Dead South | Book 3 | Dead Hope

by Bohannon, Zach

  The key went into the lock, and there was an audible click as the handcuffs opened. With his hands now free, Jon massaged his wrists where the metal had been rubbing against them. Raylon then came back around to face Jon.

  “What changed your mind?” Jon asked.

  “We can talk about that on the way. For now, we need to get out of here before someone comes by. It’s the middle of the night, but you never know.”

  Jon followed Raylon out of the room. They walked down the hall to the living room, where several candles were lit. The guard who’d been in charge of watching Jon lay on the ground on his stomach, his arms sprawled.

  “Goddamn,” Jon said.

  “He’ll be fine. But do you trust me now?”

  Jon didn’t reply, but he did trust Raylon.

  “Good,” Raylon said. “Then, follow me. We’ve gotta go get ourselves a van.”

  29

  It was pitch black outside when they exited the house. All Jon knew was that it was sometime in the middle of the night, but he hadn’t any idea when the sun would come up.

  “Stay close to me,” Raylon whispered. “Most everyone ought to be asleep, so we should be able to get to the garage pretty easily.”

  Jon followed Raylon down the porch of the house and then through the yard. The moon provided some light, but not much. He followed Raylon’s instructions, remaining close to him and also staying low. He had no choice at this point but to trust Raylon.

  Jon had so many questions, though. More than anything, he wondered what had made Raylon change his mind. Raylon had shown nothing but loyalty to his cousin, even if the tensions between the two men had been evident to Jon. But blood was blood; Raylon had even said those words himself. Regardless, something had changed his mind. Jon wondered what the consequences of Raylon’s decision would be. What was Lennox going to do when he found out his own cousin had betrayed him? The Freedom Ridge leader expected to deliver Jon to his enemy later that same morning—in a decision Lennox had likely made to avoid an inevitable war.

  What would happen now?

  It wasn’t Jon’s intention to kill this Malcolm fellow. He only wanted to get his friends out of Black Hill. But even if he did encounter Malcolm while there and kill him, would that end the threat of a fight between Black Hill and Freedom Ridge? Jon doubted it. Whether anyone liked it or not, war was going to play a pivotal role in the world, just as it always had. As common resources depleted, people would only become more desperate. And as people became more desperate, humans would perish. A sad reality, but it was the only conceivable way for the strongest to survive.

  Selfishly, Jon couldn’t worry about any of that. It wasn’t like he was going to turn around and put himself back into that house that had become his holding cell. He only wanted to get his friends out of Black Hill, and then, together, they could figure out their next move. If that meant he’d be helping Freedom Ridge take down this rival camp once and for all, then so be it. But he couldn’t think that far ahead right now.

  Jon didn’t see anyone wandering around outside as he and Raylon made their way through the various yards. Jon saw candles lit in a couple of the homes, but most of them were dark, as the occupants likely slept inside. These were good people here, and Jon didn’t want to see anyone get hurt.

  They finally arrived at a house with several vehicles parked in the driveway and in the yard. No one occupied this particular house. They used the entire space inside to store goods, from weapons to medical supplies to spare food. Jon remembered Raylon telling him that only a few people possessed a key to the house, including himself. Raylon stopped, putting his hand out to prevent Jon from going any farther.

  “We keep this house guarded. Monica is on duty right now. I’ve gotta go let her know I’m taking the van.”

  “What are you going to tell her?”

  “Don’t worry about that. Just stay low, where you can see me, and be ready to jump in when I give the signal. It should be unlocked.”

  They moved toward the van, and Jon crouched near the driver’s side door where he could see the front of the house through the window. Raylon stood up straight and walked to the sidewalk, not wanting to look out of place. Jon watched as he made his way up the path leading to the stairs at the front of the house. A couple of candles were lit on the porch, and a figure stood up as Raylon approached.

  “Raylon,” Monica said in a sweet, calm voice. “What are you doing out here at this time of night?”

  “Can’t sleep,” Raylon said with a sigh. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight, but I just can’t seem to shut my brain off.”

  “I hear that. Come to keep me company for a little while since you figured I’d be the only person awake?”

  “I’d love to, but I was actually thinking of taking a drive. I think Joseph forgot to check the traps today, and if there’s a rabbit or something in there, we don’t need it just sitting there.”

  “This time of night? Are you sure that’s a good idea? I’m not so sure Lennox would like that.”

  Raylon laughed. “I can handle Lennox. Don’t you worry about that. Nah, I just need to get out of here for a while. I’m not going to go far.”

  “Alright,” Monica said, uncertainty in her voice. “As long as I don’t get in trouble.”

  “If Lennox finds out, I’ll make sure you had nothing to do with it.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Hey, before I go, I wanted to check on something inside. Can you help me real quick?”

  “Of course!”

  Raylon opened the door. “After you.” As Monica went inside, Raylon sent a thumbs-up toward Jon without looking his way. Then, he entered the house, shutting the door behind him.

  Jon sneaked around to the passenger side of the van and opened the sliding door. He was careful not to make too much noise. Climbing inside, he shut the door again, making a little more noise this time to assure that it closed all the way. The back of the cargo van was mostly empty and had plenty of space. He lay down, being sure to get entirely out of sight as he listened for Raylon to come back outside.

  A few minutes passed before Jon heard the front door of the house open. Raylon and Monica chattered back and forth, and the sound of their voices grew louder as they approached the van.

  Shit.

  They stood right outside the van now, just on the other side of the sliding door. Sweat grew on Jon’s brow. He didn’t think there was a reason for Monica to open the door, but it still made him nervous that she’d followed Raylon all the way down here.

  “Why’re you taking the van anyway?” Monica asked. “Those traps are pretty small.”

  “Oh, you know, you never know what I might come across out there that I might want to bring back. And you’d be surprised… sometimes we get lucky and deer get their legs caught in those traps. It’s rare, but it’s happened.” Raylon let out a small laugh, but Jon could hear the nervousness in it.

  “Makes sense.” Monica hit the sliding door, startling Jon. “Probably a bit safer to be in this, too, if you come across any zombies. Anyway, I’ll let you get going. Be safe out there.”

  “Thanks, Monica.”

  Jon heard footsteps move around the front of the van and looked up as the driver’s side door opened and Raylon got in. He started up the van and backed out with little hesitation.

  “Jesus Christ,” Jon said. “That felt like a much closer call than it should’ve been.”

  “Well, don’t settle yourself just yet. We’ve still gotta get past the guard at the gate. I think Jimmy is on duty right now, and he isn’t exactly a pushover, remember. He was there when I first met you guys in the pharmacy.”

  Jon remained low as Raylon drove down the street toward the front gate. He found a blanket lying near him and covered himself. He also moved behind Raylon’s seat, making it more difficult for someone to peek through the window and see him.

  Raylon slowed the van, rolling the window down.

  “What’s going on, Jimmy?�
� Raylon asked with a chipper note in his voice.

  “I should be asking you that question. What are you doing?”

  “Joseph forgot to check the traps earlier. I’m just running out to check them real quick.”

  “No one let me know this was happening.”

  Raylon scoffed. “That’s because I just found out.”

  Jimmy hesitated, letting out a sigh. “I’m gonna have to get clearance from Lennox before I let you out.”

  Goddamnit.

  “What?” Raylon asked. “No, you don’t. I don’t have to let Lennox or anyone else know what I’m doing. The last thing you’re going to want to do is wake Lennox up for this.” The frustration had grown in his voice as he’d spoken. Jon could tell he hadn’t expected this sort of resistance over leaving.

  “Sorry, Raylon. But Lennox told me not to let anyone leave without him knowing. He even specifically mentioned your name. I can’t let you out of here without talking to him first.”

  After a brief moment of silence, Raylon said, “Alright.”

  Jon’s eyes went wide as Raylon opened the door and stepped out of the van. He wanted to get up and see what the hell was going on. How was Raylon going to get out of this?

  Then, Jon heard a crack followed by the sound of something hitting the ground. He resisted the urge to shoot up, unsure of where Jimmy was and not wanting to be seen. But then he heard what sounded like something being dragged across the ground. After a moment, the driver’s side door opened again.

  “We’re all good,” Raylon said, cranking the van back up.

  “What do you mean?”

  “What I mean is, we don’t have a lot of time because I’m not sure how long Jimmy is going to be out. But I do know where he’s going when he wakes up.”

  Raylon drove through the gate and then got out of the vehicle. Jon got up and looked through the back window to see Raylon closing the gate behind him, clearly not wanting any people or zombies to come into the camp while the entrance wasn’t guarded.

  Raylon then reentered the van and hit the gas, speeding away from the camp.

  30

  “You’re good,” Raylon said. “The camp is out of sight now.”

  Jon tossed the blanket off of himself and squeezed into the passenger seat. Raylon still had a noticeable amount of adrenaline as he cruised down the road. He weaved in and out of the remains of vehicles which had been left to rust or picked over for parts. But Jon also worried about zombies wandering the roads in the middle of the night.

  “Maybe you should slow down a little,” Jon finally said.

  Sweat had collected on Raylon’s face, and he gripped the wheel tight. For a moment, Jon wondered if his friend had even heard him, but then Raylon nodded and let his foot slightly off the gas.

  “Sorry about that,” he said.

  “It’s all good. You doing alright?”

  “I’m fine. I just didn’t expect to have to put someone out like that.”

  He was talking about Jimmy, of course. Jon had been surprised himself. If there’d been a time for Raylon to change his mind about going against his cousin, that would have been it. But he hadn’t. Instead, he’d done what he’d needed to in order for them to get out of Freedom Ridge.

  “Thanks for that back there,” Jon said. “I know that couldn’t have been easy.”

  “It’s fine.” Raylon glanced over at Jon and then focused on the road again. “I couldn’t let Lennox turn you over to that piece of shit, Malcolm.” He shook his head. “It would have eaten at me forever, and I’m not sure how long I would’ve been able to live with myself.”

  “Well, seriously.” Jon put his hand on Raylon’s shoulder. “Thanks.”

  “Lennox isn’t thinking right. He’s acting like turning you over to Malcolm and allowing him to do what he wants with you is going to prevent a war. It’s not. A fight between our two camps is coming whether Lennox wants it to or not. If you throw one mouse into a cage with two hungry snakes, what do you think is going to happen?”

  “And do you believe I’m immune?”

  Raylon hesitated. He kept his eyes on the road, only averting them to look out his side window. “I think it’s possible. It’s not something we’ve seen, but like you said before, that doesn’t mean it’s not real. I just hope it’s true.”

  “Me, too.” Jon had come around more on the idea, but he still wasn’t totally convinced, himself. For all he knew, the virus could take him over at any moment and mutate him into one of the dead things.

  “Like I said, I couldn’t stand by and let this happen to you. You and your friends—you’re good people. It would’ve eaten me alive.”

  “What can you tell me about where we’re going? You have a plan?”

  “Kinda.”

  Jon emitted his own nervous laugh. “That’s reassuring.”

  “Black Hill was established around some commercial establishments of a small town. These people live in retail stores, gas stations, and churches—that kinda shit. They’ve got it fenced off pretty well, but I think if we try coming in from the side at this time of night, we should be able to get in and out. I was scoping the place the other day from a distance, and I found a damaged section in the fence.” Raylon pointed to the back of the van with his thumb. “I’ve got some bolt cutters back there, and I think we can use them to open up the fence where it’s already falling apart. We should be able to get in through there and get everyone out. Do you know how many people you have in there?”

  Jon thought back to the scene at Hope’s Dawn. The vivid images of the bodies of innocent people lying around would haunt him forever. He didn’t know how many of his friends had burned and how many had died in other ways.

  “I don’t. I’m honestly not even sure anyone is going to be there.”

  “Well, I can give you some good news there. Lennox negotiated as part of the deal that, in exchange for you, Malcolm had to let people from Hope’s Dawn go. Malcolm basically confirmed he had some people hostage.”

  “Did he say anything specifically about Brooke?”

  “Nah,” Raylon said. “Sorry, man.”

  It didn’t mean she wasn’t there. Jon would find out soon enough.

  “What else do you know about this place?” Jon asked.

  “Not a lot. Any time we’ve met with them, it’s always been in a specified meeting place. I’ve never been inside the camp—only seen it from a distance. But knowing what I know about them, I can take a guess that they’re going to be heavily armed. They’ll probably have a lot of guards around, too, especially wherever they’re keeping your friends.”

  “And you haven’t any clue where that is, I’m guessing.”

  Raylon shook his head.

  Jon cursed to himself. How the hell was he going to find out where the survivors from Hope’s Dawn were being held, in the dark, in a place that he’d never been?

  As he thought about that, Raylon hit the brakes at a four-way stop, bringing the van to a halt. He pointed ahead. “The camp is about half-a-mile up the road.” He pointed to his right. “This road will bring us around to the east side of the camp where that kink in the fence is.”

  Jon said nothing as Raylon headed down the road. He only grew more nervous, wondering what the next hour or so would bring as he faced death again.

  31

  Lucas had cried for what seemed like hours before finally falling asleep in Brooke’s arms. Brooke had eventually been able to calm him and get him to keep his voice down, but she felt fortunate that his unrelenting crying hadn’t led to the guards coming into the room to quiet him themselves. And it had exhausted him enough to put him to sleep.

  Brooke hadn’t held back from crying while her son had been awake, but she really let herself go now while still trying to let him sleep. She hadn’t wanted what were potentially her last moments with her son to be filled with her own tears and grief. Then again, she didn’t know how it would be possible to create any sort of joyous moment out of the situation they were in. />
  She knew she was going to die. The leader of this place had all but said so when Lucas had been brought to her. So, it wasn’t a matter of if, but when and how.

  Because of this, she couldn’t sleep. At the top of her mind was what would happen to Lucas. Brooke knew nothing about this place beyond the few people she’d encountered. All of them had been evil, for lack of a better word. She hoped there would be women here with motherly instincts who would take care of her son.

  The more she thought about it, the more angry and upset she became. How could she allow all this to happen? Was there still a way for her to escape? Could she make it out of this place with her son? She felt so helpless, she doubted it would be possible. And she worried that, if she tried, the man might break his empty promise to keep Lucas safe. He might hurt him as a punishment to Brooke for disobeying and trying to escape.

  As Brooke adjusted herself to try to get comfortable with her son sprawled across her lap, the chains rattled. The sound reminded her again of the predicament she was in. She fought back more tears. This wasn’t the headspace she was going to spend her last moments in.

  So, instead, she simply held her son. She listened to the sounds of him breathing as he slept. With the lack of light, she couldn’t see his face, but that was okay. She ran one of her hands through his hair and the other down his arm. Holding him tight, she lived in the moment instead of worrying about how they’d gotten there or what would come next.

  Brooke had almost managed to fall asleep when she heard people outside. The door opened, being thrown all the way against the adjacent wall. The sound was more than loud enough to wake Lucas, who stirred in her arms with coming out of his slumber. Brooke held him tighter, hardly able to react herself as the people hustled toward her. She held Lucas tight enough to pull the breath out of him as two men kneeled down and grabbed at him.

  “Stop!” the boy shouted.