“What’s the status?” Travis asked. “One dead. Six permanent new members. And one guy with a bag of grenades passing through,” Nerit answered. “The salvage team managed to get into that gun store in Emorton without bringing the entire town down on them. So we should be set for at least six more months as long as we don’t get hit too hard. More boxed and canned food. Two generators. Fuel. And beauty supplies.”
Travis laughed. “Let me guess: Lenore?”
“Ed said it wasn’t a big thing. He looked the other way.”
Travis shook his head slightly. “Well, it didn’t cause an issue, so we’ll look the other way, too.”
“Bob is still out there,” Nerit said after a long pause.
“I know. I spoke with that new guy, Dale, and he said there are quite a few bodies out there. He said that they came from a rescue station outside of Waco. Two vans made it away when they were overrun. He says the other van got ahead of them and must have had someone inside with a bite. It went off the road and they were swarmed.”
“Ed said there were runners and older zombies. That one area is badly infested thanks to the migration from Hackleburg,” Nerit sighed. The migrating zombies were the result of the fort rescuing survivors under attack by the now defunct bandits. It had been a risk they decided to take. They had managed to rescue four people, but now the shambling dead were wandering through the hills seeking them out. “I think we should take a break during the bad weather to get our bearings and decide what our next steps are. We’ve been in overdrive, and I think people are worn out and cranky.”
“Why don’t we meet up after the weather clears up? Gather up the council and brainstorm?” Travis tucked his hands into his jacket as he gazed toward the approaching storm. “I think that would do us a lot of good.” Nerit admired Travis. He was not a natural born leader, but he was doing his best. “Having our attention focused on specific goals may help shake people out of their malaise a little.”
“And we all prefer that to having a horde of zombies show up on our doorstep to get the old blood pumping,” Travis joked.
“Well, this old blood is going in before the sleet gets here,” Nerit said, patting his shoulder. She was relieved when her legs moved without much of a limp.
“See you later, Nerit,” Travis said, giving her a fond smile.
“God willing,” Nerit answered. It wasn’t until she was in her room with her old dog snoring in the corner that she realized Travis had been holding her up, giving her hip a rest, until she could move again. Collapsing into a chair, a book in hand, she lightly laughed and shook her head.
Maybe Travis was a better leader than she had given him credit for.
Cracking her romance novel open, she began to read.
3. Dangerous Times
Katie stared down at the baby clothes strewn across her bed and felt her heart beat just a little bit faster. Her hand settled against her slightly swollen belly as her gaze slid to Jenni’s anxious face.
“I did good, didn’t I?”
“Amazing.” Katie gently touched a blue onsie and her heart beat even faster.
“I got blue, pink and yellow stuff. I figured we have it covered if it’s Jenni or Travis, Jr.” Jenni picked up a little pink bonnet and set it on top of her head. “Jenni, huh?”
“It’s only natural for the baby to be named after her auntie,” Jenni answered. She posed with the bonnet on her head. “Why wouldn’t she be named after my fabulousness?”
The bonnet fell onto the bed and Katie slowly picked it up. She traced the tiny lace with one finger then took a deep breath. “Oh, God.” She sat down hard on the edge of the bed and tried to calm her trembling hands. “Hey, you okay?” Jenni immediately crawled over the bed to Katie’s side.
“Yeah. Yeah. I think so. I just got overwhelmed there for a second.” Katie forced herself to take another deep breath and felt embarrassed by the tears suddenly brimming in her eyes. “Maybe it’s hormones.”
“Yeah, probably.” Jenni smoothed Katie’s hair back from her face. “You’re okay with having a baby, right?” Katie was a little surprised by the question, but nodded. “Oh, yeah. I’m sure. I’m very sure. So is Travis.”
Jenni kept silent as her fingers kept stroking Katie’s hair. She was obviously waiting for Katie to go on.
“We did decide this together. It was a conscious choice to take our chances. We’re trying to build a life together and this felt like the right thing to do.” It was good to hear the words. Good to be reminded that this was a choice she made and she was responsible for what happened next. If there was a mantra Katie lived her life by, it was to live up to her potential and fulfill her responsibilities. “Despite the zombies,” Jenni said in a soft, worried voice after a long, uncomfortable pause.
Katie bristled slightly. She was very much aware of the criticism by some about her choice to be a mother. “Yes. Despite the zombies. They are here to stay. I don’t see them going away anytime soon, do you?”
“No...” Jenni sighed sadly.
“So what are we supposed to do? Stop living? Stop trying to be happy? Stop trying to build a future just because the dead decided we taste really damn good?”
“Hey, you don’t have to defend yourself to me!”
Katie stood up, clutching the bonnet in one hand and turned toward Jenni. “Are you sure?” She hated the swell of anger filling her, but she couldn’t help herself. She was happy about the baby, overwhelmed at times, but she was happy. It was a piece of Travis inside of her and it made her feel closer to him than she had ever imagined. Before the dead began to attack the living, she had never seen herself as a mother. Her old life had not allowed much room for it. But this life, full of so much grief and terror, was also full of hope. The fort was secure now. It was a place of safety and community.
Jenni didn’t answer, her hands limp in her lap, staring off into nothing. “Jenni?”
“My baby died. My baby was eaten,” Jenni said in a low voice. “I just don’t want anything to happen to yours.” Katie swallowed hard as Jenni’s words expressed her own fears. “I don’t want anything to happen to anyone I love. Every time you are out there, I live in terror that you won’t come back. But I can’t expect you to stop doing what you need to do to help this fort survive. And I can’t stop my life because of those fucking zombies out there.” Irritably, Katie swept a tear off her cheek and sighed.
Jenni finally looked at her and gave her a slight smile. “The old life feels so far away. It did right away, you know. The first day. It just seemed so gone. Like the world was suddenly empty. But it feels fuller now. Like...like...it’s coming back to life.”