Fighting to Survive (55 page)

Peggy
leaned over and looked at where she was pointing.
“
Nerit,
that's where you're from. No one is there.
”

“
The
gun store is there,
”
Nerit said calmly.

Travis
shifted uncomfortably on his feet.
“
You
said the weapons are in the safe. They can't get in there.
”

“
Nope.
They can't. But we're going to need those weapons. That ammunition.
We've put off going out there.
”
Nerit looked very pale, but calm.
“
We
should have gone before.
”
She pulled out her keys and handed them to Travis.
“
It's
the round gold key and silver square one to get into the store. I
will give you the safe combination.
”

Everyone
gathering around the map looked uncomfortable. An excursion to the
gun store to reclaim the last of the gun stock and ammunition had
long been on the list of things to do, but they had found other
stockpiles to keep them well armed.

Peggy shifted on her
feet, feeling uncomfortable with where this was going.

Travis
slid the keys into his pocket.
“
We
didn't really need to go until now, you know.
”

“
We
didn't go because of Ralph,
”
Nerit said simply.
“
And
we have no time for such sentimentality anymore.
”

Travis
reached out and rubbed her shoulder gently.
“
We'll
be respectful.
”

“
I
know,
”
Nerit answered.

Katie
slipped an arm around the older woman's waist. Nerit, surprisingly,
leaned against her for comfort.

“
If
we head to the store and make a production of it, that will pull them
out. And we can use it as a diversion to get the last of our
survivors in,
”
Nerit said in a slightly quavering voice.
“
We
need to pull them out. Get them to confront us.
”

“
So
we can get into a fight with the bandits?
”
Peggy looked at her incredulously.

“
No,
so we can show them they can't beat us,
”
Nerit answered grimly.

Travis
looked at Nerit long and hard, then slowly nodded.
“
I
get where you are going with this.
”

“
We'll
work out the details, but I have the general plan already in my
head,
”
Nerit answered.

Jenni
exploded into the lobby of the hotel. Her fury was livid in her eyes
and her skin was flushed.
“
Where
the hell is Bill?
”

“
Communication
center,
”
Peggy said, and pointed down the hall.
“
He's
training Ken.
”

“
What's
going on?
”
Katie stepped toward Jenni.

“
Fucktard
got Dylan killed!
”
She pointed behind her, trembling with rage.

Curtis
came into view, his head down, looking pale.
“
Jenni,
I didn't mean t0-
”

“
Oh,
shut up!
”

Katarina
and Felix appeared behind Curtis. Katarina laid a gentle hand on the
younger man's shoulder.

“
Let
it go, Jenni,
”
she said in a soft voice.

“
No!
I won't! He's the gawddamn Vigilante! He told Dylan to go into
that storeroom and it had a fuckin' zombie inside! He did it on
purpose cause he was mad at him for smoking weed!
”

Curtis
was trembling with emotion and looked up at Jenni, tears streaming
down his face.
“
I
thought it was clear!
”

“
You
liar!
”

“
Get
Bill,
”
Travis said in a soft voice to Katie.
“
And
Juan.
”

Katie gave him a
quick nod and hurried down the hall.

Travis
pushed off from the counter and walked slowly toward Jenni.
“
Jenni,
things go wrong out there. You know it.
”

Jenni
whirled around, toward Travis.
“
Dylan
was a boy! He's just a boy! Curtis got him killed.
”

“
I
thought it was clear!
”
Curtis' face was red, his hands clenched at his side.

Katarina
held onto Curtis shoulder, partially to comfort him, partially to
keep him back from Jenni.

“
It
was not an easy ride back with these two going at it,
”
Felix grumbled.

“
I
want him locked up!
”
Jenni stomped her foot.

“
Jenni,
calm down. We need to take care of this in a calm manner.
”

Peggy slowly walked
up behind Travis, glad for his gentle demeanor. She, personally,
wanted to slap Jenni and shake Curtis, but she also felt sick at the
thought of someone so young dying so horribly. Poor Dylan.

Bill
appeared with Katie, hoisting up his belt and looking slightly
annoyed.
“
What's
going on?
”

Jenni
and Curtis started talking at the same time. Katarina and Felix kept
trying to interject, but the noise was unbelievable. Peggy felt
like screaming at them to shut up.

Bill
raised a hand. Everyone fell silent.

“
Curtis,
talk to me. What happened?
”
Bill looked at the younger man with a fatherly compassion that Peggy
admired.

“
We
were in the Walgreen's. We made a sweep through. I checked the
storeroom. Didn't see nothing. Told Dylan to go in and start
organizing what we needed to take. I went to get a dolley. I heard
him screaming and ran in. I guess the zombie came off a shelf or
something. I don't know. I shot both of them.
”
Tears were streaming down Curtis' face. He rubbed at his flushed
cheeks furiously.

Bill
looked at Katarina and Felix.
“
Is
that what you saw?
”

“
I
didn't see anything, but I heard Curtis telling Dylan to take care of
things in the storeroom,
”
Katarina answered.

“
I
didn't check the storeroom myself, but I heard Curtis call it as
clear.
”
Felix shrugged.

“
He
sent him in there to die!
”
Jenni couldn't hold her tongue anymore.
“
He
did it on purpose!
”

Juan
came running into view just then. His boot heels rang out in the
huge lobby. He skidded to a stop near Jenni.
“
Babe?
”

“
Curtis
did it on purpose,
”
Jenni shouted again, tears streaming down her face.
“
He
did it on purpose. He's the fuckin' Vigilante! It could have been
Jason! He could have killed my son!
”

The
minute the words left Jenni's lips, the atmosphere in the room
changed significantly. Peggy could feel it. The accusation against
Curtis suddenly felt impotent. Bill reached out and snagged the
younger man's shoulder in a firm, comforting grip.

Juan grabbed Jenni's
arm and twirled her into his arms. She clung to him, crying
violently.

“
Curtis,
go to your room. Clean up. Rest up. We'll talk later,
”
Bill ordered.

Katarina
and Felix both sighed as Bill shooed them off as well.

Katie smoothed
Jenni's hair back from her face as Juan whispered in her ear.

“
You
two, calm her down?
”

Juan
nodded to Bill. He helped Katie lead Jenni away.

Travis
stood beside Peggy.
“
What
do you think?
”
He looked at Bill pointedly.

“
Shit
happens out there. People die. And it ain't easy,
”
Bill answered.

“
Can't
disagree with ya there.
”
Slowly, Travis turned back to where Nerit was still studying the
map.
“
C'mon,
Peggy. We got work to do.
”

Peggy looked back at
Curtis one more time before the elevator doors shut. Her stomach
clutched tightly. Her nerves were getting the best of her. It was a
fucked up world and she hated it. But at least Bill and Travis were
there to make it better.

Trying to hide the
trembling of her hands, she followed after Travis.

“
What's
the plan?
”
Travis asked Nerit, leaning his elbows on the counter.

“
I
heard there was a disturbance! I fully intend to reveal the truth
behind the matter to all who will listen! I will not allow the truth
of the conspiracies of this illegal fort to go unreported to the-
”
Calhoun burst into the lobby with his video camera already filming.

“
I'll
get rid of him,
“
Peggy
said with a sigh.

“
Actually,
”
Nerit said with a wicked little smile.
“
We're
going to need him for our plan.
”

Peggy
looked at the smelly old man and then Nerit.
“
Him?
”
She was incredulous.
”

Travis
looked back at Calhoun and then Nerit.
“
You
sure?
”

“
Oh,
yes,
”
Nerit said.
“
I'm
sure.
”

Calhoun spotted them
and headed toward them, his foil hat looking about to fly off his
head his was coming so fast.

“
Just
the man I am looking for,
”
Nerit said.

Calhoun
looked shocked, then a little afraid.
“
I
will not assist you in your nefarious plans, Amazonian Queen!
”

“
Yes,
you will,
”
Nerit assured him.
“
Because
it will help defeat the marauding aliens attempting land grabs and
abductions.
”