by Brown, TW
“Is that right?” The major leaned forward into Kevin’s face. Her breath was tinged with a mix of the vodka and the funk of no recent applications of any sort of oral hygiene. Kevin wrinkled his nose, not caring if she was offended or angered. Apparently she either didn’t notice, or chose to ignore him. She continued in a dangerous whisper. “Nobody has survived this long without having to do something bad. So why don’t you stop sitting there like you don’t have any blood on your hands.”
Kevin remained silent.
“C’mon, Kevin,” the major urged. “You are one of those zombie geeks. You saw the movies and played the video games. How many people did you meet and supposedly put out of their misery? And how long after did it take you to discover that some folks are immune?”
Kevin felt all the blood leave his face. The major smiled, reading his expression perfectly. She scooted off the desk and returned to her chair. “So who was it? Friend? Relative? Who did you kill and then discover that you might have committed murder?”
“Actually…” Kevin let the word hang for a few seconds while he warred with what to say and how much to reveal. “It was somebody that I didn’t kill.”
“Go on?” the major urged after Kevin remained silent for a while.
Kevin related bits and pieces of what happened to Cary at the truck stop. It had barely been just over half a year since that day…but it seemed like an eternity.
“So where is he now?”
“Same place a lot of folks are,” Kevin answered with a shrug. “And the law of averages says that we will all end up that way.”
“So why fight it?” Major Beers asked, seemingly interested in Kevin’s answer.
“That is a question I don’t have an answer for,” Kevin replied.
“So then why are you so dead set against me and what I do if all I am trying to do is ensure that I don’t end up succumbing to this law of averages?”
“Because you are using innocent people to pave your way.”
“There are no more innocent people,” the major snapped.
“What about Valarie?” Kevin shot back. He hadn’t wanted to allow any of his personal feelings to be used against those he cared for, but what he’d seen so far in regards to how Valarie was being treated left him feeling like he really had nothing to lose here on this one.
“Why don’t you tell me why the re—” The major stopped and gave a slight nod of deference. “Why is that young lady so important to you?”
“Let’s not pretend that you care about me, or that I’m gonna just open up my heart to you if you talk nice.”
“So what would you rather I do? Torture? Maybe haul your friends out one at a time and have you watch while terrible pain is inflicted on each one?” Major Beers got up and walked to the tent flap. “Bring me the retard and the pop star,” she called. Turning back to Kevin she gave a little shrug. “Sorry, they wouldn’t know who I was talking about otherwise.”
Kevin sat quietly and waited. He had no idea what to expect when he saw Valarie. Shari had already seen him, so that part was no surprise, but Valarie was a wild card draw. He didn’t have to wait for long.
“…but Kevin just came to me last night and told me that he was sorry he missed my birthday, and he couldn’t make it for dinner.” Valarie walked into the tent speaking very matter-of-factly to Shari who was handcuffed to her.
“Valarie?” Kevin glanced at the major as he made a motion to stand. She nodded, but opened her coat to reveal a wicked blade strapped to her belt.
The girl turned. Her eyes grew wide and the biggest smile that any person could possibly display spread across her face. Right away, Kevin noticed (with just a hint of shame) bits of food stuck between the gaps of her teeth. However, he didn’t have too much time to linger on that observation as she plunged forward, yanking Shari along as if the girl did not exist.
“Kevin!” Valarie shrieked. “You aren’t a ghost anymore!”
Kevin caught her in his arms and felt a wave of queasiness turn his gut just a bit. Later, he would think that she actually smelled worse than some of the zombies he’d encountered. But at the moment, he forced his rising gorge down and threw his arms around the girl.
“No, Valarie, I’m not a ghost,” Kevin said as he hugged the now-babbling woman close. He looked over her head at Shari. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she watched the reunion. Kevin only had a few seconds to reflect on the peculiar look in her eyes before Major Beers spoke.
“Okay, take them out before I get sick.” Major Beers motioned for the two soldiers standing off to the side.
They stepped in and began to pull Valarie away. The young woman immediately threw herself to the ground and began to wail.
“Don’t put me back in with the ghosts!”
“Hey.” In an instant, Shari was kneeling in front of Valarie, holding her face up so that they were eye-to-eye. “I will be with you. We have these bracelets on so that nothing can take me from you.”
Kevin watched in fascination. He couldn’t help but think, Who are you, and what have you done with Shari? Even more amazing, Valarie calmed down in an instant.
“You are staying with me in my box?” Valarie said as she scrubbed at the tears making tacks down her grimy face.
“I will be right beside you always, Valarie,” Shari soothed, caressing Valarie’s hands as she spoke.
“This is all very touching,” Major Beers scoffed, “but my nose can’t take any more of this…girl.”
“Maybe if you could hold on just a minute,” Kevin spoke up. “In my bag.” He nodded to the pack leaning against the major’s desk.
“These are the medications that you went after at the cost of the only doctor I’ve heard about surviving this nightmare?” The major returned to her desk and heaved the pack up, setting it before her.
“What?” Shari’s head popped up. “Peter?” That one word hung in the air for a second. “Kevin, where is Peter?”
“This isn’t how I wanted to tell you—” Kevin began.
“Just tell me, Kevin.”
“He sacrificed himself to save me,” Kevin admitted. Of course there was so much more to the story, but he was fairly certain that Shari would care little for the details. “He was bitten and as soon as he knew that he wasn’t immune, he did what he had to in order to ensure that I made it out safely. He did say that he wanted me to tell you that he loved you and that he was sorry for everything.”
So much had happened that Kevin wasn’t sure exactly what words passed between him and the doctor at the end. Still, it couldn’t hurt to say a few nice things if it brought even a shred of comfort.
“Did you put him down?” Shari asked in a voice barely above a whisper.
Once again, Kevin felt that the truth was not exactly the best way to go here. “Yes.” He didn’t dare say more for fear that he would have to remember details. That was the thing about a lie—the more details you gave, the more you had to remember.
“So what are all these bottles?” Major Beers spoke, dumping the contents of the pack on her desk. “OxyContin? Demerol? Percocet? Kevin, I don’t think these have anything to do with that girl seeing things that aren’t real.”
“No, but I didn’t see the sense in leaving those behind since I was right there. I also loaded up on antibiotics if you’re interested.”
“So which ones do you need for…her?” The major nodded to Valarie who had huddled in close to Shari, stroking her hair.
“I need the clozapine.”
The major sifted through the bottles on her desk until she came up with one. She shook it and then tossed it to Kevin. “You get this one for now. If things go well, I might just let you have the rest of her meds.”
“And the rest?”
The major laughed. That laugh was cut off by a loud commotion outside the tent. There was a wet slapping sound accompanied by a yelp.
“Kevin!” a familiar voice yelled. The tent flap opened and Aleah stumbled in clutching a bloody spike that l
ooked like a tent peg.
Kevin caught the woman in his arms and barely had a chance to react as lips pressed to his. He felt Aleah clutch at him so fiercely that it bordered on painful. His breath was squeezed from his lungs and he almost tumbled when legs wrapped around his waist.
The reunion was short-lived as something hard struck him in the small of his back, sending the couple sprawling to the ground. A breath-stealing pain radiated from his kidneys, but Kevin instinctively covered Aleah’s body with his own. Another blow came, this one to the back of his head.
There was a brilliant flash…and then…nothing.
***
“Kevin?” a voice whispered. He felt a hand brush his cheek.
“Aleah?” Kevin managed. For some reason, his mouth felt strange. However, he only had a second to reflect on that before the pain at the base of his skull blossomed. He tried to turn his head, but was not quick enough and began choking on the vomit that came in a rush.
Mercifully, somebody scooped him up from behind his shoulders and sat him upright. Kevin kept his eyes squeezed shut for several seconds as he fought the urge to be sick. It didn’t help that somebody—most likely Aleah—was fawning and pawing all over him as if afraid that he might vanish if physical contact were broken.
“You took a nasty shot,” a familiar male voice whispered. “Probably would have killed you if that major hadn’t stepped in and ordered them to stop.”
“Matt?” Kevin asked, still afraid to open his eyes for fear that the world would suddenly tip over and begin spinning around like it had a moment ago.
“I’m here, buddy,” the male voice assured.
“And everybody else?”
“I’m here,” Aleah whispered, patting his hand.
“Me too,” a tiny voice whispered. That had to be Erin.
“Right here,” Heather said from behind Kevin—the owner of the hands that had sat him up a moment ago.
“Shari?” Kevin asked.
“She and Valarie were dragged out,” Matt answered. “Probably taken to lock up again. That is where she keeps Valarie most days. And for some reason, Shari was chained to her.”
“I feel like I was hit by a truck.” Kevin winced as he touched the damp lump on the back of his head.
“That would be Bryce,” Matt said with an angry tone.
“Who is Bryce?” Kevin asked.
“Major Beers’ second-in-command. He has a thing for Aleah, but the major won’t allow any of the women to be touched against their will.”
“That’s at least something,” Kevin tried to laugh, but it became more of a choking cough as the pain hit. Each cough made it increasingly worse, and in no time he was fighting back the tears of pain that wanted to come.
“That’s the only saving grace of this lunatic,” Heather spat.
“I’m just glad you are all still alive,” Kevin said with a sigh. He felt something spread through his body, and it took him a few moments to realize that it was relief.
“Almost weren’t,” Matt said.
Kevin slowly opened his eyes. It took a second for the triple vision to drop to double, and then, finally he saw the faces of his friends staring back at him.
“A fire burned the club house to the ground,” Erin sniffed. “Now we live in these stinky, cold tents.”
“And considering the weather,” Aleah spoke up, “they aren’t too worried about us running away. They take our coats and shoes each time they bring us back here to our tent.”
Kevin looked around and realized that they were all, in fact, shoeless.
“They come and check every couple of hours to see if you are dead or conscious…not sure which,” Matt said with a half-hearted chuckle.
“So, about this Bryce person,” Kevin probed.
“Imagine a hockey goon crossed with one of those fellas from Deliverance,” Matt said. “He’s a big guy and sometimes I think he is really smart…then he does stuff like what he did to you.”
“And this has what exactly to do with the major not letting her soldiers rape at will?” Kevin asked.
“He has a thing for Aleah,” Erin sing-songed like she was on a grade school playground.
“Knock it off, Erin,” Heather snapped. “Or have you forgotten about how Aleah is the reason that you survived that fire.”
“I was only kidding—” the girl started to defend herself.
“Enough!” Kevin snapped and immediately regretted it as light bloomed behind his eyes and the dull pain in his head became sharp. “Can you really be acting like this after everything?”
“What?” Heather asked, looking confused. “We aren’t doing anything different.”
“My point exactly,” Kevin said in a voice barely above a whisper. “We are being held captive by a renegade military faction. Valarie and Shari are locked up…and you guys are acting like this is just a regular day.”
“They said they wouldn’t kill us if we agreed to join them,” Erin said. “We get meals, and it’s not like Shaw and The Basket. Major Beers won’t let nobody rape us. We just have to work during the day, and do stuff like we were doing before you disappeared for so long.”
“We thought you were dead,” Aleah added.
“The choices were pretty limited,” Matt chimed in. “It isn’t like we have hurt anybody or had to do anything skeezy.”
“That’s because you guys have stayed here behind the wall,” Kevin said. “Meanwhile, she had that James guy killed and staged a mock hanging of Valarie to lure me out. These people are no better than Shaw and his men. In fact…I’d say they might be worse. They are showing up like the US Army and when folks open their gates, they take what they want and toss any who they don’t deem useful over the fence or wall or whatever.”
“Then why haven’t they tossed…” Matt began, but shut his mouth with an audible click. Kevin couldn’t tell if the name he was about to mention was Erin’s or Valarie’s, and at the moment he didn’t care.
“You all need to listen up,” Kevin hissed. “The only way that we will survive is if we stick together. If we lose one, we become weaker.”
“Then why do you seem so set against joining these people?” Matt asked.
Kevin looked at the young man closely. He hadn’t really gotten to know him over the few weeks that he’d been part of the group. Most of the time, Matt was off with Heather. He didn’t want to become suspicious of him this easily, but he had been too pre-conditioned by all the books and movies. There was always one guy who turned out to be something other than what he tried to pass himself off as to the others. He would keep his eyes on Matt and do his best to not let his Hollywood-induced paranoia taint his perception. Still…all movie stereotypes had some basis in truth. Right?
“Because I’ve been out there and seen what they have done…I have been traveling with somebody who knows the major personally.”
“And where is that person now?” Matt challenged—at least that’s how Kevin took it.
“I have no idea,” Kevin said with a shrug. “We got separated a few days ago.” At least he was giving up some truth. He tried to stuff them down, but the feelings of suspicion regarding Matt began to rise and spread its wings in the back of his mind.
“Who was this person?” Aleah asked. “And how did you get split up?”
“Her name was Willa, and we got split up shortly after the staged hanging of Valarie.” Now Kevin was watching Aleah. If anybody deserved his suspicion, it was her. A solitary woman who looked like her just happened to stay alive on her own all this time. She “stumbled” across them in the middle of nowhere. And the real eyebrow raiser was her interest in him. Geek chic was one thing…but he was a lot of the former…and almost none of the latter.
“You have been out there with a woman?” Erin piped up.
“It wasn’t like that,” Kevin defended. He was now the focus of three sets of eyes. The trio all looked at him with something different in their expression: Matt—interest; Aleah—concern or curiosity (he could
n’t decide which); Erin—glee? He was growing confused. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he almost wished he was still out there fighting the cold and zombies with Willa.
“What was it like?” Aleah crossed her arms under what Kevin considered to be the most perfect breasts in the world. A tiny voice in the back of his mind told him he might want to lock onto the memory, because he was probably never going to see them in person again.
“She is part of an army detachment that has been chasing Major Beers and her band of crazies all across the state of Ohio. She is also her sister-in-law.”
“So she wouldn’t have any sort of ax to grind,” Matt said with a chuckle.
“What’s your problem?” Kevin snapped.
Everything about Matt changed in an instant. His smirk became a look of concern, and whatever he was about to say died on his lips.
Heather stepped beside him and took his hand. “Kevin?” she asked with obvious concern. “I don’t think Matt was saying anything. I think it was simply the fact that with everything that has happened, and especially after discovering Paul James was working as a spy, we can’t trust anybody.”
“So much has happened since you left,” Aleah said as she stepped in front of Kevin and effectively blocked his view of Matt. “And we had to start trying to figure out what to do with you gone.”
“But I wasn’t gone that long,” Kevin protested.
“These days, a week is an eternity,” Heather said. “None of our runs have taken longer than three days, and when you were gone almost two weeks, we had to start considering the fact that you wouldn’t return.”
Kevin listened. Had it really been that long? He tried to count the days, but they all sort of ran together. He knew that the initial trip out to Newark with Peter had been fast, but then things got jumbled.
“When these people rolled in, Matt was almost killed trying to stop them,” Heather continued. “And when the major rounded us all up, she promised that none of us would be harmed if we agreed to take part in the work. In fact, Matt was supposed to start working with the soldiers and start going out on scouting missions eventually. None of us were forced to work with the whores, and the major even protected Aleah and Shari early on when a few of the soldiers started getting a bit grabby.”
