Cesar called the community together the next morning to announce the new rules. Everyone except those on fence patrol was required to attend. No exceptions.
Most took the news well. A few were upset, grumbling amongst themselves. Others seemed ambivalent, resigned to doing whatever was necessary to stay alive. It was about the mix of reactions Megan had expected.
Three brothers interrupted the speech halfway through, announcing they were moving on. They invited anyone who wanted to come to join them. They had no takers.
“We’re better off on our own,” the oldest brother insisted, the fear in his eyes betraying his bravado.
“Idiot,” Pringle muttered under his breath. Megan jabbed an elbow into his ribs and hissed at him to keep it to himself, earning an angry glare in return.
The brothers, the last vestiges of a large fundamentalist Mormon enclave from western Arizona, were intent upon forming their own community. Megan couldn’t fault them. The Scorpion Canyon community was composed of a ragtag mix of beliefs and backgrounds, and although Cesar was a devout Catholic, he took great pains to keep his religion out of daily life inside the fence. “It’s not that I don’t believe this is all part of God’s plan,” he had confessed to Megan one afternoon, “I just think he’s taking a break now, dealing with something else more important.”
His attitude had surprised Megan. It seemed somehow Buddhist, not at all what she expected. The statement had stuck with her, impressed her. It made her think about the future and what was in store for all of them, and for the people outside, survivors still living day-to-day on the margins of the ruined world. Megan had long ago abandoned the idea of a benevolent God. The zombie uprising had only served to solidify her conviction that humanity was on its own.
The first order of business after the announcement was a scavenging mission into town. They were running low on everything from food to ammunition. To Megan’s great satisfaction, Cesar had to turn people away when he asked for volunteers. People were frightened of the undead, but they were more scared of being turned out.
Pringle had been unusually quiet throughout the whole meeting, continuously scanning the audience and observing body language, making notes on people who seemed eager to help and those who kept quiet. The meeting ran for another fifteen minutes, and when it finally broke up, the participants scattered, imbued with a new sense of purpose.
“About tomorrow...” Pringle said as they left the ranger station. She kept walking, motioning for him to follow. He sped up to match her pace. “I want to find a two-way radio while we’re in town. A shortwave or something…”
Megan stopped and faced him. “That’s a great idea, Mike. I bet there’s one down there.”
He met her eyes and stuck his hands in his pockets. “There have to be other people out there. I think it’s time we start looking for them. Learn what’s going on in the rest of the world...”
Megan nodded enthusiastically. “I think so, too. I’m sure Cesar will agree.”
Pringle took his hands out and frowned. “I’m not asking for Cesar’s permission, Megan.”
That caught her off guard. “Oh. I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. Not at all.”
“Are you sure?” Pringle asked. “Because if you are, then I may have been a little hasty in supporting him.”
Megan touched his forearm. “I think it’s a wonderful idea, Mike. Run with it. See what you can find.”
Pringle moved his arm away from her touch. “I intend to.”
Feeling like there was something else she should say, but unsure of how to vocalize it without sounding patronizing, Megan smiled and took off at a brisk pace for her quarters, leaving Pringle alone in the parking lot. She had a lot to do to get ready for the next day, and she was tired of dealing with his bullshit.
Twenty
Fire: The Collapse Page 19
