Rune, meanwhile, slunk off, clutching his head in both hands.
Emma started after him, but a voice distracted her.
“Happy family reunions are rare nowadays.”
Pivoting about, Emma saw Nerit standing close to her. She hadn’t even heard her approach, which was a little unsettling.
“I wanted to help Macy,” Emma admitted. “It was wrong to leave her out there.”
“You’re a capable fighter and have a good heart. It’s a good combination.” Nerit’s chin length hair was tucked behind her ears, and despite the sunset, her dark sunglasses were over her eyes. Dressed in jeans and an olive green shirt, she looked as physically fit as any of the younger people in the Fort.
Emma checked on Macy to see she was firmly under the care of her nephew and the city secretary of the Fort. “Miss Yolanda can set you up with a room and stuff, Auntie,” Lewis was saying. When the three walked toward the stairway that would take them into the main area of the Fort, Emma sighed with relief.
“She was a tough one to crack,” Nerit noted.
“We couldn’t have done it without Rune, although it came at a cost for him.”
Nerit studied Rune, taking in his pained expression. “I see.”
“He says the ghosts are bombarding him.”
“That has to be a pain in the ass.”
“I don’t know if it’s my place to say, but he saw Ed out there.”
Nerit’s head swiveled toward her, and Emma wished she could see her eyes. Had Emma stepped out of bounds? It was impossible to tell.
“Not alive I take it.”
Emma shook her head.
“Well, shit.” Nerit set her hands on her hips and returned to observing the medium. “Did Ed say anything to him?”
“No, but Rune said he pointed to something.”
“That doesn’t sound ominous.”
“Rune says he has to leave because of the ghosts.”
“We can’t make people stay, Emma. Don’t worry too much about him. Rune can handle himself. He’s left before and returned. That being said, let’s find out what he learned from Ed.”
Pleased to be included, Emma walked with Nerit to where Rune stood. Katarina and Juan joined them.
Katarina glanced at Nerit. “Juan says Rune has news.” “That’s what we’re about to talk to him about,” Nerit replied.
Rune watched them approach with a bleary look in his eyes.
Nerit stopped in front of him and sighed dramatically. “So, Ed’s gone.”
Rune nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I saw him when we got charged with runners.”
“Some of them were Ed’s people, including the Vargas kid,” Juan added.
“Mateo? Damn. He was a good kid.” Katarina shook her head sadly.
“Emma said he pointed at something. Any idea what it was, Rune?”
“Not sure, Nerit.” Rune indicated the hill that loomed over the west side of town. “That’s where he pointed, but no explanation. I assume it’s the hill, or something on it.”
Juan turned to look, his brow creasing with confusion. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“There’s nothing up on that hill. Just the cellphone tower,” Nerit said.
Katarina shook her head. “Actually, you’re wrong. It used to be a picnic location. People would go up there on the Fourth of July and stay until evening to see the fireworks over City Hall.”
“Any structures?” Nerit asked.
“The only building up there is a restroom. It used to scare the shit out of me, literally, when I went to the toilet, since you’re basically perched over a deep hole. It’s also where high school students used to go to make out until the old sheriff started patrolling up there.”
“Someone could have taken the old road up there looking for refuge when the horde came through!” Juan said excitedly. “If Belinda and any of the others are alive, we’ve got to save them. And if she’s not alive, I have to do right by her.”
Nerit stared toward the hill, pushing her sunglasses back on her head. Lifting her sniper rifle, she peered through the scope for a minute. “I’ll take a squad out.”
“I’ll get a vehicle ready.” Juan started to dash off.
“In the morning,” Nerit added.
Swiveling about, Juan gaped at her. “We can’t wait!”
“Yes, we can. The sun is going down and we need to plan and not run off half-cocked. Katarina, I’ll need a map of the area. Draw it if you need to.”
“You got it, Nerit.”
Juan bent toward Nerit to get her attention. She met his desperate look with a calm one. “Nerit, if Ed was pointing up there, it’s important. You know that.”
“Which is why we’re going in the morning.”
“But what if people are up there right now? What if they’re trapped?”
“Juan, I understand your concerns, but I’m not risking people at night. We’ve got heavy cloud cover and no moonlight. Additionally, we don’t know the road conditions. We haven’t bothered with that hill since it was deemed irrelevant to the protection of the Fort. We’ll find out what’s up there. In the morning.” Her definitive tone said the argument was over.
Sputtering with frustration, Juan shook his finger at her. “I’ll talk to Kevin and Travis.”
“Go ahead. They’ll back me up,” Nerit responded with a cold as ice smile.
“We’re all concerned,” Katarina said to Juan. “You’re not the only one. Nerit is right and you know it.”
With a frustrated grunt, Juan reluctantly gave in. “Fine, but I want to go with you.”
“I’ll consider it.”
“Nerit, you can’t make me sit it out!”
“Yes I can if you can’t prove to me that you can calm your ass down.”
“I’m calm!”
“Prove it.”
Juan wilted under Nerit’s stern glare. With a weary sigh, he lowered his head, pressing his palm to his brow. “Okay. I will.”
“Katarina, you’re coming with me. Who else do you want on the team?”
Emma raised her hand. “I want to go with you. I can handle myself. I’d like to help, since this is my new home.”
Nerit gently pushed her hand down with her warm, rough one. “You’re in, Emma. How about you, Rune? You sticking around for a rescue?”
“I can’t. I won’t be any good to you. They’re getting louder and distracting me.”
“Okay. That’s fine. Just take care of yourself out there.”
“Will do, Nerit.”
“Get an early breakfast and meet me in the garage at 6:30 in the morning. We leave at sunrise. I’ll recruit the rest of our team tonight and let Travis and Kevin know what’s up.”
With that, Nerit walked off with Katarina falling in behind her.
Emma turned to check on Rune, but he was already heading into the main area of the Fort. Alone with Juan, she swiveled about to face him, although he darted off.
Alone, she lifted her head to gaze at the sun setting over the hills. Today had been a good day. Hopefully tomorrow would be as well. In a world filled with zombies, a good outcome was never a sure thing, but she was ready to make damn sure she did her best to tilt the odds in their favor.
15
Asshole Ghosts
Emma waited for Rune, leaning against the wall near his bike in the old newspaper building. On the other side of the bay, a mechanic worked on one of the vehicles. Tejano music with a polka beat blasted away from an ancient boom box in the corner. The activity in the main entry area had dissipated with the setting of the sun, leaving the area tranquil and rather comforting. The night had brought a cool breeze that swept through the dimly lit garage and dispelled the humidity and heat of the day.
Stomach grumbling, Emma wondered if maybe Rune wouldn’t leave until daybreak. She was hungry, but didn’t dare go to dinner for fear of missing the medium. He’d been so desperate to get away when they’d arrived back at the Fort, she was convinced he’d leave as soon as he could pack.
Tapping her foot to the Selena song playing, she resolved to keep waiting.
It was comforting being alone again. The mechanic wasn’t even visible. She was glad the mission to bring Macy into the Fort had been successful, but somehow the aftermath was bittersweet. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what was niggling at her and was the source of a surprising restlessness.
When Rune appeared, he was carrying his leather motorcycle saddlebags over his shoulder and clutching his rifle in one hand. A Harley Davidson bandana was wrapped around his forehead. Clad in a leather jacket, gloves, and jeans, he looked every inch a biker. Emma didn’t get the vibe off of him that he was new to life on a Harley traveling across Texas on the back roads. He’d probably been a biker for a long time.
“Hey, Emma,” he said with a somber nod when he spotted her.
“Hey, Rune.”
He cast a wary look at her. “What can I do for ya?”
“I’m just here to say goodbye.”
That answer brought a relieved grin to his face. “That’s mighty appreciated.”
The sound of swishing liquid came from his jacket when he leaned over to strap his bags to the bike. The top of a bottle of Jack Daniels poked out of one pocket.
“Does that help?” she asked, pointing to the liquor, genuinely curious.
“Somewhat. It’s got the noise level down since I’m feelin’ a bit numb, but that one asshole ghost is determined to wear me down. City folk. Even dead they think they can boss my redneck ass around.”
“Is it safe? Drinking and riding?”
“Don’t you get on my ass. You already remind me way too much of Lainey and she always got onto me about my drinkin’ and ridin’.”
Emma lifted an eyebrow. “Who’s that?”
“My loud-mouthed daughter.” Rune quirked a crooked smile at the memory of his child. “Bossy little cuss right from the start. Always tryin’ to mother me. She kept forgetting who was the parent.”
“Was she like you?”
“Oh, yeah. A total rebel. Did what she always wanted no matter what me or the old lady told her.” Despite the liquor on his breath, Rune deftly secured his bags with nimble fingers. “You got that same steel and fire. I can see it in ya.”
Emma folded her arms across her chest and leaned against a pillar while watching him prepare to leave. “I never thought I did before all of this.”
“You just had some asshole holdin’ ya back.”
“In my defense, Stan was a charming asshole.”
He’d also been a manipulative asshole who made sure she got pregnant so she’d stay in her hometown with him and not attend college. In Emma’s heart, she’d known from the moment the pregnancy test was positive that he’d won. He’d known her personal beliefs would keep her from having an abortion.
“Still an asshole. Men like that are shit. Stay away from men like that.”
Whether he meant to or not, Rune sounded like a dad, something she’d never had. It made her chest a little tight.
“You got some inside information on me, Rune?”
He shot her a wry look. “Nah. I’ve just lived long enough to know that a woman like you is only held back by asshole men.”
“Are there a lot of asshole men here in the Fort?”
“A few. Some would say I’m one.”
“You? You’re nice.”
“Shut your mouth! Don’t go spreadin’ rumors like that,” he chided her.
Emma giggled. “Fine, but I’m sure other people have figured out that you’re a softy at heart.”
Grumbling, Rune secured his rifle to the bike. “Only when I like people. I do like you. As I said, you remind me a lot of my daughter, which is why I’m gonna give you some advice. If you’ll allow it.”
“I’ll allow it.”
Staring her straight in the eye, Rune said, “Give him time.”
Tilting her chin, Emma gave him a quizzical look. “What?”
“You heard me. Don’t play innocent.”
Emma knew he was talking about Juan and was a bit rankled. Yes, she experienced an undeniable pull toward the tall, handsome man, but that didn’t mean anything more than she’d gone a very long time without sex. It made her uncomfortable that a few people made it obvious that they suspected there was more than sexual attraction brewing between them. After all, they’d just met, and Emma didn’t believe in fate.
“Even if I had designs on him, he’s got all his attention on his unrequited love. If she’s alive.”
“Even if she is, Emma, time is on your side.”
It bothered her that his words gave her a tiny bit of hope. So she shut it down with a heaping dose of denial and snark.
“Are you sure? Because the world ended, remember? Time doesn’t seem to be on anyone’s side. The longer you live, the better the chance that something will go wrong and you’ll end up dead.”
“Now you’re just shit talking to avoid listening to my advice.”
Bristling, she shot him a defiant look. “I listened.”
Sitting on his bike, Rune flipped his long white braid onto his back and regarded her somberly. “There are two different kinds of ghosts. The ghosts of those who have died and refuse to move on are the most famous. But the harder ones to get rid of are the ghosts that live in your head. Memories of what was, what coulda been, what was hoped for. A lot of people here are haunted by both types. Lord knows I am.”
Attempting to not think too hard about his comment, Emma shrugged. “Maybe that’s all we have left after the reality of the old world is stripped away.”
“Ghosts?”
“Yeah. The kind that lives in our head. I’m trying to let go of mine, but at night, when I’m falling asleep, I like to pretend that none of this happened. That I’m in my old bed and my son is sleeping in his room down the hall.”
“But that’s all bullshit and you know it.”
“That’s a mean thing to say.”
“But it’s true. What’s real is that you’re here, right? Finding a new life? Reality isn’t your memories. You know I’m not shoveling bullshit at you.”
Emma reluctantly nodded.
“Jenni brought you here for a lot of different reasons. I feel it. I know it. But despite whatever designs she had on you, you’ve still got your free will. You can hop on the back of my bike right now and ride out into that big, dark world and find your own path. You understand that, right?”
It was eerie how perceptive he could be. A part of her had considered leaving with him. It had been the briefest flash of a thought, but it had been there. Not because she didn’t like the Fort or its people, but because she didn’t want to feel there wasn’t a choice other than to stay. Emma didn’t believe in fate, but the ghostly intervention in her life made her newfound role feel inevitable. Jenni had diverted her life just as Stan had. Jenni had saved her life, but she’d also handed her legacy over to Emma. That was not only daunting, it made Emma feel like she was caught in a snare. Now it was clear why she was so restless. A piece of her feared she was trapped by forces beyond her control.
“I’m not here to take over someone else’s life. I’m not here to be Jenni 2.0.”
Bushy silver eyebrows lowering over his eyes, Rune gave her a hard look. “Has anyone told you to do that?”
“No. Actually, people have told me the opposite. That they don’t expect it. Yet...”
“You think maybe Jenni foisted her destiny onto ya, huh?”
“I guess.”
“Did you consider that maybe she sent you here because we needed you? You’re an asset to everyone here.”
“Yet, you’re leaving because of what I asked you to do.”
“It’s my curse, hon. It’s got nothin’ to do with you.”
While Emma wasn’t too sure of that, she held her tongue. She asked another question that had been on her mind. “Do the ghosts keep you safe? Out there? Warn you?”
“Sometimes. Oftentimes. It suits them to keep me alive.”
“Th
at makes me feel a little better.”
“If I run into a bunch of zombies, though, I may not make it out alive.”
“You’re okay with that?”
Rune shrugged. “I know death ain’t the end. That makes it easier. But I do feel I perform a valuable service in the land of the living. I do plan to come back. I just need to shake a certain asshole ghost THAT WON’T SHUT THE FUCK UP!”
“Where is he?” Emma asked curiously.
Rune pointed to a spot in front of the Harley.
Emma swiped at what felt like a pillar of cold air with her fist a few times. “Go away! You’re not wanted here! Go away!”
Chuckling, Rune said, “You’re so much like Lainey.”
“Did that work?”
“Actually, a little bit. Now he’s damn insulted and just glaring at you.”
“Good.”
“So...you gonna hop on and go on an adventure with this old man?”
“As exciting as that sounds, I do want to stay here,” Emma said, and meant it.
“You’ve done good here.” Rune pulled the Jack Daniels from his pocket and took a long swig. He offered her some and she gratefully took the bottle.
The whiskey burned all the way down. “I hope so.”
“Worried about tomorrow?”
“No. Maybe. I guess. I’m just wondering what we’ll find.” After one last mouthful, she handed the bottle back.
“Whatever is up there was important enough for Ed to point it out.” Rune took another swig, then tucked the bottle away. “If it’s any consolation, I know you can handle yourself. You’ll do fine.”
“It’s getting used to the team thing. I don’t call the shots now.”
“Nerit won’t steer you wrong. Trust her. And with that bit of advice, I’m gonna get.”
Surprising him, Emma hugged Rune. He clung to her for a second, sniffled, then pulled back. His blue eyes were rimmed with red.
“You sure do remind me of Lainey.”
Emma found it a little hard to speak. “I accept your compliment. She was lucky to have you as a dad.”
“Take care, Emma. I’ll see you when I see you.”
She hadn’t had a father and her grandfather was long gone. She hadn’t known Rune that long at all, but he was already starting to feel like family. It grieved her that he was leaving. When the bike roared to life, she stepped back and tucked her hands into the pockets of her denim jacket. Watching Rune ride to the gate, she sighed heavily and kicked at the cold spot.
As The World Dies | Book 4 | After Siege Page 13