by catt dahman
“How everything is connected,” Walt said.
Matt nodded. “That’s it. So I keep going for that kid. It’s crazy, and I may never know her; she may not know I helped, but it matters. To me.”
Julia got to her feet. “That was the weirdest get-up-and-go speech I have ever heard, but damned if it isn’t something Pan or George would say.”
“Naw. Those are smart guys….”
“So are you, Matt.” Julia smiled. “Walt, you raised a good kid.”
“He and Lance are why I keep going. Maybe for that little girl that Matt imagines, too.”
“We cross two more streets, and then we are there or close anyway. I may be a house or two off.”
Julia climbed and jumped into the final yard before they would be close to George’s house. For a few seconds, she just looked around. The others didn’t know where they were, but she did.
To her right was a broken section where a man, woman, and a teen came over into this yard; through that gaping section was her parents’ backyard. They came through here. She scanned the house where the door was still open and the covered patio was still marked by rusty red footsteps, leading inside and then back outside.
Tears stung her eyes.
“You okay?” Matt asked, watching her face.
“My parents lived over there. They…well…it began with the Red and my parents being infected; they came over here with my cousin. In this house lived a couple with a little girl. The woman was named Gina, and her daughter was Katie whom you all know.”
“Katie?”
“Our Katie? Beth’s Katie?” Walt knew that Beth and Juan adopted Katie. Katie was goddaughter to George.
“Yep. She and Gina ran from the ones chasing them; the dad was turned; he was a Red. They ran from the house….” Julia walked around to the open gate. “Through here, they chased Gina and Katie. My parents didn’t mean it; they wouldn’t have done that if they had been themselves.”
Everyone followed her.
“Gina screamed for help; she and Katie didn’t know what was happening or why. Katie thought her dad was playing monster and was very upset. They were terrified. George, Thurman, Benny, and Tink came outside to help.”
They all listened as she walked and spoke. “They used garden tools at first, and it was those older men against the group after them. The older men were tough, as we all know, and they saved Gina and Katie who ran onto the porch.My parents were buried right over there,” she said as she pointed. “Tink took care of them with his gun.”
Walt hugged her. “I’m sorry, Hon.”
“I’m thankful that the men did what was right and set them free of that hell,” Julia said. “We were getting our things from our homes, and we ended up here for me, and we met the guys. Beth, Kim, me, Len, Mark, Misty, and there were more; Rita was here. We lost a few.”
“Katie’s mother?”
“Gina was bitten. She asked for Beth to take Katie, and Benny made her a drink…alcoholic…a gin and tonic; the ice was tinkling, and it was so cold. Ice, imagine that in a drink now; she sipped it with some pain pills Benny gave her.
George defended that because he said people have the right to determine how they pass on…the terms…that people have a right to dignity and can make choices about how they end a life that is too painful or whatever. If they’re sick, infected, we called it ‘George’s Terms’ even back then: that right to dignity and choice. After Gina died, George…yanno…put her down.”
“Let’s get inside,” Walt said as he reached for the door.
He fell forward as the door swung away from him, and a hand reached out to grab him.
10
Hopetown
George scanned the group he faced, feeling old and feeling sorry for himself and everyone else. Once, he loved being in his home, but now, sentencing people to go there, to his house and to leave here, might get them killed.
“First of all, Beth is okay, but Doc watches her. He doesn’t have machines and items to make it easier, and she has some issues with labor, but he said that was normal. So, just keep prayers for her and her family. He thinks it is false labor and she is fine, but he’s making sure she’s okay,” he told them. “We need to keep business as usual. I know last night was scary as hell, but it was actually a good thing; we all fell in perfect. We handled a possible breach in exactly the right ways.”
“I was mighty happy with how everyone took responsibility. The children and women were safe, everyone on horseback was excellent, and I want to especially mention Teeg, Jet, and Misty. They are two of our youngest, and I have to say, they both are fearless, responsible, and a reflection of the help and loyalty you all give them.”
“That means a lot.” Teeg was speechless.
“Fine shooting. We will clean up and provide security for the cleaning today. We’ll be burning bodies, so you’ll hear some complaints, but it’s what we have to do. The last thing we need is cholera and diseases that dead bodies can cause. With the heat and flies, we have to burn the bodies. We’ll dig trenches out there and use the tractors to get the bodies in the trenches, burn them, and then cover them. It’s the best we can do.”
“On with business, right?” Juan asked.
“Except for a few of us,” Len said, “I can’t send in a team….”
George jumped in to help.“Benny thought about his radio contact with Julia. We haven’t been able to get a contact again; you all know it’s sketchy when we’re out. She mentioned George’s house as where they were headed, but she said something about meeting George at his house, not going to his house.”
“What does that mean?” Juan asked.
“We don’t know. But she said it that way, and when Benny thought about it, he told me the exact wording because it was of concern. Going to see George, not just going to his house.”
“It sounds precise, and if Benny thinks it has meaning, then it does,” Alex said, “I think Benny is right.”
“That said, we’re sending a small team to meet them there.” George took a deep breath. “Maryanne came to us today, early; she had a feeling…simply put…ummm.” He looked at Len.
“It was a bad feeling,” Len added.
“And that’s why Len can’t just pick a team off-hand.”
“Right, I can’t since Maryanne said that….”
“What did she say?” Juan asked, “Come on and say it.”
George frowned. “She said at least one of us would not be coming back alive. And then she began crying.”
“George and I have not discussed this except for what M said. George said the team was my choice and that I should defer to him if I need to. If I reject your going, it isn’t that I find you not dependable or reliable, and it isn’t that I want to keep you safer than others. The team I pick is just that: the team I feel is best to go with me to meet Julia’s team. Please don’t think you should volunteer; you know better than I that if you feel too tired, nervous, or anything hinky.”
“I get what hinky is,” George said.
“Like Maryanne has a bad hinky feeling….”
“Jeez,” Juan said.
“You are not a choice, Juan. Beth needs you,” Len said. There, that was one rejected; the process began.
Juan nodded, accepting the choice graciously, knowing Len was right.
“Conner, your team stays here on gate duty. No one accepted. Radio team not accepted,” Len said.
Johnny sighed. She was about to volunteer, and Len reached over his head for her to squeeze his hand. “You would have been one of my first choices, Johns.”
“I know. Love ya Len. We have a job to do. Let’s go since we can’t volunteer,” she said, hugging Conner and giving them all high-fives as they walked out. She wanted to go along. She felt it was her place, but she knew this was hard for Len, and he had to decide, not her.
“I want in,” Lance said at the same time as Teeg said he wanted to go. They chuckled.
“Neither,” Len said after a few seconds, “cl
ose though, George?”
“If no one else fits the team, then both are well trained and have high energy; they don’t know fear,” George said, “but ‘no’ to both.”
“Lance, I know you want in ‘cause it’s your daddy and brother out there, but that’s why I’m saying ‘no.’ Your dad would want and expect me to tell you no and keep one of his sons here. Teeg, you are exhausted. I caught you did double duty last night.”
“You go; then, I go, Boss Man. Ain’t no one here better at watching people’s back than me,” Big Bill said. He was a huge bear of a man, strong and dark skinned. He grinned, and it was like the room lit up with his wide, white smile. The children loved when he read stories to them with his rich, deep voice. “We’ve done seen plenty of rough things.”
“Affirmed, Big Bill.” Len shook his hand solemnly.
“Get yourself back safe, or the kids will have my head on a platter,” George said. He agreed with nods as Len rejected the rest of his team that volunteered.
“I don’t have the training and background of team work you all have, “Nick said. “So, I don’t think you need me along. If you do, tell me, and I am in.”
“That’s why John, Andie, and Pat won’t be going,” Len said. “Andie hasn’t put enough weight back on either,” Len said with a mock dirty look at her.
“I’ll eat extra today, I promise,” Andie said.
“Then we’ll go,” Mark said, “Misty and I have the experience; we’ve worked with you since day one, and we know George’s house. Been there, done that.”
“Misty?” George asked.
“Don’t use my gender or age,” Misty said. “We go together. As Mark said: ‘we’ve been there literally, and we’ve done it.’ ”
“Mark and Misty accepted,” Len said, a lump in his throat. He shook their hands, unsure of that choice, not knowing if it were the right thing to do.
Alex cleared his throat. “I’m staying where I am in case Beth needs me. If Misty is in, then I know I need to stay. One of us has to be here. If Misty backs out, I’ll go in her place.”
Len nodded. “Pak….” He saw the man’s hand up.
“I’d be honored.”
“I feel like I’m sentencing someone to death,” Len complained.
“It could be one of Julia’s team…my dad or brother. You can’t think that way, Len, “ Lance said. “Alex, if you are in charge with Mark gone, Pedro and I can help you out for duty today.”
“Let’s head out.” Alex gave Len a look that said he was okay, and they left the room. “Let me know if you need me in for Misty.”
“I have duty tonight.Len, if you have trouble, I will be ready,” Rae said. “So I won’t go. And I ask my team not to volunteer.”
“Agreed,” Len said, “I had already thought about that but was cool either way. I know how well you operate under pressure, Rae.”
“Thanks.”
“Yes, I’ll be glad to go,” Carl said, “We can take my big truck and run over some assholes as we drive.”
George laughed, “Did you ask him, Len?”
“Not that I know, but thanks and accepted,” Len said; he shook hands with Pak and Carl both. “Teeg, that means with Hannah and Juan distracted, you and Jet will have to do the work of six.”
“No problem.” Teeg nodded to the rest, and Jet and he left.
“My team doesn’t have the background or the experience as a team.I’m not sure why everyone is so nervous about this mission because each one we go on is dangerous, but what Maryanne said, I guess that is the problem.I trust her fully, but we don’t know exactly what it means,” Pan said.
“Well….”
“Len, I am asking that you allow me to go on this one and you sit it out, just in case…not to lead…you pick a leader, but I want to go in your place,” Pan suggested.
“No fu….”
“Hang on,” George interrupted, “go on, Pan, why?”
“It’s just…my own feeling I guess. I’m nothing but a baseball player…guess what? I used steroids. I admit it now. I wanna come clean.” Everyone laughed.
“Wow, Now we know,” Pak said, shaking his head at Pan.
Pan went on, “I’m not you, Len; no one is. I think that’s my point. Everyone matters, but I think you can’t go.”
“Well, I am…I….”
“I’m serious here,” Pan said.
“Me, too,” Len said.
“Len, was I voted in as governor?” George asked.
“Oh fuck me runnin’ backwards if you’re gonna do this shit. Yes, and who is head of security? That’s right, me,” Len blew up, yelling.
“Seems to me we have a team and can vote.” Mark refused to look Len in the eye. “I vote yes on Pan and no on Len.” He had to do this, even if Len got mad.
“I agree,” Misty said, pretending to pick a string from her jeans.
“I agree,” Pak said.
Carl hung his head. “I vote the same.”
“Sorry, Boss Man. I vote the same,” Big Bill added.
“I want it on record that you are all back stabbing bull shitters,” Len said. “This is fucked up.”
“It is so noted,” George said, “Mark, if you will take lead on this, please?”
“Gotcha.”
“Thank you,” Pan said, “I feel better now.”
The silence was deafening.
Len sat and stared into space for a minute. “I apologize. I went against everything I ask of you all. It isn’t that you think I should stay safe or that I’m a good fighter, you are all going by your gut feelings…like I did picking you all. I understand you have rejected me for your gut reasons. I respect and admire every one of you guys, and, Mark, you will lead this team expertly; you’re a better choice. I stand humbled.”
“Well, this is a big change. Thought we were all bull shitters, Len?”
Len chuckled. “You are, Pan; you and your steroids suck.”
“You get their point?” George asked, “You get why Pan asked for this?”
“Yep. You outsmarted me. But I also get it. Let’s get you all outfitted and on the road…damned fine team.”
As they filed out, George leaned towards Len, “This is why you are the real leader of Hopetown. This is why Pan knew you had to be protected since we have what Maryanne said. You put together the best team possible, despite yourself.”
11
Neighborhood
“What is with the gas?”
“I heard it’s normal, not stored right, so part evaporates, and it leaves sludge, or it gets too much air in it. Something like that anyway.” Carl waited as everyone from the other vehicle piled into his big truck. Once they were in the back, Carl began driving again, enjoying the last time, he figured, to drive his monster truck.
“Gonna miss it?” Mark asked.
“Yep. Times change.” Carl grinned as he slowly smashed a zombie under his wheels, feeling the bones snapping. In the side mirror, he saw that he managed to crush the skull, so there was no more movement from the corpse. “I like killing them ‘cause I hate the bastards, but then I think about how they were people….”
“If I saw one I knew…and when it’s little kids…I don’t like it,” Mark said. “I look at them and see monsters now. I hate them.”
“If I knew one…I would lose it…but it’s not them anymore. Once the infection hits, they are just things,” Misty added. “Turn there.”
“It’s quiet.”
“I wish the damned radio worked more….” Misty said. She watched the streets and saw nothing as they drove. “We were here, and Jeri opened the back door; she chased Katie who looked for her mother.” She backed up to explain the background to Carl. “Next thing we know the things were biting and pulling people; Mark ran and slid in like a baseball player; he saved some of us.”
“Lucky shot.” Mark blushed.
“No, you are that good. He is, Carl. We learned stuff, and Len yelled at us to stop missing shots and things like that; he always knew it was
us who were missing. When we get there, you’ll see the remains of hundreds of the things. We killed so many, and then we went back to the hospital with supplies. Warren was with us.”
“Warren?”
“He was a nice guy.” Mark remembered. “The RA, they caught him when they were just raiders…wanted to find drugs and supplies. They tortured him to get the info, let a zom bite him; they had Jules, Beth, Len, and a bunch: Big Bill and Johnny, Kim…some more…faced them…got the edge and took care of them.”
“Len kill ‘em?”
“Fed them to the zoms.”
Carl gulped. “Wow. Cool.” That information would take some further thought; feeding bad people to zombies was something right out of a comic book. He would have to ask Jet what he thought about it. Of course, it would be much cooler if zombies were still the things of nightmares and survivalist theories.
He followed Misty’s directions, turning onto George’s street where he parked behind a big tree in a driveway, and they piled out, on alert for any sounds. “Jeez, did y’all kill enough out here?” Carl stared at the ground as they approached the house; dozens of bodies littered both sides of the street and lawns.Bones stuck out of the ground, almost buried in the grass, and some were partially rotted. When they were finally put down, they rotted like anybody would.
“I forgot we killed this many,” Mark said as he opened the door for them. “In some ways, it was just a few days ago, and in some ways, it feels like a lifetime ago.”
Inside, memories washed over Mark. He was here with a group and had gotten to see how capable and resilient Misty was, despite her age. Her youth worried him, not because he could be thought of as a pervert, but he fell for her ability to keep her sense of humor while forging ahead, no matter what was tossed her way. Beth gave him permission to be with Misty. That, too, seemed a long time ago.
There was the porch where they met George, Thurman, Benny, and Tink, who expressed how sorry they were for having to put down Julia’s parents and cousin. Everyone immediately liked the four former police officers with their funny sense of humor and capabilities. The men were modest about their abilities. Mark admired them at once.
