It reminded me of any other basement. The walls and floor were brick and cement, and they had that cold, damp look to them. Kerosene lamps were placed all over the room, so it was actually well lit.
One wall was lined with old, moldy looking books on a metal shelves. A huge wooden table sat in the middle of the room, covered in papers and maps. In the corner, another table was covered with weapons; guns, knives, ammunition, pipes.
A doorway was off to the side, but I couldn’t see past it.
Sam went over to the weapons table to discard his own guns, without introducing us to the man and woman standing in the middle of the room.
The man looked to be about thirty with a confident, handsome face. He was dressed similar to Sam, his clothes dirty and worn. The woman had short blonde hair and a warm smile.
“I found them out in the streets,” Sam said absently as he unloaded his ammunition.
“Hello,” the man extended his hand, first to Blue, then to me, shaking our hands. “I’m London, and this is Hope. ”
“Hello,” the woman smiled at us but didn’t move forward.
“This is our compound. ” London gestured to the room around him. “You all look very worn. How long have you been travelling?”
“Awhile,” I answered vaguely, unsure of the exact amount of time that’d passed.
“They had a run-in with the marauders,” Sam said. He leaned up against the weapons table, crossing his arms over his chest.
“The marauders?” Lazlo asked.
“The men with guns in black camouflage,” London clarified. “They raided an army base, and they’ve been trying to rule the town with nihilistic brutality. We’ve been maintaining a stronghold against them. ”
“Remy shot some of them,” Lazlo said, almost proudly. “How many did you kill?” He looked to me for confirmation, but I shook my head.
I swallowed hard and clenched the fist that didn’t have Harlow’s hand. I wasn’t about to brag about anything I had done when Lia had died. I had failed, and four uninfected people died today. Anger flared in me like I hadn’t felt in a long time.
I’d been forced to kill healthy humans, and even if it had been in self-defense, I didn’t like it. We had so few people left in this world, and it was such a horrific waste.
“We lost… someone. ” Harlow sniffled next to me.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” London said earnestly.
“Why don’t you get cleaned up and get some rest?” Hope suggested. “You all look so exhausted. ”
“We have plenty of room for you all,” London said when we hesitated. “We try to look after the people who are left. ”
“Would you like something to eat?” Hope asked, and she held her hand out for Harlow.
Harlow looked up at me, checking to see if it was all right, and I nodded. Somewhat reluctantly, she let go of my hand and let Hope take her. Hope took her into the next room, with Vega.
“Are you coming, Remy?” Blue paused before following Hope and the others into the other room. I shook my head, and he nodded understanding. “Don’t take too long. ”
Blue left with Harlow. Since I didn’t go, Lazlo stayed behind. I thought about telling him to go, but I didn’t want to tell anybody to do anything anymore. Sam eyed us up, and I couldn’t tell if he trusted us or not.
“You’re the leader?” I asked London.
“You could say that. ” London leaned against the table behind him and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Do you know anything about government quarantines?” I asked.
“Not much,” London shook his head. “I haven’t been to one. ”
“Do you know if there’s one nearby?”
“There’s supposed to be one in Idaho. ” He turned to the map on the table behind him. “I haven’t seen it, but I’ve heard there was one near the Wyoming border. ”
I walked over to him to inspect the map myself. It was covered in circles, some black, some red, some green.
“There might be one there. ” London tapped the map. The one he pointed to in Idaho was red.
“What do the colors mean?” Lazlo asked, peering over my shoulder.
“Red are quarantines, green are safe zones, and black are … lost causes,” London said. That explained why the map was almost entirely covered in black circles.
“Thank you. ” I took a step back. “I have to go. ”
“Right now?” Lazlo looked up sharply.
“You are welcome to stay as long as you want,” London reiterated.
“I know, and I thank you, but I can’t. ” I shook my head. “My brother was taken to a quarantine, and I have to find him. ”
“We should at least get some rest,” Lazlo said. “You always say we shouldn’t travel after dark, anyway. ”
I hesitated, hating the truth in his words. I didn’t want to stay here. I didn’t want to wait anymore. I just needed to get to Max and know he was all right. Then… I don’t know. But after what happened today, I didn’t want to slow down anymore.
“Who took your brother to a quarantine?” London interrupted my internal debate.
“Soldiers,” I said. “We were at another quarantine that was infiltrated by zombies. They organized some kind of attack and destroyed the base. ”
“Yes, we’ve been hearing about that,” London said sadly.
“Hearing about what?” My heart sped up.
“Zombies working together. They’re still raving monsters, but they seem to have a more cohesive system,” London elaborated. “The virus has been evolving and adapting, and they’re able to communicate somehow. Perhaps using pheromones like ants. They group together and find the hidden pockets of human life. ”
“Well, that’s pleasant,” Lazlo muttered.
“When your quarantine was attacked, why did they take your brother and not you?” London asked, returning to the topic.
“He was in medical care, and I wasn’t. They evacuated him, and I escaped later, but I haven’t been able to catch up to him,” I said hurriedly.
“He’s sick, and they evacuated him first?” London questioned.
Page 31
“Yeah. He’s eight. He’s just a little kid. ”
“Hmm,” London said, but then nothing more. There wasn’t anything judgmental in his eyes, but I could tell he’d figured out there was more to the story than I was telling.
– 12 –
London didn’t know any more about the quarantines, and he didn’t have any other insight into the evolution of the zombies. He did explain a little more about the compound. They were made up mostly of people from the town. Since it was so isolated, they had been one of the last to get hit with the virus and had a chance to prepare.
Unfortunately, the town split into two camps; London and his people trying to live quietly, and the marauders who wanted to live out some kind of Mad Max fantasy where they robbed and murdered at will.
The people in the compound survived on canned goods and hunting. A water filtration system in the basement kept the virus out of their drinking water. Kerosene lamps and wood burning stoves allowed them to have heat and cook food.
Over fifty survivors were able to live here comfortably, and London insisted they would be happy to take on a few more.
The facility itself was divided up into many rooms, with hallways connecting them like a labyrinth. It was designed to keep both zombies and marauders from being able to infiltrate.
I wasn’t given a full tour, but I didn’t really want or need one. London showed Lazlo and me to the dining hall, where Blue and Harlow were already. Vega never ate before sundown, so she’d gone back to a room to rest. The food seemed to be of the canned vegetable and whatever they could shoot variety.
A few other people were eating down there, looking as mangy as Sam, and they introduced themselves. Other than polite salutations, I didn’t talk to them. I was not staying here long enough t
o get to know people.
Lazlo, on the other hand, was chatting with anyone who would let him. From what I could gather, the people seemed friendly and as sane as the situation would allow.
“You guys won’t believe this,” Sam said. He came into the dining room after checking the perimeter, and he looked about as shocked as his blank expressions could manage. “There’s a lion outside. ”
“A real lion?” a woman asked in a hushed tone.
“Oh, yeah, she’s Remy’s,” Lazlo said, and I lowered my head.
“You have a pet lion?” Sam asked skeptically, and everyone’s eyes turned to me.
“She’s not a pet,” I said. “Not like a cat. But… yeah, she’s with us. So… don’t shoot her. ”
“You’re lucky I didn’t. She took off when I saw her, but she’s hanging around here. ” Sam had already lost interest in the lion and moved onto fixing himself a plate, which consisted of some kind of bitter meat and canned wax beans.
After we finished eating, Hope took us to where we would be sleeping, giving us one of the empty rooms. It held ten army style metal bunk beds, but nobody was in it.
Vega set up in the far corner of the room, away from everyone else, and immediately began praying. Blue left with Hope to check out the medical care, and the rest of us settled in.
Harlow had seemed better over dinner, but when she lay down in the bottom bunk, everything that happened today must’ve hit her. She slipped off her boots without complaining of the damage to her feet, and lay on the covers, twisting her gold cross around her neck and staring up at the bunk above her.
“How are you doing?” I asked, tossing my bag on the bed across from her.
“Tired. ”
“You need some rest. ” I went over to her bed to pull the covers up and noticed she had bled through her socks again. “Your feet don’t look so good. I’ll have Blue check on them when he gets back. ”
“Whatever. ” Harlow pulled the thin white sheet up to her chest and rolled over so her back was to me. I sighed and decided to leave her be.
Lazlo, in his usual fashion, had called dibs on the top bunk of my bed, even though there were plenty of empty beds in the room. After giving up on Harlow, I sat down on my bed and took off my shoes. I was about to slip off my jeans when Lazlo dangled his head over the edge of the bunk to look at me.
“Do you want me to leave so you can change?” Lazlo asked.
“You could just stay up on your bunk,” I said.
“Yeah, okay. ”
He pulled his head up over the edge, and I slid off my pants. I had a small pair of pajama shorts shoved in my bag, on the off chance I got to sleep comfortably, and I dug around for them.
Meanwhile, the whole bunk shook as Lazlo wriggled around, and I didn’t understand why until I saw his jeans drop over the side of the bed, followed by his tee shirt.
“Done!” Lazlo announced with some pride.
“I didn’t realize it was a race,” I muttered as I yanked on my shorts.
“Well, now you do,” he replied. “This isn’t so bad, right?”
I climbed underneath the covers. The bed, the pillow, and the sheet were all incredibly thin, but it was better than sleeping on the ground. And it felt better than sleeping at Korech’s ranch.
I looked over at the bed next to me, and based on her breathing, Harlow was already asleep. I think even she felt better here. Or she would, once she got past how she felt about losing Lia.
“I mean, you’re glad I talked you into staying the night?” Lazlo asked when I didn’t say anything.
“Yeah, I’m glad. ”
“We can leave in the morning, and we’ll do better because we’re rested,” Lazlo said, almost cheerily, and my stomach knotted up.
I stared up at the bunk above me, where Lazlo was hidden on the other side. I had no intention of taking him, or anyone, with me tomorrow. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to have the argument now, or first thing in the morning.
“You’re not coming with me tomorrow. ” I grimaced and decided it would be better to get it out of the way.
“What?” The bed moved and his head appeared over the edge. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m going by myself tomorrow,” I reiterated and refused to look him in the eye.
“What? What the hell? Why?”
“Shh! Harlow is sleeping!” I said. I glanced over at her, and she moved a little, but I don’t think she woke up.
Lazlo turned around and dropped to the ground, wearing only his boxers. He had tangles of ivy tattooed across his hips and lower abdomen, and the lyrics from one of his songs scrawled across his chest. I didn’t want to notice him shirtless so I kept my eyes fixed on the bunk above me.
Page 32
When he crouched down next to me, he leaned his arms on my bed so his face was right next to mine.
“You’re leaving by yourself?” Lazlo sounded a little hurt. Which was really stupid, since leaving by myself was in his best interest. He’d be safer here.
“It’s safe here. This is a nice place. ” I motioned to the bunks. “It’s not so bad. ”
“Yeah, for a night. ” Lazlo backpedaled on his earlier proclamation.
“Oh, come on. You know you’re not gonna find a place much better than this. This is damn near paradise. ”
“There’s a raving band of marauders who might gun us down,” he pointed out. “Most other places only have zombies. So that makes it a little worse. ”
“Maybe. I just think that I should go by myself. After what happened today, I just…” I trailed off, unwilling to articulate exactly what I felt.
“This is about Lia?” Lazlo asked, much louder than I would’ve liked.
He wasn’t shouting by any means, but Harlow was right there. She twitched and moaned in her sleep, the way she usually did, and I looked over at her. I did not want to her to hear anything about Lia. It would only upset her more.
“Come on,” I sighed and got up.
I was in pajamas, and this place was a maze, so I didn’t go very far. On the other side of the room, close to where Vega slept, I stopped and leaned up against a wall between two bunks.
“So this is about Lia?” Lazlo put one of his hands on the top bunk, leaning on it, and watched me.
“She got killed today because of me. ” My voice miraculously stayed even, but a pain grew in my chest. “I never should’ve let her leave Korech’s ranch. ”
“Oh, come on,” Lazlo scoffed. “That guy was a total sicko, and you know it. Besides that, you didn’t ‘let’ her do anything. It was her choice. ”
“No, you said it yourself. Survival has a different price. She was safe there! Maybe Korech was a perv. But if she had stayed there, she’d still be alive today. ”
“Maybe,” he allowed. “But maybe she would’ve died anyway. Who knows? But it was her choice to leave. She didn’t want to be there, and you didn’t have any more right to force her to stay there than you do me. ”
“I’m not gonna let you follow me around and get yourself killed. ” Frustrated tears stung my eyes, and I hated it. “I got her killed today, and I won’t do that to you. ”
“I liked Lia,” Lazlo said gently. “She was a really nice girl, and I am sad that she’s gone. But you can’t blame yourself for her death just because it hurts. ”
“I blame myself because it’s my fault!” I insisted. “I never should’ve let her leave the ranch. And when she was dying, I didn’t even go out to her. I let her die alone. ”
A tear rolled down my cheek, and I wiped it away as quickly as I could.
“Hey. ” Lazlo reached out to touch my shoulder, and I pulled away, so he let his hand fall. “None of that is your fault. You risked your life to stay back and cover us so we could get away. And when she was dying, you were saving Harlow’s life.
“You saved Harlow’s life today, and mine, and Blue’s and Vega’s
. You can’t forget that. But you can’t save everybody all the time. ”
“I know that,” I nodded, swallowing hard. “That’s why I don’t want you to go with me. ”
“Is everything okay?” Blue asked. I hadn’t noticed him walking over to us, and I rubbed my hands on my cheeks to dry them.
“Yeah, it’s great,” I replied quickly.
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Blue looked between Lazlo and I, both of us just in our pajamas.
“No, of course not,” I shook my head.
“I checked things out, and they have a doctor, a vet, and three nurses here,” Blue said. “So they’re pretty well staffed in that regard. I want to keep going with you to the quarantine. I know they have larger medical facilities, but they have a larger population too. I think I could really be of help there. ”
“Yeah, okay. ” I nodded. “I wanna leave tomorrow. ”
“All right,” Blue gestured to his bed by Harlow’s. “I’m gonna go get some sleep. And I’ll leave you two… to it. ” He offered a smile, then walked back over to his bed, with Lazlo staring after him.
“What was that?” Lazlo turned back to me.
“What?” I asked, confused by his shift in emotion.
“He asks to come with you, and you say ‘sure?’” Lazlo raised an eyebrow.
“He has a good reason,” I said. “And I don’t have to spend all my time worrying about him. ”
“So…” Lazlo grinned, and I knew that I had said something wrong. “You worry about me?”
“Yeah, because you’re an idiot and you’re gonna get yourself killed. ” I tried to put him back in his place, but his smile only faded a little. “Why do you even wanna come with me, anyway? This place has everything you need. ”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged. For a moment, he lowered his gaze, looking thoughtful. “I guess it just never occurred to me that I wouldn’t go with you. ”
“That is not a good enough reason. It’s not even a reason at all. ”
“You need me,” Lazlo said finally, his dark eyes meeting mine. “Yeah, I know you’ve saved my life and gotten my back before, but I’ve saved you, too. You can’t do this alone. And I’m going with you. ”
“Lazlo…” I tried to think of an argument against that, and he leaned in closer to me. I wanted to back up and move away, but I was against the wall.
“You wanna get your kid brother? You’re gonna need back up. The way I see it, you don’t have a choice. ” He looked at me so intently that it made me short of breath.
“We should get to bed,” I managed eventually, my voice sounding weaker than I liked. “If we’re gonna leave in the morning. ”
“Right on,” Lazlo grinned broadly, as if he’d won something worth winning.
As I slid past him to walk back to bed, I glanced over to where Vega knelt next to her bed, praying. Her chant-like prayers didn’t sound so much like words as grunts. Her back was to me, but she appeared to be shaking. Lia’s death must’ve gotten to her more than I thought.
Page 33
“Vega?” I asked, stepping closer to her. “How are you holding up-”
I froze when I realized she wasn’t shaking because she was crying. She was eating her pillow, tearing into it like a rabid dog.
“Shit,” I whispered, taking a step back. “Lazlo, run. ”