What Remains_Reckoning

by Kris Norris

  “That’s mighty neighborly of you. And something other than ration packs would be great. We appreciate the offer.”

  That disturbing smile lifted Beau’s mouth again as he spun on his heels, heading for the buildings a few hundred yards off.

  Wolfe shouldered up beside Gunner. “New order? Damn, I hate when I’m right.”

  “You haven’t earned that twenty bucks just yet.” He paused as the other men closed ranks around them. “But shit if it’s not looking that way.” He glanced at Hamilton, telling the man all he needed to know with a tilt of his head. “It’d be rude to keep our host waiting.”

  Wolfe snorted, his movements sharp. The man had always been able to read people better than anyone Gunner knew, and the fact Wolfe apparently felt as much unrest as he did made Gunner jumpy. Fuck, he really didn’t want to have to shoot any of these folk. They didn’t seem all that crazy.

  He walked along the well-worn path, up a slight rise, noting the series of outbuildings. A large homestead sat far off to their right, the log building impressive in both size and condition. Three substantial looking barns sat in a semi-circle around the place and the windows fronting the home were boarded over. He scanned the doors, cursing inwardly at the padlocks gracing two of the wooden structures. Based on the size, they were definitely keeping people out. Or maybe keeping something in. Whichever it was, the mere sight of them ratcheted up his senses until his skin tingled with awareness. A muffled voice drifted along the breeze, but it vanished before he could pinpoint the source.

  They rounded the side of one of the barns and were greeted by a collection of tables and grills. An awning kept the seating area free of sun and rain, blanketing the space in deep shadows. Beau stood behind the chair at the head of the table, his dark silhouette just visible.

  He motioned to the surrounding chairs. “Please. Sit.”

  Gunner eyed the arrangement, choosing the seat that afforded him the best sight lines for the surrounding rooftops. That’s what they’d have to be the most vigilant of. Snipers could take them out before they’d had a chance to offer any form of resistance. Wolfe and Hamilton followed suit, positioning themselves as strategically as possible. Though with the rest of Beau’s men fanning out around the table, isolating themselves was next to impossible. Gunner glanced at his friends, noting the stiff line of Wolfe’s back. The man wasn’t happy with the arrangements. Not that Gunner could blame him. They were setting themselves up as easy targets. And they all knew it.

  Beau pulled out his chair and slid into it, waving at someone over Gunner’s shoulder. He turned, his breath lodging tight in his chest as he watched two women shuffle out from the one barn that wasn’t locked, platters held tight in their hands. They didn’t speak as they placed the dishes on the table, heads bowed, their movements noticeably submissive. Gunner tried to make eye contact, but the woman closest to him never glanced his way, giving Beau a curtsy before moving several paces behind the men.

  Beau grinned approvingly then waved at the covered plate. “Please. Help yourselves.”

  Gunner held his breath as he reached for the handle, praying he wouldn’t find a severed head or hand beneath the metal cover. He forced himself to swallow then removed the lid, sighing in relief when only meat and vegetables covered the ceramic dish. His gaze slid to Beau, and he could tell the man had more than read his thoughts.

  Beau chuckled. “From the look on your faces, I have to assume you thought we were cannibals or the like. What were you expecting? A head?”

  Gunner offered him an easy grin. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say it’d crossed my mind.”

  “I’m sure I’d assume the worst, as well, if I were the one having to trust a stranger.” Beau spooned some food onto his plate. “I assure you. We’re not crazy, and we’re not in the practice of eating our guests.”

  “Good to hear.” He helped himself to some of the food. “Quite the place you’ve got here. High fences. Barbed wire. Supplies.” He nodded at the barns. “Plenty of housing, too. How many of you live here?”

  Some of the other men glared at him, turning to stare at Beau. They obviously didn’t appreciate Gunner’s question. The other man merely held up a hand, silently telling them to relax.

  Beau grinned. A flash of white in the shadows. “There’s about thirty of us. A few younger members as you saw with the incident with the truck. It was Chad’s first run into town for more supplies. He hasn’t encountered those bastards in the numbers that were out today. Boy panicked a bit. Which reminds me…we appreciate you stepping up and coming to his aid. Says a lot about a man when he’s willing to help out a stranger.”

  “Your hospitality is more than enough thanks. Though you might want to tell the kid to keep his speed up next time. And to lay off the horn. The sound draws them like flies and these faster ones aren’t as easy to kill.”

  Beau’s expression sobered. “So you’ve noticed the changes in them.”

  “They’re hard to miss. Especially when they’re chasing your ass. They climb damn good, too. Though you seem to be prepared for that.”

  “Thankfully, they don’t seem to be able to get over the wire. Though we keep a constant vigil just in case.”

  “Nothing like teamwork to keep a camp functioning smoothly.” He coughed on a piece of carrot.

  Beau cocked his head to the side. “How rude of me.” He snapped his fingers. “Anna. Water for our guests.”

  The woman who’d served the food darted forward, stopping next to Gunner. She didn’t talk, just reached out and grabbed his glass, filling it with water. Gunner glanced at her wrists, his gaze lingering on the patterns bruising her skin. Ham cursed quietly beside him and Gunner knew the man had noticed the marks. The woman filled the other glasses then retreated, standing back behind Beau. Her focus remained on the ground, her long blonde hair covering most of her face.

  Beau followed Gunner’s stare, looking at the woman before offering him a wide smile. “You’ll have to forgive Anna. She hasn’t been the same since her husband died a year ago. The man got eaten right in front of her. As you can imagine, that’s not an easy trauma to come back from. We’ve discovered that routine chores help her cope.”

  “No, I imagine not. Though it doesn’t quite explain the bruises on her wrists.”

  Beau’s smile faltered slightly. “She suffers from hallucinations and severe depression. She’s tried to harm herself more than once. We have to restrain her at night…for her own protection, of course.”

  “Of course.” Gunner swallowed more of the vegetables. “Are there only the two women residing here? I haven’t seen any others.”

  Beau placed his fork beside his plate, lacing his fingers together as he rested his chin on his knuckles. “We’ve got eight women living here. And I’m sure you’ll understand when I tell you we’re very protective of them. Until we’re certain the three of you don’t pose any kind of threat, we tend toward caution.”

  “Seems only proper. And we aren’t…a threat.”

  Wolfe coughed, offering his apologies and a lame ass excuse of choking on his water as he shot Gunner a knowing look. Gunner merely smiled back at the man, all too aware of the unspoken pledge. They weren’t a threat unless they discovered these men weren’t what they seemed. And if the bruises on Anna’s wrists were the result of abuse, they’d definitely become far more than a simple threat.

  Beau studied Gunner for several moments before nodding. “If that’s true then you won’t mind answering a few questions.”

  “What would you like to know?”

  “How about we start with the easy stuff? Where are you gentlemen from?”

  Gunner released a weary breath, leaning back in the chair as if the question had weakened him. “No one place in particular, unfortunately. We were part of a group in the beginning, but it’s hard to maintain control when you have different ideas of how a camp should be run. We eventually had to leave. Been traveling ever since, holing up in any place that seemed safe. We’ve been fai
rly lucky. Lots of places a small group can call home for a while and be relatively safe.” He glanced at the fence line. “That was until these creatures seemed to evolve.”

  Beau huffed, banging a fist on the table. “They’re a curse from the depths of Hell. This isn’t evolution. It’s revelation.”

  Warning bells rang in Gunner’s head, and he purposely ignored Wolfe’s hushed curse. God, he hated when Wolfe was right.

  Gunner plastered on a phony smile. Regardless of the group’s beliefs, the three of them needed to assess the bigger picture. Decide if there was any possibility that their communities could merge and not have it erupt into a bloody battle. Even then, the decision was up to the council. Though there wasn’t a chance in hell he’d bring a threat back to the complex. Mission or not.

  Beau seemed to take his silence as a form of acceptance and gave him a genuine smile. “Glad to see we’re on a similar page. So tell me…what are your plans?”

  Gunner spared Hamilton and Wolfe a quick glance, assessing their readiness to continue along with the investigation. “Guess that depends. Sure would be nice to have a safe place to sleep for a few nights. Though we’re prepared to walk out that gate if need be.”

  Beau surveyed the other men, though it seemed mostly for show. There was no doubt in Gunner’s mind that this was a dictatorship, not a democracy. And he had a bad feeling that those who went against Beau or any other leader figure in the camp suffered extreme consequences.

  Beau motioned to the barn Anna had appeared out of. “There’s a loft in that barn. If that suits you and your men, you’re welcome to stay. We’ll see how things roll for a few days then reassess.”

  “Couldn’t ask for anything more than a chance.” He pushed to his feet, offering his hand to Beau.

  The man shook it, visibly pleased by Gunner’s actions. “We’ll get you settled after the meal. Welcome to Eden.”

  Gunner nodded his thanks, trying not to gag on the man’s last words. Eden. Fuck. While he didn’t have a strong religious background, he was pretty damn sure that place hadn’t ended all that great the first time. He only hoped Beau was being more metaphorical than literal. Gunner regained his seat, studying the men and the surroundings one more time. At least he’d bought them a few days to get to the bottom of what was really going on in the camp. He just prayed it didn’t end in blood.

  Chapter Two

  Damn it.

  Hamilton Phillips pressed his back against the rough wood siding, watching the men in front of the barn pause to light up a couple of cigarettes. The matches flashed bright in the darkness, the orange flames dancing in the air before winking out. Even fifty feet away, Ham caught the hint of sulfur from the smoke, the familiar scent mocking everything they’d endured over the past year and a half. Hell, he couldn’t remember the last time he or the guys had allowed themselves to relax that much. Not when even the glow of the ashes was a possible beacon for infected, especially this new breed. It made him wonder if there was more to this place than they’d thought. Though he had to admit, a cold beer certainly would have hit the spot.

  He sighed, willing the men to look the other way and finally give him a chance to get a peek inside the large building. For the past three days, he, Wolfe and Gunner had been taking turns staking out the two barns, trying to determine what Beau and his group were hiding. They’d finally gained entry into the other barn the previous night. And while the amount of food and weapons stored inside the wooden walls was impressive, it wasn’t anything worth confronting the men over. Not when they suspected far darker motivations behind the padlocks. And this barn was the only one still shrouded in mystery. It didn’t help that there was round-the-clock surveillance on the place, with four men taking shifts walking the perimeter. Or that every window had been boarded over, including the second story ones. Hell, Ham could have scaled the damn walls if the group hadn’t been as thorough. But as it stood, there weren’t any obvious ways in or out of the barn that didn’t involve going through the men. And Gunner was hesitant to violate the small measure of trust they’d gained without proof their concern was warranted.

  Fuck.

  Hamilton scanned the area, wondering if there was a way onto the roof when the door to the barn creaked open. Two men stumbled out, dragging a woman between them. Sandy-colored hair shone in the firelight cast by a nearby trashcan, her smaller body nearly suspended off the ground. Ill-tempered curses rose above the crackle of wood as she fought against their hold, making them stop in order to better contain her. She seized the opportunity, slamming her foot down on the inside of one of the men’s knees before kicking the other in the groin. Both men released her arms, and she tumbled onto her knees when her balance shifted. She hit hard, billowing up a cloud of dust. And though her face was still turned away from Hamilton, there was no mistaking the rope binding her hands together.

  Ham removed his gun, quickly checking the area one last time before stepping out. Damn cold day in hell when he’d sit back and watch two assholes hurt a lady, trust or not. Though based on the way she’d downed the men, she looked as if she could kick both their asses even with her hands tied.

  He darted forward—focus alternating between the men she’d kicked and the other two thugs standing guard, seemingly enjoying the show—when a streak of movement caught his attention. He glanced at the far corner of the barn as a flicker of gray flashed through a stream of moonlight before disappearing into the shadows beside the barn. He called out a warning a moment before a familiar growl resonated through the air, the creature’s footsteps pounding along the dirt.

  He aimed, killing the first zombie as it entered the pool of light, the dark blood spattering across the dry ground. He caught another as it stumbled around the corner, lips drawn back into a snarl as it raced toward them, its gait disturbingly steady. The guards remained frozen until the second creature landed in a twisted mound at their feet, more blood staining the dirt. Both men turned, guns drawn, hammers cocked as a group of infected ran across the compound, the thundering footsteps like a herd of horses.

  Hamilton stopped just short of them, popping off another two rounds. “Don’t fucking stand there. Take them down.”

  He shoved each man, downing four before the men finally hit one, knocking it onto its knees without fully killing it. Hamilton muttered under his breath, shooting the last two before spinning around. The woman had gained her feet, her gaze centered on the zombies sprawled across the ground. Then her attention swung to him, the confusion in her eyes impossible to miss. She furrowed her brow then turned and ran, heading for the darkness on the far side of the barn.

  Ham dashed after her. “Wait!”

  He got within a few feet when Beau stepped out from behind the building, grabbing her roughly by the arm. She tried to spin away, but the force of his hold tossed her on the ground again, her head cracking against the dry mud. Hamilton growled, shifting his direction mid-stride as he caught Beau across the jaw, sending the man flying. Strong hands wrapped around his arms and chest, tackling him to the dirt. Ham managed to tuck his shoulder and use their momentum against them, rolling free before kicking them each in the chest. The men fell backwards, more dust ballooning into the air.

  Hamilton made a lunge for the girl, heaving her off the ground and behind his back before Beau pressed onto his hands and knees. The two guys Ham had knocked on their asses staggered upright just as Gunner and Wolfe crashed out of the other barn and four of Beau’s men tore across the open yard where the zombies had attacked moments before.

  Hamilton leveled his gun at the gathering of men, keeping the woman blocked from view as everyone stopped in a small semi-circle around him, his friends dodging left and putting themselves between him and Beau. Barrels pointed at his chest, but no one spoke as Beau slowly got to his feet, rubbing the length of his jaw as he eyed Hamilton.

  Beau held Ham’s stare for several moments before his lips lifted into a grin. “You pack quite a punch not to mention the fact you’ve got more moves
than I’ve seen in a long time.” He glanced at Gunner and Wolfe. “Betting you two are just as skilled. Thinking my original assumption was right.” He nodded at his men. “Looks like we’ve got some ex-military boys in our ranks, gentlemen.”

  Gunner grumbled beside Hamilton, sparing him a quick glance before pointing at the dead corpses. “Shouldn’t we worry more about how these motherfuckers got in than what we may or may not have been in our past lives?”

  Beau’s smile flourished. “Already taken care of it. I caught sight of them climbing over a low part of the fence. Knifed the few that didn’t quite make it over and I’ve got a contingency of men fixing the issue as we speak. Shouldn’t be another breach anytime soon.” He crossed his arms on his chest. “Back to you.”

  Gunner gave the man an even smile. “Nothing much to say. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I seem to recall you never confirmed or denied whether you were local law enforcement when I first mentioned it.”

  Beau chuckled. “Fair enough. My father was actually the sheriff. Me and some of the boys were deputies. Unfortunately, the man didn’t make it, and the good folks just naturally turned to me for guidance in those early days.”

  “Naturally.” He motioned to Wolfe and Hamilton. “We actually owned a construction company together but spent the last several years as part of the army reserves.”

  Hamilton glanced at Gunner. While he knew the man hadn’t wanted to give too much away, he’d thought his friend would come clean under the circumstances, and the simple fact Gunner hadn’t increased the tension still straining Ham’s shoulders. It meant Gunner thought the situation was critical.

  Beau raised his brows. “Reserves?”

  “You’d be surprised how encompassing the program is.”

  “So your man’s training…”

  “Just saved you and your camp.” Gunner stared at Beau’s men. “Exactly how many did you boys manage to kill?”