She went back into the kitchen and locked the door. Bill was opening the refrigerator. He pulled out a gallon of milk and set it on the counter. She smiled at him. “How about a grilled cheese to go with that?”

“Yes, please.”

As she lifted her frying pan from the overhead rack, she gave the yard one more glance. Was there something out there? She thought of the notes under her mattress.

Could it be Nathan? She didn’t think he’d take the risk of coming into town, especially in daylight. So who was it? Who was helping Nathan?

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER EIGHT

Kevin lifted his head. It weighed about a thousand pounds, and his neck felt like cooked penne. His mouth had never been so dry. His lips stuck together.

What happened?

He felt like he had the worst hangover in his life.

And the flu. Avian flu.

He opened his eyes and squinted in the dim light. His eyes focused. Over his head was solid wood. Evenly spaced four-by-fours comprised the sides of his prison. Bars? Shock sent adrenaline chugging through his system. He was in a cage.

An image flashed in his mind. A man. Blond and thin. Pointing something at him. Oh, no.

Hunter!

Kevin turned his head. A small body was curled behind him. He tried to push to his hands and knees but collapsed. His chin struck the ground. Ow. Letting the waves of pain clear his head, he belly-crawled forward and placed a hand on his son’s chest. An agonizing few seconds of stillness preceded the shallow rise and fall of Hunter’s ribcage.

Relief rushed through Kevin with dizzying speed. Nausea followed. He rested his forehead on his son’s arm. Several deep breaths passed before he was able to lift his head again to scan their surroundings. The cage that housed them was only about four feet high. Kevin would be able to sit up but not stand. The enclosure sat in the middle of an old, dirt-floored barn. The building was two stories tall. In Kevin’s half, the space was unobstructed from floor to roof; a loft divided the remainder. The barn doors opposite him were closed. High up on the opposite wall, a few sunbeams poked through broken boards. Dust floated in the skinny rays of light.

Kevin squinted into the shadows. A tractor hunkered in the corner. An ATV and a small boat on a trailer sat next to it. Rusted tools hung on the wall. A pile of lumber and some odd objects occupied the area under the loft. A birdcage-like head decorated with a carved mouth, nose, and eyes. Two long and thin branches bent like arms. Strewn on the dirt floor, they looked like giant snowman parts after the thaw. But he didn’t see the blond man or anyone else. His ear strained for sounds of human occupation, but none came, except a soft snore from Hunter.

Thank God.