by Poe, S. B.
“I know. We saw it on the road, but I promise you, he’s fine. He’s in a hell of a lot safer place than this. Last I saw him he was behind a barricade, sitting in a comfortable chair and drinking a warm glass of powdered lemonade.” Bridger said.
“Lemonade? Barricade? What the hell are you talking about Bridger?” Kate asked.
“It’s a long story, Kate. I’ll tell it to you but I want to tell it to everyone else at the same time. We have some decisions to make.” Bridger said.
“Decisions about what?”
“About a lot of things.” Bridger said as they stepped up on the porch of the saloon.
The door swung open and Ham emerged, pulling the hand of a man Bridger didn’t recognize. Bridger stopped as the man came limping through the door.
“Uh.” Bridger said. The man smiled broadly as he looked Bridger up and down.
“Oh, this is Cameron. Cameron Day, Mr. Day this is…” Kate started.
“Major Bridger Preston. US Army Special Forces retired. Former instructor at the US Army War College and the top military analyst on cable television.” Cameron said as he stuck out his hand.
“Well, not currently.” Bridger said as he stuck out his.
“Ah. Yes, of course.” Cameron said as they shook hands.
“Did you see the horse too?” Ham blurted out.
“Horse?”
“Jahda said she saw a horse. The stringers were following it.” She said.
“Oh, yes. Last night.” Bridger looked down at her. “Is it a friend of yours?”
“She is. Mine too.” Cameron said smiling. “Cheval, that’s her name.”
“It’s French for horse and we have to go find her. We have to.” Ham said.
“Alas child, I would venture to say that if we are to be successfully reunited with Cheval, the onus is on her to find us. Tis too perilous to commence a search party for our wayward friend just now.” Cameron said to Ham.
“Uh, yeah what he said.” Bridger said.
“What did he say?” Ham asked. For the first time since he came inside the fence, Bridger managed a smile.
“He said not yet.” Kate said as she took Ham’s hand from Cameron and led her back inside the saloon.
Bridger watched them walk inside and looked at the stranger.
“Well nice to meet you.” Cameron said.
“You too. We’ll talk later.” Bridger said as he gave Cameron a curious glance and followed Kate and Ham through the door.
“I hope so.” He followed too.
The harsh morning light dimmed as he stepped inside but the muted beams coming through the windows still lit the room well enough to see. Tilly and Raj spun around from the bar. Ed sat on the bar itself. Bridger’s eyes went to the table. Charlie and Jennifer sat next to Martin and Ham on one side with Jahda, Dottie and Evelyn on the other. His eyes landed on Evelyn and he felt an unexpected sense of relief.
“Welcome back.” Dottie said with a smile.
“Good to be back.” Bridger said as he realized he was still staring at Evelyn. His eyes jumped to Dottie.
“Devin and the others?” Martin asked.
“Still in Collier.” Bridger said. He felt the room spin a little and decided he needed to step outside again.
“Bridger?” Evelyn said as she stood.
“Just need a minute.” He said as he stepped out onto the porch. He paused at the steps and took a deep breath, chuckling under his breath as he exhaled. He felt her hand touch his shoulder.
“You okay?” Evelyn asked.
“Yeah. Fine. I guess I got a little overheated dragging those deaduns.” He said.
“Well, catch your breath and come inside and sit down. I’ll save you a seat.” She said smiling.
“One minute.” He said as she walked back inside. He rubbed his hands against his temples and looked up. “Ooh boy, you might be in trouble.” He said to himself smiling.
“You good, Bridger?” Kate asked as he walked back inside.
“Yeah yeah. I’m fine.” He said, waving her away as he walked towards the table. He stopped and leaned back against the bar. His eyes met Jahda’s. He could see the urgency.
“Folks we have a lot to talk about.” Bridger said. “We met some people in Collier.”
“We met someone too.” Ham said.
“I see that. And I hope to hear all about it but…”
“Charlie is invisible to the dead.” Raj interrupted.
“I’m sorry?” Jahda said.
“They didn’t see him. Or they didn’t smell him or I don’t know what, but he got caught outside and none of them attacked him.” Raj said.
“They walked right by him.” Scott added.
“Okay.” Bridger said.
“Okay? That’s it. Okay?” Tilly chimed in.
“We met someone like Charlie. A girl.” Bridger started. “She got bit a while back and survived. She told us she could…”
“Move among the dead.” Jahda finished.
“Move among the dead?” Jennifer asked. “That’s creepy.”
“Yeah, well, Emma Grace is kinda creepy too.” Jahda said. “That’s the girl’s name. Emma Grace. And her brother needs our help.”
“Why?” Martin asked.
“Well, Devin cut his arm off.” Bridger said.
“What?” Kate asked.
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you Kate, it’s a long story. Now can I tell it, please?”
“Go ahead.” Kate said.
“Thank you. As I said, we met some folks.” Bridger started again.
Fifteen minutes later everyone leaned back in their chairs, absorbing the story Bridger had told them. Kate stood and walked around the room, glancing out the windows as she passed. She turned back to the table.
“So now what?” She asked. “Are you taking Raj back to see if he can help that boy?”
“The sooner the better.” Jahda said.
“Actually, Kate, I think we should all go.” Bridger said.
“Go? Go where?” Charlie asked. “To that town? What like a vacation or something?”
“No. Like a permanent thing.” Jahda interjected.
“You think we should pick up and move to this place? Just like that?” Charlie asked.
“It would be a good move. It's basically an empty town. It’s almost perfect.” Jahda said.
“Do you think it’s safe?” Charlie asked. “I mean you said yourself all the deaduns you saw were on the inside.”
“Yeah, but they got in there by accident. From what I have seen, the barricade is solid. There are a few places it could be better, especially being able to see over it, but solid.” Bridger said.
“What about the people? Do they even want us there?” Martin asked.
Bridger turned and looked at him almost apologetically. Jahda waited for his answer, it was a question she had been thinking about too but hadn’t asked.
“I think they would be happy to have us. But…” He hesitated.
“But what?” Kate asked.
“But I don’t really care about them or what they think or want. All I care about is this group.” Bridger turned his head as he finished and caught Evelyn’s eye.
“You’ve already decided, haven’t you?” Kate asked.
“I haven’t decided anything. It’s a safe place and it’s available. I think it would be a good move. But that’s it.” Bridger said.
“And we should all go, you decided that too.” Kate said.
“Kate, I don’t make that decision. I don’t want to make that decision. I just wanted to tell you we have this option.”
“Who makes that decision?” Kate asked.
“You do honey? Don’t you see that?” Dottie spoke up.
“Me?” it surprised Kate.
“Why sure. Y’all are the reason we’re all together. You and your boys. Even Mr. Day is here because of your husband. God rest his soul. And all of us are still alive because of what y’all did.” Dottie said.
�
��Bridger brought us to this place.” Kate said.
“Bridger brought us to you.” Tilly chimed in. “And I’m glad he did. You have helped all of us, especially me, through this. Right after JW...” She paused. “You helped me heal even when you were broken too.”
“I hate to think what the winter would have been like for me and Ham if your son hadn’t offered to help us. It all comes back to you Kate.” Martin added.
“So if I say go, we go, and if I say stay we stay?” Kate asked. “I can’t make that decision for you.”
“If I may so bold as to interject here.” Cameron started. “I have listened over the last few days to the stories of horror and strife visited upon this group. I have heard the story of how Raj and his betrothed were rescued and spirited safely into your home. I sat in awe of the happenstance and good fortune of Martin and his lost band finding shelter in the very home you left and being brought into your care by your offspring. I am even reminded of a chance meeting of my own that led me here after my journey through the land of the dead. And I found a spirit of welcoming that is lacking in this new world in which we find ourselves. I don’t think they are asking you to decide for them; they have decided for themselves.”
“What have they decided?” Kate asked as she looked around the dim room.
“To be part of something you have, perhaps unwittingly, woven together. The only decision you are making is where does the story go from here.” Cameron finished.
Kate slid away from the table and stood behind her chair. She looked at Scott and smiled a little. She walked over to the door and for a moment thought about just walking out but she turned around. Her shadow cast across the room. She walked over in front of the bar and turned to face them.
“I’m a wife. I’m a mother and before all this I was a schoolteacher. I don’t know what you expect from me. We have gotten this far because of all of us. We learned to trust each other, and we all learned how to survive, together. We’re still here because we work together. I think we need to keep working together and if this new place is what we need to keep going, I’m ready to go. Who’s with me?” She raised her hand. All the other hands went up around the room. “Well, let’s get started.” She said.
“How?” Jennifer asked.
“Well I’ve been thinking about that.” Bridger spoke up. “Probably need to send Raj on ahead as quick as we can.”
“He can’t go by himself.” Tilly said.
“I know, I figured Raj, you, Jahda and Ed at a minimum. You can all fit in the truck together. I’d really like for Charlie, Jennifer, Martin, Ham and Dottie to follow y’all in the bus.”
“You think we have time?” Jahda asked. “To load all the stuff up on the bus.”
“The truck is full of supplies and there is more where we’re headed. We just need to empty the Alamo and maybe grab the generator but that’s it. Kate, Scott, Evelyn and I can finish gathering that stuff and load it into the other truck. We’ll be right behind y’all.”
“Damn, you have been thinking about it haven’t you?” Ed said.
“Yeah, I guess I have.” Bridger said.
“What about Mr. Day?” Ham asked.
“Well I didn’t know he was going to be here, but he is welcome to come with us. He seems a little busted up right now so he could ride on the bus with you. What do you say Mr. Day, you care to join us?” Bridger said as he glanced over at him.
“It would be my honor.”
“Kate, this all sound ok to you?” Bridger asked.
“I guess but I want to make sure we all know what this means. It will be a big risk on the road. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, it will be. If something happens or if we see that crowd of deaduns, we could be in a lot of trouble.”
“She’s right. We saw it out there. It may still be out there.” Jahda said. “But I still think we should try.”
“Is that place worth it? Really?” Dottie asked.
“It can be. It’s better than this. By a mile.” Ed said.
“Then let’s get started. Everyone grab whatever personal things you may have as quickly as possible and let’s meet at the bus.” Kate said.
They all stood and headed back to their shacks. The noise of people calling out to each other as they organized what would go in what vehicle reminded Kate of standing outside the school getting kids and parents loaded for a three day field trip to Huntsville. When Charlie fired up the bus, the smell, and the noise made it that much more surreal. She waited until everyone had just about finished and she approached Bridger.
“Are we really doing this?” Kate asked.
“It’s your call Kate. We can stop if you want too.” Bridger said.
“Is this place safe?”
“It kept a couple dozen folks going since this all began. But something happened.”
“What?”
“Something that won’t happen to us.”
“I think we’re ready.” Jahda called from the bed of the truck. She hopped down and opened the driver’s door.
“Ok folks, let’s go.” Charlie called as he climbed into the seat.
Bridger opened the gate and swung it wide enough for the bus to pull through. He watched as the deaduns trapped in the tangled branches jerked and screamed when the two vehicles drove by. He swung the gate back into place and looked down the road just as the back of the bus disappeared into the woods.
“Let’s make this quick.” He turned and started walking towards the Alamo.
Bridger walked through the front door of the saloon again. The sound of the bus had long faded in the distance and he could feel the clock in his head telling him they needed to get moving. He went out the back door of the kitchen and started up the hill. He glanced over at the generator he and Scott had loaded into the truck. He saw Evelyn and Kate walking out of the last shack with a few blankets. He rounded the front of the Alamo and ducked inside. Most of the weapons were with the others but there were still a few left along with several boxes of ammunition. They had inherited several thousand rounds of ammo and a couple of rifles from the previous owner of the Alamo and coupled with what they brought with them, they had a decent arsenal. He grabbed the cleaning kit off the desk and spread a blanket on the ground. He began to strip the rifle down to give it a quick cleaning. He pushed the retaining pin with his thumb to release the receiver as a shadow passed over the door.
“Bridger?” Kate said.
“Yep.”
“Do you know why I agreed to this?”
He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. He had known her since she was twenty-two. JW had gone on one date with her and came back the next day declaring that she was the one. Bridger forced JW to take her on a double date the next weekend so Bridger could meet the one. After watching her engage both JW and him in some top-notch shit talking, he was impressed. When she wanted to turn the channel to the football game in the restaurant, he was jealous. He smiled a little thinking about it.
“Yeah, I do.” Bridger said. “You trust me. And I’ll make sure it’s deserved.”
“Good. Let me ask you something else.” Kate said.
“What?”
“Would you really stay if I said stay?”
“I would.”
“Why?”
“I’ve always been good at following orders. Not so good at giving them. These folks here, me included, need you. We need you to help hold us together. I need you because you’ve always been a straight shooter. You never held back, not once, on telling me or anyone else what you thought was right. We’re going to need that, especially now. Before all this I thought I could do better on my own, but after being with these people, through what we’ve been through, I’m glad we’re together.”
Kate paused at the door and turned around.
“What?” He said without looking up.
“We’ve known each other a long time.”
“Over twenty-five years.” He said.
“And in all that time I’m not sure I have ever s
een you this messed up in the head. It’s kinda cute.” She smiled at him.
“Cute?” He asked.
“Yeah, I think it’s cute that Bridger ‘I don’t want no albatross’ Preston is finally falling in love.”
“With who?”
“Evelyn.”
“Evelyn? What makes you think that?” Bridger looked up from the floor.
“Like you said, we’ve known each other for over twenty-five years.” Kate said as she turned. He chuckled under his breath.
Kate smiled and ducked her head as she walked out of the Alamo. She was still looking down when she turned towards the saloon and almost ran into Evelyn.
“Oops. Sorry.” Evelyn said as she put her hands up in front of her.
“Oh.” Kate said, stopping. She laughed.
“Is Bridger still in there?” Evelyn pointed towards the Alamo.
“He sure is.” She said as she stepped around her. She walked away with her head down, smiling even wider than before.
Evelyn watched her walk away and then turned to go inside the Alamo. Bridger was kneeling down on the ground with parts of a gun scattered on the blanket in front of him. She tapped on the side of the door. He looked up and smiled.
“Hi.” He said.
“Hi.”
“Is everything ok?” She asked.
“I guess. Why?”
“Look, I’m too old for this high school dance. Before you left, we got naked and did things. Is that why you’re avoiding me or is it something else?”
“I’m not avoiding you.”
“Really? First you’re wondering around the saloon looking for god only knows and now you’re up here in the Alamo, doing what? Cleaning your gun?”
“Ok. But I’m not avoiding you. I’m avoiding me.”
“What?” she asked.
“Come here and sit down. Let me explain.” Bridger had a serious look in his eye and Evelyn mimicked it as she took his hands and knelt down beside him.
“I’ve been trying to figure out a way to say something but I am struggling. This will sound stupid but hear me out. I thought I was ready for this, for us. The other night was great. I think we enjoy being with each other and we’ve damn sure been through a lot together, so I told myself I was ready. Then last night, on the road, when I saw that horde all I could think about was you. I felt helpless. I’m not sure I liked that feeling. And that has me thinking maybe I’m not ready. Not yet. Not until I make sure we’re all safe.”