The Zombie Plagues Dead Road: The Collected books. (69 page)

“
So what was all that shit
then?” Ronnie said.

Bear just raised his
eyebrows.

“
You know this whole thing,
what we're doing back in there, it all started because Bob, one of
our people, Robert Dove, wanted to go back to the land... Rebuild
the Nation,” Mike said. “We're back in there about seventy miles...
I have to tell you it's a pretty good life. Maybe we, some of us,
have to come back out here sometimes, but this doesn't touch
that.”

“
Hasn't,” Bear said. “You
mean you've had dead and they haven't turned?”

Mike shook his head. “Yes... We have
dealt with that... Not much though and we're prepared if it happens
again.”

The silence fell again. The bird calls
working their way back in.

“
Sorry you lost some of
yours,” Annie said. “But I'm glad you helped us... We would have
come right into that if you hadn't... I mean it could've been
us.”

“
Yeah.” Bear sighed and
looked down at the ground. “Had to shoot my friend... Nearly had to
shoot two of them. Beth she lost her arm. I took the chance, took
most of her forearm, and she didn't turn... If she had I would have
done for her too. Sat there at the bed," he looked up to the open
door of the van where Beth lay propped up and listening. "Sat there
with a loaded 9 MM for about eight goddamn hours. Would have done
it too... Was glad I didn't have to” He looked away from Beth.
“Down to seven. Just Billy and me who can fight. Lost three of my
company. Beth with one arm, Mac and Scott dead.”

“
Maybe it's time to throw
in with us,” Nellie said. She looked around after she had said it.
“I can't make that offer on my own,” she added. “I think you'd be
wanted though.”

Bear shook his head. “Can't travel with
Beth right now. At least not fast or far. She needs to
heal.”

“
Can't stay here alone,”
Molly said. “I mean if it's like you say you'd be like...
Bait,
I
guess.”

“
It's about seventy miles
straight back in,” Ronnie said.

Bear looked at him.

Annie Spoke. “It's a straight shot,
nearly. You follow the logging roads and you'll come to the
reforestation... Maybe a hundred years back, anyway... Trees are in
nice straight rows... You can drive between them like a road...
That will take you in. Follow that until you reach a long
valley.... I mean like miles long... Drive that right to where we
are. Can't miss it. Or they won't miss you anyway.”

“
And what if I was a bad
guy that might find my way in there and cause problems,” Bear
said.

“
Then I wouldn't have told
you,” Annie said. “But they would kill you anyway if they thought
you were.”

Bear had started to smile, but the
smile fell from his face. It came back after a moment. “Guess
that's fair enough,” He said.

“
It's what there is to
give,” Mike told him.

A small woman poked her head out the
back door of the huge converted van and stepped down to the ground.
She stopped at the bottom of the steel steps that were there and
then folded her arms across her chest. The door swung partway shut
behind her. Bear looked over to her.

“
Cammy,” Bear
said.

The woman pushed a strand of her blonde
hair aside and smiled. “Beth wants to meet you all,” She
said.

Bear's arms came off his chest and a
look of alarm came onto his face. “She should be resting... The
last thing she needs...”

“
Bear.” The voice was not
raised particularly high, but it cut through his own voice and
stopped him. “I want to meet our company.” Cammy walked back and
once again opened the rear door. She looked over at Bear who seemed
at a loss for words.

Bear walked over and looked in the open
door. “You should be resting, Beth.”

“
I should be talking to our
company. I've heard most of it anyway. I want to meet them,” she
told him.

Bear waved them over to the open door
and made the introductions.

“
I want to go to this place
you're talking about,” Beth said. She looked at Bear. “Don't let
his gruffness put you off. He didn't get that nickname Bear because
of his size or the mean streak he pretends to have. He got it
because he's really an old teddy Bear.” She looked at Bear as if
challenging him to say differently. Bear just rolled his eyes.
Cammy laughed lightly.

“
Do you think we could get
there in a few days? I could take a few days of hard travel if it
means I can heal better. Not have to be a burden on the rest.” Her
eyes were bright.

“
We made it here in just
over a day. You'll need the four wheel drive... It's a rough ride
part of the way... Rough country... I don't know how your arm will
take that,” Molly said.

Beth nodded. Her face was white. Too
white. Her dark brown hair framed it, making her look soft and
vulnerable. “I'm tougher than I look,” She said. “I know it may be
tough, but I can take it. It's a matter of whether Bear will come
with me or not.”

“
What the hell's that
mean,” Bear asked.

“
It means you could send me
and Cammy back with Billy... You don't have to come back yourself.
We take the kids with us. You can be a help here... Come back later
if you really got more you got to get out of your system. But
without me, you're down to you and Billy. That isn't gonna cut it
and you know it,” Beth finished. Her face was even
whiter.

“
Honey, You need to rest,”
Cammy told her. “We'll settle this, believe me.” She rested her
hand on the door and looked up at Bear. She seemed about to speak
and then turned and walked up the steel steps, closing the door
behind her.

The morning was heating up. Mike looked
up at the sky and then back down. Bear's eyes were on him. “Might
make sense,” Bear said.

Mike looked around at the others. “I
don't know about everyone else and how they lead. I do lead this...
The Nation” He seemed a little frustrated. “It doesn't come up
much. It's not that kind of thing. So I lead this way. I talk to
everyone and get their opinions. Usually the right things come
across... Give us a few minutes and we'll come back and tell you...
You see? It's a different thing sending you back there and having
you throw in and travel with us... It's not a personal thing...
It's a group thing, where you fit, where we fit together.” Mike
looked up and Bear nodded at him.

Molly walked away and they followed
back to their own vehicles. Mike stayed silent. He had been around
Molly long enough to know she would speak once she had her thoughts
completely together. Ronnie went first.

“
I don't get the guy,” he
said. “Comes off racist and then turns out to be...
What?
Was he testing us
with that stuff to see how we are?” He shrugged.

“
But would you be
comfortable with him?” Mike asked.

Ronnie shrugged. “I think he'll fight
with us. That's really what you're asking. I'm not comfortable too
often. Grow up black in the south and that is gonna be part of who
you are.” He seemed to think a moment. “But I know I trust you
guys... I know that. And I think that's a big deal... This guy? I
think he'll fight. He'll have reasons to. I think he may change a
little as we go too. I...” He shrugged.

“
I like him,” Annie said.
“I think he's just afraid... Men never say that they are, but I
think he is. I would be if I had that much
responsibility.”

“
I don't think we can be
choosy,” Molly said. “Another gun is another gun.”

Nellie and Tim nodded. Mike frowned. “I
don't know how I feel... The others have got to go back... I agree
with that... But I don't think we should have an uneven number
either. We planned on six and I think we should stick with six,”
Mike said.

“
So, no,” Ronnie
asked.

“
No... Yes. I think he's
in... But I think I would like to send Annie back.” He held his
hand up when Annie began to protest. “Just hear me out. Look...
It's not a straight shot back... You know your self that there are
so many rows of trees... take the wrong line and you could end up
somewhere else entirely... They get lost it could mean the end of
them. It's no joke back in there if you're lost. You're pregnant
too. I didn't know that when I said okay. It could be unsafe for
you. I know Molly is also pregnant but Molly wont be showing when
we come back... You will... Last argument. This looks like it's
going to be a lot rougher than we thought. We need shooters... We
could take real losses,” He looked around. “I'm not saying I would
prefer to lose one of you, I wouldn't. I'm saying I'm concerned
about what I have let you in for, because I didn't think about how
this would be.”

No one spoke for a few
moments.

Annie shook her head. “I'll go back. I
don't want it to be a thing between us either. I'm not mad about
it. I see this is not what we set out to do.” She said nothing
else.

“
So,” Molly asked after a
few minutes.

“
So he's in,” Nellie said,
“right?”

Mike nodded.

“
Annie and I will be along
in a minute,” Tim said.

Mike nodded and then he, Ronnie, Molly
and Nellie walked back down the road to where Bear's people were
parked.

~

It was early afternoon before they were
on the road heading for the small town Where Josh and his party
were camped waiting. Annie had not been the only one who had shed
tears.

Mike watched the trees passing by as
they drove slowly along the old highway. The greens of summer were
faded. Twice he had seen trees that had begun to turn. Just the
slightest hint of yellow on a few leaves, but it meant that fall
was coming...

“
Not long,” Ronnie said
from beside him.

“
Fall?”

“
Yeah... Seems fast,
doesn't it?”

“
I was just thinking how
fast... I hope I didn't lie... I hope we are back before the snow
flies,” Mike said. He hesitated. “What do you really think about
Bear, Ronnie?”

“
He's a big guy. How in
hell are we going to feed him?”

Mike laughed. “Asshole.”

Ronnie laughed too. “I guess,” he said
after a few moments. “He'll be okay... Annie's pretty smart. She's
right... We get scared, just like anyone. I think he's just getting
a handle on it.”

Mike nodded. “Alright... Well, let's
hope the rest of the day isn't quite so crazy.”

“
Jesus... It should be over
already,” Ronnie said.

“
Yeah,” Mike agreed. He
laughed, a small laugh and then turned his attention back to the
road.

~

She watched from the deep woods as they
left. She was torn between the two paths. Follow the ones into the
trees or the others out into the world... She scented the air with
her eyes but it told her nothing beyond what she already knew. She
was alone now and nothing pulled her in any one direction. She
hesitated only a few more seconds and then started off into the
woods. They had been gone for a while but it made no difference.
She could follow them easily.

~

Mike stared across the fire at the
young woman. She met his gaze levelly, but her eyes were still red
and puffy and told a story about a long, searching
night.

“
I can't tell you that
everyone feels the way I do,” Mike said. “I can't promise you that.
I can say you'll have a place with us if that's what you want. I
can also say no one will hurt you or use you,” Mike added
quietly.

At his words Chloe's eyes began to leak
once again.

“
I just want to be
accepted... I don't want to feel as though I'm nothing just... Just
here... Just taking up space in the world,” Chloe told
him.

Mike nodded. “I can understand that.
It's what everyone wants.” She lifted her eyes to the others and
then looked back at Mike. Her eyes asked the question.

“
They feel the same. No. I
haven't asked them, but I can tell you they do... Is that the same
thing as acceptance? Maybe not... Maybe that will take time... Ask
them... Do you want to ask them yourself? Talk to them?” He asked
her.

She shook her head.

“
That's okay, Chloe,
when,
if
you want
to talk to anyone you can.”

“
Who did I talk to that one
time,” she asked.

“
First Tom, then me... He
handed the radio to me,” Mike said.

“
I thought it was your
voice... Sometimes things stick in my head... That did... Things
were so bad then.”

“
We saw... We didn't know
what had happened but we saw the end... The next morning,” Mike
said.

She looked at him. A puzzled look on
her face.

“
Just coincidence,” Mike
told her. “We went looking for Jeeps... We found the phone... Blood
on the phone...We found... we found the shack and whoever was in
it,” Mike finished quietly. He had lowered his voice until he was
nearly whispering to her.