“Get out of my face!”
Blanche shoved Katie back with both hands. Linda caught Katie as she stumbled back. The next few minutes were sheer chaos. Jenni swooped in like an avenging angel, shouting in Spanish. Curtis tried to intercept her, only to be pushed out of the way. Blanche commenced screaming about her sister, the Texas state senator, and why she deserved to be treated better. Katie wasn’t hurt by Blanche’s push, but everyone seemed to think she should sit down, much to her chagrin.
It wasn’t until Bill showed up that any semblance of order returned to the hotel lobby. He got everyone separated and ordered everyone not involved to move on. “She said if I cleaned her pigpen of a room she would give me Imotrex. Manny is suffering really bad migraines, and I wanted to get him some pills. We ran out a few weeks ago, and none of the supply runs have brought in any more.” Linda explained with her voice edged with her anger.
“She did a shitty job, tried to steal stuff, and has no right to lip off at me!” Blanche tossed back her hair and glowered at Bill. “Besides, I don’t have the Imotrex here. She’ll have to go to my house and get it.” “What? You didn’t say that!”
Katie caught Linda’s arm before she could launch herself at Blanche. Jenni grabbed Linda’s other arm and whispered something to her in Spanish.
Bill sighed softly and shook his head. “Blanche, we took everything we could use out of your house.” “You thieves! How dare you!”
“Calm down. We told Stephen all about it. We take what we can to maintain the fort wherever we can. You know that.” “You’re a bunch of thieves! I can’t believe this!”
“Fuck this,” Linda growled. She pulled away from Katie and Jenni, shaking her head. “I can’t believe I was fooled by that bitch! I’m not doing a damn thing for you ever again!” She stalked off. Curtis fell in behind her, motioning to Bill that he’d calm her down.
Bill shifted his belt up over his belly. “Blanche, you best just let this drop. You did Linda wrong and everyone knows it. You ain’t making many friends around here.” “I don’t need friends. I should have left when my sister told me to. I’d be with her, safe and sound, and not dealing with you disgusting hicks.” Blanche whirled around on her high heels and stalked off.
Bill let out a long, slow sigh. “She’s such a whore,” Jenni decided.
“Her sister is even worse. I had the displeasure of meeting her more than once.” Katie rubbed her belly, feeling very tired.
“I didn’t vote for her,” Jenni grumbled. “Of course, I never voted, but...” She shrugged.
Bill hooked his thumbs over his belt and looked thoughtful. “She’s trouble. We all know it. It sucks that she scammed Linda like that, but she’s not used to being ordinary folk and taking care of her own needs. Her money is worthless now and she can’t get anyone to help her keep her place clean. Stephen is even more helpless.”
“I’m not going to feel bad for her,” Katie said in a low voice.
“Don’t expect you to,” Bill answered. “But we need to remember she’s a very unhappy viper. She’s gonna strike out at whoever is closest to her at any given moment.”
“We should make a suggestion box for the Vigilante,” Jenni murmured. “I got a name to shove into it.” “Jenni, behave.” Katie hooked her fingers through her friend’s and squeezed.
With a sigh, Jenni relaxed her stance and tugged Katie to her feet. “Let’s get out of here.”
Bill’s expression was thoughtful as the two women walked toward the elevators. Finally, with a shrug, he walked on. “Poor Bill,” Jenni said softly. “He has to deal with all the crazy shit.”
“What isn’t crazy nowadays?” Katie asked, arching a brow.
Jenni laughed. “True dat.”
2. Rough Spots
Nerit watched as the small bonfire sparked and blew dark smoke up into the graying sky. Another supply run was done and the storage rooms were restocked. But with that gain, came more loss. As she watched Charlotte burning the blood soaked clothing of some of the returning fort members, she couldn’t help but think of Bob lying out there beside the road. If possible, some fort volunteers would retrieve him and dispose of what remained of his corpse in the landfill. Proper burial was a thing of the past.
“One loss,” Ed said beside her, as if reading her thoughts. “And seven more people to feed and care for.”
“It never balances out,” Nerit answered. “Rune, the long haired one, says he’s moving on after the ice storm. The rest say they want to stay.” Ed was chewing some tobacco he had managed to snag at a convenience store.
Nerit was indulging in another cigarette, grateful the salvage team had brought more boxes. She wasn’t picky about the brand anymore. The cigarettes calmed her nerves and were her one small luxury in this life without Ralph. She missed her husband everyday, but she couldn’t think too long about his death or she began to feel tired and old.
“Lenore snuck back a whole bunch of beauty supplies for Ken,” Ed added after a few beats. “I just looked the other way.”
“I would have, too. People need a few pleasures.”
“I think they’re gonna set up a beauty shop.” Ed’s craggy face broke into a slight smile.
Nerit laughed. “Honestly, I think that may help morale. Life has felt pretty heavy lately.”
In the distance, cold rain was falling in a gray curtain over the hills.
“My boys were hoping I’d ask you out.” She choked on the smoke billowing out of her lungs. “Oh.”
“I told them that you’re too much of a man for me. That you could probably kick my ass ten ways until Sunday.”
Half-coughing, half-laughing, Nerit grinned. “Probably.”
Ed crossed his arms over his chest and planted his feet firmly apart. “I ain’t gonna ask you out, Nerit. I admire you something fierce and yer my friend. Knowing my boys, they’ll be dropping hints like crazy. I thought you should know.”
“That’s fine, Ed. And I am flattered.” Nerit smiled slightly, trying not to think of Ralph and her own adult children. She had hope that her children and grandchildren were still alive in Israel, but hope was all she really had. “Storm is going to hit hard. Better sound the alarm and get everything tied down.”
“Agreed. Please take care of it,” Nerit said.
Ed stared at her, studying her calm countenance, then nodded. “You got it.” Nerit continued to stare at the small fire. She was in pain and didn’t want Ed to know it. Her hip and leg were throbbing, and she was afraid to move. There was no way she would show weakness. The people in the fort had elevated her to a legendary status, and she would not disappoint them by appearing fragile.
As he walked away, Nerit relaxed a little. A few minutes later, Travis joined her. He slid an arm over her shoulder and gave her a light hug. Despite her resolve to be a hard ass, she rested her head on his shoulder for a few seconds. He reminded her so much of her eldest son at times. It was nice to feel comforted.