Page 81 of Come Fill Me

“I don’t know. I didn’t hear her. Maybe she’s not here.”

“She drove that vehicle to get to this stronghold,” Zeke said, pointing. “So where is she?”

Her father turned to the building. “She must still be inside.”

And Carreon left her there while he was trying to flee? OhGod.

“Where?” Zeke shouted. “Take me to her.Please.”

The doctor took a step and winced at his weight on his right ankle. “You’ll have to help me.”

“Can’t you heal yourself?”

“No. It doesn’t work that way.”

With his arm around the man’s waist, Zeke led him into the foyer. There, Dr. Munez held back.

“What?” Zeke said.

“I don’t know where she is. There are dozens of rooms here, not counting the hidden ones.”

“Where would Carreon have been hiding?”

The older man glanced at one of the halls. “His safe room’s down there.”

“Liz,” Zeke kept shouting as he helped Dr. Munez through hall after hall toward it. “Liz, it’s Zeke. Your father’s with me. He’s all right!”

The air-conditioning hummed. A clock chimed. She didn’t respond.

“The door might be shut,” Dr. Munez panted. “If it is, she might not be able to hear any—”

He stopped. The door was open. Liz lay on her side near the fireplace, her face purplish from lack of air, dark bruises on her throat.

A roar of pain rushed from Zeke. Leaving her father, he dropped to his knees at Liz’s side, pulling her into his arms.

She was limp. He pressed his fingers to her throat, searching for a pulse, not finding one.

No. Goddammit no. He couldn’t be too late. His vision couldn’t have come true. He wouldn’t accept that she was gone.

Zeke cradled her lifeless body to him, trying to make her respond. He kissed her cheek and brushed his lips over hers, wanting her back, yearning for what he couldn’t have.

Her father touched his shoulder.

“Go away!” Zeke shouted then cried, “Leave us alone.”

“Put her down.”

“No.” Zeke held her even tighter.

On a pained grunt, Dr. Munez sank to his knees. “Do as I say.”

“Why? You think I wanted this to happen? I love her.” He pulled in a strained breath and whispered, “I would have died for her.”

“Then please, put her down. Let me do what I must.”

And what was that? Say a few words in the hope of easing her journey to the other side? Zeke wanted to scream that it was superstitious nonsense. All that mattered was life. A chance to breathe. To live. Love. Everything Carreon had taken from her.

“There’s nothing you can do,” Munez said.

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