Dominion of the Damned Read Free Page A

survivors turn up.” He started digging in his wallet. “I’ve got it here somewhere.”
    “I already called them,” said Marie as she snuggled the baby. “They’re sending somebody out to pick you up.” Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply. “Oh, I just love the way babies smell.”
    “We haven’t cleared out all of the bedrooms yet,” said Albert. “Your things might still be up there, if you’d like to take anything with you to the processing center.”
    Hannah’s eyes drifted to the ceiling. Nice or not, the thought of these people up there pawing through her bedroom, through her parent’s bedroom, made her ill. The edge in her voice was sharper than she’d intended as she said, “Thanks. I’ll go check it out.”
    “We’ll watch the baby while you do,” said Marie.
    Hannah hesitated. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. He’s never been separated from me. He’d probably get scared and start to fuss.” As if to back her up, Noah started to cry and look around for Hannah. “I’m right here, Boo,” she told him as she took him from Marie. “He’ll settle down in a minute or two,” she said as she headed out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
    The nursery looked the way her mother had left it, except that Albert and Marie had used it to store some of her parent’s things. All of her mother’s hard work, the antique crib she’d painted and the decor she’d carefully chosen, had been totally disregarded, and framed family photos and other belongings casually gotten out of the way. Just like they were getting her out of the way. As nice as they seemed, Hannah had to wonder what kind of people wouldn’t so much as bat an eyelash about taking over someone else’s home and turning out its rightful inhabitants. She realized that this was an extreme situation, and everyone was just doing their best to survive. But there hadn’t even been a hint of guilt or shame as they made it clear that she and Noah no longer belonged here.
    The baby monitor still sat on the changing table next to the crib. The rechargeable transmitter was nestled in the charger base, and the receiver sat next to it. Hannah removed the transmitter from the base and turned it on. She set Noah down in the crib— his crib—and stepped back into the hall. Quietly, she edged toward the top of the stairs. Albert and Maria’s voices sounded muffled and distant, like they had gone into the kitchen and closed the door. She slipped her shoes off and set them by the bedroom door, and then tiptoed down the stairs, careful to avoid the steps that creaked. She never thought she’d be so grateful for all of the times she’d had to sneak into the house after curfew as a teenager.
    She placed the transmitter at the foot of the stairs, tucked out of site beneath the banister. Any guilt she might have felt about spying on her unwanted guests was swallowed up by anger. Who the hell were these people, and how did they not feel just awful about stealing her home?
    Back in the nursery, she found the receiver and turned it on. Their voices were still muffled, and even harder to hear over Noah’s crying. “Shh,” she soothed as she took him out of the crib. “Look, Boo! This is your room! Your mommy and daddy put this all together for you.” She sighed. “Maybe we can talk these people into giving it back.” She glared at the monitor and considered the weapons she still wore. “Or maybe Sissy could just take it back.”
    Noah’s crying abated to the occasional whimper. Carrying both him and the monitor, Hannah slipped back out of the nursery and went to the door of her room. She paused with her hand on the knob, afraid of what she’d find when she opened the door. Bracing herself, she turned the knob and pushed, then blew out the breath she’d been holding. This room remained untouched. It was exactly as she’d left it all those months ago, right down to her unmade bed and her discarded pajamas lying on the floor by the