“Hello?”
There was no response and he shook his head. The damn ghosts had him spooked. Securing his bags to the bike, he took a deep breath. It was that time again and that was all there was to it. No time for regrets or fear. He rolled his bike out into the open air, noting that the sun had began to slowly peek over the horizon.
“Heading out, Rune?”
It was the old guy named Ed.
“Yeah. Time to go.” Ed stared at him thoughtfully. Behind him, the sentries were charging out on the wall; the early morning crew was arriving to work on the wall reinforcements. In Ed’s gnarled hand was a steaming cup of coffee. Rune would kill for a cup right now, but he didn’t feel like stirring up the ghosts anymore than he had. It was hard enough keeping focused when he had to deal with one or two. He couldn’t deal with a whole town’s worth.
“Well, you’re welcome to stay,” Ed finally said.
“Yeah. I know that. But it’s time to move on. I can’t stay long in one place. My nature don’t permit it.” Rune felt that was explanation enough.
“I understand. I’ll see about getting the gates open for ya.” Ed moved off. Rune straddled his bike and tugged on his thick leather gloves. The braid of white hair fell over one shoulder as he zipped up his leather jacket and made sure to keep his neck covered. As he finished getting ready to head out, he sensed someone standing near him.
Looking up he saw a woman with short brown hair smiling at him. Her long black dress flowed to her shiny black boots and ornate jewelry decorated her neck and wrists. “Damn,” he whispered.
“We’ll let you know when it is time to head back,” she said in a clear, melodic voice. Rune slowly bobbed his head, mesmerized by the woman. “Okay.”
“You’ll be needed later,” she continued.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Stay alive. You’re needed on this side.”
“Okay.” Rune noticed that the edges of her figure blurred slightly. Still, he swore he could touch her if he tried.
Ed stepped through the apparition and she vanished. “Get ready. We’ll open the first gate and once you’re inside, close it, then open the second. Area is clear of zombies, but be careful. Got Katarina, the sniper, watching out.”
“Gotcha. And thanks, man.” Rune clasped hands with the older man, then gunned the motorcycle to life. “You’re always welcome to come back.”
“I think I will head back one day. Kinda...got that feeling.” He pulled on his goggles as Ed nodded his head and walked on.
Once free of the gates, his bike roared down the abandoned streets of Ashley Oaks, away from the fort and into the deadlands.
4. The Whore of Babylon
For once, Jenni dreamed blissful dreams. Secure in Juan’s arms, she slept deeply and did not awaken once.
Juan left early in the morning, leaving her to sleep in. Jenni briefly remembered him kissing her lips before sliding out of bed. She also remembered him kissing her again before he left. When the alarm clock went off two hours later, she groggily climbed out of the bed, naked and disoriented.
After a long hot shower, she pulled on her work clothes and fussed with her hair. The night before had been wonderful and she felt amazingly at peace. Juan was too wonderful for words and she couldn’t help but be happy.
The knock on the door startled her and she walked over and flung it open expecting to see Katie. Instead, it was Blanche. “Oh, hi, bitch.” Jenni couldn’t imagine what Blanche wanted.
Blanche smiled at her. “Hi, spic,” she answered.
Jenni never saw what hit her, but suddenly the world swirled into darkness and she felt herself falling.
*
The two men with Blanche pulled Jenni up off the floor and half-carried, half-dragged her down the hall. Blanche walked swiftly behind them, her hand gripping the kid-sized baseball bat she had used to club Jenni. Her husband was cowering near the service elevator down the hall, and she gave him a fierce look.
“Are you sure-” he started.
“Yes, Stephen” she said sharply. She was very sure. After all her hard work the last few months, she was damn sure. Things would have gone much better if that idiot Shane hadn’t gone after the lesbian, but oh well. Blanche had been paying Shane, Philip and three of their buddies in money and sexual favors (she always did like it rough). In return, the men stored food and supplies at her mansion in preparation for her return. The fort never realized how much the men had diverted to her old abode. Then Shane screwed up, leaving her to make do with his three lackeys. They were simple men who worked on the salvage runs when they weren’t working on new construction. After Shane had called the wrath of the fort down on his head, Blanche had kept a tight reign on her three remaining minions. She liked to think of them as minions. It empowered her.
“Ray, go get Juan. Meet us in the garage near my Hummer,” she said to one of the men. He was the scrawniest of the three, but amazingly good in bed.
“Gotcha,” he said, and hurried off.
“I don’t understand why we need her,” Stephen said in a voice that made her want to claw his eyes out.
Blanche was good at manipulating people and she had done her best to keep herself and Stephen isolated from the rest of the fort. It allowed her to plan her return to the mansion without much interference. Stephen had been the easiest to manipulate. God help the poor man, but he really did love her.
“Because, her spic boyfriend controls the gate and if we have her with us, he will do what we say.” God, he was a total idiot. The only thing he was good for was managing her money and making more of it. He definitely had not done anything to help her out during these hard months at the fort. He had tried to get Travis to give them the Hummer and supplies behind her back, but he had failed, of course. He was lucky he had not brought the fort authorities down on them or ruined her plans. That had nearly happened when Linda, searching for the Imotrex, almost found the contraband the boys had been smuggling to Blanche. The scene she had to make afterward to cover up had been ridiculous, but it had worked.
“Then we let her go?” Stephen asked.
“Of course not. I need someone to clean the mansion,” Blanche said with a laugh. The service elevator opened and they stepped inside. Brewster and Johnson flanked her, Brewster holding the unconscious woman under one arm. Blanche straightened her dress a bit and checked her shoes. She was wearing snake skin boots with her dress and she admired them with a sigh. Soon she would have all of her lovely things back.
Including her Hummer... The doors snapped open to a back hallway and they moved swiftly through it. Stephen followed, clutching their bags. He was at least good for that.