a moment, then I heard my sister. "Priya, is that you again? I told you to stay upstairs."
" It's me, sis," I called back. "Let me out."
" Oh, hey! Just a second." I heard the sound of a key turning in the lock and the door opened. Skye yanked me into a quick hug, then pulled me into the office where she and Elly had been speaking. "Man, am I ever glad to see you up and about again. I've been so worried."
" Sorry about that," I answered sheepishly. "I'm feeling a bit better now. How's your head doing?"
" Better. Doc says that it wasn't too bad, all things considered." Skye chuckled and shook her head. "Look at us. We're like concussion twins or something."
" I'm pretty sure that's not actually a thing, but I know what you mean." I grinned at her, then looked back and forth between the two women. "So, how are we situated? It's about to get dark, and those things could get here any moment if they decide to come back this way."
" There's no sign of them at the moment, but we've got Michael and his boys on guard duty anyway," Skye explained, then she grabbed my hand and led me out of the office. When she opened the door, I was surprised to see that the lower level of the old store had been cleaned up, and all the old trash removed. In its place, supplies had been stored in neat piles.
" Wow, you guys have been hard at work," I commented, impressed. "This has to be just about everything we had in the motel. Good job."
" Almost," she agreed, nodding. "We still have a bit more to retrieve, but we should be finished tomorrow morning. We've also sent Zain and Ropata out in the Hilux to look for cars and trailers that we can salvage. If we're going to be leaving, then we'll need transport."
" Do they know what they're looking for?" I asked curiously, shooting a glance at Elly. To my surprise, she laughed.
" I would hope so," she said dryly. "I do not know about the other man, but my husband was an automotive engineer for twelve years before the plague, if you include his apprenticeship. We were only travelling on foot because we ran out of petrol, and couldn't find any more. Skylar says that you have fuel, so there is no problem."
" You mean we actually have someone who knows what they're doing now?" I stared at them wide-eyed for a second, then let out a whoop of delight. "Finally! I don't know how to tell you guys this, but I've just been faking it the whole time."
" Faking it, huh?" Skylar gave me a long, sideways look, followed up by a wicked smile. "That's the only thing you've been faking though, right?"
" Eh?" I stared at her, my joviality replaced by confusion. "What do you mean by that?"
" I mean, you're not faking it for Michael, are you?" she answered in a gleeful, sing-song voice, then danced over and threaded her arm through mine. "So, when were you planning to tell me, huh? I'm your sister; it's not nice to keep secrets from your sister."
" Whoa, suddenly this conversation has gone into uncomfortable places!" I exclaimed, holding up my free hand in self-defence. "What the hell are you talking about, Skye? You already know about me and Michael."
" Yeah, but you didn't tell me about… this!" She snatched the chain that held my engagement ring out from beneath my shirt before I could hope to stop her. "We had to undress you while you were unconscious. Did you think you could keep that hidden forever?"
" Oh, that." Embarrassed, I tugged the ring back out of her grip and shoved it back under my shirt. "I was going to tell you eventually, but we've been a little busy, you know? It only happened a week ago, while we were away, and it's not a full-on engagement. Just sort of a… promise. Michael gave it to me so I'd have something to show for our relationship if anything ever happened to him."
" Awww, how sweet," Skye crooned. Behind her, Elly giggled girlishly, a sound that seemed far too young to be coming from a
" It's me, sis," I called back. "Let me out."
" Oh, hey! Just a second." I heard the sound of a key turning in the lock and the door opened. Skye yanked me into a quick hug, then pulled me into the office where she and Elly had been speaking. "Man, am I ever glad to see you up and about again. I've been so worried."
" Sorry about that," I answered sheepishly. "I'm feeling a bit better now. How's your head doing?"
" Better. Doc says that it wasn't too bad, all things considered." Skye chuckled and shook her head. "Look at us. We're like concussion twins or something."
" I'm pretty sure that's not actually a thing, but I know what you mean." I grinned at her, then looked back and forth between the two women. "So, how are we situated? It's about to get dark, and those things could get here any moment if they decide to come back this way."
" There's no sign of them at the moment, but we've got Michael and his boys on guard duty anyway," Skye explained, then she grabbed my hand and led me out of the office. When she opened the door, I was surprised to see that the lower level of the old store had been cleaned up, and all the old trash removed. In its place, supplies had been stored in neat piles.
" Wow, you guys have been hard at work," I commented, impressed. "This has to be just about everything we had in the motel. Good job."
" Almost," she agreed, nodding. "We still have a bit more to retrieve, but we should be finished tomorrow morning. We've also sent Zain and Ropata out in the Hilux to look for cars and trailers that we can salvage. If we're going to be leaving, then we'll need transport."
" Do they know what they're looking for?" I asked curiously, shooting a glance at Elly. To my surprise, she laughed.
" I would hope so," she said dryly. "I do not know about the other man, but my husband was an automotive engineer for twelve years before the plague, if you include his apprenticeship. We were only travelling on foot because we ran out of petrol, and couldn't find any more. Skylar says that you have fuel, so there is no problem."
" You mean we actually have someone who knows what they're doing now?" I stared at them wide-eyed for a second, then let out a whoop of delight. "Finally! I don't know how to tell you guys this, but I've just been faking it the whole time."
" Faking it, huh?" Skylar gave me a long, sideways look, followed up by a wicked smile. "That's the only thing you've been faking though, right?"
" Eh?" I stared at her, my joviality replaced by confusion. "What do you mean by that?"
" I mean, you're not faking it for Michael, are you?" she answered in a gleeful, sing-song voice, then danced over and threaded her arm through mine. "So, when were you planning to tell me, huh? I'm your sister; it's not nice to keep secrets from your sister."
" Whoa, suddenly this conversation has gone into uncomfortable places!" I exclaimed, holding up my free hand in self-defence. "What the hell are you talking about, Skye? You already know about me and Michael."
" Yeah, but you didn't tell me about… this!" She snatched the chain that held my engagement ring out from beneath my shirt before I could hope to stop her. "We had to undress you while you were unconscious. Did you think you could keep that hidden forever?"
" Oh, that." Embarrassed, I tugged the ring back out of her grip and shoved it back under my shirt. "I was going to tell you eventually, but we've been a little busy, you know? It only happened a week ago, while we were away, and it's not a full-on engagement. Just sort of a… promise. Michael gave it to me so I'd have something to show for our relationship if anything ever happened to him."
" Awww, how sweet," Skye crooned. Behind her, Elly giggled girlishly, a sound that seemed far too young to be coming from a
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