“Excuse me, sir? Did you say something?” his driver asked.
“Just thinking out loud,” Jay replied. “You can head back now, I’ve seen enough.”
***
Three days later, Jay called a meeting in his war office as he liked to call it. All the Ravager leaders had arrived, trickling in from every direction, bringing their men and supplies with them. As per Jay’s orders, they lay low, not alerting the community to their presence.
Anthony was there along with a few others. Even the infamous Red, a woman in charge of their biggest ammunition depot. As tough as any man, if not tougher, she inspired fear in all her followers. With her Mohawk haircut and half her face blacked out with paint, she was an exotic sight. Many of the men ogled her muscular body dressed in leather pants and vest, but Jay found her too abrasive for his taste.
Jay gathered them together and faced them over the table. “Before we begin this meeting, let’s get one thing straight. I’m in charge, and if any of you wish to challenge me, now’s the time. We fight to the death, and the winner takes all as per Ravager rules.”
A ripple went through the gathered men, their faces growing speculative as they sized him up. Despite his fearsome reputation as the Beast, the offer was tempting. In the end, only one man stepped forward.
Jay and his opponent stepped outside, facing off across a small clearing. A crowd gathered, forming a circle around them and Jay studied his opponent. The man was every bit as large as Jay, his body thick and muscular. A black beard covered his jaws, and his eyes were crafty. He pulled out a blade as long as his forearm, the steel glinting in the sun.
“Nick, was it?” Jay asked.
“That’s right,” Nick said.
“May the best man win,” Jay replied.
“Aye,” Nick said.
Jay circled to the left, his hands low and ready to grab. He wanted no weapon, planning to take the man on with his bare hands. He wanted to put on a show for the crowd. To let them know once and for all who was the boss. I need to make an example of him.
Red stepped up, arm raised. “Ready?”
They nodded.
She dropped her arm. “Fight!”
Nick lunged at Jay, the knife aimed for his stomach. Jay sidestepped, slapping the blade aside before grabbing the man’s arm and shoulder and tossing him over his head to slam onto the ground.
The breath left Nick’s lungs in a pained whoosh, but he was up in a flash. This time, he was careful, watching Jay’s every move with wary caution. Jay raised his hand and beckoned. “Come on. Don’t be a pussy. Are you scared?”
The taunt worked as Nick stormed Jay with a thunderous roar. Jay stepped forward to meet the charge, slamming his hand into the man’s windpipe with his fingers held stiff. Something crunched, and Nick’s throat collapsed inward. Blood bubbled from the man’s mouth, and he choked on the fluid, falling to his knees before pitching forward onto his face.
Jay let his arms dangle by his side, his manner relaxed as he surveyed the crowd. “Anyone else?” he asked.
Silence reigned.
“Anybody at all?”
Nobody answered.
“Then it’s settled. From here on forward, I’m your undisputed leader. You follow me!” Jay raised his fists in the air, and a cheer broke out as the Ravagers hailed him. He let his gaze drift over the gathering, his insides warm with satisfaction. “Now, let’s go to war!”
Chapter 12 - Cat
Cat watched as the guard walked toward Nadia’s open window, his expression wary but open. He nodded at them and said, “Good day, ma’am. How can I help you?”
“Is this the quarantine zone?” Nadia asked.
“It used to be. Now it’s the Queenstown community.”
“Do you have a doctor here? Our friend is sick.” Nadia pointed at Lisa who shivered in response, huddling deeper underneath her blanket.
“What’s wrong with her?” he asked. “Has she been bitten?”
Nadia shook her head. “We think she has a concussion. She fell pretty hard.”
“All right, we’ll let you in, but you have to follow protocol first. No free passes. You’ll have to give up your guns too.”
“What? We can’t do that. What about the zombies!”
“There are no zombies inside the walls, ma’am, and we don’t know you, nor can we trust you yet. You’ll be allowed one handheld weapon each, but that’s it.”
Nadia hesitated, clearly torn, and Cat nudged her on the shoulder. “We don’t have a choice, Nads. Think of Lisa.”
“You’re right. We can sort everything out later on, but first we have to take care of her,” Nadia said. She turned toward the guard who waited patiently. “Okay, we’ll give up our guns. Let us in.”
Cat could barely contain her excitement as the guards waved them through the gates after a cursory examination of their truck, checking underneath for lurkers. Once inside, the same guard ordered them to disembark and waved over a buddy. “Sorry, ma’am, but it’s time to hand over your weapons.”
Together, they collected all the guns in the truck and on the girls along with their stored ammunition. Like Nadia, Cat was loath to give up her weapons but knew she had to for Lisa’s sake. “Do we get our stuff back when we leave?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the guard answered, writing each item down on a pad of paper. “You’ll get it all back, down to the last round. Unless you choose to stay in which case it becomes part of the community’s arms.”
“I see. Thank you.”
Even their hand weapons were gathered up, each of them being allowed to keep only one. Cat kept quiet about her walking stick, not revealing it to be a sword, and chose a machete as her one piece to keep. Nadia did the same, also keeping mum about her cross. At least, they weren’t completely helpless should a fight arise.
“Now, if you’ll follow Suzanne over there, she’ll examine you for bites,” the guard said once he was done with them, and a lady in a white coat waved them over with a friendly smile.
Cat grabbed Nadia’s arm. “What about your scars? What if she recognizes them as zombie bites?”
Nadia shrugged. “I doubt it. The one on my shoulder is undoubtedly a bite mark, but I’ll tell her a dog bit me, or a crazy chick hopped up on drugs at a party. The one on my arm is too messy to tell what it was. That zom tore me open like wet paper.”
“Man, I hope she passes you,” Cat said, chewing her lip.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” Nadia replied.
“Hi, there, I’m Suzanne,” the lady in the white coat greeted. “I know you’re tired, but we’re almost finished. I’ll make this quick.” One by one, she took them inside a tent to examine them for bites.
Lisa went first because she was ill. When they emerged, Suzanne called over the guard. “She’s not infected, but she’s badly injured and needs treatment right away. Please take her to the clinic and ask for Doctor Heinz personally.”
“But…we have to go with her,” Cat protested.
“You can’t. Not until I’ve cleared you,” Suzanne said. “Anyway, Dr. Heinz is very strict about visiting hours, especially for new patients, and he won’t let you in until tomorrow morning ten o’ clock.”
“Tomorrow morning!” Cat cried.
“Yes, the afternoon visiting times are over already.”
“That’s ridiculous. We have to see her,” Cat said.
Suzanne gripped her arm with a retraining touch. “Please. I promise she’ll be fine. Our medical care is of the highest standards, and she’ll be well taken care of.”
Cat sighed, her excitement draining away in the face of all these rules and protocols. “What about if we’re looking for someone?”
“Someone as in?”
“I think my mother might be here. Matilda Adams,” Cat said before pointing to Ralph and Sam. “And these two boys are sure their mother is here as well.”
“What’s her name?” Suzanne asked.
“Olivia Johnson,” Ralph answered, his fac
e as somber as ever.
Suzanne jotted the names down on a piece of paper and called another guard over. “Can you try and find these people for me, please? They might have family over here. Ask Hilda to announce it over the loudspeakers for you.”
“Will do,” the guard answered, walking away with all their hopes on a piece of paper.
“Now, where were we?” Suzanne asked.
Cat sighed. “You can do me next.”
“Great.”
After Cat was cleared, she waited impatiently for Suzanne to finish with the others. She wanted to find her mother and visit Lisa. She wanted…no needed to move to get rid of all the pent-up excitement within her.
While waiting, she studied their surroundings. The entrance to the community was set up in such a way as to offer little or no view of the inner workings. An extensive concrete pad served as a parking lot to various vehicles, flanked by an auto shop and rows of fuel drums. Fork lifts zipped about, carrying supplies from incoming vehicles to a nearby warehouse while a second wall and set of gates protected the citizens in their homes.
It was a clever set-up, but also unwieldy. While the walls would keep out infected and require minimal manpower, Cat doubted there were enough men to guard the place in the event of an attack from other humans. She much preferred St. Francis’ more compact build, the walls extensive but not impossible to patrol. “This place is too big, unless their citizens number in the thousands.”
She was waiting with the boys for Nadia to finish when a shrill cry pierced her eardrums. Startled, she whirled around and pulled out her machete. It was an automatic move, one learned after years spent ducking flesh-eating zombies. Two women cried out and skidded to a halt, not happy with the blade waving in front of their faces.
Cat’s eyes fixed on her mother’s face, and she gasped, dropping the machete. “Mother!”
“Cat? Is it really you?” her mother asked, her eyes round and disbelieving.
“It’s me, Mom,” Cat said, reaching out to take her mother’s hands. They looked older. Worn. As did the woman she hadn’t quite believed she’d ever see again. “It’s really me.”
“I can’t believe it. It’s been…what? Two years?”
Cat shrugged. “Something like that.”
Matilda dragged her into a hug, squeezing the breath from her body. “I’ve missed you so much. Every day, I hoped and prayed, and here you are. Safe and sound.”
Cat allowed silent tears to well up and run down her cheeks as she breathed in he mother’s familiar scent. It soothed her, reminded her of the good days when everything was still perfect. Beside her, Ralph and Sam were undergoing the same happy reunion with their mum, Olivia, and it was hugs and tears all around.
Nadia emerged from her exam and gave Cat the thumbs up in answer to her unspoken question. All good.
Finally, when all was said and done, Suzanne escorted them to a small building and sat them down around a table. “Could you please wait here? Someone will be around shortly to ask a few questions and assign you to a home, though in this case, I think you’ve found it already.”
Not long afterward, a man showed up carrying a clipboard and a pen. Cat eyed him, finding him quite attractive in a bookish way, his spectacles enhancing his blue eyes and blonde hair. Tall and slim, he extended a hand and greeted each of them. “Hi, I’m Neil, leader of our humble community. You are most welcome.”
“Thank you for taking us in,” Cat said.
Nadia echoed her, and they waited for him to carry on.
He beamed. “It’s my pleasure. I’m always happy to see new faces. Our community needs new blood.”
“Don’t you get a lot of new survivors?” Cat asked.
“Not so many nowadays. People have grown scarce,” he replied, his smile fading away. “Anyway, I was supposed to assign you to new homes, but I guess you’ve already found them? Matilda? Olivia?”
Matilda nodded. “Yes, she and her friends can stay with me.”
“Of course,” Olivia said.
“Perfect. Here are extra ration tickets for you,” he said, handing over slips of paper. “Olivia, I suggest you take the boys to school tomorrow for an evaluation. They’ll be graded and placed according to their abilities. Don’t worry. The system is quite lenient, and they’ll be caught up in no time.”
Olivia nodded. “Is that all? I’d like to take them home now if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Neil said, waving them away. “You must be eager to have them to yourself.”
Olivia got up to go but paused when she reached Cat and Nadia. “Thank you for bringing my children home. I owe you both a debt of gratitude.”
“It was no trouble, ma’am. None at all. You’ve got two strong young men there.” Cat watched them leave with sadness, but she was sure she’d see them again. “Bye!”
Ralph and Sam waved at her and Nadia, their faces wreathed with smiles.
Once they were gone, Neil resumed his talk. “If you decide to stay, we can see about more permanent accommodation as well as jobs for each of you. Until then, enjoy your stay.”
“What about Lisa?” Cat asked.
“I stopped by the clinic, and Dr. Heinz is conducting tests to determine the extent of her injuries. You will be allowed to visit tomorrow morning only, I’m afraid, but fear not, she’s in good hands.”
Cat sighed. “I guess we’ll have to wait.”
Matilda squeezed Cat’s hand. “She’ll be fine, you’ll see. I’ll take you to see her as soon as you’re allowed.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“I’m sure you’re both exhausted, so I’ll release you for the night, but I’d like to talk again soon,” Neil said.
“Thank you, Neil,” Matilda said, hustling Cat and Nadia away. “We’ll see you soon.”
Matilda led the way to her home, and Cat followed, shadowed by a silent Nadia. “What about our stuff?”
“I’ll have someone bring your truck around, don’t worry,” Matilda said. “For now, I just want to spend a little bit of time with my girl. And, of course, you too Nadia.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Cat said, allowing herself to relax a little. She reached over and gripped Nadia’s hand. “We made it girlfriend. We found my mom, delivered Ralph and Sam, and we got Lisa the help she needed.”
Nadia smiled. “I guess you’re right. We can’t ask for much more than that, can we?”
“Maybe just one more thing,” Cat teased.
“Yeah? What’s that?” Nadia asked.
“A hot bath and a warm meal.”
“That’s two things.”
“Don’t forget a comfy bed,” Cat added.
“Now you’re pushing it,” Nadia said with a grin. “That’s three things.”
“Well, as long as I’ve got you, Lisa, and my mom, I’m happy,” Cat said.
“That’s also three things. You’re getting greedy.”
Chapter 13 - Lisa
Lisa woke up to the buzz of a vacuum cleaner, a sound she hadn’t heard in ages. Her head felt thick, and her muscles heavy, like she’d slept for too long. She turned her head, drinking in the sterile environment of her room. White walls, white ceiling, white curtains, white tiled floors. Where am I?
She blinked the fog in her mind away, remembering that Dr. Heinz had given her strong medicine the night before to help her sleep. He was a brusque man with a short temper and no tolerance for nonsense, but he was an efficient doctor and knew what he was doing. The hospital. She was in the Queenstown clinic if she remembered correctly.
At that moment, a nurse bustled into her room. “Good morning, dear. Feeling better today?”
“Uh, sure,” Lisa replied, croaking because her mouth was dry. “Water, please?”
The nurse filled a glass from a jug in the corner and handed it to her. “Here you go.”
“Thank you,” Lisa said, sipping the water while another lady vacuumed the carpet out in the hallway. Once the irritating noise was gone, she asked, “When will Dr. Heinz be
in?”
“He’ll be along shortly, dear. Just a little longer,” the Nurse replied while she checked Lisa’s blood pressure and vitals, noting it on a chart.
“What’s wrong with me? I didn’t really have a chance to speak to the doctor last night,” Lisa asked.
The nurse glanced at the chart. “Mm, sprained wrist, not too bad. Two broken ribs, another cracked. Ouch, that must hurt. Moderate concussion. That explains your nausea and dizziness.” She read further, and her eyebrows raised. “Extensive bruising requiring antibiotics.”
“Antibiotics for bruising?” Lisa asked.
“Yes, dear. Severe bleeding in the tissues creates the perfect environment for bacteria which could lead to nasty infections. We got you in time, though, so you’ll be right as rain in a few days.”
Lisa’s stomach growled loudly at that moment, and the Nurse laughed. “My, but someone is hungry!”
“Starving, actually,” Lisa said.
“Good, it means the treatment is working. I’ll send you a plate from the kitchens,” the Nurse said as she ducked out again.
“Thank you,” Lisa called after her retreating back before leaning against her stacked cushions again.
Time passed slowly, too slowly for her liking. The monotony was broken when a girl arrived from the kitchens pushing a trolley, her face covered in a cheeky grin. “I come bearing gifts.”
Lisa sat up too fast, groaning when her ribs twinged. “Thank, God, I’m dying here.”
The girl laughed. “It’s not much, but it’ll have to do.” She placed the tray on the bed and lifted the cloth.
Lisa stared at the plate with disbelief. It contained a slice of dry toast, a single boiled egg, and a small green apple. “That’s it?”
“Sorry. Doctor’s orders. He says your stomach has to adjust first. You haven’t eaten in two days,” the girl said with an apologetic shrug.
“What about a cup of coffee?” Lisa asked hopefully. She peered at the girl’s name tag. “Nessie, is it?”
“That’s me, and sorry, no coffee. Only tea. Black, no sugar.”
“Ugh, fine.” Lisa wrinkled her nose. “Guess I have no choice.”
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