She shrugged. “Let me know when it’s ready.”
As Morgan stood up, Janey and Patrick walked in.
“Hey, Morg, John and Norm’s back,” he told him.
Morgan grinned at Rachel. “It wouldn’t have been any fun anyway, not really shit I wanna watch. Let’s go, kid.”
Walking over to Janey, Morgan leaned down. “He touch you or anything?”
She shook her head.
“If you wanted him dead you should’ve said yes,” he said with a smile, looking at her and glancing at Patrick.
“I wanna believe my old friend’s still in there.”
Morgan bit his lip and looked at Patrick. “I’d hate to break it to you, sweetie, but this guy would’ve raped Rachel had I let him, and, he forced her down on Johnny’s dick, so, yeah, no, I don’t think there’s a single piece of your friend left inside this killer.”
“Killer. Callin’ them what they are, huh?”
“This stone-cold son of a bitch? Fuck yeah I’ll call him what he is! Pat was easy to mold, and that’s what makes him one of my favorites. He’s like Hershel, minus all the rule breaking and ass kissing.”
Patrick made kissy faces at Rachel. “Tell Pops I say hi.”
She smiled at him. “You can tell him right before he blows your face apart.”
Morgan grinned and looked at Patrick. “Fuck, do you see why I like this kid so much? Jesus!”
Walking out with Janey and Rachel, Morgan saw John and Norman, surrounded by a group of Acquainted.
“So boys, what do we got this time?”
Norman spit and slung the suitcase of drugs at him.
Morgan’s eyes lit up. “DAVEY,” he shouted, making Davey run down from entrance of the base. “Get this shit to my living quarters! Lock it the fuck up!”
“Will do, boss.”
“Oh my fuck,” he said to himself as Davey took the bag and ran inside.
John cracked a smile, thinking about getting the girls back. “You think that’s somethin’, you should see the weapons we found. Nineteen total.”
Morgan smile was large and toothy. “Show me.”
Throwing the trunk open, John opened the suitcase full of guns. “There’s a few more on the back seat.”
“I could kiss you right now! Holy fucking fuck! Right when I’m ready to give up and kill you, you take a shit on my doorstep, and in that shit is a piece of gold.”
He looked at Rachel and nodded at John. “Go ahead. Kiss your daddy for me.”
John stared at Morgan as Rachel hurried over and pecked him on the lips. “What’re you-”
She shook her head. “Later.”
Morgan wrapped his arms around John. “I never knew I could count on you, buddy ol’ pal! But by fuck if you didn’t deliver!” He let go and stepped back. “I mean fuck, more guns than I asked for, plus drugs? Jesus fucking fuck! I’m blown away! Honestly, I am... Just for that, to show you how pleased I am. Three days. I’ll let you relax for a bit before I stroll back up to your doorstep.”
He nodded, keeping eye contact. “I want Norman.”
“Do you?”
“I do.”
“Cut off Janey’s ar-”
“Morgan-”
“I didn’t think so! Yeah, no, Norm belongs to me. Not the Acquainted, but to Morgan Fucking Williams, specifically. But if you wanna make shit extra fucking crazy, if you can find my fifty bars of gold-” He busted out laughing. “Fuck, seriously though. Norman’s mine. Your reward is three days. Now take it and say thank you, before three turns into one, and a month becomes a year.”
Norman shook his head as a man began taping his wrists together.
“You did good, John. I’m proud of you today.”
The men stared at each other for a minute, and as Morgan began walking away, he stopped. “Oh! And just to fuck with you a little. Your girl gives one hell of a strip tease, and her making out with your friend- fuck- it was fun for a second at least!” He laughed and began walking away, followed by his men. “You got a nice family!”
• • •
After heading home, John rested on the couch. He wiped his face and exhaled, getting comfortable as the wind blew in through the open window.
“Hey,” Rachel said, leaning on the back of the couch. “Sorry about all that.”
“The kiss? That was nothin’ compared to the rest.”
“I found a way to really piss him off at least.”
“Yeah?”
“Just do whatever he tells you. He doesn’t expect you to do it and actually hopes you won’t. If you listen to-”
“What happens when he tells one of us to kill someone?”
She gulped and stared at him.
“Are you kiddin’ me?”
“I didn’t say we do it! But- I mean eventually he might give up? Right?”
“What happens when it’s Billie, or Janey, Norman...”
She shrugged. “He’s never asked us to kill anyone yet.”
“You keep doin’ what he says and it’s gonna get worse... Don’t hold your breath.”
Chapter 12:
As Effed as C and K
The next day
Cars inside the walls of Argentina were blasting music, attracting infected and creating a horde, clawing at the walls. Parked in the entrance, with the gate closed on it, was a large flatbed truck with a generator and stereos.
John walked down the empty road, his face freshly shaved, and hair slicked back. He looked around, those who weren’t in their homes were in sniper positions on rooftops.
Running up beside him was Janey. “Think there’s enough yet?”
“It doesn’t matter how many we get as long as there’s some. I’m just gonna double check the flatbed. Hopin’ to leave here sometime tonight, send the dead while it’s dark.”
Janey looked at him and smiled. “This oughta show ‘em not to mess with John Fuckin’ Miller.”
He let out a laugh as they approached the gate.
Climbing onto the back of the truck, he checked the stereos, making sure they were properly fastened down, and that the generator was fully gassed.
Later
As the sun was going down, John walked up the road. Unclipping the radio from his belt, he turned it on. “Alright, start turnin’ off the cars, start from the back, work your way to the flat. Once the music starts and the truck moves, close the gate and keep an eye on the horde!”
Heading into his home, he grabbed his cowboy hat off the back of the couch. “If all goes well, I’ll see you tonight.”
Janey put her glass down and laughed. “You mean when I goes well.”
He smiled, and as he headed to Rachel’s room, he heard the music getting further away. Quickly, he turned on his radio. “Is somebody in the truck?”
“Aren’t you?” a man asked over the radio.
Throwing Rachel’s door open, he saw it empty. “Dammit!” He dropped his radio and bolted from the house.
• • •
That night, the Ohio Base.
As Morgan sunk his teeth into a piece of pork, he began bobbing his head, singing along to I’m a Man in his head.
Slowly he stopped chewing, and stopped in his tracks.
“Is something the matter?” a woman asked from his bed.
Dropping the plate, Morgan ran out of his living quarters in nothing but his jeans and stood on the balcony. “WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT MUSIC COMING FROM?”
Davey ran inside and pulled a megaphone from his belt. “JOHN’S HERE!”
Morgan pulled out his pistol and stormed down. “SON OF A BITCH!”
Outside, Rachel plowed through the side of the fence, killing the infected that were chained to it, and ran into the side of the base, bursting a small hole through the wall.
Shots began firing at the truck, and Rachel jumped out, helping Billie out, and the two took cover on the back of the truck. “STOP SHOOTING!” she hollered, turning off the generator and stopping the music. “MORGAN, STOP!”
&nb
sp; Running out with a large group of men, Morgan and Davey grabbed the girls as the Acquainted killed the infected.
Dragging them inside, they were thrown to the floor.
Morgan swung his pistol out and aimed it at Rachel’s face. “You are fucked, SO FUCKED! I- YOU-” He clenched his teeth and fired a shot near her head. “FUUUCK!”
“What are we doin’, Boss?” Davey asked, aiming at Billie.
Taking deep breaths, Morgan slid the machete off his belt. “Wake Lydia and get some coffee in her, she’ll be working tonight.”
• • •
Slowly following behind the horde in a car with all the lights off, John tilted his head.
“What?” Janey whispered.
Slowly, as if something was drawing them away, the infected began splitting down the middle and shuffled off the road.
John lowered his brows. “What the hell?”
“Who cares, they’re leaving.”
“That’s- it’s odd...”
“Maybe we’re lucky and something else grabbed their attention.”
“Fingers crossed nobody back home turned the cars back on.”
• • •
“You, are as fucked as C and K!”
I’ll bite. “Who’re C and K?” she asked sarcastically.
“You know, they know F and U!”
“That was cute. You planned that one, huh? I bet you were just begging for the opportunity to use it,” she said with a laugh.
As Acquainted began gathering around, Morgan slid the machete off his belt. “It’s all fun and games until someone loses their legs.” Morgan grinned. “Who’s it gonna be?”
Rachel’s smart assed smirk dropped and Billie broke into tears.
“If it were me, the choice seems obvious,” he said, pointing his machete at Billie’s bandaged knees. “But hey, maybe you wanna be one too!” Morgan looked around his group and shouted, “TEN MAKES AN AUDIENCE! THE REST GET THE FUCK OUT AND DEAL WITH THE DEAD!”
As men left to help with the horde, Morgan crouched down and smiled. “Who’s it gonna be, girls?”
Rachel kept glancing at Billie’s knees but remained silent.
“I’ll tell you what,” he said, raising his brows. “If you tell me your baby brother deserved to die, I’ll let you both walk- okay, well, no, she’s still fucked. But you get what I’m sayin’.”
Rachel forced a smile and stared him dead in the eyes. “He deserved, to die.”
“Who did?”
“...The boy.”
“Which boy?”
“Yours.”
Morgan’s smile dropped and he stood up. “Bill,” he said, thrusting the blade at Billie. “Which hand do you use to slap her ass with?”
Snot bubbled in Billie’s nose and tears poured down her face. “Please let us go!”
“Which hand would you- and Rachel- miss the most?”
Davey tilted his head. “I thought you were cutting off th-”
“Seriously?” he asked with a laugh.
“Sorry, Boss.”
Morgan back to Billie and grinned, he watched as tears flowed down her face. “Ohhh, you’re so scared... It’s a shame I couldn't give a fuck...
“New question, because I’m not a fucking asshole like your girl. Which hand will you miss the least?”
She shook her head, wiping her eyes as they filled with tears. “Please don’t!”
Morgan shrugged. “Whatever, we did John’s right, I guess we’ll do your left!”
“NOOO! PLEASE!”
Rachel remained straight faced, doing her best to keep cool as Morgan pushed Billie on her back and pinned her down with his boot.
“Davey, step on her hand. I wanna do this with one quick swing. Then you’ll have her cleaned up while I have a talk with that one,” he said, nodding at Rachel.
Davey pulled her arm out and pressed his boot down hard on her fingers, making her cry louder.
Morgan looked to Rachel and grinned. “There’s a tiny little twinkle in your eye. A little something telling me you’re pissing your pants, even if they’re bone dry.”
• • •
Getting closer to the base, they saw men fighting off the horde.
Rolling down the window, he shouted, “GET BACK, WE’LL DRAW ‘EM AWAY!”
Getting out, he looked to Janey. “Think you got this?”
Scooting into his seat, she nodded and gripped the wheel. “I got it.”
“If you don’t know what to do, just go back to Argentina. They’ll close it off and take care of it slow.”
“I got it, John.”
“Good luck.”
“Same to you.”
Turning up the radio, Janey began leading the dead away as John ran to help them fight off the horde.
• • •
Morgan sliced off Billie’s left hand, releasing an ear-piercing scream and a fountain of blood.
Rachel took a deep breath and stared into Morgan’s cold green eyes and sickening grin. “Oh, are you gonna stop there?”
Morgan’s jaw dropped, still holding Billie down with his boot. “I’m letting this slide the fucking ONCE, but you fucking dare ask me that shit again, and I promise you, it won’t stop, until she stops breathing. Is that fucking clear?”
“Yes,” she said through her teeth.
“I hope so.” Getting off, Morgan picked up Billie’s hand. “Dave, Lydia, the girl please.”
Picking her up, Davey and Lydia rushed down to the infirmary.
Mogan held Billie’s hand out to Rachel. “Come with me.”
Taking Rachel up to the meeting room, Morgan tossed Billie’s hand in front of her and sat across from her.
“Do you wanna tell me what the fuck you thought you were gonna do?”
“The goal was taking the truck through the base, but I guess I’m fine with the fence.”
“Pick up the hand.”
Rachel kept eye contact as she lifted Billie’s bloody hand. “Now what? Pick my nose? Fing-”
“Bite it.”
She raised her brows. “Bite it?”
“I’m not asking you to eat it. But I wanna watch you tear into that human meat and rip out a chunk. I wanna watch your girls crimson colored goo drippin’ down your chalk white chin... Yeah. Bite it.”
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Rachel sunk her teeth into the hand and ripped out a chunk. She held it in her mouth and gagged, blood oozed from the corners of her mouth.
Morgan’s eyebrow twitched. “Chew,” he said through his teeth.
She gagged a few more times as she chewed the meat.
He slammed his fists on the table. Storming over to her side, he grabbed her by the face and sucked the meat from her mouth.
She watched as he gargled Billie’s blood and spit it on the table.
“LICK IT UP!”
Wiping her mouth with her arm, she leaned ahead and began slurping the blood.
Gritting his teeth, he swung his hand down on her back, making her spit it out, along with some vomit.
Getting down on a knee he stared her in the eyes. “I like your balls, kid. I do, I love the size of your nuts. But for your sake, you better learn when to draw the line, because if you keep doing every fucking thing I say, I’ll make you cut out your stomach and eat whatever’s inside!”
She spit and licked her lips. “Yeah, okay, let’s do it.”
He stared at her expressionless face and let out a laugh. “Fuck. Rachel, you laid your balls out on the table, and ever since the day you met me, my balls have been behind my pants. You and your people have never seen my balls, but ya know what, I like yours enough that I’m giving you the option.”
She raised a brow.
“Your whole life could change with one word. Who, are you, Acquainted with?”
“John,” she said through her blood covered teeth.
He laughed and licked his teeth.
She scooted her chair back and kicked her muddy boots up on the table, blood dripped fr
om her chin. “What now?”
Walking back around, he sat down. “Are you sure John is your final answer?”
She nodded.
“Well then this is gonna be a long night.” He pointed to Billie’s hand and grinned. “Pick it up.”
About half an hour later, Morgan and Rachel left the meeting room. Her eye was black and lip swollen.
“Oh fuck,” he said, spotting Davey and John standing by the entrance to his living quarters.
John glared at him. “What did you do?”
“Would you believe it if I said the cocky bastard did it to herself with her girlfriend’s hand?”
“What?”
“I’m telling you, John, this kid’s got some monster sized balls.”
“Girlfrien-”
“Oh, yeah, Bill’s here too! I cut off her hand after Rachel tore down my fence and put a hole in the wall of my god damn home.”
Morgan reached back and rubbed Rachel’s face, flicking her swollen lip. “Maybe you’ll break yourself before I get the chance,” he said with a laugh.
“More than likely.”
He shook his head and laughed before walking up to John. “This is your final warning. Unless invited, anyone from your group, that includes her, who steps inside my home, fucking, dies. Norman dies, and John Miller hangs on my fence. Alive. Slowly dying.”
John nodded.
“This was fucked up by the way. Kill me with the dead? Je-zuz! At least do it with class, shoot me in the head for fuck sake! But trying to have me eaten alive? When it comes down to it, your one thing, is worse than my whole thing.”
Morgan patted him on the shoulder. “Now before we head inside for some milk and cookies, and before she cleans up using Bill’s hand on a stick-” He laughed. “Why don’t you give her one good slap across the face. Just to show her what she did was unacceptable.”
“No.”
Leaning ahead, Morgan grinned and whispered. “Is now really the time? When my men are wasting our ammo on a horde she brought here? A horde you made?” He stepped back. “You can do it with your weak hand, or I can do it with my strong one.”
Rachel shrugged and stepped forward. “Just do it,” she said, staring at Morgan.
He shook his head and laughed. “Fuck you piss me off.”
The next morning, after killing off the infected and putting the flatbed in place of the knocked over fence, Morgan drove them home, followed by a group of men.
When Was? (Book 2): Who Are You Acquainted With? Page 11