by R. K. Weir
"So Joey mentioned that your base is on the way to Las Vegas?" I ask, leaning forward so that she can hear me over the roar of the engine. She glances back at me, but keeps her eyes primarily focused on the road.
"That's right, we're about a two-hour drive away." She looks back, "one and a half if you're me," she winks, returning her attention to the road. "Is that where you and your friend are headed?"
I nod. "Yeah."
"He your dad?"
I almost laugh. "No, no he is definitely not."
"Well, our next scavenging trip might be to Las Vegas. It's been tough, most of the towns have been stripped bare, we've had to move further and further out. But maybe we can give you a ride?" She shrugs, steering the bus around a small congregation of feeding infected. They look up from their meal to regard the bus, but quickly return to their feast, some of the bones already stripped clean.
"That'd be appreciated," I nod, not bothering with a smile because I know she can't see me.
I make small talk with her for the next hour and a bit, asking her about her hair and how difficult it must be to maintain.
"All worth it when I end up looking this good," she waved, gesturing to the large curl atop her head that flows straight down her back in a classic 50's housewife style. It’s an unusual look, but one that suits her. She loves all things retro.
I make up some things about myself to tell her. I like cats, Disney films and iced tea. Anything that slowly builds a steady foundation of trust. After a few more minutes of small talk, I figure I have her buttered up enough to ask.
"So what's the deal with you and Joey?" I finally inquire, leaning forward further so that I can catch any expression that flits across her face.
Her brow furrows. "Oh, that?" she waves. "That's nothing, we just don't get along."
"It must be something if you locked him in a bathroom," I press, curious as to what she's hiding.
"Girl, you've spent enough time with him, tell me you don't want to lock him alone in a room somewhere." She glances back with an amused smile. "Besides, I don't like tainting people's perceptions, I'll let you make your own assumption of him."
I lean back defeated. "Fair enough," I mutter, resolved that I'm not going to get anything else out of her.
Turning my attention towards the window, I fully push myself back into the soft cushion. Desolate and barren lands whisk by as I settle down, my eyelids drooping with a slowly increasing weight. They close completely, and I’m not sure if sleep takes me until I feel the familiar shadow of a nightmare creeping upon me.
The darkness hugs me as I drift off, the momentum of the bus cradling me into the dark abyss of dreams. I'm not on the bus anymore, I'm at the coast. I've finally made it. I'm walking along the sandy shore, the spray of distant waves settling on my skin when I see him. His back is turned to me, but he's turning around, slowly. I've finally found him after all this time. I call out his name, but I don't hear a sound. I grab his shoulder and pull him towards me. His head begins to turn and—
"Hey!"
I jerk awake, slapping at the hand on my shoulder. Panting heavily I look up at Rocket, the lines of her face creased in concern.
"You okay?" she asks, inclining her head towards me in question.
I glance around at the bus, remembering where I am. I look up at her, and nod.
"Good, cause we're here."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Logan
Small bolts of pain, like arrows, shoot up my right leg as I step down off the bus, the spearheads embedding themselves in my thigh. Clutching onto Joey's shoulder for support, I glance up from the ground at the small, one-story school building and scowl. A chain-link fence, rusted with age surrounds the premises, only slightly taller than myself. It looks ready to topple if the wind merely whispers on it. I doubt it is capable of keeping out a child, let alone a grown infected.
Scanning the surrounding area, a desolate wasteland of hot desert with small buildings littered across its horizon, my scowl lessens. At least it looks like they cleared out the surrounding area, and they have a good vantage point of any infected coming near. I crane my neck back as Stella and the other woman step off the bus.
"This is your camp?" I ask, lacing my tone with as much skepticism as I can possibly manage. She directs a smile my way as she pauses on the top step, waiting as Stella jumps down.
"I know it doesn't look like much, but it's treated us well." She shakes her head at me as if already anticipating what my reply will be. "But if it makes you feel better, we have been planning on moving. We just need to find somewhere."
I look back at the gate, and the pudgy man behind it, eyeing us warily. I'm surprised they haven't been overrun already, although the surrounding area looks pretty barren of life.
Joey throws a hand out towards the man guarding the gate and begins to wave erratically at him. "Hey, Jerry!"
With a tight lipped smile, Jerry holds his rifle closer towards his chest and replies with a curt nod.
"It's alright, Jerry," Rocket smiles, stepping around us and up to the gate, "they're with us."
He nods again with the same uncomfortable smile before pulling his rifle away and leaning it against the fence. Digging into his jacket pocket, he retrieves a golden key that glints in the sunlight. Clumsily, he stabs it at the fat lock of the gate, missing a few times before finally, with a twist, the lock pops open.
A chain link fence, and all they have for defense is one fat lock, and an even fatter man. My features pinch together as I shake my head. The sooner I get out of here the better. I can't believe I'm actually thinking this, but I was probably safer when it was just Stella and I.
This place is like an unstable grenade, ready to blow up in your face at any moment. I'm not going to stick around and get blasted, let alone hit by any of the shrapnel. As soon as I get my leg fixed, I decide, I'm out of here.
"You're gonna love it inside," Joey tells me. "Everyone gets their own room because there are heaps of classrooms, although I think the only ones left are English and Math rooms. . ."
I tune him out, already sick of hearing him talk. I endured the entire bus ride listening to him go on and on about pointless crap. I don't need to know the name of his dog when he was eight years old, and I don't care. The kid is either an idiot or intentionally trying to piss me off. From his occasional smirks and chuckles, I assume the latter.
Like a singing whale, the gate creaks loudly as it swings open, scraping against the small pebbles and rocks beneath it. Rocket steps aside and gestures for us to enter, her gaze lingering on Joey before she looks to me with a wink.
I limp ahead with Joey's aid, ignoring the stare of Jerry as he picks his rifle back up and closes the gate behind us. I glance back as he snaps the lock in place and returns to his position with the rifle.
It would only take ten, maybe a few more infected to tear that fence down. I don't know why they even bother with the lock. It's a miracle these people aren't dead yet.
I turn my attention back towards walking, trying to put most pressure on my left leg. Rocket walks ahead, guiding us towards the large school hall. She opens the door for us and holds it open as we limp inside. I look around the dimly lit room.
Several people milling about glance up at us in curiosity, their movements slowing but not stopping. Multiple tables lay scattered around the room, most covered in maps, food or other items. Up on the stage are several cots that sit close to the ground, a few people lying in them, but many appearing empty. One elderly man stalks between them, focusing his attention on one person at a time, his angular eyes narrowed at each of them in an expression of constant annoyance.
"Joey, you take Logan to Doctor Choy, I'll introduce Stella to Aaron." Rocket points towards the stage, her features blank as she looks at Joey. She turns to me, the corner of her lip twitching up as her eyes run me up and down.
I glance back at Stella as Joey leads me towards the stage. She's talking to the other man on the bus and doesn't even no
tice me leaving. Clenching my jaw, I turn my attention forward as Joey steers us behind the stage to a set of stairs. Struggling, he helps me up one at a time. The doctor sees us from the other side and rushes over, as best as he can for his age, abandoning his other patient.
"Your leg no good?" he asks, pointing towards an empty cot, his words thick with a Mandarin accent.
"Yeah I—"
"He fell out of a building!" Joey interrupts, leaning down to drop me on the cot. "It was awesome!"
"Jumped," I correct with a growl, my eyes narrowing as I glare up at him. "I jumped out of a building."
"That don't make you sound any smarter." The doctor shakes his head, looking my leg up and down and placing his hands on his hips. "Not much I can do but bandage," he says, pulling a roll of white gauze out from his pocket. Pushing my pant leg up, he begins unraveling it around my heel. Like a snake it wraps around my ankle and coils up towards my thigh, a little tighter than I would like.
I look out from the stage, scanning the small area, my eyes running across the floor and up the walls. I catch sight of Stella and Rocket at a table near the back, laughing with a man. I don't feel comfortable with her knowing more than I do. The sooner I get over there the better. The man they're laughing with is probably the 'leader' of this camp. I turn back towards the doctor, his features scrunched in concentration as he continues to slowly wrap the bandage around my leg.
"Think we could hurry this up, Doc?" I ask, glancing back towards Stella at the back of the room. He looks up at me with narrowed eyes before yanking on the bandage, the pressure shooting pain up my leg. I clutch at it with a curse, glaring at him as he clips it down.
"You want me look at your wrist?" he asks, pointing a shriveled finger towards the bandage wrapped tightly around most of my arm. I glance down at it, the pale pink of blood beginning to seep through the white.
"No it's fine," I say, tapping my uninjured foot on the wooden floor. Somewhat confident that the rubbing alcohol Stella had splashed on it will be sufficient in warding off any infection.
"Alright," he says, reaching under the cot and pulling out a crutch. Struggling to stand up, Joey offers him a hand that he waves away. As I push myself up from the cot he offers me the crutch. I take it and slide it under my arm, finding it far less painful to walk now.
"Thank you," I nod. He waves his hand in my face.
"Don't thank me yet. If it broken you done for." He waddles away to another cot, leaving me to scowl at the back of his balding head for a minute. Joey laughs, giving my shoulder a firm slap.
"He's hilarious isn't he?"
I move my glare from the doctor to Joey. The jackass actually has me missing Stella's company.
"Come on," he chuckles, "let's go meet up with the others." He steps back to allow me room to adjust with my new crutch. Swinging it under my arm a few times I move towards the stairs, preferring its aid far more than Joey’s.
Much to my annoyance, he keeps pace with me as we walk the distance of the hall. Their heads swivel in our direction as we reach them, Rocket's eyes grazing my bandaged leg and lingering before snapping to meet my gaze.
"This is Stella's friend that I was telling you about," she says, stepping between Stella and the man and gently guiding him towards me. "Logan this is Aaron, he practically set this place up."
Aaron extends an arm towards me. I let his palm linger in the air for a moment, hesitating before reaching out and giving it a firm shake.
"Good to meet you, Logan," he says, his brown eyes trained on me. "It's been awhile since we've seen new faces."
"Well I’m surprised you’re still here to see new faces, your defenses are pretty weak," I say, cutting right down to it.
"Excuse me?" he asks, his closely shaved head jerking back in surprise. His lips curve in amusement and I find myself irritated by this.
"If my leg wasn't injured I'd be able to knock that fence down myself," I tell him. "I'm surprised this place hasn't been overrun yet."
His lips part in an open smile, revealing white, cared for teeth. He holds his expression for a moment before glancing at Stella and then looking back at me with a chuckle.
"Look," he grins, "I know what I'm doing, I—"
"Doesn't look that way to me," I interrupt. These people aren't my problem, but that doesn't mean that they should all die because one ignorant man thinks he knows best.
He pauses, his smile now a clenched one as he visibly tenses.
"Really?" he asks. "Because we've both survived the same amount of time and from where I'm standing," he points to my leg, "it looks like I'm doing a better job at it than you are."
My jaw clenches as I glare at him. His eyes turn mocking as he smiles in triumph, and I find myself wanting to smack the grin from his face.
Stella barks out a laugh and I direct my glare towards her. She shrugs, not looking the least bit apologetic.
Fine.
If these people don't want my help, then I won't give it to them. It makes my life easier and it isn't my problem if they all end up dying. I tried, that should be more than enough to save me from any damn guilty conscience.
"Look, all jokes aside I'm—" Aaron begins speaking but stops as the doors of the hall are thrown open. They slam against the wall as a young girl bursts through them, her eyes wild as they scan the room. They locate Aaron, widening in conviction as she runs towards us, sweat glistening on her skin.
"Aaron!" she heaves in a shout, panting heavily as she reaches us. "We have a problem." She stops beside me, leaning forward and resting her hands on her knees as she struggles to regain her breath.
"What is it?" Rocket asks, moving away from Aaron so that we're standing in a circle.
"The horde," she pants, "in L.A." She stops again to regain her breath. Aaron's features crease as he waits for her to continue. "It's headed this way."
As if a bomb has been dropped in the center of our circle, a shockwave ripples over us and every person visibly tenses. A heavy silence follows the blast. No one seems to know quite how to react. Aaron's dark eyes glaze over with an indisputable harshness as he stares at the girl.
"Are you sure?" he asks, so tense that his skin has started to turn red.
She nods. "Positive, I watched them for hours on my scavenging run."
I didn't think it possible but his entire body manages to become even more rigid at this. All hope he might have had now drained from his face as he pinches his lips together in a hard line.
"How long?"
She shakes her head, her brows pinching in thought. "Two days," she shrugs, "maybe three."
He nods.
Relief and disappointment clash as I mull this over. I didn't want to stay here anyway, but the promise of a rest was an enticing one. I almost feel like laughing at the irony of it. What were the odds that as soon as we found some place remotely safe it would be taken away from us just as we arrived? Like God's way of screwing me over, sending trouble wherever I go.
"We have to leave," Rocket says, glancing around at us, "as soon as possible."
"No!" Aaron snaps. She looks at him startled. "We don't leave unless we absolutely have to."
I open my mouth to speak, to tell him not to be an idiot, but I think better of it. He's already declared that he doesn't want my help.
"I know what I'm doing," he tells Rocket as she looks at him skeptically. "Just give me some time to think." He straightens himself up, glancing at each of us in turn. "In the meantime, we keep this between ourselves. I don't want to cause any unnecessary panic."
Unnecessary panic?
A horde, substantial enough in size to overrun the second largest city in the United States is headed this way. And this jackass thinks that that's unnecessary panic? I shake my head.
He catches the movement, his eyes pouncing on mine with a viciousness. "Do you understand?"
I glare at him. His dark eyes are hard as they challenge mine. Gritting my teeth, I give a curt nod before looking away. If the idiot wants to ge
t everyone killed, then that's his choice, but I'm not going to stick around to watch it happen.
"Good," he spits the word. "I'm going to go and think of a plan." He glances round at everyone once more before turning and stalking away. I stare at his back as he leaves, his posture straight and rigid as he avoids the stares of other people in the hall.
The young girl nods awkwardly before spinning on her heel and walking back out the doors from which she came.
The four of us that remain stand in silence, occasionally sharing a glance but ultimately keeping our gazes on the ground.
"Alright," Rocket begins, catching our attention. "It'll be night soon. So, Joey, why don't you show Stella to her room," she pauses, her gaze lingering on me as she tilts her head forward, "and I'll show Logan to his."
A small sigh escapes Stella as Joey turns towards her with a smirk, already leading her towards the exit. I watch them go, glad that I'm finally rid of him. I turn back to find Rocket looking me up and down. She finds me watching and stops, her lips pulling into their own form of a smirk. Slowly, and with precision, she takes a step towards me.
"Come on," she says under her breath, nodding towards the exit. She takes another step towards me before sidestepping out of the way, avoiding a collision. She walks towards the doors with slow, deliberate steps, swaying her hips as she goes. When I make no move to follow her, she glances back at me, her eyes dropping to her backside before trailing back up to meet with my stare. "You coming?"
I nod as my face flushes with heat. I thought there was something else in her stares, now I'm sure. She turns back around and I take the opportunity to swallow the lump in my throat as I follow her out of the hall.
"Math's block is cleanest," she says without turning around. I follow her wordlessly, glancing around at the few people moving between buildings. We reach the math's building and she leads me to a room. She opens the door for me and gestures me inside.
I glance around as I step in. The desks have been moved to the back wall, with a sofa made up as a make-shift bed on the other side. She shuts the door and clicks the lock before turning towards me.
