Neuroagent

Chapter Eight

When we pulled up to Erika's grandma's house, my heart broke a little bit. There was blood on the front porch and the door was wide open. I got out of the van and made my way to the front door, unsheathing my katana.

Cautiously, I made my way into the house with Jace on my trail. I scanned each room fast and moved on to the next. I had the downstairs sweeped and cleared within minutes and made my way upstairs. Everything was clear and I headed to the basement. As I opened the basement door, I sucked in a breath and said a silent prayer.

"I can go down alone and check if you'd like." Jace said softly.

"Thank you but no. I have to know." I said and walked down the stairs. I noticed off to the right, there was about five rotters. Before I could check them, I went to the room with the iron door and tried to open it but it was locked so I knocked three times, waited a second and knocked three more times.

"Erika?" I said.

The door unlocked and was yanked inward.

"Oh my gosh. Laurell!" She yelled as she threw her arms around my neck. "You came."

"I promised Gabe I would." I told her. "Where is he?"

"He went out for food." She told me.

"When?" I asked.

"Two days ago." She told me. "I went upstairs to get what my grandma had left in her kitchen and grabbed a knife; good thing too because somehow the front door was opened and biters followed me down to the basement."

"Two days!?" I said. "Shit. Where did he go?"

"To the grocery store next to the gas station. He said if he couldn't find anything there, he would check the houses." Erika told me.

"Okay." I said and walked into the room. My nieces and nephew were laying on a mattress that was laying on the floor, I walked over to them and gently shook them awake. "Caleb, Caitlyn, Rose. You all ready to go?"

"Auntie Lo?" Caleb said, waking up.

"Yes sweetie. Let's get you guys up and go find your daddy." I told them.

"Okay." He said.

"This is my friend Jace, he is going to help us. Okay?" I said.

"Okay." Caitlyn said.

"Come on." I said and picked Caleb up. He was the youngest of the three. He was only four, Caitlyn was the oldest, she was fifteen, Rose was the middle, she was nine.

"Do I have time to grab some things?" Erika asked me.

"Yes, we secured the house. The doors are all closed but not locked. How long will it take you?" I asked her.

"Twenty minutes at the most." She replied.

"Okay." I said and then said into my ear piece, "A, I've got Erika and the kids but Gabe isn't here."

"Where is he?" Aiden asked.

"Erika said he went out for food two days ago and never came back." I told him.

"You're talking to Aiden?" Erika asked.

"Yes." I said and turned my head and pointed at the ear piece, "Noah designed these ear pieces so we could communicate with each other while we are out on a run. Right now, Jace, Aiden, Myles and I are linked to home base; which is Noah and Ben."

"Alright." She said. "Twenty minutes. Caitlyn, Rose, is there anything you want to grab?"

"Yes mom." Caitlyn answered and grabbed her sister's hand.