Buddy quickly aimed at the ones still relatively close to him, but not in the line of fire of his new comrades. He fired quickly but deliberately, dropping them one right after the other. Rather than reload, he dropped the gun and grabbed the other rifle so that he could quickly pick off another five before clicking empty. As he reloaded, the zombies were pretty much in a line, several standing shoulder to shoulder and moving towards the live humans on the road.
All Buddy could do was stand there, holding his gun slack, watching in amazement as his new friends struck them down one by one, all while the door holders created an impenetrable barrier to hold them at bay.
Within a matter of minutes, the job was done. Black coagulated blood flowed through the streets as corpses baked on the blacktop. A few of the spearmen stepped cautiously over the dead, jabbing into any of the zombies that had a spark of unlife remaining.
A young teenage girl approached the truck, chocolate skin glistening in the sun. She put a hand over her eyes and squinted up at him.
“Hey, that’s some fine shooting there,” she said.
Buddy grinned down at her. “Appreciate it.”
“You need a hand getting down from there?” she asked.
He held up his finger and then grabbed the rifles, laying down on the edge of the truck. She came over and grabbed them from him, setting them on the ground and watching with an amused smile on her face as he struggled to slide down from the roof of the cab down to the ground.
“Gonna go out on a limb and assume you’re not a big parkour person?” she teased as he hit the asphalt.
Buddy chuckled. “Not sure what that is, but if it’s anything even remotely athletic, the answer is a definite no.”
She laughed as well, and then held out her hand. “I’m Nadia, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Buddy,” he said as they shook, “and likewise.”
She inclined her head towards the truck. “So, you came all this way just to bring us this?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
She grinned. “In that case, you mind if I hitch a ride with you back to base?” she asked. “I can show you where the loading dock is.”
Buddy extended his hand as if he were a car show model, presenting the passenger door to her and opening it with a flourish. “After you.”
Nadia clambered up into the cab and Buddy walked around the front, watching the shielders scrape the last of the bodies out of the lane so he had a clear path. He gave them a thumbs up before climbing up into the driver’s seat to head to the casino.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Buddy backed the truck up to the loading dock as someone waved him in. He lined it up perfectly and shut off the rig.
“Why don’t you come inside?” Nadia asked. “I know Mister Kenneth would like to meet you.”
Buddy raised an eyebrow. “So everybody calls him Mister Kenneth and not just Kenneth?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s a long story,” she replied, waving her hand. “Don’t worry, he’s far too polite to be offended by it.”
He smiled as they got out of the truck, and climbed up the stairs to the loading dock. A few civilians headed out with a few older men in the lead.
“Hi, daddy!” Nadia greeted one of the men, and embraced him.
The older man smiled into her hair. “There’s my baby girl,” he said. “Y’all have any problems?”
“Nah, it was a piece of cake,” she replied, waving him off. “Our new friend Buddy here is quite the crack shot.”
Buddy scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed. “I wouldn’t go quite that far.”
“How you doin’, Buddy?” Nadia’s father asked, and they shook hands. “I’m Vernon, and this here is our community leader, Mister Kenneth.”
Buddy turned to the leader, shaking his hand as well. “Pleasure to meet you in person, Mister Kenneth.”
“Likewise,” the man replied, offering a warm smile. “I’m not sure that we can properly thank you for all the goods that you have brought us.”
“It’s my pleasure,” Buddy said, returning the smile. “Although I want to mention, you know that trouble I talked about earlier? Well, they may have snagged a few things from the load here.” He clucked his tongue. “From what they tell me, there should be plenty of food, weapons, and supplies for you to be able to grow your own sustainable food.”
Kenneth nodded in approval. “From the looks of it, you have brought us plenty.” He spread his arms. “Please, won’t you come in? Our people will handle the unloading.”
Buddy nodded, and the quartet headed inside. They walked through a kitchen area that was full of people working away on the stoves and ovens.
“I don’t know what's cooking, but that’s the single best smell I’ve come across in weeks,” Buddy said, taking a deep breath of the busy kitchen.
Nadia smiled and ran over to one of the ovens. She peeked inside, and then donned a mitt, pulling out a pan of fresh biscuits. She carefully picked up a piping hot morsel and carried it over, handing it to Buddy.
He took a long sniff and closed his eyes. “Oh my god, that’s amazing,” he moaned.
“It’s even better when you eat it,” Nadia said in an exaggerated whisper, and he laughed. He took a generous bite, moaning at the buttery flavor in his mouth. Vernon shot his daughter a playful glare as she bit into her own that she had pilfered for herself. She held it out to him with a sweet smile, but he chuckled and shook his head no.
They exited the kitchen into the dining room, where several people were setting up tables for a meal.
“Dinner isn’t for another hour, but when it comes around I insist that you join us,” Kenneth said.
Buddy grinned. “I would appreciate that a lot,” he admitted.
They headed through into the main lobby of the giant hotel, stopping at the balcony over the casino floor. There were several people giving a deep clean to a portion of it, while others were enjoying a game of blackjack at one of the tables.
Buddy took it all in as he finished chewing his biscuit, looking up at the huge number of rooms above. “I have to admit, this is all pretty impressive,” he said.
“Thank you,” Kenneth replied, clasping his hands in front of him. “It did come at a steep price, however.”
Buddy sighed, shaking his head. “Best things in life usually do.”
“It took us a while, but we got every floor of this hotel cleared out,” Vernon said proudly. “Rooms are all set up, we got food, water, and even some entertainment. Even if the money ain’t what it used to be.”
Buddy chuckled. “Still, it’s good to stay entertained.”
“We don’t have a lot here,” Kenneth admitted, “however, we welcome people in who find their way to us. I want you to know that you are free to stay with us as long as you wish. We have plenty of room, and thanks to you, plenty of food to last us.”
He looked around, seriously contemplating the idea, but ultimately had to shake his head no. “You have a fantastic setup here,” he said honestly. “And believe me when I tell you that I would love to ride out the storm here with you. But there are hundreds more survivors groups just like you who aren’t in such a great position. I’m one of only a handful of truck drivers left, and I honestly don’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t get back into the fold.”
“That’s very selfless of you,” Nadia piped up. “Something that is in short supply these days.”
Buddy nodded. “Ain’t that the truth.”
“Well, I will instruct my people to get that truck unloaded as quickly as possible, so that you can get back on the road after dinner if you wish,” Kenneth replied.
Buddy wrinkled his nose and cocked his head from side to side. “Well,” he drew out the word, “I have put in a long day today. Got into a few scuffles to make sure this got here in mostly one piece. I don’t think anybody is gonna mind if I take a day or two to recover.”
“In that case, I will let them know to take their time,”
Kenneth replied. “Nadia, will you please go to the front desk and get a room key for our guest? He looks like he could use a bit of relaxation before dinner.”
She nodded. “Yes, Mister Kenneth.” She took off as Vernon stepped forward to shake his hand again.
“I’ll go supervise the unloading,” he said. “Gotta make sure everything gets where it needs to go. It’s been nice chatting with you, and hope to do more of it over dinner.”
Buddy grinned as they shook. “Same here,” he said. He leaned back against the railing next to Kenneth, soaking in the sight in front of him with a big smile.
“Something on your mind?” the older man asked.
Buddy shook his head. “Just happy to know that places like this still exist,” he said. “It’s nice having a glimpse of a normal life again, even if it is only for a couple of days.”
“I do hope that you enjoy yourself while you’re here,” Kenneth replied, and then looked at his watch. “If you will excuse me, I have some things to attend to before dinner. If there is anything you require, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Buddy nodded. “Thank you, Mister Kenneth.” He stretched his arms above his head, staring down at the casino floor as he contemplated his future. Nobody in the world would blame you if you decided to stay, he thought.
But that decision could wait until after a hot shower and a home cooked meal.
END
Up Next: The action shifts back to El Paso as the Fabens survivors make a daring raid on Fort Stockton.
Dead America The Third Week (Book 6): Dead America, Mississippi Caravan Page 7