In The End Box Set | Books 1-3 Stevens, GJ (story books to read TXT) 📖

Standing on the exit of the dual carriageway, I couldn’t see much else of the building for the hedgerow. I turned to Jess and despite the faraway look in her eye, she glanced my way.

“What now?” I asked, but no one replied. “Shall we go say hello? Maybe they can spare a car?”

Jess and Alex shared a private look, a nod between them and seemed to make some unvoiced agreement.

“What?” I said, but they both just nodded in reply.

“Let’s go,” Alex said, and I turned to Mandy who’d caught up.

Out of courtesy, I asked. “What do you think?” I got nothing back other than her scorn radiating when she refused to look me in the eye. Still, she followed as we left the road.

Walking with a slow, considered pace, we kept the hedgerow between us and the building as it receded to reveal the tall glass walls of the dealership. A sign stood at the front rising to just below the roof with a round logo sat on top of bright red writing.

My eyes widened when beside the dealership’s car-crammed lot was a petrol station. With our pace increasing, I kept focused on the detail, careful to guide Cassie over the central barrier between the lanes.

Despite the distance remaining, I squinted through the large glass front, but couldn’t see any sign we should avoid the place.

The foliage ended as the hedgerow was replaced with a low brick wall.

“Everyone wait here,” I said, still peering to the glass as I settled Cassie to rest on the grass verge. “I’ll get a car,” I added, as I knelt to Cassie who looked up. I felt a sudden flash of guilt that I hadn’t yet told her what I knew of the danger the kids could be in.

Reasoning that now wasn’t the time or the place, I put my hand to her forehead. The second lot of painkillers were doing their job to keep her temperature down, but she was still so weak.

“I should go.” Jess’s voice took me by surprise and Alex too by her wide eyes as I peered up towards her. “You stay and look after Cassie,” she said, but I lingered on Alex’s face, wondering what the concern in her furrowed brow could mean.

“Alex. Can you?” I asked.

“I don’t need watching over,” Cassie added in a weak voice, not looking up from the grass.

Alex nodded and looked to Cassie.

“It’s fine,” Jess eventually said. “We can both go.”

I turned, scanning over the cars and pickups neatly lined up, but not pristine, each covered with a thin layer of dust, or perhaps ash. I glanced back to see Shadow had stayed behind to prowl up and down the wall.

Jess sped, hopping over the wall with ease.

“Slow down. We don’t want to scare them,” I said when her walk became a jog. She slowed without glancing back.

The front half of the showroom consisted mostly of glass, the back half formed of tall white walls surrounded by a slatted metal fence to create a compound. As we got closer, there were no lights on, but the wide inside space gleamed with sun shining through skylights to glance off the car’s paintwork.

Jess tried the glass front doors, but when they didn’t move, she headed around the side and out of sight as I leaned up against them, shielding each side of my face to get a better look. Old food containers, tins and packets littered around the desks at the back, but I couldn’t make out any movement and no sign of any disturbance.

To the sound of a door slapping closed where Jess had walked, I headed around the corner to an open door in the white metal siding with Jess out of sight.

Glancing around, nothing but the road ran this side of the building; beyond, fields headed off to the horizon lined with distant columns of smoke.

Mindful someone could lie in wait, I pushed past the fear and headed through the door, half expecting someone in a suit to call out, ‘Welcome to Parklands Toyota. Can I get you a coffee?’

No one stood on the other side. There was no sign of Jess and nothing but stale air greeted me.

Jogging forward, looking left and right, I called out, “Jess,” I said in a stage whisper, but only my echo replied until a muffled scream called out to my right and I ran.

Without thought, I grabbed the metal handle of the first door, pushing it wide, ready to pounce on whoever had taken Jess.

41

JESSICA

The door burst open at my back and I sensed Logan rushing through before he spoke. I stopped whatever I was about to do, biting at my bottom lip as I pulled back away from the three cowering in the corner.

“Shit,” Logan exclaimed, his words muffled despite the volume I’d expected. “What’s going on?”

He peered around, searching for threats in the office, not hiding his lowered brow when all he could see were the man, woman and kid.

“You’re bleeding,” he said as I flashed a look his way. I could already taste the copper, wiping my lip across the back of my hand.

“Are these it?” I asked, the first words coming to mind.

“Are what?” Logan hurried out.

“All the people here?” I added, shaking my head. He spoke, but I didn’t understand what he was saying. Something about the door.

He didn’t wait for an answer, instead turning to face the family. “Are you okay?” he said, holding his palms up. “We just need a car.”

“Or a place to stay the night?” I said, wiping at my mouth a second time.

Logan turned back my way, his gaze lingering as his brow furrowed.

“Let’s keep on the road,” he said slowly, his voice clearer as the pounding in my ears seemed to