“Put your arm around me.”
Brooke accepted it, using her right hand to pull herself up. Max came over to help her stand, but Jon pushed him away.
“Get in the fucking car,” Jon said.
“It was an accident,” Max said, his arms out. “I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt.”
Terrence grabbed Max’s arm and pulled him away. “Come on. Get in the car.”
“But I didn’t—”
“Get in the fucking car!”
It was the first time Jon had heard Terrence raise his voice, and from how Max reacted, it didn’t appear to happen often.
Jon helped Brooke over to the car, opening the passenger side door for her. He held her hand as she got in.
A chorus of snarls pulled Jon’s attention away, and he turned his head to follow the sound.
“Was that what I think it was?” Terrence asked.
“All our gunfire must have caught the attention of more of them,” Jon said. “Let’s get away from this fucking nightmare house and regroup up the road.”
27
Jon watched the taillights of the car turn red after they had turned back onto the highway. He slowed down and pulled up beside the vehicle. Shutting the engine off, Jon dismounted his bike. At the same time, Terrence stepped out of the still-running car. He went to Jon, sticking his hands out and grabbing his shoulders.
Apparently, he knew what Jon was going to do.
“Let me fucking talk to him, Terrence,” Jon said.
“That’s not going to do anyone any good and you know it.”
Jon kept his eyes on Terrence, but pointed at the back seat of the car. “That asshole almost got all of us killed.”
“But, he didn’t.”
Jon stared past Terrence into the back seat. Max glanced at Jon, but quickly turned away. Jon drew in several deep breaths before shrugging Terrence’s hands off of him.
“I’m good, let me go.” Jon turned around and put his hands on his hips.
“I’m not saying he won’t be punished for that shit he pulled back there, but there’s a certain way we handle things in Hope’s Dawn. Without order, we only have chaos.”
“Look around you, Terrence. This whole world is in utter chaos.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t have to be.”
Jon shook his head.
“We had two witnesses from the camp,” Terrence said. “I can promise you that Max will be punished for this. You can leave the camp as you planned, knowing that.”
Jon looked to the front seat. Brooke was staring out at them, too, but said nothing. Then she turned away, her eyes leaving Jon and going to the scenery outside her window.
“How is she?”
“We’ll get her to the doctor as soon as we get back to camp,” Terrence said. “But from what she’s describing, it sounds like a sprain. She got lucky with that fall she took.”
“Good.” Jon patted Terrence on the shoulder. “Thanks back there. You’re one hell of a shot. No way we would have gotten out of that situation without you there.”
“Likewise, brother. I just wish you were sticking around our camp longer.”
Jon looked at Brooke again, saying nothing. Then, without looking at Terrence, he said, “Let’s just get back there.”
The sun had started to settle as the afternoon blended into the evening. Jon followed the vehicle back toward the camp with his mind racing.
So many thoughts passed through his mind. How he wanted to kill Max. The image of Brooke falling off the roof, and him thinking that she was going to be seriously injured or even die from the fall. The zombie that had almost bitten his face off before Brooke had taken it down. And, most of all, Brooke herself.
He couldn’t leave the camp, not with her in the shape she was in. He would have to stay at least a few more days to make sure she would be okay.
Jon thought of Lucas, as well. The boy already had to face life in this new shitty world without a father. He couldn’t lose his mother, too, and the incident with the roof had been a close call. Thinking of Spencer, his own son, Jon knew he needed to hang around to be sure that Brooke would be okay.
He was deep in thought when he noticed Terrence pulling away from him. Jon glanced on to the horizon to see the smoke billowing, coming from the direction of the camp.
“Shit.”
Jon twisted the throttle, staying behind the car as they sped down the highway. Jon’s mind didn’t race on this one. He knew exactly who had been at the camp and why he saw smoke.
When they arrived at Hope’s Dawn, the gate was already open. The taillights on the car lit up and Jon slowed, as well. As they passed through the gate, Jon saw that not only was the gate open, but it had been broken. No one stood guard. The smoke they’d seen rose from one of the houses at the back of the camp. It had been set aflame.
Terrence stopped, leaving the car in the middle of the camp. He, Brooke, and Max all jumped out as Jon brought the motorcycle to a stop next to it. Brooke pointed to one of the houses ahead on the right. The camp had gathered outside in the yard. The group hurried that way.
Many from the settlement turned as they saw the group coming toward them. Hugo emerged from the crowd and met them.
“Hugo,” Brooke said, “what the hell happened?”
“It’s the Vultures,” he said. “They…”
He bowed his head, covering his eyes with his hand as tears came.
“What is it?” Terrence asked.
“Garrett… it’s Garrett. They shot him.”
Brooke covered her mouth. “Where is he? Is he in the house?” She tried to walk by Hugo, but he grabbed onto her arm.
“There isn’t anything we can do for him right now. We have other matters we need to discuss.”
“Like what?” Brooke asked.
Hugo sighed, lowering his eyes again and putting his hands on his hips. “They said they’re going to come back here and burn the rest of the place to the ground unless we meet their demands.”
“What are their demands?” Terrence asked.
Raising his head, Hugo’s eyes landed on Jon. The others followed his gaze as he licked his lips, shaking his head.
“They want him.”
28
Jon, Hugo, and Terrence walked in silence as they went to gather in Terrence’s living room, away from the rest of the people of Hope’s Dawn. Brooke had decided to go check on Garrett, assuring the three men that she would meet up with them as soon as she could.
Hugo and Terrence sat down on the couch while Jon opted to remain standing. He crossed his arms and paced back and forth, taking only a few steps each way before turning around.
“What exactly happened?” Terrence asked, finally breaking the silence. “I can fill Brooke in on the details later.”
Hugo put his elbows on his knees, leaning over as he exhaled. “They just showed up out of nowhere. Brought one of those big transport trucks they’ve got. Jess was guarding the front gate and was ready to open it, but the truck didn’t slow down. They drove straight through, nearly taking Jess out in the process. Fortunately, she dove away in time, and she’s fine.
“About a dozen people, mostly men, got out of the truck. They all had weapons. Guns, bats, knives. Everyone was armed. The leader, Judah, was the last one to step out. He came forward with one helluva smile on his face and called Garrett out. And with that bald head and goatee, the dude looks crazy. Like a skinhead or something.”
The description matched the man who Jon had fought with at his cabin. The man who had burned it to the ground. Jon’s jaw tightened.
Clearing his throat, Hugo continued. “Garrett came out to see what was going on. I was already outside playing with my kids. I sent them inside with my wife Rosa and joined Garrett.
“Garrett remained calm, not raising a fuss about the fact that those assholes had just destroyed our gate. He simply asked what was going on, and Judah came right out with it. All he said was, ‘I know he’s here.’”
Bot
h men looked at Jon, who caught their gaze. He stopped pacing and took a seat in a nearby chair.
Hugo shrugged. “Garrett acted like he didn’t know who Judah was talking about, and Judah laughed as he moved closer to Garrett. He put his hand on Garrett’s shoulder, then punched him in the stomach. We all gasped, but the Vultures reminded them they all had weapons and not to try anything stupid.”
The three men turned when they heard the front door open. Brooke entered, her face red from having been crying.
“How is he?” Terrence asked.
Brooke shook her head. “Not good. Dennis and Beth are doing all they can, but they just aren’t sure. There isn’t really anything we can do right now.”
“Jesus,” Terrence said, putting his head into his hand.
“Keep going,” Jon said to Hugo stoically.
“Judah only gave Garrett a moment to catch his breath before he lifted his head up. He looked at me and I thought for sure he was going to ask me the same question. But then he repeated it to Garrett instead. Garrett again said he didn’t know what Judah was talking about, so this time he punched him in the face.”
Brooke eased into a chair, coming into the story late even as her face showed the shock of what she was hearing.
“It just got crazy from there, man. They started to scare people. I did all I could to keep everyone calm, but it was insanity. The Vultures scattered, a few of them eventually making their way to one of our storage houses and lighting it on fire.
“Then, with everyone screaming, all the Vultures but Judah loaded back into the truck. He told Garrett that he had twenty-four hours to turn ‘The Savage,’ as he called you, over to him or he was going to come back and burn all of Hope’s Dawn to the ground.
“He seemed like he was gonna leave, but after he stepped a few feet away, he turned around to Garrett again and shot him in the stomach. I hurried over to Garrett and Judah approached me. He aimed the gun at me and said, ‘Hopefully this gets the point across. But if he dies, I hope that you make better choices when you’re in charge.’ Then he loaded back into the truck and left.”
Other than labored breathing, only silence was heard for several moments. Terrence finally spoke up.
“So, what do we do?”
Jon didn’t hesitate. “You all know exactly what we do.” He stood up. “I’m going to go turn myself in.”
Brooke stood. “No, you’re not.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Jon pointed at Hugo. “You heard what he said. They’re going to come back here and burn this whole place to the ground if I don’t.”
“If you go and turn yourself in, then Garrett being shot was for nothing,” Terrence said.
“We don’t have a choice now. Things have changed.”
“We do have a choice,” Brooke said.
“And what’s that?” Jon asked.
“We can fight back,” Hugo said.
Brooke nodded. “Exactly.”
Jon scoffed. “Are you crazy? Look what those bastards came here and did. They’re trained and heavily armed. Even with the guns you have, who’s going to use them?”
“So, we’re supposed to just sit back and let them continue doing this?” Brooke asked. “Tell you to just go and turn yourself in?”
“It’s the only way,” Jon said. “Or else they’re going to come right back here and destroy this place.”
Jon started toward the door, essentially ending the discussion. But Brooke hurried over to him, stepping in between him and the door.
“You can’t do this,” she said softly.
“There’s no other way.”
“Please, just wait. You don’t have to make this decision now. We have an entire day. Let’s get some distance from this thing and sleep on it, and meet again tomorrow and try to figure it out.”
Jon sighed, looking at the wall to his left.
“Terrence is right,” Brooke said. “We can’t let Garrett’s sacrifice be for nothing. He didn’t want to give you up, so you shouldn’t give up. You don’t have to be a martyr.”
Looking back at her, Jon pursed his lips. He didn’t see any other way out of this, but he couldn’t look into her eyes and deny there was some truth in what she was saying. He nodded.
Smiling, Brooke threw her arms around him. He didn’t hug her back, creating an awkward moment. When she pulled away, she was blushing. Brooke moved her hair out of her face and stepped back.
“We’ll meet again in the morning,” Terrence said.
Jon nodded, then turned and walked out the door.
29
Jon lay on the bedroll in his tent, staring up at the top of it. He didn’t know what time it was. He only knew he’d been called to dinner around an hour ago and had declined to go join the others. Food was the furthest thing from his mind, even if it could potentially be one of his last meals. Jon wasn’t even thinking about Brooke or the people of Hope’s Dawn. Not Judah or the Vultures, either.
All he could think of were Carrie and Spencer.
It didn’t matter if he stared at the top of the tent or closed his eyes; he saw their faces. It was like he was at home with them. Spencer, with his green eyes locked onto his portable video game console, laying on the love seat with his feet kicked up and still wearing his pajamas. And Carrie in the kitchen making lunch, wearing her lounge clothes. Specifically, a dark pair of jeans and an orange V-neck 3/4 sleeve shirt that fit her perfectly and showed off her figure, with her purple pendulum necklace resting on her chest. Carrie could get dolled up for a dinner party in heels and a sexy red dress, but to Jon, that didn’t match how hot she looked in jeans and a shirt. He loved coming up behind her in the kitchen and wrapping his arms around her, placing his large hands on her stomach. Sometimes when Spencer was distracted, he’d sneak his hands under her shirt to feel her stomach, occasionally letting his fingertips slip into the waist of her jeans as he gave her neck a kiss. At times, it had been because he wanted to tease her to send her hints, but most of the time, it had only been a tender act of love. Carrie had loved the sexual attention, and she’d deserved as much of it as he could give to her.
Now, he wondered if he would soon be in a place to wrap his arms around her again.
Unable to bear the thoughts of his family anymore, Jon got up and sat in a kitchen chair set up in the corner of the tent. He took deep breaths to try to calm himself as he rocked back and forth, his clammy hands holding his sweating face.
Was there another way out of this? Dying wasn’t the problem. Jon had been prepared for death for months—he would have welcomed it several times over. But things had changed. Could he leave the people of Hope’s Dawn to continue being bullied around by these assholes? And how could he let Judah, the man who had burned his cabin to the ground and violated his most personal possessions, live another day?
The problem was that it seemed, in Jon’s mind, that he had to choose one or the other. Especially given that he didn’t know what the Vultures’ camp looked like, sneaking in and taking out Judah had its own risks. If he failed, the Vultures would for sure march down to Hope’s Dawn and burn it to the ground. And even if he did succeed and take out Judah, would the rest of the group fulfill his promise anyway? At least if Jon turned himself in, the people of Hope’s Dawn would survive. Judah would do all he could to keep them operational, as they were basically slaves to him. But was being a slave truly worth living for?
He raised his head and saw a shadow approaching his tent. The slender figure covered most of the doorway within moments, and Jon saw the familiar boots through the slit.
“Can I come in?” Brooke asked.
Standing, Jon went over and unzipped the tent.
Brooke entered, dressed slightly differently than earlier. She wore the same jeans, but had a dark gray tank top on now, with the strap of her black bra hanging off her right shoulder. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and she had washed her face so that it was clean now.
“Hey,” she said nervously.
&nb
sp; Jon nodded and gestured to the chair in the corner. “You can go ahead and sit.”
“It’s okay. I think I’ll stand.”
“Alright.” Jon shrugged. “What’s up?”
Brooke rubbed her forehead before looking up at Jon. “I know you’re planning on going there and turning yourself in. I’m not stupid.”
Jon bit his bottom lip, but said nothing.
“I can’t stop you. I know that, too. But I really wish that you would reconsider.”
Hesitating to find the right words, Jon said, “You know there isn’t another way. If I don’t do this, those people are going to come down here and—”
“But we need you. And it isn’t only Hope’s Dawn that needs you, Jon. I need you. My son, he needs you. You don’t understand the effect you’ve had on him in the short time that you’ve been here. Even with your brief interactions with him.”
“What are we supposed to do, Brooke?”
“We can fight.”
Jon started to speak up in protest, but Brooke cut him off again.
“What good do you think it will do if you go turn yourself in? Yeah, they might not come and burn this place to the ground. They might spare our lives for now. But at what cost? So that we can continue to be slaves for them and give half of everything we have to them? What kind of life is that?”
“One where you and your son get to continue breathing and living.”
Brooke scoffed. “You call that life? We may as well be walking out in the fields with the infected if that’s what it means to live now.”
Jon looked to the ground, unsure of how to respond. Then Brooke stepped forward and grabbed both of his hands. He ran his fingertips over them, feeling her soft skin. Then he looked into her green eyes, which were filling with tears.
“Please,” she said. “Don’t do this. Stay. Together, we can all figure out how to make this work.”
Looking into her sad but beautiful eyes, the only thing Jon could think to do was something he would have never done to Carrie: lie.
Dead South Series (Book 1): Dead South Page 10