by Garth Ono
Chapter 12
Max strode toward Kate's Land Rover. She caused his SUV to be wrecked, so he'd take hers. He opened her dark red leather purse as he walked. Lip balm, eye liner, hair brush were all discarded first. He pushed her wallet to the side, looking for a weapon.
"She doesn't carry a pistol in her purse?" he muttered. "Bitch's are idiots."
He found her keys. He paused to listen when a second siren joined the first. No police had arrived, but they sounded close. Max unlocked the truck and got into the front passenger seat. Brody took over driving duties since Dan was shot in the shoulder. The other two sat in the cramped back, in small jump seats that folded up.
"Back to the motel," Max said. "We'll tend our wounds and decide what to do next."
Dan's shoulder wound was the worst. Brody had the ugliest broken nose Max had ever seen, but he was manning through it as if nothing happened. Kate was a pretty good shot. She'd managed to hit both Max and Nolan, but just flesh wounds.
They were out of downtown before any cops arrived. Brody drove through residential streets to work their way back to the highway while avoiding the police. Max returned to Kate's purse.
No phone in the purse, so it must be in her pocket. He opened the wallet, and pulled out $255. He stuffed that in his pocket. She had no credit cards, but did have a bank check card. He looked for but couldn't find a piece of paper with her PIN. Shame, he would've loved to empty her account. Turnabout was fair play.
"We can still use the card," Nolan said. "It's a VISA check card, so only needs a PIN when using it as debit."
"Miss Brokenshire's going to pay for our motel," Max said. "And all of our meals."
"That's very nice of her," Brody said. "Remind me to thank her after we catch her again." He rubbed his swollen nose. "I'll start by breaking her nose."
"You, sir, are a true gentleman," Max said. "And to think I was thinking about opening her belly and spilling her guts. I'm just a little embarrassed."
"I thought we were going to kill her and make her a zombie," Dan said. "I'd love to sell her ass to the Zombie Mafia."
"We are," Max said, tossing her wallet and purse out the window. "That was just my feel good answer. But I'm going to put some hurt on that girl."
"You know, boss," Dan said. "Nothing says zombie Kate needs all of her fingers and toes. Or teeth. There's a lot a really painful things we can do to her before we kill her and make her a zombie."
Max smiled. He envisioned Kate, stripped naked, tied to a chair. Her eyes huge, full of terror and tears as he took her pinky finger into a pair of pliers or wire-cutters. He could almost hear her scream as he cut it off. Thoughts of taking her fingers off, one knuckle at a time, made him tingly inside. A zombie didn't really need more than two fingers and a thumb on each hand.
"We can't break legs or arms, but broken ribs don't slow zombies down," Brody said. "Or a broken jaw."
"Miss Kate Brokenshire's going to be completely broken," Max said. "By the time we're through with her, she's going to be a total mess. Her own momma won't recognize her."
"I'm getting a woody thinking about it," Brody said.
When they reached the motel, Max rented each of them a room. Carl and Mike already had rooms there. He paid three days in advance. Then they called in an order for six pizzas. He used Kate's card and it worked like a charm.
The pizza arrived before they finished cleaning and bandaging each other's wounds. Dan's shoulder wound would require a doctor. Max had a few on retainer back in the Zombie Lands. After they ate, he was going to have Carl drive Dan back for medical attention. The rest of them would stay to take care of Kate, once and for all.
Mike and Carl joined them shortly after the pizza arrived.
"Do you think Kate will come if the Goth chick calls her again?" Max asked.
"Not a chance," Mike said. "She saw y'all grab her friend and I think she figured it out."
"Yeah, she took off running," Carl said. "Everyone in that diner turned on us. We only got out because we were armed and they weren't."
Max considered waiting in ambush inside her apartment. He rejected that idea. She might call for a police escort when returning home. In a small town like Tennyson, she'd get it too. Plus, he couldn't see her going home until she knew it was safe. Kate wasn't a total idiot.
"I think my old college roommate lives here now," Max said. "I read Jason's grandparents just died. He inherited millions. He now owns most of Tennyson and the surrounding county. He might know the slayer."
"Will he help us?" Mike asked.
"Of course," Max said. He started to dial Jason's number. "Why wouldn't he help an old friend hookup with a hot local chick he'd just seen? Back in college, we were quite the team when it came to scoring pussy."
Chapter 13
After the zombie smugglers departed in her beloved Defender, Kate stood on the roof in disbelief. She went from simple zombie slayer to hunted by blood-thirsty killers. And it was all because she couldn't stop herself from checking out something suspicious.
There were four cop cars at the crash site. Both sheriff's deputies in one car, plus three white and gold Illinois State Police cars, were investigating. Kate would go over if it was just the sheriff deputies, but she was afraid of how the State Police might treat her.
Keeping the suitcase of money, even though she fully intended on turning it over to the police, complicated things. It would have to be given to Sheriff Coleman, a man who knew and understood Kate's way of thinking.
"I have to learn to run away from trouble, not toward it," she said.
That thought wouldn't go away. If she'd run from the attack, instead of out of the woods and toward the smugglers, they would've never seen her or known who to target. She could've killed the few rotters sent after her and the smugglers most likely would've written them off.
"And I wouldn't be aching all over right now," she muttered darkly. "Or facing imminent death."
Once the smugglers left, the adrenaline stopped pumping, and her injuries started aching. Lifting her shirt, she found ribs beginning to darken with bruises. That was proof how hard they were hitting her, since she took after her father and rarely ever bruised. Her stomach ached terribly from too many punches. As well, Kate's left shoulder ached from having her arm brutally twisted back, and her neck felt strained. Worst of all was Kate's left cheek.
"I must be a pretty picture," she muttered, and then noticed a red Camaro backing out of a space in front of the diner. Was that the same car Daphne's so-called reporters drove? It was heading up Main Street in the same direction the smugglers took her truck. "That's just lovely."
She scowled at them until they turned and vanished from sight. Kate didn't have proof they were involved with the smugglers, but it sure looked suspicious. She needed to question Daphne.
"Unless they took her with them," she whispered, heart starting to race. "What if Daphne is being held by them and forced to help them catch me?"
Pulling her phone, Kate started to call Daphne. She stopped. It would not help either her or Daphne if the smugglers answered her friend's phone. But her friend might still be down in the diner.
On the way back down, Kate stopped on the second floor. The walls were already framed out. She saw stacks of sheetrock in every room. Though she wanted to explore, to check out the layout of the rooms, Kate pushed those thoughts out and continued down the stairs.
"Wow, Jason is fast," she said. "I guess he really wants me in that lease."
Kate took the stairs down to ground floor more cautiously. She entered the diner's kitchen through the back door. No one was in the kitchen, so she hurried to the dining room. She found everyone out on the sidewalk watching the cops. Daphne wasn't anywhere to be seen.
"Excuse me, did anyone notice if Daphne went back to work or headed home?" Kate asked from the door.
As one they turned to her, jaws dropped, and then glanced back at the car wreck.
"You're alright?" Mr. Chambers asked. "I thought
you were…um."
"Dead?" Kate finished for him. "Almost. I got away. What about Daphne?"
"She ran out the back when we saw those men grab you," Sally said. She was the waitress on duty. "Are you really alright, sweetie? Your face looks swollen and…"
"I'm fine," Kate said. "Thanks."
Kate rushed back through the kitchen. She was outside and running through the park before any of them had a chance to call the cops over. Tennyson's population was very helpful to the police. They were all good law-abiding citizens and all.
As soon as she was out of the downtown vicinity, Kate called Morgan.
"Hi, Kate," her friend answered. "What're you up to?"
"Nothing. Can you find out if Daphne is home? It's important," Kate said. "I think she's been with some really bad men."
"Seriously? She's been acting all weird since she got vamp bitten," Morgan said. "I'll call her. What should I say?"
"Get her over to your house. Say anything you have to. Don't mention me," she replied. "Just get her there, and text me once she's there. I'll come right over at that time."
While Morgan took care of that, Kate worked her way home between homes and through fenced backyards. Fortunately she only encountered one housewife in the back yard, who scolded her for trespassing. But she came up on her apartment from behind.
Kate studied it from different angles. There was no sign that anyone was there or anything was amiss. Mr. Rose was across the street speaking with Old Lady Miller. She couldn't imagine anyone getting into her apartment without him spotting them, so it must be safe. For the moment.
Kate snuck into her apartment. She left the outside door open until she checked upstairs, then hurried back down to close and lock it. It was pretty hot inside, but she didn't want to open any windows or run the AC. She was loath to do anything that might indicate she was home.
She took a quick shower, and donned clean clothes. After checking the online newsfeed run by the local newspaper, reading about the car wreck and following running gunfight, she sat for a few to soak it all in. So it was public knowledge that she was involved in the wreck and gunfight downtown. Lots of outraged comments from readers, most angry with her for some reason. Many questioned why such a young woman would be allowed to carry weapons.
Kate sometimes wondered that herself, but the state gave her a license. There were stipulations on the license stating she could only carry while performing her job. That was open to interpretation.
Hoping enough time had passed, Kate called Deputy Doge. He answered on the third ring.
"Kate, where are you? Are you all right?" he demanded. "You have us all worried sick."
"I'm kind of beyond worried sick, Randy," she said. Then she realized she missed another opportunity to address him as Deputy Dog. "Can you talk? Can the State Police hear you?"
"It's just Vic and me," he said. "The others left about five minutes ago on a call."
Vic was Victor Rumpstead. The other sheriff's deputy. Kate was able to relax a little. Since Deputy Rumpstead's vehicle was destroyed by the smugglers, he had to ride with the other deputy.
"I'm in so much trouble," she said. "The zombie smugglers from the other day are trying to kill me."
"Is this their Tahoe?" he asked. "Witnesses said men forced you into it, and then crashed. And then you had a gunfight with them in the streets."
"Pretty much," she said. "I'm really sorry about all of the gun fighting. I managed to get one of their pistols and escape. Barely. I hope no one else was hurt. One other thing, they stole my truck."
"They're driving your Land Rover?"
"Yes. So if you see it, you know it's them," she said. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't riddle it with holes."
"Like you did the Bridal Shop today?"
Kate cringed. She remembered Veronica was his aunt.
"Sorry. I'm so sick about that," she said. "No excuse. I was terrified at the time."
A low tone indicated she'd just received a message. Kate put the phone on speaker so she could talk and text at the same time. The message was from Morgan. Daphne just arrived at her place. Kate asked her to keep her there no matter what and she was on the way.
"Another thing, Deputy Dawg," she said, and grinned. He chuckled, and she could see him in her head shaking his head shyly. "I checked the area around Hank's Landing and found a suitcase of money. There's fifty thousand dollars in it according to the smugglers. I hid it until Sheriff Coleman came home, but the smugglers want it back. And they're willing to kill for it."
"Oh, man, Kate, you should've turned that in right away," he said.
"I know. But I had zombie calls," she kind of sort of lied. "Plus I'm kind of suspicious of the State Police right now. And things keep happening, so I still have it."
Kate spotted an unfamiliar pickup slowly driving up her street. There was nothing sinister about it, other than its slow speed and her paranoia. So she placed the phone on the table and started arming herself. She had a spare Browning 9mm that she stuffed into her waistband, with eight loaded magazines going into her back pockets.
"I have to go," she said. "I'm kind of in hiding right now. Let me know if you catch the smugglers."
"They're probably gone for good," Randy said. "Since we know about them, I can't imagine they’ll hang round Tennyson."
"I hope you're right," she said. Of course, that would mean she'd never get her truck back. That possibility soured her stomach. Her uncle gave her the Defender. "Okay, I'll talk to you later."
She ended the call even thought he was speaking. The cops would try and talk her into turning herself in for protective custody or something. That was a scary thought, especially since she was convinced the smugglers were paying someone important off.
Turning her ringer off, Kate took her spare machete and left. The machete was one of those cheap versions sold at most hardware stores. She had four. Her heavy-duty, badass kukri machete was lost with the Defender. Kate decided to order a few more as spares. If she survived.
Morgan still lived with her parents across the street from Daphne's place. Kate hurried over as stealthily as she could. There weren't many people in the residential parts of town during the work day.
Morgan was waiting with Daphne in the living room when she arrived. Morgan's parents were both at work at the time. Daphne looked shocked to see her. The poor thing had obviously been balling her eyes out.
"I thought you were dead!" Daphne cried and threw herself in Kate's arms.
"Happy to see you, too," Kate said, hugging her back just as fiercely. "And I'm a lot happier to be seen. They almost got me."
Kate explained everything that happened, only leaving the part about a suitcase full of money out. The less they knew, the safer they'd be. She told them she spoke with the deputies and they were on the lookout for her truck.
"But Randy thinks they may have just left for good," Kate said, shoulders sagging. "I mean, that would be best for everyone concerned, but they took my Defender."
"It's just a truck," Morgan said. "I'd rather have you."
A call came in on Kate's phone. The ringer was still off, but it vibrated. She pulled it out and placed it on the coffee table. The screen said Unknown Caller. She let it go to voice mail. Kate was afraid it would be the smugglers.
"Daphne, I think your reporters are smugglers, or at least working with them," Kate said.
"I know," Daphne said. "They were nice to me." She became all distraught. "I can't believe they were using me to help kill you."
"Please stay away from them," she said. "Don't answer their calls, and if they show up again call 911. Don't open the door. In fact, I'd feel a lot better if you stayed with Morgan until they were caught."
"You have to go underground, too," Morgan said.
Kate stared at her a moment. Go underground? Was that possible in a small town like Tennyson? Everyone knew what everyone else was doing.
"She's right," Daphne said, looking sick. "The reporters asked all about you. Th
ey wanted your address, phone number, and pictures of you."
"You gave it to them?"
Daphne shrank in on herself, tears welling up. "Maybe."
Kate's heart was breaking. Daphne was going through so much, and now she was consumed with guilt over unwittingly helping the smugglers. None of it was her fault. She hugged Daphne tight.
"Don't worry," Kate said. "They have my purse and driver's license, so they have all that information anyway. It'll be all right."
She shared a worried look with Morgan, who looked terrified, too.
Chapter 14
Kate's phone vibrated with another incoming call. She was going to ignore it, but Morgan picked it up and answered.
"Got Zombies, this is Morgan speaking," she said. "How may I help you?"
"You're the zombie exterminator?" a man asked.
"Yes, sir," she said. "Do you have a zombie?"
"Yes. Of course," he said. "How fast can you be out here?"
"Hold please and I'll check with our person in the field," Morgan said.
Kate and Daphne stared at her incredulously. Morgan put the phone on mute and shrugged.
"Sorry, but you still need to earn a living, girl," she said. "And those zombies aren't going to chop their own heads off."
"I don't have a car," Kate said. "Tell him I'm not available. He needs to call 911."
Morgan's finger paused above the phone, before she took it off mute. She looked off into space a second.
"You can use my car," she said.
Morgan had a ten year old Jeep Wrangler. Nice truck, but it was a two-wheel drive version. She kept it immaculate, too. Kate worried she might trash it out. Yet, she had bills to pay and Randy didn't think the smugglers would be back.
"Are you sure?" Kate asked.
Morgan took the phone off mute, "Give me your name and address, sir. Kate is available and can help you."
The blonde eighteen year old took down all of his information, asked the appropriate questions as needed, and got everything Kate needed. She even remembered to mention the $25 service call fee. Kate was impressed.
