“I don’t know... Anywhere.”
“Nowhere in particular? There isn’t anywhere you spy with your one little eye?”
“No, nowhere in particular. We were thinkin’ of findin’ somewhere and settin’ up camp. Takin’ it easy and lyin’ low.”
Morgan smiled and laughed. “That tasted like a heaping helping of bullshit!”
John silently stared at him with a straight face. “You killed one of my men. If this wasn’t the plan and he shouldn’t have died, I’d be mad right now. I knew you’d kill him, and I’m thankful you did. But-”
“Stop, stop, stop! Don’t open your mouth unless the next words are the honest fucking words. Do you understand?”
He nodded.
“Good boy... Now here’s what’s gonna happen because as far as I’m concerned, I’ve lost you too much. There’s no Acquainting you, and I am this close to giving up,” he said, practically holding his fingers together. “Prove to me you’re not worth killing. Prove to me your people aren’t worth wiping the fuck out.”
“How?”
He shrugged. “Find me some guns.”
“Guns? These days it ain’t exactly like we can go out and pick one up at a store-”
“No excuses! Fuck that shit, I don’t fucking think so. You lie to me even after I kill one of your people, and you try to make excuses? Fuck no! But I’ll give you a lead. There used to be a few guys we had our eye on, had a tiny little group in an amusement park about an hour away from here. Start there!”
“I’m not killin’-”
“They’re already dead! A fuck ton of monsters ate their asses down to nothing! Now get the fuck out there, and find me my-”
Morgan’s radio began buzzing.
“Fuck, hold on.” Taking it off his belt, he held it up to his mouth. “This better be good, I’m in the middle of a hot date.”
“There’s some people in the woods, Pat said one of them was the blonde girl from Argentina.”
Morgan’s eyes widened and he looked at John. “Oh. Is that so?”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Stand down...” Morgan hung up his radio and pulled out John’s. “Here, tell them what’s going’ on,” he said as he tossed it to him.
Grabbing the radio, John glared at Morgan. “...They saw you.”
“Hi, blondie!” Morgan yelled with a laugh.
“Weapons down, come up to the fence.”
“Well look at you, it’s like you can read my mind!”
Heading out with John, they approached the small group who stood outside the closed fence.
“Blonde girl, Irish, and other guy-”
“You remembered his voice?” John asked, raising his brow.
“Fuck yeah, it’s not like there’s many around anymore so that shit kinda sticks.” He looked to the group and put his arm around John. “Johnny here was about to go out and collect some guns for me! And now, unless you wanna join the army of darkness, you’ll be helping him! And you can start, by handing over the ones you’ve got now.”
“How are they gonna help if they can’t defend themselves?”
Morgan shrugged as some men headed down to retrieve their weapons. “That’s not for me to figure out. And John, if I don’t have at least thirty-”
“THIRTY?”
“FUCK YES I SAID THIRTY!” He got down in his face and spoke through his teeth. “You’re gonna go out and find me those weapons or so help you!”
“...How long do we have?”
“One day. And that day started this morning. Get here by midnight at the latest, and by fuck you better not come up short.”
• • •
After leaving the base, they split up. Gavin, Collin and Toby in one group, and John and Janey in the other.
“Where do you wanna start?” Janey asked as John drove up to a short metal fence leading to a Ferris wheel and carnival games.
“Start at the tip.”
“Huh?”
“Morgan claimed there was a group here, if we’re lucky their supplies are here too.”
Getting out, the two walked up the over grown rocky path leading to the entrance.
“It seems weird,” she said, looking around.
“Weird how?” he asked, pushing the gate open.
“The infected. I don’t see any.”
“Don’t hold your breath, he said there was a big horde through here, chances are some are still hangin’ around.”
Going further in, they saw many empty prize racks. Games now covered in dried blood, and food stands were tipped over and picked clean.
As they looked around, John spotted a sign with a painting of a beautiful red-haired woman on it. I’m gonna kill him, Kess. I promise.
“Hey,” Janey said, patting him on the arm. “Let’s keep looking.”
“Look where? There’s no buildings, no sign anybody lived here, nothin’. He lied to make us waste time.”
“Maybe, maybe not. I saw some toilet paper back there,” she said, pointing her pistol behind them. “Looked used.”
He shrugged. “A few more minutes then we’re leaving.”
• • •
Argentina.
Rachel, dressed in blue jeans, a slightly opened green shirt, and John’s cowboy hat, walked down to the gate with her revolver drawn, watching as a car drove up.
Collin and Gavin hurried out and ran to the gate.
“What the hell?” Rushing down as the gate opened, she stopped them. “What were you guys doing?”
“Morgan wants thirty guns,” Collin said, his face red and breathing fast.
“What?”
As Collin took off, Gavin walked up to her. “If I were you, I’d run. Take your girl in the chair, and get far away from this place. John and Jane are out too, but I don’t see us finding that many guns in a day. We can’t talk now,” he said, patting her on the back before taking off.
She watched, confused as the men ran down the road. Holstering her revolver, she crossed her arms and looked down at Toby who sat in the running car.
Chapter 11:
Guns N’ Balls
After a long day of searching empty stores, homes, and a few small camps, they regrouped outside the fence of the Ohio Base.
Stopping his car, John got out and spotted Rachel who sat in the passenger seat of Toby’s. “What the fu-” He stormed up to their car and threw the door open. “What the hell is she doin’ here?”
Toby shook. “Don’t be mad, okay, she threatened us.”
“Wh-”
“It’s the only way they’d bring me,” Rachel told him.
Morgan, Davey, and a group of men walked down and opened the fence.
“So, Johnny, what’d mommy bring me?”
Going back to his car, John threw the trunk open. “We found twelve, and trust me, we looked.”
“Well, that’s close to half,” he mumbled, turning his sights to Toby. “You, tall hippy lookin’ prick, what’d your group find us?”
“Six.”
“Fuck! Half of not even half? Fuck, what the fuck is that shit?”
John bagged the guns and held them to Davey. “Give us till tomorrow. I think we might be able to find more.”
Morgan swiped the bag and tossed it to Davey’s feet. “Fuck this. Rachel,” he said, looking to her. “You’re staying here tonight.”
As Rachel reached behind her back, Colling quickly swiped her pistol and whispered, “Feck off, don’t go gettin' yourself killed!”
John stared at Rachel and looked to Morgan. “How about me? I’m sure I’d be more useful to you.”
“Are you kiddin’ me? She’s your incentive! You find my guns, and until you do, you lose your kid!”
John’s lip twitched.
“I want blondie too. No baby to hold and no pussy to fuck, that oughta keep you on your toes.”
Morgan grinned and let out a laugh. “Boys,” he shouted, glancing back at the group. “See to it these fine men get the fuck out of here. I’m gonna go take care of the g
irls.”
John looked Morgan in the eyes, making him smile.
“Don’t be silly. I’d never dream of it!”
“Morgan-”
“That is what you wanted to ask, right? If I was gonna fuck your woman? No, I got a whole fuck-load to fuck, she’s fine.”
“Janey was helpin’ us, she was useful in gettin' you your guns-”
“I so don’t fucking care. Clearly you care about them, so if you want them back, you’ll work hard. If not, you just won’t be getting them the fuck back, will you?
“We’re done here, now get your ass on the road. You still owe me twelve more guns, and if you get looking now, you might even find them by morning.”
John glared at him.
“But I’ll tell you what, if you plant your dirty little lips on my ass for a good minute, I’ll give you Norman for the day. But that’ll cost you five more guns.”
Rachel, Janey, and John’s men looked away as he got down on his knees. For Norman. This is for Norman, it’ll get him out.
“A solid minute,” Morgan said with a laugh as he grabbed his belt.
After giving him Norman, John and Toby’s group headed out to keep looking. Meanwhile, Morgan took Janey and Rachel up to his living quarters.
“Either of you two hungry?” he asked, leaving the kitchen with a beer and a sandwich.
The girls glared at him and his eyes lit up. “Fuck, Rachel- maybe you’re hungry for something else!”
“Excuse me?”
“No, not me. My wives! It’s not cheating if you don’t have a dick, and seeing as you might be here for a while, I’ll let you make yourself comfortable.”
She glanced at the bed of women and continued staring at him.
“Me and Blondie can go for a walk while you get your freak on,” he said with a laugh. “Go ahead, kid. You’re gay, right? And here I am, being a nice as fuck host!”
“I’m fine.”
Morgan smiled and glanced at Janey. “Be honest with me. If mommy was still alive, you totally would’ve tapped that, right?”
“My mother?”
“God, I would’ve paid her to be wife!” He laughed and took a drink. “Seriously though, kid. Say the word and me and Blondie’ll give you some alone time with the wives.”
• • •
After getting some rest, the group began searching as the sun was coming up.
Norman glanced at John and nodded.
“Don’t mention it... Really, don’t, I’d rather not think about it."
Norman cracked a smirk as they drove down to the docks. “You’re a good friend.”
“We’re not friends,” he said, stopping the car. “We’re brothers.”
As they got out, Norman spit. “What’d you expect to find here?”
“Might be some on the boats. Most of ‘em are still here too so it wouldn’t hurt to look.”
“Yeah, and maybe after this we’ll go to some bars, might find some behind the counters.”
“I know you’re joking, but that’s not a bad idea.”
• • •
The Ohio Base.
Morgan sat on the edge of his bed, staring at Janey as she stood in front of him.
“The pants, let’s lose those first.”
Rachel woke up in the corner of the room and jumped to her feet. “What’s going on?”
Morgan laughed. “Hey, you’re just in time for the show!”
Janey glanced at Rachel as she began unbuttoning her jeans.
Reaching behind her back, she remembered Morgan took their weapons. She sighed as Janey slid down her pants. “Make me do it.”
“What?”
“I’m John’s kid. Janey’s just his friend. If he knew you forced me to strip for you it’d really get under his skin.”
Janey looked back. “Rachel, you don’t have t-”
“Seriously, what were you thinking doing this with Janey? The way I see it, if all you want to do is see some tits, you’ve got a bed full of women. So you’re doing it to fuck with her, right? So why not me instead?”
Morgan shrugged. “Alright. Seeing as you’re so eager.” He looked at Janey and pointed to the floor.
Janey got down and watched as Rachel stepped forward.
“Alright, Joan Miller, put the hat on.”
• • •
The Docks.
As they searched a yacht, Norman hollered, “Hey, found somethin’ might be better!”
Hurrying inside, he saw Norman looking through a suit case.
“Full of meth. Some pot, needles...” He looked back to a corpse with a bite in its wrist and its head blown open. “Never even got the chance to use it.”
“You think Morgan would take this over guns?”
“Maybe not for himself, but for his men, yeah. He likes keepin’ his people happy, he’d use this stuff as rewards. It’d be useful alright.”
John nodded and patted his arm as he zippered the bag. “Good find.”
• • •
The Ohio Base.
Morgan looked Rachel up and down and pointed to Janey. “Why don’t you get your pussy all up in there?”
“Why is everything with you so perverted?”
“Sorry, but I try to go easy on the people who have assets that appeal to me! But by all means, if you’d rather me smack you around a little, I’m down for that too!”
She was butt naked, covering herself as she clenched her teeth and glared at him.
“You may try to cover them, but I still see them.”
She tilted her head.
“Your balls. No hands could hold those fuckers back, and I like that! They’re spilling out between your fingers, I can see the strain they’re having on your arms, that one nut dangling where your ring finger used to be... Jesus. I fucking like that, kid.
“Now you’re the one who suggested we do this to fuck with John, so let’s make this a little more interesting! Go give Blondie a mouthful, either lips, your choice!”
• • •
As Norman stared at a bag of meth, he heard John shout from the yacht beside him. Tossing the bag back in the suitcase, Norman darted out and jumped across to the other boat. “What?”
John walked out, his shirt covered in blood, and a smile spread across his face. “Twenty-two!”
“What?”
“Twenty-two!”
“Bullshit.”
“Get in here!”
Heading in, John showed him a wall covered in guns. Mostly pistols, a few hunting rifles, and a couple heavy guns. “Nothin’ special, not much ammo, but they’ll do!”
“Enough here you can even pocket some.”
“Maybe we could try to put a few back and give him the drugs instead!”
Norman stepped back, watching as John began taking the guns off the wall. “You uh, think we can still stay the rest of the day?”
He looked back, confused for a second before nodding. “Yeah, of course.”
Norman nodded and looked out to the ocean.
“We’re gonna get you back. I promise you. You’re one us, you’re family. It’s just gonna take some time.”
• • •
Later, the Ohio Base.
“Jesus, fuck,” Morgan said, throwing his game money on the board and looking at Rachel. “That is fucked.”
“Some games you just can’t win.”
He laughed. “That’s cute, kid.” Reaching over, he took John’s cowboy hat and put it on.
“That’s cute, old man.”
“Fuck. You are one cocky son of a bitch, aren’t you?” He glanced at Janey who sat at the head of the bed. “Speaking of cock. How was daddy’s?”
Glaring at him, she exhaled. “...Fine.”
“FUCK! You actually fucking answered! That- honest to fuck- surprised the fuck out of me!”
“Didn’t you want me to answer?”
He raised his brows and leaned back. “Describe it. The feeling of your father’s cock. As it slid up inside of you. When i
t c-”
“To be honest, I couldn’t tell you. The entire time I was think about something else.”
He smiled and leaned ahead, getting in her face. “Me?”
She flashed him a fake smile. “There you go.”
“Fuck,” he said with a laugh, sitting back. “Fuck I love you, you are fucking awesome.”
“You’ll see how awesome I am. Because it’ll be the last thing you see while you're struggling to breathe, just before everything turns black.”
“Christ Alive! Are you sure you don’t have your real balls tucked away in your lady bits? Fuck, that is fucking cool. You, are fucking cool. That, shit, was fucking cool.”
“I’m not joking. I’m being dead serious.”
“And I’m not?” He put his hand on her shoulder and stared her dead in the eyes. “You, kid. Are fucking, badass. So badass, that I’m gonna have to rip that backbone the fuck out of you and slap you across the face with it.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Neither can I!”
• • •
John and Norman sat on the top of a yacht, smoking cigars as the sun went down.
“You don’t have to go back.”
“What?”
“I’m sure there’s a way we can make this work... You can run.”
“Naw. He’d hold your family for more ransom and never let up.”
Taking his final puff, he tossed his cigar in the ocean and put his arm around Norman. “We’re gonna beat this. Me and you. I promise.”
Taking a long puff, Norman flicked his cigar away. “Let’s get this over with,” he said, getting up and giving John a hand.
Getting up, John gave him a hug and stepped back. “You’re my brother. I mean that.”
Norman took his hand and shook it. “Till next time, brother.”
He nodded and the two began walking down the roof of the yacht. “Till next time...”
• • •
That night, the Ohio Base.
Rachel looked at Morgan after kissing one of his wives. “Anything else?”
“Fuck, it’s no fun how easy this is for you.”
“I’m just doing what you ask.”
“Yeah, and that’s the fucking problem.”
“How so?”
He bit his tongue and laughed. “Fuck, kid...”
“Anything else?”
He shrugged and rolled his eyes. “I want you to eat my shit.”
When Was? (Book 2): Who Are You Acquainted With? Page 10