by Roberts, Liz
“So what do you think?”
“That fucker Jeff was right.” There were several men, shrouded in the darkness of night, parked in several cars, blocks away from an outside strip mall that included a Menards, Pick-n-Save, dollar store, a Marshall’s and Kohl’s. They surveyed the area, seemed to be pretty zombie free, expect for the occasional creeper roaming. They watched people seemingly patrol up on the roofs with weapons.
“What’s our next move?” A voice came from the backseat.
“We head back to camp, gather as many soldiers (he really meant people forced by gunpoint into vehicles) as we can and see if they won’t be hospitable enough to open there doors to us.” Luke liked this set up. The buildings looked solid, the fencing and barbed wire in front. He liked everything about this area.
“Think how much we can expand here.” Another man added.
“Totally, let’s test their strength, we’ll get them some company.” He said slowly and with a hint of menace. The possibilities were endless. He use to work as teller at a bank, always handling everyone else’s money, financing there fun, treating them like fucking kings of the world This was definitely going to be a step up for him. Who knew it would take a zombie apocalypse for him to reach his true potential.
Waking up with Casey’s arm around Jill was her favorite way to start the day. Wait a second, he was injured and in the hospital. She remembered falling asleep in the chair how did she end up in bed and with Casey cuddled up around her?
“Morning.”
“Morning to you. How did I get into this bed?”
“I asked and you crawled in. Easy as that.”
“Aren’t you in pain?”
Pulling her a bit closer “Nah, Beth came in and gave me a couple pain killers. She said she’d bring in some breakfast too.” Jill was turning red and covered her face with her hand.
“She saw us like this?” Jill was mortified.
“Yeah, I think she thought it was sweet. Said it was good for my recovery.” As he nuzzled her cheek.
“Bull shit. You need to lay back and rest.”
“I’ve been resting, for three days now, I hate it.” Beth came in using her butt to push open the door.
“Oh good your both up.” Jill slowly extracted herself from Casey and the bed and helped Beth set a table to eat at. Casey started rising too.
“Hey where are you going?” Jill immediately rushed to halt his progress.
“She said I could try moving around, I figured breakfast was a good place to start.”
“He should be ok. Just go easy and slow.” They both watched Casey gingerly step on to the floor and limp over the table. Beth did a quick assessment of Casey, looking for signs of pain or discomfort.
“I’d say after breakfast you’re ok to go. But you have to take it easy.” The two ate quickly after Beth left.
“So are you going to talk to Tom today?” Casey stopped eating and looked up at her.
“I’m not sure. I mean, I thought about it all night. But I don’t know.”
“We ran into each other, the last night.”
“What? Did he do anything? Say anything?” Casey’s dander was quick to rise.
“He asked if we needed to talk and I said no, and we both said fine.”
“Really? That was it? He didn’t try to hurt you or anything?”
“No Casey. We were civil.” They finished eating and decided Casey was good enough to try out his sea legs, so after cleaning up and getting dressed in something more than sweat pants and a t-shirt. Casey had a 4 day beard going on as they headed outside to be greeted by others doing their rounds. It was a nice sunny day as they strolled around, Casey going slow because of his ankle, but he could put some weight on it now. He really wanted a shower and a shave, but he wanted to talk to Oscar and Kurt, see how things were coming with their military excursion, and when they’d be going back. He wanted to hear from Mike and Jack, he knew there were working on new defenses. Jane was working on the watch towers and angles for good viewing. Lots he wanted to do today.
A nice shower and a shave later, showers are always nice with company, Casey and Jill eventually met up with Kurt, Oscar and Andy to go over some of the findings, thoughts and concerns about trying to maintain a farm off site. Logistically it was a nightmare, fencing, walls, weapons, people, and they hadn’t even discussed the animals yet. But in theory, this could be a dream come true, eventually being able to produce and make their own food. Maybe they could sustain life to outlast the zombies.
“So what would be our first step?” Jill asked.
“I suppose we’d have to see if there were any animals left.” Kurt filled in the silence.
“Let’s get Joe, Ryan and anyone else who knows about farming together to discuss our plan of attack.”
“We can start organizing for some farmer recon.” Everyone chuckled a bit when Oscar added this. Everyone broke to leave. The dollar store had long ago become there place of meetings and planning. It was just large enough for a group of people to be in comfortable for some good discussion. As Jill and Casey stepped outside Tom was walking by with a hand truck of what appeared to materials for weapons making, over to the Kohl’s store. Everyone stopped, feeling the awkwardness in the air. You couldn’t miss it, it was pretty thick.
“Well boys, I have errands to run.” And she ski-daddled away, with Casey giving her a treacherous look at her fleeting back.
“Are we doing this now?” Tom indicated between himself and Casey.
“That depends I suppose on what you have to say.”
“I’m sorry.” Tom said right away and looked down. “I … shouldn’t have left the way I did. I just . . ” He trailed off.
“You’re just sorry? That’s it? You kicked me in the face. You called Jill a murdering whore.” He paused trying to get his next comment out without emotion choking him up. “You made it seem like my daughter was nothing compared to yours. You spit in my face.” There was a pause.
“I don’t know what you want from me.” Tom spoke quietly.
“Nothing I guess.” Casey started to walk slowly away nursing his side.
“What happened?”
“Car accident.”
“What? How?”
“I was speeding, trying to avoid cars in the road, a horde of zombies blindsided me and tipped the SUV. I broke some ribs. I’m fine.”
“I should have been here, to go with you. To have your back, all day and every day.”
“Yeah, you should have.” Casey was trying to get a deep breath but it still hurt, Beth had said it was important to breathe deep.
“Here sit down.” Tom was indicated some of the boxes on his palette jack.
“I don’t need your help.” Casey said breathing long and slow.
“Look . .” Tom started out angrily and slowly realized he wasn’t as angry anymore, he was hurt. He’d lost everything he’d loved and didn’t know how to reclaim it. “When I was out there, I had nothing and no one. Maybe the first few days it was great, but it felt empty.” He stopped to prepare to tell Casey about the Hell Hole. “I was kidnapped.” Casey couldn’t hide the shock on his face. “That kid with me, he was at this place too. They’d killed his mother. This place was horrible, drugs, prostitution, slavery, it was a pit of despair.” He sat down himself and shook his head. “I can’t even tell you the horrible things I did there. All I could think about was getting back to here and begging forgiveness, from all of you. Brian and I escaped after they killed Jeff.”
“Jeff!?”
“Yeah he’d found the place too, or they kidnapped him. It’s actually not far from here I can’t believe we never ran across them. They tortured us.” He closed his eyes to keep his watering eyes hidden. “Jeff told them about this place, they want to find it pretty bad.”
“Did they track you? How do you know you weren’t followed?”
“They did follow us. But I killed them.”
“We need to alert the guards to look for anything sus
picious. We can’t be too careful now.” He walked over to Tom and held out his hand. “You might want to tell your wife all this. She was miserable when you were gone. And maybe apologize to Jill.” Tom looked up and took Casey’s hand. “She seems hardened and cold to you, but she hurts just as much. Plus you’re my best friend.” And the two men hugged it out, quick and man-like. With no further words needed and amazingly things already feeling better Tom knew Casey was right, both women needed to hear the word sorry and see him grovel.
Most of the night and early morning had been spent driving around. Their fuel was dangerously low, but there plan was working. Two lone cars in the distance were trailing easily a few hundred zombies. Now they just had to point them in the right direction. The stopped a mile or so from the mall area. Luke rolled down his window.
“ We’ll have them get right on us, then a few blocks from the place try and duck out of site and let’s see if they head to that fort.”
“You got it man!” Both engines revved as they waited for the horde to shuffle closer. They had managed to find some of the fast ones too, which Luke was really happy about, he was really wanting to see how they handled them.
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Please, please let me explain.” He turned to follow her.
“No, you had your chance to talk to me and you walked away, like I’m doing now.” Vikki walked into the Menards and looked around for something to do. She wanted to hide or have a chore or job today. She had nothing till her watch in a few hours.
“Please. I’m begging you Vikki.” Tom dropped to his knees before her, he had fresh tears in his eyes. He sought Vikki out right after he talked to Casey, he couldn’t hold in his words for her anymore. “You don’t have to say anything, just listen. Please.”
“Fine.” She crossed her arms across her chest as Tom rose to look at her face.
“I’m sorry.” He began. Vikki shut her eyes and turned away, but he pulled her teary eyed face back to look at her. “I’m a rotten son of a bitch, an asshole. I left you in your time of need.” He took a breath. “I should have been here for you. To help you with the hurt and pain you were going through We could have, should have been there for each other. But I wasn’t. And I’m truly sorry. All I can say is that I’ve learned my lesson, the hard way. I should have supported you, been here to show you how much I love you every day, and I wasn’t.” Tom took a breath. “I was tortured every day I wasn’t here, mentally and physically.” Vikki’s brow furrowed slightly with a questioning look. “But that pain was tolerable compared to being away from you. I’m trying to mend fences honey. I already talked Casey.”
“You have?” She asked shocked.
“Yes, and surprisingly he’s coming around because that’s who he is. And I will apologize to Jill too.” He closed his eyes while saying that last part. “There are so many things I need to tell you, but you need to know that I love you still and always will. If you never forgive me I understand, I still need to tell you these things. And I’ll always be there for you and Susie. .” Tom cupped Vikki’s face and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. And for the second time in his life he walked away from Vikki not knowing what lay ahead.
The men sat slouched down in their cars as the hordes passed by them and they went unnoticed. They had managed to trick the zombies, plus it helped with all the activity and fresh food in sight, the zombies were far more enticed by that. There moans of hunger grew louder.
“Man this shit it scary.” Luke punched the guy in the knee hard, eliciting a mumbled ouch.
“Shut your fucking mouth.” He whispered at the man. 15mins had passed and the core zombies had passed by, but stragglers still lingered back, Luke felt safe enough to sit up and take in the view. And what he saw was priceless and perfect. “Yes!” He said to know one but himself. Both men watched the zombies attack the barb wire and sides of the buildings, but nothing budged. The place looked good. Solid and impenetrable, good words in Luke’s mind. No more constantly fixing fences and walls, no more hearing that god forsaken bell when zombies broke in. This would be his new place.
Zombies had been intense all day, bombarding them relentlessly. No one knew why there was suddenly such an influx, but they were up for the challenge. The buildings farther out in the parking lot helped act as a natural break. They had planned on demolishing the buildings soon to serve this purpose better, but at the moment it still helped. Jill had been up on the roof with the others most the morning and into the afternoon trying to keep the hordes thinned out. With fall starting to knock on the door, they wanted to get everything finished before the weather and ground got too cold. It was already August, and there was still a ton to too. If a viable farm couldn’t be found, then plan B was to wall off a section further out from the apartments to turn into farm land. The farmers argued that the ground wouldn’t be workable for a few seasons, but Jill thought if they did it now, then it would be that much closer to being ready to grow stuff. Some thought that this was all just a waste of time, their we’re still some that thought any day now the army might show up and save them. It was still a chore to convince people that they had to depend on themselves and each other for survival.
Thwak. Right through the eye. Jill was becoming deadly with a bow & arrow, they still used Molotovs to try and separate the zombies from each other, it really helped break up there numbers.
She was hot, sweaty and gritty, but she felt good and was alive. She loved this stuff, being useful, helping rid the world a zombies. She always thought of it has once less zombie in the world and she felt closer to the finish with each kill. Thwack.
“Damn girl, that’s two in a row. Slow down your making the rest of us look bad.”
“Can’t help it, you know how it is when you get in a zone.” She sent another arrow flying, this one hit between the eyes. Bull’s eye. Jill looked down the line of sand bags and people and saw a shaggy haired, still bearded Tom hurling spears down at the mass. She caught herself staring, she couldn’t help it. He seemed harder, gruffer but not as cocky, more humble somehow since his return. She couldn’t blame him, being out there all alone changes you, you do anything to survive out there. She wondered what he did.
“Jill focus!” She snapped her head back around and fired her arrow, still making the shot.
Dusk was settling in and the zombies had dwindled to a handful if that. Jill continued to sit on the roof, drinking a bottle of water and enjoying the sunset. She rolled her shoulder to work the kinks out, it was sore and a little tight, but considering she hadn’t used it properly in over 5 weeks, it was solid.
“What happened there?” Jill waited to answer, she looked up at Tom saw he intended to stand there until she answered.
“I dislocated it.”
“How?”
“Jack decided to go check out a hospital.” She quickly and briefly filled him in on the details involving that adventure.
“Wow. You did that for a complete stranger? I’m impressed.” Tom sat down next to her. “Not a lot of people would.” They sat in silence for a time.
“You know, I’m sorry for what I said to you right after Cindi died. I guess I didn’t want to believe … . that my baby girl could be capable of wanting to kill someone.” He stopped and paused. “I should have though. Known. I’m not blind.” He looked at Jill. “I saw her getting closer to that Tyler guy. It was just easier to ignore the whole situation.” Silence settled again.
“I do understand. I understood then and now.” She chuckled. “You don’t think I’ve been called worse names? I can handle the names, and even the slap to the face.” Tom winced having never hit a woman before, he still felt shame over that. “But I killed that girl, and it ruined several more lives when I pulled that trigger.” She was quiet for a moment. “I think what hurt the worst was knowing that I ruined your relationship with Casey. Here this chick comes along and in a matter of months I manage to make you guys hate each other and you abandon him, your wife and other child.
Everything that you help build.” Jill hung her head. “And to make matters worse, Vikki told me Cindi might have been pregnant too.” Jill couldn’t keep the tears from her eyes.
“Yeah I heard that one too. I probably would have been pissed at that also, and flown off the handle. But I would have come around, like now, and I still shouldn’t have blamed you for her death. She was an adult. She hopped behind that wheel all on her own, probably with the intention to kill you. You had no choice.”
“I’m sorry Tom.”
“I’m sorry too Jill.” She held out her hand, but he opened his arms to indicate a hug. They hugged tentatively, but it was a start.
“Did Vikki ever tell you I knocked her up right outta high school?” He said with embarrassment in his voice.
“No.” She looked shocked.
“Yup. In fact I think it was that last day of school, that afternoon we went to hang out at her mom’s house before I had to go to work. Man we were stupid then. No condoms. I totally fooled her into thinking that it wouldn’t happen if we just did it once without protection.” He shook his head. “I was an idiot.”
“Or a horny teenager.”
“That too. I had always wondered if she would have stayed with me without the baby involved.”
“Yes, you dumbass, I love you.” Both Jill and Tom spun around to see Vikki sitting in a lawn chair looking cozy as could be.
“How long have you been here?” He asked.
“Long enough to see you make up.” She replied. “Oh and I wasn’t some ditzy blonde you fooled, I knew I could very easily get pregnant that day.” She was quiet a moment. “Don’t you think I’ve wondered over the years if you ever felt like I trapped you with the baby?” Silence grew between the trio.
“I think I’ll go see if the teams need help.” Jill stood and made her way down, figuring these two needed to talk more than ever.
“I never felt trapped.” Tom said standing up and walking to her.
“Me either.” They were each quiet for a minute, the quiet commotion of others cleaning up the area and finishing up with the remaining zombies didn’t affect them.
