I thanked them and went back to my office, but I couldn’t sit still. I’d made the decision to talk to Kelly, and I was stressing. I needed to do something besides stare at a computer and read reports. I opened the maintenance log and found an open work order. A circuit breaker for the locker room kept tripping.
“Good,” I muttered, grabbed my tool belt, and headed that way.
It was an easy fix. An electrical outlet had cracked somehow and was shorting out. I replaced it, and then spent the next hour cleaning the sinks and mirrors. It was dinner time before I knew it. I always tried to eat dinner every evening with my family and this evening was going to be no exception. It was going to be tough though. I was going to have to maintain a pleasant demeanor and wait until after we put the kids to be before I confessed. I wasn’t sure how she was going to take it.
The cafeteria was bustling when I entered. Kelly and Janet had the three kids at the table and trying to get them fed. I got a tray of food and joined them. I kissed Kelly on the top of her head as I sat.
“How was school?” I asked.
“The usual,” Kelly answered. “How did training go?”
“I would not want to put them all on one phalanx team, but I think they could fill in as needed.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Kelly said. “I can’t help but think they’re a little young for that type of stuff.”
I watched Sammy come in. He did not make eye contact. Instead, he got a tray of food and sat with some of his friends. I started to ask Kelly if she had spoken to him, but she read my thoughts before I could speak.
“I’ll tell you later,” she said under her breath. Janet heard, rolled her eyes, and continued eating.
After dinner, Janet rounded up the kids and took them to the playroom. It was almost as if she knew Kelly and I needed to talk. Once they’d walked out, Kelly turned in her chair to face me.
“I had an interesting conversation with Riley earlier,” she said.
“Oh.” It was all I could say. I don’t know if the color drained from my face, but it felt like it. Kelly continued gazing at me.
“She said she made a pass at you last night and laid a kiss on you.”
“I was going to talk to you about it after dinner,” I said. “I’m sorry.”
“She said you rejected her, and she asked for my forgiveness,” she said. She gazed at me evenly. “Is that how it happened?”
“No, not exactly,” I said quietly.
“She said you’d say that and try to take the blame. She said you told her that you loved me, and you told her I was your best friend,” Kelly said.
“You are,” I replied.
She leaned closer and took my hand. “Don’t shut her out. She’s lonely and needs our friendship.”
While I sat there in stunned silence, she kissed me on the cheek. “Sammy is another story.”
“You talked to him?” I asked.
“Yes. He confessed to me he’s had a nagging suspicion for a couple of months that he may not be the father.”
“He does?”
“Yeah. He said Serena’s been acting like an oddball lately—his words, not mine. He asked her point blank about it. She denied it, of course, but he thinks her denial was hinky.”
“What do you think?” I asked.
She shrugged her shoulders. “Hard to say. I think she’s been faithful and he’s the father, but it’s not like I keep close tabs on her.”
“Would there be any other possibilities?” I asked. “Is there anyone who pays a little too much attention to her?”
Kelly shrugged again. “Janet thinks it may be Connie.”
I scowled at her statement. Connie. Senator Conrad Nelson. He was a handsome man, probably in his fifties although he wouldn’t tell anyone his real age, and it is believed he is the father of Becky Hardin’s son. He also made a pass at Kelly once. I threatened him with great bodily harm if he ever did it again.
“Well, I think if anyone can find out the truth, it’ll be you and Janet,” I said.
“I’ll consider that a green light,” she replied with a smile. “Now, is there any other woman that’s going to confess her sins with you in the near future?”
“Oh, God no!” I proclaimed, perhaps a little too loudly.
“Good. Why don’t we go play with the kids?”
“Sweetie, about Riley. I…”
She shushed me and kissed me on the lips. “I don’t want to hear it. You messed up and you realize it. There’s nothing more to say. Now, let’s go play with the kids.”
When we arrived at the playroom, there were seven kids in there. The parents had them playing duck-duck-goose. Janet walked over.
“Not my idea, but they’ll be so worn out, they’ll go right to bed.” She glanced around casually and lowered her voice. “I’ve been hearing some rumors.” She motioned to some chairs that were on the opposite end of the room from the other parents.
“What kind of rumors?” I asked.
“There’s a lot of anti-Stark talk going around,” she said. “There’s rumors about how he and his people are taking advantage of everyone and what a terrible president he is. Some people are proclaiming he should not be re-elected and that we need a new president.”
I nodded and brought her up to speed.
“I suspect she’ll be announcing within the next day or two. In the meantime, I am going to take some preemptive action of my own.”
“What are we going to do if he loses?” she asked.
Our conversation paused when the nearby phone began ringing. One of the parents got up and answered it. She spoke into the phone and then waved me over. I walked over and answered it. After a minute, I hung up and rejoined Kelly and Janet.
“That was Vice President Rhinehart,” I said. “Ten minutes ago, he received a radio message from Marcus Hook. Rochelle VanAllen officially announced her candidacy during dinner. I guess my prediction was off by a couple of days.”
Janet frowned, which was probably what I was doing as well. “What does that mean for us?” she asked.
I gave a humorless chortle. “If she wins, it means I’ll be out of a job and we’ll probably be forced to leave Mount Weather.”
Janet’s frown deepened but did not say anything else. Instead, I saw her absently stroking the right pocket to her jeans.
Janet was right, the kids were dead tired by the time we got back to our suite and went to bed without fuss. We then proceeded to make tender love. After, Kelly informed me that she did not want me to be alone with Riley at any time. I readily agreed. She then fell asleep, but I was still too keyed up.
Earlier today, I was worried my marriage was over and I had to admit, Riley did me a solid. I was still in disbelief about how Kelly reacted. I’m sure she read between the lines but chose to forgive me, which I would be forever grateful. I gazed down at her. She was sleeping peacefully.
I tried to get into a comfortable position, scratched one of those itches you only get when you’re trying to relax, and started thinking about the other looming powder keg.
I’d grown to love Mount Weather and was a staunch believer in our mission. I felt like I was a part of something, and I worked hard to make positive contributions. Stark did too. For that matter, even the old curmudgeon, Rhinehart, made positive contributions, along with most of the other politicians. If Rochelle VanAllen was elected, I had no doubt it would be a disaster for not only me, but the United States as well. Frankly, she was all talk and of little substance. If people realized that, she wouldn’t stand a chance.
The problem was, people could be beguiled into thinking that the status quo was bad, and that change was needed. Rochelle could be called many things, but stupid was not one of them. She was smart, and she knew how to manipulate people. She’d make all kinds of promises. Outrageous promises. Not unlike any other politician did back before.
I fell asleep wondering what kind of shape the farm was back in Tennessee.
Chapter 40 – John
ny G
Johnny G was up early, as usual, and walked into the cafeteria. The place was trashed, a result of the impromptu party last night. It started during dinner. Rochelle walked into the cafeteria like a queen making a grand entrance into parliament. She stood before the commoners while one of her lackeys called for everyone’s undivided attention. Johnny G was present when and could almost quote her speech verbatim.
“Hello, friends, I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner, but what I have to say cannot wait any longer. As you all know, America is in trouble and has been for many years.”
No shit, Sherlock.
“And, unfortunately, as many of you know, this current administration has done nothing to improve the state of this world.”
What? Johnny arched an eyebrow. If it wasn’t for the fact that they actively sent out scout teams to search for survivors, your ass would have probably already starved to death.
“I know all of you have visited Mount Weather, some of you more than once. Take a moment to remember those visits and then take a good look around here. Do you notice the difference? They’re living the life of ease while we struggle every day!”
You weren’t here back before our alliance with Weather, you ignorant cow. If you were, you’d know how much they’ve helped.
Even so, Johnny G saw some people nodding and murmuring their agreement. She continued.
“They take the fuel that we work hard to produce and give nothing in return!”
Johnny G scrutinized the audience again and wondered how they somehow had forgotten that Mount Weather bartered food and other supplies in exchange for the fuel on a regular basis. If not for that, there would have been a couple of winters where they would have only been able to eat once a day, or less.
“I am tired of the status quo! I am tired of working my fingers to the bone and having nothing to show for it!”
You’re one of the laziest humans I’ve ever known!
The rhetoric and empty promises went on and on. Johnny G was disgusted, not only with her prattle, but that most people in the room were falling for it. Even so, he stayed and listened attentively to her entire speech before walking directly to his office and sending a coded radio transmission to Mount Weather.
He slept fitfully that night while the party raged. Now he was staring at the squalor left behind by the naïve buffoons who thought Rochelle VanAllen was the Messiah. He walked into the kitchen, brewed some tea, and went outside. It was going to be a clear day, maybe a hot one, but for now it was a pleasant eighty degrees.
He walked down to the front gate. It was a contraption of I-beams, wire cables, and pulleys, conceived and put together by Roscoe. The perimeter of Marcus Hook was surrounded by two defensive walls and a third one that was being built along I-95.
Johnny G sipped his tea and took it all in. They’d made a lot of progress since he’d showed up, how long ago? Six years now? He found the place back when only a dozen of them lived here. They were actively building the first wall at that time. His original intention was to stay here for the winter, rest up, help when needed, and then hit the road when it warmed up.
No one knew his history, and when asked, he’d tell them he was once a janitor. That part was true. He had a night job as a janitor back when he was in high school. He also had a couple of master’s degrees to his name and he could speak fluently in multiple languages, which came in handy in his employment back before, which was the CIA.
He was the son of a Lebanese immigrant. His father’s family were devout Christians. As one might imagine, that caused problems with the more radical Muslims. One night, a Molotov cocktail was thrown through their window. He was twelve and the only survivor. A sympathetic member of the U.S. State Department unofficially adopted him. They transferred out of Lebanon to Spain a month later. He spent his teenage years in Madrid. His adopted parents then moved to America. Armed with a new identity, he attended Virginia Tech. The Company hired him a week after he graduated.
He had a good life. A confirmed bachelor, he enjoyed his career, his independence, and the ability to travel the world. He was on a chartered fishing trip with a couple of buddies when the infection swept through the area. When they docked, they were attacked immediately. Johnny survived and found a boat. He came upon Roscoe and a few others a couple of weeks later and had been with them ever since.
He came closer to the gate and saw the two guards, blankets wrapped around them, sound asleep. One was snoring loudly. Johnny was tempted to slit their throats. It’d be a good lesson for the rest of the idiots. He’d done it back in Egypt during the Arab Spring. Word got around quickly—don’t defy the Spaniard. That was his nom de guerre back then. Now it was Johnny G. Sometimes he had to think hard to remember his birth name.
For Johnny G, the apocalypse brought the world back to simplicity. He hated the politicians and powermongers of the world. Now, they were insignificant. Powerless. Money meant nothing now, and those men were nothing without their money. They were soft without their money. Weak. Impotent.
When he found Roscoe Sidebottom and his Marcus Hook, he felt a new purpose in life. Rebuilding society and eliminating not only the zeds, but the parasites. The corrupt, the users.
Rochelle VanAllen was about to upset the balance. It unsettled him beyond anything anyone could imagine. His thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a couple of dozen zeds approaching.
He didn’t want to waste ammo. So, he stood close to the fence and waited, his knife unsheathed. The zeds launched themselves at him, not even seeming to notice the fence. Johnny G dispatched them easily by stabbing them through the eye sockets. He turned to see one of the guards awake and watching him curiously. Johnny G walked off without saying a word.
His mood was dark. His thoughts, even darker. The two buffoons would be wise to not bother him. Things were going to have to change, and not by Rochelle VanAllen becoming president.
Chapter 41 – Team Mad Dog
The men were up a little before sunrise. The temperature was pleasant, but a little damp. It was going to be a humid day—perhaps they might get some rain. Melvin was pondering it over while he stretched and scratched his crotch for the third or fourth time since waking up.
“I think I’m getting jock itch,” he grumbled.
“Yeah, and we all smellin’ a little rank,” True said and pointed at Boom-Boom. “Him worst of all. That river don’t look too toxic. When the sun comes up, maybe go down there and wash up.”
The four men agreed and after breakfast, headed down and found a shallow spot along the riverbank. After checking for snakes, they took turns; one would bathe while the other three kept watch. When it was Logan’s turn, he coaxed Boom-Boom into the water with him and managed to work out some of his matted fur and pulled off an accumulation of ticks and burrs. Boom-Boom responded by licking Logan’s face.
“I think you found yourself a new friend,” Melvin said. He’d built a small fire and was boiling some water so the men could shave.
“Do you think I’ll be allowed to let him live at Weather?” Logan asked.
“Yeah, probably. Doctor Salisbury will have to give the okay. She’ll check him out first. I suspect she’ll want to neuter him, but it’s probably for the best.”
Logan nodded and made a show of inspecting Boom-Boom’s privates. “Hmm.”
Boom-Boom’s tail instinctively curled inward and stared at his new buddy in confusion.
“Those people Merlin talked about in his letter have to live somewhere nearby,” Liam remarked.
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that. There’s a lot of countryside around here but we need to try to find them,” Melvin said. “I’m thinking we spend the day in town. We do a little scavenging and Intel gathering. We might bump into them, but if we don’t make contact by the end of the day, we’ll stay the night at the radio tower and head out in the morning.”
The men agreed and discussed their route while they washed out some of their clothing and hung it up on some ropes to dr
y. They were soon on their bicycles, spaced out and traveling slowly, staying vigilant for any threats. They randomly picked homes or businesses that were still in decent shape. Boom-Boom bounded along with his tail wagging constantly, happy for the human company.
Scavenging was hard these days. Survivors had eight years to take anything that wasn’t nailed down, and of course anything perishable had long since gone bad. It did not stop them though. Most of the searches were a bust, but occasionally, they found something of value.
The men worked their way through the town carefully but thoroughly. Any locked structures were no challenge for Melvin’s lock-picking skills. He could defeat any lock within minutes, and more importantly, without making any noise.
They only took what they could put in their backpacks. They found little things, like a pack of Ziploc bags that Melvin found behind a stack of rags under the kitchen sink, or the rat traps True discovered in a garage where a family of four zeds had been trapped for eight years and were all but dead. If they found something that it was too large to carry, Melvin dutifully jotted the information down in his notebook for later. At one point, they came upon an overturned dump truck. Rust covered most of the exterior. Melvin pointed.
“The leaf springs have been removed recently. Look where the frame has been scratched with a saw or a grinder. There’s only a thin layer of rust on the bare metal.”
“So, we have at least one scavenger living around here,” Liam surmised.
They biked south on South 8th Street with seeming casual ease, but the men were alert and vigilant. As they approached Maryland Street, they began hearing the distinct sounds of a hammer on an anvil. Melvin, who was on point, shot his hand up and pointed toward an overgrown lot with several trees. The men reacted instinctively by stopping their bikes and taking cover.
Chapter 42 – Big Tussey
The four men were hunkered down in some bushes and trees while the intermittent sounds of the hammering continued. Melvin used hand signals to communicate to his team—move forward. They slowly crawled through the weeds until they could spot the source of the noise. Approximately two hundred yards away was a building that was a combination of brick and rusty sheet metal. Melvin glanced back and saw Boom-Boom sitting under a shade tree, watching the men curiously.
Zombie Rules (Book 7): The Fifteens Page 25
