Necrocide

Chapter 44

THREE YEARS BEFORE THE OUTBREAK...

Aaron sat outside the Hecoxes' bedroom, curled up into a ball against the wall next to their door. The sun was finishing its descent, and the sky was a dim orange, like a dying ember. The world beyond the window was the one thing Aaron tried to focus on to distract himself from the loud arguments occurring on the other side of the bedroom door. He had never seen Mr. and Mrs. Hecox this angry at each other before.

But one thing he noticed about this argument was the fact that they weren't mad because the stuff he and Nika found was a secret kept from everyone. Mrs. Hecox was mad her husband didn't tell the kids sooner.

"How the hell am I supposed to tell our children I have enough weapons to destroy the British Parliament?!" Mr. Hecox shouted. "I look like a terrorist, not a caretaker!"

"And that's the problem, Roderick," Mrs. Hecox replied. "You're making yourself look too suspicious! Show them that you would use these for the greater good! That this is for stopping enemies, not making them."

"They're kids, Agatha. They've never witnessed acts of violence before, and I pray they never do. But they still don't understand the purpose of weapons aside from destroying. And that it's not the gun that kills, but the person holding it."

"Then we can teach them that those kinds of manmade creations only belong in the right hands. Those who know the difference between their allies and their enemies."

"And whose hands would those be? I've already proven who shouldn't be wielding them."

"Aaron?" Jonah whispered from the corner of the hall. "What are you doing, bruv?"

"In trouble," Aaron replied, slouching his head.

Jonah trudged his way toward Aaron. "I don't think so. Did they even mention anything about you and Nika during their little kerfuffle?"

"Not directly. But they have been referencing us as 'the children' a couple of times."

Jonah slid down to the floor beside Aaron. "But does it sound like they're mad at you?"

Aaron shrugged. "I don't know. At this rate, they're just mad at everything in general. In fact, I bet Mr. Hecox is angrier at himself than at us."

Jonah leaned his head against the wall. "What about you, bruv? You don't think you're responsible for any of this, do you?"

"Of course I do. I just wish Nika would realize that. She was crying earlier because she thinks it's all her fault. I hate it when she feels guilty for actions she didn't commit."

"I think Natalya hates you now because of that," Jonah chuckled. "Sorry. The thought just popped into my head all of a sudden."

Aaron's focus returned to the Hecoxes. "Maybe we should tell them now," he heard Mrs. Hecox say.

"Should we gather them up in the foyer?" Mr. Hecox asked. "I mean we legally own those weapons, but it would be pretty uncomfortable to talk about guns out in the open while surrounded by children."

"Definitely the foyer. As long as we settle things down."

Aaron could hear the sound of their footsteps approaching the door. He and Jonah jumped to their feet, too scared to move.

"They're gonna kill us!" Jonah whispered. "And this time, for real now that we know about their guns!"

"No, Jonah," Aaron replied. "They're gonna kill me."