Fred fought the urge to look around, perhaps hoping he’d see Sarah running to join him with her own duffle bag. He knew it wasn’t going to happen. On impulse, he took a sharpie and wrote his address on the hood of the nearby car. Satisfied, he got into the VW and started it.
He was going to miss her.
Fred drove nonstop, fighting fatigue with energy drinks, and only stopping to refill the gas tank or answer the call of nature. Once, he swore he saw headlights on the Interstate, going in the opposite direction, before they quickly went out. He wanted to speed up, but there were far too many obstacles to go very fast.
If one were to ask, Fred would have been hard pressed to tell how he made it back to West Memphis without any incidents or encounters. All he could say for certain, the sun was cresting the horizon when he made it to West Memphis.
Fred was close to his truck now, just a few thousand feet away. But he knew he was too spent to walk across the bridge. His reflexes would be too slow.
He parked in the same spot where he found the VW so long ago, turned it off, and fell asleep with his head resting against the window.
Fred awoke suddenly when he heard the handle to the car door being pulled on. He grabbed one of his pistols that was lying on his lap and pointed it at the window. A frightened, dirty face greeted him before stumbling back and falling down.
Fred slowly got out with his pistol at the ready. The frightened face was a boy, maybe eleven or twelve. He had a shotgun leaning up against the fender of the VW. Fred grabbed it and did a quick circle, looking for anyone else.
“Where are your friends, kid?” He asked. The kid shook his head, he was still frightened. “What were you doing?”
“I thought you were dead.” The kid responded. Fred looked around some more and glanced at the sky. The positioning indicated it was noon. He focused back on the kid.
“Are you hungry?” Fred asked. The kid had risen up on his elbows, but was still lying on the ground. He nodded his head. Fred holstered his weapon, and looked at the shotgun.
“Browning sweet sixteen. It’s a fine shotgun, but it needs a good cleaning.” Fred unloaded a single shell out of it and leaned the shotgun back against the fender.
“Let’s have a bite to eat and we can talk.” Fred reached in and pulled out the case of MREs. “These things are not very tasty, in fact, they’re downright awful, but they tell me if you eat everything in the packet you’ll get a full day’s worth of nutrition. Let’s dig in.” Fred used a Case pocket knife to cut open the plastic packets. The boy watched Fred start eating and quickly joined in.
“My name’s Fred. What’s your name kid?”
“Joe.” He said.
Fred held out his hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you Joe.” Joe looked at Fred and tentatively shook his hand.
Joe continued looking at Fred while he ate. “That car was here a while back, and then it was gone. Did you take it?”
“Yes I did, but I’m returning it now. Is it yours?” Fred asked. Joe shook his head.
“Where did you go?” Joe asked.
“Well, Joe, I drove the car to Oklahoma City, and then hitched a ride to Los Angeles.”
“Why?”
“I was trying to find my daughter.” Fred responded.
“Did you find her?” Joe asked.
Fred ate in silence for a moment before answering. “I did. She had turned.” Joe nodded in understanding. They finished their meal in silence. When they were finished, Fred stood and stretched. Joe aped his movements.
“Alright Joe, I’ve got a cleaning kit. Let’s see if we can get your shotgun cleaned up a little bit.” Fred showed Joe how to disassemble the shotgun and they began wiping the pieces down.
“Where do you live, Joe?” Fred asked, as he watched Joe wipe the breech face with a scrap of rag and some cleaning solvent.
“Here and there. I have some cars I sleep in, depending which part of the city I’m in.”
“I take it your family is dead?” Fred asked. Joe nodded. “What about friends, you got any friends around here?”
“A couple. We see each other every once in a while. Are all your family dead too?”
“Yes they are.”
“What about friends?” Joe asked. “Do you have any friends?”
Fred looked at Joe and thought about Sarah before he thought about everyone back home. “Yeah, I have some friends back home. That’s where I’m going. Let me see how good of a job you’ve done.” Joe handed the shotgun to him. Fred looked at it. It was still dirty, but significantly cleaner than it was. Fred dug the shotgun shell out of his pocket and handed both items back to Joe.
“Good job buddy. If I had any shells, I’d give them to you, but I don’t have any in this particular gauge.”
“What kind of guns are those?” Joe asked, pointing at Fred’s pistols.
Fred gave him a small grin. “They’re Ruger forty-fours. They’re tough, reliable guns and I’ve had some custom work done to them.”
“Why’d you do that?” Joe asked.
Fred chuckled. “You sure are full of questions.” He looked at the bridge in the near distance. “I’ve got to get across on the other side of that bridge Joe. I’m going to take a few of those MREs and bottles of water with me, and you can have the rest, okay?”
“Fred?”
“Yes, Joe?”
“Can I go with you?”
Chapter 51 - Prancer
“Are you sure?” Julie asked me, for maybe the fourth or fifth time. “Kelly’s going to be disappointed.” She drew out the word ‘disappointed.’ Andie grinned.
“Very tempting, but no. Now stop asking.” I said. They were all going over to the radio station. I had tried to get along with Wanda, but to be honest; I couldn’t stand the sight of her. She was derogatory, opinionated, ignorant, and an all-around unpleasant person to be within a hundred yards of. And the women, they’d sit around and talk about something they saw on Oprah two years ago. I’d rather muck the horse stall, which was exactly what I was going to do. I said as much to Julie.
“Oh, yeah, that sounds like fun. Take Prancer some oats.” She hugged me and gave me a kiss. “I’ll see you later, I guess.” She leaned in and whispered in my ear. “If you’re going to be playing around in horse shit, take a bath before bed. I’ll make it worth your while.” She then nibbled my ear.
I worked on the usual stuff, mucked out Prancer’s stall, and then concentrated on reloading some bullets for the sniper rifles. I reloaded the remaining cartridges I had left. Fortunately, Terry and I had found a box in one of the houses we searched, so that added twenty more bullets to the inventory.
I stopped long enough to eat some jerky for lunch and walked around the barn. I looked at the old house and secretly wished we still lived there. Prancer walked up and nuzzled me while I was reminiscing.
“What are you doing girl?” I said as I rubbed her on the neck. “You need some attention?” She nudged me again and snorted. I looked around. “How about we go for a ride?” I asked her. To my surprise, she responded with a short nicker. She followed me to her stall and stood patiently while I put the bit in her mouth. Getting a blanket and saddle on her, I shoved a rifle in the scabbard and mounted up.
I let Prancer have her head as she took off at a gallop down the field. I guess she liked the new shoes Bo had put on her. She continued running, and I guided her in a circle, eventually running toward The Parson house. She seemed to know where I was guiding her and I held the reins loosely.
When we reached the house, I slowed her down and had her slowly walk around it. Everything looked good, but all it did was make me think about Howard’s death. While I was beating myself up mentally, Prancer continued walking. I didn’t attempt to guide her. Of her own accord, she had made her way to the road and was heading toward Fred’s.
“You want to go to your old home, girl? Is that where we’re going?” Prancer flicked an ear at me. “Yeah, sure, let’s go look it over. It’s another thing to add to
my list of regrets.”
Prancer walked in a slow, easy gait. It was comforting. I could see why Fred and Julie liked to ride. I was lost in my own thoughts as I watched for hostiles. I started using the term to include zombies and predatory animals, both the four-legged and the two-legged kind.
We came upon a red ribbon tied to a tree limb. It was where we had placed a trap. As I neared it, I saw a dead dog trapped in it. It may have been a friendly pet at one time, but no more. I made a mental note to take care of it later. Prancer kept walking and I kept thinking.
We rounded a curve in the road. This is where Fred’s house would have come into view. That is, if it hadn’t been burned to the ground. Prancer suddenly whinnied and started trotting. I looked quickly around, thinking she had caught a scent of something. And then, I saw it. A black Volvo semi-truck, parked in the driveway where Fred’s house once stood. There was a man and a boy standing beside it. Prancer was in a full gallop now. They were too far away for me to get a good facial recognition, but I did not doubt Prancer’s eyesight. The tall man was Fred.
Prancer leapt over the fence, which almost caused me to fall off, and came to a sliding stop inches from Fred. She was breathing hard and blowing froth, but Fred did not seem to mind.
“Hello pretty girl, did you miss me?” He said while scratching her behind the ears. The first thing out of my mouth should have been something like, hi Fred, it’s so good to see you. But no, I spoke before thinking.
“We thought you were dead!” I shouted in wonder. Fred looked at me and grinned. I stared at him with my mouth hanging open a moment, and then looked at the kid standing beside him.
“Hi.” He said timidly. “I’m Joe.”
“Hi Joe, I’m Zach.” I said and dismounted. Prancer broke away, ran around the truck, and then almost knocked Fred down as she ran up and nuzzled him. I shook Fred’s hand, and then hugged him. I felt tears in my eyes, but held them back.
“Did you make it to LA?” I asked. Fred nodded. “And your daughter?” I asked tentatively. Fred shook his head.
“We have a lot to tell each other, but for now I just want to know what happened to my house.” He said.
I briefly told him the story.
“How are the girls?” Fred asked.
He saw my face darken. “One of them killed Macie. That was before they burned your house down. Julie and I took care of them. It’s a long story and I know Julie will want to be there when I retell it.” I hugged him again. “Damn it’s good to see you!” Prancer agreed. She took Fred’s hat and began gleefully running around with it clinched between her teeth.
I got the generator going and the two of them took turns in the shower. From looking at the kid’s face, I was guessing he had not had a hot shower in quite a long time. I cooked up steaks, eggs, and a strong pot of coffee. Fred came out with a fresh set of clothes and looked at the meal.
“Do you know how to cook anything besides steak and eggs?” He asked.
“Nope.” I said, grinning.
“I’m glad. I haven’t had one of these meals since I left. Where’s the honey?” He asked. He found it sitting on the kitchen counter before I answered, sat down and waited on Joe. I poured us a cup of coffee while we waited.
“Where’d you find the kid?” I asked.
Fred chuckled. “He actually found me, in West Memphis. He doesn’t have any family, so I brought him along.” I nodded.
“There’s so much to tell you, but I better wait. In the meantime, we’ll get you two set up here.” Joe came wandering in, freshly showered, but wearing the same dirty clothes. He looked around and I think his mouth started watering when he saw the juicy steak.
“Hey Joe, before we eat, I think I can find some clean clothes for you. Hang on.” I went into Andie’s bedroom and grabbed some clothing. She wore boy’s clothes, and even though she was bigger than Joe, she was the closest one in size. The pants were a little long for him, but after Fred rolled the pants legs up a few inches, they were fine.
“Alright guys, dig in for Christ’s sake.” Fred ate his meal with the control of a man attuned to self-discipline. Joe devoured his meal and asked for seconds. I refilled his plate and heard the truck driving up.
“It sounds like they’re home.” I said with a grin. “Julie is going to be beside herself. Oh, and by the way, we’ve picked up a couple of people. I’ll introduce you to them. One of them you’ll recognize.”
Julie was the first person through the door. “I hope you didn’t dirty up the kitchen!” She said as she walked in. She saw Fred, stopped in her tracks, and held her hands to her face. Rowdy bumped into her as he walked in, which caused him to belch. Julie ran over and threw her hands around Fred.
“Oh my God, we thought you were dead!” She wailed between sobs. Fred wrapped his arms around her and for the first time since I had known him, I saw tears falling down his cheeks.
I introduced Fred and Joe to everyone. We sat up well into the night talking to each other and telling our stories. I had to shut down the generator, but I fired up a couple of lanterns so we could continue seeing each other while we talked. Joe stayed quiet the entire time and fell asleep somewhere in the middle of all of it. Rowdy unrolled a sleeping bag and gently placed him in it. Finally, even I was yawning.
“Let’s go to bed.” Fred said. “We’ve got all day tomorrow to talk.” I agreed and got some blankets. Fred fixed himself a bed on the couch. Rowdy had started sleeping in his bus again and did so tonight. Terry rolled out his own sleeping bag and was out within seconds. Julie and I were about to head to our bedroom when Fred stopped us.
“I want you two to know, I’ve missed y’all, and I’m sorry I left.”
Julie reached out and hugged him again. “But you’re back now. That’s all that matters.”
Chapter 52 – A Sentimental Return
For the first time in a long time, Julie was up before me. I awoke to something I hadn’t smelled in a while, the aroma of frying bacon. I hurriedly cleaned up and went to the kitchen. Fred was sitting at the table drinking coffee, listening to Julie talk while she cooked.
“Where did the bacon come from?” I asked, as I walked up and kissed Julie.
“Bo had butchered a hog. I traded him some canned vegetables.” She directed me to a chair with a spatula and fixed me a mug of coffee.
“Who is Bo?” Fred asked.
“Bo McClendon, he said you two know each other.” I said. Enlightenment dawned on Fred’s face.
“Bo is alive? Well, how about that.” Fred said, with the same excitement as watching cars rust. I looked at Julie and grinned. Same old Fred.
“I believe I’d like to go see him sometime today.” He added.
“Sure, but I hope you know where he lives. We’ve never been to his house.” I said.
“I do.” Fred responded. “He and I go way back.”
Everyone else started waking up then, and soon we had a table full of people. Rowdy was full of himself this morning and had everyone laughing at his antics. I caught a glance from Julie. She was probably thinking what I was thinking - a man in such a good mood had to be getting laid.
“What are you and Joe going to do today?” Julie asked.
“I’d like to go see Bo, and then, I’d like to hang out with y’all for a spell. Now keep in mind, Prancer may demand I take her for a ride.” I smiled. It was good having him back home.
I figured Bo might be at the horse farm, so we headed there first. Andie and Terry followed in their jeep.
“Let’s stop at the radio station and introduce Bo to the Birmingham girls.” Julie said.
“Sure, but why don’t you tell Fred about them so he’ll know what to expect.” I replied.
“Do you mean should I let him know Wanda is a bitch?” Julie said and then suddenly gasped. I glanced over at her and looked around. “We forgot to tell Fred something very important.”
“I think we told him pretty much everything.” I said.
“If you’re referrin
g to the ring on your finger, I’d say you two got married somewhere along the line.” Fred said. Julie and I laughed while she told him about the wedding.
“I’m sorry I missed it.” Fred said.
As we approached the radio station, the first thing we saw was Big Mac on a backhoe. We stopped at the locked gate and waited for her to come over. Today she was wearing bib overalls with a plain white tee shirt underneath. Her hair was held back by a blue bandanna.
“That is one heck of a large woman.” Fred commented dryly.
We introduced Fred to Big Mac, and to my surprise, Mac was a bit on the giddy side. “I think she likes Fred.” I whispered to Julie, who giggled in agreement. Wanda was her usual self, but the rest of the women gave Fred a warm welcome. Mac excused herself and went into the restroom, emerging a couple of minutes later with freshly brushed hair. Julie nudged me and giggled again.
“Zach, did you see the pits I dug?” Mac asked, while casting glances at Fred.
“Yes I did, they look awesome. You’ve been busy. Have y’all had any problems?”
“We had a few people drive up yesterday. They didn’t stay long.” Mac said.
“They were a bunch of freeloaders who tried to bully us.” Wanda interjected.
“Yeah,” Kelly added. “They told us they needed food and tried to get inside the house. Mac knocked one of them out.” She said with a grin. We looked over at Mac in surprise.
“I used to be on a roller derby team.” She said for explanation. “Of course, Wanda and Kelly had rifles aimed at them too. I told them to come back when they had stuff to trade. But, we haven’t seen any zombies in a while.”
As much as I wanted to, I refrained from commenting about Wanda’s remark concerning freeloaders. Hopefully, she understood now. I looked around and noticed two people were absent.
Z14 (Zombie Rules) Page 33
