in the mirror. His hair was dark and disheveled, his eyes brown and piercing.
"If I'm hurt, I certainly don't feel it," he added with a smile.
Her body surged with relief. Somehow they'd gotten out of the situation intact. Not only her and John, but this man, as well.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Tim. Tim Keller."
"I'm Meredith, and this is John."
"John and I introduced ourselves in the factory building," he said. "I owe you my life. If you hadn't come, I'd have been stuck up there forever."
"Are you from Settler's Creek?" Meredith asked. She didn't recognize him.
"No," Tim replied. "I'm from Texas. I hit the road shortly after all this shit happened. I've been trapped in that factory building for days. When I heard screaming, I went up to the roof to see what was going on, but by the time I got there…that poor girl was already getting ripped apart."
The man wiped his eyes.
"There was nothing you could've done," Meredith said. "Nothing any of us could've done."
"If I'd gone to the street instead of the roof…"
"Don't blame yourself. There's no way you could've been prepared for this. No way any of us could. You wouldn't have been able to fight all of them."
The words brought tears to Meredith's eyes. The guilt the man was feeling was the same thing she'd struggled with since Julie's death. Although she was grateful to have been reunited with Dan and Quinn, the loss of her only sister gnawed at her soul, tearing away a piece at a time. Her life had become an endless game of what if s and should haves , and she didn't know if she'd ever rid herself of the blame.
"Are you folks alone?" Tim asked.
"No," Meredith replied. She paused, sizing the man up. Although she was hesitant to trust anyone , he seemed nice enough. "We're staying with my brother-in-law and my niece at a house outside town."
"At least you all ended up together."
"They came from Arizona," Meredith clarified. "My sister lived there, too, but she was infected. She didn't survive."
Tim nodded gravely.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I lost my entire family in this thing. I think we'll all have lost someone before this is done."
Chapter Nine
Dan was still at the back window when he heard a car coming up the driveway. Meredith and John. Relief overtook him, and he wiped his brow. A few minutes prior, he'd heard Quinn stirring.
"Quinn? You awake?"
He heard her muffled response from the bedroom as he walked to the living room. He peered out between the boards. The SUV was parked in the driveway. He squinted as he tried to identify the forms through the windshield.
To his surprise, Meredith and John weren't the only occupants.
A man he didn't recognize was in the backseat. Was it one of Meredith's friends from town? He watched as the three of them departed the vehicle. From what he could tell, the occupants were uninjured. Thank God.
"Daddy?"
Dan looked away from the window to find his daughter padding into the living room. She rubbed her eyes. Her hair was tangled and she looked more rested than before, although to his worried ear, she still sounded slightly out of breath.
"Is Aunt Meredith back?"
"Yes, honey. She made it. And she looks fine. I'm going to go outside and meet them. Why don't you stay here?"
The little girl nodded. He made his way to the rear door, removed the barricade, and opened it. He stepped outside.
The three SUV occupants came around the corner—Meredith, then John, then the stranger. Meredith and John were still carrying the weapons they'd left with, but the new man was unarmed.
"We made it," Meredith said, the relief on her face apparent.
"And we got what we needed. At least, I think we did." John reached into his pocket, pulling out several inhalers and refill canisters. He handed them to Dan.
Dan nodded. "This is perfect. Thanks. I'm going to give Quinn a dose when we get inside. Who's this?"
The man with dark hair gave him a nod. "I'm Tim Keller. Meredith and John saved my life."
"Are you from
"If I'm hurt, I certainly don't feel it," he added with a smile.
Her body surged with relief. Somehow they'd gotten out of the situation intact. Not only her and John, but this man, as well.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Tim. Tim Keller."
"I'm Meredith, and this is John."
"John and I introduced ourselves in the factory building," he said. "I owe you my life. If you hadn't come, I'd have been stuck up there forever."
"Are you from Settler's Creek?" Meredith asked. She didn't recognize him.
"No," Tim replied. "I'm from Texas. I hit the road shortly after all this shit happened. I've been trapped in that factory building for days. When I heard screaming, I went up to the roof to see what was going on, but by the time I got there…that poor girl was already getting ripped apart."
The man wiped his eyes.
"There was nothing you could've done," Meredith said. "Nothing any of us could've done."
"If I'd gone to the street instead of the roof…"
"Don't blame yourself. There's no way you could've been prepared for this. No way any of us could. You wouldn't have been able to fight all of them."
The words brought tears to Meredith's eyes. The guilt the man was feeling was the same thing she'd struggled with since Julie's death. Although she was grateful to have been reunited with Dan and Quinn, the loss of her only sister gnawed at her soul, tearing away a piece at a time. Her life had become an endless game of what if s and should haves , and she didn't know if she'd ever rid herself of the blame.
"Are you folks alone?" Tim asked.
"No," Meredith replied. She paused, sizing the man up. Although she was hesitant to trust anyone , he seemed nice enough. "We're staying with my brother-in-law and my niece at a house outside town."
"At least you all ended up together."
"They came from Arizona," Meredith clarified. "My sister lived there, too, but she was infected. She didn't survive."
Tim nodded gravely.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I lost my entire family in this thing. I think we'll all have lost someone before this is done."
Chapter Nine
Dan was still at the back window when he heard a car coming up the driveway. Meredith and John. Relief overtook him, and he wiped his brow. A few minutes prior, he'd heard Quinn stirring.
"Quinn? You awake?"
He heard her muffled response from the bedroom as he walked to the living room. He peered out between the boards. The SUV was parked in the driveway. He squinted as he tried to identify the forms through the windshield.
To his surprise, Meredith and John weren't the only occupants.
A man he didn't recognize was in the backseat. Was it one of Meredith's friends from town? He watched as the three of them departed the vehicle. From what he could tell, the occupants were uninjured. Thank God.
"Daddy?"
Dan looked away from the window to find his daughter padding into the living room. She rubbed her eyes. Her hair was tangled and she looked more rested than before, although to his worried ear, she still sounded slightly out of breath.
"Is Aunt Meredith back?"
"Yes, honey. She made it. And she looks fine. I'm going to go outside and meet them. Why don't you stay here?"
The little girl nodded. He made his way to the rear door, removed the barricade, and opened it. He stepped outside.
The three SUV occupants came around the corner—Meredith, then John, then the stranger. Meredith and John were still carrying the weapons they'd left with, but the new man was unarmed.
"We made it," Meredith said, the relief on her face apparent.
"And we got what we needed. At least, I think we did." John reached into his pocket, pulling out several inhalers and refill canisters. He handed them to Dan.
Dan nodded. "This is perfect. Thanks. I'm going to give Quinn a dose when we get inside. Who's this?"
The man with dark hair gave him a nod. "I'm Tim Keller. Meredith and John saved my life."
"Are you from
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