by Cross, Amy
Riley and I have been sitting cross-legged on the floor for a while now, watching the naked man and waiting for this moment. We placed a cloth over his crotch, to protect his dignity, and we tied him securely to one of the columns in the main part of the restaurant, but other than that we've simply been waiting. It's been about half an hour since we knocked the guy out, but his eyelids are flickering more regularly now and it's clear that he's starting to come around.
“Come on,” Riley says finally, “we know you're in there. Stop wasting time and open your eyes.”
He reaches out and prods the guy's chest.
“We're not messing around,” Riley continues. “You tied us up, and now it's our turn to be in charge. If you cooperate, there's a slight chance we'll treat you better than you treated us. Maybe.”
Letting out a low grunt, the guy opens his eyes and stares at us.
We both wait, but he doesn't say anything. As the seconds pass, I start to wonder whether this guy is right in the head. He doesn't seem particularly upset to find himself tied up like this. In fact, he doesn't really seem to be reacting at all.
“So what's the deal you've got going on here, huh?” Riley asks. “You seem pretty comfortable. There's plenty of food, and I'm assuming you get water from somewhere. How did you end up here?”
The guy looks at him, then at me, then back at him again.
“I work here,” he says finally.
“You do, huh?” Riley replies. “And how does that work?”
“I work here,” he says again. “No-one's fired me, so I'm not leaving.”
“You work here,” Riley mutters, and I can tell that he's slightly amused by this claim. “Six months into the end of the world, and you work here. At a Moolio's restaurant near Dallas?”
“What am I supposed to do,” he replies, “go home?”
“Don't you have any family to check on?”
The guy shrugs.
“I'm still on the clock,” he explains. “When everyone comes back, I'm gonna rake in the money for keeping this place safe.”
“Are you serious?” Riley and I both ask at the same time.
“Either that, or this place is mine now. That's fine with me too.”
“Okay,” Riley says, “fine, you work here or whatever, but that doesn't explain the rest of it. Why did you smack us around the head and tie us up?”
“How am I supposed to know who you are?” he replies, and he's clearly trying to work the ropes behind his back. He's not even being very subtle. “For all I know, you came here to kill me.”
“That makes a little sense,” Riley says, “until you consider yesterday. You were enjoying keeping us here.”
He shakes his head.
“You kinda were,” I point out. “You were laughing.”
“I don't get much fun out here,” the man replies. “It's okay, I won't do it again. Listen, things are pretty crazy around here right now, so we have to stick together. Don't we?”
“Why are you naked?” Riley asks.
The man sighs.
“Why are you naked, dude?” he asks again.
“I just wanted to be,” he replies. “It's not as if there's anywhere I can wash my uniform, and I didn't think anyone would see me.” He leans forward and sniffs slightly, and then he pulls back. “Just so you know,” he adds, “you two don't smell too great either. How long's it been since you washed those things, anyway?”
“So you're wandering around naked,” Riley says, “and then suddenly we show up, and you decide to attack us.”
“Free world. Like I told you, I had no idea who you were and -”
Before he can finish, there's a bumping sound in the distance, far off toward the rear of the restaurant.
“And who's your friend?” Riley snarls.
“I'm here alone.”
“That sound suggests otherwise,” he says, before handing me one of the knives. “Tommy, keep an eye on this idiot while I go check out what his buddy's up to. Apparently this moron thinks that we're a pair of naive suckers.”
“I'm here alone, I swear,” the guy says. “My uniform's hanging behind a door in the kitchen, it's got my name badge on it. My name's Mikey Evans and I'm a regular guy from a little town down the road called Maiden. Seriously, I know we got off on the wrong foot, but let's cool things down. And one thing I promise you is that I was all alone here until you showed up.” He sighs. “Do you think I'd have been walking around naked if I had company?”
“Forgive me for thinking that you're full of crap,” Riley says as he heads back through to the rear of the building.
“Can't you untie me?” Mikey pleads. “Come on, man, your friend seems nuts but you're clearly a cool guy. You don't actually want to keep me tied up like this, do you?”
“You gave me a few really big whacks on the head,” I remind him.
“That was self-defense.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I'll give you some food,” he adds.
“We can already take as much as we want.”
He sighs, and after a moment he mutters something angrily under his breath. He pulls hard on the ropes, but Riley tied them way too tight, and I've got to admit I'm glad that this Mikey guy isn't free to roam around.
A moment later, I hear Riley coming back through.
“There's no-one there,” he announces, as he stops and looks down at Mikey. “For now.”
“I don't know about anyone else round here,” Mikey replies. “You two are the first people I've seen in weeks.”
“And I don't trust you at all,” Riley says darkly. “Fine, if you're not going to be honest with us, then you can stay tied up like that. Meanwhile, Tommy and I are gonna make ourselves at home for a few hours before we decide what to do with you. Believe it or not, we actually have to be somewhere. We're not sticking around. The question is, do we just leave you tied up like this, so you can waste away?”
“Please don't do that!” he gasps. “I'll starve to death!”
“So tell us who your friend is.”
“I don't know!” he shouts, and now there are tears in his eyes. “I don't have a friend! It's just me here! I swear it's true, there's not supposed to be anyone else here!”
“Maybe he's telling the truth,” I suggest.
“Sure he is,” Riley replies, “and I'm the Pope. Tommy, it's getting on in the day and I'm thinking we might as well stick around here for one more night. At least we've got a roof over our heads. Then, tomorrow, we strike out and try to get as far into Oklahoma as possible. And the good news is that we've got a whole pile of burgers to take with us.”
With that, he turns and heads back toward the counter.
“No!” Mikey yells after him. “You can't take my stuff! It's mine! It's all mine! If you touch it, I'll kill you!”
“We won't take all of it,” I tell him. “Just enough to get us back to my place.”
“You do and I'll make you regret it!” he snarls at me. “I'll rip you apart! Do you hear me?”
“Sure I do,” I reply, and I'm starting to think that keeping him tied to the column like this was a good idea after all. “Just stay calm there and everything'll be okay. No-one's going to -”
“I'll kill you!” he snarls, lunging forward and almost managing to headbutt me before the ropes pull him back. “I swear, kid! Before this is over, I'll crush you and your friend into the ground!”
Thomas
“So it turns out I don't know how to hot-wire a car,” Riley says a few hours later as he saunters in from the parking lot. “There are a few of them nearby, but I don't know how to get them running. Looks like we're gonna have to keep walking.”
“I can try,” I reply, hauling myself up off the floor. “I'd definitely prefer to be in a car tomorrow.”
“I swear I could feel myself being watched out there,” Riley replies, heading to the window and peering outside. “Maybe I'm just getting nervous, but I could feel a pair of eyes burning into the back of my neck.” He turns
to Mikey. “You know,” he adds, “I'd like you a lot more if I didn't know that you're still lying to us.”
“Enjoy dying, asshole,” Mikey sneers, still struggling with the ropes. “It won't be long now.”
“That's some impressive nerve,” Riley replies, “for a man who's naked on the floor.”
Mikey starts grinning, and I can't shake the feeling that he knows something that we don't. It's pretty clear now that he has a friend hiding somewhere, and I'm constantly on the lookout for some hint of movement nearby.
“I'm going to look at those cars,” I say finally, feeling as if I need some fresh air. “I picked up a few things about hot-wiring cars a while back. You never know, I might actually be able to get us out of here.”
***
As it turns out, however, I'm not as good at this as I'd hoped.
I remember a few things from the old days, but I quickly find that I can't get any of these particular cars to start. I don't give up, however, and I spend a good couple of hours working on the various vehicles that are dotted around. If I could get just one of them to work, I'd be able to get us back to my parents' farm in a matter of just a few hours. Not that the farmhouse itself is still there, of course, but it'd still be good to be back on that land. Besides, I can't shake a lingering hope that maybe – just maybe – Martha might be waiting for me there.
Why didn't I pay more attention?
Joe was always showing me these cool little tricks, but back in the old days I thought hot-wiring cars was only for idiots. Right now, I'd kill for some of his advice.
“You shoulda listened to me,” I imagine him saying, taunting me.
“That's not much use now,” I imagine myself replying.
“Your big brother Joe wasn't such an ass after all, was he?” I imagine him saying. “Go on, admit it. It might help.”
“I never thought you were an ass,” I imagine myself replying, although I immediately realize that I'm not being entirely honest. “I thought you... had your reasons for things.”
“You thought I was a waste of space.”
“Never,” I say. “Despite everything you did, I never -”
Stopping suddenly, I realize that I said those last few words out loud. I've started talking to myself. I glance around, but there's no-one nearby. That'sa relief.
“Damn it,” I say with a sigh as I finally give up on the last car, “I only -”
Before I can finish, I hear footsteps outside.
I sit up and look around, but there's still no sign of anyone in the parking lot. I know I heard something, however, so I stay completely still for a moment before finally climbing out of the car. I grab the knife I brought out from the restaurant, and then I step around the car to check that there's no-one hiding nearby.
“Hello?” I call out.
Silence, but I know I'm not alone.
The footsteps seemed to be heading toward the rear of the building, which implies that someone's trying to get into the kitchen. I take one final look around, and then I realize that I need a plan. I start walking back toward the kitchen, while trying to act as if nothing's wrong. Once I'm inside the building, however, I hurry into a small alcove near the refrigerators, and then I crouch down in order to keep an eye on the door. If I'm right, someone desperately wants to come through that door pretty soon. If Mikey has a friend somewhere nearby, I want to make sure that Riley and I don't get ambushed.
Sure enough, a few minutes later I hear footsteps approaching the door from the other side, and then the door very slowly starts to swing open with a low creaking sound.
I tighten my grip on the knife.
The door bumps all the way open, and I hear someone stepping into the room.
I hold my breath.
A hand reaches out, touching one of the benches, and then a figure steps into view. Even from behind, I realize that I recognize her instantly.
“You!” I blurt out, getting to my feet. “What are you doing here?”
Thomas
“Oh, hey,” Katrina says, stopping and smiling at me. “Long time no see.”
“What are you doing here?” I ask again, stepping toward her. “Have you been following us?”
“That's kind of a crazy assumption,” she replies. “I don't just live in that shack by the train station, you know. I'm actually allowed to take a wander now and again. I mean, come on, it's a free world. It's not like this place actually belongs to you guys. I heard you talking to yourself out there, by the way. First sign of madness, just so you know.”
“You've come a long way,” I point out, “for someone who claims to be just out for a stroll.”
“Honestly, I just wanted to stretch my legs,” she says. “You and your buddy don't have a monopoly on taking trips, you know. Besides, I was curious to see whether you'd last more than twenty-four hours. Congratulations, you've made it roughly twice that long. Not bad for two dudes who looked pretty hopeless the other day.”
“So you have been following us,” I reply. “Wait, are you working with Mikey?”
“With who?”
“The naked guy who lives here.”
She raises a skeptical eyebrow.
“Is he,” she asks after a moment, “by any chance, a hot naked guy?”
“Okay,” I reply, “so you followed us here. That's pretty pathetic, but...” I pause as I think back to everything that's happened over the past couple of days. “Wait a moment,” I continue, “that means that you must have seen us getting tied up, and you didn't do anything to help us!”
“You're making an awful lot of assumptions,” she replies.
“You were here!” I snap. “You must have seen it happen!”
“So what if I did? It's not as if I was obliged to rush in and rescue the pair of you. I figured that I'd let natural selection take its course, although obviously I'm glad that you emerged unscathed. And, by the way, I already know that he's not a hot naked guy. I've seen him bumbling his way around, although fortunately he didn't have any idea that I was watching him. Did you say his name was Mikey? He has potential, but he's really let himself go.”
“Why didn't you help us?” I ask, stepping forward and pushing her against the wall. “We were tied up for nearly two whole days!”
“And now you're free. Congratulations.”
“You could have untied us!”
“And miss all the fun? Relax, I knew you'd both be fine. While I was following you, I listened in to your conversations. I can't believe you didn't spot me, by the way. I don't know whether to be impressed by my own skills, or deeply saddened by your lack of awareness.” She looks down at my feet. “Nice shoes, by the way,” she adds. “For what it's worth, I'm on Riley's side. The dead don't need material stuff, not anymore. You must as well take it. Is it odd, wearing them?”
“What do you want?” I ask.
“The same as everyone else. Food. Water. Somewhere to sleep where I won't get murdered in the night.” She pauses. “Oh, and some wheels would be nice. Were you trying to hot-wire some of those cars out in the lot? You've got a lot to learn about that kind of thing, my friend. A lot to learn.” She pauses, and then she sighs. “Fine, if you want to know the truth, I don't particularly enjoy living in a shack next to a train station. It seemed good for a while, but eventually I realized that I was just waiting to die. So when you guys showed up and marched off in your own direction, I decided to tag along.”
“To steal from us?”
“Don't be crass,” she said, sniffing haughtily. “Obviously I would've rescued you eventually, but I figured the naked man was in no hurry to kill you. I mean, he had lots of opportunities and he kept you alive. If I'd thought you were really in danger, I'd absolutely have rushed in and saved the day like some kind of hero. You can't possibly think otherwise.”
“Strangely,” I reply, “I have my suspicions.”
“Charming.”
She slips past me and starts making her way through to the kitchen area.
“Hey
!” I call out, hurrying after her. “You can't just come in here! None of this stuff belongs to you!”
“And it belongs to you, does it?”
“We got here before you did.”
“Such a childish point of view,” she replies, wandering sedately between the workbenches. “This place has potential. A lot of spiders, but definitely potential. I never came to this type of restaurant in the old days, but I bet the food was nice enough. I've been stealing from the larder over the past forty-eight hours, and I have to say that I'm strangely impressed.” She stops and turns to me. “Aren't you going to ask?”
“Ask what?”
“If you went the right way after you left my shack?”
“We're heading to Oklahoma,” I tell her, “so, sure, this seems like the right way to me.”
“Maybe,” she says, “but then again, if you'd gone the other way, you might have hooked up with a ride from one of the supply vehicles that regularly go past all the major intersections. I'm not saying that definitely would have happened, of course, but... Well, I would have taken that risk. You could have been sailing through Oklahoma by now.”
“Everything's fine as it is,” I tell her. “We really don't need your advice.”
“No,” she replies, “I can see that. Somehow the pair of you actually seem to be getting along pretty well. I think I heard you saying that you plan to get out of here in the morning. Is that right?”
“We're going to Oklahoma.”
“So you keep saying.” She pauses, with a faint smile on her lips. “Listen,” she continues, “I'm not desperate, but I'm also not above asking for a favor. I've spent enough time hanging around in this part of the country, and a trip north doesn't sound like the worst idea. If you guys can see your ways to letting me tag along, I promise I'll pull my weight. I'll pay you back however you like. Both of you.”
“You seriously think we're gonna trust you?” I ask.
“What's to trust or not trust?” Her smile broadens to a grin. “I already admitted that I'm looking out for myself. Isn't that better than coming out with a load of lies about how I'll be part of some great team?”