He watched them for a few moments while they made out like teenagers. His face grew hot and turned his attention away. The tall woman with skin the color of pecans snagged his attention. She was working with the children and teaching them the commands for the dogs. Her dogs obeyed every hand signal and command without hesitation. She looked familiar for some reason. Work? No. He studied her movements while she taught the command for "rollover". All three dogs rolled in unison. He grinned. The shop teacher in Hondo. He'd met her at a car show when she'd been showing a Broncho the kids had restored. It was in perfect condition. The woman had skills. She didn't just do body work, but she knew how to overhaul the engines.
Time to talk to Vixen again. This time, he would interrogate her. If it ticked her off, he didn't care. He could slip out of the town at night if she refused to allow him to leave, so he wasn't worried about her.
He drove back to Atlas without paying attention to the landscape. He drove through the gate, parked his car, and headed to his place for a shower and a change of clothes. The longer he delayed walking to her office, the angrier she would become. When the woman got mad, she did stupid things. He planned to allow her to stew for a while. Then he would interrogate her.
"Please, you can't send us back into the unknown." Bryan frowned as he walked toward the gate. A man and his family stood just outside the fence, begging Vixen to allow them inside.
"I'm sorry, but no. You cannot come into our town."
She wanted to grow the town, so why wasn't she allowing them inside? He watched her, but she refused to budge. Was it because they were black? As he thought about it, all of the people inside Altas were either white or Latino. He planted his feet wide apart and crossed his arms. "Allow me, Vixen. I'll take care of this family."
She raised an eyebrow, gave a curt nod, and turned toward her office.
"Come with me." Bryan led them to his car parked a little ways away from Atlas. Gravel crunched under their feet as they came up on his car, he handed them his keys. "There's a group who will take you in. You'll have to get their attention at the gate, but if you're serious about wanting shelter, I've not seen them turn anyone away. I'll give you directions under one condition."
"Anything." The man had his children pulled close, and his wife clung to his arm. "You cannot tell them I sent you there. They don't know about me, but this place, it's not where you want to be."
"I'll tell them we saw it when we were looking for shelter. You don't have to come up at all."
"Good." Bryan gave them directions. "I don't know any of their names, but I've seen them take others in, so I have reason to believe they'll give you sanctuary, too."
The man grasped Bryan's hand. "I don't know how to thank you."
"Just leave me out of it. Completely. You never saw me."
"You got it." They climbed into the car and took off.
Bryan strode into Vixen's office. "I got rid of them, but why didn't you want them in our town?"
"They weren't a good fit."
"Because of their skin color?"
"Yes. Look around. We don't have any other blacks in here. They would disrupt our lifestyle."
"Lady, what do you think they would do? They're people just like you and me."
"They are not like me." Vixen crossed her arms. "I'll have you know my people are descendants of Benjamin Franklin."
Bryan clenched his jaw. What a racist witch. He had a mind to tell her so, but it wouldn't change anything. At least he knew Reginald's group didn't care about skin color or ethnicity. When he got back, he would search out this young family. If Reg's group took them in, it would definitely answer his question about their intentions.
"Whatever. We need to talk. I've not seen any signs Reginald's group would turn people from our town away. They've taken new people in since I've been there, and I've not seen any signs of anything untoward."
"I told you I asked them to allow us in." Vixen raised her eyebrow. "Are you calling me a liar?"
Bryan ignored her question. "Why don't you tell me the real reason you want to attack them? I can't help you if you don't level with me."
"They deserve it. Reginald took Mary Anne against her will. He left our protection and thumbed his nose at us. We took them in, yet he sneaked out of here like a snake and went to a safe place but refused to tell us about it. Instead, he left us here to languish. We aren't safe, and he was too selfish to allow us to join him. That's why I want to attack."
"What about the innocents in the group? There are children."
"Collateral damage."
Josh dragged another body into the cremation pit. He needed some time alone to get his head on straight so he'd made rounds on his own. Against the rules he and Randi had set up for their own protection, but he didn't care. He couldn't stay in the camp with everyone for a second more. They didn't even have privacy when they went to bed. He needed to think. Randi and Ethan were growing closer all the time. Why should it bother him? She didn't belong to him. They'd agreed to be friends. Nothing more, so why did he want to slam his fist into Ethan's face?
He grabbed the last body and dragged it toward the pit. A groaning sounded behind him. He dropped the man's arms and spun around. Several infecteds bore down on him. He glanced at his AR lying on the other side of the cremation pit. He'd never get to it in time. He patted his hip. Crap! His holster was empty. How had he let this happen? Where was his Glock? His breath burst in and out and his muscles tightened. He was about to die because he'd allowed his insane jealousy to overwhelm him. Leaving his handgun behind wasn't acceptable.
Infecteds pressed in from each side. He backed into the fence. Now, he had no means of escape. A scream caught in his throat. God, I need a miracle. He closed his eyes. It was going to happen. Any second one of the infecteds would sink its teeth into his soft flesh. Gunshots echoed through the air.
Jill ran toward him firing. Several zombies fell, and he ran around the cremation pit to his AR. Between them they put down the rest of the infecteds.
She hung her 30-30 over her shoulder, glared at him as she tugged on gloves, grabbed a body, and pulled it to the pits. "Why would do you something so stupid? Josh, you know the rules. No one outside the fences alone. It's idiotic." She motioned to his holster. "Where is your weapon?"
"I don't know. Somehow, I got out here without it." He stared at the ground. "I used the AR at the fence line. Maybe I left it beside my bed."
Her nostrils flared and her face turned red. "You laid your AR on the ground. Why wasn't it on your back? It has a sling for a reason, idiot."
"There's no need for name calling."
"Want to bet? If I weren't a lady, I would tell you exactly what I'm thinking." She shook her finger at him. "Why did you come out here by yourself? Answer that one question."
He shrugged.
"No!" She tugged off the gloves, threw them on the ground, and grabbed Josh by the arms. "You don't get off not answering me!" Her volume rose with each word. If she kept yelling everyone in the camp would hear her. "Why? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Because if you want to commit suicide, there are easier ways to do it than to come out here and offer yourself up as a sacrifice." She glared at him. "I want an answer, and I want it now."
"I needed some time to myself. Don't you ever get sick of being surrounded by people all of the time?"
"Yes. I go to the RV while Randi's out working. If she's there, I go to the bedroom and hide out. She of all people understands. Why didn't you go there?"
"I wanted to be outside. Alone." Josh sucked in a deep breath. "I'm not used to having people around me all of the time."
Jill pointed toward the perimeter. "We have ATVs and UTVs and acres of land out there. You could get away from everyone. If you really wanted to set up out there for a while, take a lawn chair and a book, but don't leave the safety of the fences, and by all means take your weapons with you."
"Point made. Quit yelling."
"I'm not done." She dropped her volume to ju
st above a whisper. "Man, don't you realize we need you around here? If you ever do anything like this again, I will tell Randi."
"She's not my boss."
"No, but I've seen her take down men bigger than you. I can promise you, she'll kick your rear if I tell her what you did. We're your friends and care about you. Now, promise me, you'll never act this stupid again."
"I promise."
"Good. Sorry I called you names." She swiped her bangs out of her eyes. "If you hadn't scared the wits out of me, I never would've said those things." She raised up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his lips. "I know you aren't stupid, but you scared me."
He looked at her. She just kissed him, why? Did she have feelings for him?
"Oh come on, don't make too much about a simple kiss. I wasn't putting the moves on you, I'm just relieved you're alive. You and Mark were the first people I met after this disease spread. I have a special place in my heart for both of you, but I'm not trying to get anything going with anyone." She rolled her eyes. "Sheesh."
Josh smiled and hugged her. "Got it. Let's get this finished."
They dragged the rest of the bodies into the pits and set them on fire. The acrid stench of burning flesh clung to his skin and clothes.
As they rode back into the compound, Jill touched Josh's arm. He turned to look at her. "I'm really glad I saw what was going on. I was serious when I said we need you around here."
"Me, too. Thank you." He had to get his mind right. He'd put himself and Jill in danger by going out by himself, without his Glock, and not keeping his AR with him. Now, he needed get his brother to check him for bites or scratches to make sure he was safe. Next time his thoughts overrode his sanity, it might not turn out so well. A shudder ran down his spine. Thank God, Jill had seen him. However, if an infected had gotten her because of his imbecilic actions, how could he have lived with himself?
Vixen paced in her office after Bryan left. The purpose of his visit had been to question her. He offered her no solid facts, and he refused to discuss an attack strategy. If she didn't think Reg's group'd slaughter her people without him, she'd slit his throat as the man slept. Once they ousted everyone, she just might do it anyway. She grabbed weapons and headed for the car barn.
Alton stopped her as she walked toward the fence. "Hey babe, where're you headed?"
"I want to watch Reginald's group. No one has given me a solid plan to defeat them. I need to see for myself if they're really so well fortified."
"Do you want me to go with you?"
She crossed her arms and glared at him. "If I wanted you to go with me, you would've received orders to do just that. Go back to whatever you were doing before you interrupted me."
How dare he question her? She spun on her heel and stomped off. The man got on her nerves sometimes. He looked good and provided a little extracurricular entertainment, but otherwise, she'd rather he be seen and not heard.
She climbed into the Tundra and drove to Reginald's place. She pulled off the road and surveyed the area. Now to find a concealed spot to observe the group. If she could get inside the outer fence, she could get a good visual on the goings on inside the camp, but Alton had said the outer fence was electrified. Did it have an alarm? She had no problem cutting their fences and electrical grid. Of course, she didn't want to alert them any sooner than necessary.
Bryan was watching from the backside. Was his vantage point good? She smiled at how she imagined his reaction if she showed up to watch from his hiding spot. No, she didn't want him to know she'd decided to follow up on her own. Instead, she passed the compound, drove down a road a few miles until she thought she was parallel with the house. She then changed out of her heels into hiking boots. Leaves crunched under her boots.
Reginald had a tower where they could watch over the land, so she had to be careful. If they caught sight of her, she had no doubt she'd face the short-haired woman. Alton said she was the most deadly of the group.
She adjusted her binoculars and zoomed in on the compound. Nothing visible but fence. If she moved closer, what were her chances of getting caught? She uttered a string of curses that might've made a sailor blush. No way around it, she had to take the chance.
If she did a belly crawl across the landscape, she risked ripping her stomach and legs to shreds. Not to mention the risk of encountering a poisonous snake. Since they became less active in winter, the risk wasn't as bad as if it were summer, but not a chance she wanted to take.
She darted from one tree to another until she could see inside the camp using the binoculars. Her breathing came in gasps as she stretched out as flat as she could on the ground.
Now, to find out what Bryan was seeing. She might begin to understand the man's reticence for attacking sooner rather than later. The Latino woman that Alton called deadly, walked around the inside of the fence with a black man. Vixen moved the binoculars to focus on the house and the porch. No one there, but the front door opened and Reginald's bratty children bounded outside. With dogs. Several dogs. Vixen watched as the three dogs chased about the yard. When they took over the compound, the dogs were hers. They deserved to be loved as only she could love them.
Chapter 13
Randi stretched as the sun streamed through the windshield of the RV. She tiptoed to the bathroom and turned the hot and cold nozzles. Maybe a hot shower would help her shake the fog encompassing her brain. Why couldn't she get one decent night's sleep? The hot water relaxed her tense shoulders. She stepped out of the shower and bumped the sink. The hand soap tipped over. Randi lunged and caught it right before hit the floor. She sighed, placed it back on the sink, and eased the bathroom door open. Nia sat at the table drinking milk. Well, she'd kept quiet for no reason. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."
"No problem. I need to get busy."
"What do you have today?" Randi poured herself a cup of water. She closed her eyes willing it to turn into coffee. Miguel just thought he was the one who was dying without it.
"I'm on perimeter patrol with Mark."
"You doing okay with that?" If she could protect Nia from having to kill people she would, but it was a survival skill everyone needed these days.
"So far, Josh and Mark have taken care of killing the infecteds, I've just been back up and helping burn the bodies." Nia stared at her goat's milk for a few seconds. "Have a seat, Randi."
Randi joined Nia at the table. "You okay?"
"Yeah. I wanted to talk to you about the war." Nia covered Randi's hands with hers. "When I stood out there with the acrid odor of burning bodies, I wondered if I were getting a tiny glimpse of what you went through. When you came home, but avoided me, I was hurt. I think I'm beginning to understand, though. The things you went through over there made it hard to return to our friendship as though everything was fine. I'm sorry I didn't make more of an effort to be there for you. Not just after you got back, but when we were teens. I didn't understand that you acted out because of pain. Oh, I knew you missed your brother, but I didn't get it. If I had been a better friend back then, maybe you would've trusted me more." She squeezed Randi's hands and held eye contact. "I'm sorry."
"No need for apologies. I didn't even understand my resentment toward Dad, God, the church. None of it made any sense. Then when I got home from the Middle East, I thought you would see through my bravado and realize I was messed up beyond repair. It's not your fault I withdrew from you. I'm the one who should apologize for not bringing you here with us right away."
Nia smiled. "Love you, kiddo. No apologies needed."
"We need to start doing some patrols outside of the fences. I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched."
"Put me on the rotation."
"Great. I'm going to find Josh, Ethan, Mark, and Jill to talk to them." Randi slipped out the door. What were her chances of finding them together? She started with the kitchen. Ethan and Mark were eating.
Ethan gave her a big smile. "You're going to eat breakfast, right, darlin'?"
"Yeah, yeah." He was always shoving food at her. "You guys know where Josh and Jill are?"
They both shook their heads. Ethan swallowed a mouthful of eggs, "I think Josh was on duty last night. He may be asleep, or he could still be in the front tower."
"We need to start doing the perimeter checks on the outside of the fences. Since I saw that glinting light, I'm not comfortable without changing things up."
"No problem." Ethan nudged Mark. "You willing to go outside?"
"Been out there a bunch. What's a few more times?" Mark smiled at Randi. "Besides, if you think someone's watching, I'm not going to argue. I've learned you're usually right when it comes to those feelings."
"Thanks. After I eat, I'll find Josh and Jill." She sat at the table.
Mark stared at her plate. "No way." He reached for it.
Mary Anne grabbed his hand, and pitched a bag of jerky to Randi. "This might work for you."
Randi closed her eyes for a second. "Thank you."
Mark handed her plate back. "I'm sorry, but you're looking gaunt. Eat this and some of the jerky." Mark smiled at her. "If I didn't love you, I wouldn't keep after you, but you're like my older sister. I plan to keep you around for a long time."
Randi nodded. "I love you, too."
"What's going on?" Josh stormed into the room and glared at Mark and Randi.
Mark laughed. "Cool it, Neanderthal. Maybe what we're talking about is none of your business."
Randi let out her breath. At least Mark wasn't going to talk to Josh about her lack of appetite. She didn't want him joining in on the quest to feed her. "We need to start doing rotations outside of the fence."
Josh dropped his plate on the table with a clatter. "You still think someone's out there."
"Let's just say, I'm uneasy. I'd rather find out that it's all in my imagination than to have someone watching us and plotting against us."
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