Page 6 of Dark Fey Captive

Females loved food.

CHAPTER THREE

ARENA

I came to slowly, climbing out of the fog one sensation at a time. My ass was no longer trying to leave the seat with each bounce of the boat over the waves. The rope Lettie had tied around my waist was still holding me in place, though.

Being tied to something that would sink just as fast as I could without a life jacket wasn’t reassuring. At least the wind wasn’t still whipping past us now. The boat’s engine was a soft hum rather than a roar.

“How are you feeling?” Lettie asked quietly when I lifted my head without opening my eyes.

Taking her cue that it was safe to speak, I said, “Okay. Better if you tell me we’re docked.”

“We’re close to shore,” Gwen said softly. “So far, Lynn says it’s clear. We want to keep it that way.”

I nodded. “How long did I last?”

“Not long,” Lettie said.

I didn’t remember much after the bouncing started and she’d tied me to the seat, so that tracked.

Lettie patted my shoulder, staying close to whisper the plan in my ear as we approached the dock. They wouldn’t tie off. It was too dangerous. She and Lynn would stay with the boat while Gwen and I went ashore.

It made sense. Lynn wasn’t in the right headspace to go ashore, and Lettie was too nervous for it. If things went badly, Lettie would ensure they escaped so they could come back for us later, according to the standard emergency plan.

“Okay. Open your eyes and say hello to a steady dock,” Lettie said softly, untying the rope and helping me out of my lifejacket.

I nodded and opened my eyes to see Lettie. Her light blonde hair teased her cheek as she held out a hand-drawn map of the town.

The details were impressive, even if they were somewhat incomplete. It was enough to know there was a pharmacy, circled for our convenience, not far from the marina, as well as a grocery store a little farther in. Down the road to the left, I saw two equipment stores, a car parts store, and on the outskirts, a supercenter. The pharmacy would get us what we needed as far as food and batteries went. That car parts store would be a battery jackpot for the trade station, though.

“We’ll be watching for your pickup signal,” Lettie said.

Standing, I turned toward Gwen, who was watching me closely, reading me like she did newcomers.

Signaling that I was fine, I held out my hand for a spare backpack, then followed her off the boat. The tightness in my chest evaporated as soon as I was on solid ground, but not my tension.

I moved quietly down the dock, glancing at the few boats still there, remnants from before the first wave of infection swept the United States. It wasn’t a good sign that they were still there. Boats that worked were either taken as a backup or for parts…if scavengers could get to them. There had to be a reason they were still in the marina.

Nothing moved as we left the docks. No groans.

Was it because the sound of lapping water covered our soft steps or because nothing was around to hear us?

We followed the road up a hill. Near the top, Gwen glanced at the hotel to the right, but I knew we wouldn’t check it. The thicker blankets we’d find inside, although very needed, weren’t worth facing the trapped infected and suffocating smell of death we’d find.

Stores were different.

We could wear more clothes to go to bed to stay warm. Food, though, wasn’t something we could go without.

Batteries either.

As we started to crest the hill, we slowed at the sight of the double-lane four-way intersection that wouldn’t give us any cover. I followed Gwen as she moved closer to the hotel and the decorative grass that swayed in the wind. The cover would help prevent us from being spotted as we considered the area.

The pharmacy waited across the intersection, just like the map had indicated. To our right was the hotel’s parking lot. A few cars were still there, waiting for owners who would never return. The intersection was empty. So was the pharmacy parking lot.

That didn’t give us many options for cover to get to where we needed to be.

We both scanned our surroundings, searching for movement and options. Gwen pointed toward the cars parked in front of the hotel. I nodded. It was the next logical step.