"Where is the President? What does he say?" Katie drank her tea without any sugar and that made Jenni wince.
"In East Texas on a hunting trip," Ralph answered and slid into a chair.
"News is all confusing now. They're telling half-truths. Lots of bull shit. Got one guy on last night saying it’s a strain of Ebola."
Jenni rolled her eyes and sat back up. Katie snagged her plate and dragged the uneaten cheesecake over to her. Jenni didn't mind. She couldn't eat now that she was thinking of all they had endured. All they would endure.
Nerit shook her head and took another drag off her cigarette. "So that's it."
"Yep. Lost the local feed already," Ralph said with a nod of his head.
Jenni laid her head down on her folded arms on the table and stared at the old man thoughtfully. He reached out and patted her head lightly and it comforted her.
"It really is the end," Katie said.
They all knew it, but hearing the words again helped it sink in that much more. To accept it was to be empowered. Jenni understood that and she knew the people at the table understood it, too. To survive meant to kill and to fight.
Chapter 5
1. Into the Breach
The hammering on the back windows was annoying, but Katie tried to block out the sound. The number of undead outside the building had grown during the night and they were insistently banging on the windows. The sound wore on the survivor's nerves, but they tried to ignore the undead as they gathered to brainstorm for a good plan to save Jenni's stepson.
Ralph spread out a map on a table in the back room downstairs along with a calculator and a notepad covered in equations. Nerit leaned against the wall nearby with her hands tucked into her jean pockets. Her yellowish white hair was pinned up on top of her head today and her green eyes looked sharp and intense.
Jenni slid onto a folding chair at the table. She was clad head to toe in hunting gear: camouflage pants and jacket, a T-shirt that read "I aim to shoot" and heavy Doc Martens. Her black hair tucked up into a ponytail; she looked very young and delicate. Katie noted that today there was a difference in the way she held herself. It was subtle, but there. After they had returned to the bed they were sharing after their midnight snack, Katie had trouble falling asleep, but Jenni had seemed to have found some peace within herself and had slept soundly.
Katie drew near to Ralph and crossed her arms over her breasts. She, too, wore an outfit consisting of hunting clothes. The only difference in her and Jenni's outfits was that she wore a black tank top under the Reverend's hunting jacket. The warm smell of tobacco and the faint smell of her savior's aftershave gave her a sense of peace. It was as though the old man who saved her life was still watching over her. In her hand she held a cup of coffee and she tucked a blond curl back from her face as she studied the map.
"Truck you came in is not going to cut it. This ain't the old world where a low tank means a trip to the gas station. Electricity is still up here. Grid hasn't gone down. Depends on many factors if it keeps going. We might get lucky. TV is static except for the emergency broadcasting network. Bunch of horse shit regurgitation like yesterday. Not worth much. But we can't take it on face value that any of the gas stations between here and the camp are up and working. Gotta plan for the opposite."
"Gotcha. So we're limited to what we can carry in canisters and what is in the tank," Katie said.
"Right. Now, the truck yer in, well, it got you here, but probably not much further without a refuel."
"We're dangerously low on fuel," Katie admitted.
"My truck, has a half tank of gas. I noticed at least five gallons of extra gas loaded up in those red canisters in the back of your pickup. We'll put those in mine. Also, my truck has a bigger cab. You can fit your young one and any other survivor back there along with Jack. Gun rack is perfect for your rifle. Also got a CB in there that can keep you in touch with us back here.
Keep to channel 23." Ralph pointed at their location. "Here's Hillsboro. Here is the national park. Mapped out the most fuel efficient way for you to get there. Did calculations. You can do a round trip sticking to the route, but no more. Any detour might stick you out there with just the reserve fuel."
Katie nodded and looked at Jenni. Jenni's eyes were huge and desperate.
Katie knew instantly what she was thinking. "We're still going," she assured her and Jenni relaxed.
"Keep to the route. Don't veer off. I mean it. We have a major highway near that park. If any infected people made it out that far you could have zombies on the roads out there." Ralph stood staring at the map, rubbing his chin, and looking deadly serious.
"I understand," Katie assured him. "We'll grab Jason and head back here."
"And don't hesitate to run those things over," Nerit said from her corner.
"Don't hesitate to shoot them."
Jenni giggled a little.
Katie smirked. "I don't think that will be a problem."
"Okay, then take the map, gear up. Take what you can in three backpacks. If you get caught out there you'll need supplies," Ralph said. His eyes were so sharp and thoughtful Katie couldn't look at him. His expression reminded her too much of her father.
"MREs, ammo," Katie ticked off.
"Flashlight, knives…" Ralph trailed off. "I should go with you."
"No, no. You belong here with Nerit."
A loud crash made everyone jump. Jenni ran across the room and whipped back the curtains. An enormous zombie stood slamming his body into the bars. Despite looking like his entire family had gorged themselves on his flesh, there were still lots of him to hurl against the barred window. The empty cavity of his torso beyond the sheets of shredded flesh made Katie turn away.
"You fucking stop that," Jenni shouted at him and slammed her hand against the glass.
The zombie growled and slammed into the bars again.
Something about him seemed to drive Jenni over the edge. She was running up the stairs before anyone could even react. Katie followed, her boots thudding against the wood steps.
"Jenni!"
Jack charged past her, barking, excited.
When Katie hit the second floor, she saw no sign of Jenni. She saw the door to the back patio was open. Running to the doorway, she saw Jenni standing near the rail, gun raised, Jack poised at her heels, barking away.
"Hey, fuckface!" Jenni's voice was full of hatred.
The zombie turned slowly, saw her up on the balcony, opened his mouth to shriek, and rushed forward. As soon as he was clear of the window, Jenni put a nice little hole through his right eye. The enormous zombie pitched forward, onto two female zombies who had turned to see Jenni and effectively trapped both of them under his enormous girth.
Katie stood next to Jenni, a little shocked.
Jenni turned and looked at her, then shrugged. "He looked like my Dad," she explained. She walked past her into the building.
Katie stood for a moment, registering this. Jenni's sanity had been in question since yesterday; but then again, they were all slightly insane now, weren't they? She watched the two female zombies trying to wiggle out from under the huge dead man and slightly smiled. Turning on her heel, she followed Jenni back down the stairs.
Jenni stood near the top of the stairs waiting. From her expression, Katie knew she was struggling internally.
"We should have gone last night," Jenni whispered.
"In the dark? With those things?" Katie lifted an eyebrow. "Would you really want to do that?"
Jenni sighed and shook her head. "I'm just worried about Jason."
"I know, but we have to take care of ourselves, too, you know."
"I know, Katie." Jenni sighed softly. "I know."
Packing was quick. Ralph being an old pro, he knew what they needed.
Nerit gave them a cooler full of sandwiches and drinks. She seemed especially pensive, but she smiled reassuringly whenever her gaze rested on them.
Katie was busy double-checking the small bag holding their ammo when Nerit came up and laid Katie's phone next to her on the table.
"I found this up on the roof. I thought you may want it," she said in her warm, rich accented voice.
Katie glanced at it and hesitated. "There isn't any service anymore."
Nerit nodded, but flipped the phone open to show Lydia's lovely face smiling up at them. "For her, not the service."
Katie looked at her sharply, her hand closing the phone, but her gaze anxious, waiting.
"She was beautiful. And she loved you. I can see it in her face," Nerit said softly.
Katie's eyes filled with tears for a moment. "She was my life."
Nerit looked past her to Jenni. The other woman was rearranging one of the backpacks with a very dire expression on her face. "But now you are going to take care of her. And her son. I can see it in your eyes. It's what you do."
"Well, I can't say you're wrong. I was a prosecutor. I tried to find justice in the world," Katie admitted.
Nerit took Katie's hand in her old, leather one, and pressed it between her palms. "You are a good person, Katie. Come back safe. I think I want to know you better and make you family."