Whispers in the Mist by Darcy Coates

Author:Darcy Coates [Coates, Darcy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Owl Books

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Water leaked through the shopping mall’s broken doors, gradually spreading in a pool across the tile floor. The wind continued to funnel bursts of rain against the walls. The skylights lit up with frequent bursts of lightning. The building didn’t feel quite right when it was empty; echoes bounced through the vacant stores in strange patterns.

Despite the environment, Clare actually felt cosy. She, Dorran, and Beth sat near the minibus on their foldable camping chairs. Beth had found a new tank of gas in the camping shop, which meant they could warm their food and themselves. Clare, swaddled in a quilt and with a towel wrapped around her wet hair, was snug and warm.

Dorran placed his empty bowl aside and picked up a mug of tea from the floor beside him. “It’s nice to not have to worry about watching our backs. At least for a moment.”

“Mm.” Beth, arms folded and feet kicked out towards the heater, watched the skylights above them. “It’s almost tempting to stay a while longer. But we’re playing with bought time. Life will start filtering back into the area, especially since the soot is being washed away.”

“How long do you think that will take?” Clare asked.

Beth shrugged. “Another day? Two? I suspect the humans will come in first, looking for supplies, like we did. The crawlers won’t have any interest in the area as long as it’s barren and doesn’t provide much cover, but if they think they can find some food here, they’ll be back pretty quickly.”

Clare sipped from her mug. “Even if it’s just temporary, it’s still nice.”

“And we should make the most of it,” Beth added. “The shopping centre might not be large, but it’s going to be valuable. We’ll strip the useful bits from the pharmacy first, then take a look at what’s in the other stores that we can fit into the bus.”

“We have enough antibiotics, though,” Clare said. “We could grab a couple of extra boxes of painkillers, but we shouldn’t need much else from the pharmacy, should we?”

“We won’t need it, but we’ll still take it. Inhalers, blood pressure medication, anti-seizure medication. Those things will be hard to come by in the outside world.”

Clare exchanged a look with Dorran. His eyebrows had lowered a fraction, not enough to break the peace about his features but enough to tell her this new direction wasn’t sitting well with him either.

“But…” Clare adjusted her grip around her mug, speaking carefully. “The thanites should have made most of that unnecessary. Right?”

“Think, Clare. We’re the only people who know about the thanites right now. And even if other people hear about them, there will always be a group that doesn’t believe it or prefers to err on the side of caution. They might not need their old medication any longer, but they’ll still buy it. One inhaler might be enough to get you a jug of fuel or three days of food or shelter, depending on how desperate people are. We’d be fools not to take as much as we can.

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