Territory of the Dead (Book 2): Phase Two: Evaluate (2 page)

“So what were you and Kellan talking about so quietly?” Jayden asked me, frowning as he walked at a snail's pace.

“He told me we're going into town tomorrow. Did you know about it?” I had a question of my own as I looked up at him.

“No,” he denied, with a shake of his head. “It makes sense, though. We can't just stay here forever.”

I looked around the well-maintained grounds, the house, and the reinforced fence. His home was remote, surrounded on the back and sides by water. This place was like paradise, compared to the death and danger to be found back in Pleasant. I probably could stay here forever.

Kellan was mysterious, but I suspected he was loaded and extremely intelligent. There was a lot I hadn't seen, but what I had, I was impressed by. He was self-sufficient and fully prepared for a disaster of these proportions. It lulled me into a false sense of security, making me comfortable and satisfied with what was to be found here.

But nothing lasted forever. Maybe I needed to go back and be reminded of our new reality. It was a harsh one and a very bitter pill to swallow. My whole future had changed, starting with the very first zombie that slammed against the glass of the grocery store that night. It was never going to be what it could have been.

I felt downcast at the thought. Before this, I'd had dreams. I'd wanted to enjoy my freedom and experience life to the fullest. Maybe even go to Hollywood and try my hand at acting. But all of that was impossible now. There would be nothing waiting for me there but death and decay. Life as we knew it was over.

I sighed, running the back of my hand along my forehead to wipe away the sweat. “Before this, what were you going to be, Jayden?” I asked him thoughtfully.

His lips turned up into a rueful, half-smile. “A video game designer,” he replied, in amusement. “Want to here the most ironic thing of all?”

I nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“I was planning on making a zombie game. I had an awesome idea for it, but it wouldn't have compared to this. Instead of making the game, I'm living it, and it's nowhere near as fun as it's cracked up to be.”

I exhaled miserably as I shoved my hands in my jean's pockets. “You got that right.”

He nudged me with his elbow. “What about you?”

I shook my head, the ends of my ponytail swinging wildly. “Honestly, I didn't have any plans. I didn't even want to go to college. The economy was hitting us hard, and my parents weren't able to send me. We talked about student loans, but it wouldn't have made sense to start out in life with thousands of dollars of debt. I thought I'd work for awhile and see where it went.”

He slid an arm along my shoulders, pulling me close to his athletic frame. His body felt hard as it pressed against my side. My stomach did a flip-flop, my mouth suddenly dry. He was extremely cute, so much so, that even an apocalypse didn't seem to be enough to keep me from thinking about it.

I slid my arm around his waist, using his body for support as we walked along. A week ago, I would have never dreamed this would happen. Now, it just seemed right. It was amazing how much your world could change in such a short time.

“You did good today with your shots,” I told him. It was an understatement. Jayden was a natural. He'd hit the bulls eye with each shot.

“Thanks,” he replied dryly. “Must be from all of the video games I played when I was younger.”

We both laughed, and it felt good. It was nice to think about something normal. All of us had experienced a lot of tragedy lately but especially Jayden. He had to watch his parents and sister die, all within a few minutes of each other.

“How are you really doing?” I asked him hesitantly, not wanting to stir the pot. After all, the deaths of his family were very recent.

His handsome face blanched but he didn't miss a beat as he replied, “I hurt badly. It's like a gnawing pain that never goes away, and late at night, when I'm all alone, is the worst. I try not to think about it, and during the day it's easier to distract myself. At night, though? There are no distractions, and all I can do is think about them.”

I couldn't tell him how sorry I was again. I'd already said it a hundred times since he'd lost them, and it was a horribly inadequate phrase for such a huge tragedy. So instead, I said, “Hang in there, Jayden. I've heard that time is the biggest healer of all. Don't worry about tomorrow. Just take each day as it comes and focus on making it through that.”

I patted him on his muscled back for good measure.

We walked around the back of the house. It faced the lake, the water peaceful and calm. I needed a shower, food, and rest, but I had no desire to go in, yet. “Do you want to sit outside with me for awhile?” I impulsively asked him.

“Sure,” he replied easily, following me over to the patio area.

I sank down into the cushioned chair, grateful to get off my feet and into the shade for awhile. “Wow, I feel like I'm a hundred years old,” I complained, kicking off my shoes and leaning back with a sigh.

His dark eyes narrowed on me appreciatively. “For a hundred, you sure look good.”

I blushed and looked away. “Thanks, I think,” I replied.

Jayden laughed in response. “You're awfully shy, do you know that?”

If he only knew.
“What makes you say that?” I asked him curiously. Whatever it was, I wanted to change it immediately. After all, I was eighteen, not twelve.

He stared at me silently, as if he were carefully planning his next words. “You're just not like other girls. At first, I thought it must mean you were not as developed as others your age, but I can see now it's the exact opposite. You have a maturity within you that surpasses your years.”

I started to speak, but he held up a hand to stop me.

“Other girls our ages are bold and forward when it comes to sex. A man doesn't have to pursue them at all because the girls have already jumped the gun and approached him. And when girls get together? All they talk about it is boys and sex. You don't, though. It's refreshing.”

It was a heck of an answer. I had to think about his words for a moment before I responded. “It's not that I don't think about dating,” I carefully replied. “Or at least I did. All that has changed now, hasn't it? In all honesty, it wasn't too long ago I had a crush on you. All of us did.” I could feel my face flaming again at my confession.

He leaned forward, his face serious. “That was then, but what about now?”

And that seemed to be the million dollar question. How did I feel about him? There was no doubt I still found him attractive. My mom's arrival saved me from responding.

She was carrying a tray with a pitcher of iced tea and two glasses. “I thought you two might be thirsty,” she said cheerfully as she set it down on the table in front of us. “I saw you coming back to the house. When I realized you planned out being outside for awhile, I decided to bring it on out.”

The sun was starting to set in the sky. Within an hour it would be dark, and the temperature had cooled off a lot. “It's a nice evening, isn't it?” she asked as she poured each of us a glass. “If I wasn't working on dinner, I'd come out and join you.”

I thanked her gratefully, taking a nice long sip of the cool drink. My mother made the best iced tea in Louisiana, and it tasted heavenly. “Do you need any help, Mom?”

“No,” she said, patting me on the back. “Amanda and Sara are helping me, and there are nearly too many of us in there now. You just sit out here and visit with Jayden. I'll call you a little bit before it's ready so you both can go upstairs and get cleaned up some.”

She smiled at us before turning to walk back into the house. The kitchen was definitely mom's domain, and she loved it. It helped that Kellan kept his fully stocked. His kitchen was a cook's dream, complete with the latest equipment and cookware. It had inspired Mom enough to turn out her most delicious creations, something we all appreciated.  As much as mom loved to cook, I didn't. I was relieved that I wasn't expected to help.

Jayden sipped at his tea. “Man, your mom's tea is so good.”

“I know, right? I could drink it all day.” Especially, with fresh lemon.

He refilled his glass and curiously looked over at Kellan's buildings. He had several garages and sheds. Each and every one of them was padlocked. “What do you think he has in those?”

I shrugged. “There's no telling. It seems like he has everything. Maybe he has some farm equipment in there.” I almost snorted at the thought. It was hard to picture Kellan in overalls as he rode a tractor.

Jayden shook his head in agreement. “He's definitely unusual.” Taking another sip of his tea, he changed the subject when he asked, “Do you think he has something going on with Sara?”

It was a good question, but not one I wanted to ponder on. “I have no idea. I would hate to even try to guess. Kellan is hard to figure out. I suppose it would make sense, though. I mean, we are still alive. Our feelings didn't die, just because we are in danger.”

Jayden watched the water. “He's got a nice place here, but I'm not sure how long I will be comfortable staying. There's just something about him that rubs me the wrong way, and it makes me uncomfortable. Maybe it's his secretiveness. He's definitely not anything like your dad or James.”

I slowly nodded. “You've got that right.”

He looked back at me and laughed at the expression on my face. “Tabitha, if I didn't know better I'd think you're a zombie. You've got all the symptoms, even the red eyes. The only thing you haven't done yet is try to bite me.” He wiggled his dark eyebrows suggestively.

I smiled at his theatrics. “Don't tempt me.”

He sighed before mournfully replying, “If I should be so lucky.”

I laughed out loud in response. Seeing the look of genuine regret on his face was the perfect end to my day.

Chapter 2

We hit the city limit sign just as the sun started to rise. It was quiet in the Suburban, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Reality was back upon us with a vengeance. We had a brief reprieve from it all at Kellan's home, but seeing the zombies walking along the road reminded us of what our lives had become. It wasn't pretty.

Each zombie we passed turned and followed us back to town. They were fixated on eating our flesh. Their eyes might be vacant, but their animated bodies were anything but. What had happened to the people they had once been? Something had wiped out their humanity, replacing it with an insane need to gorge themselves on the living.

And by now, they were probably getting pretty hungry.

I slammed my eyes shut and shuddered at my morbid thoughts.

“You okay?” Jayden asked from beside me. He looked concerned as he leaned toward me to get a better look at my face.

I exhaled as I forced my eyes back open. Immediately, I saw Kellan darting quick glances at me in the rear view mirror. He must have been satisfied all was well, because he didn't look back again. James gave me a cursory peek from the passenger seat before turning back to face the front.

It was only the four of us going into town. Considering the sheer amount of hungry zombies walking the streets, the odds were a little frightening. The only thing standing between us and them was the vehicle we were riding in. I prayed it wouldn't have any type of mechanical failure.

I gave Jayden a small smile, but it was only to reassure him. There wasn't much to be happy about, especially right then. I was scared and nervous and afraid of what we would find. I didn't want to worry him, though.

“Yeah. I'm just not much of a morning person,” I replied with a shrug. I wasn't being dishonest. I was definitely a night owl.

He shook his head vehemently, keeping his voice low. His reaction surprised me. “That might be true, but it's something more than that. What's worrying you?”

I moved my face closer to his ear, not wanting Kellan and James to overhear me. My eyes narrowed on the pistol in a holster on Jayden's hip. I'd forgotten he was wearing it, but he wore it well.

I decided to level with him.“What's not to worry about? We're going into a town full of dead people that live for no other purpose than to eat us. What if something happens to one of us? What if something happens to all of us?”

His lips tightened into a grimace. “We shouldn't have brought you,” he replied, his tone full of regret. “I can't understand why he insisted on it.” He tilted his head just a fraction in Kellan's direction, his eyes flashing with annoyance.

Although I secretly agreed with him, I couldn't make him feel bad. All of us needed our minds focused on the task ahead. He didn't need to be worrying about me.

“I'm glad I could be here with you, though,” I forced myself to say. “I would have been worried sick, if I had to wait at the house.”

I didn't tell him the other worry I had. Why had Kellan insist upon me coming? What purpose did my presence have? It wasn't like I was an awesome shot or powerfully strong. If anything, I was simply a burden.

Even before the apocalypse, there had been no guarantees in life. Now, our chances of survival were slim to none. The future looked bleak. We could never take our safety for granted again. What kind of lives would we have, when we had to spend every moment looking over our shoulders? It was a grim thought, but I wasn't done yet.

Was this the last ride I would ever take? Would I die before ever having my first kiss? Kellan was pretty impressive when it came to protection, but even he couldn't keep us all alive if we were caught in a mob. Taking this ride into town had the possibility to drastically change our lives.

I pulled away from Jayden without another word, looking out the window silently. The Suburban slowed down as we all gaped in horror. Trash, body parts, and even animal carcasses could be seen on the sidewalks and curbs. It was a dramatic change from the picturesque town I'd grown up in.

Some of the glass windows of the businesses was covered in dried blood. My stomach churned in reaction. It was like a ghost town. There was nothing here anymore, at least not for the living.

“What's your plan, Kellan?” My voice was a tad bitter, but I shrugged it off. We were facing death, in fact, we were completely surrounded by it. We deserved an explanation.

Kellan didn't seem to notice my tone, or maybe it simply didn't bother him. “We are going to stop off at the grocery store and try to stock up on some staples. While you're doing that, I've got a small errand to run,” he coolly replied from the driver's seat.

“Where are you going?” James blurted out, his eyes wide. “Don't forget, we are going to the gun store, too. Your weapons are nice and all, but I want a few for myself.”

“If it's safe, we will stop. Otherwise, you'll have to make do.” He purposely ignored the first question, but it was the way Kellan was. Everything was on a need-to-know basis, and if you didn't need to know, you were out of luck.

A zombie stepped out into the center of the street, watching us as we approached. He was missing large chunks from his face, his eyes red and completely focused on the black Suburban. What skin remained varied in shade from green to purple. I tensed from nerves as we moved closer and closer.

At the last moment, Kellan swerved around him, quickly leaving the zombie behind.

“Why didn't you just hit him?” Jayden asked, turning to look behind us as we sped away. I did, too. The zombie spun around as he immediately started to follow us.

“I didn't want to mess up my paint job,” Kellan sarcastically replied as he turned on the street that would lead us to the store. “Plus, I just washed it.”

James made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, his face flushed red. I wasn't sure if he was horrified or disappointed. Personally, I was relieved he hadn't hit the zombie. Not because he'd once been a person, because I knew that whatever made him human was long gone. No, I was relieved because it could have messed up the Suburban, leaving us vulnerable to every zombie in the area.

And God only knew how many more were out there.

Luck was on our side as we neared the grocery store. The streets were completely deserted in the early morning sunlight. Wherever the zombies were, it wasn't here.

“Are we going in the back or front?” I asked, craning my neck to scan the area.

“I believe the back will be safest,” Kellan replied thoughtfully. He stopped to put the transmission in reverse before giving it some gas. “I'm going to go in first and check it out. Jayden, you come with me.”

He backed up as far as he could before turning off the engine. All four of us silently got out. Kellan walked to the back of his Suburban and opened up the rear doors. He dug in a small box and came back with two black tubes that he held up for us to see.

“These are silencers,” he muttered. “Take your pistols off.”

I'd opted not to have a pistol, but I watched as James and Jayden add the silencer onto theirs.

“Watch the girl,” Kellan told James, his expression serious. “Don't let anything close to her. I don't think I need to remind you that the zombies move fast.”

I mentally rolled my eyes at being referred to as a girl. After all, I was eighteen. For some reason, being viewed as a child by Kellan seriously disturbed me.

Kellan started toward the metal door, motioning for Jayden to follow. To my surprise, he didn't immediately walk away. Instead, he looked down at me, raising a hand to gently slide his knuckles across my cheek. His eyes bore into mine as he did it. I felt a funny flutter in my stomach.

Our eyes locked and held, the area where his fingers connected to my cheek tingling in reaction. His long, dark hair was tied back in a ponytail, his face freshly shaven. The entire area faded away as I focused on nothing but him.

His body was warm next to mine, his face more defined from the grief of losing his loved ones. It added a maturity to him that I found very attractive. I trembled slightly.

This was Jayden, a man that had survived the zombie apocalypse with me. You couldn't go through something like that without experiencing some pretty intense emotions. He'd quickly become someone I cared for very much. He was also the guy I crushed on so hard for years, and once again, I felt the familiar anticipation I used to feel whenever I'd thought of him. 

“I want you to wait inside the Suburban until we're done, Tabitha,” Jayden told me, his face troubled. “The zombies are so fast. At least in the vehicle, you will have some protection.”

“Don't worry about me,” I replied in a whisper, caught up in the tenderness of the moment. “Just be careful in there.”

He nodded in agreement. “When we get back to Kellan's home, I want us to have a talk. There's something I want to ask you.”

My heart raced in excitement. I was giddy, but at the same time I felt a sense of trepidation. I was sure I knew what the question was, but could I agree to it? Relationships took on a whole new meaning when you had to live with the person, regardless of whether or not you were together.

I could feel Kellan's eyes boring into us. I looked away from Jayden, risking a quick peek at the man watching us so intently. His expression was unreadable, his face set as if it were made from stone. I wondered what was going on in his mind.

With a sigh, I stepped back from Jayden. He dropped his hand back down to his side as I gave him a gentle smile. “Be careful in there.”

“You, too.” I watched him as he walked away. Despite the danger, I couldn't help but admire the view. He was wearing a t-shirt and jeans that fit his body well. Jayden looked just as good going as he did coming.

He rejoined Kellan, who gave me one last look before walking up the concrete slope to the back door. James cleared his throat. “Do you want to wait in the Suburban or outside?”

I thought about the distance between the vehicle and the door. “I'll just wait inside, for now.” I climbed in the passenger seat, relieved that Kellan had cracked the windows.

James nodded, waiting until I was in before moving to stand with his back against the brick wall of the store. His country-club attire was gone, replaced with a camouflage outfit that looked completely out of place on him. I wondered where he had found it at.

Kellan had a small tool set in his hand as he quickly got to work on the back door. Surprisingly, it was still locked. It didn't take him long to pop it open, though. They moved in quickly, without a backward glance.

The next five minutes passed by slowly as we waited for them. It was surreal, living in a world where a simple trip into a grocery store could kill you. I tried to picture Kellan ever doing anything as mundane as shopping, but I couldn't do it.

Kellan leisurely walked back out, his expression set in its usual mask. Jayden followed him, stopping to press his back flat against the metal door to hold it open. I opened the door of the Suburban to get out, rubbing my sweaty palms against my jeans.

“Did you find any zombies?” My voice sounded nervous as Kellan walked over to me. His eyes scanned the area around us, never missing anything.

“Yes, but it's clear now. I want you to collect as many canned goods as you can. Use the boxes in the back of the store to pack them up. They will be easier to carry out and load.” His eyes briefly met mine before moving on. “Wait until I get back before coming outside. Let the men take them out for you while you stand guard. If you see zombies, tell them to wait. We can always load them up when I get back.”

For an moment, I felt like I should take offense at his outdated attitude. After all, women were able to do everything that a man could, but I couldn't muster up enough of a protest. The simple truth was I appreciated his protection. Kellan made me feel safe. Although I hadn't known him for long, I'd seen enough to know that nothing ever took him by surprise. Ever. You couldn't go wrong with a man like that at your back... Or with his advice.