by Poe, S. B.
“You hear that?” She asked Bridger.
“Yeah. It’s getting louder too.” Josh said.
The group walked towards the gate. Jennifer had already called Evelyn on the walkie and by the time the sound became loud enough to recognize the tune, everyone except Cody was standing next to the gate. Kate climbed up on the bus. Bridger followed her. Funky Town by Lipps Inc. echoed across the horizon.
Bridger put the binoculars to his eyes when he caught movement at the farthest point of the road he could see. The big diesel truck they had seen at the bridge slowly crept forward. The music was coming from a large speaker affixed to its hood. He could see dead, hundreds of them, shambling along beside the truck. It crept along, not much faster than the dead could walk. It stopped about two hundred yards from the gate. The music played on. Soon the wheels and lower half of the truck were covered from view by the horde of dead surrounding it. Finally, the music stopped.
Bridger watched as the dead lost interest and loosened their closeness to the truck. They milled around, slowly dispersing from around the cab of the big diesel. The door opened. Bridger saw someone walk among the few dead that were still close to the truck with no concern. The dead ignored him, just like they had ignored Charlie. Two more people exited the back of the truck and they too moved among the dead unmolested. Bridger lowered the binoculars.
“They’re coming.” He said.
He recognized Noah. This time he wasn’t in his wheelchair but walking with a staff in his hand. He could see the girl that first spoke at the bridge walking beside him and another woman too. He hadn’t seen the other woman at the bridge. They approached the gate. He glanced at the dead still gathered loosely around the big truck. None of them had followed the threesome to the gate. He climbed down from the bus.
A knock came at the gate and Bridger worked the latch. It swung open. The three visitors stood just outside. Noah stepped forward.
“Before we get started, is Ham here?” Noah said.
“Over here.” Ham stuck her head from behind Jahda.
“What do you want with her?” Jahda asked.
“Just to return something. Here.” He motioned for Hannah and she walked forward. She held out Ham’s spear that she had abandoned when she escaped. “I think this belongs to you.”
Ham glanced up at Jahda and went forward. She took the spear.
“Thank you.” She said.
“And if I find your horse…”
“She’s back. I got her back.” Ham said.
“That’s good.” Noah smiled.
Ham turned and walked back beside Jahda.
“Well, Kate” Noah started. “How are you?”
“It’s been three days.” Kate said. “Where’s my son?”
“Would you have me put him in danger? You see the present we brought you, don’t you? Would you really have me expose him to that horde back there?” Noah said. “Oh, no. And I hope you are just as cautious with what I place in your care. Speaking of which.”
He turned and the woman stepped forward. She smiled at him and made eye contact with the group as Noah spoke.
“This is Naomi. Naomi has agreed to become a part of your community for a while.” Noah said. “If it helps, view her as new Scott.”
“She’s a might prettier than Scott.” Vernon chuckled and looked around for approval, he found none.
“There are going to be a few guidelines. The first of which is she can come and go as she pleases.” Noah said.
“Will that extend to Scott as well?” Bridger asked.
“Ha, funny. No.” Noah said.
“How is that fair?” Lori asked.
“Again, are you sure you and he aren’t related?” Noah looked at Lori and Bridger. “Maybe mommy had an affair or something.”
“Fuck you.” Lori said. “My mother and father are dead.”
“Do you think that’s fair?” Noah asked.
“No.” Lori said.
“Then you should be used to things being unfair by now.” Noah said.
“Any other guidelines?” Kate asked.
“Just that you remember what I told you at the bridge.” Noah said.
“I remember. Hospitality. Brimming with it.” Kate said.
“Yes, but that’s not what I meant. What I was referring to is that this is not for my benefit but for yours.” Noah said.
“It sure doesn't sound too beneficial so far.” Josh said from atop the bus. Noah glanced up at him.
“Look down there.” Noah turned and pointed to the dead still milling around the big truck. “What would not be beneficial to you would be for me to bring that load of dead right inside your walls and turn it loose. Every minute that that doesn’t happen is beneficial to you.”
“How can we trust you? How can we know that this will bring my son back?” Kate asked.
“Trust is built over a lifetime. Two in this case. Naomi’s and Scott’s. I will trust you to keep her safe until the day comes that I call for her return. Don’t worry, it won’t be terribly long.”
“And we can trust you how?” Bridger asked.
“You can trust that I will keep Scott just as safe as you keep Naomi.” Noah turned to Kate.
“And what are we supposed to do now?” Kate asked.
“There is the moment of birth and the moment of death. Everything else is just filling the time between. This is no different.” Noah said. “Remember Kate, everything that happens from this point is up to you.”
Noah put his hand on Naomi’s shoulder and turned her to face him. He looked in her eyes.
“We are always together.” Noah said as he touched her forehead with his.
“We will always be together.” She said back to him. They stepped back and looked at each other and Kate thought she caught Noah’s lip trembling just slightly. He turned away and started walking. Hannah followed him.
They watched them walk down the road away from the gate. They climbed back into the big truck. The music didn’t start up again as it drove away. A few dead followed it briefly, but most just slowly dispersed and began milling through parts of Colliers still outside the walls. Bridger turned and looked at the, he wasn’t sure what she was, a hostage, a guest? He looked at the newcomer and looked back down the road.
“Close it up.” He nodded to Tilly.
“Great.” Naomi spoke up. “Now that that is over I would…”
“Like to settle in?” Vernon asked.
“Uh, thanks, but no. We’ll get to that. First, I would like to meet a few people.”
“Well, I’m Vernon, and this here is…” Vernon smiled as she cut him off again.
“Oh, no. I know whom I would like to meet. But maybe you could point them out for me.” Naomi smiled at Vernon.
Kate and Bridger exchanged glances.
“How do you know who you want to meet?” Kate asked.
“Noah gave me their names.” Naomi said. “Charlie and Emma Grace. He said to be sure and introduce myself to them.”
“Did he say why?” Bridger asked, although he knew the connection between the two.
“Sure he did.” Liz said.
“Did he tell you not to tell us?”
“All he said to tell you was that you would know why. Or at least you would think you did.” Naomi looked up as she replayed Noah’s words in her head. “And that was all I was supposed to say.”
“What else did he tell you to do?” Kate asked.
“His exact words were ‘Answer the question’.” Naomi said.
“What’s the question?” Kate asked.
“He said you’d ask that. He said to say ‘nope, second base’. Naomi offered an apologetic smile to Bridger. “Please don’t ask me what that means because he wouldn’t tell me.”
“You don’t have to tell me what that means.” Bridger said.
“What’s it mean, Bridger?” Kate asked.
“He’s playing a game with us.” He said. “And we are at least ten moves behind.”
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sp; Music for The Time Between
The Dirty River Boys
John Moreland
Thieving Birds
The Dead Tongues
Lee DeWyze
Carolina Story
Passenger
Townes Van Zandt
Rock Plaza Central
Leo
Buddy Miller
The Wailin Jennys
Ben Nichols
Lyle Lovette
Karen Elson
Gillian Welch
Andrea von Kampen
Patty Griffin
Jackie Greene
The Crooked Still
Phillip Phillips
Brittany Howard
The Belleville Outfit
Julian Bream
Jamestown Revival
Coming Soon
Dead Reckoning
Book 12
The Marionette Zombie Series
By
SB Poe