3
Deer in
Headlights
James watched as they passed through the northern gate into Coutts, headlights illuminating the soldiers stationed there. Most of the border patrol and some of the civilians who’d lived in town before the outbreak had been evacuated to Calgary, one of Alberta’s more fortified cities.
Tank drove them south on the interstate towards the Border Services building the military had made their HQ. James looked down at his map again, preparing his report. It felt weird to be reporting to an officer when he wasn’t in the military. His brother, on the other hand, had easily fallen back into his training. Captain Miller, their commanding officer, liked that about Connor, but at the same time he didn’t fault James or Tank for not having the same training. It was probably one of the reasons they were content to let them go out alone. Even though Connor wasn’t enlisted anymore, he was still one of them; once a Marine, always a Marine.
It made James happy to see his brother fulfilling the role he’d always wanted but couldn’t retain after his injury, although it didn’t seem to be making him any happier. Over the past week James had begun to see his brother close off more, even to him, which was never a good thing. It was like how he used to be right after being medically discharged from the Marines, and it wasn’t a good place for him to be. Connor seemed fine to most people, but James knew better. They’d never been very good at hiding things from each other, and he’d have to talk to his brother about it soon.
Tank pulled Scourge to a stop in the parking lot. Two Marines stood guard outside the door to the large, glass-walled building that was lit up from the inside.
“Let’s report in,” Connor said, stepping out and leaving his ACR in the seat.
James and Tank followed suit. The three of them headed towards the front door of the building.
“Back from a run?” asked one of the Marines.
“Yes, Corporal Lewis,” Connor responded.
“Any bites, scratches, scrapes, cuts, or other injuries to report?” Cpl. Lewis asked.
“No, sir,” Connor responded.
“Follow me, Captain Miller is expecting you.”
The three of them followed the Marine inside. James looked around. Military men and women sat at their desks, talking on radios and satellite phones. Cpl. Lewis led them to the staircase and they went up to the second floor. There was a hallway with offices lining both sides. The first office to the left had a name taped on the outside of the door—Captain Miller. Cpl. Lewis stopped outside the door and knocked.
“Come in,” a voice said from inside.
“The three civilians have come back from their run, sir,” Cpl. Lewis said after opening the door.
“Thank you, Corporal,” Cpt. Miller said from behind his desk.
Cpl. Lewis nodded and headed back to his post outside the front door.
“Come in and sit down, gentlemen,” Cpt. Miller said.
“Yes, sir,” Connor said as the three of them sat down in the chairs across from the desk.
“What do you have for us?” the captain asked.
“We went north as requested,” Connor said, glancing over at James, who pulled the map from a pocket on his plate carrier. “Our first stop was Milk River.”
“How was the town?” Cpt. Miller asked.
“Overrun,” Tank said.
The captain cursed. “It was clear a few days ago.”
“We found the grocery store on the south end of town,” James said, passing his map across the desk. “We gathered all the miscellaneous items lying around, but there were whole pallets and boxes of food in the storeroom. By the time we cleaned the place out, a horde had started to form around us, so we didn’t have a chance to check the rest of the town.”
“Good,” Cpt. Miller said. “At least we have that. The whole town will have to be cleared soon or it will just cause us issues in the future.”
“I agree,” Connor said.
“Anything else?”
“We checked Warner as well,” Connor said.
“Also overrun,” Tank said, “but there weren’t as many undead there. I think most had already evacuated.”
“We took everything from the grocery store, but there wasn’t much,” James said.
“Oh, and the fuel station on the north side of Milk River had workin’ pumps,” Tank said. “Not sure if they’re on a different power grid or a backup generator, but they worked. The one in Warner didn’t.”
“Good, we’ll take the tanker to Milk River and the fuel truck to Warner,” Cpt. Miller said. “Anything else?”
“We saw smoke west of the highway between the two towns,” James said. “Quite a bit of it.”
“Did you investigate?” Cpt. Miller asked.
“We didn’t want to risk it, sir,” Connor said.
“Probably wise,” Cpt. Miller said. “We’ll have a Black Hawk check it in the morning. I shouldn’t be surprised because of what Sergeant Wolfe said about you, but I still am. You did well.”
“Thank you, sir,” Connor said.
“No, thank you. If we can send out trained civilians to do the recon runs, that leaves more of our men to see to the protection of this town.”
“We’re glad to get out ‘n get some exercise,” Tank said.
“Indeed,” Cpt. Miller said.
“Thank you again, sir,” James said. “And for returning our gear to us, as well.”
“It seems like it was a wise choice and will continue to be so long as you use it to help us.”
“We will, sir,” Connor said.
James wanted to add that they would until they decided to continue on, but he held that comment back. Cpt. Miller might not like it if he knew they wouldn’t be staying long, not after giving them all their gear and a huge asset like the LAPV.
Should we stay longer? James asked himself.
It was the question that had been nagging at him for the past week. This place was as safe as any they had seen so far, and it might be one of the safest places left.
“That’s all, men,” Cpt. Miller said. “Take tomorrow for yourselves and report back here Wednesday at 0800.”
“Yes, sir,” Connor said.
“Will do,” Tank said as the three of them stood up.
James led the way out of the office and into the hallway, the other two exiting right behind him. They walked out of the building in silence and loaded into Scourge.
“That went well,” James said.
“Yeah, it did,” Tank said.
“We’re showing them we can be helpful,” Connor said. “They aren’t gonna like it when we’re ready to leave.”
“My thoughts exactly,” James said.
“We still plannin’ on that?” Tank asked.
“I think so,” James said. “I know this seems safe, but I don’t think it’ll last.”
“And something doesn’t feel right,” Connor said.
“I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels that way,” James said.
“I just think you two are crazy and can’t handle the peace,” Tank said with a smile, starting the rig and driving into town. “I’ll make sure to let a few undead in tonight to keep you on your toes.”
James chuckled. “Or not.”
Scourge rolled past the store with a large sign that read “Duty Free,” and turned onto First Street. Coutts normally held around two hundred and fifty people, but with their group, other survivors who’d ended up there, and all the military personnel, there had to be over four hundred. Living space was limited, so much so that groups of people had to live crammed together in one house. That’s why the three of them were staying in a small, abandoned store. The authorities had cleared out the space and put in a bunch of cots. The good news was that it was warm, dry, and they each had their own cot to sleep on, complete with a foam pad. Plus, they were the only three living there so far. Once more people arrived, they’d get shoved in with the thre
e of them, but until then they had the run of the place. Tank turned onto North Avenue and began the short drive through town to their place on the outskirts, not far from the west side of the fence surrounding town.
“Oh, hey,” James said, an idea popping into his head. “Can you drop me off at Alexis’s house?”
“On one condition,” Tank said, that mischievous glint in his eye as he looked in the rearview mirror. That wasn’t good. “Only if you ask her out. Tonight.”
“I… this is hardly the—”
“Cut the crap, man,” Tank said. “Nut up or shut up.”
“But—”
“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen,” Connor said, cutting James off.
“Ya know Troy has his eye on Alexis, and I bet he’ll be askin’ her out soon. So you better get to it!” Tank said.
James clamped his mouth shut. He couldn’t get a word in. Tank turned north on Third Street, driving away from Alexis’s house and theirs. He was giving James time.
“Guys, I just can’t…” James began but faltered.
“Bro,” Connor said, looking back at him, “we’ve faced down armed men, taken on dozens of zombies, and driven hundreds of miles through shit-storm after shit-storm. I’m pretty sure that if you can do all that, you can ask a girl out.”
Those were all very good points, but why was Connor always telling him how it was? That was supposed to be his job as the older brother, but it never seemed to be like that. It was more of a give and take in their relationship, and even though Connor was younger, he still helped James just as much as James helped him.
“You’re right,” James said, taking a deep breath. “I’ll do it.”
“There ya go, Jamesy Boy!” Tank exclaimed, flipping a U-turn in the middle of the street.
“It’s about damn time,” Connor said.
“I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?” James said.
“She could crush your heart with her bare hands,” Tank said.
“Or Emmett could kill you,” Connor added.
“Holy crap, guys,” James said. “That’s not helping.”
“Oh yeah, right. Happy thoughts,” Tank said, chuckling. “Nothing bad has ever happened when a man offers a woman his heart.”
“It’s just a date,” James said.
“Is it?” Tank asked. “I thought you were all about only dating someone when you knew you wanted to marry them.”
“That was before the end of the world,” James said.
Was that still true? He didn’t exactly know what his feelings were. Tank pulled up outside the house, parking next to Emmett’s truck.
“You guys comin’?” James asked.
“Nope, gonna head on down to the saloon,” Tank said.
“You got this, bro,” Connor said.
“Thanks,” James said hesitantly as he stepped out of the vehicle.
As soon as he shut the door, Tank took off down the street. James slowly walked towards the house, his steps laden. Why was this so damn daunting? It wasn’t as if he was in danger here… or maybe this was the most dangerous thing he’d ever done. His heart pushed him forward while his mind told him to run into the night.
The front door opened, spilling light out onto the small porch, and James stopped dead in his tracks like a deer in headlights. Alexis was standing in the doorway, dressed in a pair of jeans and an olive-colored t-shirt, her undone hair glowing in the light from behind her. He couldn’t see her eyes in the dark, but he knew they were locked on him. A smile grew on her face as she recognized who was standing at the bottom step.
“Who’s out there, sweetie?” Abby asked, trying to look out into the night from the dining room table. “Is it that boy you—”
Alexis quickly stepped out, shutting the door behind her and cutting off the older woman.
“Hey, James,” Alexis said, standing on the porch.
“Uh, hi,” James said, still glued to the ground where he stood.
He knew the awkwardness he felt was exuding from inside of him. Opening his mouth, he tried to speak but then shut it again, like a fish out of water. He had no idea what to say. As soon as she’d opened the door, all of his thoughts had flown from his head. What the hell was he going to do now?
4
Bootlegger Saloon
Connor walked into the Bootlegger Saloon with Tank. They were quickly becoming regulars at the place. Tank led them over to a table in the far right corner, the same one they always sat at. It took only a minute until Chloe was heading their way, a smile on her face and a shot of Captain Morgan and Jack Daniels on her tray. They definitely came in here too often if she already knew what they’d order. Setting the rum in front of Connor, she went over to give Tank the whiskey and acted like she was about to give him a kiss on the cheek but stopped herself.
“No James tonight?” she asked, starting back towards the bar.
“Nah,” Tank said. “He might finally be askin’ Alexis out.”
“Took him long enough,” Chloe said. “She’s been wondering if he even still liked her.”
“He just had to work up the courage,” Connor said.
“Chloe!” yelled the owner of the saloon, an angry man named Durt.
“Better go,” Chloe said as Tank handed her some cash. “I’ll be right back with your next round of shots.”
“Thanks,” Tank said with a smile, watching her as she retreated to the bar.
It was still hard to believe that those two had turned from enemies to lovers so quickly. Or maybe they’d never really been enemies, just so similar that they often bickered. Either way, they were ideal for each other and Connor was happy for his best friend, although he was still curious as to why they were keeping it under wraps.
“So,” Connor said. “You and Chloe.”
“We have shots to take first,” Tank said, raising his glass and downing the liquid.
Connor picked his up, eyeing it. Alcoholism was in his family’s blood, and he knew he was going down a slippery slope.
I only drink for the fun of it, he told himself. It’s just something to do.
He shouldn’t have anything to worry about. It wasn’t as if he was getting drunk every night and stumbling home. He was just having a few drinks. Raising the small glass to his lips, he tipped it. A familiar burn accompanied the liquid down his throat, and he sighed. No, this wasn’t bad—just a way for him to relax at the end of the day. As soon as he set the small glass down on the table, Chloe was there with another shot for each of them.
“Another round after this?” she asked. “Or are you ready for your drinks?”
Tank looked at Connor, who didn’t even hesitate. The thoughts still scratched at the back of his mind.
Connor nodded. “Two more shots.”
“That’s my man!” Tank exclaimed, handing Chloe more cash as she deposited the new shots and went back to the bar.
It was funny—just over a week ago he’d thought they’d never use money as currency again, yet here they were using it to buy drinks, one of the only things they had to pay for in this town. Their housing and food were paid for by working for the military leaders. The only way to spend the money they found on runs was at the saloon or the duty-free store, which didn’t have much of anything they needed.
Connor took his shot first this time and Chloe brought them another round as soon as they were done. It wasn’t like the place was busy. There were usually a few soldiers and Marines in there when they had the evening off, but tonight it was just him and Tank, along with the regulars. Chloe was the only server working there. No one else would work for Durt because he was such a prick, but Chloe didn’t care. She just gave it right back to him. It kept her busy and she’d learned how to make drinks quickly. It was just another thing she and Tank had in common.
They continued to drink as the night wore on. They had the next day off so Connor didn’t care how late it was. He still didn’t want to
drink too much, but after a few hours he was feeling good, and those annoying thoughts in his head were gone. For now.
“You still wanna leave town?” Tank asked.
“Yeah,” Connor said. “It can’t last long. Soon, this whole place will fall apart.”
“How? They have tons of firepower, that fancy fence, and good leadership.”
“It’ll just happen. Every time things start to look up, we get hit. This’ll be no different. It’s the cycle we live in now.”
“So it’s less that you think this place’ll fall and more that you’re just waitin’ for somethin’ bad to happen?”
“Maybe,” Connor said, taking a sip of his Dark and Stormy. “But it’ll happen.”
“I hope you’re wrong.”
“Me too.”
This place was too good to be true, and while he would love for it all to work out, he doubted it would. Even with the military in charge and help from the government, this place would fall, given time, and he didn’t want to be around when it did. If they could just get to Alaska and out to the bush where they’d be alone, then maybe they’d be safe. Unless that fell to pieces, too. Then they’d have nothing left. But he’d make sure that didn’t happen. With just a few of them, they could survive and make a life for themselves, but they couldn’t trust others. They’d have to keep their haven a secret, hidden away from the rest of the world. It was the only way it would work.
Glancing up from his drink, he noticed Chloe wink at Tank.
Those two, Connor thought, shaking his head.
“Why hide it?” he asked as Chloe walked back to the bar.
“What?” Tank asked, moving his gaze from Chloe to Connor.
“You and Chloe.”
“Hide what?”
“Allen,” Connor said. Tank looked around quickly to make sure no one had heard. “I know you and Chloe have a thing going on, and so does everyone else.”
Tank looked pissed that Connor had used his real name, but the look faded. “Because we’re just hookin’ up.”
“And you don’t want people to know because then you’ll have to take it more seriously?”
Bad Company Page 3
