by Thomas Baker
"You have wine?" Hannah's eyes widened.
"I was able to make a small stock, after we cleared the town," Albright said, handing a glass to Hannah before sitting back down beside her.
She took two hesitant sips. It was smooth going downandhad a tiny drying effect at the end. She swirled it around in the glass and took a bigger drink.
"This is so good." She took another drink.
"It is a find," Albright said, casually tipping his glass to his lips.
After a few moments Hannah felt a tingling in her head. It was a pleasant sensation. It encouraged her to drink more, which in turnincreased the tingle to a buzz.
"Oh, I seem to have reached the bottom of the glass already," Hannah said, smiling. The happy feeling spreading through her was like a long-lost friend she didn't realize she missed so much until they came back.
"So you have," Albright took the shaking glass from Hannah's hand.
He stretched, placing both her empty and his mostly full glass on an end table beside the couch.
"Now, do you feel as if you can tell me what happened with this Harold?" Albright asked, placing a hand on Hannah's knee. It sent an unexpected shiver throughout her body. She looked into his eyes, which she noticed were an interesting hazel with flecks of green in them.
She started from when they were on the run with Ashley hurt, dodging zombie hordes which surrounded them. She ended with JT discovering Ashley's body under the boathouse. One of several of Harold's grisly trophies. JT buried her down there, in the dark.
"She didn't even get a proper funeral. I never got a proper goodbye," Hannah said, dry-eyed. Staring straight at the bookshelf, she could view her memories like a movie in her head. Like it had happened to strangers. She felt detached from it all.
"What an ordeal," Albright said after a moment, shifting in his seat. He raised his hand from her lap to her hair and brushed it back behind her ear. "How terrifying for you and all your friends. How strong you are too, to make it through that and still keep on going, taking care of your friend Gus."
"Why Reverend," Hannah pleaded. "Why would God do this? Why would he take my friend...in that way? Why would he allow us all to suffer like this?"
"Noah probably thought the same thing as the heavens opened up and the Earth flooded. Every member of this church, including me, have had this thought as we laid in bed in the middle of the night, wide awake, aware of the horror outside. Like Noah and every human on the Earth since then, how can we know His will? Noah knew the flood wasn't his fault. It was the wicked who had brought it upon themselves."
Albright stood, pulling up Hannah with him.
"Do you wish to pray?" He said, cupping his hands around hers.
"Yes."
"Then bow your head. Let us pray silently, for Ashley and for all the other of God's children he has called back. For at least take this comfort Hannah, she is in a better place now."
They bowed their heads. Hannah closed her eyes, enjoying the warm touch of Albright's hands around hers as they prayed.
Sheriff Randall returned to the holding area after wheeling out his gore filled mop bucket. He stopped and glanced down at the wet floor before approaching JT's cell and stopping with his keys in his hand.
"JT, I am going to unlock this door. You and I can talk in my office. I'm going on good faith I'll not need my cuffs," Randall looked JT right in the eyes. "Am I wrong in doing so? Because if I am, I still have my pistol."
"No sir, you have my word." JT didn't break his gaze. He took Randall's meaning loud and clear.
"What the hell is this?" Tyrone was up and shouting. "You'll let him out, after you've locked ME in this damn birdcage with a zombie? This is bullshit!"
"Tyrone calm down, I got this." JT was trying to remain calm himself and reassure Tyrone at the same time. This might be his one and only chance to get them out. He didn't want Tyrone to blow it.
"Oh yeah, I'm sure you got this, JT. I bet if it was Hannah in here you wouldn't be leaving her in this damn place alone."
The barb caught JT square. "Listen Tyrone, stop with your crap. No one is leaving anyone, I'm going to talk to the Sheriff for a few minutes and I'll be right back."
Tyrone didn't respond except with a huff. He audibly plopped down on his cot making a show of puffing and sighing loudly.
"Hey man, grab me a pizza with extra cheese while you're out," Jelly heckled from his cell as JT and Randall headed out.
JT found himself feeling surprisinglyimpressed as he entered Randall's office. He gazed at the walls full of old photos, awards, and the most notable to JT, several marksmanship awards. A shadowbox in the middle stored an American Flag and a few Marine Corps Marksmanship badges.
I guess running isn't a good option from this guy. He is not in the chasing business.
JT sat in one of the two padded chairs on the visiting side of the Sheriff's desk. Randall made his way around and sat in the large black leather chair. Sheriff Randall placed his elbows on his desk and rubbed his face several times before laying his palms flat on the desk.
"Well young man, what is it you see fit we need to speak about?"
JT seized the opportunity, "Sheriff, this Reverend, his followers, it's all a front for a violent scam. My friends are in danger. People you know from your town are in danger. Sheriff we're all in danger. Look at what happened to Tyrone."
Randall slumped back in his chair placing his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.
"You know I am right," JT continued on when he got no response. "What happened here today was no accident at all. Are you ready for when they decide they no longer need you around? For when Charlie shoves you into a locked cell with a zombie or two? My friends and I have been out there, we have survived. We have no interest in the church."
"Let me stop you right there, JT. Do you think of me as some out of touch old man? Like it would be so simple to pull the wool over my eyes?" JT started to answer but Randall continued on, "I used to be a young hot shot just like you. I used to live my life like I'm sure you did. Before the world collapsed into a shit heap. You're the type offella that has this, may the bridges I burn light my way type outlook on life."
"Sheriff, I wasn't-" JT tried stammering out the words but Randall cut him off again.
"I'll tell you when I am done." Randall paused. JT decided he'd let Randall rant. "Let me tell you something JT. I have seen things in this world you couldn't believe. I am battle worn and tested. I've learned my lessons the hard way, made more mistakes than I care to admit. You think it's easy pointing a gun at a zombie? Try having to point a gun at a fifteen-year-old kid trying to make a name for himself whose parents you see at church every Sunday passing the collection plate."
JT was feeling like a scolded teen in the principal's office. He shifted his focused to the floor between his feet. Sheriff Randall took notice.
"What? That doesn't interest you? How about pulling the half-charred body of a baby from a burning car while her mother screamed from being burnt alive? I watched my best friend bleed to death in a foxhole helpless to do anything, as my platoon fell one by one in the rain and the mud. The muck turned red as his blood mixed with it. If there are two things I have learned it's one, everybody in the world has a chapter of their life they won't read aloud. Two, you won't ever be punished for your anger, but your anger will punish you. So before you continue, think your words through. Give me a good reason whyI should believe you."
The tirade made JT speechlessness. This isn't at all how he expected this to go.
"JT," Randall continued. "Have you ever seen that movie from the eighties called Red Dawn? This is kind of like that, a bunch of raggedy high schoolers led by two hot head brothers hellbent on revenge. In the end they finally realized they couldn't save the world and the older one is left holding his dying little brother in his arms and realizing how in over his damn head he was. How would you feel if that was you and this girlfriend of yours, Hannah? You speak highly of her. But here's your chan
ce, enlighten me. Tell me what got us to where we sit right now."
JT ran his hands through his hair and became a little wide eyed as he took in what Randall was saying. He told the Sheriff everything. About Hannah, Dusty, Ashley, Harold, the Cabin, all of it. He left out his disastrous run in with the girl. Strangely JT now didn't want the Sheriff's opinion of him to be any lower. Like he said, everyone has a chapter they don't want to read out loud.
By the end, he felt his lips trembled as his eyes welled up. Sheriff Randall didn't say anymore, he stood up and walked past JT, giving him a stiff pat on the back.
"You stay in here as long as you need to young man," Randall said, clamping his hand down JT's shoulder. Randall broke his grip and walked over to the window in his office. "You've shoot straight with me. I can tell. And I won't lie. You've given me much to think about."
JT watched him gaze out at the town. "I hear what you are saying. I do. I've owned up to it. I promise you though, if I get my friends back and get out of here, I won't seek any revenge on Albright or the church." JT felt relief. He was getting through to the man.
Randall turned to him, a sad look on his face. "JT, if what you're spewing turns out to be right, hell is coming and it might be from the living as opposed to the dead."
Albright leaned back in his chair, put his feet up on his desk, and sighed. It was a sigh of contentment. Today would be a good day.
In about an hour, he was having a prayer meeting with Mary Lou. She and her husband were a young couple, barely been married over a year. Yet her husband seemed to fail in his duties ever since Albright came here. The man cared more about saying prayers, studying the bible, and helping outthe community than he cared about paying attention to his own wife. It pleasantly surprised him when Mary Lou responded to his advances and was more than happy to help her out in that department. She had a nice little body.
What a great scam he had going on here. Better than any he had run before, even the IRS scam. Even the time he had impersonated a police officer. The beauty of it now was he would never get caught again. He would never have to return to prison. All fear had been lifted from him and in turnhe had performed better than ever before in his life.
Who knew learning all that Bible shit he endured in jail to get an early parole would come in handy? Especially when the parole never came. The Outbreak did. Just his luck, always bad. Until now. They left there him, behind bars, in his quiet little square, to rot. Guards stopped showing up. If they died, got turned or just ran away, he never knew. All he knew was he and the other inmates were left there to die. Caged like animals. No, worse than that. At least animals in a zoo had access to the outside. He didn't deserve that treatment. He wasn't some horrible monster, like a murderer or something. He only collected cash dumb people who would throw away on something stupid, anyway. Why couldn't he take it and spend it better than they ever could?
He would never forget hearing the moans of the other prisoners as they wasted away around him. Dying of dehydration or hunger. Not him though. On the first day the news went around that things were getting bad and about half of the staff didn't show up for work, he started thinking worse case scenario. During lunch that day he squirreled away as much food as he could, there wasn't nearly enough people to watch him closely. The next day no employees showed up. The whole day went by without one guard checking on him. His gut told him he should conserve water. He flushed his toilet to clean it out as best he could. From then on he used a corner to relieve himself. The two weeks it took for the prison to lose total power, including the backups, were the longest of his life. When the doors finally popped, he was filthy and stank like a sewer. His mouth felt like a swamp, after drinking out of the toilet for so long. His stomach felt like a sunken pit. He was alive and could walk out of that place. He was one of a tiny handful to make it.
If he found his mind wandering back to those times, he always tried to redirect it away with how well he had it now. Stumbling across this place and setting himself up as "Reverend Albright", was a stroke of luck. Genius on his part,to be honest. He had power now. He never had to worry about food, water, women. People looked up to him. More importantly, they did has he commanded. For he was the messenger, speaking the word of God. Look at the people strung up on the tree in the church's front yard. He had real power now, and he liked it.
Albright chuckled to himself. He wondered, not for the first time, how much bigger could he make this? Could he eventually take over the whole town? Have a couple of hundred people under his sway? Build some kind of wall around the city and have whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it?
Speaking of increasing my flock, what am I going to do about the newcomers?
Hannah he wanted. Mary Lou and a few of the others were fine but Hannah? Whew she was a beauty. He would find a way toget with her. She seemed vulnerable enough to give him a real good chance of converting her and making Hannah his. The reading he got from all her friends was a different story. He could tell they were all going to be trouble.
Tyrone was definitely out. He thought he could get rid of him with little problem. JT had to go too, but he had to find a more delicate way. He could tell there was something going on between Hannah and JT. If he would have Hannah, he had to make sure it looked like he had no involvement in JT's death. Gus he would keep around for her. It would likely help her get over JT, having him around. Besides, he was an old man and a chucklehead. He wasn't likely to be much of a threat. There was a knock on the door. Albright stood and smoothed over the front of his shirt.
"Come in," Albright called from behind his desk, putting on his best smile.
It was Charlie. Albright's smile fell.
"Can I talk to you for a minute Reverend?" Charlie asked, crossing the room.
"Yes Charlie, but make it quick. I have other duties to attend to soon," Albright said, sitting back down.
"Sure, sure," Charlie said. He went on quickly. "It's just, you've been asking me to keep an eye on Linda. Her and the oldster were just outside. She walked him around the building and I thought nothing of it. Then they disappeared out into the woods. I didn't follow them out there, but I thought it seemedsuspicious."
Albright pursed his lips. He thought Linda feigned her allegiance to the church from the start. He was willing to let it slid because she was valuable. It might be time to rethink that stance.
"It was good of you to come to mewith this Charlie. You have a refined set of instincts."
Charlie smiled at this and nodded. "Also, I took care of your Tyrone problem." Charlie sneered when he said the name.
Albright hesitated for a moment. "What do you mean?"
"Ken was with me when we were checking on Purgatory. He did something stupid and got bit. I raced him over to the jail, told Sheriff Useless he was drunk and you wanted him locked up with Tyrone. By now Tyrone is zombie chow."
Before Charlie had an inkling it was coming, Albright lashed out. In a flash he was round his desk. He shoved his forearm under Charlie's neck. With surprise he was able to push Charlie back, pinning him against the wall.
"You..." Albright started, his face inches from Charlie. He caught himself before he went ballistic. Charlie was too good of a follower to lose him because of a tempertantrum. Albright let go andcursed him in his head. Charlie pushed himself off the wall, trying at the same time to recover his dignity.
"That was some initiative Charlie, but it was not part of my plan. Let's hope this doesn't end up pushing Hannah farther away."
"It'll totally look like an accident. There is no way they can blame you," Charlie said, rotating his neck from side to side. His look of anger quickly faded back into respect for Albright.
Albright sighed, clenching his hands into fists and released them. He could feel the tension leave his body. Once he felt composed again, he continued.
"Charlie, if your little plan doesn't work. What should we do?In your opinion?"
"I say take Tyrone to Purgatory. Him and his friends. They can be o
ur test. I think it's a brilliant idea, by the way. Purgatory."
"What about Hannah?" Albright said, going back around his desk and sitting down.
"She will stay with us. Give her time. She already believes."
"Hmmmm. Time. Time," Albright said, steepling his hands on the desk. "We have time. Nothing has to be decided now. Your blunder may even work to our advantage. You should pray it does Charlie. Now I need you to check on the Sheriff. If you've created a mess, I'll need to clean it up. If you've done well, I will let you know. Leave me."
Charlie turned and walked away, a proud look on his face. He opened the door and there was Mary Lou, standing with her arm raised as if she was about to knock.
"May God be with you Charlie," Albright called out, putting on his winning smile again.
Charlie left, Mary Lou entered. He really admired her legs in the tight red skirt she was wearing. How nice of her to freshen up for him.
"Mary Lou, how nice it is to see you again."
Hannah stood there with her hands kneading together.
Why am I so nervous? By now I shouldn't be. This time I have an appointment.
This place was better than she could ever have imagined. It was the first time she had felt safe since the Outbreak. She felt like she could start over here and build a life. The people were nice. They looked out for each other and defended each other. All with the thought of God in all their pursuits.
The stories they had been telling her about how together they cleared out the town of zombies. How the Reverend led them in taking back their holy ground and led them again in service, so they could grieve the dead. His plans for the future ofhis flock. He sounded like a decent man. Surely he wouldn't deny her requests?
He had already kept his first promise to her. They had moved her into the church from the dorms. It was already feelinglike it was home. Gus was up and walking around and would take his place herewith her. There was only one thing troubling her.