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studying the area. It smelled stale, like an old bookstore. Besides the inch of dust that covered everything, it was clean. No blood, no deadhead stench. I’d noticed before coming inside there were windows above where we stood now. From that I assumed there was an upstairs to this place. Most likely Mr. and/or Mrs. Hartley had lived above their store.
    Gus and I made our way through the aisles and towards the back of the store. Mia relieved the shelves behind the counter of all the rifle ammunition. I snapped my fingers at Zack and Nancy to quiet them when I noticed the back door was ajar. They followed my eyes and immediately crossed the store. I nudged the door open with my boot and raised my pistol. Nothing but an empty staircase. We listened for any noise from above but heard nothing. I tapped Gus on the top of his head to get his attention, motioning for him to ‘stay’ when he looked up at me. I jerked my chin towards Mia, signaling Zack to snap his fingers once to get her attention. After a few hand movements from him, she stopped what she was doing, leapt over the counter, and joined us by the back door.
    “Ready?”
    Jake was here somewhere, and I was pretty sure he was upstairs, but I had no idea if something had ambushed him or worse. With a nod from the others, I stepped through the door and started up, my hands gripped tightly around my gun. Gus stayed in the doorway as I’d instructed, even though I knew it was a struggle for him not to follow. I just couldn’t take the chance of him running into something that bit back.
    I kept my eyes glued ahead and above me, watching for anything that might jump out of the darkness. There was light at the top of the stairs, and as we drew near we noticed the door to the apartment was open as well. Wide open. The last rays of sunlight were shining in through the windows and casting down the top few steps. I motioned for the others to stop at the top, then tilted my head and listened for any noise. Still nothing. I pointed Mia over to the opposite side of the door frame from where I stood, then signaled Zack to step inside as she and I covered him.
    “What the hell is going on?” Mia asked.
    The room was empty.
    Everything looked as it should in any living room. No mess, no blood, no signs of a struggle. Just an empty beer can on the coffee table next to a half-eaten plate of what I can only assume had been spaghetti once upon a time. Nancy came in behind and moved past us into the adjoining kitchen. After a quick glance around she shrugged her shoulders and jerked her thumb behind her, toward what was probably the bedroom or bathroom. I caught Zack’s eye, then moved toward the closed door. Mia and Nancy stood back in the kitchen with their guns raised. Zack grabbed the doorknob, gave it a twist, and threw it open. I thrust my gun into the empty space and took two steps inside.
    “Goddamnit, Jake.” I let out the breath I’d been holding and quickly lowered my weapon.
    Zack muttered something along those same lines as he came in behind me. I blew out another breath, forcing out my pent-up fear and anxiety, and planted my hands on my hips. Zack let out a small chuckle beside me, then went back out to the kitchen to inform the others we had found Jake.
    Sound asleep on the bed, with his boots on.
     
    * * *
     
    “Hey man, what are you doing up?” Mia whispered to Jake, who was standing as still as a statue by the living room window, his arms crossed, his eyebrows lowered and his mouth frowning. He didn’t answer her, or even look in her direction.
    Mia tiptoed around the pull-out sofa-bed that Zack and Kasey were sleeping on. “You okay?” She laid her hand on his upper arm. Only then did he turn to look at her, his eyes sleepy and slightly puffy.
    “Not really.”
    They looked at each other for a moment, knowing there was more to be said, not wanting to wake the two cuddled tightly together in the bed next to them. Mia curled her index finger close to