Chapter 30
Wyatt grew more and more concerned the longer he drove. It wasn’t odd for some parts of Romania to be desolate instead of the hubbub of bigger cities. But something was going on. Groups of people were outside of stores, fighting to get in while some houses looked to be boarded up.
This was new. He glanced at Eden to find her sleeping.
They had changed cars twice now. Maks turned on the radio and found a station with a news brief.
All that was being talked about was some kind of virus spreading fast throughout Europe.
Apparently, it was something new that no known antibiotics or antivirals could handle.
In fact, several hundred people had already died from it.
His thoughts immediately went to the Saints. This was exactly something they would do. They had wanted to unleash Ragnarok upon the world. He couldn’t get many facts, like where the virus had started, if any medical officials knew where it had come from, or how quickly it was spreading.
He kept the radio volume down as he continued listening. Every twenty minutes or so there was a new update, and each time the number of individuals who were showing symptoms of the disease increased. It wasn’t until he heard that it began in Germany that he grew more concerned than before.
Maks took in mention of the symptoms. He did a scan of his body both mentally and physically to see if he had any of them. Then he looked at Eden. He couldn’t see anything with his eyes, but he’d ask her once she woke.
If the chaos was happening in the small villages, he could only imagine how much worse it would be in the cities.
Unfortunately, that’s where they needed to go for the secure internet.
But did he want to chance either of their lives?
They’d been doing that from the moment they set out to destroy the Saints.
It didn’t matter if it was a bullet or a virus, the Saints were gunning for them.
“So be it,” Maks murmured and continued driving.
They were forty minutes outside of Oradea when Eden woke. She stretched and covered her mouth when she yawned. Her hazel eyes sought him as she smiled. “I needed that, apparently.”
“It’s all that sex you wanted.”
She laughed. “It had nothing to do with you keeping me up to have sex.”
He smiled at the easy way they joked. “All right. You win. I’ll take half the blame.”
“Actually, I’m pretty sure it was all me.” She reached over and touched his arm.
Little gestures like that always affected him deeply.
He was coming to seek out Eden’s touch. And he knew that the more he did it, the more he would fall for her.
Falling? He wasn’t fooling anyone. He had already fallen head over heels for her, and it didn’t matter when.
It had happened without him even knowing it.
Not that he could’ve stopped it had he wanted to.
And he didn’t want to.
“You okay?” she asked, a tinge of worry in her voice.
Wyatt turned off the radio. “I noticed people acting weird.”
“Weird how?”
“Fighting to get groceries and drawing curtains closed.”
Eden’s brows drew together. “Like they were hiding from something.”
“Yeah. A flu-like virus, apparently. It began in Germany a few weeks ago. The death toll is what has gained everyone’s interest, as well as how fast it’s spreading.”
“And how fast is it spreading?”
He glanced at her. “Fast. Only the remotest of regions in Europe are unaffected. It’s gotten into Russia, Asia, and Africa. The first case in the States has also been reported.”
“These super flu bugs happen about every other year.” She shrugged. “That’s all this is, right?”
“Remember when I told you about Ragnarok?”
She nodded slowly, her face going pale. “You think this is the Saints.”
“With the rate this is moving through people and the death toll of those infected, it has all the earmarks of the Saints. And those other superbugs you spoke about? I know for a fact that the Saints were involved with one of them. My guess is that they had their hand in all of them. Testing them to see how quickly it could move.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” she said and turned her head to look out the window.
Maks sent her a worried glance. “Do I need to pull over?”
“No. I just…why is this happening? Why does this have to happen?” She looked at him then.
“Who the hell are these people that they think they can make decisions like this? They’re not God.
They can’t decide when it’s someone’s time to die, and they certainly don’t have the right to unleash some virus on the world and then sit back and watch as thousands perish. ”
Maks felt the pain in her words, her helplessness and anger.
He understood it all because they were the same emotions he felt within himself.
“Now more than ever, I’m positive the Saints need to be ended.
We’re going to find someplace to hide out.
You’ll get to work, and I’ll make sure we have food and anything else we need. ”
“You can’t go out there. You could get infected.”
“We might already be infected.”
She swallowed and took a deep breath. “What are the symptoms?”
He rattled them off as she said no to each one. “I’m fine, as well.”
“Good.”
The silence that filled the car was fraught with tension and agitation. When Maks reached the edges of the city, he noticed that there were few people on the streets. Those who were, had their arms laden with bags of food as they rushed home.
“Where are we going to stay?” Eden asked.
Maks had prepared for all kinds of eventualities, but not this one. How did one prepare for a pandemic? “I’ll find us something.”
They drove past stores where fights were breaking out over food, and authorities struggled to keep the peace. Restaurants were getting takeout orders faster than they could make the food. Visitors were desperately trying to get on trains, buses, and planes to get home.
“It has an apocalyptic feel to it,” Eden said in a small voice.
Maks had to agree with her. He drove around the city three times, searching for a place.
With the hysteria, he wanted to make sure he found the right spot.
He’d circled the block a few times, noting that one of the finer houses looked unoccupied.
He pulled the car to the side of the road and parked.
“Stay here. Keep the doors locked,” he told her.
Eden nodded, her eyes wide as she watched him.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Hurry,” she said.
Maks got out and closed the door. Immediately, there was a click as she locked it.
He smiled inwardly as he went to the sidewalk and walked back the way he’d come.
The guest house was yellow with a Spanish-style roof and a wrought iron fence.
He glanced around him to see if anyone was watching as he approached the gate.
It took little for him to pick the lock and open it.
Then he went up the path to the stairs. He climbed them and stood in front of the wooden door. A look into the glass on the door showed that no one was home. Once more, he picked the lock and opened the door.
Maks said hello in Romanian, but no one answered.
He quickly went from room to room and found it as deserted as he’d hoped.
He hurried back outside and went to the car.
In short order, he had his pack, and Eden stood beside him with hers.
He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her to number 27.
She said nothing as he closed the gate behind him, locking it. Only when they were inside, did she let out a sigh. “This is a nice place.”
“It’s a guest house, and the owner rents out rooms. I think we got lucky that no one was here.”
“How did you know about this place?”
“I keep my eye on a couple of houses in each country in case I need a place to hide out.”
“Like a safe house?”
He shrugged. “Something like that.”
“I’m guessing there’s no food.”
Maks walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. A peek in the cabinets showed there was little to nothing. “I’m going to have to get us some.”
“I don’t want you to go out.”
“I don’t want to either, but we have to eat. Trust me. I’ll be careful. Before I go anywhere, let’s get you set up.”
Eden chose one of the bedrooms where she could spread everything out. Once they had a secure connection, Maks waited until she set the gun beside her and gave him a nod. Then he leaned down and placed his lips on hers.
“Be safe,” she said.
He shot her a wink. “Always.”
“Maks,” she called when he turned away.
He paused and looked back at her. “Yes?”
“I… You better come back to me.”
“I will,” he promised.