Dead Awake: A Dorian Miller Novel by Gates Alex

Author:Gates, Alex
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-07-27T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty

The rainbow-colored flowers lining the flowerbed beneath the front broken window—which was now absent of anyone—rose toward the sun. They stood lively and perky, gently angling in rhythm with the afternoon’s warm, lazy breeze. The shards of glass lay interspersed between the flowers, mixing with the black bark spread throughout the bed as ground cover. Their exposed edges caught and reflected the sunlight in a dozen different directions. The barked beds shifted to green lawn. A large tree branched above the house’s high roof, budding yellow-green leaves in the late spring.

I padded across the grass, taking a direct route through the yard to the front door. The sprinklers must had recently finished their work, leaving the grass soggy and the cement wet. Staring at the closed front door, I nearly tripped on the two steps leading to the porch. Catching my balance, I instinctively turned to make sure Crystal hadn’t noticed my stumble. From where I stood, I could only see the trunk of the Civic. Refocusing on the task at hand—confronting the intruder within Rice’s house—I grabbed the handle and pushed the door open.

As I entered, a stinging regret for not having reloaded my pistol enveloped me. I froze for half a second, toying with the idea of returning to the Civic and reloading the magazine with rounds stashed in my glove box. The idea faded as quickly as it had sparked. I pushed forward, turning a sharp corner into the living room.

The woman from the window had retreated to the couch. She curled against the armrest, more or less in the same position as last night. Heather wore a denim miniskirt. Yellow underwear flashed me as she hugged her knees to her chest. From the way she sat with her profile to me, I noticed her braless chest beneath her white crop-top tank. I lifted my gaze to protect her decency. Her hair was tangled and unkempt, and the skin beneath her eyes was dark and weighted. Her eyes were bright red and gazing into a far-away world. She mumbled incoherently in a tone quieter than a whisper, the words barely tumbling off her tongue.

I stood beneath the archway between the entry and the living room. In her state of delirium or intoxication, I doubted she had noticed me. I knocked on the wall, alerting her to my presence.

Her heavy eyes labored upward. As they fell upon me, she shoved her thumb into her mouth, worked at the nail for a second, and then half-smiled at me. Her other thumb worked over a business card, most likely left by the unit Jones had sent there.

“Hi.” Her voice was brittle. “What… what—?” She trailed, returning her thumb to her teeth and chomping down.

“Can I come in?” I asked, standing in the archway.

Slowly, she nodded, not bothering to remove her thumb. I stepped into the room and glanced around, taking my time. I figured Heather was in no hurry. Why rush?

The golem and the zombies remained twice-dead now. Their rotted flesh reeked.

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