Retaliation: The Mortis Desolation, Book Two (14 page)

D
espite Ron
and Mike’s protests, Daniel continued on the road toward Jefferson Memorial. They believed that they should follow the Roves, but Daniel knew that they were long gone. They’d sped off in a truck, so there was no way they’d be able to catch up to them in time.

No, they’d continued on to Jefferson Memorial. It was the only place they knew the Roves were for
sure
. Plus, Daniel hoped to find any sign of Miles. Jefferson was the only place Daniel knew Miles had gone. That is, if Miles even made it there.

Daniel didn’t want to think about that, though. Sure, he and Miles had their differences, but they’d still been through a lot together. Daniel would always have his back. He had even more respect for him now that he knew what it was like leading a team out into the wild. That level of stress wasn’t something Daniel was comfortable with. He was more used to negotiating or mediating between two parties. Political stress, not life-or-death, zombies-trying-to-kill-you stress.

Daniel looked forward to the day when he could be back behind Jefferson Memorial’s Wall, making sure the place ran smoothly. He’d leave the fighting to Miles. Of course, he just had to
find
Miles first.

“How much farther?” Mike asked.

“Not much,” Daniel replied.

“Then we gotta walk all the way back once we’re done?” Ron groaned.

“Unless you learn how to fly,” Daniel said.

Mike and Ron chuckled, despite their sour moods. “There’s hope for you yet, Daniel,” Ron said.

Daniel wasn’t so sure about that, but he just smiled in response and kept on walking.

“What’s the plan once we get there?” Mike asked.

“We’ll keep our distance but just watch the place from every way we can. Hopefully we’ll be able to get a glimpse of how many people they got in there. If they’ve got a blindspot, we’ll be able to get up close and try and listen through the Wall.”

“Sounds good to us,” Ron said.

“Yeah, I guess. I’d just hate to get captured or something,” Mike said.

“Well, of course. Nobody’s saying you do,” Ron replied, rolling his eyes.

“No, I know, I’m just saying—”

“—Guys,” Daniel said, interrupting them. “Let’s just walk in silence, okay? We’re getting close. Don’t want to have to deal with any zombies on top of everything else.”

They continued walking in silence. They walked past a sign that read
Meridian, One Mile.

“Just one more mile, so stay sharp,” Daniel said.

After a bit more walking, Daniel and his group reached the edge of town. Daniel breathed in the fresh Meridian air. He knew there was no difference in the air here and the air somewhere like Riven, but still, he enjoying breathing this air more. This air felt like home, and Daniel couldn’t help but smile.

They walked through town, making sure to stay on edge. They didn’t want someone—or some
thing
—sneaking up on them. They also didn’t want to make their presence known, so that meant shooting at any attackers was a last resort. Daniel made sure to reiterate that if they were
very
quiet, they wouldn’t have anything to worry about. He had a feeling that might be difficult for Mike and Ron, but they were doing well so far, so Daniel hoped for the best.

Up ahead, Daniel saw a car lot. He smiled. That was the car lot he and the rest of the group stayed the night in the night they escaped Jefferson Memorial. That seemed like forever ago to him, but it really wasn’t that long at all. Daniel had been through so much in just those few days, it was almost overwhelming to him.

“We’ll rest in that car lot up ahead before going to Jefferson,” he said.

Ron and Mike nodded. Daniel could tell they were finding it difficult to be quiet.

They reached the front of the car lot and walked inside. The lobby looked like even more of a mess in the clear afternoon sunlight. There were drops of blood on the ground leading to the couch from Julia’s gunshot wound.

Ron plopped down on the couch. Daniel was about to warn him that Julia almost bled out on that very couch, but a clattering sound from the back stopped him in his tracks.

Ron and Mike looked at Daniel, who stared at the back door. The door led to the offices, where he and the group stayed the night they were there.

Daniel pulled out his pistol and gestured for Mike and Ron to join him.

Daniel grabbed the doorknob, took a deep breath, and opened the door. The only light source came from the little sunlight that shone through the front windows,and the ambient light leaking through the office windows that were covered with blinds. Daniel scanned the rooms as he walked down the corridor, his eyes adjusting to the darkness.

He reached the door at the end of the hallway, the one that lead to the large main office. There were no windows he could peek through, so Daniel took a deep breath and opened the door slowly, his gun ready.

When the door opened, a fist came from nowhere, punching him hard in the face.

“Ira, wait!”

I
nstead of running
deep into the town, Ira and Andrew ran parallel to Jefferson Memorial. Once they were on the front side of it, they ran deeper into town. They hoped that the Roves would assume that they ran into a building to hide and would search on the other side of town from where they actually were hiding.

“There’s somewhere up ahead that’ll be a good place to hide,” Andrew said.

Ira nodded, even though Andrew was running in front of her, so he couldn’t see her acknowledgement. Ira thought her lungs would explode and her legs would fall off. They’d been running for what felt like forever, and even though she wanted to take a rest, she was too afraid to. Fear kept her legs going. It was a powerful motivator; Ira knew that for sure.

“There it is,” Andrew said after they ran a little bit more.

Ira felt her heart leap for joy before she even saw what Andrew was referring to. She looked and saw a large automobile dealership up ahead. The thought of being able to take a moment’s rest gave Ira a second wind, and she found herself running with renewed energy.

They reached the dealership and came to a stop inside. Ira leaned over on her knees, heaving deep breaths. Her mouth was dry and her head light. Now that she had a moment to catch her breath, she’d realized that she had never been so thirsty.

She looked up and saw Andrew sitting on a couch, catching his breath. She walked over to him and paid no attention to the bloodstains as she sat down next to him. The two of them sat there, catching their breath.

“Do you think they have some water around here?” Ira asked after her breathed slowed.

“They should. If you’re buying a thirty-thousand-dollar car, they’d better at least have some water if you need it,” Andrew said.

“Let’s take a look around.”

Andrew nodded. The two of them walked through a door in the back of the lobby that led to a hallway lined with floor-to-ceiling glass that allowed you to peek into the offices where car dealers did the last steps to their dealings. At least, you could peek into the ones that didn’t have their blinds closed.

“Go to the one at the back,” Andrew said. “That’ll be the owner’s office. He has a mini-fridge in there that should have some water.”

Ira did as he said, and the two of them walked into the owner’s office. The office was substantially larger than the others, and the walls were made from a polished wood. There was a large desk in the back center of the room, and sitting up against the wall behind it was a small mini-fridge.

Ira practically ran to it, throwing the door open. Inside were a couple of bottles of water. Ira grabbed one and tossed it to Andrew. He caught it, and Ira grabbed her own. She guzzled down the water. She tried to pace herself so she wouldn’t get sick but found that difficult to do. The water was so refreshing, and there wasn’t a single dry spot in her mouth or throat. Her thirst was quenched, and she felt as if she could go out and run some more.

But then the ache in her legs reminded her that, no, she didn’t want to run anymore.

She sat down in the large computer chair and closed her eyes for a few moments. She took a couple of deep breaths, enjoying the few moments of relaxation she was given.

She opened her eyes and began to look on the desk. A picture sitting inside a frame next to the computer on the desk caught her eye. There was only a little light seeping in through the blinds from behind her, so she grabbed the picture and pulled it closer. She recognized the young boy in the picture. He was a bit younger, but the resemblance was undeniable.

“Andrew, is this you?” she asked.

Andrew sighed and looked away from her. “Yeah, that’s me.”

Ira examined the picture closer. There were two boys, and standing behind them were a mother and father. They were all smiling and standing in front of a church, wearing their Easter best.

“Is this your family?”

Andrew nodded. He walked across the desk and held out his hand. “Can I see it, please?”

Ira handed him the frame. She could tell something was wrong from the tone in his voice. Andrew held it in his hands like it was a long-lost treasure. His hands started shaking, and he dropped the frame.

It hit the ground and shattered. Ira jumped, the sudden crash frightening her.

She and Andrew went to pick up the pieces at the same time.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I just. I don’t know. It’s ju—”

A door squeaking open down the hallway interrupted him. The two of them froze and stared at the door that led to the office they were hiding in.

“Someone’s here,” Ira whispered.

She could hear the footsteps coming down the hallway. The two of them looked around for somewhere to hide, but they couldn’t find any place that would cover them.

The footsteps stopped in front of the door to the hallway. Ira made a split-second decision. As long as they had the element of surprise, she was going to use it. She ran to a spot next to the door.

The door opened.

Ira attacked. She punched the man walking into the room as hard as she could, but before she could get another punch in, Andrew grabbed her arm.

“Ira, wait!”

“
A
ndrew
?”

“Daniel?”

Andrew let go of Ira, and he and the man she’d just punched embraced in a hug.

“It’s good to see you, kiddo!” Daniel said.

“So you guys really got out in one piece?” Andrew said with a smile.

Daniel nodded. “Yeah, we sure did. What are you doing out here? You got out of Jefferson?”

Andrew nodded his head. “It’s a long story, but some weird shit’s going down there.”

Daniel looked past Andrew, right at Ira. “Who’s this?”

Andrew stepped aside and brought Ira forward. She didn’t like all the eyes starring at her, but she stood tall, trying to look as tough as possible. “This is Ira. She came to Jefferson Memorial, and the two of us escaped together.”

“How’d you get into there with—”

“Like I said,” Andrew began, “long story.”

“Yes, it is. I have someone that has to hear it as soon as possible too,” Ira said.

“Really now?
You’re
trying to help Jefferson Memorial?” Daniel asked.

Ira nodded. “I’m helping a friend. She is nearby. If you’d like to join us, then you can. But I will only tell what happened once. It’s quite a long story, and I’m very tired.”

Daniel nodded. “Well then, ma’am,” he said with a smirk as he stepped aside. “Lead the way.”

T
he gates
to Garner opened as we approached. The wall surrounding the small community rivaled Jefferson Memorial’s. It wasn’t nearly as good, of course, but I was biased.

“Trevor!” A portly man with greasy hair said as he greeted us at the gates. “Long time no s—” The man became speechless when he saw whom we brought with us. “Ben!” he shouted.

Ben ran to him, and the man picked him up, swinging him through the air. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“Thank you!” the man shouted. “Thank you so much!”

Trevor smiled and nodded. “It’s no problem, Hugh. This one sounds like he had quite the adventure. Are you related to him?”

Hugh shook his head. “Not directly, but we’re all family here at Garner.” Hugh put Ben down, and stood to the side, gesturing for us to come in. “Come in, please. I have a feeling Newton is going to want to speak with you.”

Trevor nodded his head. “Yes, I’d like a word.”

We entered Garner, and even with my bias for Jefferson Memorial, I was impressed by the small community Garner had managed to build. There were seven buildings, all of which were built by hand. The dirt road led to a large house at the back. It was an old two-story house, the white paint peeling from its wooden boards. The road leading to it was lined with six buildings, three on each side. These buildings looked new and were built from unpainted wood. People walked between the buildings going about their day. It reminded me of small towns I remember seeing in old western movies.

“This is a pretty nice place,” I said to Cody as we walked to the house at the back of the town.

“For sure. If I didn’t live where I did,” he said, being intentionally vague just in case someone was listening, “this is where I’d set up shop.”

“Who’s this Newton guy we’re seeing?” I asked.

“He’s the guy who founded this place. That’s his house,” he said, pointing to the house at the back. “When more people started showing up, they started building these new buildings and their wall. It’s pretty cool.”

We reached the house and began walking up the steps to the screened-in front porch. The front door was open, and Hugh led us in. We stood in the foyer of the house, which had all sorts of pictures on the wall. To our left was the living room that had couches, chairs, and a large bookshelf filled with books. To our right was the dining room; ahead was a hallway that led to other rooms of the house, and on the left of the hallway were some stairs that led to the second floor.

“Newton?” Hugh shouted from the foyer.

“In here!” a voice shouted from a room behind the stairwell.

We ventured further into the house. Hugh led us to a room that was filled with bookshelves . There was a desk that had all sorts of blueprints and plans on it, behind which in a chair sat a plump old man with a thick head of hair and wiry beard. He looked like Santa Claus, which made me smile. I looked down at Ben. I wondered if he still believed in Santa Claus. I hoped he did. What I wouldn’t do to believe in Santa Claus again. To still have innocence and ignorance enough to believe in someone like Saint Nick.

When Newton saw Ben standing there, he almost started crying. He thanked us profusely, and after their short but sweet reunion, he sent Ben off to go get cleaned up.

“Where are his parents?” I asked as he left the room.

Newton’s face flushed red and his hands turned to fists. “Those damn people came and took them. Most everybody here, too. We tried stopping them, but they outnumbered and outgunned us. They killed Tobias and Paula when they tried to stop them.” He turned to Trevor. “Is there anything you know about them?”

Trevor shook his head. “Not much, unfortunately.” Trevor turned to us. “It’s kinda stuffy in here. Why don’t you guys take a look around, see what you can find.” He looked at me. “You should get some food. Been through a lot.”

I eyed him suspiciously, but Trevor just gave me a wink that Newton couldn’t see. I nodded, trusting his judgment. “All right, I could use something to eat.”

The four of us left the room and walked outside the house.

“I’m gonna take a look around,” Ulysses said. “You coming Vic?”

Victor nodded, and the two of them walked off.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Looks like they don’t wanna be around you,” Cody said with a smile as he watched them walked down the street.

“I’m so offended,” I said. “I wonder why Trevor kicked us out?”

Cody shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe he doesn’t want to show his hand and let Newton know we’ve got an expert on our hands,” he said, referring to me.

“Yeah, well I’d love to
not
be an expert,” I said.

I didn’t mean what I said in a rude way, but Cody apologized. “Sorry, that was kinda insensitive.”

“Don’t worry about it. I got what you meant. Let’s find something to eat. Sound good?” I asked.

“Yeah, sounds good. They have their kitchen set up like a little diner or cafe or something. It’s kinda cool.”

“Well then, let’s check it out,” I said as we began walking down the street. “You guys come here often?”

“Every once in a while we do, just to make an appearance so they don’t get suspicious,” Cody said under his breath. “But we can talk more about that later. Not really the best place to do it here.”

“Makes sense.”

Cody led me to the diner, which was the second building on our left. We walked up the steps on the porch and into the building.

Inside the building were lines of tables and a bar with stools. I couldn’t help but laugh at how strange the place looked. It was like an old-timey bar and diner, except the walls weren’t painted tacky colors and they didn’t have old movie posters on it. They were just bare and wooden.

A teenage girl stood behind the bar, drawing something in her notebook. Besides her, nobody else was in the diner.

“Hey, guys,” she said with a smile.

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, a loud explosion came from outside, shaking the building we stood in. My first instinct was to duck down, which I did. The girl yelled as she hit the deck behind the bar.

I looked out the window and saw that the front gates of Garner were no longer there; it was now just flaming debris. Three trucks came speeding through where the wooden gates were and slammed to a halt in the middle of the town.

I knew instantly who they were. The Roves were back.