

“That closet’s a bad idea.” Matt raced over to the window and jerked it open. A gust of wind swept through the opening, carrying a drift of snow that spread across the floor. The sudden breeze caused Jenny to shudder. She looked over to Matt—his intentions made clear with one foot lifted from the floor and rising toward the sill.

“Where are you going?” she hissed.

He set his foot down. “It shouldn’t be too bad a climb down from here,” he said, craning his neck through the open window. “We’ll just drop down on the garage’s roof and to the ground from there.”

“No.” She scowled at him. “You trying to get us killed sliding off the roof? It’s not worth it. Just help me with this.” Through her thin gloves, she could feel moist spots among the clothing she dragged out into the bedroom. “We’ll bury ourselves in here.”

He shook his head before taking another look outside.

“It’ll be fine. Trust me.”

“I do… It’s just…” His eyes met with hers. “We need to keep going,” Matt urged. “That’s all there is to it.”

A loud bang from downstairs.

“Quick.” She waved him toward her. “That door won’t hold.”

Another bang followed by a crash and dishes breaking.

“You’ve had long enough!” a man’s voice echoed through the house.

“Shit!” Matt snatched the blanket from the bed and placed it inside the window frame, then shoved Jenny into the closet. “Stay down!”

She looked on as he scooped the laundry from the floor and began covering her with it. The odor became overwhelming. “You’re coming in here too.” She squeezed the words through the last gap in the clothing before everything went dark. Her breaths shortened until eventually she held it. Her adrenaline surged. She could feel the pile shifting—Matt working his way into the opposite side of the closet.

“Last chance guys!” his voice rang out again from downstairs. He must have been right below them. The words shot right through the floor.

Jenny snuck a few breaths and wriggled her hand through the laundry, sorting, reaching for Matt. There. Their fingers laced together. “Ready?” Her question muffled by the layers of clothing and an unwillingness to fully open her mouth, fearing the stench might knock her unconscious. “Matt?” she tried again.

He mumbled something back, but she couldn’t be certain what it was.

“Seek!” the man yelled.

A few loud barks followed the command.

Jenny forced a deep, sickening breath in. Don’t throw up. Her nerves caused a violent shake, anticipating the likelihood of being found. This smell has to keep us hidden, right? There’s no way that dog finds us in here. Hopefully, the open window and blanket will trick them. Her hand tightened within Matt’s. He squeezed back, the two reassuring one another they weren’t alone.

From downstairs, Jenny could hear the loud clack of the dog’s claws against the hardwood—its whining while it paced along the walls, making quick searches through the rooms below them. Even the persistent sniffing, she swore, could be heard through the wood floor. We’re going to be found. I just know it. I can’t do this. Her breaths sped up, became shallow as her nerves continued to get the best of her. The pile of clothing pumped in and out as she stirred. Matt squeezed her hand again, but it wasn’t enough to calm her. I want to be right… just once.

“Downstairs is cleared!” the man called. “Won’t be too long now!”

The panting of the dog came too quickly—it raced straight for the bedroom. Its claws clacked through the room. By the bed. The window. Back toward the hall. Then it whined and stopped. Silence. Did he leave? Maybe we’re— Scratching at the closet’s door frame prevented her from finishing the hopeful thought. Damn it! It began to circle just outside the door, begging to be let in. Three loud barks jolted her, her hands sweating, her chest cinching down around her lungs—too much pressure. She broke through the filth for some air. Another bark.

The man’s boots traipsed along the floorboards from down the hall—each creak a reminder to Jenny that they had lost. It was over. Only a matter of time.

“Good boy.” The man’s feet shifted, squaring up to their door. A knock. “Hello…” He laughed. “I wonder if they’re in there.” The metal clasp pinged as the man secured the dog back to its lead and guided it to the other side of the room. “Matt. Jenny. Come on out of there.”

They both sprung out from the clothing and opened the door. “That dog makes it too easy for you,” Jenny gasped, taking in some fresh air from the open window.

“Why the hell’d you shut in like that?” the man asked. “You two know better than that.”

“I tried to tell her, Danny”—Matt raised his eyebrows and stared at Jenny—“but she doesn’t listen.”

Jenny rolled her eyes. “First off, this is training and falling off the roof seemed like a stupid idea, Matt.” She glared back at him. “If you were so concerned about us hiding in the house, we should’ve just come in through the back door and straight out the front. Hiding in the closet seemed like the only thing we could do. And, with it smelling like it did, I figured there was no way in hell that Sherman would find us in there.”

“Well, you were wrong.”

“Jenny,” Danny started, “it doesn’t work like that. Come on… think.” He dropped his rucksack to the floor, shaking his head in disappointment. “Remember the chili? People smell chili, all of it together. But a dog smells the beans, the meat, the onions, every bit of it separately. Even with that closet smelling like it did, Sherman can still get your scent. You guys know the only way to beat the dog is to keep going. You can’t stop.” He took a breath. “How many times do I have to tell you before you get it down.”

“Only had to tell me once,” Matt grumbled to himself. “That’s why—”

“I get it, whatever. Won’t happen again.” Frustrated, Jenny snatched the blanket from the window and wrapped herself in it before plopping down next to Sherman. “You’re just too good, boy,” she said, scratching behind his ears, using the retired police canine to keep herself from any further criticism. “Just too good.” She caught Matt staring. “Jealous?”

Breaking his gaze from her, Matt offered a halfhearted smile. “Not quite.”

Liar. “Don’t listen to him, Sherman.” Her fingers scratched over the short, brown fur of her favorite Belgian Malinois. His leg began to kick as all dogs do. “That’s the good spot, huh?”

Danny palmed a few treats. Sherman took them without hesitation, leaving Danny to wipe the slobber to his pants. “Don’t know where I’d be without you, pup,” he said. The proud canine rolled onto his side, and Jenny began scratching along his belly.

“They’re both just jealous you like me better,” she joked. “Always are.”

Danny began rummaging through the room, and Matt took the cue, joining him.

“Jenny, don’t take it personal,” Danny said, his hands flicking through a stack of magazines on the nightstand. “It’s why we train. We can make mistakes now, so they aren’t made later. It’s when we make them more than once or twice that they become habits. Bad ones.”

“But—”

“Just say okay.” Blunt words of irritation from Danny.

Jenny nodded, conceding, but refusing to actually say okay—a partial win in her mind.

“We’ll get this house cleared and one more before we head back home.” He tossed a half-empty bottle of Tylenol toward his rucksack while making his way across the room. “We do it the right way next time. Right?”

“So…” Jenny smirked, bending an eyebrow, knowing Danny had backed himself into a corner. “For us to do that, we just need to run right through the house and keep going?”

Danny ran a hand down his cheek and across his mouth. “Point taken,” he muttered under his breath as he sifted through a few drawers of a dresser. “How about this? Next house, you two can clear”—He coughed—“practice clearing it after Sherman makes his first pass through.”

“Deal!” Matt nearly shouted.

“Slow and methodical, not rushed.”

“I know…” Jenny avoided eye contact with Danny as she stood, shrugging the blanket from her back. It briefly covered Sherman before he managed to wriggle out from underneath. “I’ll get the bathroom and office down the hall.”

“Matt, go and help her.”

“No!” she shouted. The others stood gaping at her. Jenny even shocked herself with the outburst. “I mean—I’m pretty sure I can handle searching through a couple of rooms by myself. Quit trying to hold my hand with everything.”

Although both of them were guilty of it at times, her statement was directed more toward Matt than Danny. Without a doubt, the death of Xavier was Matt’s excuse for being overprotective of her. She had heard him explain it so many times before. But, Danny… She could only assume he felt a woman needed it, desired it. Not this one. I learn and do.

“Okay…” The two of them let their responses trail off as she left.

They don’t get it.

“Matt,” Danny said, “hold up a sec.” His request piqued Jenny’s interest, and she remained just outside the room, taking full advantage of leaving the door cracked. “I need you to finish up here in the bedroom, I’m heading downstairs. You hear something, you let me know before you do anything.” Danny handed over his leg holster, pistol included. “You’ve been training, right?”

What the hell, Danny? I train with you every day.

“Only by dry firing and doing Airsoft.” Matt wrapped the holster around his thigh and ran his belt through its top strap. “Griffin said I’m not worth wasting bullets on.”

“Griffin’s just messing with you, but I’ll tell you what. If we find some ammo on this run, I’ll make sure you get the chance to put some live rounds downrange.”

“Bullshit…” She hadn’t meant to say it out loud. The slip-up brought their curious looks toward her before she tiptoed away.

Jenny entered the bathroom and pulled the shower curtain clear. Nothing but a few bottles of shampoo lined up and an old bar of soap hugging the tub’s drain. She knelt, drew her mouth close to the faucet, and turned the knob. A few drops hit her tongue. Discouraged, she pulled away and tried the sink. No luck there either.

“You okay?” Danny’s voice startled her.

“Yes…” She made eye contact with him briefly before turning toward the linen closet. Her fingers rifled through its contents. Another bottle of Tylenol, some deodorant, and a large box of Band-Aids were tossed into the sink.

“Not sure I believe you.” He leaned forward, feet planted, both hands gripping the door frame. A few cracks from his spine, then he straightened. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but—”

Here we go…

“—I’m only asking because I worry about you. You’ve been a little sluggish lately. It isn’t like you. Normally, you’re high energy, joking around with us, but the last couple of trips…” He studied her, searching for some kind of reaction, but she had no intention of giving him one. “Just worried about you. That’s all.”

You can go now. She grabbed a few wash rags and added them to her pile of keepers in the sink. If you want to help, you can give me some space. Give me a chance to prove myself. That’s what I need from you. The floorboards began to creak down the hallway. Danny had finally gotten the hint.

Now’s my chance. Jenny guided the door closed, locked it, and rushed back to the linen closet. “Come on, come on,” she whispered while rustling through the small boxes and bottles—a few toppling over onto the floor. “I know I saw women’s clothing in the bedroom. Why can’t I—”

A tapping at the door followed by Matt’s voice. “Gonna be long in there?”

You too? She chose to ignore him. I’ve got to find this damn thing. Her feet clung to the edge of the lowest shelf, her eyes barely able to peruse the highest portion of the closet. “Damn it. Still can’t find any. This is getting ridiculous,” she muttered. It took her only a minute longer to tear through the medicine cabinet and vanity, but she only came across more of the same. Damn it! She drove the heels of her hands into both eye sockets, wanting nothing more than to scream.

Another tap at the door.

Annoyed, she flung it open. “What?!”

“I just—I”

“What?” She crossed her arms while standing precisely in the middle of the narrow bathroom. Matt propped his hand on the door jamb and tried to look past her, but she mirrored his attempt with her head. “Can I help you with something?”

“I just needed to use the bathroom…” Matt gave an uneasy smile. “Did you leave any water in the bowl?”

“That wasn’t what I was doing.”

“Well, then do you mind—”

Jenny yanked his hand from the jamb and pulled him inside, closing the door behind him with her foot. She locked her lips onto his. Her shoulders relaxed. Some of the pent-up stress dissolved within their kiss. She opened her eyes and exhaled. Matt’s lips wanted more, still puckered. He opened his eyes. “Wha—” Matt looked from left to right, blushing, seemingly embarrassed from spectator’s eyes that didn’t exist. “What was that for?”

“I need you to listen to me.”

He nodded.

She took his hands. “I appreciate you wanting to take care of me, believe me, I do, but I’m not helpless, so quit treating me like it. Don’t let your lack of confidence hold me back too.”

“Why would you say that?” His voice full of hurt. “I—I’m good at this too. I know what I’m doing.”

“I know you do. But sometimes I don’t think you know you do. Ever since Xavier was”—she swallowed—“was murdered, you’ve changed. All of us have, but you’ve got to let it go or at least turn it into something positive. What happened wasn’t your fault. Quit acting like it was.” She gave him a peck on the cheek and took a playful tone, “Or you’re never getting any sex again.”

Matt’s eyes went wide. “Yeah. Okay, yeah, I can do that.” He pulled her in closer, and she felt his hand snaking around toward her backside.

“Stop.” She smacked him on the back. “Maybe when we get home.”

Matt leaned in for another kiss.

“I said maybe. Don’t push it.”

He chuckled and brought his hands in front of him, palms out. “I wasn’t doing anything. I swear.”

“Mm-hmm.” Raising her eyebrows, she smirked and gave a coy smile before squeezing by him into the hall. “See how this works? I’m giving you your space.”

“You, uh, you mind,” he stammered while scratching the back of his head. “You think you could take over searching the bedroom, so I can do what I need to do? Only that closet’s left back there.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

Jenny kept Sherman’s lead tight in her hand while they hid within a row of hedges alongside the old Tudor house they had just cleared. “He’ll be back, boy,” she whispered, patting his side. Only five minutes had passed since Danny took to the street for a quick assessment. But minutes in the bitter cold felt like hours, and despite two layers of wool socks, her toes felt every second. Come on, Danny. Vigorously, she rubbed her pants, warming her thighs, her calves. “He coming yet?” Jenny asked, anxious to get moving again.

Posted at the corner of the house, but still concealed by the bushes, Matt clutched the pistol. “Not yet.” He leaned forward and bent his neck to the left. “He’s still working back the other way.”

“Where we came from?”

“Yeah.”

Ten minutes passed.

Finally, Danny broke the corner. “We’re good to our rear. Doesn’t look like anyone’s tracking us. Only one more house and we call it a night. It’s starting to get dark anyway.” He propped his rifle against the brick before taking out a map and kneeling in the snow. Jenny and Matt circled around to observe him mark the Tudor house as ‘searched’ with a quick scratch of his pencil. “The next one’s just a block over.” He flicked that one with the pencil too. “The transport crew is gonna be busy by the time we’re done with this round.”

“How many have we done this month?” Jenny asked.

“Next house will be forty-one,” Danny answered after counting the tick marks across the map. “Pretty good run, I’d say.”

“Doesn’t feel like that many,” she said, thinking back on what Danny had mentioned earlier about her being a little sluggish lately. I’ll show you sluggish. “You sure we can only do one more tonight?”

Danny folded the map neatly into his ruck, then stood, squinting into the distance. “This house took longer than I thought it would.” He lowered his kerchief for a second to spit. “There might only be an hour or two of decent sunlight left before it gets too cold. It’s not worth the risk. At this rate, I’m not sure we’ll even make it home tonight.”

“Camping out in the next house?” Jenny asked.

Danny nodded, still watching the sun slink off in the distance.

“All these houses have fireplaces, right?” Matt asked.

The question broke Danny from his gaze. “You two…” He closed his eyes and shook his head, sighing.

“I already know what you’re thinking,” Jenny gloated. “Any amount of smoke like that will give our position away.”

“Yep, just like this.” Danny pushed the air from his lungs, letting out a long stream of condensation. “You’d notice that from miles away. I swear you guys must’ve come from some sort of paradise or something.”

Paradise… The comment gave Jenny pause as his lecture continued in the background.

Jenny figured at some point River’s Edge could have been viewed as a paradise when comparing it to what others experienced shortly after the Almawt virus struck. Life had certainly been much easier within those walls. Working maintenance in the town had been safe—made even more so once the Second Alliance moved in. Their intentions were well hidden, but it wasn’t long before their facade crumbled. Sam’s death. Xavier’s death. Haverty’s letter. All those things revealed the truth.

Now, the idea of River’s Edge being a paradise seemed laughable. Watching all their hard work snatched from them had hurt. Still hurt. Often, she had dreamed of going back. Not because she longed for that life, but because it deserved to be liberated. All her friends. The people she considered her family. Free again. But how? With what army?

Danny’s words began to register again. “…The two of you need to start framing your thoughts around survival. Always think of what the enemy can use against you. Always.

“Now, are you two ready?”

They nodded.

“Okay. Matt, you watch our six. Jenny, I need you to keep control of Sherman while I lead.” He slung the rifle’s strap back over his head. “Let’s hope this doesn’t become the opportunity to fire a few live rounds,” he kidded with Matt.

Leveling his rifle toward the street, Danny posted at the corner and waited for Matt and Jenny to fall in line. “Stay in my footprints if you can.”

As Jenny neared the corner, she could hear the howling wind whip through the trees, their branches scraping against brick, scratching across parked cars. She took in a deep, crisp breath and followed Danny out into the open. Although she’d been witnessing it through the entire endeavor, the pristine snow seemed to grab hold of her. It had been years since the last “good” snow. She couldn’t ever remember seeing such a pure, white landscape before.

Sherman’s consistent tugging against his lead brought Jenny from her daydreaming. “Settle, boy,” she told him, but the eager police canine still possessed his drive. She knew any expectation of him shedding his instinct and the training that had been ground into him through countless tracks and building searches was foolish. Sherman was invaluable. Even more so now than before the virus.

“Matt, you good?” Jenny asked, bouncing her attention between him and the footsteps Danny left in the snow.

“Yes.” His voice gave the impression he was concentrating. It must have been difficult to maintain watch over their surroundings while walking backwards, lining his boots up with his companions’ tracks that led the way.

The little things… Danny’s always thinking survival. He’s always saying not to leave any advantage for the enemy. I never would have thought of walking in each other’s footprints. Keep them guessing on how many people are in your group. He’s got this down. Maybe he is right. Maybe River’s Edge spoiled us, but it doesn’t matter now. We’re getting where we need to be. We have to.

Jenny worked to keep Sherman close, but found it difficult as his paws seemed to glide across the snow. Only when the slack came out of the lead did he become bogged down in the deep layers of snow. “You want him, Danny?”

“I gave him to you. You’ve been training with him, act like it!”

He’s right…

They neared the intersection, and Danny directed the two of them to take cover on the porch of the last house on the block. Cautiously, Jenny peeked through the windows, checking to make sure they hadn’t chosen an unfortunate vantage point. Everything sat untouched inside. It didn’t appear as a squatter’s refuge. Moving into a corner, Jenny hunkered down with Sherman while Matt drew his pistol across the railing. “Why’d you tell Danny you’ve never fired a gun before?” Jenny asked.

“Of course, you were listening… You know I have, but what I meant was that—just not here with them. Griffin’s always talking about saving this and saving that. He’s convinced some—” He broke from the conversation and took to the other side of the porch.

“What is it?” Jenny begged.

“Danny’s spotted something. Can’t tell what yet. Must be further down the street.”

“Well, what’s he doing?”

“Behind a car, watching…” he trailed off, his eyes squinting, leaning further over the edge of the railing. “He’s just kind of watching right now.” Matt brought the pistol, muzzle up, by his face and pressed his shoulder against one of the porch’s columns.

“Who the hell taught you that move?” Jenny scoffed. “Who are you James Bond?”

He shushed her, his attention remaining on Danny.

“Fine, do what you want.” I will too. She shimmied over to the porch railing. Other than Danny’s footprints leading toward the small sedan he hid behind, nothing else seemed out of place, worthy of any attention.

Danny slid along the vehicle, then stopped, bracing himself against the door frame while he stole glances over the top of the cab.

Jenny pointed out his tactics. “See how he keeps his muzzle pointed downward? Takes cover at the door frame?”

Matt didn’t respond, but from the corner of her eye, that pistol he held gradually crept into a low ready position. “Danny’s on something.”

Danny’s rifle now lay across the vehicle’s hood. He made minor adjustments to his scope. What’s he seeing? She leaned forward. From behind, Sherman nearly knocked her over as he sprung up and landed with his front paws on the railing next to her. “Get back, boy.” She forced him back from the railing. Whining, he began to pace, tangling Jenny within his lead. “What the—” What’s the damn word. “Platz! Platz!” Sherman tried to sit but couldn’t with his legs wrapped.

At her outburst, Matt turned his attention away from the street. “Jenny! What the hell are you doing?”

Jenny and Sherman were bound together with the lead. “Just—damn it, Matt. Just help me out here.”

He couldn’t hide the smile from his face as he holstered his weapon and stepped toward her. Chuckling, Matt slid the pack off her shoulders, then began unraveling the lead back through itself. “And you want to get on me, huh?”

She scowled at him, but within seconds, Jenny had freed a leg and the lead dropped to the ground. “Thanks.” But the look she gave him showed no sign of gratitude.

Matt’s eyes shot back over the railing. “What? What is it?”

“Shut up you two!” Danny forced a hushed order over the crunching of the snow below his feet. “Pull that storm door and hold it!”

Matt yanked it open and stood to the side while Danny bounded up the stairs. Without stopping, he charged, centered on the door, kicking it straight through its frame.

“What’s going on? What did you see?” Jenny asked as they scrambled into the house.

Danny ignored her while he unclipped Sherman from the lead. “Seek!” The canine started through the ranch-style home. Danny followed with his rifle. “Matt, post up at the window, don’t shoot unless you have to. Jenny, get that door back in place, hold it.”

“Seriously, what the hell, Danny?” Jenny shoved the door back into place, but it wouldn’t catch. “What’s going on?” she asked again, but Danny was gone, trailing Sherman through the back of the house.

Jenny sat against the door, silent, waiting for Danny and Sherman to give the all clear.

Eventually, after several minutes, they returned. “House is good.”

“So!” Jenny looked to Danny with anticipation. “What the hell is it?”