Trying to Survive (Part 3) (14 page)

Chapter 19

   As the hours passed, Walt made several more attempts at convincing Jenny to allow him to tag along. He insisted she needed someone to watch her back in case any shredders come out of hiding. She refused to have it any other way, and I agreed with her. It needed to be done by a single person.

   If anything, I wanted to go just so I wouldn’t have to wait around for hours wondering what’s happening. Or if she’ll ever return.

   The truck eventually returned, but they were quick to let it back in and close the wall. We noticed that only four different men rotate guard duty on the wall, which led us to believe they’d lost more than a few people during the fighting that took place.

  Once the sun went down and we could no longer make out the two men on the wall through our scopes, Jenny stood up and swapped out the bolt-action rifle for the M4. We all watched as she made her way over to the front door. Walt was tightly pressing his lips together and shaking his head. Allen, Veronica and Clara shared the same look of concern and doubt.

   Jenny put her hand on the door and said “Don’t come after me if I don’t return… It means they killed me and that you need to just get away as fast as you can… If they take me hostage, they’ll let you know.” She turned back. “Just promise you’ll leave if there’s no sign of me by tomorrow.”

   Walt bluntly replied “No.”

   I said “That’s not how this works, Jenny.”

   “Sorry, but I’m with them.” Allen added.

   She gave us a quick, half-hearted smile and left the building. My heart began to race as she disappeared into the darkness.

  “This is bullshit.” Walt scoffed.

   “If anyone can do this, it’s Jenny. She has the training and patience it takes to do something like this.”

   “I guess we’ll find out.”

   Veronica stood up and leaned against the wall. She shook her left leg as if it was falling asleep. “I think we should just head to that little island. This is making me nervous.”

   I replied “Me too, but we’re also extremely paranoid… We can’t let that make us lose out on good opportunities. We aren’t going to get many.”

   The tension and worry soon brought the conversation to a halt. She was already gone. Discussing “what ifs” and what we should have done instead was pointless. It would only add to the frustration of being powerless to make a move until she returns.

   Walt and I spent a good deal of time trying to spot her on the rooftops, but it was just too dark. The moonlight was being dimmed out by a never-ending mass of clouds. It was torture for us, but better for what Jenny was doing.

   I was lost in the astounding detail and size of the painting again when I heard Clara’s voice. “Why are you staring at me?”

   Veronica stuttered a bit and glanced over to Allen. It was dark so I couldn’t see her expression, but her voice suggested whatever her answer may be was something that brought about pain.

   “I’m sorry… You just remind me so much of my best friend’s daughter… She loved me. I was like her favorite cool aunt or something, even though we weren’t related.” She sighed. “It always made me want a daughter.”

   To my surprise, Clara asked “What was her name?”

   “Gwen… Her name is Gwen.”

   “Maybe you’ll see them again one day.”

   Just as Veronica was about to speak, Walt excitably announced that he could see Jenny. She couldn’t have been gone more than an hour and a half, so I suspected something forced her to retreat, but I didn’t care at all. I was just happy to see that she was unharmed.

   She came through the door, out of breath, then leaned over and put her hands on her knees. Walt must have suspected someone was chasing her so he grabbed his rifle and went to the window. While still trying to catch her breath, she began waving at him. “It’s… okay. No one… saw me.”

   I said “Give her a second” as we all gathered around her.

   After a few moments, Jenny finally choked out “I think that was all of them… They were gathered around a fire eating.” She took several deep breaths. “I found a way up onto the roof of the second building to the left of the wall. I could almost hear them talking.”

   “Holy shit.” Walt said.

   “Yeah… I really do think there’re only eight of them... One of the men was cooking and passing out food, so it’s safe to assume all of them would have been there for that, right?”

   “I’d probably bet my life on it.” I replied.

   Allen said “Could you get a read on them at all?”

   “They just look like normal people… I don’t know what else to say.”

   I’m sure Darren and his gang of assholes would have looked perfectly normal from a hundred feet away too…

  
“Eight is still a lot if things go bad.” Walt said.

   “Yeah, but it’s not enough to make them feel comfortable ganging up on a group our size. Especially when they have everything this town had to offer… I really do think the worst case scenario will be them telling us to move on.”

   Veronica asked “What are you going to write on those signs?”

   “I don’t know yet. We can’t say much, otherwise it might be too small for them to read. And I want to stay far away so we have a minute to make a run to the car in case they just start shooting.”

   I said “Well, we’ve got all night to think about it.”

Chapter 20

   By the time I came to, Jenny was already up and working on the sign. The others quietly discussing what it should say is what woke me up. I said “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

   “Sorry, I know you’ve been having a lot of trouble sleeping so I asked everyone to be quiet and let you be.” Walt turned back and said with an apologetic tone.

   I rubbed my eye, blinked and widened it a few times and stood up. “I appreciate it, man… But please don’t do that anymore.”

   He nodded and said “Okay… So, we have to make it simple, right? We’re thinking – Looking for other survivors so we can work together. What do you think?”

   Jenny looked up at me, awaiting my answer. I shrugged. “I suppose that says it all.”

   Jenny got back to writing on the blank poster-sized paper and said “I’m going to start by hanging the white towel on the end of the rifle. Walt, you stand at the door. James, you watch them and make sure they’re looking so Walt can let me know when to put the sign out.”

   She finished and held up the sign. “The letters should be big enough, right?”

   I nodded and picked up my rifle. Jenny and Walt jumped up and headed for the door. She stopped and turned back to me. “Do you think we should load up the car and have the others wait there in case we have to run?”

   “Good idea.”

   Allen and Veronica sprung into action and began gathering up all the food and other supplies we brought inside. Clara slowly stood up and stared at me for a few moments. I said “Don’t worry, Clara. We’re at the end of the road now. Either this will work out, or we’re heading for that nice little island.”

   She woefully nodded, picked up one of the bags of food and followed behind Allen and Veronica.

   As Jenny approached the edge of the wall and hung the white towel on the barrel of her M4, I brought the scope up to my eye. As far as I could tell, the same two men from yesterday were there. One of them was bald and wore large sunglasses, which made it easy to tell.

   Jenny waited for Walt to post up by the front door and began waving the white towel from behind the building. One of the men was turned to the side, leaning up against the wall, and the man in the sunglasses appeared to be looking straight ahead, but he wasn’t reacting. It looked like they were talking.

   “Not yet.” I called over to Walt.

   He relayed the message to Jenny and I continued to watch as the two men conversed. After another ten seconds or so, Jenny looked back at us and shrugged. I said “They’re talking. Tell her to wave it around more” and Walt relayed the message.

   When the man in the sunglasses jerked his head back and started pushing at the other man’s shoulder my pulse quickened and I felt threatened. When he started to point toward us I barely got out “They’re looking!”

   I wasn’t completely sure that they couldn’t see me through the dark tint of the window, but I took the chance and kept watching. As the other man kneeled down to protect most of his body with the wall and look through his scope, the one in the sunglasses disappeared. I could only assume he was going to alert the others.

   “Just tell her to leave the sign out!”

   I watched as several more men appeared at the top of the wall and took turns using the rifle to read the message. Eventually, one of them held up his index finger, signaling us to give them a minute so they could find a way to respond.

   “One of them signaled for us to give them a minute. I think they’re gonna look for a way to respond.”

   I could see a lot of movement on top of the wall, but they were all staying low so we wouldn’t have a shot. After a long minute, one of them let a white t-shirt hang over the wall. It read “Happy to have you. Please drive up slowly” in bright red marker.

   My heart almost jumped out of my chest…
This is it… We’re all going to be reasonably safe from now on. There won’t ever really be a reason to leave those walls. Only work to strengthen them…

  
“Tell Jenny to come back inside.”

   Walt called her back and came rushing over to me. “What did they say?”

   “Happy to have you. Please drive up slowly.”

   He frowned and sarcastically remarked “Happy to have you? Who the fuck is over there? Ned Flanders?”

   “I’d be fine with that at this point.”

   As a smile spread across his face and Jenny ran through the door, I noticed they’d taken the first shirt away and lowered another one. This time gray, but with the same red marker. I looked through the scope. “It says… We have more than enough food and ammo. We are safe.”

   Jenny scoffed “Well that’s just not true.”

   Walt said “They probably mean reasonably safe.”

   I looked away and turned to Jenny. “The first message said – Happy to have you. Please drive up slowly.”

   Jenny’s brow crinkled in disbelief. “Wow, I didn’t really expect that.”

   “Me either.”

   “Maybe everything we’ve been through is finally going to pay off.” Walt suggested.

   Jenny went back to the front door and motioned for the others to leave the car and come back inside. “The three of us will go. If only two of us show up, they’ll know we’re hiding people. It could cast a bad light.”

   “I’m in.”

   “Me too.”

   When we told Allen and Veronica what happened, they seemed happy and optimistic, even though they were clearly nervous. Clara on the other hand, still held onto nothing but worry. Before we headed out to the car she warned “Don’t trust them.”

   As we all got in the SUV, Walt said “Am I the only one who has a bad feeling?”

   Jenny and I both answered “no” at exactly the same time.

   “They could let us get to the gate and then light up the car. We wouldn’t be able to get away.”

   “You’re right, but they have no motive… They have everything and we have nothing. Why would they possibly risk getting killed so they could rob us?”

   I scoffed “Just about everything so far has turned to shit… By the laws of the fuckin universe something good should happen any day now.”

   Jenny started up the car and put it in drive, but didn’t take her foot off the brake. “If you two really want to just leave and head for that island… I’ll follow you.”

   I said “Who knows what could happen on the way there. It isn’t exactly close.”

   “Fuck it, just go.” Walt barked. “If this could possibly make it so we aren’t all living like scared rats, it’s worth the risk to me.”

   I looked over to Jenny and nodded, so she let off the brake and rolled out into the road. She stopped again at the corner and said “I’m really nervous about this. I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous about anything in my whole life.”

   I replied “Same here.”

   Walt didn’t respond, but I heard him checking over his rifle and switching the safety off.

   Jenny turned the corner and slow drove toward the wall. I had to keep squeezing my hands into fists to stop my nerves from making them feel weak and almost numb. When I looked over at Jenny I could see her chest expanding as she took slow and deep breaths.

   There were only three of them up on the wall, but all three of them had rifles pointed at the SUV. Regardless of that, by the time were about a hundred yards away, I was already beginning to calm down.

   The moment I felt my body slightly relax, I heard a strange sound, and then noticed a small hole had appeared in the windshield. There was a sudden burning sensation in my arm.

   As my eye widened, more holes appeared and the windshield began to crack. I could hear the bullets bouncing off of the hood and tearing through the car as I watched the side mirror burst from being struck. I was fully expecting to feel the pain of being shot multiple times. I expected to look over and see that the same had happened to Jenny, and for her to let go of the wheel and crash the car.

   Instead, she floored it and made the first left. I looked down at my arm, immediately relieved to see that it had only grazed it. There was decent sized chunk of flesh missing, but it was something I could ignore.

   Jenny started screaming “What the fuck!? Why would they do that!?” She looked over to me. “You’re shot!?”

   “No, no it just grazed me. I’m fine.” I said, still somewhat stunned.

  
Why hasn’t Walt said anything?

   She turned back to look at Walt. “Oh no, no, no… Fuck!”

   I tried to turn around, but Jenny slid the SUV around the next left and pinned me to the door. We had to hurry and circle around to pick up Clara and the others before they come after us. When she turned back again and yelled “Walt! Walt! Don’t close your eyes! Stay awake!” I already knew.

  
He moved to the middle seat so he could lean forward and look through the windshield…

   I could see that more than a few holes were lined up with exactly where he was sitting. I was so overcome with emotion that I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even look back to check on him. The only thought that finally freed me from my paralyzed state was knowing I could miss his final moments.

   Walt had fallen over to his left. The side of his face was resting on the grey leather seat. His eyes and mouth were open, but they were completely still. There were two spots on the front of his shirt beginning to turn red, and I could see blood coming out from near his neck and collecting around his face.

  
He’s already gone…

   Jenny screeched to a halt in front of the antique store and laid on the horn. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Walt. As I watched Allen and Veronica climb in and push his limp body aside, I felt mine go numb. It all seemed to be happening in slow motion. When Veronica helped Clara into the very back to avoid having to see Walt, it seemed to take an eternity.

   Jenny had run around to the trunk so she could grab the duffle bag with the medical supplies. She threw it to me the moment she appeared at the door. “Pass that back so they can help him.”

   I held the bag in my lap and stared off into nothing for a few moments before I said “He’s already gone, Jenny… Just get in the car. We have to leave.”

   As Jenny passed the road leading to the wall, she looked left. “It hasn’t opened up yet. They might not be coming after us.”

 
  
As I continued to see his dead eyes, a warmth grew inside of me. It soon started to burn and I felt myself begin to shake with rage. “Jenny, stop the car.”

   She jerked her head toward me. “What?”

   “Stop the car, now. I’m not leaving until they pay… I’m going to kill all of them and take that place for us or I’m going to die trying. You can either help me or continue on. If I live, I’ll come find you on the island.”

   Allen began to speak and I said “If you’re going to try and talk me out of it – don’t bother.”

   He didn’t continue. Jenny said “James, I know you’re angry”

   I interrupted her. “Either help me, or let me out of the car.” I slammed my fist on the dashboard so forcefully that it hurt my hand. “NOW!”

   “I have an idea, James! They’re not getting away with this! Just calm down.”

   “Whoa, whoa. What do you wanna try and fight them?” Veronica said with concern.

   Allen said without hesitation. “I’m ready, James.”

   Jenny snapped “No!.. I have an idea. Everyone just calm down and listen.” She looked over to me for a moment before she went back to watching the road. “Let’s just make some distance and find another place to hide. Then we’ll talk.” She glanced over at me again, her eyes had grown cold. “You’ll like what I have to say. I promise you that.”

  
I should have listened to him… We should have just gone to that little island and disappeared for two years…

  
Jenny drove for about another mile and then pulled over next to some other parked cars.

   Veronica cried out “Why would they do that!?”

   Jenny calmly replied “It doesn’t matter why… they did it.”

   I wanted to urge Jenny to explain herself but I couldn’t make myself speak. Now I know how Clara felt after Melanie and Anthony died. I just felt numb… The anger was in the backdrop burning brightly, but not making me feel irrational. I felt strangely calm, and I knew exactly what I wanted.

   I wanted them all dead.

   Everyone else stepped out of the car and Jenny directed them to a restaurant across the street. When she saw that I didn’t move, she came over, yelled out “Allen, you go in first and clear the building!” then opened my door.

   “Come on, James! We have to go. If we get killed we won’t be able to do shit!” She grabbed my right arm and tried to pull me away, but I just kept staring straight ahead and refused to budge.

   She leaned in close. “I swear to you I have an idea that will kill every single one of them. I’ll even let you be the one to light them up.”

   The phrase “light them up” caught my attention. My eye thinned as I said “Yeah?”

   “Just come inside, please. Allen could run into some shredders, or those men could show up! Please, James!” Jenny said as she continued to pull at my arm.