by Bale, Sarah
He laughed and I swore it took years off his face.
“Deal.” He kissed me back. “But that was an amazing nooner.”
I grinned as we cleaned up and dressed. As we drove off, Elijah held his hand out the window and flipped off the ranch.
We drove a short distance to the meeting point. Grey and Kat came to their feet as we pulled up. I wanted to cry when I saw that they each had guns in their hands. They lowered their weapons as soon as they realized it was us.
“Holy shit. You two look like you were rode hard and left hung up to dry.”
I couldn’t stop smiling even if I wanted to. “Just celebrating being alive.”
Kat chuckled. “I’m sure.”
Grey laughed so loud that birds in a nearby tree squawked back.
“Damn, man. Can’t say that I didn’t do the same thing when we got out of that hell hole, though.”
Elijah shook his head. “I was an innocent victim. That minx over there attacked me.”
“I have no regrets.” Changing gears I asked, “Were all of the weapons still in the bag when you found it?”
Kat replied, “Yes. Thank god. The guys are out looking for supplies. I told them we’d head out in thirty minutes.” She gave us an apologetic smile. “They said Theo had told them to leave and that you were coming today. We knew you wouldn’t want us to wait around forever if you didn’t show up.”
She was right, we wouldn’t want that. Thank god we found them before they left. I knew we might not get lucky a second time if we were all separated again.
Grey added, “Even managed to find a new ride thanks to Theo. That was smart sending him out here to tell us your plan.”
He pointed to a motorcycle that even I could appreciate. The chrome finish was blinding and I shielded my eyes with my hand.
Kat said to me, “I tried to tell him the biters would see it coming a mile away, but he wouldn’t listen.”
Grey shrugged, but didn’t look apologetic at all. “A man’s gotta have a ride.”
The rest of the men and women came back one by one. Some were empty handed. Some had a few goods. All were happy to see us.
Finally Elijah said, “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Grey pulled us aside and said, “Please don’t tell me you left that bitch alive.”
I replied, “We had to. My mom said it was better this way. But we had some help getting out of here, so maybe things are changing.”
Elijah scrunched up his nose. “Unlikely.” To everyone he said, “We leave in ten. Get your shit packed up.”
I added, “And we have extra room in our car, if you need it.”
“Enough room for one more?”
Spinning around, I came face to face with Cooper. He had a backpack slung over his shoulder and pulled a wagon filled with canned goods and bottled water behind him.
“How did you get out of there with all of that?”
He grinned. “Everyone was too busy trying to put out the fire that Theo started.” He glanced over his shoulder, “But I wouldn’t waste much time here, if I were you.”
Elijah stepped forward and, for a moment, I was afraid he was going to punch Cooper.
“What makes you think we want you to come with us? You’re the reason Grey and Kat almost didn’t escape.”
“I know I made mistakes, but I’m not the only one. And I learned my lesson.”
I said, “Why do you want to come with us?”
“Because this place is never going to change. When Theo told me he was getting a car for you I knew this was my only chance.”
I glanced at Elijah, about to speak.
“Don’t even say it. I can tell what you’re thinking.” He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Fuck! Fine. You can come with us, but only because you’re handy in the kitchen. And where we’re going we could use someone like you who knows how to cook for a lot of people.”
This was the first time he’d mentioned our destination out loud. And I wanted to weep in joy.
“Does this mean what I think it does?”
He smiled at me, nodding.
“Are you sure this is a good idea, brother?” Concern made the lines in Grey’s face deep.
Elijah replied, “I keep thinking about something that Daisy said to me - about fighting for what mattered. I should’ve done the same back in Oklahoma.”
I had to say it. “But what if Wyatt is there? Lilly said…”
“Then we’ll face him head on and get that hospital back.” He looked around at the men and women standing there. “I’m not asking you all to do anything that you don’t want to. I get it – this might not be your idea of home. But it’s mine. And I’ve got to try.”
I linked my fingers through his. “You know I’m with you.”
Grey and Kat glanced at each other. “Figure we better drive like hell to get there. We have a lot of work to do before winter sets in. Plus, my Kat’s going to need a safe place real soon.”
Kat’s face beamed. She couldn’t hide her news even if she wanted to. Part of me envied her. I shoved the feeling aside. Now wasn’t the time to think about starting a family. Besides, who knew what the future held for me? Maybe once we got to a safe place I could entertain the thought of a child with Elijah’s good looks and my personality.
Elijah slapped Grey on the back. “Congratulations.” To everyone else he said, “Let’s load up and hit the road.”
People moved around strapping things onto their bikes and loading the things that wouldn’t fit into the car. Cooper loaded the items he’d brought and settled into the backseat.
“Thank you for giving him a chance. I know it’s hard after everything you’ve been through.”
Elijah cupped my face. “After everything I’ve been through? Hell, you’re the real champ, Daisy. Your strength amazes me.”
My cheeks felt warm. I leaned in, ready to kiss my man when someone cleared their throat behind me.
“I’m so sorry to bother, but we’re a little lost. Do you know how to find the highway from here?”
A woman with long, brown hair stood by the large pecan tree. Her hands were up, letting us know she wasn’t armed or, at least, not that we could see.
“We?” I asked.
There wasn’t anyone with her.
She glanced over her shoulder, sighing. “Guys, come on so I don’t look crazy.” To me, she said, “We haven’t met too many friendly faces in these parts. They thought I was nuts to come over here, but when I heard your voices I knew I had to try.”
Their boots crunched on the leaves, so I heard them before I saw them. A man and a woman came toward us. The man carried some kind of carrier with him.
“I’m Jo. That’s Norman and Faith. And Percy is in the cage.”
There was a meow from the carrier. So Percy was a cat. I bit back a smile at this very unusual group.
Grey squinted at the man. “Anyone ever tell you that you look like the guy on that one show?”
Norman’s lips twitched. “I’ve heard it a few times.”
I was like ninety-nine percent sure that this Norman was the same actor from the show, Jurassic Zombies, which was really freaking ironic.
Norman went on, “But things like that don’t matter anymore. Not since the dead walk amongst us.”
He was right. And, for the record, that line confirmed he was the actor from the show.
I smiled at Jo. “Where are you headed, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“We’ve been in Dallas with my Dad. He- he didn’t make it. So now we’re heading up north. Dallas is overrun and the people who are alive are worse.”
I glanced at Elijah, who rolled his eyes and sighed. Loudly.
“We’re heading to Oklahoma. Do y’all want to travel with us? Safety in numbers and all that.”
Jo glanced around, looking at each member of our group. I’m sure we looked rough – or rougher that we really were.
“You can talk it over, if you need to. And we’ll u
nderstand if you don’t want to come with us. You’ve got to do what’s best for you.”
She replied, “Give us a second.”
The three of them stepped a few feet away, talking quietly amongst themselves.
“You going to take in every stray we meet?” Elijah asked, nibbling my earlobe.
Goosebumps popped up on my skin and I turned into his embrace. I’d learned that there were worse things than dying. And I needed to listen to my gut instincts more. That started now.
“I might. What are you going to do about it?”
He grinned. “Let you ride me again. I liked that. A lot.”
“I’m sure you did. And I’ll be happy to do it again.”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
Again, Jo cleared her throat. “Sorry.”
Her face was bright pink. I laughed and stepped away from Elijah.
“We’d like to travel with your group, if you’re sure it’s okay. We have our own supplies and we’re more than willing to jump in and help wherever.” She hesitated. “There’s just one thing. Percy has to be able to come with us. We can’t leave him behind. He’s- he’s saved our lives more than once.”
I must have had a look on my face because the other woman, Faith, said, “Percy is like a zombie detector. He can smell them and he’ll start hissing, letting us know something is coming. He saved my ass when we left Houston after the outbreak began.”
As if to prove her point, Percy’s black face pressed against the door of the carrier and hissed.
Jo glanced around. “There’s one close.”
The leaves behind me crunched as a lone biter stumbled through the trees. Grey pulled his knife from his belt a took care of it.
He said to Jo, “That’s one handy critter you have there.”
She smiled. “We’re fond of him.” She bit her lip. “So… do we have a deal?”
I looked at Elijah, who nodded.
“Yes. You have a deal. Do you have a car nearby?”
“My car is just down the hill, by the road.”
I nodded. “We’ll meet you there.”
Everyone got in their vehicles, but Elijah stopped me.
“I love you.”
“And I love you.”
He said, “Thank you for going back to Oklahoma with me.”
“Elijah, you’re my home. I’ve known it for a while. There’s no place I’d rather be.”
Grey rolled up next to us on his bike. “For fuck’s sake come on. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”
Elijah laughed. “You heard the man.”
We both knew the journey would be tough and getting our home back even tougher. But we would meet any challenges that we faced together. And that made us unstoppable.
I kissed Elijah. “Let’s go home.”
THE END
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for taking this journey with Daisy and Elijah. I know some people don’t like series that go on forever with no end in sight, so I decided to make this book a good place to stop if you’re one of those people. You can quit reading knowing that Daisy and Elijah are safe, together, and happy.
However – Daisy and Elijah’s journey is just beginning and they each have more stories to tell. That being said, I am happy to announce the 4th book in the series will be out in late 2018.
XOXO
~Sarah
See how Jo meets Norman
** Excerpt from Lone Star Zombie-Con: An Anthology of Horror and Hope**
Harmony grabs my hand, squeezing so hard it hurts. “Oh. My. God. Do you see him? He’s so dreamy!”
I rise on my tippy-toes and laugh. “I can only see the top of his head.”
“But, it’s a beautiful head.”
This time I snort. Harmony glares at me. She’s only here to see her favorite celebrity, who happens to be judging the cosplay contest. I, on the other hand, am here because of – well, because of everything. I love flipping through comic books, looking at the different vendors, and, yeah, even meeting the celebrity guests.
I poke Harmony. “We still need to register for the contest.”
“You’re right. Come on!”
She practically drags me across the convention floor to the registration desk. We dodge past other cosplayers as well as people in normal clothes.
A little kid points at me and says, “Mommy, look at the lady. She’s a princess.”
I want to shout that I’m actually a warrior queen, but it will be wasted breath. Harmony comes to a stop at the desk and grabs a registration form. She scribbles on it and then grabs another.
“No way,” I say, shaking my head.
“Jo, you promised.”
“That was before I realized there was going to be several thousand people here.”
At least ten thousand, if we’re being real.
Harmony cuts her eyes at me. “If you don’t enter I will never forgive you. I mean, how can I walk across that stage and stand in front of him without the support of my best friend?”
I want to point out that he doesn’t even know she exists, but that would be rude. Maybe. Heck, maybe she deserves it?
“Jo-Jo, please.”
Now she’s resorting to using my childhood nickname. She’d better not-
“What would your dad say if he knew you were bailing on me?”
“Did you really just bring my father into this? Jesus, Harmony. We’re not ten anymore.”
Harmony sighs. “Just do the contest. I promise it will be easy. All you have to do is walk across the stage, turn so they can see your costume, and then exit the stage. I bet you won’t even make it past the first round.”
That comment stings. How does she know I won’t make it to more than one round? I think my cosplay is pretty clever and original. She’s dressed like ten other girls with spears who are just trying to impress Norman Vinson.
I yank the entry form from her hand and fill in my info. Smiling, I hand it to the woman behind the desk.
She says, “Great outfit. You need to go to the main stage and line up with the other contestants. The contest starts soon. Here’s your number.”
She hands me a card with my contestant number on it and a pin. Harmony and I make are way through the crowd again. A man coughs in Harmony’s face as we pass him.
“Gross! You should cover your cough,” she yells after him.
“I hope he doesn’t have the bug that’s going around.”
The bug has symptoms of the flu, but people are having a hard time getting over it. I heard it was worse in the Northeast part of the country, but more and more cases are popping up. It’s one of many reasons my dad didn’t want me coming to Houston, but I reminded him that I was an adult and could go to a comic-con if I wanted.
Harmony says, “My mom says the ER has been swamped with people who have it. She said she wasn’t feeling well, either.”
“I hope she doesn’t push herself too much.”
Harmony frowns. “You know how she is.” Switching gears, she says, “Thank you for doing the contest. I know I give you a lot of crap, but it really means a lot to me.”
I’m touched. She never thanks me for anything.
Slinging my arm over her shoulder I say, “No problem.”
We reach the main stage and I try not to cringe at the number of people standing there. Good thing I’m not claustrophobic, because there are so many people that we’re standing shoulder to shoulder. A man dressed like a hobbit walks around and makes sure everyone has their contestant cards pinned to their costumes. I don’t want to ruin my leather outfit, so I pin the card on the belt holding my sword around my waist.
The hobbit nods as he passes, probably assuming I’m some sort of middle earth character.
“Did you enter the hero or villain category?” Harmony asks as they begin to divide contestants into two groups.
“Well, technically my character is both good and evil, but-”
Harmony c
uts me off, “I don’t want the Jo Morris long-winded answer. Hero or villain?”
“Hero.”
She sighs. “Thank god.”
We move into the appropriate line and are led backstage. The hobbit tells us what to expect, which is basically what Harmony told me. Walk to the ‘X’ made of tape on the center of the stage. Twirl. Answer any questions the judges have. Exit the stage. I’m still nervous, especially as I look around at all the awesome characters and costumes around me.
A few moments later the emcee runs past us with a microphone in hand and goes onto the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, hobbits and elves, Gryffindor and Slytherins, Saviors and Hilltops, dead and alive… welcome to the first ever Lone Star Comic-Con costume contest.”
The applause is deafening. Holy crap. How many people are out there? Harmony chats to a Groot next to us and doesn’t seem to notice that I’m close to freaking out. What in the crap was I thinking? I hate being in front of crowds!
The emcee continues, “Let’s bring out our guest judges.”
He announces a cosplayer I’m not familiar with and the crowd cheers. Next is a comic book illustrator. And last is Mr. Norman Vinson himself. We even cheer backstage, though he probably can’t hear us.
Harmony yells, “We love you, Norman!”
From the stage Norman says, “I love you, too.”
I swear Harmony sways on her feet.
The hobbit gets everyone’s attention. “Villains go first, then heroes. Good luck to you all, especially those of middle earth.”
The elves and orcs around us make sounds of agreement.
The emcee says, “Now that our judges are settled, let’s get this contest started. There will be three rounds. If a contestant’s number is called then they have made it to the next round. We will have three runner-ups in each group and a grand prize winner.”
Harmony whispers to me, “If I win the grand prize I’ll split it with you.”
“You don’t even know what it is.”
“I heard it’s two VIP tickets to next year’s event.”
I don’t answer because the villain line moves as the contestants walk across the stage. The judges ask a few questions here and there, and the audience cheers or boos for their favorites. Too soon, it’s time for the heroes. Somehow I’m pushed near the end of the line. No pressure, right? By the time I walk across the stage everyone will be bored.
