Page 117 of Bound in Ashes

And knowing Jack like I did, I didn’t have to struggle to imagine.

I reached for his hand, grazed my fingers against his wrist, but then pulled away when he glanced over at me.

His eyes, which were flat, almost dead just seconds before, flashed.

I dropped my hand at my side, then stepped up, putting myself between Jack and the sheriff.

“So things have gotten worse out there?” I asked.

“Indeed they have. Ran into some trouble, thought you folks might be able to help like I said,” the sheriff said.

He glanced between me and Jack, but I knew he was intensely aware of everything happening.

He confirmed as much when he nodded at the fence that Jack had almost finished.

“Closing up the farm?” he said.

“Just trying to be as safe as we can,” I said.

“Could just come to town,” he said.

“What happened out there?” I asked.

I didn’t believe that Hayes had missed my deflection, and he looked at me for a moment, just wanting me to know that he indeed hadn’t, but then started to pace.

The dark blue truck that was parked next to his had a tarp over it.

Hayes pulled it back, and it was then the low groan emitted from the back.

“You can walk?” the sheriff said.

I tilted my head, then stepped forward.

Jack’s hand at my waist stilled me, and I glanced over at him.

He wasn’t looking at me, but the pressure of his fingers communicated his message clearly.

And for once, I didn’t want to argue, so I stayed silent as Jack got closer to the truck.

One of the other men—I didn’t know his name and didn’t care to even attempt to learn it—pulled open the tailgate of the truck.

“Come on out,” he said.

The other man—more like a boy, really—nineteen, maybe twenty, rolled over, then slid, landing on the ground with a soft thud.

He was covered in sweat, even though it was a relatively cool day and he was only wearing a white T-shirt, one that was stained with blood, and that all-too-familiar black goo.

“Scotty here managed to get himself bit,” the sheriff said.

“Sheriff, I…”

“Hush up, Scotty. Save your strength,” the sheriff said.

He may as well have been asking for extra creamers for his coffee as concerned as he sounded.

“You got all this open space here, figured it’d probably be better for Scotty not to be out on the road,” the sheriff said.

“We can’t take anyone in,” Jack said.