“I wouldn’t have left without you,” I said.
“You taught me how to fight, how to survive, and you never gave up on me. Then, when the unthinkable happened, you risked your life to give mine back to me. You gave me a second chance at life. I’m only here because of you.” She wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m a bit of a crybaby sometimes.”
I touched her hand and smiled at her, silently urging her to continue.
“I’ve said I wasn’t meant for this, for fighting, but in the world we’re in now, it’s not a matter of choice. I must fight to survive whether I like it or not, and I promise you that I will, to the best of my ability. I’ll shoot a gun, and I’ll be as brave as I can. No matter what, I’ll have your back. I’m not the wimpy girl you met back in the forest. I am stronger now, and that’s all because of you, Lucas, and Nick.” She rushed over and hugged me.
I held her tight as she squeezed me.
“Thank you, Dean, for coming into my life.” Her voice wavered. “There aren’t enough words to say how much you and your brother and Lucas mean to me.”
Her words touched my heart, and I was speechless, so I just nodded as she stepped away.
“Okay, I’m up next,” Val said. “I was living a perfect life, something of a fairytale, I suppose. Then, in the blink of an eye, my world crashed down around me. I lost my home, my family, my fiancé, my job, my dogs, and my life. Just before the world turned into a zombie hell, I found out the shocking news that I’d been adopted. My biological grandma begged me to come to the island, so I did. On my way, I was bitten, but I really couldn’t have cared less. As far as I was concerned, my life was already over anyway, but I did still want to meet my family before I took my last breath.” She paused and sighed heavily, then continued. “I was scheduled for execution, but you—a brother I hadn’t even known—stepped in and selflessly risked everything to save my life. You did everything you could, from taking the antidote from the lab to breaking me out of jail. You risked life, limb, and reputation—your whole future for a sister who hadn’t even been part of your past. When we crashed, I again put your life in danger. I’m so sorry about that, but you loved me, and you quickly proved that you’d do anything to help me. The wonderful thing about it is that you did that without even really knowing me. But we had this connection, this bond. Dean, you’re my brother, and I love you for that. But even more so, I love you because you’ve stuck with me through all of this. You even put up with me when I fought with you, like that little battle we had in the grocery store. We may not always see things the same way, but I know we both have one another’s best interest in mind, and that means everything.”
I couldn’t help laughing at the memory, even as her eyes welled up with tears.
“You’ve never given up on me and even continued to fight for me when I became a zombie. Nothing could stop you. You were determined to find me and risked your life again to go into that deranged city. You almost died in their makeshift arena, and nothing hurts more than knowing it was all because of me.”
“Val,” I softly said, “you’re my sister, my blood. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
“I know that. I just wanna tell you that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Finding you has been the most wonderful thing. I couldn’t ask for a more fantastic brother, and I love you from the bottom of my heart.”
I embraced her in a long hug and tried to contain my emotions.
Jackie gripped my hands next. “My turn,” she said with a smile.
I smiled right back at her; that grin of hers was irresistible.
“You and I have such similar backgrounds, Dean.”
I stroked her face. “Yeah, we really do.”
“We were both naïve to this world because we’d both been sheltered. You lived on the island, and I lived in a house. The group I met protected me at all costs. The men fought and guarded the perimeter and kept me safe. I was too caught up in my own little world and had no idea how rough it really is out here. I know you thought the same thing. We didn’t know until we were both thrown into this mess, forced to survive—to kill or be killed.”
“But we’re still here,” I said. “We’re fighters, Jackie.”
“We’ve made plenty of mistakes, like kissing in a gazebo when we should have been on guard. And how about when Claire and I cowered in the glass house while you, Nick, and Val fought off all those zombies? I should’ve shot Earl when I had the chance. If I’d have been brave enough to do it, Val wouldn’t have been thrown into that pack of raging monsters. But we’ve all learned from our mistakes, and I’m confident we’ll never make them again.”
“After everything we’ve been through, nobody can accuse us of being newbies anymore,” I said. “We’ve both learned so much.”
“And we’ll keep learning. We’ll keep growing stronger and smarter. We’ll fight to the very end…together,” she said, nodding. “Without you and Nick, I’d be dead. I know that without a doubt. Like Claire said, you didn’t take no for an answer and never gave up on us, even when I was stabbed and died. You were my savior then, Dean. You gave me back my life, and if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be standing here. No words can ever express how thankful I am for that.”
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into another hug.
She hugged me tighter as she sobbed into my shoulder. “Don’t let the tears fool you. Yes, I’m emotional, but I’m also a kick-butt broad. I’ll never let you down, Dean—not ever again.”
Val touched my back. “This banquet is in your honor. We love you, we appreciate you, and we can’t thank you enough. It isn’t exactly caviar and champagne, but it’s the thought that counts, right?”
Claire handed me a plate of food. “Dig in and enjoy.”
“I’d like to say a word,” I said before I picked up my fork.
“Sure,” Jackie said.
“This is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me. I’m touched by your words.” I then turned to Val. “I couldn’t ask for a better sister. I know we didn’t grow up together, but that doesn’t matter. I’ve only known you for a short time, but I love you so much, and I’ll fight for you until the very end. The second I met you at Mom’s house and learned about the zombie bite, I knew there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to save you. When I found out they were going to kill you, I had to stop the execution at all costs.” Next, I turned to Claire. “I couldn’t ask for a better friend than you. You’re so loyal! You could have left us in that deadly city, but you didn’t. You chose to stick by us, to fight with us. You’ve come a long way in such a short time. In time, I know you’ll be a force to be reckoned with.” Then, finally, my gaze drifted to my beautiful Jackie. “I couldn’t ask for a better…” I didn’t know if I should call her a friend, because she was far more than that. Then again, I didn’t want to offend her or scare her off by putting some unexpected label on our relationship.
“Girlfriend?” she questioned, smiling and flashing those beautiful eyes at me.
My heart quickened at the thought. “In that case, let me start over. Jackie. I couldn’t ask for a better girlfriend. You’re my sunshine in this darkness all around us. I’d go through this all over again in a heartbeat to meet you.”
She touched my cheek and smiled at me.
Somehow, I managed to spit out a few more words. “You’ve touched my life, Jackie, and I’ll never forget you.”
“I’m not leaving,” she said. “I know that in the very beginning, I told you I’d only stay with you till we reached a safe city, but things have changed. I’m falling for you, Dean Walters.”
I kissed her lips until Val cleared her throat.
“Um, guys, can we nibble on something other than each other now?” she said. “I’m starving.”
We all laughed and enjoyed the most wonderful dinner we’d had in such a long time. The food was delicious, but even better were the friends I had to share it with. I only wished Lucas and Nick had been there to hear thos
e speeches of gratitude, as they’d been just as instrumental as I had in keeping the girls safe.
We were almost done with dinner when Lucas and Nick finally showed up. They told the girls how beautiful they looked and thanked them for what was left of the food. Of course they cracked on me for being so clean while they still stunk like the devil’s armpit. I gave them a hard time about being late to dinner, and they fed me a million excuses, all of which I thought were lame. I reasoned that it would have been far too emotional for Nick anyway, for it took everything in me not to let myself turn into a blubbering idiot. As much as I hated sentimental mush, the girls’ tender words had touched my heart. Most touching of all was Jackie admitting that she was my girlfriend. Never had any of my girlfriends been so beautiful, so absolutely gorgeous. It made perfect sense that she and Claire were models before the world fell apart.
Val and Lucas cleaned up, and I couldn’t help but notice how much they flirted with one another in the process. They didn’t insist on public displays of affection like Nick and Claire so shamelessly did, but it was clear that they had the hots for one another. I thought maybe Lucas was toning it down for my benefit, as I didn’t want to see my sister with her tongue down anybody’s throat. Lucas was a great guy, though, and I trusted him. For that reason, I was fine with him being with my sister. The only thing that worried me was that, much like my big brother, he loved the action way too much. Fighting for the Army was in his blood, and I knew he wouldn’t settle down any quicker than Nick would—not even for love. I was worried that in the end, Lucas would break Val’s heart just like Nick was destined to break poor Claire’s.
Lucas and Nick loved fighting zombies. That was the common bond they shared, but they were still quite different. Nick was brooding, cold, and tortured by what he’d been through, or at least he always seemed that way. He tried to pretend that nothing got to him, but I knew better. Lucas, on the other hand, was outgoing, crazy, and always cracking jokes. No matter what, he always seemed to have a smile plastered on his face.
“We’ll be back,” Lucas said, collecting more trash and placing it in a white bag.
“I’m heading back to the kitchen. You guys need anything?”
“No thanks, Val,” I said. “You’ve done more than enough.”
She smiled and walked out the door.
We all talked for a few hours before everyone said goodnight. We planned on leaving in the morning, so it would be the last good night’s sleep we were going to get for a while. Fortunately, there was no tossing and turning for me—no zombie nightmares to keep me up—and I was asleep in minutes.
Chapter 8
I ran into Kate in the lounge. She was a tall, thin woman with long, blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. She was dressed in a black pant suit I’m sure she pilfered from one of the closets. I had to admit the knee-high, black, leather boots were kind of sexy. I guessed Kate to be about nineteen or twenty.
She smiled at me. “I can’t believe you’re up this early.”
“I have guard duty on the roof at seven a.m.”
“You have a few minutes?” she asked. “I want to show you something I found in the office.”
“You’re snooping around?” I asked.
“Maybe.”
“What did you find?”
“A diary.”
“And that’s your big find?”
She chuckled. “Not just any diary. It’s the diary of the granddaughter who lived here. I know what happened to the family.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Okay, I’m intrigued. What happened to them?”
She walked me to the office and opened a small book. “Look at this.”
I started to read the passage but it was long and drawn out. “Can you give me the quick version?”
“Bottom line, the group left to go get survivors and plan to come back in a week.”
“We’ll be long gone by then.”
“The thing is, twenty-one year old Carla and a group of her friends decided to stay. They had enough supplies to last until the group came back. They weren’t supposed to leave the nursing home.”
“So where are they?”
“Haven’t a clue. But she said her friend was having a baby the night before we arrived. Carla was leaving to help her friend since she was a nurse. I’m sure her friends went as back up. It says they planned on coming back for dinner at the nursing home.”
“Maybe they stayed with her friend.”
“Maybe something went horribly wrong,” Asia said, entering the office.
“Hi Asia,” I said. She wore a cut-off T-shirt slightly exposing her flat, firm stomach with a pair of tight jeans. Asia was hot. It wasn’t like I was looking, but I couldn’t help but notice. She shot me her gleaming white smile. “Hey.”
Kate pointed at one of the passages. “The lady having the baby was staying at the business they owned. It was a restaurant called, Ed’s. It’s only a block from here too. It wouldn’t hurt to go check it out, I mean, because it’s so close.”
I shook my head. “You want to take an unnecessary chance into Zombie Land over an entry in a diary?”
Her blue eyes blazed. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Let me talk to Nick, Lucas, and Val.”
“No time for that,” Asia said.
I cocked a brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Asia grinned. “We have a dozen guys leaving in five minutes. Are you coming?”
“I’ll have to talk to Nick.”
“No time,” Kate said. “We’re leaving now. You see, Nick’s not my boss. So I don’t have to play by his rules. I play by my own.”
I met her gaze straight on. “I don’t believe a dozen guys offered to help you on a whim.”
She slipped into a long leather coat. “Smart boy.”
“So what did you tell them?”
“I told them there’s an arsenal of weapons being stored in the kitchen area.”
“You tricked them into helping you?” I asked.
“Those people could need our help. I couldn’t help my sister when she was murdered in Kingsville, but I can sure try to help people now.”
“So you’re trying to make a mends?”
“Something like that.”
“Are there really weapons?” I asked.
Asia started to load a gun in her hands. “According to the diary, there really is. Would you like to see the passage?”
I stared into her eyes and she didn’t even flinch. “That won’t be necessary. I believe you.”
Kate handed me a picture of a Spanish girl with the most beautiful smile and curly black hair. “Does that make it a little more personal?” Kate asked. “That girl needs our help.”
I handed her the picture back. “You don’t know that for sure. She didn’t make it back to the nursing home, but maybe she stayed with her friend or maybe she got spooked by all of our cars outside.”
Asia let out a long breath. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Do you need big brother’s permission to go around the block?” Kate asked.
“No,” I said, defiantly.
Kate blew out a long breath. “You know we desperately need these weapons. Lots of people in our group don’t even have guns to defend themselves, and I’m running out of bullets.”
Asia met my gaze. “So you see, it’s a hero mission, but it’s a gun mission too. Why not kill two birds with one stone?”
“I get it,” I said. “Let’s go.”
***
As I sloshed through the knee deep water, the rain poured and splattered on my face. I had to admit I felt pretty safe walking down the street with a dozen armed guards surrounding me. We shot a few stray zombies that decided they were brave enough to take us on. My rifle was slung over my shoulder and I carried my handgun in my holster so I felt pretty confident I could handle anything that came my way.
It wouldn’t hurt to go check out a place that was only a block away. And we desperately needed the weapons…tha
t is, if there were really weapons and this wasn’t some wild goose chase.
When we rounded a corner, we saw a brown brick building with the sign, Ed’s Fast Food. I couldn’t see anything through the black, spray painted windows. The front door had obviously been smashed and that’s how the zombies were getting in. I crept closer and peered inside. Rain dripped down my face and I blinked so I could focus. Battery operated lanterns hung inside and I could see the zombies shuffling around in the restaurant. My frown deepened. And it was in that moment that I feared the worst, the group had been overrun by zombies. I sprinted back to the others as the wind howled.
“It’s definitely overrun,” I said. “There’s no way anybody could still be alive.”
“They were killed,” one of the guys said. “That’s why they didn’t come back to the nursing home.”
I nodded grimly, fearing the exact same thing.
“Well, now you have your answers,” a man said. “Let’s get back.”
“Are you kidding?” a guy said. “Let’s find those weapons Carla talked about in the diary. I mean, they’re not going to do those zombies any good. Let’s go retrieve them!”
Asia patted my back. “I’m in. What do you think?”
“We’ve got fifteen armed people against a bunch of stupid zombies roaming around in a confined space. We can easily take them down.”
“I like it,” Kate said, pushing strand of wet hair out of her eyes. “Let’s get someone to volunteer as bait, and when they come out, we’ll fire away.”
Rain soaked Asia’s hair and poured down her face. “We need those weapons. But even more, we need the ammo.”
Asia was right. I knew how low we were on bullets. If we needed to do battle for any reason, we were in trouble. We definitely needed supplies.
The Zombie Chronicles - Book 4 - Poisonous Serum (Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series) Page 7