His Name Was Zach

by Peter Martuneac

  “Are these the new people?” Howard asked.

  “Yup,” Fernando replied. Then he turned to Zach and said, “This is Howard, he’ll show you to your new homes. But now I have to get back to my post. It was a pleasure meeting you folks. Welcome to our town.”

  They all thanked Fernando as he left and then turned back to Howard, who led them through the front doors and into a lobby. Reaching over a counter to the side, he produced six keys, handing one to each person. He told Zach and Abby that they would live in apartment number 321, Diane and Ross would be in number 333, and Al and Amber would occupy number 320.

  As Howard led the group up the stairs, he gave them a quick overview of the rules in the building: no loud noises after ten o’clock at night, conserve water and energy, and other such regulations. Once they reached the third floor, Howard welcomed them to the building and then retreated back down the stairs.

  Now left alone for the first time since entering the town, the group found themselves at a loss for words.

  “So…see you guys in the morning?” Ross said, and everyone agreed to that as they made their way to their separate homes.

  Zach opened the door to room 321 and held it open for Abby. He closed the door behind him as he followed her in and then both of them stood motionless, observing their new home. They were looking into a small living room that appeared to serve also as a dining room. The carpet was a soft beige color and the walls were painted white. There were only a few pieces of furniture to be seen: a couch, a low coffee table, and a table with four chairs around it.

  On the left side of the room, the carpet turned into white tiles as you entered the kitchen, which was little more than a counter that ran against the back wall. There was a small fridge and freezer, a stove, a sink, and a few cabinets and drawers. Opposite from the kitchen was a short hallway with two doors on each side. The doors on the left side both led into sparsely furnished bedrooms, the first door on the right was a bathroom, and the last door was a closet.

  Neither Zach nor Abby spoke for a long minute. It all seemed like a dream, and they were afraid that the heaviness of words would shatter this blissful illusion and send them into oblivion. They set their heavy packs down in a closet next to the door, followed by their guns. Abby walked over to the couch and sat down on it.

  “It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve sat on a couch,” she said quietly.

  Zach sat down next to her and said, “Yeah.”

  They sat in silence again. Abby laid down on her side, resting her head against Zach’s shoulder and wrapping her arm around his. “We made it, Dad,” she whispered.

  “Yeah,” Zach whispered back. They both had tears of joy in their eyes and occasionally allowed one to be shed. They had endured so much hardship over the last several weeks, had almost lost each other twice, had found themselves in situations almost too horrible to describe, but they had made it. Despite it all, they came through the darkness together because they never lost hope. Just like Zach’s tattoo said: while I breathe, I hope.

  Zach had been right, Abby thought. Everything had turned out alright. For the first time in a long time, everything was alright.

  Chapter Ten

  Abby was in her bedroom with her bath towel still wrapped around her body as she sat on the edge of her bed, looking down at the ground, lost in her thoughts. She had just taken an actual shower for the first time in God knows how long and the water had even been warm. The caretaker had told them not to waste water in the shower, but Zach said she could take as long as she wanted, just this once.

  So she had stayed in the shower for a long time, until the mirror over the sink had completely fogged up, just letting the hot, almost too hot, water run through her hair and over her skin. It felt like the water was cleansing both her soul and her body as all the dirt and grime from her travels ran down the drain, taking the fear and sorrow she had lived with for the past few weeks with it.

  She sat in the solidarity of her room with the door closed, the light off, and the shades drawn over the single window. She could hear the shower running down the hall and knew that Zach would probably only take a few minutes to clean up. He always made sure she had everything she needed before taking care of himself, always allowed her the greater portion of everything they had, whether it was food out in the Wild or shower water here in Little America.

  Abby thought about all that had happened to her and Zach since their cottage had been destroyed. On the day that they came across the Marshall Farm, Zach knew that something was wrong, but she didn’t listen to him. Like a useless little girl, she had only wanted to get instant gratification and ignored the multiple warning signs. She had gotten them into a huge mess, but Zach saved them. At great expense to his own body, he had protected hers from Henry’s sick fantasies.

  But the next day almost made up for that experience when they met Amber and the others at the gas station. Everyone had been suspicious of each other at first, but eventually they calmed down and became friends. She was so glad that they had met Amber. Maybe now that they were in a safe place where they could settle down and plan a future, Zach and Amber would consider making one together. Abby would like that.

  But not long after that meeting, Abby had endured one of the toughest tests she’d ever undergone. For four days, she had been separated from Zach and the others, forced to survive on her own with nothing but the clothes on her back. But against all odds, she had done it. Thanks to Zach’s lessons and training, she had survived. But now that she thought about it, she was almost glad that that had happened. On her own, she had been forced to fend for herself, to either become a woman and survive or continue being a helpless little girl and die. Become a woman she had, and never again would she lean on Zach and force him to bear her as a burden.

  But worse than losing her home, worse than almost being raped, worse than almost dying of thirst, was what she had experienced at that Air Force base. For it was there that she had almost lost Zach, and that thought was unbearable. She had never felt such abject depression as she had when Zach told her that he was going to let them kill him just so she could live. But she didn’t let them do it. It was high time that Abby saved Zach, and that was exactly what she did. She still remembered the look of pride in his eyes the following day when she had told him how she freed him.

  The shower across the hall stopped running, and Abby could hear the ‘drip-drip-drip’ sound as the last drops of water fell from the showerhead to the floor below. Getting up from the bed, she slipped out of her towel and got dressed in the clothes that Zach had bought for her earlier that day: a Robin-egg blue blouse, a tan khaki skirt, and a pair of red Chuck Taylor’s. She loved being able to wear a skirt again after years of nothing but cargo pants or shorts; wearing a skirt made her feel more like a girl. Once dressed, she went out to the living room to wait for Zach. They were going to go back to the shopping area and get some things they needed that they had not bothered with when Fernando was waiting on them.

  Zach appeared a few minutes later, drying his hair with his towel. He had taken the liberty of shaving properly and had a smooth face for the first time since their cabin had been burned to the ground. He wore a pair of black jeans, a plain grey, short-sleeved shirt, and plain black shoes. Abby frowned at him and said, “Seriously Zach, would it kill you to wear colors?”

  “Grey is a color.”

  “A non-boring color?”

  “Psh, you’re boring.”

  “Your face is boring!”

  “Touché,” Zach said, winking at Abby. He took his pistol from the closet, checked the chamber, and then holstered it, attaching the holster to his thigh and belt.

  “You’re still carrying a gun?” Abby asked.

  “Of course.”

  “But…I thought we wouldn’t have to do that anymore,” Abby said, looking disappointed. She was not uncomfortable with guns, and obviously she could and would use one when she had to, but she was a pacifist at heart. She eschewed the viole
nt lifestyle that she had been thrust into over the past few years and had hoped that guns and knives would no longer be a part of her life in this town.

  “We can’t get complacent, Bug. We still need to be ready for anything, which means carrying a weapon and having bug-out bags ready to go, which we’ll take care of tonight.”

  “So should I go get my gun?” Abby asked with a grimace.

  Zach thought a moment, considering Abby’s preference to not carry her pistol. He wanted her to be safe, but he did not want to force her to do something that she obviously had a problem with. She was just a kid, and while always planning for the worst was fine for him, it clearly was not so fine for her. She was safe here, and happy, for the first time in a very long time, and Zach decided to not ruin that for her. “No, not tonight,” he said. “But once you start school and I start working, there’ll be plenty of times when you’re alone, or at least not near me. So I would like for you to at least carry a pocket knife or something.”

  “Okay, I can do that. Oh wait, no. That Air Force guy took mine,” Abby said.

  “Alright, well tonight I’ll buy you a new one, as well as a full-sized one since we left yours with Savage.”

  “Okay.”

  “Alright, let’s go then,” Zach said. He opened the door and then held it for Abby, saying, “Ladies first.”

  “Why thank you, sir!” Abby said in a fake British accent as she gave Zach a small curtsy.

  As they walked outside into the cool of the early evening, Zach and Abby could not help but smile at how good they felt. There was no danger of zombies or raiders, and being clean and wearing comfortable clothes was marvelous. As they walked, they found the school where Abby would be going to on Monday, and not far from there was a large open field with a sign that said ‘Drill Field’.

  “Is that where you’ll be working?” Abby asked.

  “I suppose so,” Zach answered.

  “Are you gonna train them like you did me?”

  Zach chuckled and said, “Not even close. You’re my daughter and were a little girl when I began teaching you. The people I’ll be teaching now are all adults and are responsible for our safety.”

  “So you’ll be tougher on them?”

  “Yup. I might even make some of them cry.”

  “Well, just make sure you watch your language, mister,” Abby said in a mock tone of sternness.

  Zach grinned and said, “No promises. In fact, it’d probably be best if you stayed away from here while I’m working.”

  “I guess I’ll have to, you foul-mouthed knuckle-dragger,” Abby said, smiling back.

  They made it back to the shopping area and walked around, looking at the different stores, occasionally going inside to buy some small things that they needed. They reached the grocery store, and Zach went in to get a small amount of food for them. Abby had told him that she wanted to check out the general store across the street, where Zach eventually joined her. Abby wandered around while Zach hunted for a replacement knife for Abby. “And a pocket knife,” he reminded himself with a snap of his fingers.

  “Well, you did it, Mr. Dad,” said Amber, surprising Zach as she approached from behind him.

  “Did what?” he asked, looking confused.

  “You found a home for Abby. Look at how happy she is,” Amber replied, gesturing towards Abby, who was laughing hysterically as she read a faded, old collection book of comic strips. Her smile was contagious, and Zach and Amber could not help but smile themselves.

  “She certainly is. Thanks, by the way,” Zach replied.

  “Don’t mention it. I’m really happy for you two.”

  Zach nodded in reply but didn’t say anything as he awkwardly shifted his weight from one leg to the other. Amber waited for a few moments and then said, “Well, I guess I’ll see you later then.”

  “Yeah, for sure,” Zach replied as she walked back out of the store where Al was waiting for her, watching Amber as she left. Gone were the baggy cargo pants she had worn out on the road. Now she wore a well-fitting pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt, both of which flattered her figure, accentuating her curves.

  “Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Abby teased. She had seen Zach staring at Amber and wanted to poke fun at him.

  “How do you always catch me at bad times?” Zach asked, laughing.

  “Call it luck. And speaking of taking pictures, look what I found!” Abby said as she pulled her hands out from behind her back and handed Zach an old Polaroid camera, the type that would take pictures and then spit them out of a slit in the front of the camera.

  “Great find, Bug,” said Zach as he looked the camera over and then handed it back to Abby. She then went off to look at more of the store while Zach turned back to the knives. He selected a KA-BAR with a six-inch tanto blade and thought that it would be good for Abby. While he looked at the small pocket knives, he selected a “last-ditch” style knife. It was only about four inches in length, half of which was the skinny, triangular blade. It came with a sheath that had a clip on it that could secure it to a waistband or the top of a boot.

  Having gotten the knives that he needed, he looked around at some of the various knick-knacks around him, waiting for Abby to return. She did a few minutes later, and then they took their things to the counter to pay for them. An older woman with long hair the color of clouds just before a Spring rain stood behind the counter and smiled at Zach and Abby as they approached.

  “Good afternoon! You two are new here, aren’t you? I saw you earlier with Fernando,” she said as she adjusted her bifocal glasses.

  “Yes ma’am, we are,” Zach replied.

  “How nice! It’s always refreshing to see new faces around here, especially children.”

  While he waited for the woman to calculate the total price for their three items, Zach’s eye was caught by a jewelry display behind him. Almost on a whim, he stepped over to take a closer look: rings, bracelets, and necklaces mostly. He was about to walk away again, but then he noticed a gorgeous pair of earrings. They were made of silver and housed small but beautiful sapphires. He picked them up to more closely appraise them.

  “For Amber?” Abby asked.

  “Thinking about it. What do you think?” Zach asked, handing them to Abby.

  “Oh, she’ll love these. They’ll look great on her, and blue’s her favorite color too.”

  “Really?”

  “Yup. C’mon Zach, you gotta know stuff like that! Knowing the little things about us is really important to girls!” Abby chided, lightly hitting Zach in the arm.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Zach said with a smile as he carried the earrings back over to the counter. He asked the woman how much it would all cost. She gave him the final price, telling him they got a slight discount since they were new in town. Zach thanked her, paid the amount that she had asked for, and then left the store with Abby.

  “Here,” Zach said, handing the boot knife to Abby, “this is for you.”

  “Neat-o! Thanks,” Abby said. She clipped it to the waistband of her skirt and then pulled her blouse down, making sure it covered the knife.

  They started heading back home as the sun sank low into the sky. They had gotten clothes, food, and a few trinkets and were ready to eat dinner and then sleep. Once they got home, they put away their new purchases and then made themselves a simple dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches and soup.

  Silence reigned as they ate, as was their custom, and once they were done eating Zach cleaned up and washed their dishes. As he was putting them away, Abby ran back to her room and came back with her camera and said, “Let’s get a picture!”

  She flung herself onto the couch and Zach sat down next to her. He took the camera from her and held it out at arm’s length while he put his other arm around Abby’s shoulders. “One, two, three,” Zach said. The camera flashed and then buzzed as the slit in the camera produced a photograph.

  Abby grabbed it and shook it for a few seconds, waiting for the image to rev
eal itself. When it did, it showed Abby leaning into Zach, her head next to his. She was smiling from ear to ear, and her silver eyes sparkled like stars. Abby couldn’t help but giggle at Zach. He never really smiled for pictures (except for the one with his wife), he just kind of tilted the corners of his mouth upwards. But she could see the happiness in his dark eyes, even if no one else could.

  Abby kissed Zach on the cheek and said, “I love you, Dad.”

  He kissed her back and said, “I love you too, Abby.”

  Abby hopped up and carried the picture and camera back to her room. She closed the door so she could change into some sleeping clothes, a pair of shorts and a loose shirt. Returning a minute later, she walked into the kitchen, turned on the kitchen faucet and filled a glass with water. “Are you gonna give those earrings to Amber tonight?” she asked.

  “Yup. I think I’ll head over there right now,” said Zach.

  “Let me know how it goes,” she said as she walked past him towards her bedroom.

  “Will do. I shouldn’t be there for very long, though. Will you still be up?”

  “Yeah, probably. I’m gonna do a little reading but I’ll be heading to bed soon.”

  “Okay, see you in a bit,” said Zach as he grabbed the earrings, slid them into his pocket, and then left, closing and locking the door behind him. Al and Amber’s door was right across the hall from his, so he simply turned on his heels and knocked on the door twice. As he waited for it to open, he suddenly became aware of his sweating palms. He was a bit nervous, and hoped Amber would like the present.

  A few seconds later, the door opened and Zach’s jaw just about hit the floor when he saw Amber in front of him. She looked like she had been getting ready for bed herself when he had knocked, as she wearing only a white tank-top and black underwear.

  “Hey,” was all Zach could manage in his stupor. He thought that she had looked incredible back at the general store. Now, seeing much more of her skin than he ever had before, he was speechless. She had long legs that several weeks of wandering around as a nomad had toned wonderfully. Her gracious, feminine hips and trim stomach gave her a marvelous figure, and Zach had to fight with himself to keep his eyes from lingering on her small but perky breasts.