Chas nodded. “I have thought about it, Em, and I’d rather be out there, trying to find help, than in here dying with the rest of them if the zombies get in.”
“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Emily asked, surprising everyone.
“You mean…you’re in?” Chas asked.
“Of course, I’m in. Without me, you wouldn’t stand a chance anyway,” Emily said with a smug smile, her glasses glinting in the light.
Chas laughed. “You’re right, of course. So, why don’t you come up with a plan then, smartypants?”
“Actually, I already have.” Taking a notebook from her pocket, Emily proceeded to lay it out for them, step by step. By the time she was done, silence reigned.
Finally, Chas found her voice. “Good plan. Better than anything I could come up with, for sure.”
“This is it, then?” Vanessa asked. “We’re doing this for real?”
“I’m in,” Chas said.
“Me too,” Dean replied.
Emily nodded.
“I guess we’d better get started first thing in the morning,” Chas said. “It will take a few days to finish all the preparations.”
“The sooner, the better,” Dean agreed which was no surprise. Out of all of them, he had the least reason to stay in the camp, having no family there to worry over.
“I vote we get some sleep,” Emily said. “Tomorrow is going to be a long day, and the adults will be back soon.”
“All right. Off you go, Dean and Emily,” Chas said. “See you in the morning.”
They said their goodbyes before trooping out and Vanessa crawled into her bed, followed by Chas. For a few moments, they lay in silence until Vanessa said. “Do you really think we can do this, Chas?”
Chas stared at the ceiling. “I don’t know, Vanessa. But, I know we have to try. We can’t let these people die, our families die, just because they’re too scared to move.”
“I’m scared too,” Vanessa admitted. “Have you looked over the wall, Chas? It’s like the end of the world.”
“I’ve seen it…and I’m frightened too, but I’m even more afraid of being trapped in here when those things get inside,” Chas said.
“I guess you’re right,” Vanessa said. “Let’s hope the plan works.”
“Yeah, let’s hope so,” Chas agreed, her troubled mind winging back to the moment Johnson died. The day when everything changed for her.
She remembered standing up in the guard tower while a nervous Math tittered behind her, his panic barely held in check: The feel of the wooden railing beneath her palms as she stared over the sea of undead that thronged the plain stretched out below. The sound of their fists beating against the wall. The smell of their rotting flesh washing across her face with the breeze.
She knew then that survival didn’t depend on how old or how strong you were. The zombies could kill you no matter how good your aim was, or how well you could wield a knife. Those things were just a small part of it. What really mattered was being able to face your fears. To overcome the crippling anxiety that threatened to rob you of reason. If you could do that, you were halfway there already. The rest of it…well, that was just dumb luck. Dumb luck and good friends. The kind who had your back until the very end.
Chapter 2
Chas stood on a patch of open ground away from the hustle and bustle of the base, aiming her knife at a cardboard target she’d set up several feet away. Keeping her body steady and in line with the board, she flicked her arm out. The blade spun through the air before landing with a solid thunk.
“Yes,” she cried, running closer to retrieve her knife. It was slightly off-center, but not by much.
“Just a little to the left next time,” Emily said, raising her hand to high-five Chas.
“Not bad,” Vanessa said, “but I can do better.”
“Oh, yeah? Let’s see you try,” Chas said with a smug smile. She knew as well as everybody else did that her knife throwing skills were the best thanks to her uncle’s lessons in the past.
Vanessa took her shot, and her knife ended up in the dirt.
Chas laughed. “Better, huh?”
“Ah, gimme a break,” Vanessa said, her eyes sparkling.
“You’re still better at it than me, babe,” Dean said, shaking his head woefully when his blade failed to travel even half the distance.
“That’s true, Dean, but you suck so badly I’m not sure it’s a compliment,” Emily said, her red hair glinting in the warm afternoon sun.
A week had passed since they’d abandoned the lower base to the scourge of the undead, and the situation had not changed for the better. Thousands of the things thronged the wall, now finally high enough and thick enough to withstand them for good. That didn’t cheer anyone up. Not when they had no way of getting in or out. While they had water and electricity, they’d run out of food and medical supplies sooner or later.
Chas and her friend were in good spirits, though. By following Emily’s plan, they were close to escaping the base. They’d finally be able to look for Julia and Alvarez. Failing that, they’d try to find anyone who could save the camp and all the people in it.
Tonight was the night, hence their excess energy and cheer.
They all looked forward to escaping from the atmosphere of doom and gloom inside the base, not helped along by the preacher who kept saying to anyone who’d listen that it was the end of the world, and they were all going to die. As if they didn’t know that already.
“Let’s take a quick break and go over the plans one last time, guys,” Chas said, returning her knife to its sheath.
“Yeah, okay. I could use a break anyway. It’s freaking hot today,” Vanessa said, her dark hair slick with sweat.
They huddled together in the flimsy shade of a twisted tree, and Emily produced her notebook. “So, we’ve got the air mattress hidden at the Hydro Station along with a backpack full of supplies for each of us, right?”
“Right,” Chas nodded. “Plus, I managed to score a waterproof bag to put everything in.”
It hadn’t been easy, sneaking into the stores and looking for such a rare item among all the junk. All while the supply master Steele kept an eagle eye on the place. But, she’d managed, much to her relief. Wet guns were the last thing they needed going out into the Wilds as they’d begun calling the outside world. While the weapons would still fire, they might rust which wasn’t good, and they couldn’t afford their food and medical supplies to get wet either.
“Good,” Emily nodded, ticking the items off the list. “What about the wire cutters, Dean?”
“I got them yesterday plus the extra wire needed to repair the Hydro Station’s fence once we’re through.” While the fence was just a precautionary and not really needed with the strong current of the river sweeping past, they didn’t plan on leaving behind gaps for any infected to sneak into the base.
“What about the guards?” Vanessa asked.
Like the fence, the guards were a mere extra line of defense at the river, but they needed to be dealt with or the teens weren’t going anywhere.
Emily shot them a smug smile, pulling a small bottle of clear liquid from her pocket. “I got hold of some pretty strong medicine for constipation. One of us just needs to make sure it lands in the guard’s food tonight. Chas? Did you volunteer as we discussed?”
“Of course,” Chas said, taking the vial from Emily. “I’m working the line with Cook tonight, so I’ll make sure they get it.”
“Excellent,” Emily said. “That covers most of it. Tonight, at midnight, we’ll all meet up by the lightning tree and take it from there.”
They sat for a while longer, discussing the ins and outs of the plan. It was pretty simple. Since going over the wall was impossible, that left them with the river. Once the guards were occupied with their running stomachs, they’d cut a hole in the fence next to the river in the small gap left open between the Hydro Station and the mountain side. Once through, they’d repair the hole with wire and make their
escape.
With all their gear safely tucked away in a waterproof bag, they’d float down the river on the air mattress until they reached a safe spot to land. From there, they’d travel on foot until they could find a vehicle and get to town to look for Alvarez and Julia.
There were a million things that could and probably would go wrong with the plan, but Chas was determined. They had to do something before it was too late. The adults were too scared to move, it seemed. Paralyzed by their constant bickering and the hope of rescue from the outside. Nobody’s coming for us. Nobody. If we want to be rescued, we have to do it ourselves.
“Are you guys ready for this?” Chas asked. “I mean really ready? No regrets?”
One by one, Vanessa, Dean, and Emily nodded their ascent.
“No regrets,” Dean said.
“I’m ready to do whatever it takes,” Vanessa said.
“Me too,” Emily said.
The sun dipped toward the horizon, and the light deepened with the coming of dusk. Chas stood up. “Time for my shift with Cook. See you guys later and much luck to us.”
They all nodded and got up, each with their own list of things to do, not least saying goodbye to loved ones in a way that didn’t tip them off.
As Chas walked away, she wondered how she was going to do it. How did one say farewell knowing you might never come back or see them again? Especially knowing how much you’d hurt your family in the process. It was not going to be easy.
Chapter 3
Working the line with Cook Jenkins was anything but easy. Miss White, the previous head-cook, had fallen ill and was laid up in the infirmary. Jenkins had volunteered to take her place, and it soon became obvious why. The man was a tyrant and a glutton. He possessed both a strong liking for the sound of his own voice and the taste of good food.
People rarely volunteered to work with him. They had to be forced. Chas had little choice, however. Their plan hinged on her successfully sabotaging the guard’s food that night, or they’d be discovered within seconds of trying to escape.
Chas churned the ladle through the gigantic pot with both hands, her nose wrinkling at the sight of the watery stew. It was little more than scraps of meat and vegetable floating around in a thin broth. Though she understood the need to ration their supplies, Cook was being even stingier than usual tonight.
She dared a furtive look at Alice, her fellow helper for the night. “How’s the rice looking?”
Alice snorted. “Better than that stuff you’re stirring.”
Chas grinned. “No kidding.”
“What did I say about chit-chat in the kitchen?” Cook said in his usual self-important manner. “Chop, chop. Let’s get this food served up. People are waiting.”
Chas grunted as she lifted the heavy pot from the gas stove and carried it toward the serving line, followed by Alice. “Trust me, they’ll be sorry once they taste it.”
Alice giggled. “Let’s hope they’re really hungry tonight.”
“What did I just say?” Cook asked, his voice raising an octave higher.
Chas rolled her eyes but remained silent as she deposited the pot and prepared to dish up. A long line of hungry diners queued for the meager food with a bowl in hand. Alice obliged each one with a scoop of rice while Chas did the same with the stew.
When the guards reached her spot, she carefully added a few drops of the medicine Emily had given her, throwing a furtive look around her. It wasn’t too hard. They were chatting to each other while Cook was busy haranguing Alice for spilling a bit of rice.
She added the stuff to Mathew and Graham’s food as well. They were assigned to the watchtowers, and she needed them out of the way too. Once the deed was done, she breathed a little bit easier. At least, one part of the plan had gone smoothly. Now the guards just needed to eat up and get the squirts.
Chas smiled at the thought while simultaneously worrying whether she’d put enough of the meds into each of their bowls. “Oh, well. Here’s hoping.”
After serving the last person, Chas and Alice carried back the remains and tidied up the kitchen. Luckily, they weren’t expected to wash up after dinner. That was for the clean-up crew in the morning. Chas was expected to serve Cook Jenkins his supper, however, before being allowed to have her own.
“Make sure you warm it up properly,” he ordered with his nose in the air. “And use the good stuff I made earlier.”
Chas shot him a nasty look that went unnoticed, an acid remark lingering on her tongue. She swallowed her words with difficulty, telling herself it was only one more night. Instead, she waved at Alice who was leaving, her work done for the night. “Bye. See you tomorrow.”
It was an empty promise…or so she hoped. By tomorrow, she wanted to be far away from the camp and its inhabitants.
She turned her attention to Cook’s plate, and a wicked smile twisted her lips. “You want the good stuff, huh? I’ll give you the good stuff.”
She heaped his bowl with rice and the special stew he’d prepared for himself. It contained fat chunks of meat and vegetables, all swimming in a rich gravy. The smell alone was enough to drive a person insane, and her stomach growled. She had to force herself not to stuff her mouth, and instead, poured in the last of the medicine…a triple dose.
With a sense of deep satisfaction, she stirred it before handing Cook his food. “Here you go, Sir.”
He grunted, yanking it from her hands. “You are dismissed, and not a word of this to anyone or I’ll have you wash dishes until your hands fall off.”
“Yes, Sir,” Chas replied with a straight face before marching off with a bowl of the not-so-good stuff clutched in her hands. Vanessa, Dean, and Lala were waiting for her at a table, and she joined them with a sigh of relief.
“Where’s Emily?” she asked once seated.
“She went for a walk with her mom and dad. Something about quality time,” Vanessa said with a scoff.
“It’s a good thing Emily is so close to her parents, Vanessa,” Lala said with a stern look. “That’s something both you and Chas could learn from her.”
Vanessa shifted in her seat, a guilty look flitting across her features. “You’re right, Lala. I’ll visit my mom as soon as we’re done here.”
“I’ll join you,” Chas said, realizing her grandmother was right. She needed to mend things with her mother before she left. Their relationship was strained at best, and she might never have the chance again.
Chas picked up her spoon and slurped down the soupy mess in her bowl. It was unappetizing, and once again, anger flared in her breast. How dare Cook Jenkins stuff his face with rich and delicious foods while everyone else had to suffer? It simply wasn’t fair.
“Lala, I need to tell you something,” Chas said.
Dean and Vanessa shot her alarmed looks, no doubt scared she was going to break down and confess their plans, but that was the furthest thing from her mind. No. She needed to tie up a few loose ends before she left, and one of those was Cook.
“What is it, hun?” Lala asked.
“It’s about Cook Jenkins. He’s stealing food, Lala. Hoarding it for himself,” Chas said, pushing her empty plate aside.
“What?” Lala said with a gasp.
Chas nodded. “It wasn’t so bad in the beginning, but now he’s not even trying to hide it. He rations the camp’s food while making himself meals fit for a king.”
“You’ve seen it? You know this for sure?” Lala asked.
“I have. So has Alice and a few others,” Chas said.
“Why haven’t you said something before?”
“Because he threatens us,” Chas said. “And you know he’s got the ear of Lieutenant Steele. They’re best buds.”
Lala considered this. “I think it’s best we approach this carefully then. I’ll need evidence.”
“Talk to Alice and the other kitchen staff, but don’t let Jenkins catch on. Convince them to stand against him. If anyone can, it’s you, Lala.”
“All right,” Lala said
. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Chas stood up. “See you later. I need to visit Mom first.”
“Send her my love,” Lala said. “And don’t be late. I worry.”
“Okay.”
With a quick wave, Chas fell into step next to Vanessa. Dean jogged off toward his tent, intent on getting some sleep before their grand escape later that night. That left just the two girls, and for a while, they walked in silence.
Finally, Vanessa said. “I’m scared. What if something goes wrong?”
“Me too,” Chas admitted. “But we don’t have a choice. We can do nothing, or we can do something.”
“I just hope this doesn’t push my mom over the edge. She’s already so ill,” Vanessa said.
“My mom will take good care of her, don’t worry. You know Vivienne,” Chas said with a faint laugh. “None of her patients would dare die on her!”
“True!”
They chuckled as they walked arm in arm toward the infirmary, the night air cool, and silent around them. When they arrived, Vanessa excused herself to visit Sarah while Chas searched for Vivienne. She found her in the cafeteria, huddled over a stale cup of coffee.
“Hey, Mom. Can I sit for a minute?”
Vivienne looked up, her brows twisted into a knot. “Chas, I’m surprised to see you here.”
Guilt stirred in Chas’ chest as she pulled out a chair and sat down. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I should visit more often.”
Vivienne shook her head. “It’s not your fault. I’m the mom. I should be making more of an effort to see my child.”
The admission startled Chas. Her mother rarely if ever had any sentimental moments of weakness. The woman was a rock. She looked closer and noted the purple shadows under her mother’s eyes and the deep lines around her mouth. “Are you okay, Mom? You look tired.”
Vivienne sighed. “I am tired.”
“Did something happen?”
“Other than being stuck on a rock in a sea of zombies caring for hundreds of sick people with ever-dwindling supplies? No, I’m just perfect,” Vivienne replied with a touch of acid.
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