A hundred thousand zeds. I shivered. A herd of forty nearly got the best of us today. The last thing I could fathom was an endless herd heading straight toward us.
Manny continued. “They’re slow, but they make a wide path, and they trample everything. The bastards are relentless. They only stop to feed. As soon as we’d get in front of one herd, we’d run into another. They got my Marcia when we first tried to leave the house we’d spent the night in. I tried to get to her, but…well, she’s with them in hell now.” He rubbed a hand through his greasy hair. “We’d finally put a couple hundred miles between us and them. We stopped at Freeley when the sun set. We were planning to come here first thing in the morning, but when we’d awoke, a herd had found us. We tried to get out, but we lost several good people. We’d been holed up in that house for damn near a week, losing time that we don’t have.”
“You think these herds are headed this way?” I asked the instant before I knew Tyler would voice the same question.
Manny nodded with a pained expression. “They’re headed this way, that’s guaranteed. We figure they’re migrating. Near as I can tell, zeds from as far north as Canada are picking up small herds as they move south, until their numbers become like locusts.”
Tyler pursed his lips before letting out a sigh. “Well, shit. I definitely want to learn more about this zed problem, but your folks need food and rest. We can talk more over dinner. Tonight, Vicki is making a rare treat, pumpkin for dessert. You and your people are welcome to stay as long as you need.” He pointed down the road to the south. “I have a farmhouse set up about a mile from here for you to stay in tonight. As long as you play fair, you’ll see no aggression from Camp Fox. If you want to make your stay more permanent and live within the park, we’ll have to talk. There are conditions all residents must agree to.” He motioned to Griz and Tack in the Humvee closest to the gate. “My men will take your people into the park for dinner and then to the farmhouse so you can clean up and rest. Sound good?”
The other man nodded. “I owe you my life and my thanks. Your offer is more than fair.” Then he held out his hand.
This time, Tyler shook it.
A blond guy approached Manny. I could see the white tip of a thick scar peeking out from the V-neck of his shirt. He reached behind him and I readied my spear. Instead of pulling out a weapon, he held up a picture of a family. I assumed he was the man in the photo, though the beard and a hundred pounds less fat made it tough to tell. In the picture, a middle-aged man posed with a kindly looking woman and a teenaged girl. All three looked happy. Obviously, it had been taken before anyone had heard of zeds.
He shoved the picture in my face. “Please, you have to help me. My wife and daughter are still in Marshall. If you can give me some supplies, I can go back for them while the others go ahead and find somewhere safe.”
“Bill, we’ve talked about this already,” Manny said with a sigh.
“I know, but I can’t leave them alone for much longer. I need to get back to them,” Bill replied before looking again at me. “Please. It’s my family.”
My lips tightened. He was clearly trying to get me on his side, likely because I was a woman. He was playing to the wrong person. Of the pair in front of him, Tyler had the softer heart. He was generous, always ready to help someone in need. I was selfish. Everything I did was to protect Jase, Clutch, and me. With every stranger we helped, we put ourselves at risk. Our days were already full from sunrise to sunset with keeping Camp Fox clear of zeds and searching houses and gardens for food. The idea of giving up even one day to help someone I didn’t know or trust brought on an instant tension headache.