“But we found good supplies,” he added, rushing to gloss over his mild embarrassment. “And a few places that might work for a winter hold out.”
Several others had approached—Luna, Vanessa, Steve, Max—all of them greeting the two with hugs and handshakes, happy to see them both alive and unscathed.
A few of the younger kids had come over to spy on the commotion and Booker grinned.
“Hey, y’all like soccer?” He asked, popping the back of the Jeep. Bringing out a black and white ball, he whistled to them before chucking it over. “Gotta share it though, a’ight?”
The children hollered in delight, immediately starting to punt the ball around camp.
Booker looked over at Max. “The second that ball takes out a clothesline, Trish is gonna have my head.”
Max laughed. “Nah, she’ll just glare at you and make a lot of comments about appropriate places for games.”
With Fancy happily wagging her tail, Caitlin reached down to scratch her behind the ears as she filled Nicole and Max in.
“A high school, huh?” Max asked, clearly trying not to betray too much excitement.
Booker hummed. “It’s a big’un too. Plenty of square footage. Probably a working kitchen, locker room showers, the works.”
“And,” Caitlin cut in. “It’s crawling with Geeks. We counted at least fifty in the yard alone.”
“Looks like it might’ve been a relief shelter of some kind before it got overrun,” Booker said as they started unloading the crates of goods they’d brought back. “Spotted a few Red Cross vans, a couple of groaners in uniforms… Sheriffs most likely. Dunno how many groaners were inside too.”
“But it could be cleared,” Nicole said.
“Maybe,” Caitlin said.
At the same time, Booker grinned and stated, “That’s what I said.”
“I told him we should add it to the options but not bank on it,” Caitlin said, hoisting up a box of dried goods they’d scavenged from a broken-down delivery truck. “Everyone can vote on it if they want.”
As they began carrying supplies from the Jeep to the center of camp, Caitlin scanned the crowd, suddenly overwhelmed.
So many people.
Voices. Sounds. The crunch and scrape of shoes in dry grass.
It was all a jolt to her system.
Lingering near the opening of one of the tents, she spotted a familiar face.
Seth smiled at her, waving a little as they walked up.
“Welcome back,” he said. “Got any good stories to share?”
Caitlin flashed a half-grin. “Oh, you know, the usual. Dusty backroads, sleeping in a Jeep, Geeks trying to eat your face. Just a typical day, right?”
He chuckled. “Well I’m sure you handled it like a pro.”
“Sure did,” Booker said proudly.
It was the sudden shift in Seth’s posture that caught Caitlin’s eye. Just a millisecond of rigidness to his shoulders before he blinked and relaxed, smiling once again.
She felt like she was losing her mind, unable to determine if he was reacting or if it was just a trick of the light.
Taking a step back towards the tent, Seth nodded. “Can’t wait to hear more later.”
It didn’t take long for all the elected officials to gather in the main tent.
Booker unfolded the map on the dirt floor, explaining what each marked spot offered in terms of safe harbor and possibilities for farming come spring.
Caitlin read off her list as they went, giving them all the bullet points of pros, cons, and possible hazards.
Being too close to a city could become an issue if Geeks decided to roam. Being too far away would put them in a logistical jam if they needed supplies quickly.
Everyone listened attentively, weighing the options as they were given.
“Were any of these near a place with medical supplies?” Scott asked, glancing up from the map. “The one downside to being out of an Ark is less than adequate medicine stores.”
Booker tapped the red dot on the map—the high school.
“’Bout five miles down the road was a clinic,” he said. “Didn’t look too rough, but there were plenty of groaners in the parkin’ lot.”
Scott nodded. “That might be an advantage,” he said. “If people were too scared to go in, it might not be picked over yet.”
“That’s all the way in Kansas,” Trish commented. “How much fuel did it take to get there?”
“We had to syphon a few times,” Caitlin told her. “The buses will need more. We might want to consider consolidating vehicles if we move that way.”
Max looked over at them. “We’ve considered doing that in the past. It wouldn’t break us.”
“But losing people might,” Trish countered. “I’m not comfortable sending people in to clear out a huge place like a high school.”
Caitlin darted a knowing glance at Booker before saying, “I know. It’s a risk, for sure. But it might be the only space big enough for all of us.”
An uncomfortable shift in the atmosphere made Caitlin’s skin tingle.
Nathaniel crossed his arms. “You should know…” he started, glancing at the others. “There’s been some talks among some of the group. People are considering splitting off.”
Booker gaped. “What?”
“Apparently finding out there are survivors has given them all hope,” Nicole said. “Hope that their other family members are out there. A few have been thinking about going to look for them.”
Caitlin frowned deeply. “What, like breaking into another Ark camp?”
“I don’t know,” Nicole admitted. “They seem to just want to head back to where they’re from—the east coast, mostly.”
“The coast is overrun,” Booker said. “Can’t even get past Baltimore. The groaner population—”
“I know,” Nathaniel sighed. “And they know. But they want to try.”
“And we can’t force them to stay,” Luna said, pulling her thick hair over her shoulder. “We’re not an Ark. Our people can go as they please.”
“It’s dangerous to let them take off with only hope to feed ‘em,” Booker argued. “What if they run into a huge herd or a goon squad? Scavengers that will soon as murder ‘em for their gear as look at ‘em?”
Luna nodded slowly, weariness etching into her face. “I told them the exact same thing. But the possibility of reuniting with their families is too enticing.”
“Have they made a decision yet?” Caitlin asked.
“No, but they probably will soon,” Trish said. “They want to set out before we’re deep into autumn.”
Digging the end of his pen into the dirt, Booker took a deep breath. “How many?”
“About two dozen by our most lenient estimates.”
He cursed under his breath and shifted his weight where he was squatted.
“We can’t force them to stay but we might be able to convince them,” Caitlin said.
Trish shrugged. “If you think you can say something that’ll get through, go ahead.”
But don’t bet on it, was unspoken and yet very, very clear.
Max took half a step forward. “That still leaves this group with a hundred people in need of permanent shelter.”
It was a necessary reminder.
“I vote for the high school,” Caitlin said, looking up at the others. “I know it’s more work, but we could actually build a life there.”
Booker nodded. “I second that.”
Luna glanced at the other council members. “We should hold a vote tonight.”
Caitlin stared at Booker for a beat.
“Once we decide where we’re going, Booker and I had another proposition,” she started.
Booker lifted he brows in surprise. “Y’wanna tell ‘em now?”
“Might as well.”
Max frowned at them. “Tell us what?”
Booker leaned his elbow into this left knee, glancing from the map. “We thought… Iowa camp couldn’t’ve been t
he only place people didn’t wanna stay…”
“If your husband knew you were out here, I’m sure he’d want to leave whatever Ark he’s in,” Caitlin said to Max. “And you saw how people reacted to the chance of regaining their freedom. People deserve an option.”
Nathaniel’s mouth dropped. “Are you suggesting…”
“Once we got ourselves a solid place t’live,” Booker said. “Cae and I thought… We should go lookin’ for more folks who want out.”
An excited gleam danced in Nicole’s eyes. “You want to spring more people from Ark camps.”
Caitlin nodded. “Steve told us about the Ark in Kansas. It’s not as heavily guarded.”
“’Cause they weren’t trying to engineer a vaccine,” Scott commented.
“Exactly,” she said. “And we’re certain there are others. If we could find them, get a message inside…”
“You could free our families,” Max whispered, a hopeful tremor in his voice.
“That’s highly dangerous,” Trish said, nearly spitting the words out. “You want to go off, risking everything—”
“We would be smart about it,” Caitlin cut in. “We wouldn’t hit them all at once. We’d plan, prepare, we’d do our due diligence.” She glanced at Max once more. “We think it’s worth trying.”
Steve shifted his weight and nodded. “I agree with them,” he said. “And if we’re in a permanent place, we’d have more than just hope to offer anyone who joined us.”
Nicole turned to Caitlin, clearly fighting a grin. “When?”
Looking around at the rest of the group, she inhaled.
“As soon as we have a home.”
Chapter Five
Kansas
Three Months Later
Caitlin hopped down from the Jeep, swinging her heavy backpack over her shoulder.
“I’mma pull around back,” Booker told her before she closed the door. “Meet ya inside.”
She nodded, smacking the side of the Jeep to let him know he was good to drive and stared up at the brick façade of Roosevelt High School.
It had been a hard fight. The Geeks in the yard were only a hint of the horde that waited for them inside, and they had considered giving up and finding a different place.
And then Seth had the idea to draw them out into a contained funnel and pick them off.
It worked, and miraculously they didn’t lose a single soul that day.
They lost others though. Scouts on supply runs never returned. Their corpses were found weeks later, turned or too eviscerated to become a Geek.
It was a devastating blow to everyone, even to the newcomers who barely knew them.
And there were so many newcomers.
Buses full, and all excited to be outside the grasp of whatever barely functioning government had been ruling inside the camps.
The more people they freed, the less Caitlin slept at night.
But she figured it was a small price to pay for helping them find their loved ones.
Whistling three times, she listened to the sounds of the heavy barricade on the front double doors being moved as she approached.
“Welcome home, traveler,” Steve greeted, pushing open the left door. “Is Booker…?”
Caitlin jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “Just pulling the Jeep around. He’ll probably come in the back.”
Closing and securing the door behind her, she turned only to be gathered up in a hug.
“Good to see you,” Steve said. “Feels like every time you leave it’s for longer and longer.”
Giving him a reassuring pat on the back, she said, “We had trouble finding some of the supplies Scott needed. But we got everything on the list.”
“You know, we have other scouts to do this too.”
“And look what happened to them.”
Caitlin immediately wished she could force the words back down her throat and swallow them.
The sorrow in Steve’s eyes cut her to the bone.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” she said hurriedly. “That was uncalled for.” She shook her head. “I didn’t mean they deserved it. I just…”
Caitlin prayed for a hole to open up in the ground and send her to the center of the earth.
No such sinkhole appeared.
“Wow, what an entrance, huh?” She offered a tense smile. “Sure you’re glad to see me now?”
Steve chuckled, shaking his head. “If you think that’s the worst anyone’s stuck their foot in their mouth around me, you’d be mistaken. And yes, I’m still very glad to see you.”
Adjusting the strap of her bag, she shifted her weight.
“Next run I’ll look for beer. As an apology,” she said, giving his arm a squeeze. “Is Nicole around? I have some stuff to give her.”
“Try the cafeteria,” he said. “You’re just in time for dinner.”
Wandering through the halls of what was once a bustling school still felt eerie to Caitlin. Trophy cases filled with awards were dusty but still standing. Bulletin boards with class announcements, encouraging words of success, quotes from founding fathers or inventors, and occasional test announcements still hung on the walls. Most of the lockers had been repurposed for barricading a few of the less frequented exits, but a few still lined the main corridor, padlocks securely in place.
Taking a left, she followed the sounds of people—voices, silverware on plates, the metallic scrape of a chair leg or table as people moved.
Sometimes she missed the quiet of the Midwest plains, being out on the road with Booker and occasionally Nicole.
And sometimes the sounds of people were better than music.
Entering the cafeteria, she was immediately bombarded with excited greetings from every side of the room.
Smiling, she tried responding to everyone but some she could only wave at before another person was dragging her attention away.
Like a road weary Santa Claus, she pulled her bag around and started digging through it.
Art supplies for Vanessa. Sewing needles and thread for Sister Agnes. Christian rock CDs for Alonzo. Pulp detective novels for Edward.
Condoms for Nathaniel.
She decided to wait to give those to him in private.
It wasn’t the most natural thing on the planet to search for prophylactics for her ex-boyfriend, but she was actually kind of happy for him to be moving on. And Brooke seemed nice from the limited interactions Caitlin had with her.
Reaching to the bottom of the bag, she pulled out the selection of rattles and toys they’d found appropriate for toddlers and weaved through the tables.
“Max,” she called, waving them at him. “I hope these do the trick, otherwise we’re going to have to go all the way to Utah to find toys she likes.”
Bouncing his daughter Matilda on his knee, Max sighed in relief at the sight of a soft yellow ducky.
“She loves ducks,” he said, taking it from Caitlin. “Thank you. Maybe now we’ll finally get some peace.”
Returning to the table with two plates, David smiled, leaning over to give a side hug to Caitlin before setting the food down.
“You have no idea how much this means to us,” David said, gratitude welling in his greenish brown eyes.
“Just remind her every day Auntie Caitlin rules and that Uncle Booker drools,” she said, playfully wiggling her finger at the little girl, who stared in wide-eyed fascination.
“Hey, I heard that,” Booker called from a table away, still handing out odds and ends they’d picked up.
Caitlin smirked. “I know.”
“Want me to get you some food?” David offered. “Some of the guys went hunting. I’ll admit I didn’t think I was a venison man, but now that I’ve smelled it, I think I’m a convert.”
“’S good meat,” Booker said, striding over. “Especially grilled like a steak. Y’wanna talk about living high on the hog…” He half-grunted, half-hummed at the back of his throat, much to the delight of Matilda.
Reaching down gently, Booker ran
his hand over her mop of blonde curls.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he murmured. “Gotcha more fruits and veggies we know you’ll just spit out. But at least we’re tryin’.”
Max looked up from where he was pulling the duck out of its packaging.
“She likes apples. And peaches. But anything green…”
“Oh, I remember,” Booker said, clapping the man on his shoulder. “Like that scene from The Exorcist.”
Scanning the room, Caitlin searched for Nicole but couldn’t find her.
“Is Nicole in the kitchen?” She asked.
David shook his head. “No, I haven’t seen her in here yet. She might be helping Scott with the new patients. We had a little accident yesterday.”
Caitlin and Booker both froze.
“What kind of accident?”
“Nothing catastrophic,” Max urged. “Some of the fencing materials fell on top of a few of the work crew. Most are just bruised or banged up, but one guy broke his wrist, and another got a piece of pipe through his leg.”
“Jesus,” Booker said. “They’re lucky it won’t worse.”
“Very lucky.”
Zipping up her bag, Caitlin said, “I’m going to go find her. Save me a plate, okay?”
David nodded, already making his way back to the kitchen.
She wasn’t surprised Booker followed her.
Even after days of being together, cramped inside the Jeep or in an occasional empty farmhouse they could use for a night or two, he never wanted to be far from her.
Not that she minded.
“Can’t wait to take a hot shower,” he muttered, running his hand over his face and growing beard. “Trim this up a bit too.”
Caitlin smirked over her shoulder. “I dunno, I kinda like it.”
“Y’say that now, but just wait. You’ll wake up one mornin’ next to the guy from Castaway and you’ll wish you’d had me shave it.”
“Alright, fine,” she conceded. “But don’t you dare touch your hair. It’s the perfect length.”
Closing the distance, Booker playfully swatted her ass, making her giggle.
“All the better for ya to grab onto,” he murmured in her ear.
Caitlin winked. “Why else do you think I want you to keep it that long?”
Bloody Sunset Page 5
