The Dead Series (Book 2): Dead Is All You Get (4 page)

Pederman laughed again, then became serious. “I’m prepared to make you both an offer. We’re one of the few companies who provide a full pension. And the medical is awesome.” He was looking at Holly when he said this—I wondered why. “We have a robust bonus structure …”

I couldn’t help myself—I laughed, which seemed to annoy Pederman. “I’m sorry, it’s just that … This is unexpected.”

“I understand. It’s a big step. Why don’t you think about it? No hurry.”

He got up stiffly and led us out of the office. His manner was decidedly cooler—possibly resentful. He’d put real money on the table and I’d crapped all over it. Nevertheless, he shook hands—a real pro.

“I’ve already set up quarters for you and the girl.”

“What about Evie?” I said.

“The reporter?”

“She’s also part of our group.”

“I like your loyalty, Dave. I’ll see what I can do.”

When we reentered the conference room, Springer and another largish young Latino soldier were attempting to teach Griffin how to play Texas hold ’em. From what I could see, Griffin wasn’t even trying to be funny, but these guys couldn’t stop laughing. Warnick sat alone, reading his bible. It was a comforting sight.

Holly turned to me, half-smiling. “I think you pissed him off.”

“I seem to have that effect on people.” I poured myself a cup of coffee and joined the game.

They’d set up a series of trailers across the campus to accommodate the managers as well as the medical staff. Holly, Griffin and I were given our own trailer. We’d been expecting to be placed in a converted classroom.

“Who’s paying for all this?” I said. “The city?”

Holly began exploring. “This is incredible! And look, they even stocked the refrigerator.”

“Shower time!” Griffin said.

“Not if I get there first.” They raced to the bathroom, but Griffin had the advantage with her long legs.

“Oh, sorry,” she said. “But you lose!”

While Griffin showered, Holly and I brought in our few belongings and stored them. For security, they’d confiscated our weapons but left me my axe. This was the instrument I’d relied on at the start of the outbreak. I’d taken it from my mother-in-law’s house. I’d destroyed Missy—as well as countless other draggers—with it. It had kept me alive.

I found a narrow closet at the rear of the trailer and placed the axe inside towards the back. Then we opened our test results. The computer printout showed that my white cell count was normal, I didn’t have high cholesterol, and I wasn’t currently at risk for prostate cancer. Good to know. When I asked Holly about hers, she slid the paper into the envelope and smiled in a strange way.

“It’s normal,” she said. “Everything’s normal.”

Later, Holly and I walked the grounds, feeling safer than we had in weeks. Soldiers patrolled everywhere. The fence surrounding the school was now reinforced. Occasionally an errant dragger would wander up and a soldier would dispatch it. We didn’t see what they did with the bodies, but there were no longer any open pits smoldering with human meat.

Warnick and Springer returned to the Arkon building, our former command center, to coordinate the evacuation of the civilians. There was talk that Black Dragon had taken over a number of apartment buildings and was in the process of converting them to temporary living quarters. Like the school, these would be heavily guarded.

“So do you see yourself wearing one of those uniforms?” I said.

“I don’t know. It isn’t like we’re new to this kind of work.” Holly seemed distant. “Besides, we don’t have jobs, remember? At some point, life will return to normal and we’ll have to join the rest of the unemployed.”

“With a mortgage on a house that’s uninhabitable,” I said. “What about Staples?”

“I don’t ever want to go back there again.”

“Fine by me. And what about Griffin?”

“She stays with us, no matter what.”

“Agreed. But if we’re working for them, we can’t come and go as we please. What is she supposed to do all day?”

“I don’t know, Dave. Go to school? Assuming the high school reopens.”

I could hear the irritation in Holly’s voice. I knew she wasn’t mad at me. We were at a crossroads—no longer soldiers, but ordinary citizens without guns. And a girl to look after. I decided to change the subject.

“We still need to find out what Evie knows,” I said. “How the outbreak started.”

“Why? If they can stop it, what does it matter?”

“I need to know.”

“Why?”

“Because of Jim. He’s a part of this—I know he is.”

“You’d better talk to Warnick first,” she said. “I don’t wanna lose the chance to have a life again.”

“Don’t let all this fool you, Holly,” I said. “It isn’t over.”

My dead friend Jim stood at the gate ready to let me in as I approached. He looked good. Shaven, wearing fresh clothes and a new pair of Nikes like the ones I’d seen at Wal-Mart the time we rescued Nina and her baby from a horde of teenaged draggers. I wept as I took his hand, which was smooth and wound-free.

“I’m so sorry,” I said.

“Forget it, dude. Not your fault.”

“How have you been?”

“Can’t complain. Hey, I want to show you something.”

As he opened the gate, I noticed the reddish gash that ringed his neck. I swooned, suddenly feeling the impact of the car crash that had sent my friend through the windshield and into the night where I lost him forever. Now, I was on that dark forest road again.

“Jim! Come on, man, this isn’t funny.”

Something moved in the distance. I struggled after it. It was my friend. “Hurry up, lard ass!” he said, waving. He seemed impossibly far away. I struggled to catch up, but my leg hurt bad from when Travis beat me.

He led me to his dog, Perro. The beast lay in the road, hardly breathing. Steam rose off his body like a red mist. He was smaller than I remembered him. Emaciated. Harmless.

“They had no right to take him,” Jim said. “No right at all.”

Jim was receding into the darkness, his dying dog in his arms. Perro was very small—the size of a puppy.

My shoulder throbbed from when I was shot. “Jim, don’t go! You have to tell me what happened.”

“No time,” he said. “Dream faster.”

Then I was alone.

Warnick and Springer
came back. Eager to hear how things had gone at the Arkon Building, we joined them as they headed towards the administration building.

“So how are Nina and her baby?” I said.

“Fine.” Warnick moved at a brisk pace and didn’t bother to look at me.

“And the others?” Holly said.

“All fine. We’re evacuating them in the morning.”

“Warnick, slow down,” I said, grabbing his arm. “Hey, I need to know what’s going on.”

“Dave, can’t talk now—I have a meeting.”

“Dude, really? A meeting?”

“I’m sorry.”

He and Springer continued up the steps to the front entrance and sailed past the guard. I saw Pederman inside, standing in the foyer speaking to an aide.

Holly, Griffin and I tried following but were turned away by the guard. Greta snapped at him before Holly could pull her away.

“Sitz!”
she said. As if someone had pulled a string, the dog sat.
“Braves Mädchen.”

“We’re still part of this team,” I said, looking past the guard and directly at Pederman. He avoided my gaze and continued his conversation as another soldier on the inside closed the door in our faces. I grabbed the door handle and pushed.

“I’m sorry,” the inside guard said.

“Warnick! What the hell?”

Warnick glanced back, almost embarrassed. Springer wouldn’t even make eye contact. Incredulous, I watched as they followed Pederman to a conference room.

“You need to leave,” the other soldier said.

I felt like an ass. Furious, I stomped down the steps, kicked over a trash receptacle and marched over to our trailer. Holly, Griffin and the dog wisely followed at a safe distance.

“That son of a bitch!” I said, sinking onto our small sofa.

“Dave—”

“We helped save all those people. This is Pederman’s doing. What gives him the right to cut us out of the picture like we’re some kind of … of
outsiders
?”

“Dave, you don’t get it.”

“What don’t I get? This guy’s just another Black Dragon stooge.”

“No, he’s not.”

“And he got Warnick and Springer to turn against us.”

“No, he didn’t.”

“Why are you disagreeing with me?”

“
Listen
. He’s sending a message.”

“I’ve got a message for him,” I said, getting to my feet.

“David Michael Pulaski, sit down or, so help me, I
will
remove a testicle!”

I froze mid-stride and looked at Griffin, who wore an expression of polite sympathy, like you’d have for an animal who’d crapped on the carpet and was about to get laid into. Red-faced, I took a deep breath and sank onto a seat cushion.

“I’ll wait outside,” Griffin said.

“No, honey,” Holly said. “This concerns you too.” Griffin sat next to me, stroking Greta’s head as Holly paced like a head coach in a locker room before the big game.

“Okay, so what am I missing?” I said.

“Can’t you see? Pederman is forcing our hand. He offered us those positions, and he expects us to take them.”

“What? But what does that have to do with—”

“Dave, think about it. When we first spoke to him, he told us things were changing. Remember? ‘We’re back in charge.’ That’s what he said. And that means we’re
just civilians
.”

“But—”

“Look, who cares if we saved all those people? That’s ancient history. Unless we join Black Dragon, we’re out of it for good.”

“Wait,” Griffin said. “They want to, like, hire you guys?”

“We were planning on telling you, Griffin.”

“And what happens to me?” I could hear the worry.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Holly said, stroking the girl’s hair. “No matter what happens. I promise.”

“So basically,” I said, “unless we sign up, he’s sending us out there to fend for ourselves. Like the rest of those rubes over in the gym.”

“Pretty much.”

I was still pissed off.
I like your loyalty, Dave.
Pederman had said that, too. What a load of crap. But what made me angrier was the fact that Holly had put it together so easily, when all I saw was betrayal. She’d always possessed a better mind than me, and once again I was getting schooled.