“Always,” I grinned. I opened the store's door and left Sarah to guard the door. I swept the area and finding it clear, lowered my weapon. Near the back of the store, I found the evidence we were looking for. On the ground was a sleeping back, empty bottles and plenty of wrappers. We had found her hidey hole, just not her. I holstered my gun and made my way back to the front. “She’d definitely staying here,” I called out, “but she’s not here right now. We’re just going to have to wait somewhere for her to show up. Maybe we…”
I heard the familiar click of a pistol’s hammer locking into place. “Why wait?” I heard from behind me.
“Jasmine.”
“James. Let’s go say hi to Sarah,” I felt the pistol jam into my back. “Move.”
“You really are a sneaky bitch,” I growled.
“You have no idea.”
She pushed me out the door but didn’t follow, “James, what’s going on…” Sarah asked before catching sight of Jasmine and the pistol. She reached for her pistol but was stopped by my head shake.
“Very smart James,” smiled Jasmine. “Let’s all play nice for the time being.”
The way she remained in the doorway prevented Sarah from getting a good shot at her, and it wouldn’t be worth the risk at the moment. I would have to think of a way to maneuver her into a better field of fire. “I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long,” I told her.
“I knew you’d come after me and I knew you’d bring your bitch along,” she sneered. My anger flared and slowly began moving my hand down to my gun but was forced to stop as she noticed. “Ah, ah, ah,” she chastised me as if I was a child trying to sneak a cookie and pointed her gun at Sarah. “You wouldn’t want me to have to put a hole in her pretty face now would you?” I let my hand drop. “That’s a good boy.” I started to try and move closer to Sarah to put my body between her and the gun, but Jasmine spoke up, “I know what you’re trying to do James. Move away from her.” I clenched my teeth and took a step to my right. “That’s better. You don’t get to play the hero this time,” she said smiling sickly at me. “You really are pathetic,” she said pointing the gun back at me. “She makes you weak.” I was about to take a step towards her, end her little rant, gun or no gun, but she quickly panned the gun back over to Sarah. I stopped. She laughed, “See. All I have to do is threaten her, and you’re like putty in my hand. I was wrong before when I thought I could control you if I showed a little skin and gave you what I thought every guy wanted. No, all I had to do was get control of your bitch, and you’re all mine.”
“So you really are that stupid aren’t you,” I said, trying to get her to point the gun back at me. She was absolutely right, she could get me to do anything with Sarah’s life on the line. I just had to get her angry enough to want to kill me first, giving Sarah the time and the opportunity to pull her gun. Jasmine glared at me. “Yeah, I’d lay my life down for her, but that doesn’t make me weak. She’s what makes me strong. I think you should reconsider what you’re doing. Cole tried to take Sarah from me and look how that worked out for him.”
She scoffed, “Yeah but you had help. You’re all alone now.”
“It doesn’t matter you, stupid bitch. If you hurt her, I’ll fucking destroy you. I’ll make what I did to Cole feel like heaven.”
“Doesn’t matter, as long as I wreck your life first. Just like you wrecked mine.”
I laughed, “By the sound of it, your life was ruined way before me. What kind of person were you before the Walkers? Because it’s been my experience that this disaster only brings out people's true colors. If you were a coward before, you’re a coward after. If you were a lying, manipulative bitch before, well…” I raised a hand to her.
She snarled and pointed the gun at me. Good, I thought and took another step to my right, the gun following. “You don’t know anything about me,” she yelled.
“I know you must be dumb. You had the chance to leave, try surviving somewhere else, but you came back. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“I couldn’t let you live happily ever after, not when I had everything taken from me.” I could see her hand shaking. “You took everything from me.” Her voice cracked with the rage she brought forth.
“I’m done,” I said throwing my hands up in the air, “Just fucking shoot me.”
“Gladly,” she sneered.
“Fuck you, Jasmine.”
“Too bad for you, you already had your chan…”
What happened next was unexpected. Jasmine's snide comment was cut short by the arrow that protruded from her shoulder. The gun went off as it was jerked up and to the right. I had only one thought before I sprinted towards Jasmine, Liz. I tackled Jasmine as she stumbled back a step and took her to the ground. I knocked the gun from her hand, but we fell into the store. Our struggle knocked over a shelf, and I was showered with canned goods and packaged meals. As I tried to gain my bearings, I felt a white hot pain shoot through my calf. I looked down to find the arrow that had previously been in Jasmine’s shoulder sticking in my right calf. I yelled in pain and yanked the arrow out. Thankfully it was only a practice arrow and wasn’t tipped with a barbed hunting tip. The next thing I knew Jasmine was laughing. It was hysterical laughter that wouldn’t have been out of place at a mental institution. “What the fuck are you laughing at?” I growled as I stood and drew my gun, training it on her head.
“It’s over. I win,” she laughed wickedly, madness tinging her voice.
“What?” I said taking a closer look at the maniacal look on her face. As I took a closer look, I began noticing things that hadn’t been clear before. She was pale, sweating and her eyes were bloodshot. Panic shot through me. As if to answer my unasked question she raised the sleeve of her left arm and showed me a blacked, bloody bite on her forearm. “When?” I asked quietly.
“Last night,” she grinned. I stared at her, gun still aimed at her head. “What James, no smart reply? No righteous anger? I know, I have an idea. Why don’t you come here and we can spend our last few hours together? I know you still want to fu…” I couldn’t take her talking anymore, so I squeezed the trigger and put a bullet through her left eye. Funny, she wasn’t very pretty with half her face missing.
I know it’s stupid, but I could feel the virus coursing through my veins, competing with the building rage for my attention. I may have been dead, but Sarah and Liz weren’t, and we still had Walkers in the area, with more arriving by the minute. After pulling off my belt and synching it around my thigh as tight as it would go, I turned away from Jasmine’s body and limped slowly over to Sarah. “Get in the store,” I said darkly.
“What? No.”
“Sarah. Give me your gun and get in the fucking store. Now.”
“James…”
“God damn it. Now.” I barked putting my hand out for her to hand me the gun. She frowned, worry evident on her face, and handed me the gun. Once she was safely behind the store's door, I started in on the Walkers. Gun in each hand I slowly and methodically dispatched the undead. My anger and adrenaline taking away the pain in my leg, the understanding and acceptance of death allowing me to remain calm. I was more dangerous than I had ever been and I would take full advantage of it.
Liz made her way over to me, darting between Walkers and putting down only those she couldn’t avoid. “Is Jasmine dead?”
“Yeah.”
“Well let’s get the hell out of here.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I’ll explain later. Just go get in the store with Sarah.”
“What’s going on James?”
“Just do as I say, ok? Just this one time, please,” I said trying not to let emotion break my resolve.
“Ok,” she said worriedly.
I made sure she made it safely to the store and then continued my rampage. I emptied magazine after magazine, boldly walking up to the living dead and putting point-blank shots through their leathery faces. I drew their attention and led them away from th
e store, all the while remaining calm. As I was reloading one of the guns, I felt a hand grab my left shoulder, its grip like a vice. I finished loading the gun and wrapped my left arm around the Walker’s. Using the gun as a club, I bashed its face in twice to force its gaping mouth away from me. Once I had its mouth safely away, I put the gun under its chin and pulled the trigger, blowing off the top of its skull. I shrugged off its grip as it fell to the ground. I cleared the rest of the area and walked back to the store.
Opening the door, I was greeted by a hard slap in the face, “What was that all about?” Sarah yelled, “You could have been killed. Do you have a death wish or something?” I let her yell, let her tell me I was stupid and selfish. I let her get her anger out before I broke the news to her. “Well, are you just going to stand there?”
“I’m sorry, but I had to do it.”
“Why? We could have helped.”
“I couldn’t put you in danger.”
“Oh, so you’re the only one who can be stupid like that. James, you could have died!”
“Sarah, I’m already dead.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Jasmine. She was bitten last night. The arrow Liz shot her with, she…she stabbed me with it. I’m infected.”
She stood there in silence for a minute before beating my chest again and again with her fists. “No,” she shook her head, “No. No. No,” she repeated like a chant. “There has to be something we can do.”
“Sarah,” I gripped her shoulders and pulled her close, “It’s over. I can’t get out of this one. There’s no saving the day.”
“You can’t die. You have to be there for Michelle. You have to be there for everyone. You have to be there for our baby and me.”
It was like the world was suddenly put on mute. I could see that she was still talking, but nothing was getting through. I gaped at her as I thought, Baby? Did she just say, baby? I’m pretty sure she just said, baby. Finally, I had to interrupt her “B…Baby?”
She stopped, and her eyes went wide. She then smiled sadly, tears shining in her eyes, “I’m pregnant.”
“I…You…We…” I stuttered. Her smile turned to a look of worry, and I realized that I hadn’t said a single actual word for too long. I shook my head and smiled, “Sarah, baby, that’s amazing.”
“It is?”
“Yeah, why didn’t you tell me before?”
“I was going to, but I just didn’t know how,” she looked at her feet.
Realization suddenly dawned on me, and things began falling into place. Every confusing action and topic now made sense. I choked back a sob and found it mixed with a laugh, “I love you. I love you so much, and I’m sorry this happened. I’m sorry I won’t be there.” I looked past Sarah as I held her. Liz was crying silently, “Liz, do you think you could do me a favor and go home, get the others. I’d like to say goodbye.”
“What?” Sarah said backing away from me, “You’re coming home.”
“No,” I said shaking my head sadly, “I can’t risk it.”
“Well, I’m not going anywhere.”
“I wouldn’t dream of sending you away, not yet at least. Liz, you think you can do that for me?”
She nodded, tears still rolling down her cheeks, “Of course.”
“Thanks,” I left Sarah in the store to make sure Liz got to the truck safely and returned to her.
“What now?” asked Sarah.
“Now I need your help with something.”
“Anything.”
“Careful now, I might make you live up to that statement,” I said winking, trying to lighten the mood.
She let out a little laugh, “Shut up.”
“Yes, dear.”
“What did you want me to help with?”
“I little while back Michael gave me an idea, and I think that since I’m…since, I’m dying it would be a good idea to start now.”
“Start what?” So I explained what Michael had done and what I wanted to do and why. She smiled sadly and nodded, “Let’s get started.”
We worked for almost an hour before hearing the rumble of several trucks. We put down what we were working on and walked out to the street that was empty except for the bodies of the Walkers I had laid to rest. Sarah held my hand as the others got out of the trucks and walked up to us, Bear leaping from the back to run towards me. He stopped five feet away, his attitude changing in an instant. His ears flattened and the fur along his spine sticking up. While he didn’t growl, I could tell that he was wary of me, that he could sense what was coursing through my body, that he could sense what I was becoming. “It’s ok boy, I’m not a threat yet,” I said taking a knee. I could feel my joints creak and ache as I put a hand out for him to sniff. He was cautious, nervous even, as he inched forward to sniff my hand. After a brief inspection, he allowed me to pet him behind the ear, his hair and ears returning to normal. “Good boy,” I said as he moved closer. His cold, wet nose pressed against my face as he continued his inspection of me, “Good boy,” I said again, and he licked my nose once before retreating and taking up station near Michelle.
The first of the humans to approach me was my brother, his eyes were red as were his face. He was angry and trying to hide that he had been crying. “You dumb son of a bitch. What the fuck. You aren’t supposed to die.”
I smiled sadly at him, “Sorry to disappoint little brother.”
“God damn it, man.”
“Sucks I know.”
He laughed, wiping his eyes, “I would say that this is a little worse than sucks.”
“True, but you heard about Sarah right?”
He grinned and nodded, “Yeah Liz told us.”
“You’re going to have to watch out for him or her,” I told him.
“You can count on me.”
“I know I can.” I put my arm around my brother and walked him a short distance away. “Look,” I said when I determined we were far enough away from the others, “You’re going to have to do more than watch out for my kid. You’re going to have to make sure that they’re faster, stronger, and smarter than me, better than all of us. I want him or her to grow old, to have lived a full life and to have kids of their own.”
“James, I don’t know if I can. I’m not good enough.”
“Damn it, Michael. You made it here mostly by yourself. You’ve fought alongside us and Luke’s camp. You’re more than good enough. I’m going to need you to step up and take a leadership role. They’re going to be looking to you.”
“Because I’m your brother.”
“Because you’re the best man for the job.”
“If you say so.”
“I do say so. You be the best damn uncle you can be, and you make sure my kid stays safe,” I couldn’t help but let a few tears break free.
“Well, if they’re anything like you, then I’ll have a tough time, but I think I’ll manage.”
I hugged him hard enough to break ribs, “I love you, little brother.”
“I love you too,” he said returning the hug just as hard.
We walked back over to the group, and I began saying my goodbye to the others, telling them that I loved them and giving some of them advice. “Hey, if any more kid stuff comes up, try not to be a total ass,” I told Jason. He laughed as said that he would try. I made each of them promise to watch out for each other, to take care of each other and to stick together no matter what. They were a family, and they needed each other.
The last person to say goodbye was Michelle. Liz was holding on to her, one hand placed gently on her shoulder. Michelle had her own hand on Bear, gripping his collar tight. As I waved her over she walked slowly, Bear following alongside her. I didn’t know if she was holding the dog or if the dog was helping to keep her up, but they walked together. When they reached me I knelt down, and Bear let out a low, deep grumble, warning me that I was too close to Michelle for his comfort. “Bear, stop that. Bad boy,” Michelle said chastising him. I couldn’t help but smile fo
r the briefest of moments. She let go of her dog and hugged me.
I held her at arm’s length and took in her ashen face, her golden hair in tight, neat braids. “Michelle, I have to say goodbye now.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going away. I can’t come home because I’m sick.”
“But we have medicine.”
“Honey, there’s no medicine to help me.”
“But you can’t leave.”
“I have to.”
She started to cry and hit my chest with her tiny fists, “But you said you wouldn’t go away. You said you wouldn’t leave me alone. You promised,” she yelled.
I wrapped my arms around her and choked back my tears, her own beginning to soak through my t-shirt, “You won’t be alone. You still have Michael and Sarah and Liz and all the others, and soon you’ll have someone else in your life. Sarah is going to have a baby.”
She pulled away in surprise, “Sarah’s going to be a mommy?” she said wide-eyed.
“Yep.”
“Are you the daddy?”
I smiled and nodded, “Yeah. But I can’t be around to take care of the baby, so I need you to be a big girl and help her. You need to be the best big sister you can and help Sarah. Ok?”
She sniffed and nodded, “Ok.”
“Take care of Bear too, ok?” I said nodding at the dog.
“Ok,” she said putting her hand back on the dog’s collar.
“That’s my girl,” I said wiping away her tears. “I love you, Michelle.”
She wrapped her small arms around my neck and whispered in my ear, “I love you too daddy.”
My heart broke as I held the little girl, my little girl. I scooped her up without protest from Bear and walked over to the group. Setting her down I did my best to control my tears. “You all need to go home. I don’t want you here longer than you have to be. Make sure you leave a truck behind for Sarah, she’s going to stay with me for a little while.”
“Why can’t we stay?” asked Thomas
“It’s too dangerous. Besides, she’s helping me with something. Just go ok?”
They nodded and climbed in their trucks. I held Sarah’s hand and watched as they drove away. “We should probably get back to work,” she said as she gave my hand a quick squeeze.
Survivors Series (Book 2): Heroes Never Die Page 33