Invasion

12

Maya opened her eyes, unsure of what had woken her. She rolled onto her back, her vision blurry as she stared at the ceiling. Then she heard a faint shriek from the basement and remembered that she’d dragged Cameron down there and locked the door. As a single mom and the sole protector of her own house, even the slightest noise would pull her out of a deep sleep.

She had resisted the urge to tear the house apart in the hopes of finding Gerald’s note, but there was no guarantee it was there anyway—or that he’d written anything. Cameron could have been lying about all of that. Besides, Maya’s body had refused to cooperate. She’d had to rest, even if that meant catching a few hours on Gerald’s couch.

After stretching her arms and cracking her neck, Maya walked into the kitchen and turned on the light. She poured herself a glass of water, then opened the refrigerator. She scoffed when she saw three beer bottles, a half-finished carton of Chinese food, and a hunk of some unidentified cheese that probably wasn’t supposed to have fuzzy mold growing on the edges.

“And he wonders why I don’t want the kids staying here.”

Maya grabbed a beer, shaking her head.

“Of course. Bud Light.”

She popped off the cap and took a swig. Light beer tasted like piss compared to what she drank. Maya didn’t trust a beer she could see through—something she’d heard her father say numerous times growing up when they’d be out in the yard working on his Chevy Nova together. But the cold brew would have to do for now as she listened to Cameron yelling in the basement.

“Good morning, sweetheart.”

Maya looked at the kitchen’s ceiling fan as she took another swig, closing her eyes and devouring the sudsy, liquid breakfast. Then she opened her eyes up, belched, and looked at the door leading down to the basement.

From the bottom of the steps, wedged between the washer and dryer, Cameron continued to kick and scream. Maya had locked her down there, dragging the woman’s limp body down the stairs and tying her up before she’d gotten a chance to come around. The laundry area reeked of mold and bleach with a constant drip of water coming from the darkened corners of the basement. It had to be twenty degrees colder down there. Maya hadn’t been trying to knock Cameron out, but it hadn’t been her fault the chick had a glass jaw. For a moment, Maya felt guilty for locking her in the dungeon of a basement. For a moment.

Before crashing on the couch, Maya had done a quick search looking for the note Gerald had left for Cameron. But she’d come up empty. Maya had rifled through Cameron’s pockets and upended the trash cans sitting in the driveway. Nothing.

As the woman continued to curse in the basement, Maya rubbed her head, trying to block out the noise so that she could think. Cameron may have been immature and trashy, but she wasn’t a pushover. Even after Maya had decked her, the woman still wasn’t going to give in—she was down there launching insults and threats at Maya, not crying or begging to be untied. Maya knew a little about the woman’s past, including how her father had beaten her and sexually abused her, and even about how she’d had an abortion and a miscarriage from previous relationships. In some strange way, she’d admired Gerald for putting up with the woman’s bullshit and caring enough to maybe help her live a stable life. Then again, it could have simply been her nice rack.

“Damn it.” Maya had to face the reality of the situation. Gerald’s little girlfriend knew where he was, and she was the only way Maya was going to find Laura and Aiden.

“Bitch! Let me out of here right now!”

Maya finished emptying the beer bottle, staring at it for a minute before slamming it down on the floor so that it shattered into pieces. Then she eyed a glass of water on the counter, grabbing it before she walked to the basement door.