“You won’t need that around here. We’ve got things covered.” Brad motioned to the bat.
“Okay, Cole clone number two. While I appreciate that thought, I haven’t gone anywhere without my bat in almost three months, and I don’t plan to start now. Thanks, though.” I left him standing there with his mouth gaping open, while Carson snickered.
A brown-haired woman in camo walked up, smiling. “You’ve done something I’ve never seen before. Brad’s speechless. I’m Emma, Brad’s wife, and it’s about time someone shut these macho guys up. You must be River.”
Carson burst out laughing. “Looks like you’re gonna have to own it. Everyone knows you.”
I didn’t have a chance to respond before a solid body jumped at me. I almost swung my bat down, but managed to stop before I hit Dillion.
“Hey, buddy. How’s it going?” I couldn’t help but give him a hug.
“Mom’s been here, but Stacy left and I miss her. There’s kids to play with here, and I get to be outside.” Dillion grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the house. “Come on, I’ve gotta show you where we get to play.”
Stacy showing up would just make his world perfect, if they made it past Vinnie’s men. I’d let her surprise him.
I’d spent so much time around Andi and Cole that the people living on the mountain seemed real, and I knew who everyone was from their descriptions.
After meeting all the kids and getting shown off, I went inside for some food, and to make sure Carson was being taken care of.
Nana shoved a plate of food and a fork in my hand.
“Mmm, this food is amazing,” I mumbled, trying to talk with my mouth full.
Since I hadn’t had a home in years, and there wasn’t a chance to cook anything but cafeteria food after the zompoc, it was the best food I’d ever tasted.
“I never like anything I cook, but the kids seem to like it,” Nana informed me.
“This shouldn’t be wasted on children. I think you could be the top rated chef in a five-star restaurant. Although, you might be the only person that can do this anymore.” I shoved another mouthwatering bite in, almost groaning out loud.
“Huh? Oh, I call all my children kids, even though they have children and grandchildren of their own. No matter how old you get, you’re still my kid.” Nana pointed at the older people in the room.
“I didn’t mean to offend you.” I began to worry that I’d done something terrible. “It’s just really good.” I bit my lip, hoping nothing else would come out that could be misconstrued in a different manner.
“Don’t sweat it, dear. Our family can be a little overwhelming. Although, I think you might be just the thing we need to shake things up a little bit.” Nana patted me on the arm. “Have some dessert while we wait for the others to get back. I’d tell you to go get some rest, but you’d just lie there anxious until we knew everything was okay.”
I didn’t trust myself to answer, so I simply nodded.
This family was more intuitive than anything I’d ever seen, and when Andi had said they were always in your business, I had no idea what she’d meant, but it was quickly becoming clear.
The church ladies had made some wonderful desserts and food, considering they didn’t have fresh dairy to work with, but nothing even came close to the heaven I was tasting with this cake.
“Why don’t you take that outside on the porch and sit with Emma while she feeds Pierce?” Nana suggested.
“Um, thank you.” I walked out and found the porch miraculously deserted of extra people.
“Are there always so many people around?” I sat down in the chair to finish consuming the delicious cake.
“Hmm, I wish I could say that it’s only because of the zombie apocalypse, but that’s not true. Jackson Mountain has always had lots of people living here, or in and out all the time. They would move away, and yet they all come back at some point. It’s like a beacon that beckons them home, especially when there’s an emergency.” Emma adjusted the blanket over her and the baby.
“I’ve always kept my amount of people interaction low until this thing happened, and now it seems like there are people around all the time. It’s hard to get a moment alone,” I admitted, as I sat the empty plate on the table in between the chairs next to my bat.
“This family is worse than the average one, because my mom would call every once in a while, but they’re all nosey.” She smiled, and a ball came flying past the edge of the house, followed by a kid retrieving it.
“The pros are that they love you enough to care and make sure that you’re really okay. I don’t know that Pierce and I would have survived if we hadn’t been here. All it would take is for him to cry at the wrong moment and the infected would have been all over us.”
“Yeah, I can see how that would be a good thing. Do they at least let you out of the house for guard duty? I feel like the men around here would be overprotective.”
Emma let out a laugh. “If you could only hear some of the conversations that happen around this place, but the guys generally come around to our way of thinking. Brad wasn’t here when it started, or we might’ve had a few more fights than we did since I was already in the rotation.”
I got up and started pacing. “I can’t stand just waiting around if there’s something that can be done. I know those guys mean business, and we’re just hanging out like it’s just any other day.”
A woman, a little older than me and Emma, came out and stood on the porch.
“You must be Haley, Andi’s stepmom. She was really worried about her dad’s reaction over leaving.” I sat back down because it was harder to walk between the two ladies without bumping into them.
She pulled a vape device out of her pocket and took a puff, aiming it away from Emma and the baby.
“Andi may say she’s scared or worried, but when it comes to standing up for herself, nothing can stop her from saying what she thinks. I knew that the people here would get on her nerves eventually. Up until the other group came back from Nashville, she didn’t have an excuse to leave.” She exhaled in a cloud of fumes, head bent over the railing, looking at the ground.
“She’s not stupid, and knew that she couldn’t take on those things out there without help. Cole is just the person to let her do what she wants. He’s always given her anything she even thinks she might want. She was born while they were at boot camp, when Dawson’s first wife was still around. All the guys doted on her because she was the first baby in the family since they’d been born, probably.”
Haley’s head came up suddenly. “Something’s going on at the gate.”
She took off running, and I wasn’t far behind her as gunshots echoed through the trees.
Emma had jumped up and ran inside at the first sign of trouble. I was pleasantly surprised to see her catch up to us, holding an automatic weapon.
That was my idea of protecting the family, trading a baby in for a gun.
Andi
We’d let the other group drive out of sight before we started circling back, hoping to catch Vinnie’s group off-guard.
An exited tension filled the cab of the truck I was in, and for once I could appreciate the survival skills my dad insisted that we learn when we went to camp at Nana and Pop’s house.
The radio crackled, and Vinnie’s voice came over the radio. “Mick, do you read?”
Doug, who was riding in the back with Mick, held the radio up and gave him a warning. “You answer him and tell him where to pick you up. If you do that, then when he comes, we won’t shoot you.” Doug pressed the button as everyone held their breath.
“Yeah, I read you. I had to get far enough away that the other group wouldn’t hear me.” Mick shook nervously, watching the guns pointed at him.
“It’s been a while. Can you make it to the crossroads? We’re in the lookout building.” Vinnie wasn’t stupid, and didn’t give out which road or building.
“’Bout another fifteen minutes and I’ll be there. Once those guys showed
up, there wasn’t any way to move because they posted a lookout, but they finally left.” Mick tried to keep talking, but Doug released the button.
“Idiot! You were supposed to let us know when they left. They didn’t come this way so they must be on to us. Get your ass here, and if you aren’t here in ten minutes, we’ll leave you behind.” Vinnie’s anger could be felt through the radio.
“Yes, sir. I’m hurrying as fast as I can,” Mick huffed into the radio.
Doug waited, but nothing else came through the speaker.
“He won’t respond. He’s probably trying to think of how to kill me now. Will we be there in ten minutes?”
“I don’t know,” Doug responded, getting in Mick’s face. “Which crossroads is he talking about? What lookout building?”
“It’s the next one, and there’s a path through the woods from the gas station so that you won’t be seen approaching until it’s too l-late,” Mick stuttered, frightened of Doug.
“If you’re leading us into a trap, it won’t be Vinnie that kills you. It’ll be me or my ghost, because I’ll haunt you forever,” Doug threatened.
Mick’s head nodded so fast, spit flew everywhere. He was trying to keep everyone happy.
Doug waved once to the truck following us to pull over.
When we were parked and gathered around, Dad split us into three groups, sending mine and Doug’s to get ready farther in the woods so Vinnie’s group couldn’t see us.
He was going to escort Mick up to the door of the lookout building.
“Be careful, Dad.” I gave him a tight smile before I blended in with the trees and out of sight.
“Come on.” He prodded Mick down the path with the tip of his gun.
I hurried past the building with the other two in my group, keeping far enough away that I could barely see anything. A growl brought my attention to the dead that were wandering through the woods.
A gun would have alerted Vinnie’s group that we were there, so I took hold of my gun, swinging the butt into the almost dead person’s head. Once it was on the ground, I plunged my knife into the squishy flesh, upwards toward the brain.
“Crap!” Now I had a knife that was icky and nothing to wipe it on. Great, another pair of jeans ruined.
We drifted in from the far side and were hiding just out of sight when Dad and Mick approached the door.
It opened, and the guy on duty wasn’t expecting to see Dad with Mick, but a quick shot rang out, silencing him.
Dad’s group pulled up out front and busted in the front door as this was going on so that no one tried to escape.
Vinnie walked out with Dad holding a gun to his head. “If he does anything, shoot. Everyone else needs to put down your guns and come outside.
The other two groups helped round everyone up, but the three of us were the backup in case someone else wasn’t in the building, but had hidden in the woods.
All five of Vinnie’s other guys, and Mick, were lined up on their knees with their hands behind their heads.
“Look, we’ve just been trying to survive out here now that things are so messed up. If we didn’t do what Vinnie said, he’d kill us and our families,” one of the guys whimpered, earning a vicious look from Vinnie.
“What are the names of your family?” Dad questioned quickly.
“Dianne, Zach, and Ellie,” he responded with no hesitation.
“Take him over to the side,” Dad ordered.
The others all started saying names of their family members at once.
“Quiet. Mick, who’s telling the truth?”
Eyes wide, Mick started to stutter.
Vinnie elbowed Ted and grabbed his gun, shooting Mick and the other four who were kneeling before my shot took him by surprise.
“What the hell?” Vinnie yelled, dropping the gun to grab his arm.
“Oh, did we forget to mention that we had shooters in the woods? Our bad. Thanks for taking out the trash and making the decision easier.” Dad grinned, aiming the gun at Vinnie’s head.
“Wait, you can’t shoot me. I can give you all the women that you want and all of our supplies,” Vinnie pleaded.
“You’re right, we’ll take all the women and your supplies, but that’s because we’re going to free them from your reign of terror.” Dad grabbed him by the back of the head and pulled until he had his attention. “I can shoot anyone I please who mistreats humans and executes other people because he’s a snake.”
He pulled the trigger, and Vinnie’s head exploded, causing me to flinch.
Vinnie had to die, but I felt sad for the other guys that might have had families.
The one that was still alive couldn’t talk fast enough. “I’m Kyle, and I’ll take you to the camp so we can get the women and children free. A few of Vinnie’s men will give you some trouble and will have to be taken out, but I can tell you on the way.”
“Are there any more hiding in the woods, or anywhere else that we need to worry about?” Doug demanded.
“No, there’s another group farther south than us in Georgia that Vinnie had contacted, and he was talking about trading some of the girls in exchange for supplies. I don’t think they’re an immediate threat, but if someone doesn’t contact them in the next two weeks, they might come up here looking for our group,” Kyle warned.
“So Vinnie was scared of this group?” Dad asked.
“Yeah. Well, he played the tough guy, but he was willing to give them whatever they wanted so the rest of us didn’t die.” A frown took over his face.
“One thing at a time. Let’s rescue everyone and see how it goes from there. Kyle, you can ride with me,” Dad offered.
Even though they were the bad guys, we all pitched in and dug a grave to put them in so that they weren’t just lying around for the dead to eat on.
This wasn’t exactly what the girls and I had in mind when we left this morning, and there were still farms that needed filled with workers.
“Dad, wait a second,” I called out, hurrying to catch up.
“Yeah. What’s up, honey?”
“If the guys in each group can handle it, there are several farms that need to have people taking care of the animals that are still alive. Sarah Beth was going to contact her uncle but we never made it there. I know that we don’t want outsiders on the mountain until they’ve had a chance to prove themselves. Wouldn’t this be a good way to let them do that and solve another problem at the same time?” I suggested.
“Wow, you’ve grown up so much. That would be great. I don’t know how many people we have coming, but could you swing by and get the other girls? They’ll be helpful in sorting this out since we’ve only got you and one other woman out here. I’m sure they’ll feel more comfortable seeing other women that aren’t as threatening as guys with guns.” He threw an arm around my shoulders.
“No problem. I’m sure River is pacing already, hating that she’s missing the action. See you in a bit.” I headed for one of the trucks, excited that he hadn’t only trusted me, but that he had let me go alone.
Which seemed like a good idea until I pulled up at the front gate and the one idiot that could make a problem was on duty.
“Clayton, can you open up so that I can get a few people to go help my dad?” I leaned out the window, waving, so that he’d lower the gun he had aimed at me.
He raised it slightly over the truck and fired.
I instinctively ducked, muttering, “What the hell?”
“It’s me…Andi. Hello, my dad is Dawson. You know who I am!” I yelled, not caring who heard me at this point.
“I know, but I don’t have orders to open the gate for anyone except my superior. I’m supposed to run off people who don’t actually live here.”
I crawled out the passenger door and rolled down the slight incline, out of sight.
Catching him off-guard, I ran at him, aiming for his knees because there was no way I could take down someone twice my size in a fair fight. His large frame made him think that he co
uld take on anyone he wanted.
He let out a large ‘oof’, dropping the gun.
As I lay there on my back, I heard the footsteps of several people running up to the gate.
“What happened?” River cried, seeing me lying there as Clayton scrambled to his knees for his gun. “Andi, are you hurt?”
Emma wasn’t far behind her, and others were scurrying up to see what was happening.
“I’m fine, as long as Clayton doesn’t shoot at me again.” I sat up, holding my side, trying to catch my breath from running and tackling him.
“Clayton, you shot at Andi? You’ve known her for years.” His wife, Kelly, shook her head incredulously.
He just shrugged. “She tackled me and could have broken my back.”
“Did you identify yourself? He might not have recognized you.”
“Seriously, Kelly? He heard me and shot over the truck, even though I told him twice to open up, and even used Dad’s name. He told me he didn’t have orders from the boss to open up to anyone who didn’t actually live here.”
The gate had opened, and everyone was standing around in a circle, waiting.
“We’ve been checking everyone before we let them in so that the other group didn’t sneak in to take one or all of us hostage,” Kelly clarified, trying to justify her husband’s actions.
“No, Clayton just wanted to throw his weight around. He knew exactly what he was doing. I’m so tired of your attitude, and I haven’t even been ‘living here.’” I walked over and poked him in the chest.
“I think it’s about time that you were put on manure duty out in the fields,” Emma insisted, knowing it would piss him off more if she spoke up.
“Now that’s not fair that you get to decide what happens when you’re one of the newest members here, Emma. I’m sure he feels bad about it, and that’s kind of a harsh punishment,” Kelly snapped.
“Ha! Do you see him apologizing to me? No, because he wanted to cause trouble, Kelly. He wants to be in charge and can’t take it if a woman actually stands up to him. Why do you think Brad let Emma get involved when he’s standing right there?” I crossed my arms, waiting for him to speak up.
Against Zombies Box Set, Vol. 1 | Books 1-4 Page 48