This Shattered Land - 02

by James Cook

  I didn’t like the sound of that. “Like what?”

  Allison smiled at me. “Used to be weapons, but we have plenty of those now. These days its medicine, antibiotics, valuable job skills, things like that.”

  I groaned inwardly. Sheriff Elliott had no doubt discovered our large cache of medical supplies and painkillers. We’d planned on using them mostly for ourselves and for trade, but not this soon into the journey. If the Mayor decided to confiscate it, there would be nothing we could do to stop her. Not without bloodshed, at least.

  “I take it I should expect a visit from someone on the Mayor’s behalf?” I said.

  The young doctor shook her head. “No, she likes to handle things like this face to face. She’s out of town for another couple of weeks visiting family over in Bruceton, but I’d expect her to want to see you as soon as she gets back.”

  “Great.” I grumbled.

  “Don’t worry Mr. Garrett, Liz is a reasonable woman. Everything will be fine, you’ll see.”

  I nodded. Allison patted me on the shoulder and went off to make her rounds.

  We still had a good supply of food in the cart, but had little need to utilize it. As soon as the Sheriff found out that Tom had a general contractor’s license, he offered him a job doing repair work around town. Tom happily accepted. The work suits him, and he seems much happier than he’s been since I first met him. He never looked very comfortable in tactical gear, but he looks right at home in a tool belt. In exchange for the work he provides, the Sheriff pays him with his choice of food from the town’s ample supplies. Thanks to Tom, we’ve eaten better in the last few days than we have in weeks.

  Two days ago, Tom brought home a sack of potatoes, vegetable oil, and two whole chickens. Doctor Laroux stopped by to let us know that Eric had healed enough to receive visitors, and joined us for a dinner of fried chicken and French fries. I set aside a plate for Eric and walked over to the clinic after supper to give it to him.

  The clinic was multi-use medical office space before the Outbreak. The townsfolk consolidated the medical supplies into the basement of a nearby building to keep them temperature controlled, and put beds in the rooms for patients. Eric was the only person there when I stopped by other than the security guard working the night shift. I wiped my boots on the mat in front of the entrance before walking inside.

  “Stop and state your business.” The guard said, standing up from behind his desk. He was clean cut, armed with an M-4 carbine, and wore a Marine Corps digicam uniform with a sheriff’s deputy badge over his left breast pocket. His nametag read ‘Cohen’.

  “Just bringing some food for my friend.” I said, holding up the foil covered plate in my hand.

  “You one of the people that just came into town?” He asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah. ‘Bout a week ago.”

  “Haven’t seen you around.”

  “Doctor Laroux told us not to come around ‘till she gave the word. Said she was worried about infection.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Gabriel Garrett.”

  The guard relaxed, letting his rifle fall back down to his side. “So your Tom’s friend. Come on in.”

  I crossed the small lobby and stopped in front of the desk to offer him a handshake. “That uniform you’re wearing really belong to you?”

  He smiled. “Just got back from my first deployment when the shit hit the fan. I was visiting with my folks when everything started. The Corps tried to call me back, but…” he shrugged.

  “Hey, you won’t find any judgment here. I’d have done the same thing.”

  Cohen seemed relieved at that. “Is it true what Tom said about you being a sniper?”

  I nodded. “Used to be. Now I’m just trying to get by, same as everybody else.”

  The young deputy regarded me in silence for a moment, then jerked his head toward the hallway on my left. “Your friend is back that way, room nineteen.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

  “No problem.” Cohen sat back down behind his desk. I started down the hall.

  “Me and some other guys have a poker game every Saturday night at Mike Stall’s place,” Cohen called over his shoulder, “right down the street from where you and your friends are staying. Ol’ Mike makes his own hooch. You’re welcome to join in this weekend, if you want.”

  I stopped and turned halfway around. “I might do that.”

  Cohen gave me a thumbs-up, and resumed his vigil.

  Eric sat propped up in his bed by a pile of pillows. His skin had regained its color, and his eyes were clear as he watched me walk into the room.

  “Well you’re a sight for sore eyes.” He said, grinning and staring at the plate in my hand. “Whatcha got there?”

  “Got some crispy chicken and French fries. Figured an Irishman like yourself wouldn’t want to miss out on fresh potatoes.”

  “Damn right I wouldn’t.” He peeled the foil from his plate and dug in. I took a seat on a straight-backed chair and watched him eat.

  “Oh my God,” He said, leaning back with a half-eaten drumstick in one hand and chewing on a mouthful of fries. “I’m in heaven. I’ve died and gone to heaven. There’s only one thing that could make this more perfect.”

  “Biscuits and six pack of cold beer?”

  He paused. “Um…that’s actually two things. I was going to say a glass of water.” He pointed to a pitcher on a small table across the room.

  I got up and poured some of the clean water into a red plastic cup. Eric took it from me and washed down his chicken.

  “So how’s Brian? His leg healing okay?” He asked.

  “Doing just fine. He’s a tough kid.” I replied.

  “Damn right. His parents should be proud.”

  “They are, believe me.”

  Eric set his plate down in his lap and stared at me for a long moment. “How’s Sarah?”

  “She’s doing fine. Spends most of her time doting on her little boy.”

  “And Tom? How’s he making out?”

  I chuckled. “The Sheriff put him on retainer as a contractor for the city. Already rebuilt half the damn town.”

  My friend nodded. “That’s good. I hate to say it, but he just doesn’t seem like a fighting man to me. Not that he’s a coward or anything, I just think he’s better at building things than shooting.”

  “I agree.” I said. “He’s already made a lot of friends around here. You can thank him for your dinner next time you see him.”

  “Allison tells me you guys are all staying together not far from here.” He replied, setting his plate down on the table beside him.

  I nodded. “Yeah, we are. I gotta tell you though, I’m starting to feel like the fifth wheel around there. I get the feeling Tom and Sarah wouldn’t be too heartbroken to see me move out.”

  Eric looked down for a moment before he responded. “They owe you a lot. So do I, for that matter.”

  “None of you owe me anything. I did what I did because it was the right thing to do.”

  “That’s not true. None of us would be alive if it weren’t for you.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just shook my head and stared at the floor.

  “Enjoy your dinner, bud.” I said as I stood up to leave. “Doc says you can get out of here tomorrow. I’ll come by to get you in the morning.”

  Eric nodded. “Okay. See you then.”

  I stepped back out into the darkening evening and waved to Cohen on my way past the front desk. The streets were quiet and empty on the walk back to my temporary home. Tom and Sarah sat on the living room floor playing Monopoly with Brian by candlelight as I stepped through the front door.

  “Hey Gabe!” Brian said, holding up a gamepiece. “Wanna be the racecar?”

  I shut the door behind me and gave him a weak smile. “Not tonight, amigo. I’m beat. Gonna get some shuteye.”

  “How’s Eric?” Tom asked.

  “Doing fine.” I replied. “I’m going by the cl
inic tomorrow morning to get him.”

  “Will he need help getting here?” Sarah asked.

  “No.” I said, shaking my head. “He’s doing pretty well. He should be able to get here under his own power.”

  We shared an awkward silence for a few moments. I could tell what Tom and Sarah were thinking; they wanted their space. I understood. I resolved to talk to Eric about it again after he’d had a couple more days of rest.

  “I’m off to bed. Ya’ll have fun.” I said, forcing a smile.

  “G’night Gabe.” Brian said.

  I nodded absently before walking down the narrow hallway to my bedroom. My meager possessions laid out on the bare carpet seemed small in contrast to the large space. Double-wide trailers, for all that people used to make fun of them, actually have a surprising amount of square footage. I shut the flimsy door behind me and stood still for a few moments, my eyes adjusting to the dark. The only illumination in the room came from moonlight streaming in through a window overlooking the rest of the neighborhood. I spent a few minutes staring out that window and watching the silent community beyond. Lighting bugs in the yards and orange candlelight shining out from shuttered windows made a warm and inviting contrast to the evening gloom. Seeing all these people safe in their homes and enjoying something close to a normal life left me with a sense of hope that I hadn’t felt for longer than I could remember. If enough people worked together like they did in this town, maybe we really could rebuild.

  Maybe.

  *****

  Doc Laroux let Eric and I move into an empty house down the street from her place. She told us her grandmother had lived there until she passed away five years before the Outbreak. The doc stopped by to clean he place up every few weeks, but no one had lived there in a long time. It was a small house with a wide lawn surrounded by tall, graceful oak trees. Comfortable and sparsely furnished inside, it boasted a fireplace, a woodstove, and a bar-b-que pit in the back yard. It suited Eric and me just fine.

  Life was quiet for another couple of weeks as Eric continued to heal and grow stronger. We had no choice but to rest, and it did the both of us a world of good. I was surprised at how quickly and easily we settled in to our new routine. Living a short walk from the Glovers let us spend most mornings picking Tom’s brain for the news around town. People were still suspicious of us, but seemed to trust us a little bit more every day.

  I was anxious to get back on the road, but I sensed a strong hesitation from Tom and Sarah to continue the journey westward. In light of everything they had been through in the last couple of months, I couldn’t say that I blamed them. Damn near getting killed a couple of times and watching your little boy get shot will do that to a person. It pained me to think of leaving this place without my new friends at my side, but I had to admit it made a lot of sense for them to stay here. There was plenty of work for Tom, Brian was finally around children his own age, and Sheriff Elliott had let Sarah know that there was a deputy’s badge waiting for her if she wanted to take it up. What more could Colorado possibly offer?

  Sarah would be the hardest for me to let go. Whatever it was I felt for her refused to go away no matter how much I wished it would. She caught me staring at her enough times to know what was going on, but so far had been kind enough not to call me out on it. She didn’t need to, Eric busted my chops about it every chance he got. It was annoying, but it was also necessary. I needed to be reminded that I can’t make a move on a married woman, much less the wife of a man I call a friend. I kept my feelings to myself and resolved to leave both Sarah, and this town, far behind me.

  Allison came around every day to check on Eric’s progress. That was the excuse she used, anyway. I wasn’t fooled. Any idiot could tell she was had a crush on the guy by the way she looked at him. Eric surprised me by acting like a gentleman for a change, and not jumping at the chance to take advantage of the young doctor’s obvious attraction to him. He went on walks with her down by the creek, let her show him a few of the town’s historic sites, and even got up before sunrise one morning to leave a bouquet of flowers on her doorstep. When he got back, I asked him who he was and what the hell had he done with Eric. He frowned at me and gave me the finger. I had a good laugh over that one.

  The third Saturday after arriving in town, Eric mentioned that he would like to have a romantic dinner alone with Allison, and politely requested that I get the fuck out of the house for the evening.

  “You healed enough for whatever it is you got planned?” I asked, not even trying to cover a grin.

  “Please.” He said, affecting a Russian accent. “I am strong, like bull. Much vigor I have, full of manly power.”

  “Full of something, anyway.”

  He pointed a finger and opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

  “I got it.” I said. “I’ll let her in on my way out.”

  Allison stood waiting on the front porch. She smelled like Chanel No. 5, wore a flattering black dress with a shiny pair of high heels, and carried a bottle of red wine in the crook of her elbow. I pointed at it.

  “Isn’t he supposed to bring you one of those?”

  She smiled as she stepped inside. “Only if I’m the one doing the cooking.”

  “Ah. I’ll have to remember that.” I walked outside and threw a wave over my shoulder. “You kids have fun.”

  “Bye, Gabe.” Allison smiled and waved back.

  Eric met her in the foyer and put a hand on the small of her back, kissing her cheek and pushing the door shut. A decade ago, I might have been jealous, but the years have a way of tempering down a man’s urges. Most of the time.

  With nothing else to do, I decided to take Cohen up on his offer and head over to the poker game at Mike Stall’s place. I’d met most of the regular players over the last few weeks, and felt certain I’d be welcome at the table, especially when I started sharing the quart of Kentucky bourbon riding in my canteen. I’d been saving the hooch for a special occasion, and getting kicked out of the house by my best friend and his new love interest was probably about as special as things were likely to get, so hell with it. Time to get drunk.

  I was halfway to the corner of Mill Street and Duncan when a familiar voice called out to me from a house on my right.

  “Mr. Garrett, over here.” I turned and looked. A familiar figure in Army camouflage was hustling down the street in my direction.

  “Steve?” I asked, not able to make out his face in the darkness.

  “Yeah, it’s me. I was just headed over to your place. I need to talk to you about something.” He said, slowing down and stopping as he reached me.

  “I’d stay away from my place for the time being. Eric has company over.”

  Steve smiled. “Doc Laroux?”

  I shook my head. “You’ll have to ask Eric. It ain’t my place to talk about it.”

  “So it is the doctor.”

  I scowled at him. “You lookin’ for gossip Captain, or did you actually have something you want to discuss?”

  The smile left his face, his expression going neutral in its wake. “The mayor is back in town.” He said, all business. “I’m sure you’ve heard about that.”

  I nodded. “Being that I don’t live under a rock, yeah, I have.”

  “I have some information that may prove useful to you in your negotiations with her tomorrow.”

  “I wasn’t aware that I’m meeting with the mayor tomorrow.”

  “I have it on good authority that you are.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “The town is desperately short on medicine, but they’re more worried about the Free Legion. I think you and I have similar problems.”

  A sinking feeling hit my gut. I had a pretty good idea where this was going.

  “Go on.” I said.

  “The Legion is growing. People are quite literally coming out of the woodwork to join up with them. As you can imagine, the people who live here aren’t exactly thrilled about that.”

  “What doe
s that have to do with me?” I asked.

  “The mayor is going to ask for your help, same as she did with me. If you don’t help, she’ll probably take most of your supplies before she lets you leave this town.”

  “Then what’s stopping me from leaving right now?”

  Steve shook his head. “Every guard on the walls is under strict orders not to let you or any of your friends leave town until Sheriff Elliott gives the word.”

  “Is that a fact?” I said, my temper beginning to rise.

  “Listen, you and I both know they couldn’t keep you here if you really wanted to get out, but someone might get hurt in the process. Is that really how you want this to go down?”

  I stared at him for a moment, but didn’t reply. He took my silence as acknowledgement.

  “There’s another way out of this mess, for both of us.” He said.

  “What’s your part in this?” I said, suddenly suspicious. “You man has to be healed up by now. If he’s not being held prisoner, then why are you still here?”

  Steve lowered his voice to a near whisper. “I radioed back to Bragg after I brought in Grabovsky for treatment. When they found out I’d made contact with the town’s leadership, they talked it over with the Springs, and came back with new orders.”

  “And what would that be?”

  “To secure this town’s loyalty to the federal government.”

  I frowned, confused. “Why? What difference does it make whether these people support the government or not?”

  “Because the top brass over in Colorado aren’t the only major players on the scene anymore. They need all the allies they can get.”

  “Allies? Allies against who?” I asked.

  “The Outbreak left behind a giant power vacuum in this country. The survivors are beginning to organize. They’re forming tribes, towns, even armies. Now that everyone has figured out how to fight the infection, people are slowly beginning to exterminate the walkers and take back territory for the living. The biggest threat to the future of the United States of America isn’t the teeth of the dead, it’s the anger and resentment of the living. The ultimate goal here is to reunite this country, but if we don’t start winning back the hearts and minds of the American people, then pretty soon there’s not going to be a country left to restore.”