The Survivors: Point of Origin (book 2)

Unlikely Enemy, Unexpected Friend, pt. 2

EVERETT’S HANDS WERE ON MY FACE. THE BACK OF MY SKULL WAS POUNDING again, and there was pandemonium around me. I winced as I opened my eyes, too weak to move.

“She’s coming around,” Everett said.

“Answer the phone,” I said feebly as I swallowed, trying to erase the taste.

“What phone?” Ginny asked, exasperated.

Then Adelaide’s phone rang, and everyone froze. “Hello?” she asked. I opened my eyes and closed them again. I saw spots. My body felt hot even in the snow, but nothing like the fire at the base of my skull.

“Who is it?” Anthony asked her. She held up a finger and listened.

“The security company. The alarm is going off at the house in California,” she told him.

“But how did Sadie...” Anthony trailed.

“It’s happening now,” I managed. “They’re there.” I reached for Everett to pull myself into a sitting position. “They just killed eighteen of your neighbors.”

They all stared at me in horror.

Anthony rubbed his face with one hand, then ran it through his hair. His tell of stress. “Patrick, Madeline, you go. Find out what happened. Now,” he snapped. The pair took off running immediately. “Sadie, I’m sorry...”

I said, “Now you know I was telling the truth.”

“Anthony, go with them. You should be there. The police could...” Adelaide said.

“Oh damn, police,” Mark said. “That will not make this any easier.”

“Go with them,” Adelaide insisted. Anthony hesitated, looked at me, and I nodded. He sighed and quickly caught up with Patrick and Madeline.

“What happened?” Everett asked.

I closed my eyes and collapsed back in the snow, the burning pain in my head still raging. “Ginny can tell you,” I said.

“No, I can’t,” she said. “When you blacked out, your mind went blank.”

I screamed. “Damn it! I hate this!”

Lizzie broke through the Winters and came to my side. “Are you all right, child?” she said, both hands on my face.

“No,” I admitted.

“Maybe she should rest,” Lizzie suggested to the hovering crowd. “We have to know what’s happening,” Everett said. His voice forceful and as icy as the snow I lay my head in.

“We can give her some time,” Andrew said, coming to Lizzie’s side. “No,” Everett barked. “We need to know now.”

I looked at him, incredibly surprised. Ginny stared at him in disbelief, and spoke softly, “Everett...”

“Am I the only one who takes this seriously?” he snapped. In the dim light of the old street lanterns lining the lane, I had to squint to see that his eyes were a glowing crimson red.

“Everett!” Adelaide snapped.

“No, it’s fine,” I said. It wasn’t fine, really, but I had no idea what was going on.

“Let’s go to the church room,” Andrew said. “There’s better protection against sound.”

I was unsteady on my feet. “May I?” Mark asked, reaching to scoop me up. I nodded. Everett had already begun to walk toward the church, and he didn’t turn around or offer to help. Mark tucked me against his chest, but I tensed. Seeming to understand that I hated this display of weakness, he threw me over his shoulder in a flash, like he was giving me a piggyback ride. I appreciated him for that.