One of the men jumped down. His black bandanna swished in the wind. He wore a black vest with a skull patch on the chest.
“I told the boys we would find a lot more out here in the country than in the city. More stuff, less dead ones walking around. Win-win.” The man walked with his chest poked out, strutting like he owned the place. Connor prayed they would leave.
“We don’t want any trouble. So if it’s all the same to you, I think you should get going.”
“You got a real nice barn right there.” He pointed to the barn and Connor saw Phil crouched behind the tractor. “Let us take a look inside. We’ll take what we want and none of your people get hurt. I know you have people in the house. I saw the girl running inside. It’s be a shame if something happened to her.”
Connor gripped the stock of the gun tighter, rage beginning to boil beneath the surface. There is no way in hell you hurt my family.
“Fine, go take a look around.”
“That’s a good boy. Nelson, keep an eye on this big son of a bitch. I don’t like the look in his eyes. The rest of you come with me.”
They had turned their backs for a couple of seconds when Connor lifted the rifle and placed a bullet in Nelson’s head. Adrenaline was pumping, throwing off Connor’s aim. He quickly shot another man in the back before the other three dove behind the truck. It was too late for them, though. They had chosen the wrong house. Phil was hustling towards them as soon as he heard the first shot and was already behind them, revolver in hand, firing as fast as he could. Three quick shots and it was over.
Connor ran to Phil, looking him over to make sure he was okay. This was the way of the world now.
“We need more guns, more bullets, and we need to get started on that wall.”
CHAPTER TEN
Juliet paced across the living room. Her mind raced with explanations for what just happened. Her stomach was in knots as she wondered what to say, if anything. Had Bill and Greg somehow followed them to the farm? Should I tell Connor? These were some of the thoughts running through her mind. The rest of the family, minus Rich who was in the lookout on guard duty, along with Rus, Polly, and Cedric were gathered around Connor as he retold the story of their ambush and narrow escape.
“If they have Phil, then they must have been watching you for a while. For so many of them to coordinate like that, they had to have known Phil was alone,” said Rus. His eyes matched the wolf tattoo on his chest, alert and ready for action. Polly had her arms wrapped around him. Standing there, they seemed like they could take on anything together. And I feel like I might tear it all apart.
“How did you know we were in trouble?” Connor asked Rus. Juliet had wondered this herself. If not for Rus and Polly’s impeccable timing, she didn’t dare think what might have happened to her and Connor.
“We heard you on the walkie-talkie, when you were calling for Phil,” said Rus. “After so long without hearing anything, we stopped by here just to check in. Miss Peggy told us you were still out looking for Phil, and when you hadn’t come back, I knew something was up. We were own our way to help look when we saw all the flashlights and the cars. There was so much light, they practically lit up the woods. It was easy to see they had you surrounded.”
“We owe you one,” said Connor. “If you hadn’t showed up when you did, we might be dead.”
“Don’t mention it. Any idea where they might have come from?” asked Rus.
“I was going to ask Polly. Did any of the cars look familiar to what you saw at the church?” Connor was grasping at straws. For once, Juliet had all the answers, but she didn’t know if she could bring herself to tell them.
“No, these guys were different. The people at the church were harmless. I don’t even think they had a car.” Polly ran her hand through her hair, causing strands to tumble down the side of her face.
“Then I have absolutely no idea who it could be.” Connor put his head in his hands. Juliet knew it was his way of clearing his mind.
Juliet felt she had to say something. Every moment she wasted was a lost moment for getting Phil back. Pretending she didn’t know could be a death sentence for Phil.
“I think I know,” Juliet said, her voice wavering. She stopped pacing. Every eye was on her as she stood there, shaking uncontrollably. Connor was puzzled. Cedric stood up, shock on his face.
“What do you mean, you know?” asked her father. He seemed to already be making the connection in his mind.
“I didn’t see their faces, it was too dark. But when we were standing there, I heard the sound of someone spitting tobacco. It was unmistakable. I knew I had heard it before. I’m certain it was Greg and Bill. Somehow they found us.” Juliet couldn’t handle herself any longer. She turned away, fighting back the tears.
“That’s it. Jules, pack your bags. We are leaving. This place isn’t as safe as we thought it was.” Cedric rubbed her back, trying to offer comfort.
“What do you mean, you’re leaving? Wait, are you saying you brought them here?” asked Connor. “Did you lead the men who kidnapped my brother to our home?” He was on his feet, his arm gesturing wildly with each word. Juliet could hear the mixture of shock and anger in his words. She cried harder while her father tried to explain.
Connor crossed the room in an instant, tearing Cedric and Juliet apart. Connor slammed Cedric against the wall with a thud. “Did you lead them here?” Cedric gasped for air. “Answer me, Goddammit!”
Juliet screamed for Connor to let her father go, pulling on his massive arms with no results. She felt invisible and helpless as the battle raged around her, neither her father or Connor acknowledging her presence.
“There’s no way to know.” His words were weak. “We were walking for hours before you found us and we never saw another soul. If they found you, it had to be on their own. They had talked of other places. Said that they knew people living better than we were. I just never thought it could be you.” Cedric tried to reason.
Connor’s anger flowed freely in his veins. “And you never thought to share this information with me?” He pressed his elbow harder against Cedric’s throat. “You didn’t think it would be useful to know that they actually knew of other places, not that they were just talking about it. We never had any of these problems before you two showed up.”
Rus had his hands on Connor, trying to pry them apart. “Easy there, Connor.” Rus was once again trying to calm the beast. Connor loosened his grip. “We don’t know anything yet. The priority right now is to try and get your brother back. Don’t go placing blame until we have the facts.”
“And how exactly do you propose we go about that.” Connor released Cedric and turned to Rus, towering over him, but Rus stood tall. He wasn’t intimidated by Connor.
“We have to be smarter than them. You said they want the farm, then that means they will try to leverage your brother to get it. We just need to figure out how to make it work in our favor. And we do have an advantage.”
“What’s that? What possible advantage do we have over men we don’t know, hiding in the darkness?” asked Connor, annoyed.
“We have two people who know more about them than they know about us. We are surrounded by a giant wall. They don’t know what is on the other side.” Rus turned to Cedric. “Can you tell us everything you know about these people?”
Cedric nodded, accepting that he would not be leaving the farm just yet. Polly came to Juliet’s side and gently massaged her shoulders. Juliet was grateful for Polly. She might need a friend in the coming days.
Hours later, the group sat around the living room attempting to devise a plan. Juliet kept quiet at the edge of the sofa. Rich barged in the house, pushing the door open with such force that it dented the wall. They had decided it was better not to use the walkie-talkies under present circumstances. His eyes were wide and he panted for breath when he spoke to Connor. “They’re here.”
Connor ran out the door into the darkness as fast as he could, the others trailing behind him.
If the chance arose, he would end this now. Connor could hear engines roaring on the other side of the wall as he climbed the ladder to the lookout. From up high, Connor watched as countless hours of hard work were destroyed before his eyes. A large tractor was plowing its way through the barrier of zombies. It mowed them down like withered corn stalks at season’s end. Dismembered body parts were left scattered in its wake of blood and guts. In a fit of rage, Connor fired his gun at the tractor. There was a loud ding as the bullet ricocheted off the metal. Headlights blazed in the distance as a black van approached out of the darkness, illuminating the wall.
The van parked on the dirt road in front of the gate. Moments passed before the door slid open and a body fell to the ground, a canvas bag covering the head.
Connor’s world came crashing down. His failures as a leader were responsible for his brother’s death. The body stirred and Connor let out a sigh of relief. He is still alive. A man emerged from the van, a cowboy hat pulled low over his eyes. He pressed a shotgun to the side of Phil’s head. The tractor had disappeared in the distance as it edged around the wall and only a dull rumbling could be heard. Greg’s voice carried across the distance.
“You had to make this hard, didn’t you? You couldn’t just pack up and leave like we asked. Now, you done made me chop up these stinky bastards. You know how hard it’s gonna be to get them planted back in there?” Greg laughed at himself.
“Not a big talker, eh? Well that’s fine. I got a few words to say. I’m sure you know who we are and where we came from by now. But let me tell you, we been busy. You’re not the first place we’ve knocked over. You probably won’t be the last either. But you got the best damn wall I ever did see. We are going to take it. You can mark my words on that. The only real question is how much is it going to hurt your brother before we get in.”
Phil struggled against his bindings before Greg pressed the barrel harder into his neck. Connor battled with his predicament. Could he let his brother die if it meant saving everyone else? Was there even a point in defying them? This wasn’t a castle with an impenetrable wall. It could hold up against a lot, but it was meant for protection, not to be a fortress. We aren’t set up to wage war from inside here. We are set up to survive long term. How long will the wall hold if they try to tear it down?
“Every day that you refuse to let us in, we’re gonna toss a piece of your brother over the wall. See you tomorrow.” Greg pulled Phil back into the van, not waiting for Connor to respond. The tires kicked up dirt as they reversed into the darkness.
Connor wanted to punch something. If I ever get my hands on you, you’re a dead man.
The group looked up at Connor as he climbed down, but no one spoke. Even Uncle Allen had managed to make his way from the house. Juliet stood in the back, her father’s arm wrapped around her. Connor wasn’t sure how to talk to her at the moment, if he could talk to her. He still wasn’t sure if he believed Cedric, and if not, did that make Juliet an accomplice?
“Well, what was it?” asked Rus. “What were their demands?”
“They destroyed the zombies. All of them. And they are going to cut off a piece of Phil every day until we surrender this place to them.”
Peggy fell to her knees. “No, not my baby boy!” she screamed. Connor embraced her, trying his best to comfort his mom.
“If there is anyway I can get him back, I’m going to do it, Mom.” There was conviction in his voice, he just didn’t know how to make it happen.
“And he’s not alone, Miss Peggy, all of us are here to help,” said Polly.
Peggy’s wailing turned to sniffles before she was able to speak. “Thank you, it means a lot.”
Connor addressed the group, “We need someone on lookout at all times, day and night. We’ll take six hour shifts. Rus and Polly, I need you with me right now, Cedric too. We need to find a way to get Phil back as soon as possible.”
“What about me?” asked Juliet. Her eyes were puffy from crying, but Connor couldn’t play caretaker right now. He had to figure out how to save Phil.
“I’m sure you can find something to do.” He didn’t want her around him. Right now, all that mattered was getting Phil back. If not for Juliet and Cedric, Phil would be safe inside the gate.
The sky was dark as Juliet sat atop the lookout, staring out into the great beyond. She couldn’t take being inside near Connor with the way things were, so she opted for the solitude of the night. The events of the day replayed over and over in her head. The wonderful morning with Connor had morphed into a terrible nightmare. In only a few hours, it felt like everything they had built was falling apart. She was hurt by his accusations and angry that he could even think that way to begin with. To think her father would betray them. Did we not have something special? It had felt like it. She hadn’t asked for things to go this way. Connor found her and her father walking the streets and offered them a place in their house. It wasn’t like they had begged for shelter. How could he possibly accuse them of causing this? She wanted to roll off the lookout and tumble into the destruction below. The thoughts stabbed at her for hours as the night crept slowly by.
She wondered if her father would really try to leave. If Juliet tried to stay, would Connor let her? And if they did leave, where would they go? There was only one way to put things back in place and clear her father’s name. They had to get Phil back. But how? Connor would want to fight, but there were so many ways that could go wrong. Not to mention the danger that would put Phil in. There had to be a better way. The best way would be by stealth. Juliet had always been light on her feet. If there was anyone who could find Phil and get him out without being noticed, it would be her.
The dangers of pulling off a stunt like that were real enough. She could be caught, she could be killed. With Greg and Bill, there could be worse things. If she could keep the others safe, then the risks were worth it. Juliet decided that was enough reason to take matters into her own hands. Greg would never expect retaliation so soon. If there was ever a moment their guard might be down, this was it. She could find Phil and sneak him out before anyone was the wiser. Juliet knew her father would never approve, nor would Connor, so she climbed down the ladder, quiet as a cat. She unlatched the gate and crept into the night.
Outside the gate, it was quiet. Quieter than she had ever heard. The moat was destroyed beyond repair. The tractor that tore it apart had done so with gusto. Not a single zombie remained intact. Most of the heads were split in two by some large blade. The few that remained, dismembered as they were, still chomped their teeth like the slow rattle of a snake. Without the cacophony of constant moans and hissing, the night seemed endless before her.
Juliet wandered through the woods with no direction. She hoped for a sign that would lead her to Phil. She held the grip of her gun as she walked. There was no way she could shoot it, but it calmed her nonetheless. The night air was cold upon her face and the wind whipped her blond hair back and forth across her eyes. She hoped that eventually she would hear Greg or Bill or one of their goons. It wouldn’t be long before Connor discovered she was missing. She wondered what he would think of her. Would he think she betrayed him? Or would he come looking for her? She hoped not. She hoped to have Phil back at the farm before anyone noticed she was gone.
Without a flashlight, it was difficult to see. Tree limbs and spider-webs constantly caught in her hair. She stumped her toes on roots and stumps. Even with her eyes adjusting to the night sky, the forest was a dark maze. Juliet wasn’t sure what she would do when she found them. I’ll have to make it up as I go.
She searched for hours before the sound of voices in the distance brought Juliet to a halt. She snuck up on the camp, where several men sat around a fire. Juliet approached with caution, looking for Phil in the dim light. Juliet tripped on a root and fell to the ground. The fall knocked out her breath and she lay there gasping for air. She felt the moist earth and damp leaves beneath her fingers. The taste of blood filled her mouth. She traced the outline of her lip
and found a tiny gash. A flashlight beam pierced through the darkness and she knew she was caught. If she ran, she was dead.
“What the hell is this?” someone asked. Juliet recognized him from Meadow Valley. He had a wife and daughter. Juliet tried to remember his name. Was it Jerry, or Barry?
Panic threatened to consume her. She had to think fast if she was walking out of this alive. “I’ve been searching for you for hours. I just couldn’t stay there anymore.” She tried to appear calm, her head held high. Inside, she regretted ever leaving the farm.
The men held their guns at the ready, pointing them out into the darkness, cautious of a trap. Bill appeared from behind the group.
“What are you playing at, girl? This some kind of trick?” Bill asked, his head rotating like a sprinkler as he scanned the darkness.
“No, no trick, it’s just me.” She paused, thinking of how to convince them. “I know how this ends. You will take the farm eventually, and I want to be there when you do. Dad took me away after you killed Clarence. But I thought what you did was the right move. I didn’t want to starve to death. I want to be with someone strong, someone who can protect me.” Someone like Connor. “Please, just let me help. I’ll do anything.” In the gleam of the firelight, she saw a wicked grin cross Bill’s face.
“Well, if the girl wants to play, let’s let her play.” Bill took her gun and then wrapped his arm around Juliet. His touch made her want to scream. His body odor and the smell of stale chewing tobacco overwhelmed her. His filthy habit had somehow dripped down his chin, staining the white shirt he wore a dirty brown. Every bit of Juliet said to shrug him off, that his very being repulsed her. Against all urges, Juliet leaned in to him, accepting his embrace. What have I gotten myself into? She heard the intake of breath as he leaned closer to smell her hair.
Their camp was small, centered between a ring of vehicles. Parked in a circle was a camper, a van, two cars, and a tractor. A few tents were set up in between them. They had roped off the area, an attempt to keep out any zombies that might stumble along in the night. There were ten people total, plus Phil, who she spotted tied to the wheel of the tractor. If she could sneak out to him in the night, she could untie him and be off. He looked rough around the edges, but he was still in one piece. For now.
Undead Love: Not Alone Page 9