by Poe, S. B.
“You need me to help.” He called.
“Nope. Just gonna load up those couple of boxes. Everything else is still in the back of the big truck.” Bridger glanced up.
The deadun came around the front of the big truck. It almost knocked Charlie over but never checked up as it moved past him towards Evelyn. She jerked at the movement out of the corner of her eye and just saw a blur of camouflage uniform. Charlie pulled his knife out as the deadun brushed by him. He drove it into the back of the thing’s head just as Evelyn drove the blade of her machete up through its chin. Pop.
The soldier hit the ground.
“Dammit.” Bridger turned to Evelyn. “I knew I missed one. I had almost convinced myself I miscounted. I’ve been picking them off when I come out here. I’m sorry.”
“I’m fine.” Evelyn said.
“I’m fine too by the way.” Charlie said. “Thanks for asking.”
“I knew you would be…” Bridger paused. “Asking. Thanks for asking…”
“Uh, you okay? Not having a stroke or something, are you?” Evelyn asked.
“No. I just thought of something.” Bridger said.
“What?”
“Let’s get loaded up. We gotta go back and find that guy. Ramey.” Bridger said.
“Why?” Charlie asked.
“I gotta ask him something. Something about you.” Bridger said. “Let’s get this done. Evelyn you drive the hummer, I’ll drive the bigger one.”
“Oh, hell no. I’m driving that big boy. I’ve always wanted to drive a truck like that. Well, I really wanted to drive an eighteen wheeler, but this looks pretty big.” She smiled.
“It’s easier for sure. Automatic. Just gotta get used to how long it takes to stop that much weight. You sure?” Bridger asked.
“Hell yeah, besides, if you don’t end up with some civilian woman driving a sizeable piece of military equipment through the deserted streets of a small town, can you really say you’ve even been in the apocalypse? I got this.” Evelyn said as she climbed up in the cab. Bridger grinned at her. He and Charlie grabbed the boxes of booze and sat them in the back of the Humvee.
“Okay then. I’ll drive this, Charlie, you with me. Raj just follow us back to that gas station.” Bridger stepped up on the side of the truck and showed Evelyn how to start it and get it in gear. “Let’s go.”
They rolled away from the parking lot in a small convoy with Evelyn bringing up the rear. It was a few miles drive past the open fields before the first houses on the edge of town showed up. It was just a brief ride to the gas station from there. They stopped the vehicles in the middle of the road. Bridger and Charlie got out. Raj and Evelyn joined them as they all crossed over towards the house, sitting among the azaleas. Bridger climbed the short porch and knocked on the door.
“I thought this would not be a habit.” Ramey said as he opened the door.
“Yeah, sorry about that. I need to ask you a few more questions.” Bridger said.
“About?”
“You said you couldn’t see to good.”
“I can’t”
“But you said you recognized Charlie.” Bridger reached over and put his hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “How?”
“I recognized him because I remembered him from the gate. He smells different. He looks different too.” Ramey said.
“Looks different?” Evelyn asked.
“From the rest of you.” Ramey said.
“Smell?” Raj asked.
“He has no smell.” Ramey said.
“What does that mean?” Bridger asked.
“He is just like the rest of the dead. Sorry.” He nodded towards Charlie. “He’s like a hole in the air. When he gets close, he has no smell. At least not to me.”
“And the way he looks?” Bridger asked.
“All of you standing there…” Ramey waved his hand over all four of them. “All of you look like blobs. Shaped kind of like people, but mostly dark blobs. He looks pale. Not dark.” Ramey said.
“So he looks different and smells different.” Bridger said.
“Yes. I remembered thinking he was different when I spoke to him at the gate but I didn’t know why. But he still looks and smells like he did then. What aren’t you telling me? You knew he was different somehow. Why?” Ramey asked.
“He’s been bitten. And didn’t turn. And obviously didn’t die.” Raj said.
“Really?” Ramey asked.
“Yeah, I got lucky.” Charlie said.
“I had heard rumors. Before I got stuck with those crazies, I kind of just wandered the roads. I was with a group once. It went bad. I was the only one who made it out. But I met other people from time to time. There was always the rumor of someone being immune. Someone they had known who got bit and didn’t turn. There were always stories. I never met any of them though.” Ramey said.
“Well now you have.” Charlie said.
“The stories always ended the same way. The ones that were immune had left. Gone to find other people like them. People who didn’t have to care about the dead.” Ramey said.
“Where did they go?” Evelyn asked.
“I don’t know. I just heard the stories.” Ramey said.
“Sounds like there are more than a few people out there like you, Charlie.” Bridger said.
“Well, we’ve got two inside our walls. The law of averages says there should be more.” Charlie said.
“Two?” Ramey said.
“We have a girl too. She wasn’t part of our group in the beginning, but she is now.” Raj said. “Maybe I can bring her out here to meet you.”
“Let’s not get carried away. You’ve answered my questions. Thank you. We’ll leave you alone.” Bridger said. “For now.”
“You asked me once if I would hang around.” Ramey said.
“I did.” Bridger said.
“I’m beginning to think I probably won’t.” Ramey said. “Not really big on visitors right now.”
“You do what you need to do.” Bridger said. “If you stay, I won’t promise we won’t visit. You could be helpful to us.”
“Helpful?”
“Yeah, you’re unique. That has all kinds of possibilities. You could probably help us in ways we can’t even think of right now. But if you feel you have to leave, I understand.” Bridger said. He turned to the others. “Come on, let’s head back in. We’ve taken too much of his time already. Have a good day.”
Bridger turned towards the road and started walking. The others smiled at Ramey and followed Bridger back to the vehicles. Bridger climbed into the cab of the Humvee and Charlie sat down in the passengers seat. The convoy pulled away from the gas station.
“You think he’ll leave?” Charlie asked.
“Probably, but I hope I gave him a reason not too.” Bridger said. They drove for the gate.
Josh leaned back in the chair and reached his hand towards Lori. She had pulled her shirt and pants off and lay on top of the bus in just her underwear. He stroked the back of her leg.
“Stop it.” She said without raising her head.
“Stop what?” He asked.
“Stop messing with me. I haven’t laid out in so long. I’m need to get a tan.” She said.
“Why?” Josh asked.
“I am sick of looking all pasty and dead. Besides, the sun feels so good.”
“I’m sure the deaduns appreciate you prancing around half naked, I know I sure do.” Josh said.
“Yeah, well, you get to see me all the way naked too.” She said without raising her head, but he could hear her smile.
“Ahem.” A voice came from the ground behind the bus. Josh twisted in his chair to see who it was.
“Oh, hi mom.” Josh said.
“Hello.” Kate replied.
Lori twisted into a fetal position and swiped for her clothes as quick as she could, but she couldn’t quite get the jeans on without standing up on top of the bus.
“I was just getting some sun.” She said as she draped her a
rm over her chest, covering herself as best she could.
“It’s fine. I’m not here to spy on you or find out what you and my son do when I’m not around. That’s your business.” Kate said.
“We weren’t doing anything.” Lori said as she pulled her t-shirt on.
“It’s okay.” Kate said. “I’m just here to ask you about Bridger.”
“What about him?” Josh asked.
“Have you heard from him?”
“Nope.” Josh said.
“I haven’t seen him.” Lori added.
“How long have you been up there?” Kate asked.
“A few hours. Scott and Ham were here before.” Lori said.
“He went out while they were on, I guess we wait.” Kate said.
“What are we waiting on?” Josh asked.
“To see what Bridger has gotten into now. Every time he goes out, he gets into something.” Kate said.
“Yeah, well, the first something was the compound the second something was this town, maybe he’ll come back with a trip to Disney.” Josh laughed.
“I doubt it. I’ll catch them when they get back, I guess.” Kate said.
“You want me to tell him you’re looking for him?” Lori asked.
“Not that it would matter, but yes, if you think about it.” Kate said.
“Sure, no problem.” Lori smiled.
“I’ll see y’all later.” Kate turned and walked away.
“Shit.” Lori said. “She probably thinks I’m a slut.”
“Why would she think that? I mean, it’s not like you were out here hanging out in your underwear. Oh wait.” Josh laughed.
“Shut up.”
Josh stood and picked up her cap. He placed it back on her head and wrapped his arms around her.
“First, I don’t care what she thinks and neither should you. Second, I kinda like you hanging out in your underwear.” He kissed her.
“I still want your mother to like me.” Lori said.
“She does. She’d tell you if she didn’t.” Josh said. “Trust me.”
Kate turned the corner away from the gate and started towards the big house. She paused and turned towards the house to her right. She went up and knocked on the door.
“Hi Kate.” Tilly answered.
“Everything okay?”
“Sure.” Tilly said. “I was going to head down to the gate and see if Raj was back yet.”
“Just came from there. They’re not back.” Kate said.
“You need me to do something?” Tilly asked.
“Oh no. Just checking in on you.” Kate said.
“Well, we’re all good.” Tilly rubbed her belly slightly and smiled.
“You thought of any names yet?” Kate asked.
“Not really. Don’t want to jinx it.” Tilly said.
“Jinx it?”
“It’s not like this is going to be normal. No hospitals, no prenatal care, none of the stuff I imagined.”
“I know.”
“When Raj and I first got married, I thought I was pregnant. We had just finished college and he was starting medical school. I panicked at first, but Raj was so supportive. We sat up all night talking about it. He was going to drop out for a while, get a job, and we would figure it out after the baby came. I sat up all night looking at all the ‘you’re going to be a mommy’ websites. Prenatal vitamins, doctor’s visits, all the markers of healthy pregnancy.”
“And?” Kate asked.
“The next morning I got my period and that afternoon I got my birth control pills renewed.” She smiled.
“Tilly, we’re going to make sure this all goes well. You have my word on that. I will go talk to Emma Grace or Cody and see if there was a pediatrician or ob/gyn office in town. If there was, maybe we can find you some vitamins.” Kate said.
“Yeah and maybe they’ll have a book on how to birth a baby. I mean I know it comes out the chute, but if something goes wrong…”
“You have a doctor for a husband. I’m sure the rest of us will assist him in anything he needs.” Kate said.
“Yeah, we talked about that last night too. He’s excited, but he’s really nervous.” Tilly smiled.
“Well, we’ve all got a few months to get ready. You just make sure you keep that little bun safe in that oven.” Kate said. “I don’t like telling people what to do, but in this case I will. I don’t want you to worry about guard duty or working the barricade. You just rest.”
“Thanks but I think I’ll keep doing like I’ve been doing for as long as I can. It’s not like I can just sit around and watch my stomach grow. I’d go crazy.” Tilly said.
“Well, make sure you don’t put yourself in any danger. I trust you.” Kate said.
“Thanks. I’ll be good. I promise.” Tilly smiled. “I guess I’ll head down to the gate in a few minutes and just wait on Raj to get back.”
Kate glimpsed movement out of the corner of her eye and turned. She saw Scott and Ham slip between a couple of houses and head for the barricade.
“I’ll head up and talk to Emma Grace. You sure you’re okay?” Kate said.
“I’m sure. Thanks.” Tilly said.
“Alright, I’ll see you later.”
“See ya later.” Tilly said before closing the door.
Kate walked down the driveway and stood in the street. She started to follow Scott and Ham but decided she would go find Emma Grace first. A couple of kids playing wasn’t something she was going to worry about right now. She headed towards the big house.
Scott glanced over his shoulder when he saw his mother talking to Tilly, but he didn’t slow down. They walked between the houses and got to the barricade.
“We need to find another way out. Just somewhere to squeeze through.” Scott said.
“Squeeze through? I don’t think Cheval is squeezing through anything.” Ham said as they walked.
“Not the horse. Me.”
“You?”
“Well yeah. I’m going too.” Scott said.
“I still don’t understand.” Ham said.
“I know. I’m still working it out. I’ll just need some time. Now let’s just see if we can find somewhere for me to get outside without someone seeing me.” Scott said as they followed the stuff piled against chain-link sections of fence being used the block out the dead.
Happy Trails
“That’s good.” Bridger called.
Evelyn put the truck in park and climbed down from the cab. She had gotten the truck as close as she could to the door of the fellowship hall. She walked to the back of the truck as Bridger lowered the tailgate.
“That was fun. I think I’ve found my new favorite car. Or truck.” She said.
“Too bad that was its last ride.” Bridger said.
“Last ride?”
“We’ll need all the fuel from it for the Humvee. This beast is gonna get parked down there by the bus.”
“Why?”
“Well, if someone were to run the gate, the bus and this beast will block it.” Bridger said.
Charlie grabbed a box of booze from the Humvee. Evelyn grabbed the other one and they carried them through the door. Bridger climbed into the back of the truck and started sliding boxes towards the tailgate.
“He’s really getting paranoid.” Charlie said as he sat the box on the floor.
“Let’s stack these over here.” Evelyn said. Charlie picked the box and moved to where she pointed.
“He’s not paranoid.” Evelyn said. “He’s realistic.”
“Ramming the gate? You really think that’s going to happen?” Charlie asked.
“Did you really think the dead were going to walk the earth? He said when we came out of the woods we should be ready for problems from other people and he was right. It’s not being paranoid. It’s being smart.” Evelyn said.
“I guess. But everybody out there isn’t our enemy.” Charlie said.
“Maybe, maybe not. But we don’t know. Better to hope for the best but get ready for
the worst. And in this new world the worst can be really, really bad.” Evelyn said.
