Dead Highways (Book 3): Discord
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Book Description
New Orleans. The city known for its architecture, fine cuisine, jazz, Mardi Gras...
And its dead highways.
Jimmy and his companions have traveled across the Gulf of Mexico to reach The Big Easy, all to search for Officer Robinson’s son. But navigating the dangerous city will be anything but easy. Pushed to the point of breaking, the group’s once solid structure will begin to crumble. Yet, even buried in the emotional rubble of their collective despair, hope is not completely lost. Could a sanctuary exist on the horizon?
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
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Dead Highways: Discord
Book 3 in the Dead Highways Series
Copyright © 2015 by Richard Brown
All rights reserved.
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For more information about the author visit:
www.richardbrownbooks.com
Also by Richard Brown
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- Novels -
Dead Highways 1: Origins
Dead Highways 2: Passage
Dead Highways 3: Discord
Titanic with Zombies
- Comics -
Knifed – A Horror Comic
- Poetry -
The Rebirth: Collected Poetry
Want to know when new books come out?
Click here to join Richard’s Reader List.
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Connect with Richard:
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Contents
Book Description
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96
Chapter 97
Chapter 98
Chapter 99
Chapter 100
Chapter 101
Chapter 102
Chapter 103
Chapter 104
Chapter 105
Chapter 106
Chapter 107
Chapter 108
Chapter 109
Chapter 110
Chapter 111
Chapter 112
Chapter 113
Chapter 114
Chapter 115
Chapter 116
Chapter 81
Why me?
It was the first thing that went through my head.
Why did it have to be me?
Peaches had handed me Olivia, told me to make the decision—let her stay, or let her go—because she couldn’t do it. Then she sauntered off, tears in her eyes, and sat down at the other end of the dock. Her legs hung off the edge as she looked out at the Mississippi River. On the opposite side of the dock stood the rest of the group, waiting patiently for me to make a decision so we could get moving again.
I felt trapped, stuck in the middle between the woman who had fallen in love with the baby in my arms, and the rest of the group who thought Olivia should head back to Florida with Cathy and Brian. No matter what choice I made, somebody would think I made the wrong one. There was no getting around it, no easy way out.
Fortunately, I was in the majority. I still believed Olivia would be better off with Cathy and Brian, just like most of the group. But I wasn’t sure I had the guts to make that call. What would it do to Peaches? Would she forever resent the decision I made? Would she always wonder how things could have been if I had made a different choice?
Would I?
No doubt if Olivia stayed with us, she’d almost certainly be in danger. It was a sure thing. New Orleans was a big city with hundreds of thousands of people, perhaps even millions passing through, most of which were likely infected, just waiting to sink their teeth into any one of us. Of course, there was also no guarantee Olivia would be any safer in Cathy and Brian’s care. Perhaps they’d run into boat problems on the way back to Florida, end up stranded in the Gulf of Mexico. Or maybe they’d make it back okay, and then a month later their quiet idyllic neighborhood would be overrun by a horde of flesh-eating monsters migrating north up the coast.
The only thing that was certain in the world was uncertainty, and that had never been truer than in the world as it existed that day, sometime in April.
Peaches finally turned and looked back at me. Just a quick glance. The expression on her face was blank and unreadable. I figured she was surprised I hadn’t already delivered the baby to Cathy and Brian, given how hard I’d argued. Turns out, saying something should be done and actually following through with it, were two very different things.
I sighed and looked down at Olivia, asked her once more, “What am I gonna do with you?”
Just like before, she had no response. She couldn’t save me. She couldn’t save herself. At that moment, her life rested in my hands. She depended upon me to make the right choice, and I was sure I knew what the right choice was, but still I felt grounded. My feet wouldn’t move. I couldn’t bring myself to do it—to tear Olivia away from the only mother she ever knew. I had too much heart and too little guts.
Jax came up from behind and sat next to me. I knelt down to his level, and he proceeded to lick Olivia’s face with his sloppy dog tongue. Luckily, Olivia didn’t seem to mind. The shepherd had taken a liking to her over the past few weeks, always staying close by, often sleeping right next to her. He had assumed the role of her protector (even if he was just a love dog), and other than Peaches, Jax was probably the only other member of the group who would think I made the right choice in letting Olivia stay with us. His blessing made me feel slightly better.
Yeah, I was in a sad state of mind.
I began to zone out. Next thing I knew, Robinson was standing behind me, one chubby-fingered hand resting on my shoulder.
“We’re done unloading the supplies from the boat,” he said.
I nodded. “Okay.”
“You about ready?”
I took a deep breath, tried to force a smile. “Almost.”
Robinson looked across the dock at Peaches. “Is she gonna be okay?”
Peaches had been looking my way again, yet when she saw me notice her, she quickly returned her gaze back to the Mississippi. A light breeze swept in and blew back her curly blonde hair. I wanted her to turn around again—just once more—but she didn’t.
“I think so,” I finally said, standing up. “We’ll be over in a minute.”
Robinson shrugged. “No hurry. Take your time.”
He rejoined the rest of the group. His dog stayed glued to my side—to Olivia’s side.
He’d said for me to take my time, though I’d already wasted enough of everyone’s time. Cathy and Brian needed an answer so they could begin the long journey back toward Florida, even if the answer I would give them wasn’t the one they wanted to hear.
I headed across the dock. Jax followed close behind. Peaches had to have heard us coming, but she didn’t turn to greet us. She kept her focus on the muddy brown river water.
“You need to get up,” I said. “We’re gonna be leaving soon.”
She said nothing.
I’d try again, this time like less of a dick.
“Peaches, I’m sorry if I upset you. But everyone is waiting, and we shou
ld really get moving.”
Again. She said nothing.
I was talking to myself. The feeling wasn’t unusual.
It took me turning to walk away to get her to finally open up.
She crooked her head back. “Did you make a decision?”
I stopped. “Yeah.”
She turned back away from me. “Okay.”
“Don’t you want to know what it is?”
“I know,” she whispered.
“You think you know.” I looked down at Olivia squirming in my arms. She made a cute little burping sound. “Olivia is staying with us.”
And there it was. It’s a shame we didn’t have fireworks to celebrate.
I waited for her response, waited for her to jump up and tell me how happy she was that I did what she wanted.
Oh, thank you, thank you, Jimmy!
You’re the best around!
You make my dreams come true!
You make the stars at night shine bright!
I waited.
Any moment.
But she stayed sitting, quiet, her head turned toward the river. When I realized she had nothing left to say to me, I sighed and walked away.
Feeling confused.
Confused and...
Chapter 82
Angry.
This wasn’t fair, not fair at all. I didn’t deserve this horseshit. She shouldn’t have put so much pressure on me. There were other people in the group. They should have had an equal say. We should have just taken a vote. But no, I was the one left holding all the power. Power she had forced on me. Power that I didn’t want, that I never asked for. And when I finally gave her what she wanted, she had the nerve to act like she didn’t even care. Instead of a hug, she gave me the cold shoulder.
Mother Mary, I was so angry. Where’s a damn brain-dead zombie when you feel like blasting something? Nowhere in sight.
I tried not to let my anger show as I walked up on the rest of the group.
“What happened?” Ted asked. “You look pissed.”
Apparently, I didn’t try hard enough.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said, and fumed silently for a moment. “It’s Peaches. She’s being...dumb.”
“What did she do?” Naima asked.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Did you two at least come to a decision?” Robinson asked. “About Olivia.”
Cathy and Brian looked on nervously, anticipating my response. I didn’t feel bad anymore about delivering the news. I just wanted to get moving again, put this moment in the past and leave it there.
Did I mention I was angry?
“Peaches didn’t do anything but sit and sulk,” I said. “I came to a decision. Olivia is staying with us.” Cathy hung her head, clearly disappointed. Brian hugged her close. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Brian said. “It was just an option. We respect your decision.”
“Thank you,” I replied.
Cathy let go of her husband. “Can I at least hold her one last time?”
“Sure,” I said, carefully handing Olivia over.
“She’s very lucky, ya know,” Robinson said, “to have so many people fighting over her.”
I looked down the dock. Peaches had finally started walking toward us. She stopped between me and Robinson, watched Cathy rock Olivia in her arms.
“Well, I guess this is goodbye,” Ted said, shaking Brian’s hand once more. “Thanks again for the lift. Sure do appreciate it.”
“Hey, you saved my life,” Brian replied. “It was the least I could do. If you find yourself on the west coast of Florida again, stop on by.”
“Will do.”
With the final good luck wishes out of the way, Brian climbed into the boat to start it up. Cathy remained on the dock holding Olivia. Watching her, seeing how much she adored that baby, a crazy thought passed through my head.
I had a vision of Cathy hip tossing Olivia to Brian waiting in the boat, and then jumping in after before any of us could react. “She’s mine,” the baby thief would yell, laughing long and loud as they made their getaway. “So long suckers.”
I was losing it. I needed rest like Michael Vick needed more prison time.
In many ways, what really happened next was even more surprising.
Cathy walked over and handed Olivia to Peaches. “I’m sorry if I upset you,” she said, smiling thinly. “Take good care of her.”
Peaches glanced down at Olivia. The baby girl looked like she was trying hard to get back asleep, made difficult by the large-sized humans that kept handing her off like a football.
Cathy began to walk away.
“No,” Peaches called out.
Cathy stopped, slowly walked back over. “What?”
Now it was Peaches smiling thinly, tears trembling at the bottoms of her eyes. She held baby Olivia out to Cathy, her voice cracking. “You take good care of her.”
Cathy took Olivia back in her arms, a look of surprised joy on her face. “Are you sure?”
Peaches nodded. “I’m sure you’ll do a better job than I ever could.”
“Thank you, “Cathy said, tearing up now herself. “Thank you so much. You don’t know how much this means to me.”
“I think I do,” Peaches replied. “We’ll come visit when we get back.”
If we get back, I thought.
As the two of them hugged it out like typical women, I could feel the anger rise off me like an ugly odor and join the New Orleans smog above.
I felt like a caught fish lucky enough to be thrown back into the ocean for a second chance.
I was off the hook.
And, oh boy, was I relieved.
Chapter 83
Peaches held Olivia one last time while Brian helped Cathy climb into the boat.
“I’m gonna miss her,” Peaches said.
“Yeah, I’ll miss her too,” I replied.
“Sure you will.”
“Really, I will.”
“Cathy and Brian will take good care of her. Olivia has made me realize what it would be like to be a mom, even if she’s not really my daughter. But that’s still no reason to keep her. And I didn’t want this to come between us. So there...you were right.”
Before I could do a victory dance, Naima interrupted our conversation, wanting to admire the baby one final time. Her father, Aamod, stayed in the background, bent down on one knee loading his beloved shotgun.
Finally, we handed Olivia back to Cathy. Jax must have thought we were all going back to Florida because he tried to jump onto the boat. Robinson had to hold him back by his collar.
“No, buddy,” Robinson said to the disgruntled German Shepherd. “You’re staying here with us.”
Brian gradually eased the boat away from the dock. Cathy sat down next to him with Olivia and waved goodbye. We all waved back.
“Good luck,” Brian shouted. “Hope you find your son.”
Robinson nodded, and shouted back, “Thanks, and good luck to you too.”
By his side, Jax began whimpering, watching his pal Olivia float farther and farther away. Robinson let go of his collar. Jax went up to the side of the dock. He looked out at the boat slowly drifting away down the Mississippi and started barking.
Ruff. Ruff.
That’s exactly what it sounded like. His barking.
Ruff. Ruff.
“Jax…be quiet,” Robinson scolded. “Get over here.”
But the dog didn’t obey. He continued barking—ruff ruff—and then did something that left all of us (even Aamod and Bowser) with our mouths hanging open in shock.
Jax leapt into the muddy brown river and began swimming after the boat.
“Aw, shit,” Robinson said.
“Aren’t you gonna jump in there after him?” I asked.
Bowser came up next to Robinson. “Unless things have changed in the past twenty years, I don’t remember you being much of a swimmer.”
Robinson shook his head. “Nope. Nothing’s changed.�
�
He began yelling for Jax to return. Naturally, the dog didn’t listen. A passenger was on that boat he loved more than anything, and Jax was determined to catch up to it, even if the boat moved across the water at ten times his speed. Luckily, Brian glanced back and noticed the dog trailing him, that or he heard Robinson yelling, and turned the boat around. He stopped about ten feet off the dock.
“Looks like you lost somebody,” Brian yelled.
Jax swam up to the side of the boat, looking for a way inside. Brian cut off the engine, likely fearing the dog might get too close to the propeller.
“Think you could grab him,” Robinson yelled back.
“Yep, I’ll get him.”
A small ladder was attached to the rear of the boat. Using the ladder for balance, Brian leaned over the side and managed to snag hold of Jax’s collar. With one hand firmly secured on the collar, he wrapped his other arm around the shepherd’s body and lifted him out of the water and into the boat. The dog flailed about in his arms. I was sure Brian would slip off and fall into the water. And I was sure I’d start laughing when he did. But somehow, he retained his balance.
Damn.
Once inside the boat, tired from the swim but happy as a dog could be, Jax began shaking the excess water off. Cathy shielded her face, while her husband restarted the engine and inched the boat back up to the dock.
After a good solid minute of sweet-talking and begging, and trying to persuade the dog with some treats we’d snagged from the Walmart warzone, Robinson sighed and put his hands on his hips, defeated. The dog, his dog, wouldn’t budge. He wasn’t going to exit the boat under his own power.
“I could pick him up again,” Brian said. “Hand him over to you. Hell, I’m already wet as it is.”
Robinson frowned. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s no problem. So you want to just do that. Or you could come aboard and get him. Whatever.”
“You know what you have to do,” Ted said.