Dead End (Book 2): A Very Good Neighbor

by P. S. Power

  Leaving them behind had just seemed wrong. Like abandoning friends.

  Shrugging he walked up to the back porch and knocked firmly on the edge of the screen, which was aluminum, so gave a tinny sound instead of a solid rap, but someone came to the door at least, only a few seconds later. He hadn't used any special knock, just four hits, but the door opened anyway, with Sammi standing there staring at him listlessly. It took a second for her face to sharpen, her eyes going bright suddenly.

  “Good. I was going to come get you in a day or two... and you brought friends?” She looked at the women still by the cart, which got Jake to wave them over.

  “Yes. Two are pregnant, possibly by our old friend Holsom. That or his rape gang. I also brought some meat.”

  “Oh? Well, come in, all of you, please. Be welcome. I fear things are... A little downcast right now. We kind of need to borrow your Jake for a day or so, possibly longer. It's dreadfully rude of us, but, well, you'll see...” She gestured them into the House without saying more, her face a little hard.

  “Stupid people...” She muttered as he passed.

  Jake didn't know if she meant him at first, but it was clear within moments that it wasn't that at all. Everyone just sat around, looking angry at nearly everyone else.

  He blinked.

  It didn't take but about thirty seconds for him to get up to speed at least, Nate, Vickie and Dave hit him at the same time, all talking just too loud for comfort. He drew his nine, making the women with him looked freaked, but the people getting rowdy just went silent, so he could put it away.

  “Gone a few weeks and you people fall apart. What is it this time?” He waved at Nate, with eyebrows raised. He was in charge after all.

  “It's Len's project among other things. It got cold and the ground froze, so no one wanted to work, hoping for a thaw, but well, it didn't. Now we have people coming in a week and no one wants to share their own living quarters with ninety-one other people, so everyone is bitching and moaning instead of trying to figure out solutions.” The man looked rough, bloodshot eyes above his gray and brown beard. Tired and a bit messy, to tell the truth. He also smelled a bit. Not some huge thing, but enough. The room smelled.

  The freaking refugees that had showed up at his place were keeping themselves better. Damn. He didn't build the bathhouses for nothing. OK, he hadn't built them, Justine had, but he'd made the water heater. That got him to nod his head.

  What the fudge?

  He took a moment to resist thinking about fudge. Honest, he told himself firmly, it wasn't something he liked. Jake sighed and looked at Dave.

  “OK, Dave, get with Burt and Len. I want a detail to get out and melt the ground, use small fires and spread them, or whatever Burt says to do. If people argue or won't work, shoot them.” He turned to Vickie and waved Justine over, who really did look different, now that he knew she wasn't human, strictly speaking. Still kind of cute, in a very big boned way.

  “Vickie, you and Justine start people through on baths. If they won't wash up, shoot them. If it's too cold in there, get a stove or two set up. We should have had that anyway.” He glanced back at Nate.

  “Seriously Nate... Stop being so nice to people all the time. They can't handle it yet.”

  Jake grinned.

  “Now, we need a detail for the meat we brought, it's... Well, Carl can help.”

  Because Carl was vastly strong, for one thing. The man whistled softly when he saw the cart and shook his head.

  “Damn. This must be near two thousand pounds of meat Jake...” He stepped under the handle and pulled, it moved, if slowly and the girls all helped, pushing from the back, though Billi moved in beside him at the handle and pushed there. She was looking at the man with admiration, but Jake had already figured that would happen. He let it go.

  “That's...” Nate said, his voice going quiet at the end.

  “I didn't know if we'd see you again, honestly, after everything with Tipper and that. I certainly didn't expect you to do this. It will really help when everyone gets here. Even with everyone that's what, three weeks of food? A month? If we can do that six or seven more times, we might even make it.”

  Things weren't that dire at all and Jake called him on it.

  “Four more times, tops. Though I do think you're right, we need more. Other people are coming I think. The four with me? They ran here. To the House. They happened to see my place first and stopped for food, so I made room for them, but word's getting around somehow. Unfortunately, that also means raiders and cannibals will learn about it. Any luck on the ammo front?”

  Nate winced.

  “Some. Burt's on it, but he can only do so much. Daylight is at a premium and all.”

  Jake thought for a second and shrugged, “Fine, let's set up some electric lights and use the batteries for that. Justine's generator should give light enough. Three shifts a day. I don't suppose you have any people that just don't need sleep, do you?”

  Nate didn't know, which meant getting Sammi from the kitchen. The girl beamed at him, a genuine look of warmth on her face that was matched by the others around her, even Bart, the guy that got into a fight with Cisco. Darla was there too, but she frowned, hands on little hips. She also marched over to him and punched him in the stomach. Pretty hard too.

  “You left me! You didn't even say you were going anywhere and you just left. This is a good place, but I don't know anyone here hardly and you went away, like I didn't matter.” She pulled back to hit him again.

  He hid behind his hands.

  “Sorry! I... Yes, that was wrong of me, I'm very sorry. I should have thought of you first.” He sounded contrite, he thought. She still hit him in the stomach again.

  Violent little thing.

  “OK. Don't do it again. Everyone here keeps acting like I should just wash dishes. I told them I could hunt, but they won't believe me.”

  Right. Well he did. Jake grimaced and looked around the room a bit. They were busy getting ready for lunch. But they didn't need Darla for that. Or Sammi really. He pulled both of them to the living room.

  “OK, Sam, we need to get things going here. Kind of surprised you didn't organize it already. Don't try telling me that no one would listen to you either. I know you can convince people of almost anything. Neither here nor there, if we get lights for night shift duties, who do we have that will fit for it. Um, making ammo for now.” He listened, his eyes going wide in a few places.

  The Vals slept, but only about two and a half hours a night. So they could work more than they did at the moment. Sammi was nocturnal by nature, which made sense, once the words came out of her mouth, and Molly, of all people, hadn't slept since the second week. Not at all. She wasn't even tired it seemed.

  Of course, Molly would get a super-power while he just got told he wasn't anyone's type... Yeah, that was fair. He nearly laughed though. It didn't matter.

  “OK, get with them and set up night time manufacturing then. Put... Molly in charge. If she doesn't need to sleep, she can help the others along. Do you know where Carley is?” That, it turned out, was a different issue altogether.

  Sammi explained it quietly, not trying to keep it a secret, it just wasn't, but by force of habit.

  “Jake... She's not been doing well since we visited you. Maybe seeing you will help? Here, come with me.” Sammi pulled his sleeve to guide him along and he waved for Darla to follow. They found Carley in the cellar, sitting in the dark, between shelves of jars greens of some kind and the preserves shelves. She looked awful.

  When she saw Sammi, who was in the lead, she growled.

  “Go away.” Nothing else, so it was hard to get her reason for wanting to be alone from context. Sammi stopped and crossed her arms.

  “I think not. Get off your ass and work. Jake's here and setting things to right, again, and wants you to do something.” The girl sounded prim, which, Jake knew, was totally fake.

  Carley responded though, climbing to her feet slowly, “This better not be a
nother trick Sam. I nearly killed him. It doesn't matter if he's The Very Good Man or not. He has to hate me for that and for... not caring about what he was going through. I get that now. He has feelings, even if he is a man. It's bizarre, but I guess it's true.” She sounded miserable when she said it, but like it was heartfelt.

  Jake stepped forward and held his arms out for a hug, not expecting her to actually do anything, but hopefully not hit him either. He was kind of ambushing her, even if he didn't mean to be.

  “Well, that's more progress than I figured you'd come to.”

  The woman blinked, but then actually moved into his arms and held him for a second. She smelled. If Nate had needed a bath, Carley needed decontamination. He patted her a few times and pushed her away before she was finished, which was awkward, but Jake smiled to cover it.

  “We're going to have the pits going soon, we need the logs for inside that, do you have those already?” He said without preamble. She got it.

  “About half. I need to get a crew back up, I... kind of let things slide. Sorry. I thought the ground was too frozen though. How are we doing that?”

  Jake just gave her a blank look.

  “We're going to strip Bart the matchstick guy and roll him around until it's all thawed.” He meant to be funny, but Sammi slapped her forehead.

  “Oh. Of course. Sorry, meet me out back in ten minutes Jake?” She didn't wait to say what was going on, just turning to run off.

  For his part Jake took Carley's hand. She followed meekly enough, which of course wasn't very, but her hand stayed in his and she looked bemused and slightly baffled, not enraged. Instead of taking her in, he suggested she get one of the first baths. She made a face.

  “Are you saying I stink?” She asked, her tone menacing.

  “Oh yeah. Not just a little either. Oh, do you know Darla yet?” Jake gestured to her as they all climbed the stairs.

  “Sort of... we haven't met, but new and short, I have that part down.” She looked at him, still with the same face on. Confused.

  “I'd like her to be one of your guards. Zombie activity is way up and the wood crew needs to be ready all the time now, just in case. I think they're spreading, looking for food. Darla's still a bit small to haul logs, but her weapons skills are adequate. She needs practice though.” Once outside, they walked towards the back door, since Carley needed her clean clothes and stuff to wash with from inside.

  “That means paying attention though Darla. All the time you're on duty. Expect real attacks too, not just one or two z at a time. We'll practice first and get you a team. I wonder how Molly is doing that way? I'll check. After your bath, get that crew together? Better two hours today than nothing.”

  People were moving at least, though half of them glared at him as they did. Whatever made them feel better. Jake didn't care at all. In fact, it would have been tempting to just leave them to their own devices, if a bunch of kids hadn't been about to show up in a few days, promised a safe place to live and warm food in their stomachs.

  OK, so half of those promises had come from him, but it wasn't like he'd stopped helping with it. That first cart full of meat had to be a good start. They needed more though. Way more.

  Jake ate with everyone else, his new friends sitting at the table with him, crowding in with Tipper, Dave and Carl, who managed to end up sitting next to Billi. That was fine with Jake though. Carl was a good guy and if he liked her, well, someone would have to be there for her and the baby, if it was a baby, and not malnutrition.

  Sammi hadn't shown up when he and Darla looked for her out back, but was at her normal table across the room, next to Ken and Heather. The former goth girl looked a lot more pregnant now and stared at him when she thought he wasn't looking. It wasn't friendly either. Then, he probably should have shot her for being at lunch, so maybe it was just that?

  After they ate, a meal with a decently thick stew with a lot of meat, potatoes and veggies along with some biscuits, however those were made. It seemed to be Sammi's doing, something she could add, now that her secret wasn't one anymore. She wasn't eleven, so it made it alright for her to know stuff. Fair deal. They were good too. Light and fluffy.

  Jake ate his slowly, and noticed that George did too. Kara seemed tense, but Billi enjoyed her conversation with Carl. It was nearly ten minutes into the whole thing before he understood why Kara was so bent out of shape. Billi was her girlfriend. Or she was at least giving looks that kind of spoke to that. It could be something else. Oops.

  Well... it was important to know. Who was with who and all that, if anyone. He hadn't asked, because it just wasn't what he normally thought about, to tell the truth, but if there were couples at his own place, it might have relevance.

  Jake didn't say anything. It wasn't like Carl had done anything wrong, or even Billi. Kara could either deal with it or not, as long as she did it without bugging him or the local undead population. If it was a real issue, he'd deal with it later.

  After lunch Nate grabbed him again, literally taking his arm and leading him outside, which was normal enough if they were going to talk. The older guy just pointed instead, at the staked out areas being melted, both by small fires and by a guy walking around, holding his hands over the soil for a while so that another guy could dig behind him. Then a team of people started working to make the hole deeper once the solid ice layer was gone. In all at least a dozen people were digging.

  Jake got the idea and shrugged.

  “This should have been happening already.” He turned and gave Nate a look and then shook his head. “I'll try to get another load of meat in, then I kind of want to set up here for a few days and use the forge. Is... that alright? I could make my own, but...”

  “You can use whatever you like. As far as anyone else is concerned you still live here. We... kind of told most of the people that you were just off doing something and would be back. Not everyone believed it, but this will help. So... You'll be around?” It was said in a low tone, not anxious, but probing. Jake kept his mind clear and tilted his head.

  Nate was trying to read his mind. It made him smile. Good to see that the guy didn't just think he was a nutbar anymore. The older fellow made a face then laughed.

  “Chock full of nuts. This whole situation is. So?”

  “Yeah. I can't be here. It's too hard. Not all the time at least, but I'll make a point of being in and out when I can. Help get the new people set up and all that. Oh... I also, if it's possible, could I get some ammo from you? I want to take a little trip soon and it would help.”

  “Trip?”

  Jake smiled, “The people with me? Two of them are possibly pregnant.”

  “Oh?”

  “By Derrick Holsom. Thought I'd pay a visit. You know, old home week and all that.”

  Nate blanched a little and shook his head. For a while, one that felt like a long time, the man didn't say anything at all. Hands pushed into the pockets of his light brown workman's coat, some kind of canvas, Jake thought, but nothing got said for a bit.

  “Is that wise? I mean, they're not in Westwood or anything right? Derrick and his gang of...”

  “Burberry. About forty miles from here. Not close enough to be a worry, but they have two women left with them that couldn't get away. At least I think that's the case. I need to check with Jill first, but that's a good enough reason. Plus, he's kind of mine to deal with. If I would have handled it correctly to begin with, half the problems we've had might not have existed at all.”

  The other man just sighed, shook his head and hunched in on himself.

  “Alright. You should work up a full team though. That lone wolf BS is going to get you killed if you aren't careful. I know why you don't want to be here, but it's dangerous all the way around Jake. If anything happens to you, I don't think we make the winter.”

  Jake grunted and didn't say anything. After all, it seemed to be true. Why, he couldn't tell. It wasn't like he did anything special. Threaten to shoot some people? Well, hello, they ha
d a half dozen folk that could do that just as well. Dave for instance. He could do it and sleep well at night even. Most likely at least.

  The cart was back out and his new people found him standing there, so he made introductions all around and then shrugged.

  “Nate, would you show them around while I take a turn digging? If I slack off to much Len's going to come and yell at me. Or he should at least.” He smiled all the way around, because the women looked nervous. Right, that whole rape gang thing.

  “Oh, um, not to be indelicate, but Nate's gay. He's also a good guy and would fight to the death to protect you if it came to it. Considering he's a pacifist, that's saying something. So you know, not a threat that way?” Was it rude to out someone now? It made sense in the moment but...

  Nate just grinned, “True. Not that we have a lot of problems with people doing things they shouldn't here. Between Jake and Vickie there hasn't been a single incidence in months and the one there was... Well, Vickie beat the man to death with her bare hands. Nice woman, but won't put up with that kind of thing at all. I'll introduce you...”

  Smoothly the leader got the others to follow him so Jake could work for a couple of hours. It was hard, digging always was, but not a big deal once they cleared the first really hard layer. The soil here was good like that. Rich and loamy even out of the fields, not free of rock, but pretty close through this area which was good, as they really couldn't afford the time that would take. Not right now.

  Carley and her crew, nearly twenty people, came back with two large loads of logs as he worked, but stopped after the second, since it would be getting dark in about an hour. Just enough time for Jake and his friends to get home. He waved to her, but didn't say anything, knowing that they would be best to hurry a bit. Plus...

  She'd tried to kill him. Horribly, so that Derrick could keep trying to destroy everything. True it wasn't her fault, but that poison had sucked so much. It was hard to let go of that, now that he knew. He would, but that didn't make it easy.