The old man glared at Jeremy for a moment before he finally said, “You promise not to cause us any trouble, you can get a decent night’s sleep here.”
Rocky’s ears shot up and started to twitch.
“He hears something, mister. We need to get inside. Can we move, please? I don’t want to get eaten out here.”
“You see something, Jim?” The old man called out over his shoulder.
“Twenty or so coming down the road. All dead,” a voice answered.
“We’ll take this conversation to the barn, but if any of you try anything funny, it will be the end of you,” he warned us.
We marched into what the old man referred to as a barn. While it was shaped like a barn, it wasn’t what any real farmer would call a barn. It had been a store at one time, with rows of cash registers and signs for pies and fruit and different things to eat. All the food was long gone, though. It had all been replaced with supplies that had been neatly stacked everywhere. Each different type of item seemed to have a separate pile. It reminded me of the thrift store at my old church, except that it was all things you would need to fight zombies and stay warm.
“Don’t you go getting any ideas, boy. I see you checking out our stash. We worked hard to get all of this stuff together, and we sure aren’t going to have some newcomers come in and take everything we worked so hard to get.” The old man gave me a small shove to keep me moving forward.
“It just reminds me of my church’s swap,” I said in a small voice.
Rocky slid his head under my hand and helped me keep my cool while we followed the girl up a set of stairs that was hidden behind a fake wall. That was the point when I started to get a bit worried. It wasn’t usually a good thing when someone brought you to a hidden place. I had seen enough movies to know that it almost always ended badly.
When we reached the top of the stairs, we found three closed doors. We were herded through the last one into a room at the end of the hall, which was empty except for a few mattresses on the floor. It looked like we were going to be spending the night here, whether we liked it or not. The door slammed behind us and the lock clicked, then the footsteps headed back in the other direction. Jeremy had his face pressed up against the slit of a window. It was not big enough for either of us to escape, but we could see far enough down the road to watch the group of dead that were headed towards the farm.
“I think we’re going to be waiting around for a little while, Max. You tired?”
“Not really, we haven’t been walking that long today. I am pretty hungry, though. What do we have left in the pack?”
“I can’t believe they didn’t take our bags from us, just our weapons. They’re either really stupid, or they’re not as big and bad as they are trying to make us think. You okay with cold canned whatever in a sauce of whatever?” He asked with a smirk.
“Man, when you put it that way, it sounds delicious!”
“That’s why I like you, kid, always the optimist,” he said as he smiled.
“I don’t know what that means, but thanks.”
“It means, well, who cares what it means. You and I should figure out our plan before they get back. I think we should tell them I am not your dad if it comes up again. I don’t want them to think that they can use hurting you to get to me. I like you and all, but not the way a dad loves his kids, you know? That could be a liability.”
“Okay,” I said as I started to chow down on the can of cat food that Jeremy had handed me. “It would be nice if they weren’t jerks. I could really use a meal that doesn’t consist of cat food.”
“Me too, kid. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll be alright. I just want to be ready in case they aren’t.” Jeremy was shoveling some kind of food into his mouth using three fingers as a scoop. I should be grossed out because he was slurping up something we used to think was too disgusting to eat. Now, it just seemed normal to pop open a can of “mystery meat”, as he called it, and munch away.
“Rocky doesn’t seem too worried,” I said as I pointed at my dog, who was snoring away on one of the mattresses.
“Yeah, but he did just get a peanut butter bribe. I don’t know if we can trust his judgement,” Jeremy laughed.
“Good point,” I said as I put the empty can down. I popped open a bottle of water and laid down next to Rocky. “Maybe I’ll just close my eyes for a minute.”
“Not a bad idea. I’ll keep watch. If I see anything, you’ll be the first to know.”
I must have been more tired than I thought. As soon as my head landed on Rocky’s soft fur, it was lights out.
28
Jeremy
I didn’t want to tell the kid, but I wasn’t very confident that this group was made up of what most would consider normal people. What kind of host locks you away in a cell? And aside from that, who has a room with an exterior lock ready to go? That was some bizarre shit right there. I guess it could be useful in situations like this, you know, as a quarantine area or to keep new people that you didn’t trust in a controlled space until you figured out what to do with them, but the idea of it gave me the heebie-jeebies.
It was nice to see the two of them sleep for real for once, though. They normally slept in shifts. They trusted me, I guess, but not enough for Rocky to let me be the only one watching the boy. He would lay next to him, but every little noise would make his ears twitch. Who knew it would take being held prisoner to make the two of them feel secure enough to fall into a snoring, drooling pile?
The only window in the room was three or four inches wide and about a foot and a half tall. It wasn’t really a window, but more like a slit in the wall that had been covered with glass. After I finished my latest meal of what could barely be considered food, I stood beside it and peered out to see what was happening on the ground level. From there, I could get a better headcount of the people in the group. There were eight outside that I could see but the girl wasn’t with them, so that made nine. There may have been more, but for such a large group, they were good at being quiet.
We hadn’t heard any of them when we first walked onto the farm. For such a large group to be so disciplined that they could remain completely silent and out of sight as the newcomers are surrounded is quite an amazing feat. I wondered if they had sent the girl out so we would be thrown off guard. She seemed capable enough. Maybe the point was to show us even the less threatening members of their group were willing to put one between our eyes.
I watched through the slit as the group took down a small pack of zombies in what looked like a well-choregraphed dance. They didn’t use a single gun, which was smart. No need to make all that noise. All it would do is drive more of the dead to our location, and no one wanted that. They worked together with a variety of farm tools, some of which were being used as-is, while others had been modified to keep the dead as far away as possible, skewering them through the brains.
Once all of the dead had been put down, two group members threw them into wagon being pulled by a horse and drove off with them. You had to admire their commitment to cleanliness. Honestly, I don’t think I had seen a place that was as well maintained as this one had been since way back before the outbreak. Most people were worried about surviving, not a manicured lawn.
The people that were left behind huddled up and began what looked like a heated discussion. A few of them gestured toward the window, leading me to believe we were most likely the stars of the conversation, which made sense. If they didn’t like leaving a mess lying around, they definitely couldn’t have uninvited guests mucking up their world. It appeared that they had come to a consensus. The group broke apart and everyone headed back in whatever direction they had originally come from. I was jealous of how they seemed to work like a well-oiled machine. So far, besides Max and Rocky, every group that I managed to fall in with had been a disaster.
I backed away from the window and sat on the second mattress with my back against the wall. I figured they would be coming up soon enough to tell us what th
e jury had decided. There had been nothing about the way the group had broken up that led me to believe that they would be hostile, so I let Max sleep. Rocky could decide for himself if he needed to be up or not. I wasn’t about to act like I had better instincts than an animal. Especially not when every decision I’d made in my life so far had proven that I did not.
There were three quick raps on the door. Maybe they weren’t going to kill us. People don’t normally bother with pleasantries when they’re planning to execute you. The same old man who had put us in the room walked back in. He looked over and saw that Max and Rocky were asleep.
“Come down stairs with me. We’ll let the boy sleep. Same arrangement as before. Try something, and it’ll be the last thing you do.”
“Deal,” I said. I stood up in the least confrontational way I could think of but I’m sure it ended up just looking awkward.
The door on the left opened silently, no creaky hinges here. Papa seemed to run a tight ship. He motioned for me to take a seat across from him as he sat in one of the most luxurious office chairs I had ever seen. My chair, on the other hand, was not meant to be occupied for extended periods of time. While it wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, it wasn’t very comfortable either. It did match the décor perfectly, however. Each detail had been thoughtfully considered while furnishing this room.
“The others are split about what we should do with you. That means that it comes down to me, since this place was mine before the zombies started coming around.”
“Fair enough,” I replied.
“I’m not sure about you. The kid would be fine to stay, but you’re a grown man. There’s a lot to be considered there. I already know you were nice enough to let the kid travel with you. Seems fed, and happy enough.”
“How’d you know he isn’t mine?” I asked, a bit surprised.
“You didn’t call him by his name. You called him ‘kid’. Plus, the dog listens to him, not you. If they were your family, the dog would see you as the alpha. It doesn’t.”
“You’re an observant man,” was all I could think to say in response.
“Meticulous and observant. I let people stay here, but there are rules. And those rules are non-negotiable. I know you had a plan to go to Batsto. Do you even know what it is?”
“I lived in Jersey on and off a few times in my life. It’s some state park or something, right? I think a friend dragged me there for a fall festival or something. Best candied pecans I ever had.” My mouth watered as I remembered them.
“The commonly held belief is that the military or government fled there, but does that make any sense to you, boy?” His stare was intimidating, like it had been practiced for a lifetime. “Why would they go to some park in the woods when there are more than a few bases around here? There are much better places to ride the end of the world out than a park that holds festivals,” he spat out.
“That’s kind of rich…” It slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.
“Excuse me? Something wrong with a farm?” He asked angrily.
“Not necessarily, but sir, your farm is more like a playground compared…”
The sound of his fists hitting the desk cut me off mid-sentence and made me jump. “You think being a farmer is easy? Farmers were going broke until we came up with the idea of agritourism! Each year we added more things for people to do, more stuff to buy. It was a way of surviving, just like now. We always find a way to survive!”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s a beautiful farm. I was just thinking before you came to get me that it was the nicest looking place we’ve seen since the rest of the world went to hell. Forgive me, I meant no insult.” I hoped that appealing to his ego would get him back on my side.
“What is it that you want, son? Are you trying to find a place to live or are you still just trying to stay alive? Because the people that live here are setting up a place to live. This is our home, and everyone here plays a part in making it safer and better. What skills do you have?” His mood flipped like a switch, and I wasn’t sure I liked that at all.
“Not much, really. I kind of drifted along. I always thought there would be more time for me to figure out what I was going to be or do. I didn’t expect the world to end,” I answered honestly.
“That’s no good. What a waste. You’re far too old for that nonsense. I’m not sure I want to keep someone around that I’m going to have to train. I’ll need to think on it. I’m going to have one of the ladies bring dinner up to the two of you. The dog is going to need to go out to relieve himself. We’ll take him. No need for either of you to leave the room. I’ll have my decision for you by the morning.”
He waved me away as I began to stand so that I could make my way back to the room. I was fairly certain I could rest easy for the evening, which would be a nice change of pace. He also said we would be getting a meal, and, unless it was two cans of cold animal chow, that would be a treat. His decision meant very little to me, unless he decided to kill us, of course. I, for one, would not like to spend whatever time I had left on God’s green earth taking orders from someone’s controlling grandfather.
I let Max sleep until the food arrived. The woman who left the trays and locked the door also took Rocky with her. “I promise I’ll bring him right back,” she said to Max as she hooked a collar and leash on him.
“He doesn’t like to wear a leash, ma’am.”
“It’s just to keep him safe. He’ll be okay,” she said as she led him out the door and clicked the lock into place once more.
The room was suddenly filled with the aroma of the heavens above. The trays were not a disappointment. It was a shame their leader was, or the food may have been enough to convince me to stay. There were fresh zucchini and squash, cooked in what smelled like honest-to-god butter, with scrambled eggs and a roll. And the drink. Oh, the drink was what pushed it over the edge to heavenly. It was apple cider, fresh from the farm’s orchard. And if that wasn’t enough to send me into a flavor coma, they had placed a piece of apple pie on the tray, too.
Max looked down at his tray with tears in his eyes. “I think we should stay.”
“That’s just the food talking.”
“Probably. I still think we should stay,” he said before he shoveled a bite of pie into his mouth.
“Don’t eat too fast. You should try to enjoy it.”
He chewed slowly for a minute. “If we stay, we could eat like this every meal.”
“You’re allowed to make your own decisions, kid. I knew you might not stick around when we teamed up, but I just want you to know what I think before you make your decision. I had a talk with Papa while you were asleep, and he is all over the map, Max. He seems like the kind of guy that lets people believe they’re involved in deciding things, but really it’s all him. And if you don’t do it his way, you’re out, or worse. I just don’t want to see you guys get hurt.” My food was getting cold but I knew he needed to hear it.
“Let’s worry about it after dinner,” he said.
We were just about finished when the woman brought Rocky back up to our room. “I’ll take those trays for you. Did you enjoy your meal?” She asked with a smile.
Her smile was so genuine, I wanted to push down that bad feeling that I had, but it just wouldn’t stop nagging at me. As soon as she closed the door, we heard that familiar sound of the lock being engaged. The three of us took the opportunity of being locked behind several doors on the second story of a building with bellies filled with warm and delicious food to drift off to a full night’s sleep.
Once morning came, my body almost didn’t accept the fact that we would no longer be lying in an actual bed and resting. The door was unlocked and in walked a giant of a man who, in the time before zombies, must have been either a bouncer at a bar or a railroad spike driver. I am fairly certain that the latter occupation hadn’t been available in over a hundred years, but he would have definitely been qualified. He carried with him two towels and a basket of toiletr
ies.
“I was sent to tell you to wash up before breakfast,” he said in a baritone that would make Barry White jealous.
“Thank you. Come on, Max. We’re finally going to stop smelling like a dirty sock.”
That perked him up. He scooped his bag up and bounced down the stairs behind the man, Rocky following quickly behind. I’ve never seen a kid his age that excited to get cleaned up. Most spend their lives in pursuit of the level of filth that we live with on a daily basis. We were led out of the barn and down a long hill to a second house. The two-story white farmhouse looked like it came straight out of a movie. Unlike the store and play areas, that house was exactly what you thought of when you pictured an all-American farm.
There were people wandering around with purpose everywhere on the property. They looked like the human equivalent of bees in a hive. Everyone had a job, and no one needed to be directed as to how to do it. They worked together in perfect harmony. I wished it was something I could handle being a part of but, even though I longed for it, I knew my personality couldn’t handle the rigid rules that I would have to follow to stay in the good graces of those in charge. That was never really something I was good at doing.
“The bathroom is inside. Once you’re done, follow the smells to find the kitchen. They’ll load you up with your morning meal,” he said as he dismissed us.
“They seem nice,” Max said as he bounded through the front door, leaving Rocky to stand guard on the wrap-around front porch while he waited for us to return.
I turned back and saw two small children run up with chow for him. It was going to be difficult to convince either of them to want to leave at this rate. I meant it when I said that they could stay or go as they pleased, but I needed to know that they were going to be alright. Maybe I should just mind my own business and let the kid stay in what looked like a safe and happy place. My hang-ups weren’t his issue.
There was warm water in the shower. I was floored by the luxuries that this group had managed to set themselves up with. Papa was right. I wished I knew his real name because I hated to sound like a grown man with a daddy complex, but he was right. They weren’t just surviving, they were thriving. I toweled off and resigned myself to the fact that I would be eating my last good meal for a while. After I finished drying off, I looked around for my clothes, only to find them missing. They had been replaced by a pile of freshly laundered clothes that were unbelievably close to the right size.
Aftershock Zombie Series (Book 2): Breakdown (A Collection of Survivors Tales) Page 14
