The three of us stood looking down at the bodies in disgust, cursing whoever let this infection out to hell.
"That had to be the worst thing I've ever done, " I said, wiping the blood on my knife off on the fallen leaves. "I hope to God we never come across another herd of kids ever again."
"Me either," Ruby agreed, shuddering. "So, now what?”
I looked at Josh and rolled my eyes. Just because she killed a couple of kids didn't make her one of us. I could still hear her in my mind telling Simon to kill me, so no, there was no forgiveness here. Not yet.
"Well, Ruby," Josh said, "We still don't know where Simon is holding up, so, how about leading the way?"
"Can't I just tell you? He'll kill me if he finds out I led you there!" she said in a high-pitched voice.
"So, will we if you don't get your ass moving, Ruby," Josh warned, "I ain't playing, so lead the way."
He shoved her forward making her stumble a little. I'm pretty sure it was on purpose, so she'd see he meant business. I wondered what time it was. Not that it mattered. When the sun rose, it was morning. When it set, it was night. Just another day. The moon sat high in the sky, a lunar spotlight that led our way through the woods to a set of overgrown railroad tracks. It didn't take long for Mother Nature to take back what was hers to begin with.
"He's down this way," Ruby said, hanging back. "Please, don't let him kill me. That's what he does to people who defect, he kills them and then he eats them."
Josh grabbed her upper arms unexpectedly, shaking her roughly. "Listen to me Ruby, I said I ain't playing, and I mean it! This guy is dangerous, more so than those things out there! At least with them, we can pretty much predict what they're going to do. If you want to join us, then help us. We’ll protect and feed you, and you'll have friends again. Understand?"
She yanked away, and I could see tears of fear glittering her dark eyes. At that moment I hated Simon even more than the rotters.
"Why are you guys doing this? Why in the world would you want me with your group?" she asked Josh. "You're just trying to trick me!"
My turn. My damn soft heart was talking back to me. I had a feeling Ruby would listen. She hadn't much reason to trust the men in her life.
Giving Josh a look that told him to back off, I set my weapons on the ground. I saw the look of suspicion that burned in eyes that had witnessed far too much horror in the short period she'd been alive on this Earth. I wanted to get a glimpse of a different Ruby. The Ruby before things changed.
Looking into her eyes, I said, "What's the one thing you miss most in the whole world, Ruby? The one thing that you want more than anything else?"
A small sob escaped her. She looked me dead in the eyes and answered, "My family."
I knew she'd say something along those lines because it's what we all missed. That basic instinctual pull to be with family. Blood.
"Kid, with us, that's exactly what you'll have," I told her, "See, in this group, that's how we treat each other. Like family. We don't hurt each other. We don't leave anyone behind, and we certainly don't eat each other. This group here? They took me in like they've known me all my life. They welcomed me with open arms, and that's what they'll do for you. When's the last time you had a real friend, Ruby?"
"It's been so long," she said, tears flowing freely. "I forgot what it felt like."
"Then come with us. Help us get rid of this idiot and be with us."
She nodded, finally giving in. "We follow these tracks for about a quarter of a mile, and there's this old farmhouse about fifty yards off to the right. They're all holed up there. But not in the house. The house is filled with booby traps because that's where most people try first. Then he either shoots or if there's enough meat, he ties them up and tortures them till we need them. It's sick, I know. I'll never forgive myself."
I put my arm around her. "Thank you, Ruby," I said, handing her a gun. "Take this, and let's go get us a scumbag.”
She was pretty when she smiled. With that perpetual sneer on her face gone, she looked like a totally different person. When she took the gun from my hand, I saw a fierceness come over her. I knew then and there that Ruby was ours now.
As we walked, she talked quietly, in case of spotters. "Ya know, my real name ain't Ruby," she announced, "it's Shawna. Shawna Devlin. I changed it when I joined Simon's group, because when I was in school, everyone called me Shipwreck Shawna. "You know, implying that I was a whore. 'Ruby' was Simon's name for me."
"Which do you want to be called?" I asked her.
"Well, my little sister called me Shae, so I think I'd like that, you know, to remember her."
"Alright then, Shae it is," I told her, smiling.
We walked quietly, Keeping just within the treeline along side of the tracks. If Simon's spotters were around, I doubted they would see us. Simon's little stunt at the water treatment plant seemed to have slimmed down the number of dead, because we hardly saw any in the area. We kept low, but I was worried because we didn't have a plan. I hated not being prepared. Not having a plan meant chaos, and I wasn't to keen on chaos. I walked to Josh's side to find out what he had in mind.
"So, Josh, what exactly are we doing here? You know damn well we're going to be outnumbered," I said, "So what's the plan?”
"I just want to check out the place first, Elli," he told me, "Get a feel for what we're up against. I have a feeling this guy is reckless and a little on the dumb side. Let's just see where his spotters are, look for exits and entrances, and take it from there."
The sound of a twig snapping alerted us to danger and we ducked low, hiding behind a row of low hanging Evergreen trees. Knives ready, guns cocked, we waited for either Simon's members or rotters. We heard low voices, so it was wasn't the dead. Ruby/Shae pressed herself down into the brush, almost invisible. As they approached, my hands were shaking from anticipation of a battle. One of them walked right by Josh without seeing him, his cry of surprise cut short by Josh's hand over his mouth.
"Malachi!" Josh exclaimed, when he realized who the intruder was, "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Thought ya might be needing my help buddy, so here I am!" Malachi said happily, "and I brought reinforcements!”
Josh looked overjoyed to see his friend along with Einstein and one other that I hadn't met, Micah. They hugged and clapped each other on the back, talking quickly and quietly as Josh filled them in. As they talked, another member of the group stepped out from behind a tree. Skye. I almost shrieked with joy, but held it back, running up to her and grabbing her in a tight bear hug.
"What are you doing here, Skye? How did you find us?" I asked, my smile a mile wide.
"We just followed the bodies," she laughed, "Those school girls back there, Elli, oh my God! That was truly gross!"
I laughed at my little half zombie girl, hugging her to me again. It was so good to see my friend. Then I saw Shae off to the side looking at us shyly. She looked so pitiful, I felt my heart squeeze a little. Pulling Skye with me, I started to introduce them.
"I know her! She was with Simon!" Skye hissed, "What the hell is SHE doing here?"
"Skye, she's with us now," I said quietly, "She led us here, so be nice. She's been through hell just like the rest of us, only she wasn't lucky enough to find this group first."
I watched as Skye digested this, nodding reluctantly. "Okay, Elli. But I'm only doing it for your sake, got it?"
I nodded, totally understanding. Ruby AKA Shae was not exactly trustworthy material. Not yet. Despite her words, she walked up to Shae, once a girl named Ruby, and took her hand.
"I don't know why you were with that group, but I'm glad you’re not anymore," she said. "Welcome to our group, I'm Skye, but you already knew that."
"I'm sorry, Skye," Shae said, her eyes cast down. It was easy to see how genuinely sorry she was. "Thank you for not holding it against me."
"We've all done things we regret," the little wise one answered, "All of
us."
I was proud of her for not staying angry at Ruby. I mean Shae.
So, the seven us got together to plan how this was all going to go down. Storming the barn was a unanimous no way. Shae said that Simon's group numbered about twelve. None of us liked those odds.
"How about we hold out and try and lower those numbers a bit, " I suggested, "pick 'em off as they come out.”
"Yeah, but what if they don’t come out, Elli, then what?" Josh said, "I say we create a diversion and make them come out. We could make noises like throwing stones at the barn. Ya know damn well that coward isn't gonna come out on his own, he'll send his suckups out first. then we start picking them off."
"But at what point will Simon say, 'okay, something's going on here'," Malachi said, "and he orders everyone out at once?”
"Good question," Josh told him, "That's why it has to be subtle. Each time has to be something legit."
"I have a better idea," Shae stood off the side, self-conscious and shy, "I know a way in. We could split up. I can take a group inside through the root cellar next to the barn. It ends up in one of the horse’s stalls. It was an old slave tunnel I found two days ago. Probably part of the Underground Railroad."
I was impressed. That was really a great idea!
"Shae, how far away are the horse’s stalls from the group?" I asked her.
"At the other end of the barn," she told me, "Best part is, no one even goes over there cause there's no animals. They all hang out at the other end, and it's a HUGE barn.”
"Okay, you guys, game plan," Josh said, waving us all over to him, "We have to do this quickly and smoothly or it's not gonna work. We need to whittle down these odds a little bit, so let's focus on the house."
He noticed Shae standing off to the side shyly, not sure if she was included. I felt bad for her, to feel so left out and insecure. Josh looked at me and I motioned my head in her direction. He winked at me, understanding.
"Ruby, why are you standing over there by yourself? You're the most important part of this plan, girl!" he said.
"Um, could you not call me that anymore?" she asked, smiling happily at his invitation, "I told Elli that my real name is Shawna. So, call me Shae because that was my family's name for me."
Josh smiled at her, a warm, welcoming smile and I swear at that moment, I fell more than just a little in love with him. He was strong, both in personality and physically, leader material. I wondered if he kissed good, too, than blushed wildly when he looked up and caught my lustful gaze. He froze, looking intently at me as if for the first time. I was dying to know his thoughts, but this was a hell of a time to get the love bug. He seemed to read my thoughts and sort of shook his head a little, getting back to business.
"Okay, Shae it is," he said, "now, tell us exactly where you think the main body of Simon's group would be, and who he normally sends out to do his dirty work."
"Oh, that's easy, people like me," she answered. " People who're expendable, the ones who really don't matter.”
This angered me. It angered me because Simon made her feel worthless. I couldn't WAIT to kill this bastard.
"Okay, here's the plan," Josh said to us, "Malachi, Stephen and Micah, you go near the house and start creating distractions. Draw some of them out and pick them off. Do what you can to lower their numbers a little bit. Ellie, Skye, Shae and I will get into the barn and see what we can do in there. If it starts getting hot, pull out, and we'll meet back home to make another plan. Remember, our goal is to stay alive, not lose lives. Safety first, got it?"
We all agreed, ready to go and stomp some scumbags.
The night was getting cool, a light wind blowing from the west across my face. It smelled of sweet hay and old wood mingling with the lush vegetation of the forest. Sometimes, with moments like this, I tried to pretend that I was just a normal girl taking a walk outside, enjoying the evening. I didn't have to watch out for the dead desiring to eat my flesh, or living scumbags like Simon and his group, who also desired to eat my flesh. I wasn't carrying an arsenal, and my best friend didn't eat cute little animals. It was all about the flesh. Food. Zombie food, human food, it didn't matter. The need to feed on flesh was deeply ingrained in us all, living and dead alike.
Shae led us to a place about twenty feet from the barn, near a grove of birch trees, and started kicking around brush and dead limbs, searching for the trap door that led to the barn.
"Here it is, you guys, right here!" she said excitedly, pointing a place by a large granite boulder. "I told you I wasn't lying!"
I gave her a big, wide smile, helping her clear the trap door of branches and debris. Josh helped us open it, and Skye shined her flashlight down in to reveal a small staircase. People back then must have been short, with all of us having to hunch over to prevent bumping our heads on the stone ceiling. Shae led the way down the dark, musty corridor, uttering little squeals of disgust when spider webs touched her face. I must admit, I'm glad I wasn't first in line. After all I've been through, all I've done, a spider can still send me screaming and running in the other direction.
"Shae, your sure that this leads to a stall?" I heard Josh ask, "Cause if this is a trap, I guarantee that I will personally kill you myself before any of us gets taken, understand?"
"Yes, I understand," she answered, "but please, trust me. I don't want to be with them anymore. I really don't. Here we are, here's the ladder that goes up to the stall. You guys ready? Let me go up first, that way if any of the group is there, I could say I took the tunnel because the rotters were blocking the entrance."
"Okay, great idea, be as quiet as you can, though," Josh told her, "we'll wait down here till you give us the all clear.”
Skye tugged on my shirt, "Do you think she can be trusted, Elli?"
"I have a feeling that she's really tired of being the low man on the totem pole," I answered, "so yes, I really do. Let's just hope I'm not wrong on this."
ANT
Ant watched Simon as he paced back and forth, every now and than going to the window of the barn door to see if he could see either Ruby or any of the other group sneaking around. He was sure that Ruby was dead, either at the hands of the other group, or the rotters she leads to the water treatment plant. He could still her begging Simon not to make her do it, that she didn't want to die being eaten alive. Simon, that cold bastard, literally kicked her out of the barn, his foot knocking her to the ground as the door of the barn slammed shut behind her. He could still hear her pounding on the barn door, her screams of fear shrill and relentless as the rotters came out of the woods in all directions. He also remembered the conversation, if you could call it that, with Simon.
"Simon, why'd you do that to her? Let her in, for God's sake!" Ant yelled, "She's gonna die out there!"
"Shut up! She's expendable, idiot!" Simon screamed, spittle flying from lips, "She either leads the rotters to the other group or she dies, simple as that. Simon says!"
Ant knew the guy was crazy, and he also knew that he, too, was 'expendable'. He wished he had gone off on his own and never met this group. Their leader was batshit crazy and some of the other members not far behind. He felt tears forming in his eyes as he thought of his parents. They had protected him with their lives, giving him time to escape while the dead ripped them to shreds. He remembered the nightmares, waking up in strange houses in pools of sweat and shrill screams as his mind relived and recreated zombie scenarios. But most of all, he remembered the loneliness. He'd never in his life felt such overwhelming loneliness. So being a part of something was better than being alone. The zombie apocalypse sucked. Ruby may have been a bitch at times, but she sure didn't deserve to be sent out into the woods leading a bunch of things because 'Simon said'. Walking cautiously to the house to join Joey, Stephanie and Kyle, he wondered what would happen if he just took off right now. Just left without saying a word. Would Simon track him like he did those other two? He knew Simon would because the weirdo had a thing about people le
aving his group. If you left, you were dead meat. Ant wondered who he was more afraid of; Simon or the rotters. He knocked on the door with their code knock and waited. When no one answered, Ant just walked in, careful not to trigger the trip wires to the small explosives. Small, but powerful enough to take off a leg.
"Kyle? Joey? Where are you guys?" he called out. Probably upstairs sleeping, just what Simon told them NOT to do. Walking into the living room he saw Joey sleeping, sprawled out on the couch, a bunch of marijuana roaches in the ashtray. What an idiot! If Simon saw this he'd freak the hell out!
A noise on the house window made Ant jump. It almost sounded like a rock hit the glass. He nudged Joey out of his slack jawed slumber, grossed out as the kid drooled all over in his sleep.
"Hey, there's something outside, wake up!" he said, nudging the kid in the shoulder with his shoe.
The window smashed, making Ant cry out in surprise, and Joey bolt upright in shock.
"What the hell is going on!"
"I don't know but get those candles out!" Ant told him, standing by the window, just out of sight.
Kyle and Stephanie, a young married couple, came running down from upstairs, careful not to trip any of the wire traps set by Simon.
"What's going on down here, dude?" Kyle asked, pulling on a shirt. "Is it the rotters?”
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