“He’s a mystery to all of us and I think he likes it that way,” said Dianna.
The news about Sullivan’s meeting spread quickly, as members of the Fort began to gather in the center of the grounds. Melissa walked past the war room and noticed that the three of them still sat inside.
“Is everything okay?” she asked nervously, standing just outside the open flaps.
“Just some things that have come up that need to be addressed,” said Dianna. “Don’t worry sweetie. Sullivan will go over all of it.”
“I’ll walk with you.” Nash stood up and exited the tent with Melissa. Dianna and Stu looked at each other and smiled as they watched the two of them walk away together.
“Something’s going to happen between those two; mark my words,” said Dianna.
“Sooner than later, I hope,” said Stu with a worried look on his face as he collected the red strips from the table and stuffed them back into the bag.
“Don’t be so morbid.” Dianna slapped Stu on his back as she stood. “Sully may be worried, but he can handle whatever is out there. We’re lucky to have him. Let’s just take it day by day. He’ll get us through it.”
Dianna and Stu joined the group and settled near the back next to Nash and Melissa, the four of them looked over the group as Sullivan stood on a small, elevated platform. Scott and Meghan joined them with a couple other people, the group now mostly gathered together. Scott nudged Nash to look toward the line of RVs as Duncan sat, leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on an old propane tank, fast asleep.
Nash shook his head at Scott. “Even if he was awake he wouldn’t care.” Scott put his hand up in the air and gave Sullivan a thumbs up.
”Hello, everyone. Thanks for gathering. I’m sure by now; a few of you have met Nash and his step-father Duncan. They’ll be staying with us for as long as they’d like.” The group members near Nash patted him on the back or shook hands, while a few others in the back let out a few whistles and claps. “I found them out on the road yesterday, running from a few of the fast ones. Now finding fast ones around here isn’t out of the norm, but Nash tells me there was a sniper taking shots at them.”
The crowd grew silent. Duncan was awake again, sitting in his chair and listening from afar.
“Maybe the gunman thought the two of them were dead ones, we don’t know, but I intend to find out. Myself, Cole, and Eliza, will be heading out shortly to gather supplies and find out anything we can about the shooter. While we’re gone, just stay calm, and remain vigilant.”
The group gave a round of nervous applause as Sullivan exited to the side of the platform.
“I don’t know what any of us would have done without him,” said Melissa as she watched him disappear into his RV. The crowd slowly evaporated while they stood together, the afternoon sun beating down on them.
“Dianna told me about what happened before Sullivan found you,” said Nash, taking the quiet moment after the meeting to give his condolences. “I’m sorry about your parents. It looked like you had a nice life.”
She stood quiet for a moment as she fiddled with her fingers and looked down at the ground. He hadn’t been sure if he should have said anything at all, or if this was the time to bring it up, but he’d wanted it said since Dianna had told him what had happened.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Can I ask what happened to your mom?”
“She died in a car accident before all this happened. Right before, actually.” He looked over and saw that Duncan was awake again, sitting in a chair as he stared off in the distance.
“And Duncan is your stepdad, right?”
“Unfortunately; he wasn’t always like this. I mean, we weren’t ever close, but he made my mom happy at first so I was happy. He just always had an edge to him. Nothing like what he is today, but there was always something that seemed off. I have no idea what my mother saw in him but that’s not my question to answer, I guess.”
“What about your real dad?”
“He died when I was really young, in a car accident, just like my mother.”
“Nash, I’m so sorry,” she said as she took his hand softly in hers. His heart raced from the feeling of her soft skin against his as she moved close to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. He felt his shirt dampen as fresh tears flowed from her eyes.
As if by some long dormant instinct, Nash took her by the shoulders and wrapped his arms around her. Her head came to rest on his chest as her tears continued to wet his shirt. Duncan watched them, his eyes narrowed. There was a threat lingering there, but Nash wasn’t sure what it was.
“Don’t leave,” she said softly.
“Why would you think I’m leaving?” he asked, his eyes still firmly locked with Duncan’s.
“I see the way he looks at this place. I can tell he’s not gonna be staying long.”
“What he does is his business.” Duncan broke his gaze and quietly entered the RV. “I’m staying.”
She pulled away from him with a soft smile as she wiped her eyes with the back of her wrist. “I’m sorry, your shirts wet now.”
”It’s ok,” said Nash with a smile. He thought back to her house and the framed pictures that were smashed onto the floors from the carnage her parents had created. He’d never thought she was still alive, let alone that he would ever meet her.
“Let’s say goodbye to our fearless leader,” said Dianna as she appeared nearby. The two backed away from each other awkwardly as she chuckled. “Am I interrupting something?”
“You’re always interrupting something, Dianna!” Melissa laughed. They all looked toward the front of the Fort where Sullivan, Eliza, and Cole stood with a growing group of people. “I’ll go get their food ready.”
Nash watched as she skipped back to the food truck, the loose bun of hair on the back of her head bounced as she moved.
“Moving a little quick there, aren’t you, big guy?” said Dianna as she slung her thick arm around Nash’s shoulder. He looked at her nervously, afraid that she had confirmed what he had already feared. She flung her head back and let out a loud chuckle. “Don’t worry honey; she likes you. It is moving fast, but there’s no time to waste nowadays!”
Nash watched as she disappeared into the food truck. “I’ve never actually dated a girl.”
“I think she’s in the same boat as you, honey. I don’t know what you two were talking about, but I’ve never seen her open up to anyone like she did to you.”
The mass of people around the front of the Fort had grown as everyone joined them, crowding around to wish them good luck. Melissa wedged her way through the group with a duffle bag filled with supplies for their trip. Sullivan took it from her and tossed it over his shoulder winking at her with a smile as she joined the crowd.
“We’ll be back as soon as possible, but we won’t be longer than two days. Our plan is to load up on as many supplies as we can carry, and hopefully gather more information on the shooter. Well see you all soon.”
Sullivan stepped aside and let Cole and Eliza go through the gate first, handing his rifle to Cole as he passed by. He stepped toward Dianna and wrapped his arms around her as she nuzzled into his embrace. The crowd dissipated as the two stood in each other’s arms. Dianna cried softly into his broad shoulder. Nash and Melissa watched from afar as Sullivan whispered into her ear and her sobs slightly subsided as he held her by her shoulders and kissed her. It was a long kiss, both of them frozen in each other’s embrace as Cole and Eliza watched from the other side of the gate.
Sullivan hugged Dianna one more time before he walked through the gate and pulled it closed behind him. She applied the locks and stood listening to their footsteps as they disappeared into the woods.
“You okay, honey?” asked Stu, joining her and placing his hand on her back. She turned around, her face red with fresh tears.
“He said he loved me. He’s never said that before. I had no idea.”
She buried her face in her hands and tried to stif
le any sounds she made.
“Please come back Sully, please come home safe to me,” she whispered into her hands as they stood together in the warm afternoon light.
Chapter 10
During the two days after Sullivan, Cole and Eliza’s departure, the camp took on an almost mechanical precision as the inhabitants went about their days. They tended to their responsibilities and tried to ignore the possible threat outside the woods. The sound of camp simply became the sound of surviving.
The respect the group had for Sullivan was evidenced by their quiet reserve as everyone waited in reverence for his arrival, but as the third day came and went with no triumphant return, the silent calm began to crumble, Duncan at its core. The morning of the fourth day, Stu and Dianna called a meeting in order to ease the growing tension in camp. The group wearily crowed around the same area that Sullivan had given his speech the day he left, the same nervousness nagging at each of them.
Stu started off as the fear flowed from the crowd toward him in waves. “We all know he’s not back, but it’s going to be okay. It’s far too early to panic. We don’t know what’s happened. For all we know…”
“He said two days, Stu,” interjected a man with curly, orange hair from the middle of the group. “He’s not the type to say something unless he means it.” The man stared intently at Stu as the crowd started to become restless in agreement.
“The ginger’s right!” yelled Duncan from the back of the group. Some of them turned to look at him, giving him disapproving glances before they turned back to Stu.
“As I was saying, we don’t know all the facts. He’s a survivor, more so than any of us here. For all we know, they could have found more people in hiding or found a store with supplies still intact. The fact of the matter is, we just don’t know.”
“They could also be dead,” interjected Duncan with a flat tone. This time, the entire group turned and stared with a mixture of anger and agitation. “Why are you looking at me like that? You all know it’s true. Tubby, up here, is filling your head with all these possibilities of new friends and wonderful cash prizes, but the reality is the three of them could be running through the streets right now, biting and tearing at their chests.”
The initial shock of Duncan’s statement dulled as the harsh reality he had presented settled in. He was right, and they all knew it. There was a very real chance that they had been killed.
“He’s saying it like an ass, but he isn’t wrong,” said Dianna as she stepped up beside Stu. “I think sometimes we forget how harsh the world is outside of these woods of ours. Let’s just give it time. If he’s not back by tomorrow morning, we’ll send Scott and Meghan out to look for them. For now, let’s keep our heads down until it’s time to act.”
Stu and Dianna gave a slight nod as they started to move off the platform together. Duncan began clapping loudly, smacking his hands hard from the back of the group as everyone nervously moved away from him. Dianna continued off the platform and grimaced at Duncan’s unsmiling face as she moved. Stu remained in place, his gaze fixed on Duncan. Duncan stood unfazed and loudly clapped his hands together in a mocking roar of applause.
“You’re a real asshole Duncan. Feel free to leave anytime.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, you fat redneck.” Stu’s face reddened as he geared up to snap back at Duncan.
“Don’t bother,” said Nash. “It’s not worth it. Trust me, he’s gonna get himself kicked out for something sooner than later.”
“Listen to the boy, Tubby. He’s right, and trust me, when I do leave this shithole, you’ll have a front row seat.” His tight grin stretched into a wide, toothy smile. Seeing his lips peel away from his teeth reminded Nash of a rabid dog, and for the first time in his life, he was genuinely afraid of what he was capable of.
Duncan didn’t move an inch. His twisted, angry smile stayed in place as Stu and Nash walked off toward the food truck. The clapping started back up again as they walked away, leaving Duncan alone at the meeting place.
“I’m treating his actions today as a threat. As soon as Sullivan’s back, I’m going to have a long conversation about what to do about him.”
“I honestly don’t know what to tell you,” said Nash as he nervously smiled at Melissa inside the food truck as they approached. “He’s always been aggressive and hard to deal with, but this is different. It’s almost like this place is making him worse.”
Stu stopped in his tracks and grabbed Nash’s arm. “He’s your stepdad. Are you going to be okay with…”
“Do what you need to do. We survived together out of convenience, that’s all. He’s nothing to me now.” Stu let go of his arm and nodded in understanding. “I actually wanted to ask you something.”
“What’s that?”
“If Sullivan isn’t back tomorrow and you have to send Scott and Meghan to search for him, I want to be one of the people helping outside the fence while they’re gone.” Stu looked at Nash, cracking his knuckles while he pondered the idea. “I know how to handle myself out there and I want to help. Even after Sullivan gets back, I want to be part of the security team.”
“Ok,” said Stu while he rubbed his balding head reluctantly. “I’m not making the final call on this, you’ll have to talk to Sullivan when he gets back, but for now I’m fine with it. Meghan and Scott come back around noon to get lunch. I’ll let them know you’re gonna tail them today to get the lay of the land.”
“Thank you,” said Nash as he reached out and shook Stu’s hand.
“Just be safe. Listen to Meghan and Scott. They know what they’re doing out there.” He put his hand on Nash’s shoulder and squeezed slightly. “I’ve got faith in you. You’re here for a reason, kid.”
Stu disappeared into the middle of the Fort, leaving Nash with a greater feeling of acceptance than he’d felt since he’d first arrived.
“What was that all about?” asked Melissa from the open food truck window.
“I was just asking him if I can help patrol the woods if Meghan and Scott have to go looking for Sullivan.”
“Oh,” she said, pausing for a moment before she turned to grab food to pass to him for lunch.
“Everything okay?” he asked as he sensed her sudden apprehensiveness.
She put his food on the ledge and locked eyes with him for a silent moment. She placed one of her slender hands on top of his. “Just please be safe.” She squeezed his hand gently and sent his heart racing over the feeling of her hand on his. “I like you, you know.”
“I like you too.” The two chuckled at their awkwardness. The words hung uneasily between the two of them as they stood in silence, hands together while they smiled. It was as if nothing else existed in that moment. The image of her being pulled from the truck by her hair flashed across the back of his eyes. His face flinched with horror.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as he shook the panic out of his eyes.
“Doesn’t look like anything’s wrong from my point of view!” said Dianna as she appeared near the front of the food truck and walked toward them.
“How long have you been over there?” asked Melissa who took her hands back, her face again filling with color.
“Long enough to hear the two of you blathering on about how you like each other! Don’t stop on my account. Keep on!”
Stu opened the front gate as Meghan and Scott walked in together. They talked briefly while they looked over at Nash with a smile. Even from the distance, Scott and Meghan’s eyes glistened like nothing Nash had ever seen.
“I should go. Thanks for the food, Mel.”
“No food for you today!” quipped Melissa to Dianna as the two of them chuckled loudly behind him. He smiled as he made his way to the front of the Fort, ready to explore.
“Just going to grab some lunch, then we’ll be on our way!” said Scott as they walked toward him.
“They won’t be long, they usually eat quickly,” said Stu as Nash joined him at the gate. “Let’s head over to the armor
y to get you strapped with a sidearm. Have you ever fired a gun before?”
“Never,” said Nash, nervously. He and Duncan had always used quiet weapons like bats and knives. He knew that guns were loud and brought attention. He’d never felt at ease with guns, even before the dead had taken over.
“Nothing to worry about, it’s for a worst case scenario. Nobody’s ever had to discharge a weapon while on patrol.”
The armory was an old Winnebago, covered with burn marks and dirt on the outside. An old man with long, stringy gray hair sat in a shredded lawn chair, half asleep as they approached. He wore a pair of tattered denim overalls that hung loosely over his aging frame. The name “Mark” was stitched onto a stained auto garage button-up shirt.
“Wake up, soldier!” yelled Stu as they came to a stop in front of him. The loudness of Stu’s words shook the man from his sleep and made him almost fall out of the raggedy old lawn chair in the process.
“Good lord, Stuart!” yelled the man as he stumbled to his feet in a frenzy, proceeding to knock the chair over. He waved a homemade cane in Stu’s face with a smile. “I’ve got half a mind to pop you one, you know that!”
“Wouldn’t be the first time, old timer! Have you had a chance to meet Nash?”
“Nope, I haven’t had the pleasure!” said Mark. He extended his hand out to Nash. As they shook, a wave of sour body odor permeated the space around him. He tried his hardest not to make it known he’d noticed the smell, but his face grimaced slightly as the inside of his nostrils began to burn. Mark flung his head back and revealed a mouth void of teeth as he let out a bellowing laugh.
“It’s okay, Nash,” said Stu as he shielded himself from the foul odor. “Mark doesn’t really worry about hygiene.”
“And proud of it!” he said through his laughter. “Why bother? Look around boys! It’s a dirty world we live in!”
Mark unlocked the padlock and opened the door, taking his seat again as Nash and Stu stepped inside. One of the walls of the Winnebago was completely covered with racks of guns and ammunition, while the opposite wall was covered with close combat weapons, like axes, knives and baseball bats. Stu took a small holster from a rack at the end of the Winnebago and helped Nash secure it to his side.
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