The third main tunnel,the ocean-view, wound beneath the earth in a twisting pattern. Carved through a lot of rock, this tunnel had more sudden turns than the others as Mal sought easier land to cut through. At one point, Jack swore they were looping back toward the way they’d come before straightening out again.
Jack had spent at least an hour working with Dylan and the rabbit before the boy got tired and took a nap. Soon after, he and Charlie entered the last tunnel.
“This tunnel,” Charlie said, pointing to one on their left, “leads to the stream where we bathe. We ran out of shampoo, but we do have some soap, toothbrushes, and razors.”
She’d been using the same razor for over a year but, dull or not, it was a prize possession even if it did leave her looking like she’d tussled with a cougar after using it. Being a vampire, all those nicks and cuts healed fast.
“Where did you get soap and razors?” Jack asked.
“Sometimes, the people and vampire the Savages capture have supplies with them. I think some of them are hikers pulled straight from the trails. They sometimes let those people keep their things. Mal believes they do it to screw with their heads, and I think he’s right. They took my purse when I got here. If they’d left me with it, even though it had nothing useful in it, I would have felt a small measure of security by having something familiar with me.
“But anyway, when the humans who keep their things are dead, the vamps leave their stuff behind, and we’ve scavenged stuff from them. We’ve never found any weapon in the backpacks. The Savages would never allow them to keep anything that could be useful in defending themselves.”
“Interesting,” Jack murmured. “So are you and Mal a couple?”
Charlie’s eyebrows shot up as she turned to him. “Me andMal?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know about you, but when I’m dating someone, I normally don’t go around kissing other guys. So no, Mal and I arenota couple. He’s my friend, and that’s all. Not that it’s any ofyourbusiness.”
Jack realized he’d struck a nerve at her acidic tone, but he couldn’t help feeling pleased over this information. Mal wasn’t competition. Now he just had to find out about Dylan’s dad, but right now probably wasn’t the best time as she continued to stare at him like she was contemplating breaking his nose again.
Instead, he turned his attention back to their surroundings. “How many tunnels branch off this one?”
“Three.”
“How long is this tunnel?” Jack asked.
“Five miles. It’s three times the length of the others.”
“Holy shit.”
“Mal said he would have kept going,” Charlie said, “but the ocean didn’t give him a choice.”
“I’m surprised he hasn’t tried to dig his way off this island yet.”
Charlie chuckled; she’d thought the same thing more than a few times. “I think if he knew which direction to dig for land, he would.”
“Is he still creating tunnels?”
“Yeah. There’s not a whole lot else to do down here.”
“Do all of you help him?”
“Sometimes. It’s more Mal’s thing than ours.”
“So what do you do to pass the time?” Jack asked.
“Patrol and spend time with my son.”
“How did you and Dylan end up on this island?”
“We were walking home from a chorus concert at the school he attended and where I taught.”
“You’re a teacher?”
“I was. Somehow, I don’t think I’ll be returning to the profession. I doubt many would agree to their child’s education coming from one of the undead.”
