“Calhoun, we’re just discussing what happened tonight,” Travis said. “Why don’t you just sit down, film it, and keep quiet?”
Calhoun turned and aimed the camera at his face. “This is the man who beat the asshole into submission. I have yet to determine if he is human or not … . As this top secret meeting continues—”
“It’s not top secret!” Peggy looked ready to burst a blood vessel.
“Then, if it’s not top secret, you won’t mind us attending,” Steven Mann said from behind Calhoun, dragging his wife, Blanche, into the room with him. “We should have a say in these proceedings.”
Blanche drew away from her husband and took a chair far from Calhoun. She smoothed her silk dress and crossed her long, slender tanned legs. “We have always had a say in the town’s politics. My sister is a state senator.”
“We feel Shane and Philip are valuable resources to our community,” Steven added.
“So the rumors that they went out to y’all’s place and snagged some of y’all’s goodies is true, huh?” Curtis’s eyes were very cold and fierce.
“What?” Travis blinked.
“We needed certain essentials.” Blanche waved her hand as if to dismiss any argument. “They were kind enough to secure them.” She frowned as Calhoun rushed over to her and zoomed in on her face. She shoved him away with one foot.
Manny looked shocked. “But we said that all the runs into town were for supplies, not for personal reasons. We swore that to everyone who wanted to go home and get their things.”
“We’re not just anyone, Manny,” Blanche said with a light laugh, twirling one of her long earrings with a finger.
“I paid them for their time,” Steven added.
“A full confession is now on tape … ,” Calhoun muttered, circling Steven.
Travis turned to Steven and said harshly, “People have died on those supply runs. Going out to your fucking ranch for your personal stuff—”
“It was necessary,” Blanche cut him off.
“We can’t go around risking people’s lives just so you can sit pretty,” Juan retorted.
Travis pointed at Steven angrily. “Look, this is tough enough without you coming in here and spouting off about what good guys Phil and Shane are. Lord knows how many lives they put at risk, going into the deadlands to get your fancy shit.”
Manny rubbed his face with one hand. “This is not acceptable.”
“No, what is not acceptable was that Katie woman acting like a complete tart in the ballroom. It was obvious to everyone that she was intoxicated,” Steven said in a tight, controlled voice. “I’m sure she led Shane on.”
“What?” Travis was close to losing his temper.
Calhoun whipped around to zoom in on Travis. Travis forced himself not to thrust the old man away.
“I mean that dress … that awful dress … with such nice shoes,” Blanche sniffed.
Juan moved to Travis’s side. “Look, bitch, you have no right to say—”
“Excuse me? I have no right? I have every right to express my opinion. And my opinion is that whatever went on tonight is between the two people involved,” Blanche snapped.
“Shane is a good man and she is smearing his name in an effort to get him thrown over the wall,” Steven said. “We all know she has a beef against him. It has been very obvious. She’s been baiting him for weeks now.”
Travis took a step forward and Juan, who had moved close to him while the Manns were speaking, grabbed his arm. He had been trying to be rational, but he was not going to be able to keep from punching Steven in the mouth if the man kept it up. He tried to recover his calm.
Manny looked at Bill and said, “There are conflicting stories.” “Yes, there are, but we should consider—,” Bill started to answer.
“Just vote,” Peggy said simply.
“The Amazonian speaks … ,” Calhoun narrated, “and all fall silent to listen.”
Blanche arched an eyebrow.
“A vote?” Bill blinked.
“Type up their statements and let everyone in the fort read them, then vote.” Peggy looked determined, tired, and pissed off. “Let the people of the fort decide what to do. You’re saying you don’t want us to have all the power, well, fine. Give it back to the people. Let them decide.”
“What are the options for punishment?” Juan demanded.
“We could give them a car, weapons, ammo, and food and set them on their way if guilty,” Bill offered.
Curtis face flushed crimson. “Why waste our supplies on criminals?”
“Because it’s humane,” Bill retorted.
“And what’s the other option? Letting them go?” Travis practically snarled.
“Of course,” Steven and Blanche chorused.
“With a restraining order against him to steer clear of Katie,” Bill added.
“So basically Katie’s safety is dependent on how people vote,” Travis said with frustration. He didn’t like that idea. It made him feel helpless.
“I say we dump them over the wall,” Juan said firmly.
Travis gave his best friend a warning look. Juan needed to watch his mouth.
“Let our vigilante do it,” Peggy said with a sigh. “I’m sure Shane is on his list now.”
“I anticipated that, and I plan to have round-the-clock guards on that holding cell,” Bill said. “Those two are not going over the wall.”
“So we vote,” Peggy said again.
Manny nodded. “That sounds fair to me.”
“Well, I’m not certain we want everyone voting on this, Manny,” Steven said tersely .
“Steven, I think it’s a good idea. Get the people involved. We all know that if the people of the fort hadn’t raised a ruckus, it would have taken Travis forever to go into the hotel.” Blanche offered Travis a syrupy-sweet fake smile.
Steven gave his wife a sharp look, but his expression softened slightly. “Fine.”
“I think everyone old enough to understand should vote,” Peggy suggested.
“And you will have to hold to the vote,” Blanche asserted. “You can’t change your minds just because the vote doesn’t go your way.”
Bill and Manny nodded as Curtis threw up his hands.
“We’ll obey the vote,” Manny assured Blanche.
“You know what? Do whatever you want. But you’d all better be damn sure you are setting a precedent you can live with,” Travis said, and headed out the door.
Calhoun swung his camera around as Travis passed him. “Good point, Travis.”
“Thanks, Otis.” Travis wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing that the resident nutcase was agreeing with him.
Juan followed Travis back to the hotel. Travis was silent the whole time, trying hard not to let his temper get the best of him.
“Travis,” Eric called out as the two men entered the lobby. Travis sighed—he wasn’t really ready to talk to anyone yet—then took several deep breaths to regain his composure.
“What’s going to happen?” Eric asked.
“A vote. The fort will decide what to do,” Travis answered.
“That seems fair,” Eric said.
“I’m not sure if it is or not,” Travis confessed.
“Why?” Juan folded his arms over his chest. “This is a good thing.”
Travis shook his head. “I hate this feeling. Voting out a person into the deadlands. It doesn’t feel right.”
“We don’t want them here, that’s for damn sure,” Eric reminded him. “I know you want them gone.”
“Yeah, I do want them gone. But I know that’s my emotions talking. We have to be civilized. What if we start voting out people for the wrong reasons?” Travis shook his head. He felt compromised by his own beliefs. He wanted Shane and Philip gone, but the thought of the community as a whole forcing someone to leave the safety of the fort was terrifying.
“It’s the right thing to do, man. You know it,” Juan insisted.
Travis set his hands on his h
ips as he considered his friend’s viewpoint. Finally, he said, “Nothing feels right anymore. Nothing.” Without another word, he walked to the elevator. All he wanted was to be with Katie.
When Travis let himself into Katie’s room using the key she had given him after their first time, he found her and Jenni curled up together, fast asleep. Travis gently smoothed Katie’s hair back from her face. He drew a chair up close to the bed, then sat in silence, deep in thought.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
1.
Justice
The next week was sheer hell.
Voting on what to do with Shane and Philip had seemed like a good idea at first. Printed copies of the depositions were handed out to everyone over the age of seventeen. The most popular reading material in the fort, the papers were also the most talked about and scandalous.
Philip and Shane were tucked away in the city hall holding cell and were always monitored. They had plenty of time to flap their jaws and spread rumors. Roger had become so disgusted by their tales that he had asked Nerit not to assign him to guard them. Nerit had explained to Roger that he needed to keep his spot to limit the number of people Shane and Philip came into contact with.
Katie’s sexuality became the focus of a lot of the conversations. Some people staunchly refused to believe she was anything other than straight. Others suspected that she was a lesbian in hiding. That this was even considered part of the decision-making process made Katie feel angry and hurt at the same time.
“Yeah, someone asked me if I was your mustache,” Travis said with a wry smile one night.
“Huh? Oh! My beard!” Katie rolled her eyes. “I’m surprised they even knew the term.”
“Yeah, I’m the mustache for you and Jenni.” Travis teased her with a grin.
“Of course. What else would you be,” she said with a laugh. The words hurt more than she cared to admit.
It was a painful reminder of all she and Lydia had gone through. The furtive looks, the guarded questions, the gossip: it had been hell. Somehow, it had been easier with Lydia because they had each other. Travis was trying so hard, but he didn’t really know what it was like to know that a good portion of the world hated you simply because you looked at your own sex and saw no issue with loving them.
Explaining all this was too complicated. Even explaining that she loved Travis was complicated. So she didn’t say anything except, “Travis and I are together, and I would never cheat on him with Shane or anyone else.”
But the rumors continued and Blanche Mann dragged Katie’s name through the dirt. The woman’s mocking words rang in Katie’s ears—and Blanche wasn’t alone in the strength of her response. A scary old Southern Baptist named Mary took to saying nasty things around Katie. There were condemning stares from a few. Katie tried to ignore it all.
At the same time, she was embraced by her supporters. Old Man Watson went out of his way to stand up and hug her tight whenever she passed. Nerit, of course, was unwavering. Jenni was almost psychotic in her defense.
Every night, Katie went to bed with Travis’s arms around her waist and his chest pressed snugly against her back. He had found a cell phone charger somewhere and plugged in her phone when she wasn’t looking, as a surprise. That night she had slipped into bed and looked at the nightstand to see Lydia smiling at her from the phone. She almost cried at the sight. Travis was smiling sheepishly at her from the bathroom. Jumping up and running across the room, Katie had flung her arms around his neck and clung to him, clasping the phone in her hand.
Maybe he understood more than she gave him credit for.
“It scares me sometimes,” he whispered in her ear later that night, “to realize that, if not for all this shit going down, I would never have found you. And I know you would be happy without me, since you would be with her, but I don’t know what would have happened to me. Would I have found happiness somewhere else?”
Katie had held him close and stroked his hair. “We have to live with what is, not what might have been.”
He reached out and snagged the cell phone, studying Lydia’s picture. “She was really beautiful, Katie. I like her smile and her eyes. She looks really kind.”
“She was amazing. I loved her,” Katie said in a soft voice. “And you are amazing and I love you.”
Travis smiled. “Oh, I know. I’m not afraid of Lydia’s memory. I just want her to know I’m going to take good care of you.”
Katie gave him a loving smile and kissed him. “She knows. I know it.”
The day of the vote, Travis held Katie tight as the ballots were counted and the result announced. When she closed her eyes and sank back against him, he had kissed her neck and cuddled her close.
At sunset that night, Shane and Philip were given a sedan with a full tank of gas, two rifles with ammo, and a week’s supply of MREs. Bill and Curtis escorted them out as a small group of onlookers watched from a distance.
“The bitch will pay,” Shane said to Bill as he climbed into the driver’s seat.
The gates opened and the two men, who had caused so much pain, were gone.
2.
Vigilante Justice
Five hours later, in the dead of the night, Philip stumbled up to the far corner of the fort where Main Street had been blocked off. “Help me! They’re right behind me,” he cried out frantically to the guard on watch.
“Where’s your friend?” the sentry asked.
“Shane? I don’t know. Our car broke down, so we tried to make it back here on foot. We got separated when zombies attacked us. Our guns didn’t work. I barely escaped! Let me in, for God’s sake,” Philip said desperately.
The guard’s head tilted. “I don’t think so.”
Philip looked up in shock. “You can’t do this! You have no right. You know I didn’t do anything. It was all Shane!”
The guard’s head shook from side to side. “Sorry, but it ends here for you.”
Slowly, the truth dawned on Philip. “It’s you! You set it up! You killed Jimmy and Ritchie! You tampered with our car and rigged our guns so they wouldn’t work.”
With a slow sigh, the guard nodded. “Yeah, I did. You should have died out there with Shane. Good thing you came to my post.” Then the guard’s gun barked and Phillip toppled over, screaming and clutching his leg. With satisfaction, the guard watched as the zombies finally caught up with Shane’s sidekick and pulled him apart, feasting with ravenous hunger.
3.
The Aftermath of the Verdict
The next morning when Katie came on sentry duty, she found Eric reporting in on his walkie-talkie. “Yeah, I thinned them out a little during the night. Curtis, Katarina, and Juan all said they had to do the same. I don’t know where the hell they came from.”
“Thank you for your hard work,” Yolanda’s voice answered. She was on duty at the communication center this morning. “I’ll let Nerit know.”
“Right,” Eric said. “Katie’s here now, so I’m about to take off.” Yolanda acknowleged and signed off.
Katie looked over the wall at the zombies. They were always a gruesome sight; she doubted she would ever get used to seeing their torn bodies.
“Bad night, I take it?” she said to Eric.
“Yeah. They kept showing up. Gave me the creeps, just appearing out of that mist we had last night. Curtis gave the kill-on-sight order when they became too numerous.” Eric waved at the oncoming zombies. “I don’t know where they’re coming from.”
“I’ll take care of them,” Katie assured him.
“There are a few crawlers down there, but I figure we should leave them for the cleanup crews. No point wasting ammo on them.” Eric picked up his small pack and slung it over his shoulder. “I’m off for some breakfast and sleep.”
“See you later. Say hi to Stacey for me.”
“I will,” Eric said, yawned, and left.
Katie set her book bag down near the sentry chair. She’d packed her usual supplies—a bottle of water, a bag of popcorn, and extr
a ammunition. Curious about the crawlers, she leaned over for a look. Three or four zombies were pulling themselves along with broken limbs, moving slowly toward the wall. One had already reached the barrier and was slamming its hand against the concrete bricks. Slowly, it raised its head to look up at her. Its mangled countenance looked strangely familiar and she studied it with interest. Slowly, she realized it was Philip staring up at her with one eye.
“Shit,” she said. “Ah, damnit. Seriously, damnit.”
Philip’s horribly mutilated form moaned low in its throat as one badly chewed arm lifted toward Katie. He had been torn in half. His torso was propped up by one arm; his legs lay nearby. The Philip zombie let out another anguished cry, and his undead brethren slowly approached from the side streets. As Katie lifted her walkie-talkie to her mouth, a few looked up, saw her, and moaned.
“I’ve got Philip outside the wall,” she said.
“He came back?” Yolanda’s voice answered in disbelief.
“Yeah. But he’s not alive,” Katie responded grimly.
There was a burst of static, then, “Shit.”
“Tell Bill and Nerit, please.”
“Right.”
Jenni bounced up the wooden steps to the platform, carrying two breakfast tacos wrapped in foil. “Hey, girlfriend, what’s up?” Her dark hair was in a ponytail and she wore a T-shirt that read ZOMBIE KILLAH in red puff paint. The women of the fort had held a T-shirt-decorating party a few nights back. While most of the T-shirts had been decorated with flowers, animals, or cowboy imagery, Jenni’s bore fake bullet holes in addition to her new nickname.
Katie pointed down into the street.
Jenni stared down at the zombie, then shrugged. “That’s gross. So what?”
“It’s Philip,” Katie responded.
Frowning, Jenni looked again. “Oh, wow. I think you’re right! Whoa. It’s like Ritchie, part two,” Jenni said, her eyes widening. “But grosser. It looks like he was a big ol’ wishbone.”
“Nice way to put it,” Katie said, and rubbed her nose. The fragrance of the tacos mixing with the decaying reek of the zombies was not very palatable.
As The World Dies Trilogy Box Set [Books 1-3] Page 52
