“Ah, yes. I remember them. They’ve been released already. You’ll see them soon enough.”
“Oh, thank heavens. I was so worried about them,” Chas said, sagging with relief.
Inge smiled as she took Chas’ blood pressure and checked her stitches. “How do you feel? Any pain?”
“Everything hurts.”
Inge chuckled. “It’s bound to. You were properly banged up when you arrived, poor thing. Here’s your medicine. Antibiotics and painkillers. Be sure to take them on time and to finish the course.”
“Thanks,” Chas mumbled as she accepted the two bottles of pills.
“Here are your belongings, freshly laundered,” Inge said, handing over a plastic bag. “I’ll close the curtains so you can get dressed.”
Once she was out of the hospital gown and wearing her own clothes, Chas felt more like herself. She quickly noticed that her weapons were gone, though. “Where’s the rest of my stuff?”
“In the armory. It’ll be returned once you’ve proven to be trustworthy or get a job that involves exposure to the outside,” Inge explained.
“I see.” Chas frowned as a thought occurred to her. “Tell me. Am I a prisoner here?”
Inge laughed. “Goodness, no. You can leave anytime you want, dear, though why you’d want to I can’t even begin to fathom.”
“I have my reasons.”
“If they involve other survivors, be sure to speak to our leader first. He’ll be more than willing to help if they need rescuing. He’s a good man,” Inge said. “Now, run along, dear. If you hurry, you can still catch dinner in the cafeteria. Your friends are bound to be there.”
“Where?”
Inge gave Chas directions, and in her eagerness to see her friends again, Chas didn’t bother with any more questions. She quickly left the infirmary and followed Inge’s rough map until she reached a set of double doors with a sign that said “Cafeteria”. With a deep breath, Chas pushed open the doors and entered.
***
The low hum of voices and the clink of cutlery on glass met her ears along with a blast of warm air. Tables and chairs filled most of the room and three-quarters of it was full of people having supper.
Curious stares turned her way, and Chas froze on the spot, a hot blush rising in her cheeks. She hated being the center of attention. “Um…”
“Chas!” A familiar voice cried followed by two more.
Within seconds, she was surrounded by her friends, Dean, Vanessa, and Emily. Hugs were exchanged amid glad cries before she was led to a table. The rest of the room faded away amid the reunion, and it got even better when Dean proudly introduced his parents.
Chas glanced from the couple to him and back again. “They’ve been here the whole time?”
He nodded. “Safe and sound.”
“Oh, I’m glad for you!” Chas said. “You’ve been so worried about them these past few weeks.”
“And we about him,” Dean’s mother replied with tears in her eyes. “We’re just happy you kids made it out alive.”
Dean patted her hand, while Emily and Vanessa turned to Chas.
“What happened to you?” Emily asked. “I was so worried. One minute you were there, the next you were gone.”
“It’s a long story,” Chas said, dropping into a chair with a groan.
“We’ve got time,” Vanessa said, handing Chas a plate of food. “Do tell.”
Chas gave a rueful shrug before eyeing her plate. It was standard fare. Mash, peas, and a meaty gravy, but she was too hungry to care. In between big bites, she told them her story, much to their horrified amazement.
“You’ve got more lives than a cat, you know that?” Emily said.
“No wonder you look like you’ve been dragged through a thorn bush,” Vanessa added. “Your hair is a mess.”
Chas quirked an eyebrow. “Thanks, but now it’s your turn. Tell me what happened to you lot while I was gone.”
“Not much. We ran into a patrol from the church, and they brought us here. We tried to get them to look for you, but they wouldn’t. Not before we were cleared and declared clean. Seems it wasn’t necessary anyway as you came to us,” Vanessa explained.
While her friends were chattering, the cafeteria doors opened to admit another group of people, though Chas hardly noticed. It was only when Vanessa abruptly stopped talking that she realized something was amiss.
Chas looked from Vanessa to Emily to Dean, taking in their strained looks and pale faces. With deliberate care, she swallowed her food and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Her question was answered when a familiar voice from behind caused her to freeze in her chair. Every hair on the nape of her neck rose in recognition, and her lips curled back in a hiss she could barely contain.
“Well, well. If it isn’t little Miss Liar herself. Come here to cause even more trouble, have we?”
Chas stared at her hands, the fingers curled around her knife and fork. Moving slowly, she rose from her chair and turned around, coming face to face with Major Brown. Behind him stood his nephew, Sergeant Brown, his usual smug smile hovering on his lips.
Her mouth worked, but she couldn’t produce a single word as pure hatred flooded every cell in her body. Every fibre of her being screamed at her to attack, and it was all she could do to stay in control.
The Major smirked, his dark eyes filled with malice. “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue? Or have you run out of lies to tell?”
An unintelligible growl rose to Chas’ lips, and her eyes narrowed, zeroing in on his hateful face. All thoughts of control fled, and she launched her body through the air with a guttural yell. “Murderer!”
Shocked, the Major stumbled back and raised his arms in self-defense. “What are you doing?”
Unable to stop herself, Chas slashed at his forearms with her fork and butterknife, drawing blood. With each cut and stab, she screamed the same word over and over again. “Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!”
Voices rose in the background, and hands grabbed her arms, pulling her away from the hapless major. “Stop it, Chas. Stop!”
“He deserves to die. He killed Johnson. Everyone who was killed during the retreat,” Chas cried, wriggling to break free. “And soon, the entire camp will die because of him if we don’t save them.
“We know, Chas, but you can’t do this,” Vanessa cried.
Then it was all over as armed guards spilled into the dining room and surrounded them. Gun barrels pointed at Chas and her friends, and she stopped struggling. Whatever she might feel or do, she couldn’t place her friends in danger.
She lifted her chin and faced the nearest guard. After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she said, “I’d like to speak to your leader, please. This man is a murderer and should be punished for his crimes.”
He eyed her with caution, glancing from her pale face to the Major who was sputtering with rage. “All right. I’ll take you. At the very least, he’ll know what to do with you lot, because I sure don’t.”
Chas nodded. “Thank you.”
“You’re listening to her? A lying little chit?” Major Brown said.
“I’m not listening to anyone, Sir. I’m simply escorting you to our leader so he can sort out this mess.”
“I demand—”
“You can save your demands for later. Follow me,” the guard interrupted, nodding at his fellow guards. “Bring all of them. The Major too.”
With that, he marched off, muttering something about crazy people beneath his breath. Chas didn’t care as long as she got to speak to their leader. For once, she was determined to see justice done.
Chapter 19
They were led away in two separate groups. Chas and her friends on the one hand, and Major Brown with his nephew on the other. Dean managed to get his parents to stay behind, promising to fill them in later.
Along the way, the guards made sure to keep the two parties apart, their guns held up high as a deterrent. It was just as well. The Major kept shooting
Chas hateful glares, while her balled fists itched to smash his face into a pulp.
The guard who’d spoken to them in the cafeteria glanced at her. “He must have done something awful to get such a young girl like you all riled up.”
Chas looked at him, surprised at the almost friendly tone of voice he used. “You have no idea. The man’s a monster.”
The guard sighed. “I’ve seen a few of them lately. It seems with the lack of law and order, they’ve all come crawling out of their holes.”
“You believe me?” Chas asked, even more surprised.
“I’m inclined to,” the guard answered with a nod at Major Brown. “From the moment he arrived, he’s been nothing but a pain in the ass.”
Chas suppressed a grin, striving to remain sober. She wanted to ask about Julia, Alvarez, and the rest of the convoy but decided to wait first. Vanessa reached out and gripped her hand. “Don’t worry. We’re all witnesses. He won’t get away this time.”
“I know. I can always count on you guys,” Chas answered.
“Always,” Emily and Dean echoed.
“Anyway, you’ll get your chance to tell your story,” the guard added, pointing at a door up ahead. “It’s through there.”
He stood aside to let them in, and they filed through the opening one by one. The inside turned out to be a large office with the bare minimum of furnishings: A desk, a couple of chairs, a notice board, and a large map that hung on the wall.
Four people stood in front of the map, having a conversation. It must have been about something important because they hardly noticed the newcomers filing into the room. One, a woman, was dressed in an army uniform, her hair tucked underneath her cap. Two more wore National Guard uniforms, but Chas had eyes for only one. Her breath hitched in her throat. “It can’t be.”
The saliva in her mouth dried up as she took in the familiar figure standing in front of her. The broad shoulders, the salt and pepper hair, the worn jeans, and flannel shirt…it all pointed to one person.
“Grumps,” Chas cried, her feet flying across the floor of their own volition.
Grumps turned when he heard his name, his shocked gaze locking with hers. “Chas?”
She threw herself into his waiting arms, sobbing with pure joy. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she lost herself in his familiar embrace, her nostrils flaring at the comforting scent of tobacco and spice. “It’s you! It’s really you!”
“It’s me all right,” he answered with a chuckle, the sheen in his eyes betraying his extreme emotions. “What are you doing here? I thought you were in the safe zone? The camp?”
“I was, but I left to look for help,” Chas said, at once laughing and crying as she looked up into his craggy face. “We all did.”
“We? Who’s we? And what’s going on?” he asked.
“Vanessa, Emily, and Dean came with me. We need to save the camp, Grumps. They’re under attack. Or under siege. Whatever,” Chas said, jumping up an down with excitement.
“Slow down, sweetheart,” Grumps said with a laugh. “We know about the camp. That’s what we’re discussing right now.”
“You know?” Chas asked. “How?”
“I sent scouts out to check on the place. I was worried about you and your mother and Lala. Plus, I picked up a few of your friends the other day as well. They told me all about you and your escapades.”
“Friends? What friends?”
“Hi, Chas,” a voice to the left said. “It’s been a while.”
“Julia?” Chas said with more than a tinge of disbelief. It was the woman in the army uniform, her eyes shining beneath the rim of her cap.
“In the flesh,” Julia said as she reached out to hug Chas.
“Hey, don’t forget about me,” one of the National Guardsmen said, and Chas was floored to discover it was Alvarez. The third man was a stranger, but she didn’t care. It felt like all her Christmases had come at once.
“I can’t believe it. You’re all here,” Chas said, not sure whether she wanted to cry or laugh anymore. She settled for something in between as her friends stormed over, and the next few seconds were spent in a flurry of hugs, happy cries, and tears as they reunited with each other.
It was only when Major Brown’s unwelcome tones rose above the rest, that she reluctantly grew serious once more, her smile falling away as she sobered. She turned to face him, still tucked underneath her grandfather’s arm.
“Well, isn’t this sweet. A family reunion. I take it you’re Mr. Ensign? The leader?” Major Brown asked.
Grumps nodded. “Indeed.”
“I’ve been asking to see you for days,” Major Brown answered. “They told me you were busy.”
“I know. Julia and Alvarez filled me in,” Grumps said. “Luckily, I spoke to them first.”
“Whatever they told you is all lies,” Major Brown said. “You can’t believe anything they say.”
“I doubt that, Major Brown. You see, Alvarez is friends with my right-hand man here, Lieutenant Stokes, and I trust him with my life,” Grumps said. “As such, I trust Julia and Alvarez completely.”
“As their ranking officer, I find such behavior highly insubordinate,” Major Brown said. “They answer to me, not to civilians.”
“Is that so?” Grumps said, his voice dry with amusement. “Your other men corroborated their story. How you engineered to leave the camp nearly defenseless. How you planned to go to Washington instead of looking after those placed under your care. How you sent out scouting parties to draw the undead toward the safe zone. Do you deny all of that?”
“Of course, I deny it. Just like I deny any authority you might have over me,” Major Brown said. “It’s all hearsay. The insane babble of soldiers under extreme pressure. You have no proof of their accusations, Mr. Ensign.”
Chas bristled at the arrogant note in Major Brown’s voice and the way he stressed the word mister, thereby belittling her grandfather’s position as a civilian. “It’s all true, every word. You’re a murderer, Major Brown.”
“It seems my granddaughter has a few things of her own to add,” Grumps said.
“Oh, please. She’s just a child,” Major Brown scoffed.
“Nonetheless, I think I’d like to hear what she has to say. We all do,” Grumps said. “Go ahead, Chas. Tell us what you know.”
Chas lifted her chin and told the assembled gathering about the final attack, the retreat, and the subsequent deaths of several people, including Johnson. By the time she’d finished, an awful silence reigned as all eyes settled on Major Brown and his nephew.
Major Brown remained unfazed, however. “I repeat. You have no proof. None of you do. Who do you think they’ll believe in Washington? My family is one of importance. I was in the ROTC during college and entered the army as a second lieutenant, spending ten years in the armored division of the army before becoming a Major. I have influence. You have none. In fact, I demand that you hand over control of this facility to me at once. If you do, I promise to go easy on all of you, considering the difficult circumstances.”
“I’m afraid you have it all wrong, Major. This is my place, my people, and no one answers to anyone here but me,” Grumps replied with a grim look. “Washington is far away. Very far away, indeed. Besides, you might have been in the army once, but you’re now in the National Guard. There’s a difference.”
“That’s right. You have no say over me,” Julia said. “And with all the things you’ve done, no one will blame Alvarez and the rest if they relieve you of your duties.”
“This is an outrage,” Major Brown cried. “Julia, Alvarez, I insist that you escort me to Washington immediately.”
“You’re not going anywhere, Major. At least, not until I’ve decided what to do with you,” Grumps said, waving at the assembled guards. “Confine him and his nephew until further notice, please. Make sure they don’t go anywhere.”
“Yes, Sir,” the guard who’d spoken to Chas said, a slight smile quirking his lips.
“I’l
l have your heads for this,” Major Brown said. “Mark my words.”
The guards ignored his threats and closed in. Together, they hustled the protesting Major and his nephew from the room, closing the door behind them with a firm click. Once they were gone, the atmosphere cleared, and Chas was able to relax at last.
She exchanged triumphant smiles with Vanessa, Dean, and Emily. “We did it, guys. We found Grumps and the convoy.”
Grumps looked at Chas, one hand resting on her shoulder. “You’ve done well, sweetheart. I’m proud of you. Of all of you.”
“These kids are one of a kind, Sir,” Julia said beaming from ear to ear.
“Now, we just need to save the camp before they become zombie breakfast,” Emily pointed out.
“You’re right. The situation there is bad, Grumps. We need to save Lala and the others before it’s too late,” Chas said.
“Why don’t you fill us in?” Grumps asked.
Together, Chas and her friends provided as much detail about the camp as they could, highlighting its strong and weak points.
“That’s all we know, Grumps,” Chas said, “but, things have probably gotten worse in the meantime. We need to hurry.”
“Right. Time is of the essence. I’ll gather up as many men as I can tomorrow, though I doubt we have the firepower to take on so many zombies. We can try to draw them away, but where? There’s nowhere to put so many of the things,” Grumps said.
“Sending them off into the sunset isn’t a great idea either. They’ll just come back, drawn to the city and its survivors,” Alvarez said.
“It’s true. We can’t do this alone. We need help,” Julia said, biting on her lower lip. “I’ll go to Washington and see if I can recruit more soldiers and supplies. They’ll have to listen to me.”
“I’ll go with you,” Alvarez said. “I know a few people. I can pull a few strings and speed up the process.”
“Sounds like a plan. It’s the best one we’ve got anyway. I’ll make sure you’ve got what you need for the trip. Food, fuel, a vehicle, and a radio. You can keep us informed,” Grumps said. “In the meantime, we’ll thin the ranks. Pick the zombies off from the outside.”
Gen Z Boxed Set Page 34
