“We have about twenty-five thousand acres and a few hundred head of cattle and a couple horses. After the zombie attack, the neighbors abandoned their open ranches to live on this secluded one.” He pulled the truck onto the circular driveway in front of the house and pointed to the side. “We planted a garden, although not too much grows. We have a pretty good supply of carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, beans, and peas.”
I stared at the surroundings wide-eyed with mouth agape. The house was a two-story log home built directly into the wall of the canyon. The barn was a few yards away, as well as a storage shed. I counted about twenty adults and seven children running around. I opened the door and stepped onto the ground.
Quinn came around the front of the truck. “You okay?”
I closed my mouth. “I…I can’t believe this. It’s beautiful.”
Quinn placed his hands on his hips and squinted at the house. “It’s not much, but it’s home. The house was originally built in the mid-1800s as a hideaway for outlaws. There are secret passageways that lead through a series of tunnels and caves to several outlets a few miles away. It’s a perfect escape route if a zombie ever gets in here.”
“Have you ever had a zombie get in here?”
Quinn shook his head. “No. We’re pretty secluded out here. We didn’t really even know there was a zombie outbreak until we heard it on the radio. They tend to stick to the major cities. That’s where the food source is.” He turned to the soldier. “C’mon. I’ll show you around.”
The man followed Quinn as he introduced him to the other survivors. I walked to the barn. The smell of fresh hay and dirt swirled in my nostrils, and a bay horse met me at the corral. I gently placed my hand on the animal’s nose. It huffed out a breath.
Sadness made my breath catch in my throat. The last time I’d been around a horse was when I was thirteen—my parents took me on a horseback adventure through Yellowstone National Park. It was a four-day, three-night trip that involved camping in the backcountry. We’d had a guide so we wouldn’t get lost or hurt, even though we didn’t really need one. The horses had done the trip so many times they would’ve walked back to the ranch. I remembered how quiet the place was and how many animals we saw. It was my first time on a horse, but the guide said I was a natural.
After the trip, I begged my parents for a horse of my own, but since we lived in the city, it wasn’t feasible. As a compromise, they’d allowed me to join the local country club and I took riding lessons there. I didn’t own the horse, but I was allowed to ride it whenever I desired. I’d still have the horse if the zombies hadn’t attacked, and I wondered if it’d survived the outbreak.
“You ride?” Quinn’s voice broke through my thoughts.
I shook my head. “I haven’t for a long time.”
Quinn went to the gate. “You want to go for one?”
I frowned. “We really should get back on the road. We have supplies to get.”
Quinn flicked open the latch. “Why? We don’t have a schedule. Liet won’t know you were here riding horses instead of getting supplies.”
I hesitated.
“C’mon. It’ll be fun.”
I took several deep breaths. Quinn had several good points, and it would be fun. Liet probably would never know. I shrugged. “Why not?”
We stepped into the barn and readied the saddles and bridles. I was amazed that after so many years, I remembered how to do it. I swung into the saddle and held the reins loosely in my right hand. I waited for Quinn before we headed down the canyon floor.
The red rocks rose for miles above us, and the sun beat onto the dry ground. My stomach was in knots. We’d be sitting ducks if a zombie horde found us. We had nowhere to run. I placed my left hand on my gun, glancing around nervously. Quinn looked over his shoulder.
“You don’t have to worry about zombies here,” he called to me. “We have scouts placed in various lookouts up there.” He pointed to the top of the canyon. “If anything is coming our way, we’ll know about it. Besides, we haven’t had a zombie attack here in years. Like I said, we’re too far out of their way.”
I tried to find comfort in his words but couldn’t. We rounded a bend in the canyon, and it opened into a valley. I dropped my hand to my side. Rolling hills surrounded the green landscape on either side, and white and red wildflowers dotted the land. Cows grazed freely. I saw a few of the lookouts on the tops of the hills, but they lounged in the grass, chewing on stalks as if they didn’t have a care in the world. As we approached the valley, my horse shifted uneasily from one foot to the other and snorted. At first, I assumed he smelled something he didn’t like, like a zombie, but then I realized he wanted to run. I grabbed the reins with both hands and stood in the stirrups. The horse took off like a shot, bolting past Quinn. I glanced over my shoulder and noticed his smile as he encouraged his animal to follow.
I faced forward again, and the wind rushed through my hair. The air was sweet and smelled of grass and soil. I closed my eyes. The steady rhythm of the horse’s hooves filled my ears, and for the first time in years, I felt at peace. I didn’t have to worry about zombies or Liet or the workers. There was just the breeze on my face, the sun on my back, and the horse beneath me. I opened my eyes again and directed the horse toward a stand of willows. Quinn caught up with me, and we headed toward the creek.
I dismounted and found a spot in the grass next to the water. I propped myself on my elbows and lounged in the shade. Quinn tied the horses to a small tree, then took a seat next to me but an arm’s length away. The conversation about boyfriends and girlfriends entered my mind. It must have been true. He probably didn’t like me. If he did, he would have sat right next to me.
“Have you ever lost any cows to the undead?” I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice.
“A couple. They’re pretty easy to cut down when they’re feeding, though.”
“Have you ever had any cows turn into zombies?”
He shook his head and turned to face me. “No. Whatever causes them to be that way doesn’t work on animals.”
I turned my gaze to the stream of water. “Huh. I wonder why.”
Quinn stood and picked some dead leaves off the tree next to him. “I doubt anybody knows. That’s one thing I’d like to change. Instead of building a wall, we need to figure out how, what, and why this plague started. If we know that, maybe we can stop it from happening again.” He tossed the leaves into the water. “Do you think Liet will let you go to Florida?”
I shrugged. “It’s possible. I’m sure I can convince him, though.”
Quinn sat back down. “Do you think your friend will help us out?”
“I don’t know. Like I told you before, it’s been a long time since I’ve talked to her. All I can do is go down there and hope for the best.”
Quinn nodded. “I hope it works out.”
“Me too.”
We sat by the creek until the sun dipped below the horizon. On the way back to the house, a cool breeze blew across the valley. I looked up and stared at the stars. Somewhere in the distance, a zombie moaned, but it was so faint I was able to convince myself it was the wind.
CHAPTER 15
Liet summoned me to his chambers as soon as we got back into town. We’d gone back to the Walmart in Casper and loaded everything that was salvageable. I wondered how many more places we were going to be able to plunder before there was nothing left. We couldn’t keep depending on existing supplies. We’d eventually have to create our own.
I yawned as I stepped into his office. My back was sore from sitting for so long, and my eyes were tired from driving. I was also freezing from the inspection shower, my hair still dripped. My butt was sore from the saddle, but that was a pain I didn’t mind. Liet looked up from his paperwork as I approached.
“I’ve decided to take your advice,” he said softly. “I think you should take a truck down to Florida.”
The exhaustion drained, and I perked up. “That’s great. You’re doing the rig
ht thing here.”
“Of course I am. The only way I’m going to get anything from those jerks in Florida is if I bribe them with stuff from here. How soon can you leave?”
I shrugged. “Let me get a couple hours of sleep and a real shower, and I’ll be good to go.”
Liet nodded. “All right. Take Pam with you.”
“You don’t want Quinn to go with me?”
Liet stared at me for a moment. “Why would I want him to go with you? There is nothing on this side of the wall that concerns him. He can take care of his own business on the other side. We’ll take care of ours.”
I held my hands up defensively. “Fine. Whatever you desire.”
“Be ready in four hours.”
I mock saluted, then headed up to the apartment.
***
After I got up from a two and a half hour nap, I took a shower. I threw the curtains back, grabbing a towel off the counter. I wrapped it around my body and headed into my room. I jumped when I noticed Liet sitting on my bed. I hurried to the closet and pulled on some clothes.
“Is there something going on between you and Quinn?” Liet’s voice was low.
“I don’t believe that’s any of your business.” I stepped out of the closet and went to grab my brush off the dresser.
He grabbed my arm. “Of course it’s my business. I’m your guardian!”
I jerked out of his grasp and stared at him. “You may be my guardian, but you’re not my parent. You have no right to tell me what I can or can’t do.” I stormed into the bathroom. Who did this guy think he was?
“Krista, I’m not playing around here. I want to know. You’re too young. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”
I tugged the brush through my hair. “I’m old enough to go into zombie-infested lands to get your supplies, but I’m not old enough to have a boyfriend? That makes a lot of sense.” I stomped to the door. Liet grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me into the room.
After he let go, I spun around and punched him in the mouth. I don’t know what came over me. It just happened. All I could think was that I wanted to get away and he wouldn’t let me. It was instinct. His hand came up to his lip, and he licked the blood away. He raised his hand to slap me across the face, but I blocked it and landed another punch, this one next to his eye. Again, it was instinct. If I’d actually been thinking, I would’ve known that was probably a bad idea. He stumbled backward and fell. I didn’t wait until he got up. I grabbed my stuff and ran downstairs, climbing into the truck that waited for me. Pam sat in the driver’s seat, and I told her to step on it. Liet came running after us, but Pam put the truck into gear, and we headed down the road. I heard him calling my name as we turned the corner.
Pam glanced in the rearview mirror, then at me. “What was that all about?”
I leaned my head back on the seat, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. “He thinks I’m dating Quinn.”
“And?”
“We got into a fight about it and I hit him.”
“What? Why?”
“I don’t know. It just happened. He grabbed my shirt and I hit him in the mouth. It was a reaction. He thinks he’s my father. He thinks he can control me. He can’t.”
“You might want to think about getting that temper of yours under control.”
I didn’t answer. Maybe Liet needed to think about treating others with respect. Maybe I hit him for all those who wanted to but couldn’t. Maybe if he wasn’t so creepy and I didn’t feel as if my life was in jeopardy every time he came into the room, I wouldn’t have to punch him.
After a few minutes, Pam asked, “Well, are you?”
I raised my head and stared in disbelief. “Dating Quinn? No.”
Pam shrugged. “Well, you should be.”
“Why?”
“He seems like a nice kid. And you deserve to be happy. Do you like Quinn?”
I frowned. “I’ve never really thought about it.” Of course I thought about it. All the time, but I wasn’t going to let Pam know that. I wasn’t comfortable talking to her about my personal life. Besides, Quinn made it pretty clear he wasn’t interested.
“Well, from what I can tell, there’s a lot there to like. He’s tall, handsome, and caring.”
I shook my head. “I don’t even think he’s interested in me.”
“Have you asked him?”
“So, why did you send that soldier into the zombie wastelands?” I was desperate to change the subject.
“Did you find Jerry? How’s he doing?”
“Yeah, we found him, but you’re lucky we did. Anything could have happened to him, you know.”
Pam smiled. “I knew you weren’t far behind. I told him if he stuck to the highway, he’d be fine.”
“Why didn’t you kill him like you were ordered to?”
Pam pressed her lips into a thin line and glared at me. “Because he didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Yeah, but you’ve killed workers for less.”
Pam focused back on the road. “Have I? Have you ever seen me kill a worker?”
I thought for a moment. When was the last time I saw Pam kill someone? Had I ever? I couldn’t remember any particular instances, and then my stomach turned. I stared at her.
“So instead of killing the people you were ordered to kill, you set them free to possibly be devoured by zombies? How is that better than a quick, painless bullet to the head? You’re sentencing them to death either way.”
“Maybe, but at least this way they have a fighting chance. You know as well as I do that there are groups of people in the West who have survived. Maybe they have too. My hope is that they find these groups and live long prosperous lives.”
I shook my head, averting my gaze out the window. Did Pam really believe that life was so much better on the other side of the wall? It was tough in North Platte, there was no denying that, but at least they had weapons. She sent them into the world unarmed with the hope that someone would pick them up. I knew from firsthand experience that groups in the West were very particular about letting outsiders in. I hoped Pam was right and they fell in with a crowd like Quinn’s that was willing to help.
“What did you want me to do?” There was an accusatory tone to her voice.
I turned to face her. “I don’t know. Maybe you should have tried to stand up to Liet.”
“Then I would have been the one with a bullet in my head. At least I’m trying. At least I’m not running away.”
“Running away? Is that what you think I’m doing? I’m trying to do my part for society. Besides, you don’t live with Liet. If you did, you’d take every opportunity to get as far away from him as possible.”
Pam sighed. She placed both hands on the steering wheel and relaxed her shoulders. “I know, I know. I don’t even know why I’m fighting with you about this.”
We were silent for several minutes.
“If you could change it, would you?” I asked.
Pam glanced at me. “In a heartbeat.”
That night, we stayed at the military station in St. Louis. We were so tired from the drive we ate and then went straight to bed. We got up early the next morning and continued on our way. We didn’t speak much, only commenting on things we saw on the trip, and I wondered how much I could trust Pam. From the beginning, she’d always been there to take care of me and teach me new things, but she was still one of Liet’s soldiers. I knew she was sincere when she told me she wanted to change things, but I wasn’t sure if she’d follow through. Yeah, she let some prisoners go, but I wasn’t convinced that was the best course of action. Just because they dodged a literal bullet didn’t mean they dodged the figurative one. Her wishful thinking didn’t lead the condemned to safety. I guessed it was better to lie in bed with the hope that they were safe than with the image of someone’s head exploding because of your gun. I was convinced Liet could scare her into giving information. I’d have to wait and see what happened.
Once we reached Flor
ida, the guards at the border gate let us pass without a second glance. I was shocked we didn’t have to be examined. It’d become so routine, I almost felt dirty when it didn’t happen. I drove, and it seemed not much had changed since the last time I was there. There seemed to be a few more people, but poverty and a low sense of morale still pervaded the populace. We decided to stop in Tallahassee for the night. We were only a few hours away from our destination, but we weren’t on a time schedule, and if we arrived too late, we’d have to wait until morning anyway to deliver the goods. We drove a little way outside of town and found a place to camp. It’d been so long since either of us had been able to sleep under the stars, we decided to take full advantage. Plus, it was so hot and humid in the truck, there was no way we’d sleep. We could at least breathe outside. Sort of.
We were up with the sun, and after a quick breakfast, we climbed into the cab. Pam drove the four hours to Orlando, and I stared out the window, wondering what it was going to be like when I finally saw Pearl again. I imagined all kinds of scenarios, from a tearful embrace to a cold shoulder. I tried to remember if we’d left on good terms, but it seemed like a lifetime ago, and my experiences since then clouded my memory. My stomach fluttered with butterflies and my palms began to sweat.
We pulled up to the Disney Contemporary Resort, which had been renamed the Johnson High School, and it looked the same as when I’d left it. For some reason, I expected it to be rundown and falling apart. I guess that was what I was used to. I could tell they’d applied a new coat of paint, and the grounds were still immaculate. Teenagers roamed around, and I wondered if all of them were orphans. They couldn’t be. There were too many. All the kids were probably required to go to school there. That made the most sense. I took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The front desk was still there, and I approached the woman behind it, who smiled and asked how she could help us.
“We’re here to see Olivia Johnson.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
I smirked. “Sort of. Liet sent us.”
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