Instinct (33 page)

“No,” Judy said. “You were wrong. You thought he was reckless, and dangerous. You were wrong. He was controlled, and calculating. He had an agenda the whole time.”

“What are you saying, Judy?”

“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head. “Nothing.”

“Do you like it here?”

“Yes,” she said, answering quickly. “It’s safe here. We’re all safe.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Why?” Judy asked. She turned on the fence so she could really look at him.

Robby liked it when Judy listened. Lots of people listened to Robby—at least they had, during the initial crisis—but when Judy really focused on him, Robby knew that she sincerely cared about what he had to say. Her attention was unwavering.

“Maybe it seems safe because they want it to,” Robby said.
 

She tilted her head and bit her lip.

Robby nodded at the bearded man who was in charge of the latrine digging.

“They’re just a self-appointed police squad. They don’t have any real authority,” Judy said. “We’re having an election soon. The people are going to pick their own leader.”

“When that happens, I’m sure it will all be closely monitored to make sure it aligns with their plan,” Robby said. “If it doesn’t, then adjustments will be made.”

An easy smile spread across her face. “I missed your cynicism. You have to meet my friend Ron. He’s just as cynical, but he’s not nearly as smart as you. It’s fun to watch him get spun up about things he doesn’t understand.”

“No thanks,” Robby said. After a moment, they both laughed.

“I should get back to my work,” she said. “We all pitch in together to make stuff happen. Even if you don’t like what you’re doing, you still want to do a good job because everyone’s in it together, you know?”

Robby nodded.

“I’ll see you at dinner though. Do you know where you’re staying?”

“We’re in the house tonight,” Robby said.

“Fancy. Come find me at dinner. I usually eat over near where they’re trying to grow squash.”

“I’ll do that,” Robby said. Judy was about to slide down from the fence when he put out a hand to stop her. “Jude, there’s nothing else going on, is there?”

“What do you mean?”

“Something here feels off.”

She shook her head and frowned. “Nope. Not that I know of.”

“Okay,” Robby said. His voice sounded completely untroubled. The tone was a lie.

CHAPTER 21: ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

I
N
THE
MORNING
, T
Y
was gone. Tim checked on Amy Lynne. She was asleep. There was a note on her table under a travel clock. It told Tim the last time she’d had pills and how long until she was due. He had a couple of hours, so he took Cedric outside.

They walked the perimeter of the hospital. The wind caught on the corners of the building and made whistling sounds. Sometimes it sounded like breathing, sometimes it sounded like a distant church organ. Tim didn’t like any of the sounds. He checked on the plane. It was just where he’d left it.

Up the street, Tim found a convenience store that was untouched. He foraged for food and packed a few bags to take back. They even had a small bag of Cedric’s favorite dog food. The dog would eat nearly anything, but he went crazy for Bowman’s.
 

Tim paused as he left the store. While the door swung shut behind him, he thought he heard the sound of a faraway motorcycle. It disappeared with the wind and Tim hurried back.

Amy Lynne’s room was empty, but Ty wheeled her back up the hall before long.

Her eyes were glassy and she looked very concerned.

“How are you feeling?” Tim asked.

“Like shit,” she said.

“I washed everything again with hot water. It wasn’t her favorite thing in the world,” Ty said.

“I brought you chips and candy,” Tim said. He held up the bag.

“That smells like shit,” she said. She was pointing up the hall, where Cedric was eating his food out of a pink plastic tray. The dog looked up at them for a second and then went back to eating. “I want to go home.”

“We’ll open the window for you,” Ty said, wheeling her back into her room. Ty did slide the window open, but he quickly moved away from it when he was done.

“Do you have the flying things here?” Tim asked. “I notice you stay away from windows.”

“I haven’t seen any in lately, but if you’re taking about the things that snatch people and make them disappear, then yes. I’ve seen them before.”

“How long is lately?”

“Weeks? Maybe two months. I don’t know exactly. But it has been some time. I stay cautious during the day though,” Ty said.

“I want to go home,” Amy Lynne said again.

“Let’s get you back in bed,” Ty said.

“I want to go home,” she repeated. She let him lift her from the chair and didn’t object as he swung her legs into the bed.

“I’ll take you back to Jackson as soon as you’re healed,” Tim said. “For the moment, I think you’re better off here, don’t you?”

“Where is Jackson?” she asked.

Tim calculated. She was much more alert today, but her voice was still slurred and her eyes glassy. If she remembered more, a lie now might prevent her from ever trusting him. However, the truth might do the same thing.

“He’s waiting for you back on Sunset Point. I’ll take you back there when you’re healed.”

She nodded and looked out the window.
 

“I want more pills,” she said.

“I just gave her the eight,” Ty said to Tim. “You’ll do the noon?”

“Of course.”

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Amy Lynne was a terrible conversationalist. She either couldn’t remember, or didn’t want to tell Tim any stories about how she’d wound up with Jackson at Sunset Point. When he tried to ask any questions about her life before Thanksgiving, she closed her eyes and wouldn’t say a word.

She ate, but she would only eat candy that tasted like fruit. The only thing she would drink was grape soda. By ten, she was beginning to twist and change position every few seconds. By eleven, she was groaning and pressing her hands to the side of the cast. Tim didn’t think he’d make it to noon. She threatened him and tore at the sheets. The only thing that kept her in the bed was the throbbing pain she complained about whenever her ankle dropped below her torso. With her leg raised, there was only so far she could go.

Tim approached to give her the noon pills and she lunged at him, trying to grab the whole bottle. He wondered if he should give them to her. In the daylight, it was harder to imagine letting her eat pills until she slipped away, but the thought did cross his mind. Tim put the dose in a small cup and set it down on her table before sliding it over to her.

She ate the pills and closed her eyes.

Ty showed up in the afternoon with hot food. He made his delivery and then positioned himself in a chair near the door to the hall. Cedric sat next to him and the giant man stroked the dog’s head as he and Tim talked.

“Her pain is going to get worse before it gets better. There’s a peculiar sensation when the bones start to knit, especially with a break that bad.”

“She was only really bad for an hour. The rest of the time was okay.”

“She’ll have a hard time quitting the pills when this is all done, too. Those things are very addictive.”

“Fortunately, that part won’t be my problem to deal with,” Tim said. He lowered his voice and told Tim about Jackson and the motorcycle.
 

“What makes you think he’ll go back to Sunset Point without her? If he followed you to the airport, then maybe he’s still out searching.”

“If he’s out searching, then I guess I hope he’ll hear the plane as I go south. I can fly around a bit before I land. Maybe I’ll draw him down that way before I drop her off.”

“You know how to fly a helicopter, too?”

“No,” Tim said. “The idea crossed my mind, but that’s difficult stuff from what I understand.”

Ty nodded.

“Did you make this bread?”

“Yes. I have a whole bin of flour down in the pantry, and enough gas to make the oven go for a year.”

“It must have been cold in here a few months ago.”

“It’s not so bad. You get used to it. I fixed up one of the offices to…” Ty stopped in the middle of his sentence. Tim automatically strained his ears to hear what the big man was listening to. He couldn’t hear a thing.

“What is it?”

“What? Oh nothing. I just remembered something.”

Tim waited to see if Ty would reveal the memory that had caused him to stop speaking so suddenly. Nothing was forthcoming. Amy Lynne whimpered in her sleep and rolled halfway over.

“What are we going to do?” Tim asked.

“About what?”

“In general, I guess. You know—as a people,” Tim said. “Are we supposed to repopulate the Earth? Is it even fair to think about children when the world is such an inhospitable place?”

“Not my concern,” Ty said. “I can’t have kids. That’s why my wife divorced me.”

Tim nodded and frowned. He couldn’t help it.
 

“You have kids?” Ty asked.

“No. Not me.”

“How about you? You have any pups?” Ty mussed the fur between Cedric’s ears and his mouth fell open in a dog smile.

“You’re the first person I’ve really talked to since this whole thing happened. I had a couple of very brief conversations with Jackson and Amy Lynne. You should meet Jackson. He’s charming. Cedric and I saw a couple of people down in Virginia, I think. It might have been West Virginia. They ran away. I keep thinking that I’ll run into a small community. People like to group together, you know? Humans are a very social bunch.”

“Maybe when people come together, it draws the attention of the birds. Or maybe only the loners survived.”

“I suppose.”

Amy Lynne opened her eyes and turned her head to look out the window. Every few breaths, she inhaled deep and then sighed.

“Do you want something to eat?” Tim asked.

“Candy,” she said without looking over. Her hand came out and the palm opened in his direction.

“No, darling,” Ty said. His deep voice commanded her attention and she turned her head to look at him as he stood. “You need something substantial. Your body requires proper nutrition in order to heal.”

He rolled the tray closer to her and then helped her straighten up in the bed. Tim knew he would never be able to exert this much authority over Amy Lynne, but he paid close attention.

“You’re running hot. I’m going to add a couple more pills, and you’re going to have to drink a lot of water. I want you to have this much every hour, okay?” Ty looked back to Tim to make sure he was getting the instructions as well. The giant man hovered over the girl until she’d eaten a sufficient amount. He pulled back the tray and she immediately closed her eyes again.

“How is she doing?” Tim asked in a low voice as Ty lowered himself into the chair again.

“She’s young and strong, but that ankle is serious. There’s your boy.”

Tim looked over and Ty had his head cocked to the side. Before he could ask what Ty was talking about, Tim heard it too. Cedric stood up. In the distance, so low it could have been an insect, he heard the whine of a motorcycle.

“I hope he doesn’t find us before she’s healed,” Tim said.

“He will.”

Tim studied the man’s face before Ty answered the unasked question.

“Some of the people who stopped in put up signs on the highway. They point towards the hospital. If Jackson has any sense, he’ll come here.”

Tim shook his head. “We could have stopped in any town. We could have gone to any hospital.”

“He probably checked in Buffalo and then came east.”

“I should go hide the plane,” Tim said. He got up.

Ty waved him back down. “Let him come. His girl is doing okay.”

Tim’s voice was barely a whisper as he spoke. “You don’t know this kid. He’s a nut. He almost shot Cedric, and I don’t think he’s very smart.”

The whine of the motorcycle wavered as the wind shifted outside. Tim heard it downshift and then accelerate again.

“You want to go stay in my room for a while?” Ty asked Cedric. The dog’s ears were perked to the motorcycle, but he wagged his tail.

“Yes, that’s a good idea. Do you have any guns or anything?”

Ty stood and gave the dog a wave with his fingers. Cedric followed him. Tim followed as well. He was curious about where Ty lived in the hospital, but he mostly just didn’t want to be alone.

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Ty settled Cedric on top of his bed and tucked a teddy bear between the dog’s paws. Cedric rested his head down on the bear. Tim looked around the room. It had once been the office of a doctor, or an administrator. The photos on the wall showed a middle aged woman who always wore a big smile, and had big bags under her eyes. The room had no windows to the outside, and the window that looked out to the hallway was taped up with newspaper. Ty lit a candle when they entered, and its glow made the room cozy.