“I came to Baileigh Higgins’s work late and found a treasure trove of great stories and series. She can write an apocalypse and has done so multiple times.” — Jay Wilburn
Teaser from
Seize Another Day
book 4 of the Dangerous Days series
by Baileigh Higgins
After Ke Tau’s disastrous attack, the inhabitants had recovered quickly. Everyone worked overtime to keep the place running, waking at dawn and going to bed only when their chores were done.
It was tough, but nobody complained. He didn’t mind either; it kept his mind off things. He only wished he could spend more time with Mpho.
Once again he thought of Hiran, and bitter bile rose in his throat. That day was still branded into his brain with all the clarity of a lightning strike on a moonless night. Rebecca’s ravaged corpse, the message carved above her head, the dead women and children inside the building. All the work of one man.
Restless, Michael stalked along the length of the walls. His gaze panned over the horizon, but there was nothing but winter crops, dead grass, and bleating goats as far as the eye could see.
A voice broke into his brooding thoughts, and he turned to see Lisa climbing onto the wall. “Hi, Michael.”
“Hi,” he said.
“Are you too busy to talk?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Do I look that busy?”
She shrugged and came to stand next to him. “Sorry.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She hesitated for a brief second. “It’s Mpho.”
“What about her?”
“I haven’t seen her all day,” Lisa said.
Michael frowned. “She’s supposed to work in the vegetable gardens today.”
“I know, but she never showed.”
“Maybe she changed her mind and went somewhere else.”
Lisa shrugged. “Maybe, except I’ve asked around, and nobody else has seen her either.”
Michael’s stomach dropped. “What?”
“I went to her room and knocked, but got no answer, and the door’s locked.”
A sense of foreboding stole over him, and the skin on his arms pebbled. It wasn’t like Mpho to flake on her duties, nor did anyone in camp bother to lock their doors. What was the point? They had nothing of worth to steal.
“Can you take over for me?” he asked. “I’ve got to make sure she’s okay.”
“Of course. Go ahead.”
“Thanks.”
“Michael,” Lisa called as he turned away. “Be careful. I think…I think she might be a danger either to herself, or others.”
Michael jumped down the ladder in one swift move and landed hard on the ground. Ignoring the stares of curious onlookers, he sprinted through the camp at full speed. When he reached the single room they shared, he rattled the handle.
Locked.
He banged on the door with his fist. “Mpho! Are you in there?”
No answer.
He squinted through the windows flanking the entrance but could see nothing through the thick curtains. “Mpho!”
When all he got was more silence, he threw himself at the door. His shoulder connected with brutal force, and it shuddered in the frame. Another blow caused the wood around the lock to splinter, and a final hard push burst it open. Michael half fell inside and paused to collect himself. “Mpho, are you in there?”
A slight creak sounded from the bathroom, and he made his way across the small space while his eyes adjusted to the gloom. The door was open a crack, and he raised a hesitant hand to nudge it with his fingertips. “Mpho?”
The door swung wide with a low creak, and Michael sucked in a breath. His eyes fixed on the sight of Mpho’s slender body swaying gently to and fro. A stool lay toppled over beneath her feet, and her long braids framed her face. He reached out to touch her hand. The skin was icy to the touch.
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