by Brant, Jason
“And what does that mean?” The Wildman stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“Ignore him,” Liz said. “How do you feel?”
“Like Quint at the end of Jaws. My chest is killing me.”
“You always liked to make those movie references.”
Lance focused on taking shallow breaths. They didn’t hurt as bad. “How are you still alive? When you left the compound, I thought you were dead for sure.”
“I should have been. I walked down the middle of the road for hours that day. When the sun went down, I couldn’t see anymore so I curled up under a bush beside the road and went to sleep. Those creatures never found me.”
“Seriously? You slept in a bush?”
Liz nodded. “I walked the whole way to Greensburg the next day. Paul found me digging through the pantry at a restaurant, looking for food. He brought me back here, and I’ve been living with him ever since.”
“Paul?” Lance looked back at the Wildman. “The crazy guy on the radio is named Paul?”
“Crazy? Who are you calling crazy? You’re the one who went to war with that psychopath Ralph. You get in more trouble than a bear tryin’ to get honey outta a bee hive.” The Wildman grunted, frown deepening. “Can’t believe I’m getting called crazy by a man who blew someone up with C4.”
“He’s not used to company,” Liz said. “He’s a little rough around the edges, but he saved me.”
“And helped save your ass n’at. Be damned if I wanted to, but the woman just kept yammerin’ at me. Christ Almighty.”
“Would you stop already? He’s been shot twice—he doesn’t need you badgering him all day.” Liz touched Lance’s shoulder. “We saw you get shot by that big man. When he left, we raced down there and pulled you out of the hole before one of those things could get you. Paul is good with first aid, so he’s the one who patched you up. It’s been pretty touch and go since then, but he thinks you’re going to make it.”
“Goddamn bullet missed your organs by a couple goddamn centimeters. Crazy shit.” Paul reached into his back pocket and pulled out a can of Skoal. “I thought you were dead for sure, but you’re a tough sumbitch, I’ll give you that.” He took a wad of snuff out of the can and jammed it inside his lip.
“Thanks,” Lance said. “I thought I was dead. I could hear the Vladdies down there with me.”
“The fuck is a Vladdie?” Paul asked.
Lance was tired of always explaining that. “One of the infected.”
“Oh. Yeah, you got lucky as hell on that one. I couldn’t believe you were still layin’ there by the time we got to the tunnel. Blind, stinkin’ luck they didn’t drag your ass down there and swallow you whole.”
Liz asked, “Why did that man shoot you?”
“Because he’s insane. I think he wants to take over the compound. He believes he can save it and that I was in the way. Or, at least, that’s what he was saying before he put a bullet through my chest. As crazy as it sounds, I think he might have done it because of—” He stopped himself, wondering if would be smart to talk to his ex-wife about his current girlfriend. “How did you see it happen?”
Paul grinned around his dip. “I’ve got drones flying all around this damn town.”
“Drones?”
“Damn right.” Paul disappeared into the other room for a moment and then came back, carrying what looked like a toy. It had a small, plastic body with four blades jutting from each corner, making it look like some kind of quadricopter. “This little bad boy can fly for damn near an hour on one charge. How the hell did you think I always knew what was going on around here?”
“We didn’t know,” Lance said. “We thought that you might have had people positioned all over who reported back to you. You mentioned hearing from people on the radio.”
“Hell no. I got a dozen o’ these. I mean, people do report in sometimes, but I don’t know who they are. Most of the comms I have are with people in other states or from across the pond.”
“So you fly those around and spy on everyone?”
“Yup.”
A radio crackled in the other room.
“Speaking of my comms, I need to get that.” Paul disappeared again. His muffled voice came a few seconds later.
Liz grabbed another milk crate from the corner and placed it beside Lance’s cot. “He’s rough around the edges, but he’s a good man. I think he’s been alone for too long now, though. He doesn’t know how to speak to people in a decent manner.”
“He can fling feces at the walls for all I care. I’m just glad he helped you save me.” Lance reached out and grabbed her hand. “Thanks, Liz.”
“Please don’t thank me.”
“Why?”
“Because of everything I’ve done to you. We left you for dead at the hospital, Lance. Don’t thank me.”
Lance squeezed her hand. “Call it even?”
“Fair enough.” Liz gave him a small smile. “Besides, how could I not save my husband?”
“Uh, what’s that now?” Lance dropped her hand like it bit him.
“I never signed any divorce papers. We’re still married.”
“But... uhhh... Liz, I...”
“Relax, I’m just fucking with you.”
“Holy shit, Liz. You almost gave me a heart attack.”
Her smile grew. “Would it really have been so bad still being married to me?”
“Well, I’m not so sure Cass would take that very well.” Mentioning her name pushed a new concern to the surface. “What day is it? Have I slept through the night?”
“You’ve been asleep for two days.”
“What?” Lance tried to sit up again, but Liz put her hand on his shoulder and held him down. “I have to get back! We’ve been under attack every night and—”
“Stay down, Lance. They’re fine. The fires they’re building at night have been doing the trick, for now.”
“You’re sure?” Lance tried not to panic, but his concern for Cass overpowered rational thought. He pictured Major Colt standing beside her, giving her the news of his death. Would he hurt her?
“One hundred percent sure. Paul flew a drone over the camp this morning.”
“Have they lost anyone?”
“Not during the night, but some people have been sneaking out of there each morning. Paul thinks they’re afraid the camp will collapse soon, and they don’t want to be there when it does.”
Lance shifted his head on the pillow under him and focused on relaxing. He let his eyes roam over the maps and schematics on the walls. Books covered one of the workbenches, too far away for him to read their spines. “What is this place? How hasn’t it been taken down by the infected yet?”
“We’re in a safe room. Well, two safe rooms, I guess. Paul was retired and fairly wealthy. He had two homes. One in Pittsburgh and one in Greensburg. He was also a bit nuts and built safe rooms into both houses.”
Paul called out from the other room, “I heard that.”
“You were meant to. Anyway, he left Pittsburgh and is living here for now. That rumbling sound you hear is a generator that keeps the lights on. It’s a pretty smart setup.”
Lance continued his inspection of the room.
Ever since they’d heard the Wildman on the radio, they’d wondered how the man managed to know everything that happened in the area. They couldn’t figure out how he stayed safe when everyone else was long gone.
His setup was extraordinary. The steel walls kept him secure, and the generator powered the lights during the night. The Wildman could stay there as long as he liked.
“You really landed on your feet here.”
“Total luck. He didn’t know I was in the restaurant when he found me. He was looking for rations, same as I was. I’m still surprised that he took me in. He stays up here and doesn’t help anyone, no matter how much trouble they’re in.”
Lance laughed, then wished he hadn’t. His vision swirled as a new wave of pain ran through his chest. “The world has ended, and he managed to stumb
le upon a pretty woman who was all alone. Yeah, it took a real hero to take you in. But seriously, why you? He didn’t raise a finger to help us with Ralph, so why throw you a bone?”
Liz shrugged. “He’s a softie, deep down. It’s easier to ignore people when you’re watching them through a monitor and a camera. It’s different when you meet them face to face. Besides, you already nailed it—I’m pretty.”
They sat and smiled at each other for a few seconds. Liz turned somber and looked at the floor.
“Why wasn’t it like this when we were married? We were always at each other’s throats.”
“I was an out of work, depressed loser. You were a bitch. That’s oil and water.”
“I was definitely a bitch, I’ll give you that.” She raised her head and held his gaze. “You really love her, don’t you? That Cass woman.”
“Yeah, Liz, I do. If something happened to her, I don’t know what I’d do. She’s the reason I’m not depressed anymore.”
“She’s cute. A little weird, but cute.”
“She’s a lot of weird, but we work. Look, I don’t know how comfortable I am discussing my girlfriend with my wife.” Lance grinned at her. “That’s a sentence I never thought I’d say. Are you and the Wildman bumping uglies?”
“Oh god, Lance.” Liz’s cheeks flushed. “It’s not like that.”
“I got better shit to do n’at,” Paul said from the other room. “The world is going to hell in a handbasket, and you’re worried about getting your dick wet. Is it any surprise that civilization fell apart?”
Lance sighed. “I’m so glad to be stuck in here, unable to move.”
The radio crackled again.
“This is Major Frank Colt.”
“Your friend is calling,” Paul said.
“I’m looking for the Wildman of Monroeville. Are you able to hear me?”
“Don’t answer that,” Lance said. “He mentioned that he wanted you for something when he first arrived at the camp.”
“I’m not answerin’ shit, don’t worry about that.”
Liz stood. “What if he finds us here?”
“He won’t.”
“They found us.”
“Who found you?” Lance asked.
“The infected,” Liz said. “They’ve been coming here every night, trying to break in. They started using tools a week ago.”
“This is Major Frank Colt. Don’t make me come find you, Wildman.”
Chapter 21
Colt’s forearm flexed as he gripped the microphone. His jaw muscles flared.
“Why are you threatening the man?” Brown asked. “He’s provided us with a lot of information over the past couple of months.”
“He’s a variable in this whole thing that must be taken into account. Variables need to be controlled.”
Cass leaned against the wall beside them, her arms crossed over her chest. She didn’t like the way Colt described people who were under his command. He had an air of arrogance about him that perturbed her. The only reason she’d agreed to work so closely with the man was because she wanted to wipe out the infected.
But she was conflicted about that decision. The enemy of your enemy isn’t necessarily your friend.
“Wildman, I need you to reach me. I have a proposition that’s mutually beneficial to both of us.” Colt waited for a response that never came. After several seconds, he stood from the table and stalked across the room, his mouth contorted in disgust.
“What do we need him for, anyway?” Cass asked. “If we’re going to destroy their nest in Greensburg, then let’s go do it. Why do we have to have him with us?”
“He knows their patterns and movements. He’s in contact with other survivors. The knowledge he can provide us with will be invaluable.”
Brown said, “But we already know where the tunnels are. We don’t need him to tell us anything.”
Colt stopped in the doorway and glared at them over his shoulder. “I appreciate the input, but this is what I do. I saved your lives, didn’t I? This camp is still standing because of me. Let me do what needs to be done.”
With that, he stormed from the cabin and shouted for one of his soldiers.
Eifort sat by the table covered in maps. She hadn’t said a word since they’d come inside.
“What do you think of this guy?” Cass asked her.
“I think there is a reason the military isn’t meant to be used as a police force.” Eifort leaned back in her chair. “We’re trained to go in and take out the enemy, not to govern civilians.” She lowered her voice. “And I think there is something else going on here. He has ulterior motives.”
“Like what?” Brown asked.
“I don’t know yet. Why would he be so obsessed with finding the Wildman, though? Like Cass said, we know where the nest is, so what do we need him for?”
Cass watched Colt strut across the field through the window. In the two days since they’d lost Lance, they’d been going to Greensburg and mapping out as many of the tunnel entrances as they could find.
Colt argued emphatically that they needed to have as much information as possible before they went on the offensive. That made sense to Cass, to an extent, but now she’d begun to wonder if the man wasn’t delaying things intentionally.
She wanted vengeance and would soon go out on her own if necessary. She’d done it before and wouldn’t hesitate to do so once again.
They had other problems to deal with too.
Several people had fled the camp. While that alleviated their overpopulation, it was disconcerting that people would rather risk almost certain death in the streets than face the intense pressure of the nights at the compound. The pressure of the Vladdies and their constant occupation of the forest made it difficult to keep people calm.
Lance’s death had cast a pall over those who remained. Cass knew that he was held in high regard, but she hadn’t understood how much people revered him. His gentle, jovial nature had put everyone at ease.
When things were at their worst, he was at his best. He usually did the wrong thing, but his intentions were always noble. He cared for people, fought for them, and they adored him for it.
Cass hated herself for not realizing just how much he meant to the others. She despised herself for not telling him how much he meant to her.
Knowing that he had fallen made everyone wary of the camp’s chances.
Even the presence of Colt and his men didn’t give the survivors any comfort.
“We need to consider abandoning the camp,” Cass blurted.
“What?” Brown shook his head. “No way. This place is our best chance.”
“This place is falling apart, Doc. Look around—we’re losing people like crazy. A week ago, we were running out of space for everyone. Now, people are sneaking away because they see the end is coming. There is no hope left here.”
“Where would we go?” Eifort asked. “There is nothing but death out there. At least we have light here.”
“I think we need to get another boat.”
“That didn’t work out for us the last time, in case you forgot.” Brown walked over to the window and pointed at the solar array. “We have power. Food. Shelter. I can take care of the sick and wounded here. We can’t do that on a boat.”
Cass reached behind her back and gripped the handle of her axe, squeezing the tape she’d wrapped around it. She’d rarely taken it off in the past forty-eight hours. It was all that gave her comfort anymore. “I’m not so sure that we’re going to be able to take care of anyone else much longer.”
Brown turned toward Cass, locking his gaze on hers. His eyes narrowed. “I’m not abandoning them. I refuse to leave those who have trusted us. I would rather die.”
“Goddamn it, Doc. We’re all going to die if we don’t—”
“I won’t do it.”
Cass looked to Eifort, who remained at the table. “Will you help me out here?”
“If Emmett stays, I stay.”
“You guys ar
e living in a fantasy land. Even if we could make it work here, you’re forgetting about the douche bag out there with a tank. Do you really think we’re still in charge around here? He’s calling the shots now, not us. Remember what happened to that camp in Maryland? Things didn’t end up the best down there.”
“He and his men are keeping us alive here,” Brown said. “I don’t like it, but that’s the truth of the matter. Without them, we’re all dead.”
“Only if we stay here. We could sneak out and get by like we did before. And how long can he keep us safe here? The Vladdies have us surrounded every single night. They’re getting smarter, and we’re just hanging out like sitting ducks. We didn’t last long on the last boat, but that’s because Ralph was dogging us at every turn. Things are different now. If we can get away from Colt, we can make it.”
“Cass, I don’t know how else to say this—I’m not leaving my people.”
Cass closed her eyes and concentrated on remaining calm. Her frustration with everything was reaching a boiling point. She hadn’t even been able to truly grieve over the loss of the love of her life yet.
“Maybe there is a way we can do both,” Eifort said. She stood and leaned over the table, examining a map in the middle.
“What do you mean?” Brown turned toward her.
“What if we could take everyone with us?”
“And go where?”
Eifort traced her finger along the map, moving from left to right. “To the coast.”
Cass stepped beside the table and looked at the path Eifort pointed out. The map was of the entire state of Pennsylvania.
“How far is the drive to the ocean?” Eifort asked. “Four hours, right? Maybe four and a half?”
“That was before the roads were clogged with abandoned vehicles and bridges were destroyed.” Brown jabbed his finger at the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which ran across the entire state. “That’s a complete mess now. It would take much longer to make it. I doubt we could do it in a day.”
“We’re getting, what, fourteen hours of sunlight? Fifteen? We could make it.”
“And if we don’t? Then what? We die?”
“Not if we take enough wood to set multiple fires. We would have gas to run the headlights and some spotlights. We could set up a temporary camp if necessary. Besides, we lived out on the farm for a couple of days without any protection, and they never found us. Maybe they wouldn’t even know we’re out there on the road.”
