“Well, well. If it isn’t little Miss Liar herself. Come here to cause even more trouble, have we?”
Chas stared at her hands, the fingers curled around her knife and fork. Moving slowly, she rose from her chair and turned around, coming face to face with Major Brown. Behind him stood his nephew, Sergeant Brown, his usual smug smile hovering on his lips.
Her mouth worked, but she couldn’t produce a single word as pure hatred flooded every cell in her body. Every fibre of her being screamed at her to attack, and it was all she could do to stay in control.
The Major smirked, his dark eyes filled with malice. “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue? Or have you run out of lies to tell?”
An unintelligible growl rose to Chas’ lips, and her eyes narrowed, zeroing in on his hateful face. All thoughts of control fled, and she launched her body through the air with a guttural yell. “Murderer!”
Shocked, the Major stumbled back and raised his arms in self-defense. “What are you doing?”
Unable to stop herself, Chas slashed at his forearms with her fork and butterknife, drawing blood. With each cut and stab, she screamed the same word over and over again. “Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!”
Voices rose in the background, and hands grabbed her arms, pulling her away from the hapless major. “Stop it, Chas. Stop!”
“He deserves to die. He killed Johnson. Everyone who was killed during the retreat,” Chas cried, wriggling to break free. “And soon, the entire camp will die because of him if we don’t save them.
“We know, Chas, but you can’t do this,” Vanessa cried.
Then it was all over as armed guards spilled into the dining room and surrounded them. Gun barrels pointed at Chas and her friends, and she stopped struggling. Whatever she might feel or do, she couldn’t place her friends in danger.
She lifted her chin and faced the nearest guard. After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she said, “I’d like to speak to your leader, please. This man is a murderer and should be punished for his crimes.”
He eyed her with caution, glancing from her pale face to the Major who was sputtering with rage. “All right. I’ll take you. At the very least, he’ll know what to do with you lot, because I sure don’t.”
Chas nodded. “Thank you.”
“You’re listening to her? A lying little chit?” Major Brown said.
“I’m not listening to anyone, Sir. I’m simply escorting you to our leader so he can sort out this mess.”
“I demand—”
“You can save your demands for later. Follow me,” the guard interrupted, nodding at his fellow guards. “Bring all of them. The Major too.”
With that, he marched off, muttering something about crazy people beneath his breath. Chas didn’t care as long as she got to speak to their leader. For once, she was determined to see justice done.
Chapter 19
They were led away in two separate groups. Chas and her friends on the one hand, and Major Brown with his nephew on the other. Dean managed to get his parents to stay behind, promising to fill them in later.
Along the way, the guards made sure to keep the two parties apart, their guns held up high as a deterrent. It was just as well. The Major kept shooting Chas hateful glares, while her balled fists itched to smash his face into a pulp.
The guard who’d spoken to them in the cafeteria glanced at her. “He must have done something awful to get such a young girl like you all riled up.”
Chas looked at him, surprised at the almost friendly tone of voice he used. “You have no idea. The man’s a monster.”
The guard sighed. “I’ve seen a few of them lately. It seems with the lack of law and order, they’ve all come crawling out of their holes.”
“You believe me?” Chas asked, even more surprised.
“I’m inclined to,” the guard answered with a nod at Major Brown. “From the moment he arrived, he’s been nothing but a pain in the ass.”
Chas suppressed a grin, striving to remain sober. She wanted to ask about Julia, Alvarez, and the rest of the convoy but decided to wait first. Vanessa reached out and gripped her hand. “Don’t worry. We’re all witnesses. He won’t get away this time.”
“I know. I can always count on you guys,” Chas answered.
“Always,” Emily and Dean echoed.
“Anyway, you’ll get your chance to tell your story,” the guard added, pointing at a door up ahead. “It’s through there.”
He stood aside to let them in, and they filed through the opening one by one. The inside turned out to be a large office with the bare minimum of furnishings: A desk, a couple of chairs, a notice board, and a large map that hung on the wall.
Four people stood in front of the map, having a conversation. It must have been about something important because they hardly noticed the newcomers filing into the room. One, a woman, was dressed in an army uniform, her hair tucked underneath her cap. Two more wore National Guard uniforms, but Chas had eyes for only one. Her breath hitched in her throat. “It can’t be.”
The saliva in her mouth dried up as she took in the familiar figure standing in front of her. The broad shoulders, the salt and pepper hair, the worn jeans and flannel shirt…it all pointed to one person.
“Grumps,” Chas cried, her feet flying across the floor of their own volition.
Grumps turned when he heard his name, his shocked gaze locking with hers. “Chas?”
She threw herself into his waiting arms, sobbing with pure joy. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she lost herself in his familiar embrace, her nostrils flaring at the comforting scent of tobacco and spice. “It’s you! It’s really you!”
“It’s me all right,” he answered with a chuckle, the sheen in his eyes betraying his extreme emotions. “What are you doing here? I thought you were in the safe zone? The camp?”
“I was, but I left to look for help,” Chas said, at once laughing and crying as she looked up into his craggy face. “We all did.”
“We? Who’s we? And what’s going on?” he asked.
“Vanessa, Emily, and Dean came with me. We need to save the camp, Grumps. They’re under attack. Or under siege. Whatever,” Chas said, jumping up an down with excitement.
“Slow down, sweetheart,” Grumps said with a laugh. “We know about the camp. That’s what we’re discussing right now.”
“You know?” Chas asked. “How?”
“I sent scouts out to check on the place. I was worried about you and your mother and Lala. Plus, I picked up a few of your friends the other day as well. They told me all about you and your escapades.”
“Friends? What friends?”
“Hi, Chas,” a voice to the left said. “It’s been a while.”
“Julia?” Chas said with more than a tinge of disbelief. It was the woman in the army uniform, her eyes shining beneath the rim of her cap.
“In the flesh,” Julia said as she reached out to hug Chas.
“Hey, don’t forget about me,” one of the National Guardsmen said, and Chas was floored to discover it was Alvarez. The third man was a stranger, but she didn’t care. It felt like all her Christmases had come at once.
“I can’t believe it. You’re all here,” Chas said, not sure whether she wanted to cry or laugh anymore. She settled for something in between as her friends stormed over, and the next few seconds were spent in a flurry of hugs, happy cries, and tears as they reunited with each other.
It was only when Major Brown’s unwelcome tones rose above the rest, that she reluctantly grew serious once more, her smile falling away as she sobered. She turned to face him, still tucked underneath her grandfather’s arm.
“Well, isn’t this sweet. A family reunion. I take it you’re Mr. Ensign? The leader?” Major Brown asked.
Grumps nodded. “Indeed.”
“I’ve been asking to see you for days,” Major Brown answered. “They told me you were busy.”
“I know. Julia and Alvarez filled me in,” Grumps said. “Luckily,
I spoke to them first.”
“Whatever they told you is all lies,” Major Brown said. “You can’t believe anything they say.”
“I doubt that, Major Brown. You see, Alvarez is friends with my right-hand man here, Lieutenant Stokes, and I trust him with my life,” Grumps said. “As such, I trust Julia and Alvarez completely.”
“As their ranking officer, I find such behavior highly insubordinate,” Major Brown said. “They answer to me, not to civilians.”
“Is that so?” Grumps said, his voice dry with amusement. “Your other men corroborated their story. How you engineered to leave the camp nearly defenseless. How you planned to go to Washington instead of looking after those placed under your care. How you sent out scouting parties to draw the undead toward the safe zone. Do you deny all of that?”
“Of course, I deny it. Just like I deny any authority you might have over me,” Major Brown said. “It’s all hearsay. The insane babble of soldiers under extreme pressure. You have no proof of their accusations, Mr. Ensign.”
Chas bristled at the arrogant note in Major Brown’s voice and the way he stressed the word mister, thereby belittling her grandfather’s position as a civilian. “It’s all true, every word. You’re a murderer, Major Brown.”
“It seems my granddaughter has a few things of her own to add,” Grumps said.
“Oh, please. She’s just a child,” Major Brown scoffed.
“Nonetheless, I think I’d like to hear what she has to say. We all do,” Grumps said. “Go ahead, Chas. Tell us what you know.”
Chas lifted her chin and told the assembled gathering about the final attack, the retreat, and the subsequent deaths of several people including Johnson. By the time she’d finished, an awful silence reigned as all eyes settled on Major Brown and his nephew.
Major Brown remained unfazed, however. “I repeat. You have no proof. None of you do. Who do you think they’ll believe in Washington? My family is one of importance. I was in the ROTC during college and entered the army as a second lieutenant, spending eight years in the armored division of the army before becoming a Major. I have influence. You have none. In fact, I demand that you hand over control of this place to me at once. If you do, I promise to go easy on all of you, considering the difficult circumstances.”
“I’m afraid you have it all wrong, Major. This is my place, my people, and no one answers to anyone here but me,” Grumps replied with a grim look. “Washington is far away. Very far away, indeed. Besides, you might have been in the army once, but you’re now in the National Guard. There’s a difference.”
“That’s right. You have no say over me,” Julia said. “And with all the things you’ve done, no one will blame Alvarez and the rest if they relieve you of your duties.”
“This is an outrage,” Major Brown cried. “Julia, Alvarez, I insist that you escort me to Washington immediately.”
“You’re not going anywhere, Major. At least, not until I’ve decided what to do with you,” Grumps said, waving at the assembled guards. “Confine him and his nephew until further notice, please. Make sure they don’t go anywhere.”
“Yes, Sir,” the guard who’d spoken to Chas said, a slight smile quirking his lips.
“I’ll have your heads for this,” Major Brown said. “Mark my words.”
The guards ignored his threats and closed in. Together, they hustled the protesting Major and his nephew from the room, closing the door behind them with a firm click. Once they were gone, the atmosphere cleared, and Chas was able to relax at last.
She exchanged triumphant smiles with Vanessa, Dean, and Emily. “We did it, guys. We found Grumps and the convoy.”
Grumps looked at Chas, one hand resting on her shoulder. “You’ve done well, sweetheart. I’m proud of you. Of all of you.”
“These kids are one of a kind, Sir,” Julia said beaming from ear to ear.
“Now, we just need to save the camp before they become zombie breakfast,” Emily pointed out.
“You’re right. The situation there is bad, Grumps. We need to save Lala and the others before it’s too late,” Chas said.
“Why don’t you fill us in?” Grumps asked.
Together, Chas and her friends provided as much detail about the camp as they could, highlighting its strong and weak points.
“That’s all we know, Grumps,” Chas said, “but, things have probably gotten worse in the meantime. We need to hurry.”
“Right. Time is of the essence. I’ll gather up as many men as I can tomorrow, though I doubt we have the firepower to take on so many zombies. We can try to draw them away, but where? There’s nowhere to put so many of the things,” Grumps said.
“Sending them off into the sunset isn’t a great idea either. They’ll just come back, drawn to the city and its survivors,” Alvarez said.
“It’s true. We can’t do this alone. We need help,” Julia said, biting on her lower lip. “I’ll go to Washington and see if I can recruit more soldiers and supplies. They’ll have to listen to me.”
“I’ll go with you,” Alvarez said. “I know a few people. I can pull a few strings and speed up the process.”
“Sounds like a plan. It’s the best one we’ve got anyway. I’ll make sure you’ve got what you need for the trip. Food, fuel, a vehicle, and a radio. You can keep us informed,” Grumps said. “In the meantime, we’ll thin the ranks. Pick the zombies off from the outside.”
“Great,” Alvarez said. “We can leave first thing in the morning.”
“With that’s settled, we should all get some rest,” Grumps said. “I’ll handle the rest.”
“But first I want to know how on earth you kids managed to get out of the camp,” Julia said. “And what happened to you? You look a bit banged up, Chas, and so does Dean.”
“It’s a long story…but here goes.” After telling their tale from beginning to end, Chas turned to Julia. “And how did you guys end up here with Grumps? I was so shocked when I saw all of you here, though I should’ve guessed in the dining room already when Major Brown pitched up.”
“Well, the convoy headed out to the hospital as planned. We were supposed to look for important research left behind by a CDC doctor, or so we were told. Turned out it was just a way for Major Brown to get us out of the camp,” Julia said.
“Like you suspected from the start,” Chas said.
“That’s right. When we found nothing, he ordered us to go to Washington. Most of us refused, and a fight broke out.” Julia shook her head sadly. “We should’ve been paying more attention. The noise drew zombies, and they attacked en-masse. We lost Davis and Smith. A few other too.”
“No!” Chas gasped, remembering Smith and his lessons on comms while cracking silly jokes, and Davis who taught them both first-aid and deep respect for life. They’d both been good people. Too good to lose like that. “Is Sanchez okay?”
“She’s fine. As crazy as ever,” Alvarez said.
“Lucky for them, I was out on a supply run, and we also heard the noise,” Grumps said.
Julia nodded. “Yeah, you’re grandfather swooped in and saved the day. So…here we are. It’s just too bad we lost so many because of one man’s greed.”
After a brief silence spent thinking about the dead, Grumps cleared his throat. “Right, I think it’s time for bed. I don’t know about you, but these old bones could use a rest.”
Everyone chuckled, and Chas nodded as exhaustion suddenly crashed over her. “Okay, Grumps. Just show the way, and we can crash.”
Dean left to spend the night with his parents while Grumps showed the girls to their bedroom. At the entrance, Grumps pulled Chas close for one last hug. “Goodnight, sweetheart. You made an old man very happy today. Sleep tight.”
“Love you too, Grumps. Sleep tight,” Chas replied before seeking out the nearest bunk. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep, her last thought of Lala, Vivienne, and all the others still stuck in the camp surrounded by a sea of zombies. “Don’t worry, Mom…Lala. We’ll save y
ou. I promise.”
Epilogue
After a long night spent tossing and turning, Chas got up the next morning before dawn. The others were awake too, all of them too restless to sleep any longer. After washing and dressing, they made their way to the dining room. Dean and his parents were already there. So was Julia, Alvarez, and Sanchez.
The trio destined for Washington looked fit…ready for war, and Chas’ heart clenched at the thought of the dangerous journey that lay ahead of them. There was no other way, though. If they wanted to defeat the thousands of zombies besieging the camp, they’d need all the help they could get. She quickly noticed the look on their faces though and was almost too scared to ask. “What’s wrong?”
Julia sighed and shook her head. “The Major and his idiotic waste-of-space nephew escaped during the night.”
“What?” Chas cried.
“Yes, they killed a guard, stole a vehicle and some supplies, and took off,” Julia said.
“I can’t believe it,” Chas said.
“They’re probably heading to Washington as we speak,” Alvarez added. “He’ll try to sabotage our mission.”
“Can he do that?” Chas asked, aghast.
“If he gets there first, yes,” Alvarez said. “He has the ear of several politicians.”
“That’s why we’re getting there before him,” Julia said. “We’re leaving right after breakfast.”
“And if I catch the sucker somewhere along the way, I’ll kill him with my bare hands. That’s a promise,” Alvarez said.
Chas eyed his muscular shoulders and cold eyes. “I have no doubt you can.”
Dean sighed. “I wish I was going too. What an adventure.”
“Adventure?” Dean’s mom said. “Don’t be silly, dear. You’re staying here with us where it’s safe.”
“I know, Mom, I was just saying,” Dean said with a rueful grin.
“Well, don’t even think it. From now on, your father and I are keeping a close eye on you,” she said.
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