Dead South | Book 4 | Dead Love
Page 15
"I want you to take care of that."
Terrence looked down at the keys in his hand, and then back up at Jon. "What the hell is this?"
"The keys to my bike."
Terrence's mouth opened, a look of shock on his face. "No way, man. I can't take this."
"Neither can I," Jon said. He pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "There's no way it would fit all three of us and our belongings on that bike. Besides, I think my mid-life crisis is over."
Terrence's eyes got big, and he laughed. "Oh, so now you want to give me one? Thanks, asshole."
Jon laughed. "Seriously, man. Just take care of her and enjoy. But take it slow. She really takes off when you twist that throttle."
"You've got it, brother. I'll treat her just as she deserves."
The two men hugged.
"Now, are you going to come see us off, or not?" Brooke asked.
The four of them made their way back up to the front of the camp. The others remained near the truck, waiting. They cleared a path as the group approached. Lucas hopped into the back seat of the pickup, while Jon got into the driver's seat and Brooke loaded in through the passenger seat. The door squeaked as Jon shut it, and Terrence, Raylon, and Lennox stood near the driver's side. Jon rolled down the window.
Putting his hand to his forehead and saluting the men, Jon said, "See you around."
They waved, and Jon put the truck into drive and eased his foot down on the gas.
As they approached the front of the camp, Jon looked to his left and saw his—or Terrence's—motorcycle sitting there. He almost hadn't looked, having known she was there and that he might have regrets. But he felt totally fine with what he'd done. And when Brooke reached over and took his hand, he turned to her and saw her smile. Then, he knew for sure he'd done the right thing.
They traveled down the dirt road to the highway, likely for the last time. When they made it to the road, Jon stopped and looked both ways.
"Which way?" Brooke asked.
Jon grinned, keeping his eyes focused out the windshield. "I'm thinking south."
Epilogue
He stepped through the gates, stopping only a few feet into the camp. It smelled of smoke, even though it appeared as if the fires had been extinguished for some time now. It held the energy of death and destruction.
The place was hardly recognizable. For several moments, he wondered if he'd even come back to the right camp.
"Are you sure this is it?" the man with him asked.
He put up his hand without looking back, his index finger pointing up. His friend was quiet then.
This was the place. He would never forget how to make it back here. For so long, he'd been working to make it back to this camp. It had been a tumultuous journey, but he'd finally done it.
Holding the rifle in his hands, he walked all the way into the camp. Only a few of the buildings remained standing. Remnants that still stood might as well have been demolished.
This was definitely Hope's Dawn. Or, at least, it had been Hope's Dawn.
He kneeled down by a row of lumps on the ground, each marked with only a stick. From the top of one of the piles, he cupped some dirt in his hand. These graves appeared new.
After spending a few moments at the makeshift cemetery, he looked to his right toward the house he'd once lived in. The house was one that still partially stood, but most of it had been destroyed in the fire or whatever had happened there. He stopped when he got to the front of the house and stared at it. He then approached the door and opened it.
The man entered, noticing how the place had been ransacked. He entered the living room and saw the coffee table flipped over in the center of the room, and the rug rolled up. The secret hatch in the middle of the room was open, and the man went over to it and peeked inside. The space was empty.
Reaching into his pocket, the man pulled out the picture of his family. His beautiful wife, with her blonde hair and emerald green eyes. That smile which he would never forget. The woman he had taken for granted for so long. He wouldn't make that mistake again.
And their son. He missed the boy so much, and after such a long journey, wished he were hugging him right now. But he knew the time would come. He'd just have to wait a bit longer.
Looking up from the photo, he looked around the destroyed house again. Tears welled up in his eyes. He couldn't believe he'd finally made it back here, but everyone was gone. Many had died, and it was possible that the people who he'd come back for had died, as well.
But he couldn't allow himself to think about that. He wouldn't. The man knew they were out there. He knew they were alive.
The man looked down at the picture again. He found the will to smile, hoping he'd see his wife and son again soon.
"I'll find you, Brooke. Lucas. I promise."
The story continues with Dead Past
Coming December 17th, 2021
Available for Pre-Order at:
https://books2read.com/deadpast
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About Zach Bohannon
Zach Bohannon is a horror, science fiction, and fantasy author. His critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic zombie series, Empty Bodies, is a former Amazon #1 bestseller. He lives in Tennessee with his wife and daughter. He loves hockey, heavy metal, video games, reading, and he doesn’t trust a beer he can see through. He’s a retired drummer, and has had a beard since 2003—long before it was cool.
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