Even though Michael’s looked pretty much the same as the one Jeff was sharing with his companions, there were some elements that made it unique-smaller details, like more expensive wood trim and thicker carpeting.
A laptop was jacked into a power outlet above a large dining table, and stacks of DVDs were arrayed around it. With the slideouts fully deployed, it was hard to differentiate the RV from a small house. Jeff noticed there was nothing covering the windows. They were exposed to the outside world, the same as with his RV. The shades were not drawn.
“Nothing but movies now.”
Jeff’s eyes moved back to the table beside which Michael stood. He noticed the sizeable flat-screen TV situated on the wall above it.
“No more cable TV, no more news, and no more BS.” Michael grinned. He nodded at the laptop. “I have a Wi-Fi connection, but there isn’t anything left to connect to, is there?”
He gestured to one of the chairs at the table and walked over to the refrigerator.
“Would you like a Coke?”
Jeff slid into the seat and nodded. Michael pulled out an instantly recognizable red can and handed it to Jeff. The cold sensation was a pleasant surprise. As he cracked open the can, the carbonation sounded like an old friend welcoming him home. The first sip was pure bliss as the liquid rolled down Jeff’s throat.
Michael cleared his computer off the table and leaned back.
“So, I’m all ears. What can I do for you?”
Jeff set down his Coke and shifted in his chair. “Well, you sort of took us off guard with that little stunt back out on the road.” He raised his hand before Michael could offer a retort. “Don’t get me wrong. We appreciate your hospitality, and I know as well as anyone how shitty things have been the past few weeks. It doesn’t pay to take chances.”
“You’re not kidding.” Michael raised his can of Mountain Dew in salute and gulped it down.
“It’s just that… well… ” Jeff paused for a moment and then forged ahead. “Well… George is trying to get back to his family. We all sort of agreed to help him find a vehicle that was still running and let him take off to find them.”
“His family is still alive?”
“Well, he seems to think so, that’s for sure.”
“Where are they?”
“Wildwood. Up near Dayton.”
Michael thought about it for a moment, holding his breath. As he stroked his jaw, he let a slow hiss of air come through his teeth.
“So what do you think? What are the odds his family is still alive in a town of that size?”
Jeff shrugged. “I have no idea. But the man wants to find his family, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”
Michael’s response was quick. “Even if there’s about a ninety-nine percent chance that they’re dead? Come on, Jeff. I can tell you’re a realist. Let’s not bullshit each other any more than we need to. George’s family is dead, and he’s going to end up dead too if he goes after them.”
Michael sat back and crossed his arms as a smug smile appeared on his face. “Don’t tell me that you and Megan haven’t tried convincing him to stay with you.”
Jeff nodded in agreement. “We have. But his mind’s made up.” He shrugged again, as if that were all there was to it.
Michael narrowed his eyes, his smile becoming slyer. “So you’re telling me you would gladly let him go off on some wild goose chase that’s going to get him killed? You have no desire to stop him?”
Jeff paused as he gritted his teeth and forced a smile onto his face. “I guess I just don’t see it as my place to tell a man he can’t try to save his family.” He glared at Michael. “Even if I do think it’s a suicide mission.”
“Well, that’s where you and I differ, Jeff.” Michael scooped up his drink and downed it. Standing, he began pacing around the RV.
“I haven’t… no, strike that, we haven’t come this far without stepping on a few toes. Some people don’t realize what it’s going to take to stay alive out here. I do. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to let another fool run off and get himself killed because he wants to be some kind of hero or has some sort of delusions about his wife, kids or even his best bud from college still being alive somewhere out there.”
Michael turned and slammed his hands down on the table. “I won’t do it, Jeff! Not again.”
Jeff inched back in his chair as Michael’s jaw twitched and his eyes burned with fury. His knuckles grew white as he gripped the edge of the table.
Suddenly, a change came over Michael’s face and his eyes widened in desperation. Jeff watched the transition in silence.
“You don’t understand. We need you. All of you. There aren’t enough of us to screw around anymore. We have to rebuild, man. This… ” He waved his hand furiously all around him. “This camp, fortress, or whatever the hell you want to call it, isn’t going to last. We might have a month, maybe two before things go south.”
He moved back to his chair and slid into it, his eyes never leaving Jeff’s. “But before that happens, we need to find more people and, more importantly, we need to survive.”
Michael slumped in his chair. Jeff tried to absorb what he had said, but was puzzled by the other man’s wild swings of emotion. He ran his fingers through his thick hair, scratching his scalp in frustration.
“So let me get this straight. You’re telling me that George can’t leave… and none of us can? Does that about sum things up?”
Michael tilted his head, an impassive look on his face. “If that’s how you want to look at it, then yes. But it’s not as if you are our prisoners. We’re welcoming you as members of our team.”
“Team Michael, huh?”
Michael ignored the sarcasm. “Call it what you will, Jeff, but this world is a pretty screwed-up place, and I don’t think you’d like trying to make it out there on your own for very long. In here, you have a fighting chance.”
He extended his hand across the table. Jeff just stared at it.
“So what do you say?”
Jeff continued staring down at Michael’s open hand. He pressed his tongue against the top of his mouth to avoid speaking, because he was fearful of what he might say. Finally, he reached over and shook it.
“Good man, Jeff.” Michael’s face lit up while Jeff’s remained sullen. Michael stood as they shook and tugged on the other man’s arm until he stood as well. He patted Jeff on the shoulder and led him toward the door.
“I’m really glad we’ve had this talk. I think it cleared the air between us.”
The expression on his face made Michael’s meaning clear. There would be no compromise on the subject of leaving. They were here to stay… at least for as long as Michael felt he needed them.
At the door, Jeff turned to go, but Michael’s grip tightened on his shoulder. Jeff looked back at him.
“Why don’t you guys just get a good night’s rest? We can chat more in the morning.” He paused and seemed to remember something. “Oh, and one more thing. We’re going on a salvage run tomorrow. We’re going to hit the town for some supplies. You up for that?”
Jeff smiled wearily at the man who had imprisoned him and his friends. “Sounds like a plan.”
Chapter 5
The next hour was gloomy for Jeff as he did his best to explain to Megan and George how the conversation had gone with Michael. George was dejected, as Jeff had expected, but he sat quietly as Jeff spoke.
Megan, on the other hand, had to be prevented from storming from their RV and scratching out Michael’s eyes. Her rage was not only for George, but for the trip the men planned to take the next day. After witnessing how things were in Milfield and Gallatin, she had no doubt that it would be no better in Manchester.
After Megan calmed down, Jeff worked to convince her and George that their best course of action for the moment was to try to get to know some of the camp dwellers better. It took some effort, but Megan agreed to play nice for the time being, though George didn’t seem to care on
e way or another. They stepped back out into the courtyard and mingled as best they could.
Jeff spent some time trying to befriend the two teenage boys. Ray and Teddy seemed like fairly nice kids once unarmed and safely behind the walls of the RVs. He tried to strike up a conversation with Ben, who seemed civil enough, but the big man wasn’t interested. Ray was willing to chat, and Jeff learned a little bit about what had led him and the others to this place.
They had moved into the area a couple weeks before. They spent some time clearing out the “slugs” as Ray had dubbed the infected, from the immediate area and brought in the RVs, which they snatched after fleeing a factory they had claimed as their first hideout. Ray alluded to several deaths along the way, but did not go into detail. He just seemed happy to speak to an adult who didn’t spend most of his time insulting the kid. Jeff got the distinct impression that Ray was a whipping boy for Frank and Marcus from the way he shifted uncomfortably in his chair as he spoke about them.
Teddy joined in and also seemed willing to talk about the others. Frank had apparently been with Michael since near the beginning, and together they had accumulated different folks as they moved farther out from the city. But it wasn’t until Ben joined them that they seemed to have a plan. He was the one who had found the place for the RVs and spent much of his time beyond their walls, foraging and scouting. Frank was Michael’s second in command, but both boys agreed Ben was the most valuable person in their little community. As they spoke, Jeff kept glancing over at the colossal man, who was once again quietly whittling in front of his RV.
He saw Marcus walking along the rooftop of one of the RVs and asked the boys what he was doing. He was on patrol, they told him, scanning the surrounding area for any slugs that might fumble through the woods and discover the camp. That explained the pitchforks, shovels, and rakes up on the roofs. Though Marcus carried a shotgun, firing a weapon and alerting the stiffs in town to their presence was strictly forbidden. In fact, loud noises in general were frowned upon. Something a bit quieter was used to silence the ghouls when they wandered into the clearing. Jeff understood now why everyone was so quiet when they had clapped for Michael’s speech.
Teddy also told him something else about the camp. After dark, almost every night, a few of the infected would somehow find their way through the woods. No one could explain it. The camp went deathly silent after dark. The shades were pulled, and no lights were allowed. The moans of the infected were enough of an alarm for those on patrol to zero in and take them out before they alerted other ghouls to the camp’s location.
“You won’t have to do a shift up top tonight,” Ray told Jeff. “But starting tomorrow, I’m sure you and George will be up on the wall like the rest of us.”
The rest of the day went by uneventfully. Megan spent time with Lydia and the children. The older woman was the mother hen, caring for the kids as well as everyone else. Jason tried to also chat with Teddy and Ray, but kept getting pulled into various games by Joey and Nathan.
George stayed by himself for the most part. He only emerged from the RV to collect the modest dinner of hot dogs and beans that Lydia prepared in the early evening. Jeff watched his friend sullenly eat and decided not to try to talk to him any further. He knew Michael’s decision had to be gnawing at the man.
As the sun died in the sky, Jeff watched the camp shut down. What the teenagers had told him was true. Everyone not on watch drifted toward their RVs.
Shades were drawn, and the world was quiet once again.
Chapter 6
It was a calm night for Jeff and the others as they went to sleep inside the RV. Michael had offered them sleeping pills, which Megan refused on behalf of all of them, barely containing her ire with their new leader. His smile never faltered as he welcomed them to the camp once again before leaving the RV.
Eventually they fell asleep to the sounds of quiet footsteps above as the men and teenagers of the camp took turns on watch. Jeff thought he heard a moan in the middle of the night and then several furious footsteps running across the roof, but couldn’t be sure as he dozed fitfully on the pullout couch.
The next morning, Megan watched Jason get up and quickly dress. As he stepped outside the RV, she wondered about the twelve year old. Although he didn’t speak much, it was clear it was a daily struggle for him in this new world. Even around George, the man with whom he had spent the most time, the boy showed little emotion. So it seemed strange to her that he was the one adapting to the camp better than any of them. The children liked him and so did Michael, apparently. Megan didn’t know what to make of that, but supposed it was for the best.
Thirty minutes later, she was up and ready to go as well. When she stepped out of the RV, she saw Michael sitting with Frank and Marcus at one of the card tables. The two underlings glared at her while Michael smiled and nodded. She waved to him, deciding to play nice for the time being. She turned when she heard the children and was grateful for the distraction. They were playing with Jason and Lydia across the courtyard. The children were running in circles around Jason and laughing quietly at one another.
“Is he your kid?”
Megan swung around, startled. Cindy was standing there, behind her, a grin on her face. She giggled as she saw Megan’s frightened look, and her toothy smile widened. The heavy black makeup on the young woman’s face added to the creepy vibe she gave off. Cindy’s diet had clearly not suffered over the past few chaotic weeks. She was slender, but her arms and legs were well defined, with muscle buried beneath her array of tattoos.
Megan took an involuntary step back as she tried to regain her composure. Cindy advanced, amused at the reaction she was getting.
“Cat got your tongue?” the punk girl asked as she crossed her arms.
“No.” Megan shook her head and blinked. “And no. Jason is not my kid.”
Cindy snorted and stared over at the boy. “Not surprising. I didn’t figure you as the type to go for dark meat.”
Megan watched Cindy lick her lips as she took a closer look at Jason’s lanky physique.
“In a few years, he’ll be a nice little treat.” She turned on Megan again. “Know what I mean?” Her eyes sparkled as she raised an eyebrow.
Megan went cold inside. She gritted her teeth as she took a step forward.
“You stay away from him. Do you understand? Just stay the hell away from him.”
It came out as a hiss as she stabbed at Cindy with her finger.
Cindy’s grin spread. She looked excited at Megan’s response.
“Mmm, baby. Mommy loves it when you get all angry like that,” Cindy said in a low, sultry voice that knocked Megan off kilter. When the odd girl rubbed her hands up her legs and torso as she moaned, Megan was transfixed, unsure how to react.
After a few seconds, Cindy threw back her head and let out a wicked laugh. When her head tilted forward again, her eyes were filled with raw hatred.
“Bitch, you aren’t in charge around here. I am, and don’t you forget it.”
Cindy advanced on Megan, her long nails lashing out. Megan ducked, her arm shifting to cover her face. As she knelt, waiting for the first scratch, Megan heard more of Cindy’s twisted laughter. Slowly lowering her arm, the diminutive woman saw Michael’s girlfriend standing relaxed in front of her.
Shaking her head as she stopped cackling, Cindy looked at Megan with distaste. “If I wanted that little boy, I’d take him, and there isn’t a damn thing you could do about it.”
She moved with a fluid grace, wrapping her arms around Megan before the petite woman could cringe once again. Gripping her tightly, Cindy snuggled her head close until her lips were pressed against Megan’s ear.
“Listen carefully, Megan, or whatever the hell your name is. You better stay the fuck out of my way and steer clear of my man. In fact… ” She paused, rocking Megan gently in her arms as she heard a slight whimper coming from her lips. “Maybe you should steer clear of Jeff and George too. I might want a taste of them as well.”
Megan fell to the ground as Cindy released her and walked away. Looking up, Megan saw Frank and Marcus laughing, although Michael wasn’t pleased by Cindy’s little display. The girl strolled by him, ignoring the tirade he was directing at her. He gave Megan a brief, apologetic look and followed Cindy into the RV, slamming the door behind him.
Megan nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt another hand on her shoulder. She recoiled, but then relaxed when she saw it was Lydia.
“Oh dear, I am so sorry.”
Lydia shook her head with regret as she glared over at where Cindy had just been standing. “There’s something wrong with that girl.” She looked back at Megan and extended her hand. “Don’t worry about anything she says. She’s a mental case, but Michael keeps her on a pretty tight leash. Rest assured he’ll set her straight about what she just did.”
Megan brushed herself off and let Lydia help her back to her feet. “She really is a twisted bitch, isn’t she?”
Lydia chuckled and shook her head. “You have no idea.”
They walked back toward the children. Megan glanced over at Frank and Marcus one last time, and they were still chuckling at her. She gave them the finger and smiled delicately. Frank’s face tightened, but he gave no other response as she kept walking.
Chapter 7
Jeff woke about an hour later, having only slept in fits and starts throughout the night. He looked over at George, who had chosen a chair to sleep in, and realized that only the two of them remained in the RV. The older man had covered his head with a pillow and had propped his legs up on an ottoman.
Jeff got up and moved over to the sink. He put the stopper in, lifted the tap, and splashed his face, rubbing away a layer of sweat. Staring in the mirror, he examined himself.
The itchy beard and hair still annoyed him, but at least the dark circles under his eyes had retreated a bit over the past couple of days. He had a farmer’s tan-all the skin besides his burnt arms and neck remained bleach-white. Stepping back, Jeff examined his physique. The gut that been sneakily getting bigger over the past few years had shrunk significantly and was barely visible anymore. He was surprised to see that there was even a bit more tone to his arms and legs.
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