The lunch wagon, two portable office buildings, and a variety of chairs and tables had been arranged on what remained of the old building's foundation.
Blue tarps were made into makeshift tents. Everything that could be useful had been organized in another area. Building materials, tools, machinery, anything at all that could be used to defend the fort was neatly organized in another corner. It was all about imagination and making do at this point.
Travis had been damn impressed with the spiked perimeter. He had never thought of breaking down the wrought iron fence for something like that.
"I figure this. We got people still out there alive. Curtis has been talking to them every day on the CB. If we could actually make a "safe" not crazy ass way to get into the fort, we could have more people in here," Juan said to him.
"Yeah, but do we have the resources?"
Juan shrugged. "Who knows? We just gotta figure it out as we go. This is the new Eden, dude, whether we like it or not."
Travis looked around the site glumly and sighed. "Yeah, dammit. Just how the hell are we supposed to save the world?"
Juan shrugged. "Not the whole world. Just what little we can carve out of it for ourselves."
Travis motioned to the back of the hotel. "I want to get in there. There is plenty of room in there for everyone and it would be helluva lot more comfortable than trailers and cots."
Juan nodded. "That will be a big undertaking. At least they hadn't officially opened yet and there was only training staff the first day. Maybe twenty people? But with the guns we can clear them out easier."
Travis sighed. "I'd like to avoid guns at all costs. It will probably draw more of the zombie's attention. Katie grabbed some crossbows and archery stuff back at Ralph's, but we'll definitely need to practice a lot with those before we use them. Same with the guns."
"You know, it's really sissy of you not to like guns."
Travis gave Juan a look. "Yeah, well, I had staunch Democratic parents who were former hippies."
"Well, "give peace a chance" will get your ass kicked now days. Well, more like eaten," Juan reminded him.
"Yeah," Travis rubbed his forehead. "Yeah. The rules are all different."
"Except the lesbian rule. Lesbians are still hot," Juan decided.
"Especially those two."
Travis looked to where Juan was pointing and was surprised to see Katie and Jenni standing out on the back steps of city hall. Katie was in a tank top and shorts and Jenni was in an over-sized man's shirt that went down to her knees. They were animatedly talking and laughing. It was very late, so they probably couldn't sleep. The day had been tiring, but invigorating at the same time. Travis and Katie returning with Bill had been seen as a victory in the fort.
"Katie is a lesbian, but I don't think-"
"No, no, dude, they are together. Everyone knows it." Juan grinned and nudged him with his elbow. "Too bad they don't like guys. Maybe they'd invite one of us to have fun, you know, if they liked the ol' man meat"
Travis gave Juan a long look. "Man meat?"
Juan grinned. "But I wouldn't mind watching, even if I couldn't touch.
Travis' brow furrowed with confusion. "I'm pretty sure that Jenni-"
"Nope, she likes the chicas. I heard it on good authority."
"Well, damn," Travis said, his voice edged with disappointment.
"Yeah," Juan said, but was obviously daydreaming about something highly pornographic.
Katie and Jenni started the long walk toward them, both of them barefoot he noted. Katie looked better than she had for days and it made him feel good. He really liked her. She was a hot lesbian buddy, he thought. And Jenni, well, she was just crazy and precious all rolled into one.
"Hey, guys, what's up?" Katie asked.
"Figuring out our next move," Travis answered. He couldn't help but study both of them rather suspiciously.
Jenni gave him her sweetest smile. Her long black hair was flowing around her face and occasionally she would wrinkle her nose at the stench.
He looked at Juan, who just gave an affirmative nod.
"What's up, guys? Seriously," Katie said, giving them both an inquisitive look.
Travis opened his mouth to answer truthfully, but Juan said, "Talking about the archery stuff. I don't know if anyone is going to remember their camp days good enough to figure out how to use it."
"Oh, well, yeah, but if we could use it instead of guns unless in highpressure situations, it could cut down on how much attention we attract,"
Katie said.
"Attracting attention," Juan said in a way Travis knew he wasn't talking about zombies.
"Um, yeah." Katie gave Juan an intense look.
Jenni just kept smiling at Travis. "What do you think, Travis?"
"That we're fucked," Travis answered truthfully. "But we can do our best to get unfucked."
Katie gave him a long look. "Sounding a little bitter there, Travis."
"Well, you know."
A voice called out and one of the construction workers ran over to them.
It was the big, black man named Mike. "Travis, Juan, we have a situation."
Travis noted that Mike was holding one of the rifles. It made him nervous despite the fact Mike was former Army. "What is it?"
"You better come see," Mike answered.
They all followed the tall man and ended up at the far end of the complex. There was a platform erected for the sentries to keep watch. They had created a sort of blind to keep the zombies from seeing the guards, but it gave the guards some hassles with its limitations on how much they could see. Mike had taken down the blind and he pointed down over the wall past the hurricane fence.
Four zombies were twisting on the metal spikes, groaning and pumping their arms and legs as if they could swim off of them. A fifth had landed headfirst onto the spike and was finally really dead. The four survivors saw the living staring at them and went nuts trying to get free.
"Fucking shit, they're climbers now."
Travis swallowed hard at Juan's words. "Some of them at least. Wake up some more people, Juan. We need to triple the guards. Get them armed. We don't need them swarming us in the middle of the night."
"We better check the entire exposed perimeter," Katie said softly.
Travis noted she and Jenni were holding hands. "Yeah, dammit. Just when this place was feeling a little safe."
"I knew those fuckers were smarter than they appeared. Dammit, first they’re runners, now they’re climbers. They're breaking all the fucking zombie rules!" Juan looked personally insulted by this development.
Travis turned to the two women and laid his hands gently on their shoulders. "Both of you get some rest. We'll watch the perimeter."
"Fuck that! I've slept enough. I'm gearing up," Katie answered firmly.
Jenni nodded, agreeing. "I'm with Katie. If there are zombies coming over our walls, I'm going to be there to shoot them."
"You're both crazy, you know that?"
"Yeah, but that's why you like us," Jenni said flirtatiously.
Katie flashed him her brightest smile. "We'll be right back, Rambo."
Travis watched them hurry away and turned back to Mike and Juan. He could tell how dire the situation was. Juan hadn't even glanced at the departing women.
"This isn't good," Juan said grimly.
"We'll deal," Travis answered. "We have no other option than to deal with it and not let them in."
Mike picked up one of the makeshift spears. "I'll deal with them."
"Make it quick," Travis answered. "We don't need to give the rest of them ideas."
"Climbing zombies. That's definitely breaking the rules," Juan said.
Travis ran his hand over his holstered gun. "Yeah, well, the rules are shit now. Let's get to work."
3. Not Fast Enough
Katie couldn't get dressed fast enough. Shoving her feet into her boots, she glanced over at Jenni, who nearly toppled over as she hopped into her jeans. Jason was fast asleep and snoring with Jack snuggled into his side watching the two women suspiciously. Their nonstop chatter had annoyed the teenager earlier in the evening as they had caught up on all that had happened while they had been apart. Katie had enjoyed that time immensely.
It had almost been like a slumber party. But now, dammit, reality had hit.
Zipping up her camouflage pants, Katie leaned over and quickly tied her boots. Her arms and hands were hurting like hell from the bruises and sprains she had received from dangling off that damned “elevator over hell," as Juan had put it.
"Think they'll all come over?" Jenni asked worriedly.
"No, or they would have already, but we need to move fast before enough figure it out to cause us real trouble," Katie grabbed her rifle and headed out the door. "Meet you down there."
"Okay! I'm almost ready!" Jenni flopped onto the bed and started in on her boots.