"I don't feel bad, Lydia, because I hate them. I want them all to die. I don't care what they are or once were. And when I knew he would be one of those things, he stopped being human to me and I killed him. And I don't fucking feel bad!"
Lydia leaned down and gently kissed Katie's forehead. "I know, baby. I know. But there is more, isn't there?"
Katie drew back. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Katie, tell me."
"I can't!" Katie stood up and wiped at her face with trembling fingers.
Lydia slowly stood up and took Katie's face between her hands. With infinite tenderness and love, she kissed Katie's lips. Katie clung to her and kissed her back.
"I love you, Lydia. I should have…"
Lydia lightly kissed her again. "Tell me."
Katie shivered and whispered against Lydia's soft lips, "Oh, gawd…"
"Tell me."
"I should have killed you!"
Lydia nodded and drew back. Her figure began to alter before Katie's eyes. Lydia looked down at her chest as a huge hole opened slowly and her emptiness was revealed. Raising milky eyes, Lydia whispered, "You should have."
And then she rushed Katie screaming.
Katie awoke, tumbled off the plastic chair, and landed hard on the roof.
Travis was there in an instant, helping her up.
"Geezus, you're shaking," he said with concern.
Katie looked around, terrified. Her fingers gripped his shirt tightly as she swung her head around, looking desperately for the ghoul from her nightmare. But the rooftop was empty except for them.
"Travis," she sobbed.
"I'm here," he answered, his gaze concerned.
"Travis, I let her down," Katie choked out, then collapsed against him, weeping.
He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, feeling her trembling violently against him. Tenderly, he stood stroking her hair as the woman cried, not understanding her rambling words. But he knew her heart was broken and his broke for her.
At last, he helped her down the stairs back to her room. She walked slowly, weakly, and leaned heavily against him. When he entered, Jenni was just lying down. Seeing Katie, she immediately sprang up and took her from him.
"Katie, honey, what is it?"
Travis released Katie reluctantly and watched Jenni help her lay down.
He stood awkwardly as Katie reached out to Jenni and they clasped hands.
"Lydia," Katie said in a clear voice at last. "She's still out there-one of them."
Jenni knelt next to the cot and sighed. "I know, Katie."
Travis said, rather lamely he thought later, "I think she's upset."
Jenni looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah." She stood, pushed her cot up to Katie's, and lay down. "I'll take care of her."
Katie seemed to relax as Jenni curled up next to her and held her hand.
Travis nodded and backed out of the room slowly. He turned and shut the door behind him.
Juan was coming up the stairs smoking despite all the "Thank You For Not Smoking" signs all over the city hall. The recovery team had brought back beer and cigarettes from the grocery store and Juan was a happy man. He hesitated when he saw Travis.
"Ever see Chasing Amy? " Juan asked after a beat.
"No," Travis answered.
"Eh, yer fucked," Juan decided.
"Yeah." Travis looked at the door.
"Well, I'm off to get shut eye. Loca and I are heading out tomorrow around noon."
"Take it easy out there," Travis answered automatically.
"As long as Loca doesn't shoot me in the ass, it should be just fine." Juan grinned and walked on.
Travis looked back at the closed door and thought of Jenni's expression when she had seen Katie. The compassion in her eyes had touched him deeply. Yeah, he shared something with Katie, but it didn't seem to compare to the bond the women had.
And it made him feel very alone.
He walked on slowly, deep in thought.
4. Not Always As It Seems
“Coast is clear!"
Juan nodded to Jenni and she quickly let herself down the ladder and onto the main street. It was empty of bodies and covered in about a half foot of rich fresh earth. It didn't smell nearly as bad as it had. She walked quickly and confidently to the city truck Juan had pointed out to her. He had once worked for the city as a maintenance guy and was sure it was reliable and ready to go.
Juan dropped down behind her, walking with his rifle in his hands. His long hair flowed curly and crazed from beneath his cowboy hat.
"Almost seems like a normal day," he said.
Jenni looked around and nodded. "Want to go by McDonald's for a McGriddle?"
"Do not torture me, Loca. I loved those fuckers."
The truck perimeter had been moved outward and now a new wall was being erected directly behind it. Also, the storage containers were moved off to their new location as the first of the "locks" was built. Everyone was working hard. Well, except for Old Man Watson. He sat around, smiling, nodding and look pretty oblivious to what was going down.
Jenni drew closer to the truck and ducked down to make sure there was nothing under the truck. Satisfied, she peered into the cab, then opened the door and slid in. Juan followed suit and slammed his door.
"Okay, we are taking the shortest route there. Anything jumps up and follows us, we don't do anything fancy unless we have to. Okay?"
Jenni nodded. "Okay."
"Promise me."
Jenni gave him her snootiest look. "I promise."
Juan rolled his eyes and started the truck.
Jenni settled back in her seat and rested her rifle across her knees. They had actually received a briefing from Mike. They were to stick together and at the first sign of more than one or two zombies, they were to run for safety. If possible, they were to get to a safe position and take out the zombies.
Manpower was spread thin, so two men crews were being trained by Mike.
Despite their bickering, Juan and Jenni had actually done quite well together and felt confident.
Jenni watched the buildings gliding by her window thoughtfully. Many of the businesses were shut down, their fronts boarded up.
"The town was dying," she said.
"Pretty much dead. A developer came in and sold the city council on a big plan to revive it. In the old days, the hotel was actually a prime spot for the old Hollywood stars to come and relax while hunting out in these hills.
The construction site was an old theater that one of those old stars from this area actually built for shows. We're talking early 20s. Not even talkies, but silent films. So the developer was going to tap into that and raise up a whole little bit of old Hollywood here. Even had others interested in buying up the old stores and making them into retro style diners, etc, etc. The big clincher of all this was lobbying to get gambling legalized in the county. It was a crazy idea, but the guy has…had money." Juan shrugged. "I thought it sounded like a load of shit, but it gave a lot of us jobs."
Jenni thought this over. "I'm sure Vegas thought the same thing, huh?"
Juan laughed. "Yeah, probably."
The truck turned down a residential road and they both tensed. There was more of a chance of the undead in this area than in the shutdown downtown area.
Juan swerved around a bike in the middle of the road, dried blood and guts clinging to its frame.
"Fucked up world," he said.
"Yeah."
Jenni glanced into the large picture window of a house as they passed. A woman and little boy stood inside beating on the window. Neither one of them was alive.
"There are still more, trapped inside houses."
"And outside," Juan said and the truck bounced as they ran over a legless zombie.
Jenni giggled a little.
"Yer really a sick chica," Juan said, and his voice seemed to be tinged with appreciation.
"Yep. Pretty much." She flashed her biggest smile at him.
"Too bad yer gay. I might actually ask your sick ass out."
Jenni rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I'm so not gay."
"Ah, c'mon. Everyone knows about you and Katie." Juan made a really obscene gesture with his mouth.
Jenni immediately flipped him off. "Not gay."
"Yep."
"Nope."
"Yep."
"Nope."
"Yep."
"Love the penis, I can assure you," Jenni said and wagged an eyebrow.
Juan nearly drove into a car. "Shit, girl!"
"I do! I was a married woman! I love men. Not you, other men, but I love men."
"So you and Katie aren't…" Juan made another obscene gesture and Jenni smacked him.
"No!"
"Oh." He sounded rather disappointed.
"I kinda like Travis, honestly."
Juan blinked. "Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, I think he's got a hard on for your former girlfriend."
Jenni blinked. "Huh?"
"Yeah. Katie. Though I'm sure he thinks you are a fine piece of ass. Loca, but fine."