Chapter 13 Marked Again
Thinking of all the awful things Travis had done, Kiara didn’t hold back–she took every useful thing from his place.
She didn’t take his phone, though, so she didn’t know that, not long after she left, it started ringing again and again.
In a luxury ocean–view penthouse, a group of rough–looking men sat around smoking.
Max Walsh, clearly on edge, had been calling over and over with no answer.
Stuffing the useless phone back into his pocket, he rubbed his face and crouched in front of a man with a deep scar running down his left check. “Alf, something’s happened to my brother and his group. None of their phones are connecting
Alf Stone gave a short, dismissive laugh, grinding out his cigarette in the ashtray, “Didn’t Travis say that woman is feisty as hell? For all you know, they’re busy having their way with her. What’s got you so wound up?”
Max’s voice was firm. “Doug never lets go of his phone. It’s been a day, and he still hasn’t texted me back. Something’s definitely wrong
Alf lit another cigarette, slouched back, andpropped his feet on the coffee table. “And what exactly amd supposed to do about it? I’m not going out there–this heat’ll kill you in minutes. We’ll talk when it cools down. Serves them right if they couldn’t keep it in their pants. Who thinks about that kind of thing in weather like this?”
Thinking of his brother, Max clenched his jaw and said, “You don’t get it. Two months ago, my brother and his crew set their sights on that woman. Just last week, she sold off two buildings from the Harborview. Travis had looked into it; she makes 20 billion from the sale”
That figure made Alf’s eyes narrow to slits. He straightened his posture and said, “Tell me everything.
When Max finished, Alf took a slow drag and murmured to himself, “Kiara Sharp! Got it. I’ll remember that name.”
After leaving Travis’s place, Kiara hit the gym hard.
Even in peacetime, the world had no shortage of filth; in an apocalypse, it would only get worse.
She couldn’t save the world–she could only protect herself and keep hold of whatever scraps of decency she had left.
Halfway through her workout, a deafening bang rattled the air.
A piercing scream followed from somewhere below.
Frowning, Kiara wiped the sweat from her brow, crossed to the window, and pulled back the curtain.
At the community gate, a Mercedes had slammed into the landscaped divider, now engulfed in flames. A man crawled from
the driver’s seat, dragging himself forward with agonized cries–only to collapse after a few feet, motionless.
Kiara’s hand paused mid–wipe. She narrowed her eyes at the body.
On asphalt this hot, lying flat like that would mean second–degree burns within minutes.
She found herself curious how it would play out.
Fetching her binoculars, she watched closely from the window.
Soon, a middle–aged man and woman, both in wide–brimmed sunhats and carrying umbrellas, hurried over. Struggling, they histed the unconscious man onto their backs and hurried him toward one of the towers.
Kiara figured the building group chat would be buzzing about it by now.
Leaving the gynu, she checked her phone.
JoyOfJoy asked, “What happened? Who’s crazy enough to be out in this heat? Is that guy okay?”
LuvNile wrote, “Lasked around–sounds like
his family’s export factory caught fire in the heat. He ran out to check on it. Looks like his tires blew from the heat, he hit the divider, and the car went up. Hope he’s okay.”
10 AM PP.
Chapter 13 Marked Again
Benny said worriedly. “It’s about 165 F today, and he still drove? Has he lost his mind for money?”
Elmer chimed in, “Didn’t another car leave this morning? I saw it clearly–a black Hummer. No idea whose
Finished
Reading that, Kiara froze. She’d been way too high profile. One more time getting noticed and she’d be the talk of the building.
She’d been lying low for days, avoiding supply runs. But clearly, tonight she’d have to blend in with the late–night crowd and leave the house.
After dark the temperature finally eased. By around eleven, it slipped to just under 120 F. That’s when most people dared to step outside.
Kiara changed, grabbed her keys, and took the stairs.
On the seventh floor, a fuzzy head popped around the corner. Kiara’s hand moved on instinct toward a weapon.
She squinted–Joy.
T–shirt, denim shorts, sneakers, and a grin bright enough to light the stairwell. She practically vibrated with energy.
Recognizing her, Kiara lowered her guard a notch, but not her caution. Fingers curled around the switchblade in her pocket, she frowned. “What do you want?”
“Relax, I’m not here to hurt you.” Joy lifted both hands and stepped closer. I know that black Hummer this morning was yours, but I didn’t tell anyone.”
Kiara’s gaze cooled, and she asked flatly. “What are you after?
“Heading out for supplies? Can you give me a ride! I’m running low, and going alone freaks me out. Joy toyed with her fingers, pouting like a guilty kid.
Kiara never fell for cutesy pleading. She shut it down with a flat, “No,”
Then she headed downstairs without another word.
Footsteps pattered after her. Joy, car keys in hand, jogged to keep up.
She huffed, annoyed. “You’re really cold, you know that?”
Kiara didn’t care what anyone thought of her. Her stride stayed long and quick. She reached the underground garage, fired up the Hummer, and pulled out
In the rearview, a red Ferrari snapped into line behind her, brazen and loud, honking twice like a dare.
It had been a long time since Kiara had seen anyone with that kind of spark. In the apocalypse, people turned into devils- but even devils still reached for the light.
She cased off the gas.
Joy rolled down her window, pulled a silly face at Kiara, then shot past with a roar.
Kiara frowned. In her previous life, there’d been no one named Joy.
Had Joy skipped the worst of the heat back then, or had something else happened to her?
Then she remembered what Joy had said that morning–she was the Bithell Group chairman’s daughter.
Right. In the other timeline, Travis had bragged more than once about keeping the daughter of the Bithell Group chairman locked in his bedroom so his gang could take turns raping her. One lapse later, she’d gotten loose and leapt to her death.
A bright, living soul–gone like that.
At least this time. Travis was already dead. Joy wouldn’t endure that cruelty.
Kiara pulled herself back to the present, turned the wheel toward the shopping center–then something flickered at the edge of her vision. By the flowerbed, a small, gold–furred creature sat yowling.
ADAM P. P
Chapter 13 Marked Again
She squinted. Well, great. That’s a tiger.
