by White, Amber
“I thank you for that,” I said, knowing if I had it my way, we probably wouldn’t be face to face again. Ever.
“So where are we going to go now?” Dean said, annoyed. “And why the hell aren’t we taking them up on their offer?”
“Need I remind you about the base? And how about that little group a few months back, the ones who tried to kill us for our weapons?”
There was a long pause, tension rolling off all of us like heat.
“She’s right,” Sully said.
“You’re always on her side,” Billie said, glowering at him. “I want hot food and a real bed.”
“And I want to still be breathing tomorrow,” I growled.
“She’s the voice of reason around here. She got us this far, didn’t she?”
Billie stalked to the back of the RV, muttering. As she passed, I thought I heard her say “I hate when they’re right,” and “Smartass,”
“Hey,” Sully said, poking his head out of the window again. “Is anyone using that field on the other side of the road?”
One of the men gave a muffled “No,” and something else I couldn’t hear.
When Sully closed the window, he told Dean to drive up a few yard and take the driveway to our left so we could pull onto the field and bypass the ditch between it and the road.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Apparently, they- that is, the family that owns the farm those people are staying at- used to use that field for grazing, but they haven’t used it for a while now, since it’s not as protected as the area around their house.”
Dean and Billie took turns on watch that night, Billie still in a mood, but at least she didn’t throw me evil looks whenever our eyes met.
I was curled against Sully on my bunk, his arm around my waist, his nose by my ear. He was warm and gentle, a comfort on that lonely night.
“They aren’t that mad at you anymore,” He whispered.
“I know,” I whispered back. “I just couldn’t say yes,”
“I know,” He said, briefly squeezing his arm against me.
I snuggled closer, willing myself to fall asleep.
In my dreams, I saw Kat again. It was the night our groups parted ways.
It was surprisingly warm for February, and the zombies were thumping against the door while we ran for the fire escape.
I woke in a cold sweat, finding Sully’s arm still around my waist. Settling back down, I drifted into slightly more peaceful sleep.
Chapter seven
“I’m sorry,” Billie said over breakfast.
“I’m sorry too,” I said.
“Don’t be. You’re trying to protect us.”
“I want to stay in the house too, and eat real food, but . . .” I stopped. “Why don’t we stay here for a day or two? We’ll keep an eye on them from afar if we can, and if they check out ok, we can go over and give it a shot.”
Billie smiled.
We spent the rest of the morning devising a plan for covert operations, to watch whoever those people were, without them being any the wiser.
From the top of the RV, I could just see the top of their roof. If it was their roof . . . but how many houses could there be in that area? Anyways, I slowly traced the outline of the top of the roof, and what looked like an old barn past all the trees, with the scope on my rifle. We would have to get closer if we wanted to see anything useful. It was time to get dirty.
Dean and I made our way across the road, careful to keep to the thickest section of trees whenever we could. It took nearly twenty minutes to reach an old oak tree we could climb into, as slowly as we were walking.
“So here we are in the woods alone together again,” Dean said with half a smile.
“It’s an orchard,”
“Same thing,”
“Right,”
“What’s with the snarky comments?” He said, giving my shoe a tap with his knuckles.
“I don’t trust these people,”
“You don’t trust anyone,”
I had to give a small laugh at that.
“So are you ok?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,”
“Good. Can you see anything? ‘Cause all I’m getting is branches,”
I peered back through the branches, trying to make out any people.
“Not much,” I said. “Do you want to try climbing a little higher? I don’t think we can risk getting any closer.”
“It’s worth a shot,” He said, and we shimmied further up the trunk.
In the thinnest cover I could bear to stay in, I lay almost completely flat against the rough bark and pressed a spare scope to my eye.
“There’s a lot of people down there,” Dean whispered.
“I’ll say. There has to be at least 10 people,”
“They have pigs! That means bacon!” Dean whispered gleefully.
I smirked, “Bacon sandwiches, candied bacon, bacon and pancakes . . .” I trailed off, not even having to look over at Dean to know he was drooling.
“You’re evil,” He said after a pause.
“Thank you,” I said, smiling.
Chapter eight
Watching the farm was dull. I nearly went crazy after two days, and that’s saying something.
“So,” Billie said as a way of starting the conversation at dinner on the third night in the field.
“So?” I said back.
“Do I really have to ask?” She said, raising an eyebrow.
“I haven’t noticed anything too weird. A least I don’t think they sacrifice cattle to the sky-gods.”
“So you’re ok with checking them out in person?”
“Is that what you guys all want?” I said, looking to the others. They nodded. “Then I guess we can drive down there tomorrow,”
“Yes!” Billie pumped her fist in the air.
“You aren’t excited are you?”
“Nooooooooo,” She said, laughing.
Early the next morning, I perched myself atop the RV, watching the little eddies of dust blowing past on the road, relishing the silence. I still didn’t know if it would be safe for us, but at least I hadn’t seen anything to raise any warning flags.
From my position, I noticed movement in the trees- the slow-moving amble of what seemed like three figures, one shorter than the other two. Moving to a sprawled sniper position, I braced the barrel of my rifle against the short railing, and tracked the figures.
They stayed mostly out of line from my scope, but they seemed human, which was of little comfort, really. Some time had passed when Sully and Billie climbed up to join me. I gave them a small wave, and resumed my watch.
“What are you doing?” Billie asked quietly, sitting down next to me.
“Tracking,” I said.
She ducked down a little, and said “Do we need to be worried?”
“Not yet,”
“Care to give us something more than that?” Sully asked, sitting on Billie’s other side.
“I think it’s some of those people from the farm.”
“And you’re pointing a gun at them?” Sully said.
“I want to know what they’re doing,”
“How about, picking fruit?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Do you still think they’re a threat?” Billie asked.
“Everyone’s a threat,” I said.
The group finally came near enough to the road for me to see them properly. They spotted Billie and Sully, and possibly me, and waved. Billie and Sully waved back. I stayed still.
“Give it up,” Billie said. “You already agreed to go there today,”
The group across the road resumed picking, and scanning the area, guns held ready in the men’s hands.
“Alright, alright,” I mumbled.
Handing Sully my rifle, I climbed down and started for the strangers, brushing my fingers against the pistol tucked in the back of my waistband as I pretended to adjust my shirt.
“Nice day, we’re having,” The woman said when I crosse
d the ditch.
“Sure is,” I said, faking a smile. “Is that offer still up?”
“To come and get some food? It sure is,” She said.
The men stayed silent.
With another fake smile, I said “Great! Let me just get my friends,” and hustled back to the RV.
Chapter nine
Dean nosed the RV into the driveway, “Do you want a ride back to your house with us?” He called out the open window.
“That’s so kind of you.” The woman said, ushering her male companions ahead of her to the side door.
I nervously fingered the shotgun lying next to me as the strangers climbed inside. They may be acting nice, but that could have been a cover. This could turn into a weird Deliverance thing. Thank god there were no banjos playing.
The house was grand, a two story plantation style building with a wraparound porch and happy looking people sitting outside, sunbathing or cleaning blankets and rugs. A few men sat on the porch, laughing and drinking beers. Everyone stared at us as we pulled in. The strangers got out first.
“Hey Brennan, those nice kids I told you about could use a place to stay for the night.” One of the men said.
“That’s just fine with me.” Brennan said. “Why don’t your new friends come on out and introduce themselves?”
We filed out, gaping at the sight of so many live people in one place. My surveillance hadn’t done it justice, and there were fifteen in all, including kids.
The women doing the laundry shaded their eyes from the bright sun to look at us better. They looked related, all having short black hair and skinny frames; each wore old t-shirts and shorts, their long tanned legs ending in bare feet.
Children frolicked through the grass, edging closer to the adults as we surveyed them. The men on the porch gazed down at us, sporting jeans and t-shirts, some in cowboy boots, others in work boots. Only two of them seemed to be related, Brennan and a teenaged boy with short dark hair and a Christian rock band shirt. Each and every single adult was tanned and well built. They were all thin, but muscular. I could tell they had spent a long time doing hard work, probably all farmers. But then, who lived in a home with a big property and wasn’t a farmer these days? It would be the best way to live.
Brennan was tall with salt-and-pepper hair, his faded blue jeans held up by a leather belt, his black shirt tucked into his pants, and his boots were scuffed from years of labor. “And who might you all be?” He asked.
“I’m Dean, and this is my sister Billie.” Dean answered.
“I’m Sully.” Sully said, prodding me when I didn’t speak up right away.
“Hi. I’m Joanna.” I called. “We’re sorry to intrude like this, we found your people on the side of the road the other day and they offered us a place to stay for the night.”
“Nice to meet you all!” Brennan said. “Don’t worry about intruding. We’re happy to have new friends around. As you may have guessed, I’m Brennan. This here is my boy Samuel,” He clapped the boy on the shoulder. “My wife Amy is over there with the laundry, and with my daughters Mary and Elizabeth,” The three women waved at us. “These fine gentlemen are the McGarret brothers, Todd and Andy,” The two men next to him nodded. “You’ve already met the Thompsons, Megan, Steven, and Sparky,” The three people we met on the road smiled brightly at us. “And these are the young-uns: Kim, Rachel, Brent, Joshua, and Missy.” He pointed to the children.
We nodded and smiled at each of them, wondering if we were going to be able to remember all their names, and if it even mattered.
“How long have you been traveling?” Megan asked us.
“A year, ever since the outbreak went full force.” Sully answered.
“A year on the road? Oh, you poor souls.” Steven said. “It ‘ant my place to speak, but maybe we can get Brennan to let you stay with us permanently.”
“Oh, we couldn’t possibly.” I said. Warning Flag Number One raised its ugly red head.
“We could use the extra hands, and besides, it’d be nice to have some new people to talk to.” Steven smiled. “Come on, let’s get on up to the house where you can get all cleaned up.” He led us forward.
“I’ll bet a shower sounds real good to y’all right about now.” Brennan said as we reached the steps.
We nodded in agreement. At the word ‘shower,’ all my doubts and suspicions fell so far to the back of my mind, it was like that one word created a thought explosion, and all I could think of was warm, running water.
“Why don’t you kids get your clothes and we’ll wash them for you while you’re waiting.” Amy said, walking up behind us.
We dashed to get our bags, ecstatic at the idea of fresh clothes and a real bath. The shower in the RV, as it turned out, didn’t work. There wasn’t enough water in the reserve tank. We checked for stray weapons hiding in our bags before we gratefully handed them over to the women, me locking the doors of the RV behind us and slipping the keys into my pocket. They may seem nice, but I didn’t want to risk them getting ahold of our guns or axes or power tools. I especially didn’t want them finding the bomb supplies. I would feel rotten if one of the kids started playing with something and got their hand blown off.
One of the girls led us upstairs to the guest bathroom. “We don’t have a whole lot of hot water, but it should be warm enough for a quick shower for each of you.” She smiled.
“Your name’s Mary right?” I asked.
She nodded. “Sure is.”
“Thank you Mary, we’ll be as quick as possible.”
“I’ll just find you guys some clothes.” She said, walking off down the hall.
Billie darted in first and snapped the door behind her. It took her less than five seconds to turn the water on full blast. “Oh God, this is wonderful!” We heard her say through the door.
Mary returned a few minutes later, arms full of clean clothes, just as Billie turned the shower off.
“I’ll give Billie hers’” I said, taking the clothes with a not-so-fake smile. I couldn’t remember the last time I had clothes I didn’t wash in a creek or river.
The clothes turned out to be old shorts for us girls, jeans for the guys, and baggy shirts, but they were clean and looked like they’d be more than comfortable. Maybe these people weren’t so bad after all.
“Yo, Billie! Mary gave us some clean clothes. Open up so I can hand you yours.” I said.
The door cracked open and Billie snatched the stack out of my hand. She marched out a minute later, fully dressed, the shirt so big on her it covered her shorts. She was clean, and shining. Her face lit up like a light bulb. I couldn’t wait to get in there.
I bolted in after her and stripped in record time. The water was warm and wonderful, the five minutes I spent scrubbing and soaking was like an eternity in heaven. I dried off slowly, the fluffy towel on top of the stack on the counter was like a soft embrace. I could hear the boys outside the door, waiting for their turn, so I dressed quickly and opened the door. Sully rushed in, his hand brushing my waist and hip as he passed.
“Where’s your sister?” I asked Dean as Sully shut the door behind me.
“She went downstairs. Mary said to put our dirty clothes with the rest of our stuff outside. I guess there’s a pile by where we handed them the laundry.”
“Thanks,” I said, and trotted downstairs.
Outside, I spotted the other daughter, Elizabeth, talking to Mary and her mother.
“Just leave those here and go on back inside. There are drinks waiting for you in the kitchen.” Amy said.
I set my clothes down in the pile next to my bag. “Thank you Ma’am.” I said.
“You can leave your boots here too. I’m sure they could use an airing out.” Elizabeth pointed behind me, where Billie’s shoes lay in the sun. “We don’t mind if you walk barefoot around here. Just don’t get any mud on the carpets.”
“Thank you, you’re too kind.” I said, slipping my shoes off and placing them next to Billie’s.
I walked back inside, the warm grass beneath me tickling my feet. I didn’t know where the kitchen was, so I just followed the sound of voices coming from a few rooms over. Billie sat with some of the people we had met out front, sipping lemon-aid out of a tall glass. She was chatting animatedly with a guy I hadn’t seen before. He was closer to Brennan’s age than anyone else’s, and looked a bit softer than all the others, including the women. He reminded me of a lab technician, more the type to have his nose in a book or be studying something in a beaker than to be living on a farm.
“Jo is the most evil human being on the planet, and may, in fact, be Satan herself.” Billie laughed.
The man laughed and looked up. “Wow.” He said, spotting me.
“Wow?” I asked. “Is something wrong?” I wondered if my shirt was see-through.
“No, it’s just that the way Billie here talked about you, I could have sworn you were a demon. Horns, tail, and all.”
I laughed and sat down next to her. She winced dramatically, pretending to be afraid that I’d hit her or something.
“No, really, she’s not that bad.” She threw her arm around me, pulling me into a warm hug. “Jo, this is Bobby. He used to be a biochemist.” And that’s where warning flag number two should have popped up.
“Hi Bobby,” I waved quickly and folded both my hands together on my lap.
Sully chose that moment to walk in, deep in conversation with Andy. Brennan poured two glasses of lemon-aid for me and Sully, handing over the frosty glasses.
“Why, hello there,” Andy said, staring down at me. He looked like a wolf that just spotted a fat sheep. “You’ve got some great boobs.”
Sully’s fist tightened under the table, his leg brushing mine as he moved. I stopped him with a touch to his knee.
Brennan and Bobby glared at him. “What the hell boy?” Brennan said.
“I’m not your type, I’m not inflatable.” I smiled sweetly up at him.
Bobby, Billie, and Sully all laughed. Brennan hid a snicker.
“That’s no way to talk to a lady.” Brennan said. “Apologize to her.”
“Sorry Ma’am.” He mumbled.
“Thank you.” I sipped my lemon-aid. Billie high fived me under the table.
