“Doesn’t look as if many are getting in,” Spit remarked.
Courtney could see figures on the ramparts.
A big blond man was watching them approach through binoculars.
Spit nodded at a stream that entered the walls via an aqueduct. “That must be how they get their water. We might be able to slip in that way.” He thoughtfully gnawed on his bottom lip. “It explains the drawbridge. It opens inward, over the stream.”
A lot of the people around the tents were staring at the van.
“Remember, smile and act real nice and friendly,” Spit said. “One slip and....”
“You don’t have to keep reminding me,” Courtney snapped.
When they were about forty feet out from the compound, Spit braked and put the van in Park. Showing all of his teeth, he opened his door and climbed out with his arms in the air.
Courtney followed suit.
“Hello up there!” Spit hollered. “We’re peaceful!”
The blond man had lowered his binoculars. His hair was shoulder-length, and tied back. He sported a thick mustache and a trimmed beard.”What do you want?”
“We heard about this place on the radio,” Spit shouted up. “Me and the rest from Minneapolis.”
The blond man stared toward the woods. “The rest?”
“They’re a ways back yet,” Spit said. “They sent me ahead.”
“How many?” the blond man said.
“Twenty-five,” Spit lied, and added, “Ten are kids.”
The blond man frowned. “That radio report again.” He didn’t sound happy about it.
“I’m Richard, by the way,” Spit said. “Who might you be?”
“Soren.”
“Do you run this place?”
“No. I’m a Warrior.”
“A what?”
“A Warrior,” Soren repeated. “We defend the Home.”
“The what?”
“It’s what the Family calls the compound.”
“The who?”
The Warrior cocked his head and gave Spit a strange look.
Spit said, “So will you let us in, or what?”
“That’s not for me to decide,” Soren said. “I’ll go find the man who runs things. It’ll be his call.”
Courtney realized the blond man was studying her intently. She forced a smile. “Thank you!”
The Warrior turned and was gone.
“So far, so good,” Spit said.
To Courtney’s considerable surprise, she knew the man who was introduced as the leader of the survivalists. Not personally. She had never met him. But she had seen him occasionally on the news. He was a Hollywood bigshot.
A loud clanking noise had risen from beyond the wall, and the drawbridge was slowly lowered. As it was descending, Courtney could see that a wedge of well-armed men, including Soren, had formed around another man—and a woman—and at that man’s gesture, they crossed the drawbridge, their guns at the ready.
All except Soren. He was carrying a huge hammer covered in strange symbols. Up close, Courtney saw that he was wearing some sort of rubber suit that reminded her of the suits scuba divers wore. He also had on odd gloves and a bizarre belt about his middle that had dials and stuff on it.
The group came to the end of the drawbridge, and the famous man halted. “This will do, Thor.”
Courtney noticed that people were coming from the tents to watch. She ignored them for now and focused on the bigshot.
“Thor?” Spit said. “I thought the dude told us his name is Soren?”
“Thor is his code name,” the famous man said. He was quite handsome, and his voice gentle, almost weary. “All the Warriors have them.”
“Are there a lot of these Warriors?” Spit asked.
Paying him no heed, the famous man came toward Courtney and extended his hand. “Kurt Carpenter. A pleasure to meet you, young lady.”
Courtney introduced herself as they shook.
Carpenter indicated the woman beside him. “This is my associate, Diana Trevor.”
Again Courtney shook. Trevor had friendly but wary eyes, and dark hair. On the slim side, she was dressed in a shirt and slacks.
“We understand that you two are part of a group from the Twin Cities?” the woman said.
“That’s right, sister,” Spit said. “With ten kids,” he stressed.
“How far off are they?” Diana Trevor wanted to know.
Spit shrugged. “About a day out, I suppose.”
Kurt Carpenter sighed. He gazed at the the people among the tents and said, “They just keep coming.”
“It’s that radio station,” Soren—or was it Thor?—said. “The one that found out about us and kept broadcasting for days after the war.”
His tone prompted Courtney to say, “You make that sound like a bad thing.”
Kurt Carpenter’s features grew sad. “It’s a contingency I didn’t anticipate.”
“Sorry?” Courtney said.
“When I realized war was inevitable, when I planned for the Home, as we call it,” Carpenter explained, “I worked everything out to the smallest detail. Including how many people the Home could hold. It was invitation only, based on certain criteria.”
“With no room for any more?” Spit said. “As much ground as you have in there?”
“It’s not the space considerations,” Carpenter said. “We have provisions for a set number of people to last a set number of years. Should we add more mouths to feed....,” Carpenter didn’t finish.
“You’ll run out of supplies sooner,” Courtney said.
“Surely you can take a few more in?” Spit said.
Carpenter indicated the tent people. “There are already dozens waiting their chance. Now your groups shows up. And not one of you has been vetted.”
“Huh?” Spit said.
Diana Trevor said, “None of you have had a background investigation, your DNA profiled....”
“That science stuff?” Spit said.
Trevor went on as if he hadn’t interrupted. “Your education levels, criminal records, those sorts of things.”
Kurt Carpenter said, “The people in the Home were chosen using a computer program.”
“So you’d let the rest of us sit out here and starve?” Spit said. “Or be killed by zombies or some other thing?”
“I haven’t made up my mind yet,” Carpenter said. “Until I do, you and the rest of your group are welcome to camp outside our walls. We’ll provide you with food, medicine and protection.”
“How about a tour?” Spit said.
“I’m afraid that’s out of the question,” Carpenter said.
“Well, hell,” Spit said.
Carpenter half-turned to go. “I hope to reach a decision soon.”
Diana Trevor smiled at Courtney. “Nice to have met you.”
Courtney couldn’t say what motivated her to do what she did next. Taking a quick step, she hugged Trevor close, saying loudly, “Nice meeting you, too!” Instantly she whispered into the woman ‘s ear, “Help us, please! Four of us are being held by that man and other convicts! They want to take over your compound!” She stepped back, keeping a happy expression, worried sick that Spit had heard her.
But no.
He was already heading for the van.
Diana Trevor hadn’t let on what Courtney had done. Her smile widened and she said, “Don’t you worry, Ms Hewitt. Things will work out.”
“I sure hope so,” Courtney said.
CHAPTER 30
All her life Courtney had heard the expression ‘a nervous wreck’. But she never actually experienced being one—until now.
As the van wound through the woods towards where they had left the others, Courtney tried not to fidget or wring her hands or otherwise give herself away.
Spit was mad, but not at her. “That miserable son of a bitch! Who does he think he is, anyway? He wouldn’t even let us take a peek inside those walls.”
Courtney laughed.
�
�What the hell’s so funny?” Spit said.
Nothing, really, except that Courtney’s nerves were on edge. “Maybe he thought you have cooties.”
“This is serious, stupid,” Spit said. “Luther ain’t going to like that I couldn’t scout the place out. Knowing him, it’ll make him more determined ever to get in and take it over. Which means he might forget scouting it out. Which means,” he said with a sneer, “that we might not have any more use for you and your friends.”
“He’d kill us in cold blood?”
“Just like that,” Spit said, and snapped his fingers.
“God,” Courtney said, bowing her head. “There’s just no end to this nightmare.”
“Grow up, girl. It is what it is.”
“That’s no excuse for what you and your friends are doing.”
“We’re looking out for number one. Ourselves.”
“That’s cold.”
“That’s smart. You need to face up to the fact that no one is around to take care of you anymore. Not mommy. Not daddy. Not the government.”
“I know that,” Courtney said bitterly.
“It’s like that nursery rhyme. What’s it called? Humpty Dumpty? About the egg that falls and goes splat. Well, now the whole world has, and nothing you do can ever put it back together again. Now it’s survival of the strongest.”
“You think you’re strong?”
“Strength in numbers, bitch,” Spit said. “Me and my buds, we’re at the top of the food chain.”
“The people at the compound are.”
“They didn’t strike me as all that much,” Spit said. “We find a way in, they’re toast.”
Courtney hoped not. Carpenter and his followers had impressed her as decent people. She prayed they would take her request for help seriously.
Presently they reached the camp the convicts had set up. Spit’s orange-clad companions converged.
“Your back sooner than I figured,” Luther said. Strapped around his waist were Gar’s holster and Colt.
“They wouldn’t let us in,” Spit reported, and launched into an explanation as to why.
Luther wasn’t pleased. “So you have no idea how many of these Warriors we’d be up against?”
“Nope,” Spit admitted. “I saw six guys with weapons with the head honcho but only the big one looked all that tough. And he was carrying a hammer.”
“Say that again?” Luther said.
“I kid you not,” Spit said. “No gun. Just some weird-ass hammer, and wearing an outfit that looked to be made of rubber.” Spit snorted in contempt. “You ask me, they’re a bunch of candy asses.”
“I don’t get the hammer bit,” Luther said. “But hey. If they’re too stupid to pack guns, it’ll be easier for us.” He motioned at the others. “We’re going to sit down and hash out how to make that compound our own.”
Spit jabbed Courtney in the arm. “What about the babe here? And her friend? Any reason we can’t have some fun with them later?”
Luther grinned. “None at all.”
The rope hurt terribly. Her skin on both wrists was scraped raw and she was bleeding. But she refused to stop trying to work free.
The convicts had bound her and the others. One of them held a gun to her face while Spit did the deed. He kept licking his lips and winking. When he was done, he patted her head and said, “Later, babe. You and me.”
“And me,” leered the guy holding the gun.
Now, curled on her side facing the fire, her arms behind her, Courtney grit her teeth and twisted her wrists for all she was worth.
Sally Ann and Sansa lay nearby. Gar, though, had been tied to a tree.
Even Gaga was on a stake.
Sally Ann was doing twisting of her own. She looked over and whispered despondently, “It never ends, does it?”
Grunting, Courtney kept at the rope.
“We were almost to the compound, and now this,” Sally Ann said.
“Don’t give up hope,”
Sally Ann glared at the convicts, who were passing bottles of whiskey around and talking and joking. “God. I can’t stand the thought of them touching me.”
“They haven’t yet,” Courtney said. “And so long as I’m breathing, I’ll be damned if they will.”
“When did you become so tough?” Sally Ann said. “When the war broke out, it was me who had to keep boosting your spirits.”
“I don’t know,” Courtney said, continuing to work at her bounds. “I just grew tougher, I guess.”
“Shape up or die? Should that be our new motto?”
Courtney wished her friend would stop distracting her. She was to say as much when she saw Luther stand up and come around the fire. She pressed her wrists against her butt to hide her wrists, and tensed.
“How are you ladies holding up?” Luther said amiably. He took a swig from a bottle, then held it out toward Sally Ann. “Care for a swallow?”
“Go to hell,” Sally Ann said.
“That’s not too smart,” Luther said. “Make me mad, why don’t you? Make the others mad, too. So when the time comes, we’ll smack you around while we’re getting our jollies.”
“You’re despicable.”
“People have needs, girl.”
“Loathsome.”
Luther took another swig. “You really need to get your act together. Unless you want to die. In which case, go on being a bitch.”
Courtney had something else on her mind. “What about Sansa?”
“The kid?” Luther said. “What does she....” He stopped. “Oh, hell. None of us are child molesters, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“She shouldn’t have see it,” Courtney said. “Shouldn’t even have to hear it.”
Luther swallowed more whiskey, and nodded. “Yeah. Good point. I’ll have her put in the van.”
“Thanks,” Courtney said.
“Now see?” Luther said to Sally Ann. “Why can’t you be nice like her?” He started to turn, and stopped. “Either of you hungry? Want some of the meat?”
“What are you having?” Sally Ann said.
“Dog.”
Courtney stiffened. “Wait. What?” She glanced anxiously at Gaga. “You can’t mean.....?”
“Won’t be our first,” Luther said. “Has a nice taste once you get used to it.”
“You can’t eat Gaga!” Struggling to sit up, Courtney said, “Please, no! She’s been with me since before we left Minneapolis.”
“As if we care,” Luther said.
Courtney looked at Gaga and tears welled. She really and truly cared for her. “I’ll do anything! Please! I’m begging you!”
A muscular black man with the sleeves cut off his jumpsuit came over. “What’s all the fuss, Luth?”
“Hey, Malik,” Luther said, and held out the bottle to him. “This one doesn’t want us to eat her dog.”
“Maybe she rather we eat her,” Malik said, and they both chuckled.
Courtney’s dismay gave way to anger. “Harm her, and so help me, I’ll tear your throats out with my teeth!”
“You’re welcome to try,” Malik said.
“Ah, hell, girl,” Luther said. “Don’t take it so personal.”
“Bitches and their mutts,” Malik said. “I had me a ho once who went everywhere with a tiny little poodle in her purse.”
“Bastards!”
“You know what?” Malik said. “How about I do the dog right now?” And with that, he drew a broad-bladed knife from a sheath on his hip.
CHAPTER 31
Courtney tried to stand but lost her balance and fell back. “Leave my dog alone!”
Malik made small circles in the air with the tip of his blade. “How about I bring you a piece to eat raw?”
Luther laughed.
It was then that Gar Shannon said, “Miserable pukes,.”
The two convicts faced the tree.
“You got something to say, mister?”Luther said.
Gar said, “My
pa used to say that convicts and pond scum have a lot in common. Now I know what he meant.”
“Say what?” Malik said.
“Are you hard of hearing as well as dumb?” Gar said.
“You believe this fool?” Malik asid to Luther.
Gar went on. “Between the two of you, you don’t have enough brains to fit in a pea.”
Luther snorted. “Is that your idea of an insult?”
“Take a gander in a mirror,” Gar said. “Your face is an insult.”
“Gander?” Malik said. He glanced at Luther. “What’s this cracker think he’s doing?”
“He’s trying to get under our skin,” Luther said. “Maybe hoping it will delay us doing the dog.”
Courtney wanted to reach out and hug Gar.
“That’s not why I’m doing it at all,” Gar said. “I just hate cowards. And the two of you got no more gonads than a clam.”
“That made no sense,” Malik said.
“Let me be plain,” Gar said, glaring at Luther. “Cut me free and let you and me have a fair fight so I can beaet you into the ground and make you whimper like those dogs you like to eat.”
“You and me?” Luther said. “Hand to hand?”
“Fool,” Malik said to Gar. “Luth, here, was the best fighter in the whole prison.”
“Let him prove it,” Gar said, raising his voice. “Or is he scared to?”
Some of the other convicts stopped what they were doing to listen.
“You heard me, Luther!” Gar practically shouted. “I’m calling you a yellow-dog coward! You’re afraid to take me on! You’re afraid I’ll kick your ass!”
Now all the convicts were listening. Several stood and came over and the rest followed.
“That’s right!” Gar taunted. “Have your pards back you up because you’re too much of a wimp to take me on yourself.”
Malik waggled his knife. “Let me do him for you, Luth.”
“You hear that?” Gar yelled at the others. “Your big, bad leader has to have somebody else do his fighting.”
“Mister,” Spit said, “we’ve seen him kill men a lot bigger and tougher than you.”
“You don’t look like much at all,” another convict said.
“Cut me loose and I’ll show you,” Gar said.
A Girl a Dog and Zombies on the Munch Page 16