Chapter 8 : WHAT DOES ALEX KNOW

Sharon read the message.

AND ALEX KNOWS WHY.

She looked up slowly.

Alex was there, several feet away.

Watching her.

Not Michael, not Lisa.

Her.

"Sharon?" Alex said.

She walked towards him.

"What do you know?"

Alex's expression did not change.

"About what?"

"Play along with me."

She held up the phone.

Alex looked at the screen.

For the first time since arriving here, Sharon couldn't read his expression.

Michael inched closer.

"I told you something was wrong with him,"

Alex turned to glare at him.

"No one asked your opinion."

Michael stiffened as Sharon raised a hand.

"Alright,"

She studied Alex's face.

"Answer me."

He said nothing.

His silence was answer enough.

"I knew."

"I suspected."

"You knew."

"I suspected."

"It isn't the same?"

"It is."

Alex stepped closer.

"I don't know why they came here."

"What do you know?"

Alex looked back at the broken gate.

"They weren't behaving like normal."

Sharon furrowed her eyebrows.

"What aren't they doing?"

"They weren't chasing anyone,

Alex pointed to the woods.

Or following a route."

Sharon felt her heart pound in her chest.

She saw the horde again, how they had ignored the houses, the road leading to the resort, and followed them right into the inn.

Alex continued, "They must have been guided here."

Sharon's mind was racing.

"Can infected be directed?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know or you're lying?"

Alex's jaw clenched.

"I don't lie about things I don't understand."

"Then enlighten me."

He stared at her for a long moment before saying, "This outbreak isn't normal."

Sharon's hands gripped each other tighter around her chest.

"You've seen it too?"

"Of course,"

"When did you realize?"

Alex didn't answer.

Sharon took a step closer.

"When?"

"Before tonight."

"How long?"

"Two weeks."

Sharon felt as if she'd been struck.

"Two weeks?"

Alex nodded.

"When I began getting unusual reports of infection, fourteen days ago."

Sharon's expression changed.

It was impossible!

She hadn't been reborn for only six days.

How could he have known?

"How?"

Alex's eyes darkened.

"That's the question I've been asking myself."

Sharon suddenly understood what he was saying.

Alex hadn't just prepared himself for the end of days.

He'd prepared for it well before her death.

But why?

She eyed him warily.

"Did you know the world was ending?"

"No.

Did someone tell you?"

"No.

Then how did you know?"

Alex turned away.

"Because I know what happens when influential people withhold information."

Sharon didn't believe him.

Not entirely.

But before she could voice her suspicion, Michael said, "You can't trust him."

Alex turned sharply.

"And you can?"

Michael hesitated.

"I know Sharon."

"No,"

Alex sneered, "You knew the woman she used to be."

Sharon turned to Michael.

He seemed uncomfortable.

Alex was right.

He didn't know the new Sharon.

Only the one who had blindly trusted and forgiven him.

Blindly believed every word he said.

That girl was gone forever.

Sharon stepped between them.

"Both of you, knock it off."

She turned to the broken gate.

"We've got bigger problems."

Alex nodded.

"The horde?"

"No,"

Sharon frowned at the trees.

"The man behind it."

A heavy silence settled over the group before a rustling sound echoed from the forest.

Everyone turned towards the disturbance.

Alex raised his weapon.

"Get back,"

Sharon ignored him and walked to the edge of the courtyard.

"Come out,"

Nothing.

"I know your there,"

Still nothing happened for a long moment.

Then a figure came out from between the trees.

A man, tall and dressed in dark clothing stood facing them.

His face was concealed by a black mask.

At the sight of him, Alex leveled his weapon.

"Stop!"

The stranger stood motionless.

Sharon narrowed her eyes.

"Were are you from?"

The man didn't answer her question.

Instead, he fixed his gaze on Sharon and said something that made her blood run cold.

"You were suppose to be dead tonight."

Sharon gasped.

Alex took a step closer.

"Who sent you?"

The stranger laughed.

"You should be asking yourself who sent YOU.

He reached behind his back and took out a tiny black object.

Alex opened fire.

"Slowly!"

The man threw the device to the ground and turned around.

"Watch,"

The little thing began to flash and Sharon turned to Alex.

"What is that?"

Recognition crossed his face.

"Get down!"

Alex pulled Sharon to the ground just in time for the explosion to rock the courtyard.

Shattered glass filled the air as Michael screamed and Lisa fell to the ground, coughing.

Sharon struggled as Alex pulled her against him.

A few moments passed before it occurred to Sharon just how close they were.

Alex's face was inches from hers and she could feel the warmth radiating from his body as he looked into her eyes.

Not another word was said before Sharon pushed him away.

"Get off of me!"

Alex stood.

"You could've said thank you,"

"I didn't ask you to save me,"

"You would've been dead,"

She stood and dusted her clothes off.

"Still doesn't mean I like you."

Alex smiled.

"I know."

Sharon hated that smile.

She hated the way her heart raced.

She hated that strange feeling blooming in her chest.

Then she remembered the stranger, because he was gone, vanished into the recesses of the woods like he'd never been there at all.

"Where is he?"

Alex searched the trees but he was gone.

Sharon turned to the edge of the courtyard.

On the ground where the man had stood was something else - a photograph.

She picked it up, her hands going numb.

The picture showed Sharon standing in the resort.

But it wasn't what sent ice running down her spine.

It had beentaken the next day.

The date was clearly marked.

November 3rd.

Sharon turned the photograph over in her hands.

Someone had scrawled three words on the back, AASK ALEX ABOUT MICHAEL,"

She looked up slowly and met Michael's gaze.

Alex was watching him too and a tension gripped Sharon's heart.

"Michael,"

He turned to her.

"What?"

"What happened between you and Alex?"

Michael's face turned pale.

"I don't know what you mean,"

Alex's expression hardened.

"Tell her,"

Michael looked at him.

"Shut up,"

Sharon watched in shock as her former husband defied him.

Someone was definitely keeping secrets and she knew it didn't involve goodbyes.

Sharon took a step closer to her ex-husband,"

"What are you hiding?"

Michael shook his head.

"Nothing.

Alex moved closer.

"Tell her about the contract,"

Michael's face turned an even paler shade of white.

Sharon looked between the two men.

"What contract?"

Alex finally turned his gaze on her.

"The one Michael signed six months ago,"

Sharon stared at him in disbelief.

"Six month?

Alex nodded.

"With my company,"

"What did he sign?"

Alex narrowed his eyes at Michael.

"A contract that could explain why the apocalypse started early,"

Sharon's blood ran cold.

Michael turned and ran and Alex was right on his heals.

Sharon stood frozen for a second.

Then she followed.

What her ex-husband signed could determine why her second chance at life didn't last half as long as it was suppose to.