“What if we decide we don’t want to go?” Sunglasses said.
“Then we ask you to move along. Good luck to you. If you give us any trouble, we will kill each and every one of you. String you up along the road as examples of how not to fuck with The Promised Land,” Tosha said. “We’ve been through enough shit already from the zombies. The last thing we need is a handful of assholes with a few bullets left thinking they can knock down our walls. A super zombie couldn’t do it. What makes you think you can?”
Sunglasses put up his hands and smiled. “Hey, you sold me, babe. You had me at hot shower. I can speak for my little group and tell you we’ll start heading to the bridge now and await the signal.”
Darlene took the exchange as a good sign and used her powers to blend into the background and move far enough away she could still monitor the situation.
She hadn’t survived this long by being gullible.
If anyone was going to do something stupid, they’d wait until they’d gotten over to the other side.
As the groups began to break away to talk and decide, Darlene took her time scanning each leader to see their motivations and each member of their group. She needed to hurry because she only had about thirty minutes before these people would be mixed in with everyone on the other side of the river.
Letting even one wrong person across the bridge could wipe out all of them.
Chapter Ten
April and Carlie got back to Main Street and went in search of Tosha. Despite Carlie’s protests to duck the redhead until they took another sweep of the inlet in the morning, April wanted to get it over with.
“Nope. She’s not here. She went on a recon mission. She’ll probably be here in the morning. Can I help you with anything?” Bernie asked.
“Tell her. Then let’s get some dinner,” Carlie said.
April gave her sister a dirty look.
“Tell me what?”
“We couldn’t find Terry. He’s alive and he escaped,” April said.
Carlie waved her hands. “We don’t know if he’s alive. Maybe the zombies dragged his lifeless corpse away. Into the water like Creature from the Black Lagoon. That was filmed right up the road, right? Maybe they got the idea.”
“Seriously go find something else to do. I’ll handle this. It’s my problem,” April said to her sister and stared her down until Carlie finally threw up her hands in exasperation and turned on her heels, leaving as dramatically as she could muster.
When April turned back to Bernie, the woman was smiling.
“Your sister is quite a handful but she’s just trying to protect you,” Bernie said.
“I don’t need her protection.”
Bernie narrowed her eyes. “I’d give just about anything to have my family here with me. Especially a sister who wanted to fight for me. Don’t kid yourself. There are many people who look at your family and they’re envious. Jealous. They’ve lost everyone and yet… the Hands are happy as a clam.”
April shivered. “What does that mean?”
“It means I wouldn’t be complaining too loudly about your situation. Ever hear I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet? I think it’s fitting for you,” Bernie said.
April wanted to cry. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Just understand what’s happening around you. It’s the only way to survive. Tosha saw something special in you. More than a chick with piercings and jet black hair. More than a stocky chick who could help carry shit when we went on runs. She might be crazy but Tosha is a great judge of character,” Bernie said.
“She also lost her sister,” April said and felt tears coming. “Holy shit. I hope I haven’t been complaining about Carlie in front of her. What an asshole I am.”
“I don’t think you’ve complained in front of Tosha. She’d be the first to tell you and call you out. Just keep it in mind when you have future moments, and realize your sister is awesome and protecting you. Enjoy it,” Bernie said.
“I will. Now… what do we do about Terry?”
“I’ll send a group out in the morning. You can lead them. Tosha thinks he’s a threat but if she really thought he could do much harm she would’ve killed him despite what you said. Hopefully he’s miles away by now and bothering someone else,” Bernie said. “After that, I’d like you to come back; we need to talk.”
“Uh oh. Am I in trouble?” April asked.
“You have a guilty conscience. No. I want to give you more work. Now that I’ve taken over as the leader, despite not wanting it, I’ll need to surround myself with people I can trust. Again, Tosha trusts you so it gives me no reason to doubt who you are. I think we need to talk about a few options,” Bernie said.
“Like what?”
Bernie shook her head. “Tomorrow. I need to figure out a few things. Tosha went off with Mitch to scout a group that tried to talk to us. See what they’re planning since I told them they couldn’t enter our little part of the world. Hopefully, they’ll move off and not bother us.”
“Maybe they’ll find Terry and he can annoy them,” April said.
“We can only hope. Take a walk with me,” Bernie said.
It was dark outside but there were enough lights on in the buildings on either side of the road, as well as torches and flashlights, to keep everything well-lit.
“Where are you and your family staying now?” Bernie asked.
“One of the bars at the other end. I forget the name of it but there’s a ton of room. I’m surprised no one had taken it before us,” April said.
Bernie stiffened.
“Did I say something wrong?”
Bernie stopped walking. “That was Jeff’s old place. He was the enforcer for The Lich Lord in the beginning. As The Lich Lord evolved, he stopped being so… evil? That’s not the right word. He stopped being so obsessed with everything and everyone. He came to believe we could manage ourselves and The Lich Lord was going to help us to survive and thrive.”
“I’m guessing Jeff didn’t want that.”
“Jeff wanted to see Jeff as ultimate ruler, I think. He was arrogant and cruel and he killed quite a few people who got in his way. Unfortunately, when the shit hits the fan, it brings out the best in people but also the worst. Jeff was the epitome of the worst in mankind. A lot of bad things happened in that saloon. Those who remember shun it,” Bernie said.
“I think we need to move.”
Bernie laughed. “I’d probably try to fix it up. Pull the sign off of it. Make it seem like a new place. A new house instead of the bar where the massacres occurred.”
“Massacres? Plural?”
“A lot of death happened there. Hell, like everywhere else. Don’t sweat it. I’m sorry I told you,” Bernie said.
“Better you than someone who is drunk and an asshole about it. I’ll let my family know so we can start making changes immediately.” April looked up at the clear sky. “When’s the last time it rained?”
“No idea. With everything else going on…” Bernie started walking again. “Hopefully, Tosha will be back with some good news.”
“That would make my bad news about Terry seem not as bad… hopefully,” April said. “Is Terry really important to her, in the grand scheme of things?”
“Terry was the main conspirator against The Lich Lord. We know that. He somehow tricked Mitch into being the triggerman and starting all of this shit in motion. Frankly, I’m amazed Tosha didn’t kill him since we all had such a nice thing going,” Bernie said.
“I don’t understand what Terry hoped to get out of killing The Lich Lord.”
“Power. He was another Jeff, only not as smart or cruel. He preferred manipulating others to do his bidding. He surrounded himself with weak people who latched on to any cause, no matter how stupid or insane it was. Followers,” Bernie said.
“I don’t wish anyone any ill will, but I’m beginning to rethink not letting Tosha kill Terry,” April said. “There are too many unknown factors out there. A
nother person trying to create havoc and kill everyone let loose isn’t good. I screwed up.”
“You did,” Bernie said. She smiled. “Hopefully, Terry is getting what he deserves out there, though.”
Chapter Eleven
Terry kept his mouth shut and his eyes open as he was led into a former Home Depot a half mile from I-95. Surprisingly, because he thought Lukas and his Pa were a couple of redneck simpletons, it hadn’t occurred to him they’d not only have great transportation, with a yellow Hummer, but two armed men, who definitely looked military, guarding it.
He thought they’d walk a mile into a grove of trees overlooking the swamp, where their hobo camp would be set up, and he’d have his last meal of cold baked beans before father and son took turns with his dead corpse.
Terry smelled meat cooking and people laughing. They pulled the Hummer into a fenced-in area where seven other Hummers were parked.
“Keep your mouth shut and no one will mess with you,” Pa said. He smiled at his son. “Lukas, you did real well. Real well. Go put away your rifle and play with the other kids.”
Terry kept his mouth shut because, while he wanted to make a joke or two and lighten the mood, the two armed men, who hadn’t said a word or looked at him on the ride over, didn’t look like jokesters.
He was led to the garden entrance, where armed men and women looked down on him from their perches. Everyone looked like they carried a second or third weapon.
Many of them looked well-fed, as well. Terry could learn to like this, as long as they weren’t so well-fed because they ate whoever they captured.
“You’re going to go to the cage until we can sort out what we’ll do with you,” Pa said.
Terry had no reply. He guessed saying he wasn’t interested in being thrown into a cramped cage like an animal was not going to sway them to not do it.
He was surprised again when the cage ended up being an area of the outside garden surrounded by chain-link fencing but with layers of carpet on the ground. A large open tent gave shade to several comfortable-looking couches and chairs. A coffee table was nearly buried with books, magazines and a pitcher of water and six coffee cups.
“A guy could get used to this,” Terry said, as Pa opened the fence door and motioned for him to enter. “When’s dinner?”
Pa frowned. “It’s up to Mister Borden to decide if and when you eat.”
“Is Mister Borden your fearless leader?” Terry asked.
The old man looked annoyed so Terry decided to shut up again.
Terry took a seat on a couch and poured himself a glass of water. It was warm but refreshing. He drank down two full glasses before kicking up his feet on the coffee table, scattering some of the books.
He had no time for reading. He wasn’t in school.
“Maybe I’ll take a nap,” Terry said out loud. Pa must’ve wandered off while Terry was drinking. He hadn’t forgotten to close the gate and add a padlock to it.
The fenced-in area was big enough for a few people. Terry hoped he got some company soon, or some food. He was hungry. He couldn’t remember the last meal he’d had. Warm water was good but it wasn’t going to fill his stomach.
He paged through some of the magazines, looking for pictures of hot women, but these were mostly do-it-yourself mags the store used to sell. Terry didn’t think making a birdhouse was in his future.
With no pictures worth looking at, Terry re-piled the books and magazines so he could put his feet up and be comfortable. If Mister Borden was going to let him know when and if dinner was going to occur, he might as well be comfy while waiting.
Maybe a nap was in order. He’d spent the night catching a few minutes here and there but he had been too wired to sleep. Too many noises in the open and he couldn’t find a hiding place he felt comfortable enough in to get much sleep.
Being in the water for so long when he had heard the women approach hadn’t helped any, either.
Terry was beginning to get too hot despite the shade and the comfy furniture. He’d rather be inside, with some air conditioning, regaling a pretty lady with his lies.
People came and went, in and out of the gates or up and down the metal racks converted into guard posts overlooking the parking lot, but no one gave Terry more than a brief glance before moving on.
They seemed nice enough to Terry and more than a few of them were smiling or joking with someone else.
Maybe they’ll let me stay with them. If this is how they treat their prisoners, I can only imagine how nice it is inside, Terry thought.
Why should he go back to The Promised Land? He was probably a wanted man. If Mitch didn’t succeed and The Lich Lord hadn’t shredded the man into a million pieces, he might spill the beans and tell everyone Terry had been the mastermind. The two chicks looking for him had made it obvious there was still a connection and it wasn’t good.
These might be his people now. He wasn’t very good as a loner. It was too much work and not enough sleep. He wanted to feel safe.
Maybe they had a card game going at night. He loved to play poker and he was a great cheater. He’d get some of their extra desserts or cigarettes or whatever else they played for.
There might even be a couple of hot chicks who would want to play strip poker. Terry couldn’t do that with the hags back at The Promised Land; although, he was sure a few wanted to show off their saggy tits, scraping on the ground.
No thanks.
“Good afternoon, Mister Borden,” someone said loudly from the wall.
Terry stood to get a better look at who they were referring to but there were too many people now walking in his direction with none obviously leading the way.
Maybe Mister Borden was in the back, hidden, so he could make a dramatic entrance to spook Terry.
Terry sat back down on the couch and spread out, acting as casual as he could. He wouldn’t be impressed no matter who Mister Borden was. Let the guy think Terry was the shit and they needed him.
Six men separated from the group. As the rest stayed back twenty feet, these men approached the cage. All were smiling.
Terry went to stand and thought better of it. Instead he gave a curt wave but smiled back. He didn’t want to be a total dick. Better to be tough but firm when dealing with strangers. They did, after all, have him by the balls and in a cage.
One man stepped forward. He had a key in his hand and used it to open the padlock and step inside. No one else joined him as he kept walking forward.
“Hello, Terry. Welcome to our humble corner of the world.” This was obviously Borden. He was a stocky older man with slicked-back hair and wearing a gray suit despite the heat.
He didn’t look like he was sweating.
“Won’t you leave us for now? I’d like to chat with our new friend in private,” Borden said calmly to the five men with him. They turned and walked away.
There was something odd about the way Borden moved and...
“Holy shit. Holy shit,” Terry said.
Borden leaned close to Terry and grinned. “You know what I am, don’t you? You know my secret.”
“You’re a fucking zombie,” Terry said and began to shake.
Chapter Twelve
Bernie glanced at Tosha, who was standing a few feet away, holding an AK-47 she knew had no ammo. Better to look deadly than to aim a loaded pistol at a potential enemy.
“You’d better be right about this,” Bernie said.
“Hey, don’t blame me. Darlene brokered this deal. If there’s a problem, you can take it up with her. Of course, if there is a problem, we’ll be dead anyway,” Tosha said.
There were only four of them on the bridge the new survivors would be able to see: Bernie, Tosha, Mitch and a quiet balding guy they called Car Wash Tommy.
“If there’s any problems start shooting,” Bernie said.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Tosha was smiling, which made Bernie more confident.
They’d done some work on the bridge, making sure the road w
as down to one single lane so the new survivors couldn’t spread out. Cement partitions had been angled to keep everyone together and afford cover if things went wrong.
Set back were six armed survivors who were instructed to start firing if Tosha did.
A block away were three pickup trucks filled with a few armed men and women, as well. They’d be the last real defense if things turned ugly.
If this went to Hell, Main Street would be overrun in minutes. We don’t have the manpower or weapons to stop them and not enough supplies to last more than a week during a siege, Bernie thought. If these people realize they’re better off with us gone, there’s nothing we can do about it. Especially once we let them inside our walls.
The first people across were Profit and Jada, as well as Big Man, on their motorcycles.
Bernie put up her hand. They parked just outside the gate in the spots they’d previously occupied, during their first meeting.
“Don’t get off the bikes. We don’t have all day. Follow the road to the intersection near the beach. Make a left. You’ll run right into the Main Street gate. Pull in and follow the directions to where you’ll be staying,” Bernie said.
“I appreciate it,” Profit said. “We all do.”
“I really hope so. We have snipers everywhere so deviating from the simple directions I have given you will get someone shot. Is that understood?” Bernie asked.
Profit nodded.
“Then get going. We’ll have meals prepared shortly. I believe we have cheeseburgers and chicken, as well as salads, for tonight. Hopefully you have a few cooks or servers in your midst to help us out since there are so many of you,” Bernie said.
Profit and Big Man laughed. Jada didn’t crack a smile.
The two bikes rode slowly through the gate and the rest of their group followed, all nodding politely at Bernie and Tosha.
This is going to take an hour, Bernie thought, but she needed to get a good count of these new refugees for herself. She knew Tosha was also counting.
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