"I don't care what you think Niobe, it's wrong. They have done nothing but help us and you want to repay that by slaughtering them?"
"No, they won't be slaughtered. They'll be put into slavery for Darius. Now if they put up a fight, then they'll die." At the sound of Darius name, my stomach dropped to my toes. What were they planning? I pressed my ear to the side panel.
"I can't let you do this. These are good people that just want to live their lives in peace." I felt the camper move as Samuel walked away from her.
"What are you going to do?" Niobe hissed. "What, you're going to go tell our oh so noble leader what my plan is? So what, go ahead. While you're at it, why don't you tell her about why her kids were taken in the first place. You might love her, but I can guarantee that it won't be mutual." She gave a malicious laugh before the sound of a slap rang through the trailer.
"The only reason the kids are gone is because you and your fuck toy stole his truck. Did you ever think there would be a tracking chip in it? You know Darius as well as I do." He sounded like he wanted to choke her. She laughed again.
"Oh please, it was you he was looking for. Ever since you left, he's been obsessing over finding you. He was planning on going straight to Iowa but he wanted to find you first. And I'm glad I found you before him. I've missed you, you know." She sounded soft and sweet, if a viper could sound like that.
"Well it isn't mutual. You're a cold hearted bitch. I never wanted anything to do with you and I still don't."
"I'm cold hearted? Darius and I had a nice little talk about you. He told me how you were his right hand man until a few days after the virus spread. He told me how you just left his wife in the truck to die while you ran. You ran away like a bi-"
"Shut your mouth woman. You don't know whole story. And I don't have time to tell you. Either you stop your friends from coming or I kill you here and now." I heard the sound of his knife coming out of its sheath. Niobe let out a small gasp and I assumed Samuel pressed the knife to her neck.
"Alright, I'll stop them. I'll even start being nice to that weakling. On one condition. Tomorrow morning, you have to tell everyone why your ran from Darius." There was silence for almost a minute. Then Samuel spoke.
"Alright. I'll talk to them in the morning. And if you don't call off your men, then everyone will know who you really are." The camper moved again and the door opened. I had moments to scramble behind the RV before Samuel stepped outside. I leaned against the bumper and tried to calm my breathing. My blood was thundering in my ears at the memory of what I had heard. I didn't realize Samuel had found me until he spoke.
"I don't know how much you heard, but I would really like a chance to explain myself." Samuel sat on the bumper and stared at his feet. Clutching my sleeping bag to my chest, I said the only thing that came to mind.
"You'll have your chance. Tomorrow morning with the rest of the group." I stood up and walked over to the fire without looking back.
Michael was lying on one elbow, staring at the fire with a happy expression. As I unrolled my sleeping bag, the dog came over and sat patiently.
"We need to come up with a name for you pup." I sat on my bag and the dog came over, laying its head on my lap.
"How about Gunther?" Said Michael. I glanced over at him and he smiled back.
"He can't have an ordinary name. I mean, Fido doesn't sound cool nowadays, does it?" I looked at the pup as I scratched him behind the ears.
"Yeah, that's a good name. Gunther." The dog looked at me and Michael, snuffled, then went back to sleep. We both laughed and settled down for the night.
Dawn was just breaking when Niobe woke me. That she didn't have a knife to my throat surprised and pleased me.
"I found some berries, but I don't know what they are. Can you come take a look?" You woke me up for this, I thought as I stood. We walked some ways into the trees before she stopped by a small bush. It was a boysenberry bush, but the berries were still red. They would be tart but edible. I told her this and she just nodded. As I turned to walk away, she stopped me.
"Look, I know I haven't been the most. . .friendly of people. And I know you heard Samuel and I talking last night so I'm not going to try and sweet talk you. I was going to have a few friends of mine from the old days come here and raid the camp, then take off with them. But Samuel is right, you guys just want to be left alone and raise your families and crops. I'll help you get your kids back, then I'm gone. I don't expect to be treated as a friend, but we can at least work together." She stuck out her hand as a symbol of truce. We shook on it and walked back to camp. I wasn't sure if I could trust her, but I had to at least try.
When we returned, everyone was gathered around the front of the camper waiting for momma Bea to make the morning coffee. Ragnar looked over at Niobe and I with a raised eyebrow. Gunther came loping up to me and head butted my knee, demanding scratches.
"Well, I see you're feeling better buddy." I leaned down and rubbed his shoulders, happy to see him recovering so well. Gunther licked my hand and trotted off to the fire, tail swinging low.
"Alright everyone, give me some room." Bea said, carefully balancing a pot of coffee and cups on a tray. She walked over to the fire pit and placed them on a flat boulder, letting everyone fight over it. Mom and Ragnar were first to the pot, elbowing others out of the way. I laughed at them and went into the RV, knowing there was more in there and I wouldn't have to risk an eye for it.
After I poured my cup, I sat down at the table and turned on the radio. I sorted through the channels until I thought I heard something. I slowly turned the knob back, leaning closer to hear. The static was so thick I almost missed it. I could barely hear the voice, if that's what is was. I fiddled with the dials, trying to get the signal to come in stronger. There it was, a man's voice. What was he saying? There was another voice, a woman. Two women. Another man. They were laughing. I strained my ear to catch any words. Was that a gunshot?
"Group meeting." Steven came banging through the door, scaring me so bad my coffee spilled all over my lap. I jumped up and glared at my brother.
"I'll be right there." I growled at him. The coffee soaked through my jeans, running down my leg. All I could do was shake my head and walk outside. The others were already standing around in a half assed circle facing Samuel. So this was it, I thought. Story time. Samuel nodded to me and cleared his throat.
"As most of you know, I used to work with Darius. I've known him for years, before he went crazy with this take-over-America idea. A few days after the virus was released, he asked me to take his wife and a load of weapons to a safe house in Wyoming. We were on our way there when we got a flat tire. Ironic, right?" He scoffed and shook his head. "I told her to stay there and got out of the truck without looking around, in too much of a rush to get going again. I was jacking the truck up when I saw a set of boots on the other side. Before I could open her door, they were inside, dragging her out. There was four of them, scavengers that wanted nothing more than what was between her legs. I didn't know what to do, I froze." He paused and took a deep breath, the anguish in his earthy eyes almost too much to bear.
"They slammed her to the ground and tore off her clothes. Two held her down while the others took turns. I don't know how long I laid on the other side of the truck, watching the whole thing. Watching and doing nothing." He paused again to stare at the sky.
"She was such a sweet person, always helping others and giving everything she had. But she was resourceful too. When the scavengers let her go, she reached in the truck and grabbed a grenade. I finally stood up but before I could get to her, she had pulled the pin and had jumped onto the attackers." He hung his head and didn't bother trying to hide his tears this time.
"When I told Darius about it, he laughed and thanked me for ridding him of his ball and chain. That it saved him the trouble. So he tried to repay the favor and killed my wife in front of me." He looked at N
iobe.
"That's why I ran. The man I once knew is gone and only a monster remains. I couldn't stick around to see what he would do to people he hadn't known for years."
Niobe stood as still as a statue before finally nodding and walking away. I looked around the circle to gauge everyone else's reactions. Most looked solemnly at the ground, a few shed some tears of their own. I stepped forward and put my hand on Samuel's shoulder, turning him towards me.
"Thank you for telling us." I wrapped my arms around him in a comforting embrace, holding him for both my sake and his. We broke apart as the others came forward one by one to give sage words and a comforting touch. Michael came last, grabbing Samuel into a bear hug that had them both shaking with tears.
I had turned to get a fresh cup of coffee, when I heard Gunther barking. I looked for him in the clearing, finally spotting him in the trees in the south west corner of the clearing. As I jogged over to him, he was attacking something that had him halfway in the bush. When I finally reached him, he was pulling out a wild turkey. He brought it to me and plopped it at my feet, grinning up at me with his tongue hanging out. I smiled and rubbed his head.
"Aren't you just a wonder dog?" He slimed my hand and bounded off into the trees. I picked up the bird and walked back over to camp.
The next week went by in a blur. Making two trips into town, we got enough supplies to live and sustain us somewhat comfortably until our crops grew and the house was done. We built a bathhouse at the lowest point in camp over the river. Malcolm and Steven had devised a way to get hot water with glass and piping. There had only been two more zombie attacks and there were no casualties. Gunther's health improved rapidly and he proved to be an amazing hunting dog. We gave him first pick from his trophies. Michael came up with a brilliant irrigation and dam system that minimized the water used without harming the crops. We grew corn, wheat, barley, all manner of root vegetables, tomatoes, and other staple crops.
Steven and Liz rigged up some solar panels so we had electricity when we needed it. I kept my phone fully charged, just in case. I hadn't tried making a call in a while but I figured if I didn't try it before I needed it, it would be there when I did. I know, childish, but I needed hope. I thought about my kids daily, wishing I was out there looking for them instead of sitting here toiling my days away. Gunther and the others made it almost bearable though. I knew Sean was out there looking for our kids. I felt it in my heart that he would find them.
Then there was that fateful day I will not forget for so long as I live. We were going to start building the house and were short on lumber. Michael volunteered to get more.
"I can go down to the yard, get some more planks cut. It can't be that hard right? I remember this one time I got a call to fix a well in the middle of nowhere from this poor old woman. I told her 'I'm sorry ma'am, I don't work on wells.' She starts yelling at me "A pipe is a pipe, isn't it? I 'll double your fee if you just come take a look at it.' So I go out there and it ended up being a darn field mouse clogging up her intake line. Easiest money I ever made!" Michael walked towards my truck and we all laughed at yet another story. That man seemed to be full of them. I turned to check on the crops when Malcolm caught up with me.
"How's your arm?" I had forgotten I had been hurt for a while. I looked at it and the scar was nasty, but it was healing.
"It's getting there. My ribs still ache a bit. but it's nothing too bad. Look!" I squatted down next to the tomato, excited to see sprouts coming from all the hard work. Malcolm got down next to me and we stared in wonder at the field before us.
"It's always amazed me how such beauty comes from such devastation. If you plant one seed, just one, out of goodness, then more are always bound to follow." I looked at him and wondered what ran through his mind. Before I could ask, Kato came jogging up to us with a radio in his hand.
"Michael forgot to take this. Should I go after him?" I stood and took the radio from him.
"No, that's okay Kato. I think I'll go for a walk and take it to him. It's not that far and I'll have a ride back." He nodded and walked off. Malcolm stood next to me and grabbed my wrist.
"I have a funny feeling about this. Maybe I should go with you." Truth be told, I did too, but I needed some alone time and this was probably my last chance to get it for a while.
"That's okay, I'll be fine. Besides, if anything goes wrong, I have a radio." I walked off before he could say anything more. I had almost made it out of camp before Gunther came bounding up to me, ready for an adventure. I laughed and ruffled his ears.
"Not this time boy. Why don't you go watch over my mom? She loves the company." He whined at me but I made a shooing motion and he bounded off. That dog is too smart by half, I thought.
Chapter 18
As I walked down the hill, the smell of the pine trees drifted lazily through the air. The sun was bright and warm on my skin, giving the first hints of true summer. I passed a berry bush and picked a few of the tart red berries, savoring the mouth puckering taste. I had almost started singing when I heard yelling at the bottom of the hill. I tried to make it down as quietly as possible.
"Where is it?" A man's voice rang out. It sounded gravelly, like he had smoked too many cigars.
"I won't tell you." That was Michael. I snuck closer for a better look. The sound of a whip tore through the air, followed by Michael's scream. I laid under a bush and was horrified by what I saw. Michael was strung up on a crucifix rigged to the back of the scavenger's truck. He faced the cross with his chin on the beam, his back bare and covered in lash marks. There were five men in total, all of them much larger than me. I pulled out my radio and whispered into it.
"Michael's being tortured. I'm hidden but I need all the men down here at the bottom of the trail. Don't respond." I held down the transmission button so they would hear everything that was going on. I watched as one of the men came up to Michael.
"Just tell us where the base camp is and you'll live." Michael looked at him and spat in his face.
"You're not getting anything out of me." The man wiped his face and nodded to the one behind Michael. The whip tore through the air again, leaving another bloody furrow in his flesh. Michael shouted out in pain as the blood seeped out of his wounds. The interrogator gestured to one of the men.
"Cut his finger off, Striker." The one called Striker walked forward with a pair of linesman's' pliers and grabbed Michael's hand, slowly cutting off the middle finger. He bellowed like a bear as the blood spurted from the wound. I covered my mouth, trying to keep quiet.
"Why are you doing this?" Michael gasped, trying to keep his voice from betraying his pain. The man, whom I assumed was the leader, laughed and slapped his leg.
"Because we can, of course. You see, the world has lost its laws and its people like me that are going to rule it again. Only the strong can survive in this lovely new land and I need to make examples out of halfwits like you." He slowly swaggered closer to Michael. "Now, tell me where your supplies are and this can end. You can join us and be protected." He held his arms wide and gave an evil smile. Michael raised his head high and looked to his right. Our eyes met and I saw a flash of panic cross his face. I whispered into the radio again.
"Please hurry, they're cutting off pieces of him. I can't take them alone." It took a moment to be able to look back at the scene before me. How I wish I had brought a weapon with me. Wait, I thought. I have a few weapons in my truck if I could get to it. I looked around for it and spotted it to the left of the scavengers, completely unprotected. Michaels bellowing brought my attention back to him, making me wish I could close my eyes. Another scavenger was using a hand saw to cut off his left hand. The blood that came from his missing finger was nothing compared to the waterfall that his wrist gave.
"Hey Twitch, get over here with that blow torch and seal his wrist. Don't want him to bleed to death before we finish our fun." He walked over to the cab of the crucifix
truck with an evil laugh. "Don't you just love this new world boys? No one to try and keep us from taking what we want anymore!" He shouted at them. They cheered and gathered around him. I took this opportunity to get closer to my truck. I made it to a bush about twenty feet away before they came back, bottles in hand.
"Alright big guy, you ready to talk yet or should we keep cutting at you?" The leader lit a cigarette and exhaled into Michael's face. He coughed and turned his head, catching my gaze. I held up the radio so he could see it and relief passed over his face.
"Like I said, you're not getting anything from me. Might as well kill me now." He looked at me as he said it and I knew he would sacrifice himself in order to save the rest of us. He didn't deserve to be up there.
"Well there's no fun in just killing you out right, now is there? Let's play a little if you're not going to talk. Twitch, you still got that saw? Cut off his right arm." He ordered, crushing his smoke out on Michael's shoulder. Twitch stepped behind him and placed the saw on his shoulder.
"Last chance big man." Michael faced the wood of the cross and remained silent. I thought the man was bluffing but when Twitch started cutting, the blood and screams became too much. I couldn't sit there anymore. I jumped up and ran to my truck, hoping there was a useful weapon in there. The door opened easily, my katana right behind the driver's seat. I grabbed it and charged the scavengers, not thinking about the odds.
They were caught so off guard that I killed one and slashed another's leg before they could react. The one called Striker barely managed to save his head by blocking with a large knife. I had never actually fought with a sword before so it was easy for him to disarm me. As my sword went flying, he hit me in the side of the head and knocked me down.
"Where did you come from?" Said the leader. He walked over to me and hauled me up by my arms. He smelled worse than he looked, like he had been bathing in hot garbage for years. He opened his bearded mouth and leered at me, his breath making me gag.
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