Sedge smelled the zombies. They smelled like rotten meat, but he could also pick up one that barely registered in his subconscious and it was fading. He didn't know why his master was keeping him away, but he did know that he didn't like it. They should be together fighting and killing like they had so many times before. All he needed was the word and he would do what he was trained to do. Until then, he would wait, hang out with all of these nice people, and eat. There was a lot of food around for a dog like Sedgwick; you just had to know where to look.
#
Cat scanned the sides of the building and as soon as she noticed the door next to the alley, the doctor was out of it and slipping behind the building wall. Cat let off a couple of 7.62 rounds, managing to spray him with brick, but he escaped. She then saw Sedgwick stop and sniff the air for a bit before turning and trotting back into the compound.
Cat whistled and waved everyone off before climbing back down the ladder. "I saw him slip behind the building."
"There's too much activity around here to get him now. He won't be back for a while. Not even four full days into the apocalypse and he's already been responsible for more deaths than his last ten years," Benson said to the group of shooters gathered at the base of the crane. "He's in his hay day with everybody already living in fear. There are over six thousand in the compound right now. We can't afford them to panic and leave."
"Hey, if people want to leave … let them go," Malcolm said.
"We can't afford that, Malcolm. Right now, people are our most valuable commodity. The more we bring in, the more chance of long-term survival we have," Benson said, getting the attention of the entire group. "If Lisa would have waited even two days before reacting and putting our goals out to the public, we'd be down three-quarters of the populace that we have now, and the radio station would probably be gone too. No, everything is happening for a reason right now and it's up to us to make sure that as many of us that can survive, do survive. We turn no one away … every life counts."
Cat looked out at the growing group of refugees down in the compound. She remembered her own experiences on that day so few days ago when she felt lost, out of touch, and alone. Her situation was hopeless; she was surrounded by the undead, and there was nowhere for her to go. She was already out of food, living on a day-to-day budget, and all of her weapons were with her dad because her boyfriend was uncomfortable with guns. She had to kill him with a hollow steel table leg that broke off their retro, garage-sale-bought kitchen table when he lunged for her.
It felt as if her life was over—she was waiting for the inevitable and trying to form a plan. With the volume set low, she had turned her cell phone on and scanned for a radio station. When she found nothing on the FM dial, she expanded her search and the cell phone automatically picked up AM on the second go-around.
That was when she heard it: the "straight shit," as her dad would call it, coming from a woman. She knew her dad hated her due to a workplace rivalry, but she was Cat's only hope. She reached out and grabbed it, and almost instantly became rescuer instead of victim.
"One in ten," Cat said.
"What?" Benson asked.
"If you would have waited two days, only one in ten of what has survived to this point would still be alive and functioning today. You don't know what it was like for me, Art. If I hadn't heard Lisa's broadcast, I would be in the belly of one of them or stumbling around just like them. She not only offered a place to go, but hope when I got there. It gave me a boost of energy that allowed me to fight back and get here.
"So after having just bashed in the head of the man I loved—or at least liked a whole lot—I wiped my tears and came here to fight and to help others fight. I truly believe there are thousands out there who have also been inspired to survive this long and are still trying to get to us. They're surviving on the hope that she and you have offered us."
"It was her,” Benson explained. "I was working with her and doing what I could do, like rescuing Malcolm on that beach. But the plan and everything falling into place? That was all her. I don't know if it was skill, luck, or fate, but it was all her. Little Rock is no different. The sooner we get there, the more lives and resources we can save; that's why we need to take the airport today."
He turned to Malcolm. "We start in two hours. Malcolm, get a few more people, an APC to take Cat, and then head over to the radio station."
Addressing Cat once again, Benson said, "You're going to relay that story again just like you told it to us. There have been some issues lately that tell me people need to know how valuable each and every one of them is; and you're going to deliver it. When you're done there, I need you back here to oversee the compound while I work on the airport."
"Roger," Cat said without any surprise or argument. She grabbed Ally and headed out to commandeer a vehicle.
Chapter 4
Rogue Bear
"What do you think, Skit? Am I fool for letting her go out there alone?"
"She won't be alone. That dude with the spear will be going with her. Besides … you can't stop her," Skit replied.
"Dean? Dean is their leader regardless of what he says; he'll stay and lead the people from Benton," Lisa replied, not believing the man would abandon his people.
"Ha! He's a rogue with leadership abilities, but he's no leader; you can trust me on that. He's not going to let Kodiak go out alone. His buddy, Lester? Lester is the leader and he seems to keep Dean in line without even letting anyone know he's doing it."
"You really think so?" Lisa asked as her hands smoothed the scruff of Tonka's neck.
"I do," Skit said, and would have said more if a scuffle from outside hadn't snapped them out of their chairs.
They hurried out of the office building and toward the gate, where Dean was standing over a man lying flat on his back, looking up at Dean as a hysterical woman was being held back next to an old Dodge truck.
"What's going on here?" Lisa said.
"This motherfucker is going to die, is what's going on here," Dean said.
Lisa stepped right in front of him and walked him back with her nose to his chest and her don't-fuck-with-me eyes locked on his. Dean had just joined with their group and knew that Lisa was in charge, so he backed up and forced himself to be calm.
"Tell me what's up, Dean. What did he do that has you so riled up?"
"He stole my fucking truck is what he did. Him and his fucking bitch," Dean started, still pumped up over finding them. "Me and Charlie got out to give them backup as they ran from a horde. We thought that they were with Jonah over there"—he nodded toward the boy—"but he decided to take the truck instead and leave the three of us to face the horde that was chasing them."
Lisa held his eyes for just a second before she turned to the woman who stood in Kodiak's grasp and looking helplessly at her husband. Lisa could see the truth of Dean's words in the guilt on the woman's brow.
"Is this true?" Lisa asked the woman.
"We just aren't cut out for this. Why can't people see that?" the woman said as she looked down at her husband, who once again cowered when he should fight back.
"So it's true?" Lisa asked of the man when the woman didn't respond.
"We were scared, okay? We hid in our house for days until we saw his truck coming slowly down the street and went out to try to flag him down, but we were too late. Then we saw the horde and panicked. We didn't even notice the kid."
"Didn't notice? You was running right behind him! Ya swerved around me so I know that ya saw me," Dean said with a bitter edge to his tone.
"I … I'm sorry. I'm sorry … I am so sorry," the man pleaded.
"This, in my opinion, is the same as attempted murder. We cannot afford to have lives wasted on cowardice," Lisa said as her eyes met Krupp's, who stood back watching. Lisa gave him a quick nod to see if he was going to back her up and he returned it with a hard look in his eye. She knew that he knew what she was going to do; this man and woman were now on trial.
"What are y
our names?"
"I am Chase, Chase Stanfield and this is my wife, Tiffany."
"Well, Chase and Tiffany Stanfield, the world is no longer like it once was. There are no more courts or jails or fines or any of that bullshit. The laws we follow are against any crime that may result in the incapacity of a living human—murder, attempted murder, putting others in harm's way, kidnapping, slavery—and they're punishable in only one way," Lisa said as she pulled the Rhino .40 from out of her chest rig.
Chase tried to crawl backwards and Tiffany started to weep.
"Everybody pay attention! This affects all of you," Lisa said to the crowd that had gathered. "Justice in this new world is cold and swift. When a crime such as this has been proven—which in my opinion it has—there is only one course of action. Neither I nor Officer Krupp can be the deliverer of this justice nor can we decide if the punishment is always warranted." She paused as her words sank into the minds of all who were there.
"It has been proved beyond a shadow of doubt that these two people stole this man's truck, leaving him and two young boys to face a horde of zombies when they could have easily included all in their escape. It is now up to Dean, the victim, to decide their fate." She finished and handed the ornate revolver to Dean before stepping back out of the way. "Banishment isn't an option, Dean; the decision of justice is yours."
Dean looked at the gun in his hand and back at the man on the ground. He wanted to shoot him. He felt the guy should die for how he had left them out there and, in the old world, he would have ranted and raved about wanting an opportunity to do what he could do right now. Yet he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Krupp watched the conflict within Dean. It reminded him of a poem his crazy uncle wrote for a western novel when he thought he could be a writer. It went; Why is the henchman hooded? A gavel falls heavy when a man dies, the floor opens a rope stretched. What road is traveled from gavel to rope? At what price the hangman? Who pays the piper piping the executioner song? Me? You? Fate … God? The road between gavel and noose is long and arduous yet right … when paved by the just.
Dean realized he couldn't do it. He couldn't kill a man over a truck—especially a shitty truck like the Dodge.
He let the gun fall limp in his hand before he handed it back to Lisa.
"No." Was all he said.
Lisa walked over to Charlie and held the gun out, but Charlie shook his head. She looked at Jonah, who was doing his best to hide behind Lester's leg, and she smiled.
"Problem solved. Justice has been distributed, and there is no going back. Decisions were made today and those decisions are final."
"I'm taking my truck back," Dean said.
"Of course you can have your truck back. Kodiak, come with us please," Lisa said as the scene started breaking up. She walked out onto the field toward one of the military trucks with Tonka tight to her side.
"Where do you think you're going?” Lisa heard Kodiak ask.
"I'm going with you," Dean said.
Lisa smiled when she heard Dean's reply. Skit gave her a told-ya-so nudge and she couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Yeah, what about him?" Lisa pointed to Charlie.
"Him? Oh, he's way too young to be going with you … so he is coming with me."
"Goddammit, Dean, I don't need you," Kodiak complained.
"I always gave you credit for being a smart one, Kodi; what happened?"
"What do you mean 'what happened'?"
"We've been surviving off of each other's back for three or four days now and you suddenly think you can go into Hot Springs on your own. Don't be daft, girl. You know you're safer with us than without us."
"Well, you're not riding in my Humvee," Kodiak said with finality.
"No problem, I have my own truck."
"Ha, that P.O.S. will never make it; besides, it's way too ugly for someone like me to even be caught dead in."
"Oh, honey," Lisa interrupted. “I don't have a Humvee that I can give you."
"Well, how do you expect me to get there?"
"To be honest, I don't. You said that you were going, and I'm giving you what weapons I can spare to make it a little harder to kill you. I truly don't expect to see you after today … especially if you go it alone. Too bad too; I was beginning to think we could be friends."
"Friends … yeah, I guess that would be cool," Kodiak said as she reconsidered her plans. "All right, Dean, Charlie, you're in."
"Great, I'll have Lester look after my Dodge."
"Ah … we need the Dodge, dickhead."
"Oh you mean you suddenly need that truck that you said was so ugly it crawled out of a Peterbuilt's asshole? Wasn't that what you said a couple of days ago?" Lisa left them to their banter; she didn't want to be a part of any more than she already was. She had a sinking feeling she wouldn't be seeing them again and thought it sucked because they were good fighters.
Lisa spotted Krupp and asked, "What's the plan?"
"We fall back into formation and proceed forward slowly. I had hoped to find enough survivors here to cover the return route, but we only found sixty-three and a lot of those are more suited for work in the compound," Krupp said, showing signs of frustration. "The compound is stretched thin with taking the airport today and the sniper action this morning; I'm beginning to wonder if we can make it with what we got."
"Let's take a look at the map," Lisa said. Mitch pulled one out of the Chrysler and spread it out on the hood. "Holy fuck, Krupp. The interstate looks like one constant stream of city all the way into Little Rock."
"I know; that's what I mean. There is some open space here for a few miles but, otherwise, it's one building after another. We'll need a hundred thousand troops to secure such a long path."
"What if we took route five? It's only a two-lane, but there's lots of area to push things out of the way and not nearly as many businesses or houses," Skit said.
"Yeah, thought about that but I think we could end up missing a lot of survivors. We're almost obligated to take the main thoroughfare just for that reason," Krupp added, noting how strange it was to be talking on that level to Skit who, a week ago, he would have been setting up for a sting operation.
"We gotta speed it up; we can't afford to take three weeks to make it twenty miles. We need to be there tomorrow or the day after at the latest," Lisa said.
"I agree wholeheartedly. So what are you suggesting?" Krupp asked.
Lisa scanned the surrounding area and vehicles that they had with them, trying to come up with something. Her eyes searched through the available trucks, trailers, and other vehicles at her disposal. She knew there had to be something there, but what?
"Driver!" she yelled and waved at one of the truck drivers walking by a rig.
"Yes, ma'am, what can I do for you?" he asked when he got closer.
"Does that trailer open up?"
"That one? Oh yeah; that's the newest thing in curtain-side technology. It's called a Conestoga after the old covered wagons."
"Thank you," Lisa said and turned back to Krupp. "We're getting bogged down in pitched battles that we don't have time for."
"I'm listening," Krupp said impatiently, not understanding where she was going with it and not appreciating her repeating the obvious.
"Come on, Krupp; Brett showed us how to do this. We got to make noise and distract them away, and then we drive on through and wait to do it again on the return trip. I mean, what's our other option?"
Krupp stepped in and gently guided Lisa away from the crowd that was gathering and wondering what their next steps were.
"I don't know if we can do this, Lisa. Our resources are stretched so thin already, and Little Rock is … well, it's huge. We have lost virtually all communications with Hot Springs, and it's the only place that we know of that has electricity."
"What are you saying, Krupp? Do you think that we should quit?"
"There is no 'quit,' Lisa. These … zombies … well, they're here and we have to deal with them. This mission, however … I
just wonder if it would be better to wait a month or two. Maybe they will spread out or wander off or start eating each other."
"That's a whole lot of maybes, Ed. Maybe they will all walk off a cliff or find a fire and burn the fuck up—no one really knows—but could we just go back to Hot Springs and hide and just see what happens?" Lisa said. She was on the verge of going on a tirade but knew that, for whatever reason, he was simply scared. Admitting that was not in his make-up, but the task before them was so daunting, he was having his doubts and Lisa knew they did nothing but gnaw at him the farther along they got.
"We've saved over a hundred and fifty people since we started out yesterday and we haven't even gone thirty miles yet. If we turn around now, then that is it. That will be the culmination of our grand endeavor. Every day, more that could be rescued die. Every day they grow a little weaker, a little hungrier, more run down, and pretty soon there will be barely anything for the zombies to feed on other than us, and then they will come for us. They will search us and them out in order to feed.
"By the time we get there, half who are alive today won't be, but we gotta get there for the half that survives, Ed. Some of them know we're coming and they'll be the toughest and most ready to help the rest of us survive this … this … whatever the fuck this is. Either way, they need us … and we need them."
Krupp simply stood there with his head bowed, nodding in affirmation, but she could see that he was having issues with it. The task was formidable and he wasn't a military commander or a logistics specialist; he was a cop. Nothing but a fucking street cop whose biggest concern a week ago was lapel cameras being introduced at the end of the fucking month. Now he was leading a thousand people he never met across open ground against a countless horde of cannibalistic dead humans. It was a wonder any of them retained their sanity.
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