by Tim Yingling
“How could there be any more?”
“Simple. What the K’s are doing is using a fear tactic to take over the town and surrounding area. It’s not that uncommon of a tactic. A lot of politicians have used it. Now, what I need to know is how you’re involved? I got a pretty good idea, but I need to hear it.”
She breathed in deeply. “How long do we have?”
“I don’t know. I am waiting for one of them to call Jeff for an update. I’m hoping that’s later in the night, and it should be. They have no reason to believe anything is wrong. At least, so far. So go ahead.”
As she talked, I worked with various other objects I needed to test out. Originally, I had planned on using the pistol for the plan I came up with, but since Danielle gave me the bow that would work much better. I had to test out the tension on the bow. I only needed to loosen it up a bit to work better for my strength. The next thing I wanted to do was get one of the two radios I had to receive only. It would have to be the radio that Marty gave me because his was unlocked. When I was done with the radio, I went about getting some food. Some real fucking food. I started to make dinner as she talked but she finished talking before I got done.
“Well, it’s like this.
“I was out of town, out of the state actually, when the outbreak happened. The day after it started, I left the wedding I was attending to come back. My husband and daughter, two of the people on the field, were back here when it all started. I guess you know that Walter was one of the town selectmen?” – I nodded. – “Well, apparently he wouldn’t do as the K’s, as you call them, said. So, they began with my daughter. It seems that she was the first kill of theirs. I don’t know exactly who did it, but I have my suspicions. My dad was the second kill. The K’s had him under control, but Walter was still a problem for them and they killed my dad. After that, they worked on the other problem children because Walter finally decided he would at least listen to them.
“The problem was, it only lasted a day. And, yes, it took me several days to get back because of all the setbacks on the road. I have a feeling that if I would have made it back sooner at least Walter would still be alive.” I had my doubts. She probably would have been killed though. “Anyway, by the time I navigated from Dallas to here, the ditch had been built and there were already twenty people on the field. Your wife and son weren’t out there yet.
“Well, as you can guess I hit one of the checkpoints. It was on this side of Sanders. Bad luck would have that Kevin was at that post that day. He recognized me and brought me right in. Needless to say, he has taken a liking to me. And that explains the car, the house, and even the bow. He gave that to me as a means of protection. For the last two months, I have been trying to ward off his advances. He continues to bring me gifts for no reason other than he wants me with him. I honestly believe that the reason my family had been killed was more so for Kevin to get his hands on me. So far I have been able to keep him away, but I won’t be able to forever. He is becoming more aggressive as the days past.”
I didn’t offer any condolences for her, so she went on.
“I watched for the last two months as they destroyed this town. Deciding who was going to live and die. They still push their drugs on the people of this town. Not only do they make the people work for the things they need; like gas, electricity, food, and so forth. It’s insane. On top of that, if you chose not to partake in their drugs they will lock you away. For them, it’s three strikes and you’re out type of deal. If someone were to refuse them a third time, they end up on the field. I know of five people that has happened to. None recent, but still.”
She stopped just as I was finishing up our dinner. I could hear her troubled breathing. It came laboriously and slow. I didn’t turn to look at her.
Once she had her breathing under control, she asked, “What did you make us for dinner?”
“Something that I have been craving for a long fucking time,” I said turning around with a plate in my hand. Six sandwiches stood on top of the plate.
She smiled. “Really? Grilled cheese?”
I nodded. A smile tried to surface on my face but I pushed it away. I would smile when I fixed this town.
Danielle took two sandwiches. I took three of the four. In no time, my three were already down my throat. I felt I could eat about ten more, but I still offered her the final sandwich. She graciously declined, allowing me to eat it. Before I did, I took three of the Naproxen she brought me. They went down cleanly with the beer I snagged from the fridge.
“That’s not good for you,” she said trying to sound official.
I still didn’t laugh.
When she saw my humor was not going to come back, she proceeded on. “What are your plans now?”
“Now? Right now, I am guessing that the K’s are going to keep busy trying to find ways they may be able to stop me from stopping them. I don’t think they are going to come back here” – I turned to look at the clock – “anytime soon. So, my plan now is to catch a few more winks before they come along. I’m guessing that in the next hour or so they will be calling Jeff for an update on which side I am going to take. From there, Owen will take over, waiting for me to interject.”
While I talked, Danielle produced a key on the tile counter. “This key unlocks the doors in the house. I want you to lay on the bed in my room. You can lock yourself in if you still don’t trust me.”
I walked to the door leading to the family room with the couch in it.
“Danielle, I do trust you. They killed your family just like they killed mine. You and I are in the same boat whether they like it or not. So, I am going to lay on the couch mostly because I don’t want to be cornered in your room, especially in an upstairs room. What I need you to do is wake me up the second one of the K’s comes over that radio.”
“How do you know that they’ll be calling?”
“I just do. Now you make sure you get me.”
I didn’t give her any chance to speak before I exited the kitchen.
One thing I didn’t like about the couch was that it was facing the picture window. A window that didn’t have any curtains on it. At the small chance they came back early, the K’s would be able to see me lying on the couch. Thankfully I would have plenty of time to react. I put the pistol under the pillow I rested my head on.
Danielle tried to be silent as she moved through the house. I could still hear her bare feet as she walked. They squished on the kitchen floor and they swooshed on the carpet as she brought me a blanket. She tried, that’s all that mattered to me.
I didn’t sleep that well anyway. I hardly ever do when I try to sleep on my back. I didn’t want to go into a full sleep. I wanted some of my senses still alert for any danger. Thankfully no danger came.
My internal clock woke me just as I heard voices over the radio in the kitchen. I couldn’t hear what was said at first, but once Danielle walked in with the radio in hand I caught the last little bit of it.
“… Jeff answering the radio?” Kieran asked.
Owen answered quickly. “Because he can’t come to the radio right now. What is it you need?”
“I need a report from Jeff. Get him to give it to me.”
“How are you not taking the hint here, Kieran?”
There was a pause from the other end. I thought that maybe Kieran and Kevin were going to leave the conversation as it was and go to the spot Jeff was supposed to take us to. He didn’t leave it, Kieran pushed forward.
“If you fucking killed Jeff, Owen, I will personally mutilate your wife in front of you.”
I sat up in the late afternoon warmth. It all fell on my neck from the back of the house. I looked out the bay window towards the K’s house. There was no car out there. It worked great for me. It seemed my assumption (and subsequently my plan off that assumption) was working. I didn’t expect both of them to stay away from their house for so long. But that would also give me something to do before I head out.
Owen came back over the
radio spouting off some more of the plan.
“Oh, Jeff is dead, but I’m not the one who killed him.”
The radio squelched. I knew that sound. The K’s didn’t know what that sound meant. Kieran came back, still trying to threaten Owen.
“Listen to me you dumb fuck. If anything has seriously happened to Jeff or any more of my people, I will get to your wife and that fucking baby of Byron’s and slaughter both of them in front of the two of you. It will be a slow and very painful death, especially for the baby. Do you understand me?”
I waited another minute before interjecting. I wanted Kieran to sweat it out some more. Get him even angrier than he already is. In my experience, the angrier someone is the more mistakes they make. So far, Kieran is not disappointing on any matter. He continues to make the mistakes I figured he would make. With any luck, this whole thing is going to be over in close to eighteen hours. That was the time I was giving myself. Noon of the next day. Any longer I could deal with.
Kieran came back over the radio, screaming.
“Answer me you stupid fuck.”
I took the radio from Danielle and spoke in a calm and collected voice.
“You need not scream anymore Kieran. I told Owen to turn his radio off after you started to threaten his wife. I figured that would be the route you went in, that’s why I had them go and pick up Kristy and Claire before they headed out.”
The anger seemed to grow in Kieran’s voice. I was seriously pissing him off. His precious living style was about to come to an abrupt end.
“Byron, what did you do to Jeff?”
“Well, I didn’t kill directly. I sent him onto the field and locked the door. It seemed only fitting.”
“Why? Just because he busted up your face? Is that really a reason to kill someone?”
I looked at Danielle through my one eye.
“Yes, I do believe it is. But that’s not the only reason. I also did it because of who Jeff is. He is just the type of person that needs to be dealt with a hell of a lot sooner than later because all he will do will be to get people killed. Not directly, but indirectly. Just like I killed him.”
There was a pause. I could only guess that Kieran was conversing with Kevin. If I was in Kieran’s shoes, I would be discussing how I would go about taking myself and Owen out from a distance. That is where the Boy Scout woods come into play. Owen will already have the few vantage points out there covered. All of them except one. The one that I am going to be posted at in the next hour or so. That is after I make a small visit to their house.
Kieran finally spoke.
“What do you want?”
“Well, that’s simple Kieran. I want you and Kevin to take your little piss ant group out of this town or just lay down your guns and give this town back to the people.”
A slight pause. “And if we don’t?”
“Do you need to ask that question?”
“I have a bigger army than you do, Byron. Everyone in this town will back me no matter what. You don’t have a leg to stand on. Your little group will be slaughtered in minutes, maybe even seconds.”
I didn’t hesitate here. He was still being nothing but predictable. Coming into this situation after he talked to me earlier in the day I was not expecting things to go like this. I knew he wasn’t just going to lay down his arms and give up, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so fucking easy. The way I saw it playing out in my head was that he already knew where my group was. He would probably want to get out there as soon as possible, but he would also want to get his people set up first. He wouldn’t be able to do that until 7:30 p.m. anyway. He needed to get his people together first. That gave me to eight, just the way I wanted it.
All of that ran through my head in the second it took me to answer him.
“No. You don’t have an army. What you have is a bunch of drug dealers and drug addicts that will follow your orders. What you have are a bunch of tweakers that will more than likely shoot their foot off before shooting one of my people. What I have is a soldier, a police officer, two former National Guardsman, a man with nothing to lose, and four more people that have learned from me on what to do. Now, tell me, do you think you have a chance against my group?”
Kieran was just as quick to come back.
“I think you miss counted. Your ex decided to join the winning team.”
I laughed into the radio.
“I didn’t miss count. You think I don’t still have friends in this town that would help me. Hell, I’m sure if I left Green Acres right now I would be able to find at least twenty people on my way between here and the woods that you wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.”
“So that’s where everyone is.”
“WOW! Do you think I let it slip that they’re out there in the one place we use to call the woods even though there are plenty of woods around here that I could have mentioned but only one in particular that you and I know of?”
There was that pause again. He must have been getting extremely flustered. I wish I could hear what he was saying on the other end. It would have been that much more magical.
I looked over to Danielle curious what her reaction was. She wasn’t standing there anymore. She must have ducked out while I was giving off one of my mediocre speeches. Hopefully, she didn’t go too far. I was almost finished with Kieran and I still wanted to check out his house for good measure.
With her gone, I turned my attention back to Kieran.
“By your silence, I would say you are at a loss for words or you’re trying to come up with a plan.”
“Are those my only options? Because if they are, then you should already know the one I am going to choose.”
I did know what he was going to choose. And I laid out his plan for him, mostly because he wouldn’t be able to do it himself. Even with his brother being former military, neither one of them would be able to figure it out. Once I was finished, there was another ominous pause. These things were getting tiresome. “Well, considering you ain’t answering me I’m going to say that you two have decided that is exactly what you are going to do. So I will see you all there roundabout eight.”
Before Kieran could say anything, I shut off the radio. Time was running short. I had just spent fifteen minutes dickering with that douchebag trying to get him to go to the one spot I needed him to go at the right time. It took me literally telling the dipshit what to do for him to understand. And the sad part is, he’s more than likely still going to fuck it up. Just have to roll with the punches, again.
I stood up just as Danielle came walking back into the room with the bow and quiver in one hand and a key in the other. She still had on the blue jeans and a white t-shirt that mimicked my outfit, but instead of comfortable walking boots, she had on calf high boots. They would do for the spot we were going to. And I think she knew we weren’t going to be going in from the front of the compound.
“What’s the key for?” I asked taking the bow and quiver from her.
Her smile was more than a little warming. Sure, Kate had to give me some warming smiles in the last two weeks, but I still looked at Kate like a sister. Danielle, on the other hand, was someone nobody could look at like a sister. Her beauty was far too superior to a lot of the women in the world. Yes, even my wife’s beauty. But I still wouldn’t do anything with Danielle. Just because it was the end of the world and both of our significant others have perished at the hands of the same man doesn’t mean that I am going to desecrate the sanctity of my marriage. I don’t think Danielle would either.
She walked past me as I put the quiver around my right shoulder and held the bow in my left hand.
Yeah, that was a weird transition from one subject to the next, but I do have my reasons for doing so. You see, I’m not one of those guys that will use the end of the world as an excuse to sleep with someone who had been the subject of more than a few dreams of mine. The last of those dreams was an extremely long time ago. There is no reason I should act upon my urges. I know Kate has trie
d many times in the two weeks it took us to travel here, but I didn’t give her a reason to either. I still love my wife and always will. The whole purpose of me defying a shit ton of people since the outbreak happened was just to get back to my wife and kids. With only two of them left alive, that leaves me with the final mission of making sure the town of Pilgrim gets back to what it should be.
Now, I’m sure you all have noticed the strange transitions in this writing. Don’t sit there and think it is because I am a bad writer. I did it for a reason. Sometimes there are subjects that are just too hard for me to write about. The fact that I still have sexual urges towards Danielle when I just saw my wife and son as a zombie not more than six hours ago is one of those subjects. It still feels like, even to this day, that some of the things I have done have been disrespectful towards Hannah.
Still, I followed Danielle out of the house. Right out the front door. We crossed the somewhat crisp, dying grass (I don’t think there has been anyone to take care of the grass in the last month) to the next house over. The hedge between the houses was out of hand just like the grass. The leaves and branches were going in every direction except the one they should have been going in. The bushes in front of the K’s house were the worst. The roots were already dead and the branches were soon to follow. I don’t know much about gardening, but I don’t think it takes a month for healthy grass, hedges, and bushes to die this quickly. There has to be more going on than I can see.
She was already at the door waiting for me with the key in the lock. As I stepped up on the stoop, she turned the key and opened the door. The smell was instantaneous. It was a smell I was familiar with. The dead have a certain smell. Always have. There was death in the house.