My eyes widened. “What? Why can’t we wait it out?”
The man turned to me, his eyes narrowed to slits. “And how long do you plan on waiting it out? And what about your friends in the truck?” He pointed at the parking lot. “Do you expect them to wait it out?”
I rolled my eyes and released the magazine. “I have nine bullets.”
Quinn checked his gun. “Seven.”
The man shook his head and glanced over his shoulder. The two men who’d escorted Quinn and me to the door hefted a mini-gun onto the roof.
“I suggest you get downstairs. We’ll hold them off for as long as we can.”
Quinn and I glanced at one another for a moment, then headed down the ladder.
The hum of the gun was deafening, even with my hands over my ears. After a few minutes, it stopped. Quinn threw open the doors, and we ran over a path of blood and body parts to the truck. Moans filled the air, and more creatures continued to limp and lurch to the mall. The asphalt was pocked with holes where the bullets had hit. The zombies that weren’t completely obliterated by the spray of ammunition reached for us, desperately clawing for our legs. At one point, Quinn glanced over his shoulder, probably to make sure I was still behind him, and tripped over an arm. He went down to his hands and knees and came face-to-face with an undead. The thing was a chest, neck, and head, its bottom jaw was missing, but it still tried to wiggle its way to Quinn. It looked like a grotesque slug, sliding over its own ooze. I grabbed Quinn’s arm and pulled him up. We climbed into the cab. He slammed the truck into gear and headed down the road. I stared out the window and thought about how I hated malls. I always loathed shopping, trying clothes on, the hours and hours it took to find the right fit. After that, I pretty much vowed I’d never go to another mall.
We were a way down the road before I spoke. “Do you encounter that often? Groups of survivors, I mean.”
Quinn shook his head. “Not really. We try to stick to ourselves, just like they do.”
“Why haven’t you all banded together? Formed one super group of survivors and taken out the zombie threat?”
Quinn smiled. “Oh, that’d be nice. All of us working together to defeat one common enemy. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. First of all, there really aren’t that many of us. Secondly, no one knows who they can trust. Why don’t Liet and the families in Florida send out soldiers to take care of the zombie threat? They have the numbers and weapons.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Most of the people in Florida are so far removed from any of the action they don’t really know what’s going on out here. They live in their own bubble.”
“Liet knows. Why doesn’t he do anything about it?”
I chuckled. “Why? He’s happy where he’s at. He’s got everything he needs.”
“What about you? What makes you happy?”
I shrugged. “I used to think it’d be living in North Platte. Now, it’s being out here. In the West. There may be zombies, but at least I’m free.”
Quinn’s smile widened. “That’s why I’m here. If you don’t mind me asking, do you have a boyfriend or anything in North Platte?”
I chuckled. My cheeks felt hot. “No. It’s not exactly a hot bed of boys my age. Besides, most of them are afraid of Liet. I’m sure if they came to the apartment, Liet would twitch and they’d pee their pants and run. What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?”
Quinn shook his head.
“Really? There’s nobody special in your life?”
“Not really.”
“Any particular reason for that?”
“No. I haven’t found the right person yet.”
“What are you looking for?”
Quinn’s face turned red. “I don’t really know what I look for in a woman. Looks aren’t all that important, but they do matter. She has to be kind, intelligent, and love me for who I am. In this day and age, it doesn’t pay to be picky or you’ll get left all alone. What about you? What’s your ideal boyfriend?”
I took a deep breath. “I don’t know. I agree with a lot of the things you said. Kind, intelligent, love me for who I am, but he’d have to be able to kill zombies too.” I smiled. “Wouldn’t be a very long relationship if he couldn’t protect himself.”
Quinn smiled back. “Yeah. I want to add that to my list too.” He pulled the truck into the parking lot of a Walmart. “You know, I think Kyle might be available.”
I stuck out my tongue and giggled. “I know I shouldn’t be picky, but he’s a bit too skinny for me.”
Quinn chuckled. He put the truck into park and then folded his hands on the steering wheel. “Looks pretty clear here. You ready to do a sweep?”
I did a brief scan of the area before nodding. We stepped out of the truck into the store. The place was a disaster. Clothes racks had been knocked on their sides. Garments littered the floor. The smell of rotting food filled the air. I tried to ignore it as we did our sweep, but it was overpowering. Once we were done, I was never more thankful to be back in the fresh air.
A few zombies closed in on our position, but we quickly eliminated them before we headed to our next stop. After we loaded the trucks, we drove to the jail. The zombies had long since dissipated, leaving only bits of clothing and a few body parts behind to show they’d been there. We settled in and met at the admissions desk for supper.
Dinner was quiet until we were about finished. I thought about what Quinn had said in the truck about Kyle being available, and was kind of saddened by it. I hoped that maybe Quinn liked me, but I was wrong. I wasn’t really good at reading boys. In fact, I was terrible at it, but I thought he and I were getting along great. Not that it meant we’d become boyfriend and girlfriend, but I had my dreams. At one point, I glanced over at Kyle, and he smiled at me. I quickly averted my gaze to my plate.
I poked my Vienna sausages and green beans, and after a few minutes, looked up from my plate.
“So, what are you guys planning?”
They stopped and stared at me with eyes wide.
“What do you mean?” Bill asked.
“I heard you guys talking the other day in my apartment. You said you needed a contact. What for?”
Bill forced a chuckle. “Oh, that, we were, uh, talking about getting to know some people on the inside so we didn’t have to impose on you when we’re in town.”
I set my plate down and stared at him. “Really? Then why do you need to distribute guns?”
Quinn took a deep breath and leaned forward. “We’re working on a plan to liberate the people on the East side.”
“Quinn!” Bill spoke sharply.
“It’s okay.”
“She’s related to the enemy,” he hissed. “And you were the one to point that out in the first place.”
“Yeah, if you consider second cousins related,” I murmured. “You don’t have to worry about me telling Liet. I’m not a spy. I want to know what you’re doing.”
Bill glared at me for a moment. “Whether you do or not, you’re still related. And Liet is the worst human being I’ve ever seen. He’d as soon kill someone as look at ‘em. And the more stressed out he gets, the worse it’s going to get.”
“Why do you need to liberate the East? They’re happy with their situation.”
“Are they?” Kyle asked.
I shrugged. “Well, yeah, the last time I was there, they seemed to be content.”
“Only because they don’t really know what’s going on,” Bill said with a snarl.
I glared at him. “And what’s really going on?”
He chuckled, a low maniacal sound, like one you hear from cartoon villains. “They’re being brainwashed, Krista.” He glanced at Quinn. “She’s too close to the situation. She can’t even see what’s going on.”
Quinn held up a hand to silence him and turned to me. “What Bill’s trying to say is that the people in the East really have no idea what’s going on in North Platte because they’re being told lies and stories to keep them unde
r control.”
I blinked in disbelief. “No. They know about the zombies. They know what’s going on.”
“Krista, think about it. If they really wanted to build a wall, why would they only send two thousand people? Why wouldn’t they send as many as they could? If they really wanted that wall built, they’d try to get it done as fast as possible.”
“Well, maybe, but—”
“There is no maybe about it!” Bill yelled. “They send criminals and undesirables to Nebraska so they can live in the utopia of Florida. And to keep those people under control, they tell them lies, make them live in fear that if they ever leave Florida, they will die!”
I opened my mouth to speak, but Bill interrupted me again.
“I don’t even know why we’re trying to tell her,” he said to Quinn. “She doesn’t get it. She’s special. She’s never had to endure any hardships in her life.”
Anger flared in my chest that was quickly replaced with sadness. Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall in front of him. I got up from my seat and headed into my room.
The guys spent a few minutes arguing quietly among themselves before Quinn entered my cell.
“Bill wasn’t trying to be a jerk.”
I sniffed and wiped at my eyes. “Really? Because he’s pretty good at it.”
Quinn sat next to me on the bed. “Bill’s suspicious. However Liet acts toward the workers, he seems to be pretty nice to you.”
I stared at him, my lip curled in disgust. “Of course he’s nice to me. We’re family, but at the same time, he sends me out into the West to gather supplies. It’s like he wants me around, but doesn’t. Plus, he has these really weird mood swings.” I snapped my mouth shut. I doubted Quinn wanted to hear about my troubles. “I’ve had my share of hardships.”
“I’m sure you have. I’d never question what you’ve been through in your life.”
A soft knocking sounded on the bars, and we looked up to see Bill standing at the door.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he said, almost sheepishly. “I wanted to apologize for what I said. Quinn’s right. None of us know what you’ve endured. I shouldn’t have said that. If you want to help, you can, but if I find out you’re a spy, I’ll personally serve you to the zombies. Even if I have to do it with my dying breath.”
I shook my head. “I’m not. I swear. What do you need me to do?”
CHAPTER 14
We returned the next morning with the filled trucks. After enduring another inspection, Quinn and I went to the courthouse to let Liet know we were back. As we stepped through the doors, Liet presided over a group of soldiers. One was shackled and kneeling on the floor. Quinn and I waited at the back of the room.
“They needed food. You can’t let kids go hungry.”
Liet slammed his fist onto the desktop. “I make the decisions of who gets what and how much.” He pointed a finger at the soldier. “You follow orders.” He flipped his hand in the air. “Take him to the pyre.”
“What?” The soldier on the floor squealed and tried to get to his feet, but the two on either side of him pushed him back down. “It won’t happen again. Please, please give me another chance.”
Liet eyed the soldiers, his face pinched with irritation. “What is he still doing in my presence? I said, take him to the pyre.”
The soldiers grabbed the prisoner by the arms and dragged him out of the room. His pleas for mercy echoed for a long time after he left. I felt sick to my stomach, and Quinn went white. Things were getting worse. Liet was mean before, but now he was being downright cruel. Quinn and the guys were right. Something had to be done. Liet glanced up and noticed us at the back of the room.
“Ah, I see you’ve returned. Another successful excursion I trust?”
I nodded mechanically.
“Wonderful.” He smiled.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I assume you’ll want us to head out again and fill up some more trucks.”
Liet shrugged. “If you’d like, but we have enough supplies right now to last us a while.”
“What about Florida?”
“What about it?” Liet leaned back in his chair and folded his hands on his stomach.
I couldn’t believe how nonchalant he acted after sentencing someone to death. I tried to gather my thoughts.
“I thought you wanted to get supplies to take to them.”
“I thought about it, but what have they done for us lately?”
It was baffling. Was he really that callous? “They sent you workers a few months ago.”
“So? The workers they sent aren’t worth anything. Do you know what I have to put them through to get them to do the simplest task?”
I took a deep breath and struggled to keep my voice under control. “So, if you send them a gift of supplies, perhaps they’ll be more receptive to sending workers who actually work. Right now they send you those they don’t want out there.”
Liet stroked his chin as he thought. “What do you care if I have good workers or not? Eventually, I can motivate anyone to do anything I want.”
“Maybe if you had better workers, you wouldn’t be so stressed out. With better workers, you could relax. Spend an evening at the river. I think sending a truck will be a gesture of good will. They’ll eventually run out of supplies and come here looking for them. Do you really want The Families subverting your authority? If you take the initiative, they’ll stay put.”
Liet stared at me intently. “Perhaps. What do you suggest I send?”
“Food. Maybe some clothes.”
“I’ll think about it.” He sat forward in his chair and buried his face in his paperwork.
“So, do you want us to get some stuff?” I asked.
He waved his hand. “Sure. Just leave me alone.”
Quinn and I headed out to the empty trucks and climbed into the cab. Bill and Kyle waited in their semi, and we headed down the road. A few miles outside of North Platte, I noticed a horde of zombies on the road.
“That’s odd.” I pointed out the window.
Quinn leaned forward and slowed the truck down. “Yeah, that is weird. Why are they heading away from North Platte?”
I shook my head.
As we got closer to the horde, we noticed someone running from the zombies. He was a good distance in front of the creatures, but more approached from the sides. Eventually, they were going to surround him. I recognized the man as the soldier from Liet’s office. Quinn sped up and took out as many zombies as he could.
“Don’t hit him!” I screamed.
The man was practically running down the middle of the road.
“I won’t!” He merged into the other lane, and the soldier jumped into the ditch.
Quinn slammed on the brakes, and we waited until the man caught up to us. We’d overshot him by quite a way. Not that we meant to. It’s difficult to stop a semi on a dime. Bill pulled his truck next to Quinn’s.
“What are you doing, man?”
“We can’t leave him out here alone.”
“Where are you going to take him?”
“Back to the ranch.”
Bill shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a very good idea. What if it’s a trap?”
Quinn set his arm on the door and leaned forward. “We can’t leave him out here to die.”
“He could have a tracking device on him. Or a walkie-talkie to tell them where he’s at.” Bill’s tone bordered on angry.
Quinn pursed his lips. “You know as well as I do that short-range radios don’t work at the ranch. And I’m sure someone will notice if he tries to make it to higher grounds, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. I’m pretty sure this isn’t a trap.”
Bill spit onto the ground. “I sure hope you’re right.”
Quinn turned to me and signaled toward Bill with his eyes. “Paranoid,” he said quietly.
I smiled, then covered my mouth with my hand, trying to suppress a giggle.
The man caught up to the t
ruck and doubled over, panting. I opened my door.
“Thank you, thank you so much,” he wheezed.
I moved so he could climb into the cab, and he took a seat in the sleeper cabin. Quinn put the truck into gear, and we headed down the road.
“There’s some water in the bag back there.” I pointed to the duffel on the man’s left.
He unzipped the bag and then downed the water before speaking again. “You guys saved my life. I really appreciate it. Lucky for me, Pam was my executioner. She gave me the chance to run, and I did.”
I frowned. “Sending you out onto this side of the wall is just as bad as shooting you in the head. It’s a death sentence either way.”
“Yeah, but maybe she knew you were coming down the road. Maybe she knew I’d be safe.”
I turned so I faced the man. “What did you do?”
“I gave some children an extra ration of food. Their parents were stuck working overtime at the wall, and they were hungry. One of the other soldiers saw me do it, and he turned me in to General Liet. Really, I didn’t do anything wrong.”
I glanced at Quinn.
“You’ll be safe where we’re going,” Quinn said.
“Where are we going?” I wondered.
“To my house in the hills. Unfortunately, Bill still isn’t convinced that you’re trustworthy, so I’m going to have to blindfold you so you don’t know the way to our sanctuary.”
I scowled. “You’re kidding, right?”
Quinn smiled.
For a second, I wasn’t sure what that meant, but he didn’t pull over or hand me anything to cover my eyes. Ah. He was joking. I snorted a chuckle and turned my gaze out the window.
After traveling on the interstate for two hours, he turned the tanker truck onto a secondary highway, which we followed for another hour, then turned down a dirt road. The landscape changed from the flat desert into rolling hills covered with juniper trees, then into steep cliffs with pines and red rocks. We bumped and wound our way across the road until we came to a canyon. Large wooden doors covered the entrance, and men with rifles were perched on top of the cliff. The gates to the ranch opened, and Quinn pulled the truck inside.
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