The Undead World (Book 10): The Apocalypse Sacrifice

by Peter Meredith

  “There were extenuating circumstances,” Sadie explained, unable to meet the governor’s gaze. “The people in New Eden were part of a cult. They were crazy.”

  “I see. And did their being in a cult give you license to kill them?” The answer to that was obviously, no. Sadie wanted to throw out a half-hearted, “But,” only she didn’t have anything to follow it up with. The governor went on, “What about being crazy? Do I get to kill this poor man who thinks he’s a dog? Where do you draw the line with crazy? Is it when a little girl talks to a stuffed animal?”

  The tiny hand gripping Sadie’s started digging grooves into her flesh. “There’s a difference and you know it,” Sadie said trying her best to rally to Jillybean’s defense. “A little girl who has an imaginary friend is harmless. Even Spot…I mean Michael here is harmless, but those people in New Eden were dangerous. They started off with just being brainwashed, but then they graduated to kidnapping, torture and then to human sacrifice. If you had seen what they did to my mother, you wouldn’t question us about this.”

  “Perhaps,” the governor allowed. “Tell me, who did they kidnap?”

  “Me,” Sadie said quickly, defiantly. It was no lie, she had been taken by the crazy Believers from a tree that sat smack in the middle of a Georgia farm.

  This surprised the governor. She gave Sadie a long look before saying, “I heard it was a baby. There are not a lot of babies left in this world and so when one is taken…or killed, word leaks out. Jillybean? Would you like to tell me about what happened to that baby? Before you do, I want you to know I need to know the absolute truth and if I don’t get the truth, I am going to have those men escort you off the island, barefoot and all. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” she answered without looking up. Sadie opened her mouth to say something but Jillybean suddenly let go of her hand and stood up. She faced the front glass doors where the rain was still coming down. The people who had been forced outside were now sitting with their knees drawn up. A few were chatting, a few were smoking cigarettes. Amy had her head leaned over on Jason’s shoulder. They looked like a people from Before, perhaps waiting for a bus, perhaps waiting for the rain to lighten up before they ran out to their cars in the parking lot.

  “I understand,” Jillybean said, still facing the window, “but I’m not going to talk about Eve. I’m not going to talk about any of it. Wanna know why? Because I don’t need you.”

  The governor looked surprised by the answer, but not upset. In fact, a smile played on her lips as she asked: “What about your family back in Colorado? Do they need me?”

  “Yes.” The word was softly spoken and full of such powerful misery that it wiped the smile from the governor’s face. “That’s why I’ll leave and be by myself if it means they can stay. They’ve done nothing wrong to anyone. So, kick me out if you want, but p-please let them s-stay.” In the reflection of the glass, it looked as though Jillybean’s tears were falling with the same force as the rain.

  Sadie shot a rock-hard look at the governor and rushed to her sister’s side. “Hey, we’re not at that point yet. We’re just talking so don’t…don’t cry. We don’t even know if we want to stay here. Really, if they are the kind of people who don’t want a beautiful girl like you, then maybe we don’t want them. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  She wasn’t bluffing. She strode to the door and had it half-open before the governor slapped her hand on the glass. The two young women stared hard into each other’s faces, matching glare for glare until the governor smiled once more.

  “You know, before all this happened, I had just graduated; fourth in my class, Harvard Law. I was going to be someone big. That was my plan, but I didn’t count on the zombies. No one ever plans on a zombie apocalypse.” She laughed and as she did she put her hand on Sadie’s, gently pulling hers away from the door. It shut with a click. “The point to my bragging is that I can spot bullshit a mile away. There’s no bullshit in you, Sadie. What you see is what you get.”

  “And?” Sadie asked. “Do you have a point?”

  The governor arched an eyebrow. “Just that I like that in a person. But I still need to sort reality from fiction, rumor from fact. I need to know who is a danger and who isn’t? Was it Jillybean who used the VX in the Valley.”

  “No. It was a couple we’d met in Alabama. Jillybean figured out that they had been selling out their friends to some local slavers. They were banished and wanted revenge, and they got it.”

  “Okay, what about General Johnston? Did she kill him?”

  Jillybean sucked in a sharp breath and tried to open the door, however her arms, thin as sticks, were too weak to pull against the governor’s weight. She ended up thunking her forehead against the glass and staring down at her feet; the big toe on her right foot had popped through a hole in her sock.

  “She was forced to,” Sadie explained. “The Azael threatened to kill a busload of sex slaves if she didn’t.”

  “Did she kill your father, the River King?”

  “Yes, thank God. And she killed the Colonel. He was an evil, perverted ass of a man. Much like my father. She also killed the king of the Azael, half his stupid princes, and two bounty hunters who came after her. She also freed I don’t know how many slaves and saved the Valley, is that enough for you?” Under Sadie’s hands, Jillybean was shaking, trying to hold back the sobs.

  Governor Rowe didn’t answer Sadie. She bent at the waist to search Jillybean’s face. “Those tears are good,” she said. “They mean that you’re not broken. They mean that you know right and wrong and you know that any death, even the death of a ‘bad guy’ is nothing to celebrate. Never be ashamed of those tears.”

  The little girl looked up with hope in her teary eyes. “Does that mean we can stay?” Sadie thought that the iciest heart would melt under those sad eyes and yet Governor Rowe didn’t throw her arms around her and say: ‘Of course!’

  “That depends, honey, are you still hearing the voices?”

  Before Sadie could intercede, Jillybean said, “I thought I saw a shark out in the sound, but no voices, not anymore.”

  “Good, good. We’ve had too many crazies around here. There’s been some killings and other trouble.” Her eyes slid to where Spot lay under the chair and her lip curled. “It’s not something we can put up with anymore. But, thankfully, you’re doing better which is great since I was hoping to make you a welcome addition to our little community. You, as well, Sadie. I think you will love it here. Other than the rain, the island is ideal. It’s well defended and the zombies pretty much leave us alone out here. Puget Sound baffles them. We have abundant crops, plenty of fish and room to grow.”

  “It’s not all hunky-dory though, is it?” Sadie asked. “You got a slaver problem. We’ve seen it. It’s practically an infestation.”

  The governor’s normally pleasant face puckered as if she had taken a bite out of a lemon. She let out a brief sigh. “There are always unpleasant people in the world. Those who’d rather take than earn. It’s unpleasant, however they lack the numbers to affect us much.”

  Jillybean turned her own intense gaze upon the governor who did her best to pretend that she was unaffected. “They affect you plenty and that’s what means you can’t go into the city, can you? They are scrounging and getting all the stuff. Are you trapped here?”

  The rain falling just beyond the overhang seemed to interest the governor more than the question. She watched it as if it were her first rainfall, her eyes flicking to the dancing puddles and the curtain coming from the roof. Eventually she returned to the conversation; however she acted as though Jillybean hadn’t spoken.

  “The slavers will be dealt with in good time. Their position is untenable. They believe they are starving us into submission, but they lack the manpower to be more than a nuisance. After all, you were able to slip through.”

  Now it was Jillybean’s turn to cast her gaze at the rain. “Barely,” she said. The one word, and the pursed lips, and the far
away eyes told Sadie that she was considering ways to deal with the slavers. Sadie wanted to nudge her, or make a joke or distract her, however Governor Rowe had turned her muddied eyes on the girl and despite their lack of clarity in a solid color sense, those eyes were sharp as any knife.

  “What would you suggest?” Governor Rowe asked, kneeling so that she and Jillybean were eye to eye. Her eagerness was, in one respect, repellant, and in another completely understandable. She had people she was responsible for.

  The two were quiet and stock-still and to Sadie, it was as if she wasn’t even in the room. Sadie only had one role in Jillybean’s life. She was the “big sis.” She was Jillybean’s handler and her body guard when it was needed, though half the time she had to protect Jillybean from herself. She also helped with the little things like reminding her little sister to brush her teeth before bed time, however when it came to planning and strategy, her opinions meant little more than Spot’s did.

  Jillybean’s eyes went out of focus for a moment, just for a fraction of a second. When she was able to align them, Sadie saw there was a secret in them. It was one of those Jillybean secrets that left bodies in her wake. The secret was there and then the girl’s right eye twitched and she jerked.

  Governor Rowe saw something in the girl and pressed: “What is it? Do you have an idea?” Sadie tried to put herself between them again, but the governor put out an arm. “Let her talk. You will have to learn, Sadie that when you have a genius for a sister, sometimes you have to keep out of her way and let her do her thing.”

  And sometimes I have to protect her from herself, Sadie thought. And this seemed like one of those times. Those secret looks and those brilliant strategies came with a price. “My presence doesn’t slow her down. Don’t worry about that. But she doesn’t have to do it all. There are others who know how to deal with slavers.”

  “Are you referring to Captain Grey?” Rowe grinned at Sadie’s surprise—she had just been picturing the rugged and scarred soldier. “Never play poker, Sadie, your face gives away everything. You act like it’s a shock that I know that name. The rumors running around the country aren’t just about Jillybean. You know, back before all this, I hated rumors. I hated people who spread them but now things are different. For one, I no longer get the paper so if I want news of what’s going on in the world, I talk to everyone who comes through. It can be annoying, but it pays dividends. Though sometimes it news you don’t want to hear.”

  “Meaning what?” Sadie asked. “Did you hear something about Captain Grey? Is there news about his team?”

  The governor’s youthful features froze and her eyes almost slid to Jillybean’s face but she stopped herself. She blew out a short breath as if steeling herself against something unpleasant. “I hear that a team from Colorado got caught up in some trouble in L.A. Grey’s name was mentioned.”

  “Is he dead?” Jillybean asked, looking suddenly smaller and thinner than ever. She looked brittle, like a replica of herself made of painted glass.

  “I heard two different rumors,” the governor admitted. “Both dead and alive. I would suspect alive. If half of what I’ve heard about him is true then I’m sure he’s alive.”

  Jillybean turned to Sadie. She didn’t fully trust the governor and neither did Sadie. “You know Captain Grey, Jillybean. He’s a survivor. In fact, I don’t know if he can actually be killed. But if he failed…” Sadie turned away from the door and the rain. She walked the length of the reception area before she finished, “Our mission is even more important than ever. Governor, can we tour the island and talk to people?”

  “Certainly, we have nothing to hide. You can go alone or with an escort.”

  “Can we borrow a car?” Jillybean asked. The rain showed no sign of letting up and neither girl really wanted to tromp across a five-mile long island in it. Despite the heaters going in the police station, they hadn’t recovered from their ordeal in the sound yet.

  The governor’s smile dimmed slightly. “Sorry, but no. Fuel is at a premium. We can’t spare any for a sight-seeing tour. The same is true with ammunition. I can spare some .38 rounds, but not many. Thankfully, neither of you look like the gunfighter type. I would much rather that…”

  Jillybean gasped all of a sudden as her body went stiff. “I-I have to use the baffroom. Right now, please.” She started searching for it while remaining rooted to the ground.

  “It’s through there on the right,” the governor said, pointing past the desk to a corridor.

  “Come with me, Sadie?” Jillybean asked. She was afraid. She hurried to the bathroom, keeping her head set straight ahead, however her eyes were strained wide as they darted back and forth. Sadie rushed to catch up and as they approached the bathroom Jillybean started to hesitate, seemingly afraid of the door or perhaps what was beyond it.

  Sadie went first stepping into the dark bathroom. She checked the corners and was going to the first stall when the light suddenly flicked on overhead. “Jeeze!” she cried, jumping a foot into the air. She had lived without electricity for so long that she felt a little like some sort of primitive as she stared up at the ceiling lights in amazement.

  “I saw Ram,” Jillybean said. After turning on the light switch, she had planted herself up against the door, blocking it with her fifty-five pounds. “It was him, Sadie. He was out in the rain. He was grey and misty like a ghost, like he had come back from the dead. I saw him, I really did. Is he haunting me? Is it because I let him die?”

  “Calm down, Jillybean. He’s not haunting you and he’s not out there. It’s your meds. We need to find some of your pills.” She was about to suggest going out to find a pharmacy in spite of the rain, however she saw that Jillybean was in no shape for it. She was cold and bedraggled and there were dark circles under her eyes and her clothes were still plastered to her skin. And she didn’t even have shoes.

  “Here’s what we’re going to do. We are going to use the bathroom because, hey, when was the last time we had lights and hot water? Then, I’m going to find you an office to lie down in. One of them has to have a couch. Do you mind if Amy watches over you?”

  Jillybean was instantly suspicious. “Why? Where are you going to sleep?”

  It had been a very long night and sleep sounded wonderful, but with the governor’s harsh outlook on the insane, Sadie couldn’t risk Jillybean having an episode in front of her or anyone from the island. “I’m going to find your pills and while I’m out, I’m going to see if this really is the place for us.”

  “Get some pills for Spot, too,” Jillybean said, stepping tentatively away from the door. “Make them extra strength if you can. If not get two bottles for him. He’s the only one crazier than me.”

  Chapter 29

  Sadie Martin

  “She’s going to be right outside this door,” Sadie said to Jillybean. She pulled the blankets up to her pointy chin and smoothed down some of her unruly hair. “Amy was very nice about it. She likes you a lot. She said that she’d heard about you and thought you were like a superhero. Isn’t that nice?”

  Jillybean was tiptoeing a fine line between crazy and very crazy. Sadie had seen it before and knew that the more exhausted and afraid she was the worse it would get.

  “A superhero? I don’t even have a cape or a mask or nothing. How could I be a superhero?”

  “Maybe I’ll pick you up one while I’m out and about. What size cape do you wear?”

  It had been a joke and yet the logic minded Jillybean asked: “Do they use the metric system or the normal way of measuring? If you don’t know, I’d get a small, cuz, I’m really kinda small. And I need new shoes, but not boots. They were nice and all, and I liked them a lot, but they aren’t all that good for adventuring like we…”

  A yawn gaped her mouth wide for a few moments. When it ended, her eyes were glazed and it was clear she had lost her train of thought. Sadie kissed her forehead and whisked out of the office, pausing at the door. “This wide?” she asked, holding the door open a few inch
es.

  “A little more.”

  Sadie opened it another inch. She didn’t want to take the chance of anyone hearing another outburst. The governor had believed their story of an attack of diarrhea, however real screams of panic would begin rumors that could doom the little girl’s chances of being able to stay on the island. Sadie didn’t like to think about what would happen if she was denied.

  If Jillybean couldn’t stay, Sadie wouldn’t either, and neither would Neil. He was no longer in charge of anything and if he hadn’t still been recovering from his wounds he would have come along to be with his girls. They would have to find a new home, possibly in Colton, but maybe not since that town was a ripe berry just waiting to be plucked.

  She could envision a number of the slaver groups banding together to raid the town. It wouldn’t be all that hard to do.

  “Is she sleeping?” Amy asked, breaking in on Sadie’s thoughts.

  “Not yet. A few more minutes. I won’t be gone long. I hope. Thanks for doing this.”

  Amy put her eye to the crack of the door for a second, her eyes alight with excitement. “It’s nothing. I knew there was something special about you guys. The way she first looked at me, even in the dark, you could just tell she was something different. You know, like she was something special. Like she could crush my brain with a thought. I know she doesn’t have powers or nothing, but compared to her, I’m like…I’m like a chimp or something.”

  This brought a smile to Sadie’s tired face. How many times had she thought this very same thing? “The funny part is that she’s not even trying half the time. When she focuses on something, look out.”

  “Like the time she blew up the River King’s bridge and saved all those people? I was in Iowa when that happened, trying to come west, and things were crazy after that. There were slavers and bounty hunters everywhere for weeks and weeks. It took us a good long time to cross the river after that.” Sadie felt an odd need to apologize but before she could, Amy was going on again. “Or what about the time she took on five slaver trucks single handedly. You know the ones, the big dreadnaught ones?”