Leak

Chapter Four

The van swerved. I smacked into the window with the momentum. Stars exploded behind my eyes as the impact sent pain radiating through my right side. The squeal of tires was drowned out by my daughters' screams.

"Damn it!" Jake swore as he gripped the steering wheel. The muscles along his arms bunched as he struggled to keep us in our lane. Horns blared as cars flew by at breakneck speed, a blur of colors. We came to a screeching halt on the side of the Overseas Highway, smack in the middle of Surprise Lake.

"Surprise." I turned to Jake. Our eyes met and held. My heart pounded out of control. Laughter bubbled like a boiling pot spilling over. I pinched my lips in an effort to hold it back, but it was useless. A snort broke free. I covered my mouth with my hand. The whole thing was just too absurd.

The side of Jake's mouth kicked up. The fine wire of tension that had been wrapped around us for far too many hours broke. He slumped forward over the steering wheel, shoulders shaking with laughter.

"You guys are insane," Steph called out between snorts of laughter.

"We're no better." Val chuckled.

"Flat tire." Jake dragged in a breath. He sank back into the leather seat and stared. Water surrounded either side of the road. We were literally in the middle of nowhere.

He ran his fingers through his blond hair. "I'll fix it. Hold tight."

"How far?" Val spoke as if she had to pull the words from her throat kicking and screaming.

I turned on my phone and studied the map. "Eight miles. Maybe ten minutes once we get back on the road."

"We have a spare, right?" Steph's voice trembled.

I reached behind me and stretched to clasp her hand in mine. "Yes. I made sure of it before we left."

"Thanks." Tears pricked her stormy blue eyes.

"We'll make it." I gripped her small hand tighter.

Val swung an arm around her older sister's shoulders. "You know mom and her planning." Val rolled her eyes in an exaggerated display. "She's got us covered for everything she could think of."

My youngest was right, I was prepared. Despite that, worry gnawed at me. What if it wasn't enough? What if I had forgotten something, if I didn't prepare for the right thing? This virus was new. There was nothing like it before we revived it. What if I failed?

They didn't need to hear my worries. My kids needed my strength, my confidence, my unwavering support and encouragement, and that's what I gave them.

"I've got a ton of supplies in the van. The sailboat is waiting on us, stocked and ready to sail. Once we get there, we'll be set." What I didn't say is I'd only stocked enough provisions on the small craft for a couple of years. Who knew how long we'd have to stay?

Each vehicle that sped by rocked the van, tightening the already stiff, achy muscles in my back. I felt vulnerable and exposed sitting disabled next to the busy roadway on the lake. I leaned into the driver's seat, searching for Jake through the window. His head bobbed in and out of view as he tightened the lug nuts on the front tire.

Nervous energy made me fidget and I picked at a loose thread on the hem of my shirt. A sudden urgency grabbed hold of me. I wrenched the knob on the radio and flicked it on, unable to resist the lure of more information.

"You've heard this right. I repeat — this is not a joke." The compelling voice of a news reporter was clear and firm. My heart raced and I tensed, hanging on his every word. "Those killed by the virus have — have reanimated. That's right. They are returning to life—"