by Bale, Sarah
Pulling the keys from my pocket, I unlocked the door. It squeaked loudly as it swung open.
“Fuck.” Amos said, “We should get out of here. Now.”
“Is there another way out?”
“No.”
I handed the bag of weapons to him. “Everyone gets a gun. We’re going to have to fight our way out of here.”
I’d made a mistake by underestimating Bobby. I wouldn’t make it again.
Amos handed everyone a weapon and said, “We’re ready.”
“Get to the road. If you make it that far, run.” I looked at each man. “Help is on the way, but it might not get here in time.”
I hated that I’d let these men down for a second time, but I was going to do everything in my power to make sure they got out.
“On my count. Three. Two. Go!”
We ran up the stairs. Somehow, I ended up in the middle of the group. When the door opened the first two men were shot dead on the spot. We fired back as all hell broke loose. This was it. One way or another, this ended today.
Twelve
Daisy
My mouth fell open as a group of naked women ran toward the van, Marianne leading the way.
“Boss said to go. Now!”
Something in her tone told me she wasn’t lying. I got into the van, starting it. The women piled in next to the men as gunfire rang out. One of the women cried out, falling backward.
“Tanya!” Marianne yelled. “No!”
“Marianne, we don’t have time!”
She glanced at me before closing her door. I took off, praying Elijah was okay.
“What happened in there?”
Some of the women sniffled, but Marianne met my gaze straight on.
“Bobby has lost his mind. He thinks your group is out to get him.”
“That makes no sense. We haven’t done anything to make him think that.”
Marianne huffed. “He’s related to Wyatt. Doesn’t really need a reason to be crazy, now does he?”
She had a point.
“Why did Elijah stay behind?”
“Boss was going to try to find the men. Said to have Grey bring back-up.”
I pressed the gas pedal in until we were speeding down the road. Everyone was silent as we made our way back. I honked the horn as I got close. The gates opened and I was relieved to see Grey with a group of men. I stopped the van and got out.
“Saw your dust cloud a mile away. What happened?”
“Elijah’s in trouble. He said to send help.”
Grey nodded. “Don’t tell Kat where I’ve gone.”
I grabbed his hand. “I’m coming, too, Grey.”
He stared at me, nodding. “Let’s go. I’m driving, though.”
I nodded and went to the passenger side of his jeep. The other men piled into a truck.
Marianne asked, “What do we do?”
“Go to the housing addition. Andrews and his wife, Nancy, will be able to show you where you’ll be staying.”
Marianne said, “I’m sorry this happened.”
I gave her a weak smile. “Don’t be. It was our choice to come back for y’all.”
She smiled back.
Grey cleared his throat. “Daisy, we need to go.”
We were soon speeding down the road, headed back to Bobby’s place. Luckily, my honking hadn’t drawn the attention of the Dead.
As we drove I filled Grey in.
“Wonder if someone got inside Bobby’s head? Seems like a leap for him to go from trusting us to wanting to kill us.”
I replied, “Seems like he was twisted and we didn’t know it. Did you see the women? Those bruises were fresh.”
Grey nodded. “I’m glad you decided to let them come here. No one deserves to live like that.”
I didn’t want to tell him that I was still uneasy about Marianne being back. What if she caused trouble again?
Grey cleared his throat. “I didn’t mention this earlier, but Kat hasn’t been feeling well today. Keeps having contractions.”
I could tell by his tone that he was worried.
“It’s probably Braxton Hicks.”
“That’s what she said, but I think she’s hurting more than she’s letting on. She tries to put on a strong face, but I can tell.”
If my calculations were right, it was too early for contractions, even if they were Braxton Hicks. I kept that bit of information to myself.
Instead I said, “We’ll have Elijah check her out when we get back.”
As we turned the corner, Grey cursed. I echoed his thoughts. In the short amount of time we’d been gone all hell had broken loose. We parked and got out. Bodies were scattered in the yard, thankfully none that I recognized.
Grey said. “Fuck. They’re starting to turn.”
Which would only slow us down when we left.
I said, “I’ll take care of the Dead. Find Elijah and make sure he’s okay.”
I could see the debate in Grey’s eyes. And then gunfire rang out from the house followed by answering shots.
“Grey, go! The sooner we have Elijah the sooner we can get back to Kat!”
I pulled my knife from my belt and went to the first body, sliding the blade into its skull.
Grey called out to his men. “We need to find Boss and get the fuck out of here. If you see a biter, take it down, but don’t waste your time on helping the injured.” To me, he said, “We’ll hurry.”
They disappeared from sight, splitting into two groups. It always amazed me how well Grey’s men worked together. They’d been in a biker gang before the apocalypse and somehow that made them even stronger now.
I moved onto the next body. It was the little boy who had been with Grey the first day we’d come to their home. I took care of him, trying not to dwell on it. Soon, I’d slipped the blade in over twenty skulls.
There was yelling from the building and then Elijah, Grey, and several men came running out. Blood was splattered on Elijah’s clothes, but he appeared to be okay.
Elijah called out, “Get to the jeep, Daisy.”
I did as he said, and started the engine. The men piled into the backseat, but Elijah stood next to Grey.
“What is he doing?” I asked.
Why wasn’t he coming?
A man replied, “He’s waiting on what’s left of Bobby’s men to come outside.”
What was left? Good god!
About fifteen men and a few women came outside, all looking terrified. Elijah held up his hand, motioning them to stop.
He said, “Who’s in charge now?”
No one moved. I couldn’t really blame them.
Finally, a short man with red hair stepped forward. “If these people will have me, I’ll be in charge.”
“What’s your name?”
“It’s Marshall.”
“Nice to meet you, Marshall. Can you tell me something? Do you think Bobby was running this place as it should be?”
Marshall shook his head. “No, sir, I don’t.”
“What will you do differently?”
Marshall replied, “The women who want to stay will no longer be treated as objects. Anyone who doesn’t agree with me can leave or will pay the price of death.”
Elijah asked, “Does anyone object to this new rule?”
The people shook their heads.
A woman asked, “What if we don’t want to stay here?”
“You can come with me to our home or you can seek shelter elsewhere. No one will stop you.”
She replied, “May I take a bag of food with me?”
“Marshall?”
Marshall replied, “That will be fine.”
The woman nodded, looking relieved.
Elijah said, “I want each and every one of you to know that I didn’t ask for the fight today. It was Bobby who decided my group was the enemy.”
Marshall nodded. “We know that. I can vouch for the people standing behind me. None of us thought what Bobby did was right. In fact, we tried to s
top him.”
Several people chimed in, confirming Marshall’s words.
Elijah said, “My offer still stands. Anyone who lived under my protection can come back.” He looked around. “But it also looks like things are changing here, too. I’ll give you a moment to decide.”
He came over to the jeep. Only then did I notice that his hand was shaking. I got out and threw myself into his arms.
“Damn you! You’ve got to stop scaring me like that!”
Elijah hugged me close to his body and kissed the top of my head. “Sorry. Didn’t expect things to go down like this today.”
“Is Bobby dead?”
His chest rumbled. “Fucking prick took his own life when we cornered him. Didn’t even give me a chance to talk to him.”
I replied, “I’m glad he’s gone. We won’t have to worry about him coming after us later down the line.”
Elijah glanced over his shoulder. “I thought the same thing.”
“Do you think anyone from his group will want to seek revenge?”
“Depends on how well they thrive here. If they do well, then no. If not, then yes.”
My chest felt tight. Before I could reply, Grey came over.
“I hate to be that guy, but can we get the fuck out of here?”
Elijah cleared his throat. “Has everyone had a chance to think it over?”
Amos said, “We’re coming.”
About eight men stepped forward.
Marshall nodded. “Hate to see you go, but know that you can always come back.”
“Anyone else want to come?” When no one responded, Elijah said, “Then let’s go.”
Marshall said, “They can take one of the old trucks. Someone can bring it back later.”
Elijah and Marshall shook hands before Elijah turned, coming back to the jeep.
“Let’s go home.”
The drive back was silent. I don’t think anyone knew what to say to each other. When we got back to the hospital Elijah went with Grey to check on Kat. I made my way to the kitchen to see if Coop needed help. When I was almost there, the first tears fell from my eyes.
Glancing around, I slipped into the laundry room. For the first time in a very long time I allowed myself to cry. I cried for the fear I’d felt today. I could have lost Elijah! He was my first and only love. What would I do without him? I couldn’t even bring myself to think about it. Next, I thought about Faith. I know she said it wasn’t my fault that she was bit, but what if it was? And what about the ones I’d left behind in Texas? My Mom. Theo. What had happened to them?
There was a knock on the door and I tried in vain to wipe my tears away. The door opened and Jo came into the room.
“Did something happen?”
I shook my head, sniffling.
“Just feeling sorry for myself, I guess.” I paused. “Do you think it’s my fault that Faith died?”
“No! Why would you even think that?”
I answered, “Because I didn’t kill the biter who bit her. If I’d just shot it-”
Jo put her arms around me, hugging me. “Daisy, you can’t think like that. Thoughts like that will eat you alive.”
My eyes watered again. “I know. Like I said, I guess I’m just feeling sorry.”
“I get that. Norm always freaks out when I cry. I think people see it as a weakness.” She gave me another hug. “It’s not. It means you’re human.”
I nodded. “You’re right.”
She asked, “How did it go today?”
I filled her in on what’d happened.
She said, “I agree with you. I’m glad Bobby died. We don’t need that hanging over our heads.”
“Hopefully that’s the end of it.”
She said, “Time will tell. You ready to get out of here?”
I replied, “Yeah. I’m going to step outside. Let the cold air cool my face.”
She gave me a smile. “I’ll be in the cafeteria if you need me.”
I nodded and went out the back doors. The sky was already darkening and everything felt so still. But, the cold air made my puffy face feel better. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back. There was a loud sound from the side of the building. I rushed around the corner, gun drawn. What if the fence had collapsed? Or worse, what if someone from Bobby’s group was already seeking revenge?
Norm held up his hands, motioning for me to stop.
“Don’t move.”
My heart pounded, but I did as he said. He crouched down in front of some crates.
“It’s okay, fella. Come here.”
There was a soft meow from the depths of the crates.
I whispered, “Did Percy get out?”
Norm shook his head. “It’s not Percy. I spotted this fella the other day and I’ve been trying to get him to come out, but he’s shy.” He tried again. “Come on, kitty-kitty.”
My lips twitched. It was kind of adorable seeing a grown man on his hands and knees, sweet talking a cat. He kept calling until a small black kitten peeked its head out from the crates.
“That’s a good kitty. Come here.”
He opened his palm revealing some chicken scraps. The cat sniffed the air and walked tentatively toward Norm. I held my breath in anticipation as the cat leaned forward, eating a bit of the meat. Norm moved his other hand over the cat, petting it.
“That’s a good kitty-boy.”
The cat arched it’s back as Norm petted it until it was purring loudly.
Norm grinned at me and said, “Percy’s going to be mad when I get this cat to come inside.”
I replied, “Maybe. He might be glad to have the company.”
Norm continued to pet the cat until it was rubbing against his legs.
“Moment of truth,” he said.
He picked the cat up, petting under the chin. The cat’s eyes widened, but then settled into his arms. It was the cutest damn thing I’d ever seen in my life.
“What are you going to call him?”
“I’ve always liked the name Beau.” Norm replied. He tilted his arm, looking under the cat’s tail. “Except this little thing is a girl.”
I grinned. “What’s your other name choice?”
“Lucy.”
“Percy and Lucy. I like it.”
He took a step toward the doors and said, “Good kitty. Lucy is a good kitty.” To me, he said, “Jo’s going to be so mad.”
I laughed. “I think she’ll understand. She’s in the cafeteria right now, so you’ve got some time to come up with a plan.”
He grinned and went inside, talking softly to his new pet. I was glad he’d found her. It was wonderful to find a small piece of how things used to be, like having a pet. Just then, something wet hit my cheek and then my nose. Lifting my head, I realized it was snowing.
Elijah came outside, wiping his hands on a rag. He asked, “What’s that smile for?”
I told him about Norm finding Lucy. “It just made me really happy.”
He kissed me. “I’m glad.”
Snow continued to fall around us and the wind picked up. I shivered.
“How’s Kat?”
He replied, “I think it’s Braxton Hicks, like she suspected. Told her to take it easy for a few days.”
“Hopefully she listens.”
“Hopefully.” He smiled at me. “Let’s go to bed.”
My heart fluttered and I nodded. Arm-in-arm, we went inside.
When we were in our room, I turned to him. “Do you think we’re safe here?”
“I don’t think anyone from Bobby’s group is going to come after us, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Maybe. I don’t know.”
Sighing, I sat on the bed.
“What’s going on?” he asked as he sat next to me.
“We weren’t safe here before and we definitely weren’t safe in Texas. I guess I’m just trying to figure out if we’re ever going to be able to stop running.”
Because I was tired of running. And, as much as I hoped thing
s would change, it didn’t seem like it was. In fact, the world seemed to get darker every day. The Dead outnumbered the living and nothing we did could change it. It took us at least a decade and a half to be ready to reproduce, whereas it only took them one bite.
I rubbed my face, feeling the emotions from before returning. Clenching my hand into a fist, I dug my fingernails into my palms. I wouldn’t cry in front of him. It would only worry him.
“Daisy, I promise we’re safe here. The watchtowers are nearly finished and, with all the extra help from the people who returned, we’re going to be able to plant a good crop in the spring.”
The wind howled at that moment as if to remind us that Mother Nature still had a say in how things worked out.
“With more people comes more mouths to feed.”
He rubbed my back. “We’ll figure it out.”
“How can you be so sure?”
He was about to reply when Grey burst into our room.
“It’s not just Braxton Hicks! Kat’s water just broke.” His eyes were wild. “It’s too soon, isn’t it?”
The look on Elijah’s face confirmed that this wasn’t good. Elijah grabbed his bag and we followed Grey to his room. Kat stood, bracing herself against the wall. She rocked back and forth, moaning.
“Kat, how far apart are the contractions?” Elijah asked.
Sweat beaded on her forehead. She shook her head, breathing loudly.
I went to her side, rubbing her lower back. “Kat, breathe with me.”
Together, we did the breathing techniques I’d read in one of the old pamphlets from the front lobby. The breathing seemed to help her.
She panted out, “They’re about two minutes apart. Thought it was just indigestion until it felt like I pissed my pants.”
“This might not be the real deal. You were fine earlier.” Elijah said, “I need to check and see if you’re dilated.”
She moaned, but nodded. Elijah went to the sink, washing his hands. He moved to Kat’s side, reaching between her legs.
“I can feel the baby’s head. It has a full head of hair, too.”
Kat swayed again, crying out. When the contraction passed she said, “It’s too early. I’ve been keeping track.” Her voice broke.