12. Sonny
Twice during a twenty-four hour period, the human body needs to stop and rest. Once when it is bedtime, the other time is midday. Most people don’t have the time to stop, drop and nap. Unless you are Mera, and then everyone better watch out if she is napping.
The Sleepers are human, therefore they run on that cycle.
When we were further west, their sleep and rest patterns were different. They weren’t like movie zombies where they didn’t need sleep. Sleepers actually did sleep.
So there were two time points where we could pretty much guarantee there wouldn’t be Sleepers. We just really hadn’t figured them out yet, because they were different on this side of the Great Divide than in the west.
That was why, during the Walmart run and the run when I was attacked, both occurred early in the day.
The attack on Haven during the Three Days of Death occurred early in the day and they sauntered off by late afternoon.
That, and the fact that other attacks happened early, was what made Beck pick the time of pre-dinner to go get the horses, and damned if he wasn’t right.
To be safe, I made Jessie sit up front in the truck cab with Michael and Randy, while I, Bonnie, and a couple of others stayed in the back.
I was gun shy about that. My back stayed against the cab of the truck. Nothing was sneaking up on me.
We spotted Sleepers, actually quite a few, though none were bunched in a large group. There were maybe three or four together or a single moving about, staggering through the grass of the fields and alongside the road. They didn’t seem to notice us. They didn’t chase the truck or try to reach us as we passed by. They appeared to be on a mission, all moving to one place, away from Haven. They were, however, moving in the same direction we were.
About twenty minutes into our trip, Bonnie gasped when we spotted our first horse.
He was beautiful and toned. His physique was perfect and looked to be about four years old. A thoroughbred, there was no mistaking that.
“He’s magnificent,” Bonnie said.
What a sight of beauty in a dead world. He swayed his head looking behind him, waiting for something.
The truck slowed to a stop. I didn’t know why, maybe Randy had spotted a field of horses.
Then I knew why the horse was looking back. I peered up over the cab of the truck. There was a field with about two dozen wild horses moving about, but they were encircled by Sleepers.
They stood there, watching and waiting, as if to say, “Are these what you want? Try to get them.”
You have got to be shitting me? Really? They just happen to be here?
I slid the cab window open and told Randy to slowly turn around. We’d try this another day.
Randy nodded and reached for the gear.
“I have to have him,” Bonnie said.
I knew she was speaking of the stallion. I laughed. “I know you do.”
“I’m gonna go get him.”
“You can’t. Sleepers, and lots of them, are fifty yards away.”
“Yeah, but he’ll move good. Look at them legs.”
“You have to catch him first. Rope him.”
She had the rope already over her shoulder. “I’m good.”
“Not that good.”
“Wanna bet?”
Randy had turned the truck around. The Sleepers in the field didn’t move until Bonnie jumped out of the truck.
I slammed my hand against the metal side, not wanting to call her name and draw more attention to her. She wasn’t a big woman and she was hidden in the high weeds.
She ran in a straight line for the Stallion who was still grazing in that area.
The Sleepers moved her way.
‘Get ready,” I told Randy. “If something happens, you go.”
The truck door opened and Michael stepped out at the same time that I jumped over the side of the truck.
“Sonny, stay put, you aren't one hundred percent,” he said. “I’ll go.”
“No, your job is protecting Jesse. I’ll go.”
Two other men came out of the truck. We moved quickly, it was useless to try to get to Bonnie. Our best bet was to get the Sleepers away from her.
I whistled, one of those short, high pitched ones. I swung my arm to point to where the other men had to go. “Oh my call, yell for the Sleepers. Try to distract them.”
The nodded and took position.
Waiting for Michael to get back in, I stepped away from the truck. I spotted Bonnie and called, “You better move it!”
She didn’t reply, her focus was on that horse.
I gave the signal and all three of us started yelling.
“Over here! Hey!”
“Come on! Here we are.”
“Wanna eat?”
We waved our arms high in the air. Some of the Sleepers moseyed our way, but several still pursued Bonnie.
The rope swung high in the air, and I saw a Sleeper closing in.
“Keep yelling,” I told the other two. With all good conscience, I couldn't stand by without trying to help Bonnie.
The Sleeper was ten feet from her.
I charged into the field. I just needed to get close enough for a shot.
The rope made it around the head and neck of the horse.
He neighed and bucked back, front legs swimming in the air, fighting with Bonnie.
The Sleeper was close. One good leap and he would have her.
I stopped, pulled my rifle forward, took aim. He was in my scope. What worked in Bonnie’s favor, worked against mine. The horse moved a lot. He kept blocking the Sleeper and I couldn’t get a clear shot.
I was focused and ready.
A growl. A hand. A grab to my shoulder. It scared the hell out of me and I could tell by the stench, it was a Sleeper.
“Oh, hell no.” I turned my body and nailed the Sleeper in the side of the face with the rifle. He fell back and I kicked him down then shot him dead. I turned back to Bonnie as I reengaged the chamber and saw that she had mounted that horse.
As I readied to call out a victorious ‘Yes’, the Sleeper grabbed her leg. I couldn’t tell from where I was whether it had bitten her, scratched her.
Bonnie was tough, she cold cocked that Sleeper, pushed him away with her leg, snapped the rope, and took off on that horse.
I took off, racing back to the truck. “Get back in!” I yelled to the guys. “Get in. Go!”
They backed up, climbing in.
Sleepers reached the road at the same time as me.
Randy started moving. I could do it. He knew he had to leave and I had to catch him. I ran as fast as I could, not looking back. Hands reached down to me from the back end of the pickup, the smell of Sleepers pelting me from behind.
“Sonny reach! Come on. Grab!”
I tried, I kept missing.
They chanted encouragement as my fingers kept slipping from theirs. Finally, I got hold, and with a final rush and push, I was able to leap, with their help, into the back end of the truck.
I landed with a hard thud, and turned around to see how close the Sleepers were. Too close.
If they had gotten me, I wouldn’t have lucked out.
One of the men banged his hand on the cab and instructed Randy to floor it.
With a jerk, the truck sped off while I caught my breath. The Sleepers faded from view. I couldn’t help but wonder, was it a coincidence that they were there, or were they called? If so, by whom?
We were sabotaged before, so it wasn’t unlikely that we’d be sabotaged again.
If it were indeed grownup Phoenix doing it, then we just narrowed our list of Phoenix suspects, because unless Beck had blabbered the news to everyone, which I know he wouldn’t, not many people knew about the horse trip.
13. Alex
Javier liked his medical toys, that was for sure. He talked to Mera about scheduling the surgery in a week or so, and then I remembered Beck wanted to leave for the Sleeper Sweep. He’d also want to be around for the
surgery.
“Is there stuff you need?” I asked him. “Is that the delay?”
“No, there isn’t. I thought you’d want to get comfortable with the idea.”
“If the kid can hear and he has vocal chords, I’m anxious to let him have an awakening.”
“Very well,” Javier said. “Mera, is that all right with you? Maybe the day after tomorrow? I want to confer with Levi.”
Mera agreed.
Then I had to ask. “How’s the baby? Mera’s baby?”
“She’s fine. Perfect,” Javier said.
“She?” Mera questioned. “As if you’re just saying ‘she’.”
Javier sat back. “Whoops.”
“It’s a girl?” I smiled. “The boys are gonna have a sister.”
“Did you want to see?” Javier reached for a folder. “I have images right here.”
I did and it took everything I had not to blurt out an enthusiastic, ‘Hell yes’, however, I didn’t. I didn’t want to see the baby. I wanted no attachments and seeing her, even in an ultrasound, would build my anticipation, and I was trying to contain any excitement over the child. I shook my head. “Nah, I’m good.”
“If you change your mind…” Javier pushed the folder back.
I almost did look, had Sonny not come in the room. No, wait—he rushed into the room.
“Bonnie’s been bitten!” Sonny announced.
Mera jumped, probably scaring poor Keller, especially since we now knew he probably heard us. “Oh my God, Jessie.”
“Mera, he said Bonnie.” I stopped her from rushing out. “Sonny, what happened?”
“Sleepers.”
I rolled my eyes. “No shit.”
“We went for the horses, and Sleepers were there waiting. Bonnie went to get this one horse and they bit her.”
Javier asked. “How bad?”
“Broke the skin. I’ve seen worse. She’s in your clinic.”
Javier excused himself, brushing by us to go do his doctor thing. He thrived on that.
“How’s Jessie?” Mera asked anxiously.
“Fine, she’s outside,” Sonny said. “I don’t think she knows Bonnie was bitten. Bonnie acted as if it was nothing.” He turned to me. “Can we talk?”
“Yeah. Mera, can you take the baby back?”
She ignored me as she stared at Sonny. “You’re sure Jessie is fine?”
“Positive.”
“I’ll see you guys back at the block.” Balancing Keller on her hip, she headed out the door.
“What’s up?” I asked Sonny.
“Who knew about the horse run?” he asked.
“Everyone on the truck. Me, Mera, Danny and Beck.”
“No one knew where we were going?”
“Sonny, with all that’s being said, I’m smarter than that. I put out that you guys were going south to the Target.”
“Well, it was calculated.”
“What was?”
“The Sleepers. They were all headed in the same direction we were, like they knew to get to the field where the horses were.”
“Maybe you just think so.”
“Maybe, but when I saw that line of Sleepers encircling the horses and watching us, it was obvious. Something or someone is coordinating them. If it isn’t big Phoenix, it’s someone else.”
“Anyone else say anything?” I asked.
“No. Well, Randy. He said it reminded him of their behavior in the future.”
“I hate that word. Future. Ya know, before all this shit, that word only meant something that is gonna happen. Now it sends shivers up my spine.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Let’s find Beck, coordinate with him. Grab Randy and see what we can make out of this.”
“Sounds good,” Sonny said, and walked from the office with me.
We stopped to check on Bonnie. She was a trouper, complaining that she didn’t need treatment. She is tough, but I didn’t want to take a chance that the Sleeper virus was tougher. She did ramble on about a pumpkin patch she passed on the way back. Went on and on about it. I don’t’ recall ever hearing Bonnie talk so much and so passionately about anything, let alone pumpkins.
We left the medical building, stepped out into the yard, only to have Jessie trot by us on the biggest black horse I had ever seen.
“That's it?” I asked. “Is that the horse Bonnie risked her life for?”
“That’s the one,” Sonny said. “He’s a powerful horse. I wouldn’t ride him.”
“Should she?” “Yeah. Look at her.”
Jessie trotted back our way, stopping before us and dismounting like a pro. “Hey, Alex,” she said, her hand stroking the stallion.
“Got a new pet I see.”
“Bonnie got him. I ride him. He loves me.” “I see that.” She had a look of adoration on her face as the horse nudged against her. It was odd. “Did you name him yet?”
“Yes,” she said proudly. “I'm calling him Black Beauty.”
“That’s original.”
She rubbed the horse’s nose. “He’s perfect.”
“You’re perfect, Jess.” I leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.
“I need to run him tired.” She lifted her leg into the stirrup. “Kids aren’t out, so I won’t run them over.” Jessie mounted the horse.
“That’s a good thing.”
“I’ll stay out there,” she said, pointing outward to the perimeter.
“Stay clear of the fence. Promise me.”
As she trotted off she called out, “I promise, Alex Sans.”
“Fence isn’t on,” Sonny told me.
“Yeah, but she doesn’t know that. No one knows that. Only those in the tower with the control do. Let’s keep it that way.”
“Probably why we haven’t seen any near here.”
I winked. “If someone is feeding them info, whether on purpose or not, they’ll keep the Sleepers clear of the fence...and in turn clear of us.”
“And send them other ways?” Sonny asked.
“Yeah, like on a horse run.”
“If that’s right, then we aren’t gonna be able to go anywhere without running into them.”
“Please, they’re Sleepers, how smart can they be?”
Sonny stopped walking. “We’ve been ambushed every time we went out in the last month. They were one step ahead of us. You tell me.”
14. Mera
Jessie was especially hyper after spending all evening with that horse. I sent three people to fetch her from the stable. Finally, Danny got her to leave. It was great to see them bicker. She was mad. She was also extremely dirty.
After getting her cleaned up, and Beck had returned to the block, Jessie and I went to see Bonnie. She was on her last round of treatments and Javier said everything looked good.
“She wouldn’t leave him alone, Bonnie,” I told her as we sat in the clinic room with her.
“How’s he ride?” Bonnie asked Jessie.
“Perfect. His name is Black Beauty. Alex said it’s original.”
“I’m sure Alex was being facetious,” Bonnie said. “It’s a great name. You like him.”
“Oh, yes,” Jessie nodded. “You were brave getting him.”
“He’s for you,” Bonnie told her. “All yours.”
Jessie leaped to Bonnie and hugged her. “Love Bonnie so much.”
“Bonnie loves you, too.” She stroked Jessie’s hair. “I only wish the world was normal and you could experience it the way you should.”
I understood what Bonnie meant. “Did you ever think that there’s got to be someplace better than this? I mean, everyone tries to make this a community, but—”
“But it’s still like a prison,” Bonnie cut in. “Even Grace was like a prison.”
“Makes you wonder if we don’t really need to live like this.”
“One day,” Bonnie said. “I believe that. I got my sign when I saw that pumpkin patch.”
“Was it big?”
“Oh my God
, Mera, it was like you see in the movies. Bright orange, and pumpkins everywhere.”
“It’s that time of year.”
“I used to take my daughter to pick out pumpkins. We’d carve them,” Bonnie said. “I really want that for Jessie.” Her eyes lit up. “Hey, why not?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think after today we should take Jessie out.”
“No, not bring her to the pumpkin patch, bring it here,” Bonnie said. “We could talk to the guys, get them to take a truck out and get the pumpkins. We should do it, Mera, we should have an old fashioned Harvest Festival. Like we got it together for Christmas.”
It was a great idea. Even within the fenced in yard, we could find some simulation of old world fun.
“We could make it a community event,” I suggested. “Get Ed and the other teachers to start prepping it with the kids. We’ve got a big yard.”
“Oh, get a cart, have a hayride!”
“I wonder how many would want to help plan it?”
“Count the new lady, Renee in. She’s always helping out now.”
The smile dropped from my face. “It’s silly isn’t it? To have a Harvest Festival in the middle of a correction facility yard.”
“No,” Bonnie said. “It’s in the middle of our own yard. Our home. Home is what you make it. Maybe it’s time we treated this place more like home than a facility.”
“You’re right. We’ll start planning right away. Maybe have it in two weeks before the month is over.”
Jessie gasped. “Oh, no, Beck will miss it.”
“Honey?” I looked at her curiously. “Beck won’t miss it. Why would he miss it?”
“He’s going after the Sleepers.”
Bonnie looked at me. “Is Beck leaving?”
“Not that I know of. Jessie, how did you hear this?”
“Keller,” she replied.
Bonnie chuckled. “There you have it, Mera.”
I knew that Bonnie didn’t put much stock into Phoenix’s ability. I did, though. And just to make sure, I made a mental note to talk to Beck to be certain. Because really, if he was planning on leaving, I would know.
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