He catches up with Alvarez. They weave a brisk path through the compound of Fort Ross. It’s a trading outpost built in the early 1800s by Russians.
Alvarez cuts around tents and RVs that fill much of the interior, making his way toward the large double gates on the northern side. The residents of Fort Ross cluster near the gates. They fall back as Alvarez approaches, making room for him. They are tense with anticipation of the unknown.
Alvarez presses an eye to the slit in the wood of the massive wooden gate.
Shaun does the same. His gaze goes straight to Jessica, one of the seven people held prisoner by the squat, rotund woman known as Mr. Rosario.
A burly man with a chest-length beard and beer belly stands behind Jessica, pinning her arms. His ex-wife looks the same as she always does.
Her face is emotionless, but her eyes burn with bright anger. Looking into her eyes sometimes feels like staring into the forge fires of hell. Shaun isn’t remotely religious anymore, but if there is a hell on earth, it’s in his ex-wife’s eyes.
He could say it was the death of their two daughters that broke the once-loving woman with a heart of gold. Sometimes, if someone asked him about Jessica, that was the lie he spun.
The truth was, the shroud of anger and rage she wore had been in place before zombies took their children. The blame for that lay squarely on his shoulders. He’d never entirely forgiven himself for breaking her heart. In the end, there hadn’t been a choice. Not really. That just made it all the worse. He had singlehandedly broken her.
Of all the people who asked about Jessica’s silent, pent-up state, it was Alvarez who peppered him with the most questions. He tried to be casual and off-handed about it, but there was something Alvarez didn’t know: Shaun had been a top salesman before the world ended. He could read people the way a professional rafter reads a river. And he knew Alvarez had a thing for Jessica.
Alvarez didn’t act on it. To start with, there was the age difference. There was also the fact that she was his best friend’s ex-wife. But Shaun saw those seeds of admiration plainly in his friend’s eyes.
And right now, as the seconds ticked down, he planned to use that little fact to his full advantage. Alvarez didn’t know it, but Shaun had donned his salesman hat the minute he realized Jessica had been taken hostage. He was already in a full-court press, using every trick he had in the book.
“There are no scales,” Shaun murmurs to Alvarez. “Fort Ross is a community. A family. We don’t turn our backs on each other. You are their shepherd, Alvarez. Those seven people out there count on you every bit as much as the forty-eight in here. Don’t let them down.”
“Twenty-four minutes,” someone in the crowd calls out.
Make the customer a hero. It’s one of Shaun’s favorite sales tactics. Right up there with deploying his value wedge.
“Every person in Fort Ross looks up to you.” Shaun leans forward to speak in Alvarez’s ear, his voice soft and smooth. “There’s a reason for that. They know you’ll protect them. They count on you to protect them.”
Create a space for yes.
This is a crucial step in closing a deal. If you never shut the fuck up, you never give your customer a chance to say yes to the deal you’re proposing.
It takes all of Shaun’s willpower to shut his mouth and wait.
He studies Alvarez’s profile. The younger man stares through the slit in the twelve-foot high wooden fence around Fort Ross. The redwood planks are more than four inches thick.
“Twenty-three minutes.”
All of Shaun’s attention is on Alvarez’s profile. His mind works in overtime, prepping counterarguments to every possible argument Alvarez could pose.
When Alvarez continues to stand there in silence, Shaun drops his last card.
“Be their savior, Alvarez. Our people need you.” Jessica needs you.
Alvarez closes his eyes. Agony etches every line in his face.
For one panicked moment, Shaun thinks he’s misread the situation. That he fucked up his one and only chance to save Jessica.
Then Alvarez turns to him. “I don’t know the right thing to do,” he says softly. “But you’re right about one thing. There are no scales. It’s not forty-eight to seven. It’s fifty-five. The lives of fifty-five people are in my hands. I’m going to do my damndest to save them all.” The fierce determination in his voice nearly makes Shaun sob with relief.
I’ve got you, Jessie, he thinks. You’re going to live.
Shaun grabs Alvarez’s shoulders in a brief squeeze. “You’re doing the right thing.”
Alvarez turns to the gathered crowd. “We let them in.” His voice is quiet, yet somehow it carries. “We let the enemy in. Tonight, when they eat our food and drink our alcohol, we strike. We’ll take them out when they’re drunk and bloated on our supplies.”
And finally, Shawn understands. The alcohol. The box of booze left in plain sight on top of the pallet of food.
Alvarez has a plan.
“We have twenty minutes,” Alvarez says. “Use that time to hide everything that can be used as a weapon. Tools. The cast iron cook ware. Any pieces of wood small enough to be used as a knife. Do not hide the obvious weapons. They will expect us to disarm when we open the doors. If they don’t see a decent pile of guns and knives, they’ll be suspicious. Any questions? No? All right everyone, get to work.”
People disperse into the fort, hustling off to follow Alvarez’s orders.
“I hope I’m not making a mistake,” he says, watching them.
Shaun’s heart crumples at the agony in the other man’s eyes, but he steels himself for the next phase of his plan.
Time to turn his attention to his second goal. He didn’t work his ass off to save Jessica only to lose Alvarez.
He and Alvarez hide three hammers at the bottom of a wood pile. They stash a few screwdrivers under loose floor boards in one of the original fort buildings. They tuck large rocks underneath one of the RVs. All the while, Shaun maps out his next move.
Rosario’s shrill voice echoes through a megaphone. “Sixty seconds, assholes.”
Alvarez and Shaun rush back to the gate, each of them taking up position on either side of the large redwood beam that holds the doors closed. It takes two of them to heft the giant log out of the wrought iron slots.
The community gathered behind Alvarez shifts, unease running through them.
“Lay down your weapons,” Alvarez calls.
In truth, there aren’t a lot of weapons to lay down. There’s a scattering of firearms among the residents, but with zombies being drawn to sound, collecting them has never been a top priority. Most people are armed with hammers, screwdrivers, and knives. They might have the drug lord’s people outnumbered, but she has them outgunned ten to one.
Alvarez draws in a shaky breath, neck and shoulders stiff with tension. He places both palms on the twelve-foot gate, ready to push it open.
Shaun rests a hand on Alvarez’s shoulder. He looks into the dark eyes of his friend.
Time to close. Time to wrap up his last deal, the most important pitch of his entire life.
“Let me do it,” Shaun says. Goal number two, he thinks. If it’s one thing he excels at, it’s meeting his goals.
Alvarez shakes his head. “Too dangerous.”
“Exactly. Our people need you, Alvarez. Don’t throw yourself away.”
Alvarez purses his lips. He opens his mouth, argument plain in his eyes.
Shaun holds up a palm, silencing him. He plays dirty, going straight for the younger man’s heart.
“Let me do this, brother,” Shaun says. “For Jessica. Whatever happens, take care of Jessie for me, okay? She needs you more than she knows.”
Invoking Jessica—and Alvarez’s feelings for her—gives Shaun the opening he needs. Alvarez’s mouth falls open, confusion and protest furrowing his brow.
Before he can formulate a response, Shaun shoulders him out of the way. He pushes open the gate, revealing the besieger
s who have come to take Fort Ross from them.
He makes damn sure he’s the first one to be seen by the enemy.
He makes damn sure he stands in the open gateway like the leader of Fort Ross, hoping to god Rosario and her goons pin a target to his chest and spare Alvarez.
He feels the moment when Rosario’s eyes land on him. Her stare pierces through him like a spear.
He’s a dead man.
Goals accomplished.
1
Vilomah
JESSICA
The barrel of the gun is warm from contact with my temple. I accept its hard reality and what it means for me.
It’s alright, I say silently, willing Alvarez to hear my words. Let us go. Let us go for Fort Ross.
I will him to hear me. I will the doors to the fort to remain closed, for the residents inside to be safe from the monsters that have me.
There are six other residents of Fort Ross with me. It’s a simple game of numbers. Sacrifice seven souls to keep forty-eight others safe and alive.
Let us go and keep everyone else safe.
How pathetic that life has been reduced to a game of numbers. The thought almost makes me laugh out loud.
I don’t mind being a number. Being a number isn’t so bad.
It’s better than other labels I’ve worn.
Jilted. Divorcé. Single mom.
Fag hag.
I thought those titles were bad. I thought I’d hit rock bottom when Shaun left me for Richard. I didn’t think things could get worse.
I’d been wrong.
Mother of dead children.
Children who lose their parents are called orphans.
Adults who lose a spouse are called widowers.
There is no word for a parent who loses a child. Not a single word in the dictionary. That’s how awful it is.
The closest I ever found is the word vilomah. It’s not officially in the English dictionary, though before the world ended there was a petition to get it added.
Vilomah is a Sanskrit word meaning “against natural order.” I can’t think of anything more against natural order than a child—children—dying before their parents.
That’s what I am. A vilomah. A grieving parent without children.
I’m ready to die. I’m ready to see Claire and May on the other side. I’m ready to leave this shitty world behind forever. I’m ready to die so my community inside the walls of Fort Ross can live.
I’m ready to die so Shaun can live.
Even after he ripped out my heart and served it to me on a platter with tears and regrets, I still love him. As much as I despise him, I love him. Always both at the same time.
“Time’s up, assholes.” Rosario’s shrill voice grates over my spine. The horrible woman speaks from inside a loose circle of men and women with automatic rifles. What I wouldn’t give to reach through them and strangle her.
Zombies, drawn by the noise of Rosario’s initial attack, lay dead and scattered around us. The bicycles she and her minions used to get here are lined up in a neat row nearby.
More of her minions are strung across the open ground before the fort. Among them are more guns and ammo than I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
Half a dozen of Rosario’s goons have long poles with wire hoops on the end. Each of these hoops is cinched around a pet zombie. Those leashed zombies scare me more than the guns.
“What’s it going to be?” Rosario calls. “Am I going to have to order the execution of these innocent people, or are you going to open your gates?”
I stare straight ahead, gaze unfocused, ready for the bullet. Ready for oblivion. Ready for my reunion with Claire and May, my baby girls who had been stolen from me as surely as Shaun had been.
Then the worst thing imaginable happens.
The gates of Fort Ross squeak.
My eyes snap into focus.
No-no-no!
Slowly, like an unfolding nightmare, they crack open.
And in the center of the opening is Shaun. Not Alvarez, but Shaun.
I still find him beautiful, even after he shredded me. Tall. Shiny blond hair. A natural physique that looks good both in and out of clothes. A Ken doll could not have had a better model.
There was only one thing I ever wanted in life: a family. A husband and children to love and care for.
I thought I’d hit the jackpot when I met Shaun. Gorgeous beyond measure. Charismatic. Kind and funny. A devoted father and thoughtful husband. He made enough money so I could be a stay-at-home mom.
Some women I knew used to scoff at the idea of being a stay-at-home mom. I’d loved every second of it. It made me feel complete.
I had everything I wanted. Two beautiful girls to raise. A husband to love. A happy, bustling household. We’d been talking about having a third child.
Then Richard came along and stole everything.
Even worse, Richard had gotten himself killed trying to defend Claire and May. I hate him and love him for his selflessness. I hate him and love him for making Shaun complete.
Shaun’s muscles bunch beneath his shirt as he pushes open the gates to Fort Ross. The morning sun hits him, illuminating his perfect chiseled cheekbones and sharp blue eyes.
My mouth goes dry. No.
The gates to Fort Ross are massive twelve-foot structures, each post made of solid redwood back from a time when redwood trees were harvested with abandon. Each post is solid wood, not the cheap pressed wood sold in hardware stores before the world ended. The gates to the fort are double swinging doors, each one weighing several hundred pounds.
Shaun strains against the heavy wood, singlehandedly throwing it open to the enemy.
His feet flex as he pushes against the earth, pressing all his weight against the thick redwood enclosure. His biceps and forearms bunch under the strain. In plain jeans and a T-shirt, he looks as perfect as he did the day I met him at a college frat party.
Close the gate, you stupid idiot! Close the gate!
But Shaun doesn’t close the gate. Just like he hadn’t closed down his attraction to Richard. He pushes open the gates, forever altering my fate.
“Let them go.” His voice, a rich, strong baritone, rings across the distance. “We surrender, Rosario. Let them go.”
The power of Shaun’s voice booms through the silence. It fills every crevice, extending out to Rosario and her fucking bastards.
“Let them all go,” Shaun says. “We surrender.” For a brief second, his eyes meet mine.
And in that moment, I know he did this for me.
The only reason those fucking gates are standing open is because he wanted to save me.
Fucking bastard.
I don’t know what he said to Alvarez, but I have no doubt he employed his old-world skills to the situation. Shaun is a salesman down to his toenails.
You bastard. I mouth the words. Shut the fucking gates.
It’s too late.
The gates are open. The residents of Fort Ross are disarmed. Rosario, her goons, and their firepower have been granted access.
It’s too late.
Rosario lumbers forward, her gait slow and rolling. The fat woman wears a crinkled cotton tie-dyed dress that’s frayed and stained. She has at least three chins—sometimes four, depending on the angle. How this woman manages to embody terror in every sense of the word baffles me, but somehow she does it.
Shaun stands proud and strong in front of the gates. It would be easy to mistake him for the leader of the fort. His stance is fearless and bold. He looks like he’s in charge. Hell, with his natural charisma, he probably could have taken over leadership of the fort if he hadn’t been solidly behind Alvarez.
Rosario stops in front of Shaun. The fat woman looks him up and down.
“Are you the one in charge?” she asks.
“Let my people go. We surrender.” His head turns ever so slightly, looking at me. I know he’s trying to convey a message with his eyes.
Fuck if I know what it is. What cou
ld he possibly say to me to justify the sacrifice of forty-eight people? The tears that leak out of my eyes make me want to claw off my own face.
“Are you the one in charge?” Rosario asks the question a second time.
“I’m in charge,” Shaun says. “Fort Ross is mine. These people are mine.”
“Aren’t you a pretty one. Too bad.” Rosario raises a fat wrist, gesturing to one of her minions. “Jeanie. Come here, please.”
A sneering woman steps forward. Her T-shirt reads, If fat is flavor I’m fucking fantastic.
In her hands is a long pole with wire on one end. The wire encircles the neck on a zombie. Jeanie guides the thing along like it’s a pet dog.
Rosario sweeps her gaze up and down Shaun. “What’s your name?”
“Shaun.”
“Shaun. That’s a nice name. Well, Shaun, this all could have been a lot easier if you’d just opened your gates twenty-four hours ago. Instead you made me wait. In the rain.”
Viciousness oozes out of the terrible woman as she looks at Shaun.
Jeanie stops beside her with the leashed zombie. The creature moans, hands scratching at the empty air in front of it.
Shaun stands tall and proud, stoic in the face of the threat.
“Tell me, Shaun.” Rosario’s voice ripples out from her fat form. “Why the delay? You could have opened the gates hours ago.”
“We were hoping you’d change your mind and go back to where you came from.” Shaun’s voice is unconcerned and mocking. He cocks his head at Rosario, staring her down. “Guess that didn’t work out.”
“Guess not.” Rosario’s voice drips with venom. “I would have preferred to sit out the storm inside my fort.” She flicks her fingers at Jeanie.
The younger woman steps forward, the sneer deepening on her face. Her expression borders on glee.
Two of Rosario’s goons descend on Shaun. When they grab his arms and hold him in place, he doesn’t fight.
Jeanie advances on him with the leashed zombie.
“Let this be a lesson to you all,” Rosario shrills. “Your life can be easy, or it can be hard. The choice is up to you.”
The zombie lunges forward. Jeanie leans with the monster, extending its reach.
Undead Ultra Box Set | Books 1-4 Page 94